Harry practically flew through the trees using everything he had ever learned at football camp to run faster than he had ever run before. He came out of the tree line but didn't stop. He wanted to put as much distance between him and Voldemort as humanly possible. His roses bounced softly in his arms their gentle reassurances going unnoticed in his panic.
He was past Hagrid's hut and still running as if his life depended on it when he saw two figures hurrying out of the castle. He recognized the massive figure as Hagrid he saw the white beard his father wore sparkling in the moon light. He redirected himself slightly then sprinted across the vast lawns of Hogwarts.
It took only a couple of minutes for him to reach the pair of worried men, but it seemed like forever in his mind. He stopped suddenly right in front of the men and nearly collapsed. It may have taken only ten minutes or so but that was a long run, at least two miles and he had sprinted the entire way.
"Arms up Harry." He heard his father say.
He obeyed and watched as his roses fell out of his arms and land softly at his feet. He took in a few controlled deep breaths before looking at his father. He saw how carefully hidden his father's real worry was but that didn't deter him; he stared blankly at the man standing before unsure of how he should feel. His parents had told him that Voldemort was dead and that was obviously a lie. What else had they lied about? Why had they lied to him?
When he caught his breath he gently picked up his roses and turned towards his father, his face a mess of emotion. He was angry at his parents, he was terrified at having met Voldemort, and he was confused about how Voldemort was still alive.
"Why don't we go up to my office and discus your adventure here tonight?" Albus said. He was worried about his son. He had never seen Harry look so terrified.
Harry nodded because he was afraid of what he would say if he opened his mouth. Half of him wanted to yell and rant but he knew he couldn't say anything inappropriate out in the open. If anyone found out about his family they could be in danger. Especially so since he knew Voldemort was alive. He shivered noticeably at the thought of what Voldemort would do to his family.
"Ahh yes you must be cold. You're dripping with sweat and its freezing cold out here." His father said right before he cast a warming charm on his body, it didn't relieve the chill that had settled on his heart.
He watched impassively as his father said a few words to Hagrid before heading back up to the castle with him, while Hagrid went down to his hut. He kept his jaw clenched and held his roses tightly as he walked behind his father to the headmaster's office. His father tried to make light conversation but Harry ignored him, he didn't want to talk about the upcoming quidditch match or the points standings of the houses. He wanted answers.
They rode the spiral staircase in silence and once they were in the safety of Albus's office Albus spoke to his son. "Harry, what's wrong? What happened in the forest? You look like death warmed over." he said as he kneeled down so that he was eye level with his son. He felt Harry's clenched hands and frowned when he noticed they were ice cold.
Harry looked into his father's eyes, showing him all the betrayal and fear he felt. "You lied to me." Harry said quietly.
Albus's face showed the confusion he was feeling. "Harry, I don't understand."
"You told me Voldemort was dead." Harry said his eyes becoming suspiciously moist. "He's not!" Harry said sharply, his voice shook as his body. "I just met him in the forest."
Whatever Albus had been expecting this definitely wasn't it. His mind went blank as he stared at his shaking son, who right now seemed small. His son, his youngest son, had just seen Voldemort, one of the two most evil men he had ever fought in his life. He swallowed and tried to think of what he could do or say but he couldn't get past the fact that his Harry had just met Voldemort and he was still alive. No eleven year old boy should stand a chance against a dark lord.
"I…" Albus said but stopped because he didn't know what to say, there was nothing he could say.
Harry turned and walked stiffly out of the room, he had to get away. He rode the spiral stair case and stepped out into the dark corridor. He had planned on running somewhere or hiding in his dorm but as soon as he was off the stairs the adrenalin that had kept him going failed him. His knees gave out and he slid down the wall to the floor.
He stopped holding back the tears that had been threatening to over take him and let them flow. His arms fell to the stone floor and his roses tumbled out in front of him. He sat there unmoving, trying to keep his thoughts at bay. He felt safe inside the castle and as a result his mind wasn't so frantic. He could actually think of what had happened in the forest without worrying that Voldemort was going to pop out behind a tree and murder him.
He sat there, very aware of how the cold stone floor seeped through his thick dress slacks, chilling him for a few moments before he heard the spiral staircase from his father's office start. Someone was coming down, he thought briefly about getting up and running away but even he knew that that wouldn't accomplish anything. He couldn't avoid his parents forever and no matter if they lied to him he still loved them. He whipped the few tears from his face and leaned forward and gathered his roses so that they wouldn't accidentally be stepped on, and held them in his arms. The warmth they emanated flowed through him and the stone floor didn't seem as cold as it had a moment ago.
Unsurprisingly both of his parents stepped off the staircase, their faces looking determined and worried. He felt a stab of guilt for making them worry but squashed it, for now. He would worry about feeling guilty after he had answers.
He watched as both his parents walked right past him, not once looking down. If he hadn't been so angry he would have laughed at the irony of the situation, the most renowned witch and wizard of the age, known for their skill in magic and knowledge, walking right past what they were looking for. He toyed with the idea of letting them search the castle for him and exhausting themselves but the thought of his mothers condition was always somewhere in the forefront of his mind.
"Are you looking for-." He started to say sarcastically drawing their attention.
His parents whipped around before he had finished his first two words, their wands were drawn and their eyes were on fire with power. His stopped midsentence as the words died in his throat. For the first time in his life he caught a glimpse of the power his parents commanded. He never thought of them as the most powerful witch and wizard of the age, but he could feel the magical energy roll off of them in waves. He understood now why the public looked up to his father even though he dressed and acted like a fool. Power commands respect and it was obvious even to him, an eleven year old boy that his father and his mother possessed quite a bit of power.
"Harry!" His mother said as her wand disappeared into a fold of her robe. She immediately rushed towards him and gathered him in her arms.
Harry sat there on the ground with his face pushed into his mother's chest; he could just barely see his father over his mothers shoulder. He watched as his father waved his wand in a few complex motions before pocketing it and kneeling down beside them his face a mold of worry.
Harry tried to grab hold of some of his former anger so that he could demand answers out of his parents but he knew in a situation like this he had to be diplomatic. He and his parents could talk it out. There was also the fact that he had never in his life yelled at his mother and as far as he was concerned he never would. Instead he opted to just go with the flow and take things one step at a time.
The first step towards a successful and mature conversation would be to have his air supply returned to him. "Mum… Air… Please." He gasped out in a voice muffled through her robes.
Minerva pulled back from her son but didn't let go of him, instead she sat next to him on the stone floor and held him tightly. Harry noticed that her eyes looked slightly moist and that her ivory skin looked a shade paler than normal.
"Are you hurt Harry? Did Voldemort hurt you?" Albus asked as he kneeled in front of his son, an arm's length away.
Harry looked down and fiddled with the stem of one of his roses that had somehow survived his mother's bone crushing hug unscathed. He couldn't bear to see the worry in his father's face; his normally twinkling blue eyes were clouded and there were none of the usual traces of happiness or joy etched into his face. "He didn't hurt me. Centaur Firenze saved me." Harry said softly.
He could feel the air around them lighten as one of his parents fears were put to rest. Albus leaned forward and kissed his sons forehead at the same time as his mother kissed his cheek. Harry felt all of his residual anger fade away, replaced with the love his parents had for him.
His father sat on the stone floor next to Harry so that his mother was on one side and his father was on the other. Harry looked down at his roses and tried to think of what to say. He noticed the look his parents shared over his head but he didn't pay any attention to it. "You told me that you would never lie to me." He said slowly turning one of the roses over in his hand so that he could see it from all angles while waiting for his parents to answer.
"We never lied Harry." His mother said in a soft voice. "We withheld the truth to protect you but we have never lied to you."
"You said Voldemort was dead and he obviously isn't. How is that not a lie?" Harry said as politely as he could.
Minerva sighed and Albus spoke in their defense. "We told you that on the night he attacked you his curse backfired and destroyed him, which it did. He had been destroyed and he all but disappeared. We had planned on telling you when you turned thirteen that there was a strong possibility that although his body had been destroyed his essence wasn't."
Harry stared at his father. "So you've kept me in the dark for years, to what protect me?" He asked sarcastically. "If I had known that Voldemort was still alive I could have done something. I would have been prepared for meeting him in the forest. I wouldn't have just laid there waiting to die." Harry said angrily, but never raising his voice to a yell.
"Is that a life you would have liked to live Harry?" His mother asked. He turned his head and looked at her; he hated how sad her eyes looked. "A life from the time you were born you were trained to know how to do and handle anything. A life where the words fun, love and laughter have no place, where instead there are lessons, perfection, and unacceptable failures. Would you have preferred that your father and I raised you as we had been raised?"
Harry could hear the sadness in his mother's voice and he thought he could feel his heart being torn in two. He couldn't bear to see his mother upset, it especially broke his heart if he knew he had been the one to make her so. He wanted to apologize for upsetting her but he was determined to have his say in this conversation. If he tried it would be one big cry fest on both his and his mothers parts, he would apologize later.
"No but I think I have the right to know if someone wants me dead. You had no right to keep that from me." Harry said incredulously.
"As your parents we had and do have every right to protect you." Albus said with conviction. "We chose to raise you to the best of our ability to be a normal, happy boy. If we had told you Voldemort was still alive in some form you would have lived but a shadow of the life you have lead. You would have grown up in constant fear, always wondering if that creak in the stairs was a madman coming to murder you. That is not a life I would wish upon anyone, especially one I loved so dearly." Harry listened to his father's words and he felt his concern. He understood why his parents hid the fact that Voldemort was alive from him and he didn't like it, but he could understand their reasoning and he was no longer as angry as he had been. He was still annoyed but he understood that they did it because they loved him. He really couldn't argue with that.
"I was more scared than I have ever been in my life." Harry said seriously dropping the former subject. "I froze and I didn't know what to do." He admitted. "I want you teach me how to at least defend myself." He said looking straight at his father.
Albus looked at his son and was sad to see such a serious expression on one so young. He knew that part of his son's childhood innocence had been lost forever and he cursed himself for ever scheduling the damned detention in the first place. That was the last time he did anything to keep Argus happy.
"NO!" Minerva said firmly her face set in stone, leaving no hope for winning an argument.
"That's not fair!" Harry said. "This isn't about some skate board, this about my life. I need to learn to protect myself."
"I will not have my eleven year old son being trained. You are too young Harry. Your father and I won't let anything happen to you don't worry." Minerva said not even taking the idea into consideration.
Harry turned and faced his father but before he could even speak Albus shook his head negatively. "Even if I were to consider teaching you advanced defense I would not be able to. You are but a few months into your magical education and without a proper foundation to build from nothing on the scale of that which you want will ever be accomplished. My advice to you is to concentrate on school, once you take your OWL's I will give you the same chance I have offered to each of your brothers and your sister. You may learn from me or an assortment of masters from across the globe." Albus said to his son with an air of finality that made Harry want to pout but he knew that even though that trick still worked in some situations it wouldn't work here.
Instead Harry's mind took another train of thought. If all he had to do was pass his OWL's before he could be taught by his father he could be able to take them early. Maybe even earlier than Nathan had if he really tried. So far in school he had yet to put forth all his effort because everything was so easy. All the first year material came to him easily and the second and third year stuff he could usually do after a little practice. He had also learned how to do the summoning charm after only a week of effort and that was a fourth year charm. Making it work wandlessly had taken nearly a month but that was a completely different branch of magic.
"Can I take them early, like Nathan did?" He asked purposely looking at his father. He knew his mother hadn't really liked the idea of Nathan taking them early. She had been extremely proud but she hadn't wanted her baby to leave home so soon.
"When you feel you are ready to take them I will arrange everything, but you must realize Harry that your OWL's aren't something to take lightly. Those test scores will follow you for the rest of your life." Albus said seriously.
"I understand and I promise I won't jump into something I'm not prepared for." Harry said telling his parents exactly what they wanted to hear.
"That is exactly what I wanted to hear. Now swear to me you're serious." Albus said with a slightly teasing lilt to his voice.
Harry rolled his eyes and let himself smile slightly. "Only if you promise to stop keeping secrets from me." He said with a pleasant smile on face.
Albus frowned and raised an eyebrow at his son. "The only secrets we have kept from you are things that you are not ready to hear." He said.
"I'm not a baby. I can handle the truth." Harry said sulkily.
"If you want to know the truth then far be it from me to keep it from you." Minerva said glancing at her husband with a mischievous glint in her green eyes. "I'm sure either you or your year mates have noticed some changes lately. You may find yourself experiencing new feelings or having some more… risqué thoughts about members of the female sex. These feelings are completely normal."
Albus wanted to laugh at the expression on his sons face and if his wife's sparkling eyes were anything to go by she too was enjoying herself. Harry himself looked completely lost and Albus knew he probably was. Normally the boys in the school didn't start going through puberty until they were in second year.
"Now let me ask you a question, and I want you to be completely honest with me" Minerva continued. "Have you noticed any hair growth in places that it didn't grow before?"
Harry's face went red and he sputtered for a minute before a bright flash of light from across the hall captured the trios attention. "Oh Merlin the look on your face…" Nathan said before he fell back against the wall and started laughing. There was a camera sitting on his lap and Harry realized that Nathan had just got a picture of one of the most embarrassing moments of his life.
"Nathan what are you doing here?" Minerva asked sharply. Nathan didn't answer he was too busy laughing.
"How did you get past my wards?" Albus asked scratching his head in bemusement. He had felt no one approach and certainly hadn't seen his son there a moment ago.
"Easy." Nathan said still leaning back against the wall with a lazy smile on his face. "You cast them around me." Nathan smiled at the disapproving looks he got from his parents and the one of confusion from his younger brother.
"How come I didn't see you?" Harry asked looking at both of his parents. By the looks on their faces they already knew.
"I disillusioned myself." Nathan said looking at his brother with a grin and raised eye brows. Harry opened his mouth to ask more questions but Nathan answered them before he could ask them. "I'll teach it to you later."
"No you will not." Minerva said reminding her auburn haired son that he still hadn't explained why he was there.
"Nathan-" Albus started to say but Nathan cut him off.
"Harry's my brother I have every right to know what going on. You can't just barge in then run off with mum without me suspecting something. I am a Dumbledore we're made of smarter stuff then that." Nathan defended crossing his arms across his chest.
"And why did you feel the need to bring the camera?" Minerva asked feeling slightly exasperated.
"It was in my pocket from earlier." Nathan said simply, still smiling.
Albus rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "This conversation, as fascinating as it is in the sense of showing our family dynamics, is not helping matters. It is late and we all have things to be done tomorrow. I'll take Harry back to his dorm and tomorrow we can have a family meeting to answer all further questions." He said wearily.
"I agree with your father. Its past midnight and I'm exhausted." Minerva said. Nathan stood up and quickly crossed the hall to help his mother up. "I'm not crippled yet." Minerva said as Nathan held onto her arm firmly.
Nathan just smiled cheekily. "I'll take Harry to his dorm. I'm a teenager with an abundance of energy, unlike you two."
Albus smiled gratefully at his son as he and Harry too stood from their sitting positions. "Should I worry more about the two of you getting caught by Argus or the havoc you'll cause roaming around the school unattended?" Albus asked with a smile as he put one of his hands on the small of his wife's back.
Harry and Nathan looked at each other before Harry spoke to hi s father jokingly. "I hadn't really planned anything but I wouldn't want you to worry for nothing."
Albus and Minerva frowned at their son's internally wincing wondering what they would wake up to. "Be good and please don't do anything I'll have to fix." Minerva said forgetting to be her normal stern self.
"Anything for you mother dearest." Nathan said before putting his arm around Harry's shoulder and leading him in the opposite direction of Gryffindor Tower.
Albus and Minerva stood there watching as Nathan pulled out his wand and caused first Harry then himself to disappear. "At least they won't be caught. Imagine explaining that to the Board of Governors." Albus said looking slightly uneasy.
"I'm exhausted let's got o bed. This was not what I needed." Minerva said reminding Albus of why they had been there in the first place. His mood darkened immediately as he imagined his youngest facing Voldemort for the first time at eleven years old.
"Let's just hope it was a fluke and not a sign of what's to come." Albus said trying to sound hopeful but coming off sounding morbid.
"Lets." Minerva said with even less hope as both she and her husband turned and made their way up the spiral staircase and into their quarters.
Minerva woke up early the next morning to a cold bed and though she still felt tired got up knowing she would sleep no longer without Albus there to hold her. Without bothering to dress she threw a silky robe over her modest night gown that she had no memory of changing into.
She made her way to the drawing room of the apartments and found her husband sitting in an arm chair reading a stack of official looking documents.
"I had hoped you would sleep in." He said his eyes following her as she made her way straight to the sofa and immediately lay back down. He was still in the clothes he slept in, which consisted of a pair of sky blue and dark green tartan pajama pants and a matching pair of socks. Minerva thought he looked dashing as her eyes lingered on his firm chest longer then was truly necessary.
"I was cold and there was no one there to warm me." She said knowing she was being mean by making him feel guilty but she was hormonal and still tired.
"I'm sorry." Albus said. He put the parchment he was writing on down and got up from his chair.
"No go back to work. I know I've been distracting you lately and your behind." Minerva protested.
"How do you expect me to concentrate knowing that you are cold? I would drive myself to distraction and I wouldn't get a thing done until I knew I had warmed you sufficiently." Albus said before he wedged himself between Minerva and the sofa. He wandlessly summoned a blanket from their bedroom and covered the both of them. He buried his head in the crock of her neck and draped an arm around her and pulled her close t him. "Better?" he asked.
"Much. Thank you." Minerva said turning her head towards his. She tried to fight it but she had no energy to. She felt herself drifting off to sleep before they had been laying there for ten minutes. Albus too was swept off to sleep by the sound of his wife's deep even breathing.
"MUM!"
Minerva started from her sleep and blearily tried to sit up and focus on her environment. She could feel Albus beside her doing the same. "MUM!" the voice called again.
"What it the bloody hell? That's Lizzy." Albus stated needlessly his voice hoarse from sleep.
Minerva nodded sleepily. "Maybe if we're really quiet she won't find us." She suggested letting her sleepy brain get the best of her. She knew her daughter wasn't in any real danger. The yell had been more of an outraged 'I'm going to kill Evan' yell than an 'I'm in danger please help me' yell.
"I hope your right." Albus said burry his head once again in his wife's neck. "I had hoped when they moved out we would stop having to play mediator." He said as he pulled the blanket over both of their heads.
Before Minerva could tell her husband to shut up and go back to sleep the door opened from the room that held a private floo entrance. The room was rarely used and when it was used it was only used by family members or people who had been keyed into the wards. It was their way to move about as a family without being noticed by public eyes. The fireplace dated back to before the ministry was established so they didn't know of its existence therefore they had no way of monitoring it.
Their eldest burst into the room but neither Albus nor Minerva moved. There was silence for a few moments before Albus spoke in a staged whisper. "Do you think if we start getting randy she'd go away?" he asked his wife.
"Dad!" Lizzy said in an aggravated voice. "This is serious and you're too old to be 'randy'."
Albus lifted his head out from under the blanket and smiled at his only daughter. "Is that a challenge? For all you know your mother and I could be stark naked."
Lizzy's face lost all its color and she took a huge step backward so that she was almost out the door. "Oh Merlin, I… I'm… Sorry?" she stammered.
Minerva laughed from beneath blanket and regretfully poked her head out too. Her sleep tasseled hair did nothing but reassure her daughter that she had just walked in on her parents, every child's worst nightmare. "Well you've ruined the moment now so you might as well tell us why you're here." Minerva said playing along. Maybe if they scared their daughter enough she would think twice of coming to them every time Evan did something to bother her. Mean but very effective, it was how they had gotten the kids to never enter their bedroom without knocking first.
Lizzy looked like she was going to be sick. "No I uh think I'm going to leave."
Minerva couldn't help it and apparently neither could Albus as they both started to laugh loudly. Albus sat up and Lizzy looked like she wanted to run away, she even turned her head to the side and closed her eyes as she saw her father's bare chest emerge from beneath the blanket. Albus stood up and helped Minerva sit up and still their daughter had yet to open her eyes. "Lizzy we're not naked." Albus said, once he had sat down again, feeling bad for most likely scarring their daughter for life.
"Are you sure?" she asked with her eyes clenched shut.
"If I was I'm sure I would feel a bit more of a draft." Albus answered with a smile at his wife, who chuckled slightly.
Lizzy slowly opened her eyes then let out a great sigh of relief at seeing that her parents clothed. They were still in their night clothes and she couldn't blame them for that, it was still only half past seven. "That was cruel." She said as she entered the room and plopped down in the chair her father had vacated only an hour before.
"So was waking us up. Now we're even." Minerva said with a perfectly polite smile on her face.
Lizzy pouted and crossed her arms across her chest. She was wearing a simple pair of muggle jeans and a jumper. She would have looked completely muggle if it hadn't been for the fact that her wand was poking out from its holster on her wrist. Albus was about to ask his daughter what was wrong when she burst out. "I can't live with Evan any longer."
Minerva's eyebrows rose as did Albus's. "And why would that be?" Minerva asked.
"He's disgusting; I can't deal with him for a moment longer. He comes home from quidditch and he stinks then he comes home from auror training and he stinks even worse. That's not even the worst of it. He'll walk into the apartment and strip down to his boxers leaving his nasty clothes right there on the floor. Then he'll never pick them up and by the time I get home they'll have been festering and mum I think there are things growing in his room. I can't get rid of the smell either; our apartment permanently smells like nasty sweaty boy." Lizzy said all of this very quickly and almost as quickly Albus realized that this was one of those conversations he did not want to take part in.
Minerva's face lost its smile and it morphed into a face full of pity for her daughter. "I understand completely. Your father was the same way when we first moved in together."
"I was not." Albus protested.
"Yes you were dear, now be quiet." Minerva said not even looking at her husband, Albus scowled.
"I'm going to go do some paperwork." Albus said as he stood up. He really didn't want to hear his wife and daughter abusing the male sex.
Minerva looked up as Albus stood up before her. His short hair was sleep tussled but his eyes were bright and his body was smooth. Albus caught her staring and felt a rush of pride go straight to his ego that even after all of these years she was still attracted to him. He leaned down and gave her a quick his on the lips.
"I'll see you at breakfast." Minerva said.
"I can't wait." Albus said with a smile as he walked out of the drawing room headed towards the master bedroom.
Albus quickly made his way to his and Minerva's shared bedroom and once there ventured into his closet. To put it nicely his closet was a mess. There were robes and muggle clothes flung in every direction; most were hung up in disorder but some were just lying on the floor waiting for someone to put them away properly. He always told himself that he would organize his closet but he never got around to it.
He found a pair of black pants and a green button down shirt hanging conveniently near the entrance of the room. He grabbed them and a pair of black boxers and a pair of socks from a drawer. Finally he summoned a painfully bright neon green robe that was thrown on top of the clothes rack near the ceiling.
Feeling proud at his quick time, he usually spent at least fifteen minutes searching for something suitable to wear; he left the closet and headed towards the shower. Twenty minutes later he stepped into his office, his disguise firmly in place. He smirked to himself as he saw that already this morning he had terrified his daughter, conquered his closet, and taken a shower, all before breakfast even started.
He sat at his desk and put his feet up; it was time to read his morning correspondence. "Junk, junk, stalker, oh an invitation to a new sweet shop in Vienna, that looks promising." He muttered as he flipped through the piles of owls he had received over night. "Ministry, wedding, ministry, a Gal a, naked pictures, ministry, that one's cursed." It was usual for him to receive all sorts of mail, everything ranging from marriage proposals to death threats, and then of course there were all the letters from various ministry officials asking for advice. The only ones he normally responded to were from the ministry, the Wizengamot, and close friends, though he did occasionally accept an invitation to a sweet fair, but he did try to at least read all of the letters sent to him. For the most part good people had taken the time to tell him something and he tried to listen.
The open envelopes littered his desk as he displayed no order in the opening of his mail; everything he didn't need was in one big junk pile that accounted for several naked pictures of both men and women in various positions that did nothing for him, no one could compare to him wife, and all the various letters from everyday witches and wizards who wrote him for tens of thousands of reasons.
He felt his pants start to ride up and he tried to wiggle in his chair to fix the problem but it only made it worse. He lifted his robes to fix himself when the door opened.
"Albus, we have a…. problem?" Filius Flitwick said as he rushed into the room his small frame, his head only a foot above Albus's desk, looking windswept as if he had run to Albus office. The small professor stopped short as he took in the scene in front of him. He had always pictured Albus as a virtuous man, someone above pornographic images.
"Good morning Filius, one moment please." Albus said completely oblivious to his colleague's train of thought. "Let me just adjust myself." He said as he stood up and turned away from the shorter man. "Ahh that's fantastic." He said as he straightened his clothing out and stopped his boxers from riding up. "Now what's the problem Filius?" he asked as he turned around wondering what his sons had done. His father senses were going off telling him that it had been his son's who had caused whatever mischief was about in the castle.
Flitwick stared at his boss in a confused stupor wondering what had he just witnessed while hoping it wasn't what he thought. When he didn't answer Albus's question after a few minutes Albus asked him again jolting him out of his daze. "It's the Great Hall sir, there's something amiss." He answered with a shake of his head trying to clear it.
"As in?" Albus prompted.
"As in you simply must see it for yourself." The small professor said in a huff before walking out of the office, his mind in a daze.
Albus blinked and wondered what he had done to make Filius angry at him or possibly he was just angry about the situation in the Great Hall. He shrugged to himself and turned to where Fawkes was sleeping on his golden perch. "Want to go see what promises to be a huge headache?" he asked his familiar with a benign smile.
Fawkes opened both eyes and let out a chirp, which Albus understood to be an affirmative answer. Instead of spreading his wings and flying to Albus's shoulder the phoenix burst into a ball of flames and transported himself to Albus shoulder. "You are the laziest animal I have ever met. All you ever do is sleep and eat. I hope you get fat." Albus said childishly.
Fawkes snapped his beak, threateningly at Albus. "You're rude to." Albus said. He was rewarded with a sharp bite on his ear. "Ohh what'd you do that for?" he asked rubbing his now sore ear.
Fawkes gave him a sharp look then flapped his wings telling Albus to get going. "Like I said rude." Albus said in a huff but he did as was demanded of him and left the office.
He made his way down the spiral staircase and took a few short cuts to get him to the Great Hall in half the time it normally took him. Using the professor's entrance he walked in through a hardly noticeable that brought him right behind the head table. His eyes widened and a smile crept over his face as he took in the room. The normally grey and medieval stone walls seemed to have disappeared and in their place were walls of various and outrageously bright colors. Albus had never seen such a mismatch of clashing colors, he loved it.
The house tables had fared no better. They too were painted. The Slytherin table was painted a lush green and every few inches there were flowers springing to life. Albus had to bite down a laugh as he saw the nicest, cutest looking snake he had ever seen, it had big blue doe eyes and a smile, slithering through the mural his sons seemed to have painted.
The Ravenclaw table was painted hot pink and was covered in dancing books. Albus raised an eyebrow as he watched a book with long legs wearing a black garter belt dance circles around three other books wearing glasses. That had to be the work of Nathan, he knew Harry was still to innocent to have painted a scene like that.
The Hufflepuff table was painted a neon yellow with small teddy bears running to and fro. Occasionally they would hug or to Albus's surprise start snogging. There was one purple bear that was wearing a black mask and outfit and carrying a whip. The bear would occasionally flick its whip out so that it hit one of the nearby bears and that bear would automatically fall to its knees. Albus really needed to talk to Nathan about what was appropriate for him to be exposing to school children, not to mention how he knew of these things.
Next was the Gryffindor table which thankfully looked to be painted by Harry. There were gold lions running through a red background. Albus's was impressed with how life like his son had managed to make the lions look. If he looked at them it was like seeing a lion up close. He could see individual hairs in the lion's mains. Instead of being comical as the rest had been this one seemed to fill the viewer with a sense of pride. The proud lion ran majestically without any hesitation or fear. He was filled with house pride before reminding himself that he was the headmaster and as such he had to be impartial.
Lastly he looked upon the head table. The entire table was covered in comical renditions of each professor. Albus saw the cartoon that he supposed was supposed to represent him. It was a tall lanky stick figure with a white beard that was so long it dragged on the floor behind him. The little stick figure kept shoving brightly colored sweets in its mouth then it would run in circles until it collapsed. He frowned, he would never run while eating sweets. He might choke.
Looking around him he realized that while he had been observing his son's creativeness students and teachers alike had started to enter the hall. All of them were standing around looking unsure of what to do. Taking the initiative he sat down and started to pour himself a cup of tea. Everyone else followed his lead and sat down to enjoy their breakfast.
When Minerva entered the hall ten minutes later, looking anything but surprised, and took her seat next to her husband Albus was surprised that she didn't even show the faintest signs of being angry.
"I would have thought out of all the people who entered the hall this morning you would have been the most furious Professor McGonagall." He commented, as he fed a piece of bacon to Fawkes, making sure not to do anything that would even suggest they were anything but colleagues.
"For what?" She asked raising a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "I would never punish a student for displaying such creativity."
"Of course not." He said.
The other professors looked somewhat skeptical at McGonagall's lack of anger. "A fan of the arts, Minerva?" Professor Sinistra, the astronomy teacher said.
Before Minerva had the chance to answer Albus spoke up. "Not just a fan, a very talented contributor to the field." That got the attention of the rest f the staff members, except Snape who was not present as was his wont as of late.
"Really." Said Professor Sprout, the herbology teacher. "I had no idea, and I've known you for nearly thirty years."
Minerva glared at Albus for putting her in this position. This was the reason she never told anyone about her preference to art. They would all ask questions and some of the bolder staff members might ask for a look at some of her work.
Albus smiled in return. His wife hid so much from their colleagues in fear of letting something slip about their relationship, so much that even though they had worked with most of the staff for at least a decade they were almost strangers. There was also the fact that he thought, if it was possible, that Minerva was even more beautiful when she was angry. His attention was pulled from his wife when Fawkes head butted him bring him back to his sense.
"I paint." Minerva said simply hoping that all the questions would end there. They didn't.
"Psh" her supposedly best friend said from her left. "She's bloody brilliant. Her paintings could win awards. They could be hung in the finest museums." Rolanda said enthusiastically, loving that her formidable friend seemed uncomfortable.
"Can we see them?" Flitwick asked squeakily.
Minerva narrowed her eyes at him and he sat back in his chair so that he was no longer in direct eye sight of the Deputy Headmistress. He may have been an accomplished dueler but he knew better than to push Minerva McGonagall, she may have seemed prim and proper and above such things as duels but he knew that if she wanted to she could easily beat everyone sitting in this hall except Albus Dumbledore.
"There are actually quite a few of them hanging about the castle." Albus said. Minerva's head swiveled so fast it was a blur and she glared at him with all of her might. Albus had the decency to look somewhat ashamed of his actions but not much. "If you wish to see them I suggest you start looking." He said kindly but with an air of dismissal.
The rest of the staff table took this to be the end of the conversation and wisely started talking about the article in the prophet about the scandalous relationship between the head of department of magical transportation and one of his most senior employees. It was rumored that they would both be fired from their positions.
Harry lay on his bed reading 'Dip, Duck, and Dodge: An Introduction to Dueling Tactics' by B.F. Springer. It was Saturday night, less than a day before he had the truth about Voldemort reveled to him. Not much had happened during the day. He had of course told the Fred and Goerge everything that had happened to him, though he didn't mention it to his other friends. To say they were surprised was an understatement, but they eventually got over their shock and had asked all sorts of questions. He had replied vaguely, not really wanting to think much about the encounter.
After all the serious talk of Voldemort their conversation had turned to the prank that was played on the Great Hall today. Harry had tried to keep a straight face while they speculated who had done it, but he failed and had started laughing when they suggested that it could have been Cedric Diggory. Then of course he had to explain how he and Nathan had free reign of the castle after his brother had taught him the disillusion charm. After promising to teach it to them he had left Gryffindor Tower and had gone to his parents quarters for the family meeting they had scheduled. The twins had told him to take his time that they would provide and alibi if he needed one.
He arrived at his parents quarters just in time for lunch, which was lucky because he had slept right through breakfast and he was starved. The meeting had turned out just as their family meeting always did. There was chaos, some yelling, and a lot of laughing. He got to tell Lizzy and Evan that Voldemort was still alive and he explained to everyone about how he came to meet him. Everyone had been interested in his story of the roses he had found and they had all paled when he told them in great detail of his first glimpse of Voldemort.
After talking about Voldemort for nearly an hour their conversation had turned to more pleasant things. Nathan had told Evan about the prank they had pulled the night before he had even produced several pictures. Unfortunately, for Harry, he showed everyone the picture of his face when his mother had been embarrassing him. Everyone had a good laugh and his mother had taken the picture and she told him she would keep it safe in a frame in their summer home. Harry hadn't been amused.
The twins had talked of work, which hadn't really changed. Lizzy was still learning under a certified medi-witch. She had yet to actually treat anyone. Evan had announced that he had started practicing with the first and second string players of the London Lions. He assured everyone that it was only a matter of time before he played in his first professional quidditch match.
Nathan didn't really have anything to contribute to the conversation since he had been home for the past month or so. The twins had commented on his change of dress style but he had just smiled and took it as a compliment.
The highlight of the meeting had been when his mother had looked at the twins and told them she was pregnant. Lizzy completely freaked out, her and his mother had gone off on a tangent about whether it was a boy or a girl and how they had to think of names. The men of the family had shared looks and it was unanimously decided that they wanted no part in the conversation.
Harry blinked and shook his head. If he wanted to be somewhat prepared the next time he faced Voldemort he had to concentrate. He shot a quick glance at his end table. The roses he had found were still in pristine condition. There wasn't even a sign of wilting. He was starting to wonder if they ever would. He tore his eyes away from the red fire like flower and focused on his book.
Albus was once again in his office doing paper work. Oh how he hated this part of his job. He had never been one for politics but it seemed as the years went by Hogwarts and the ministry became closer and closer. He couldn't remember ever reading anything about the ministry controlling the budget of the ancient school. Everything he had read had told him that the school was a privately owned institution that the ministry should have no say over. According to the original charter there should be no board of governors making decisions about the school.
He sighed and rubbed his temples. He didn't know what to do. He knew what the ministry was doing was wrong. They were taking money from the school for ministry business. Which meant tuition cost rose as the years went by. If everything kept going as it was it would soon be a school only the rich could afford. Albus knew he wouldn't let that happen even if he had to pay the tuition of the students who couldn't afford to attend himself. But as of right now there was nothing he could do without losing all of his political power, something he knew he would need in the coming years.
The wards around his office went off giving him a split second warning of an intruder. He shot up from his seat and had his wand drawn before the intruders port-key had finished its nanosecond journey. There was a crash as the person's port-key dropped them off five feet above Albus's desk. The man who had brown hair sprinkled with grey and a tall frame dropped like a rock to the hard and knick-knack covered desk that Albus had previously been working at.
The man was dressed in modern muggle clothes and a black cloak that made his dress suitable for either world. His face had a few wrinkles but not many. He was tall but not as tall as Albus but his body was bulkier than Albus, but he wasn't fat, Albus knew from experience that the man was made out of muscle.
He lowered his wand as he recognized the man's face, which was currently contorted in pain. "It's about time you stopped by." Albus said cheerfully to his mentor.
The man glared at Albus with honey eyes. "Help me up, I think something punctured my spine." The man said in a pained voice. Albus immediately gave the man his arm and helped him sit up. "Fuck that hurt." The man said rubbing his sore back. "Why is there so much shit on your desk?"
"I get easily bored and I have to entertain myself somehow." Albus answered truthfully.
"Huh." The man said thoughtfully. "I would have expected more form someone who outscored me on the OWL's and the NEWT's."
Albus shrugged. "It's good to see you again Nicolas."
"You too my boy. You look like shite, what's the matter?" Nicolas asked his former student.
"The ministry, Harry, Minerva, not to mention the school I'm supposed to be running." Albus said with a sigh.
"I can't do anything about the ministry, I have tried for several hundred years and they have yet to see reason, and I'm sorry to say you wanted to be headmaster, but I may be able to help with Harry and Minerva. What have they done now?" Nicolas said as he got gingerly off Albus's desk and stood leaning against the wall.
"Oh well Minerva's pregnant again and just yesterday my Harry met Voldemort in the forbidden forest." Albus said for once letting all his defenses come down. Nicolas had seen him at his worst and Albus knew that he didn't have to be strong for him; Nicolas was the one who had always been there for him. He was someone who Albus could tell all of his troubles to without having to worry about putting a burden on him.
"Really, another godchild for me to spoil. How wonderful!" Nicolas said enthusiastically.
"Nicolas, Minerva nearly died the last time she gave birth." Albus said seriously. "You know what happens to my family if that were to happen."
"Of course I do. I'm not an idiot but you don't give Minerva enough credit. I believe she'll pull through wonderfully. Especially with the advice that muggle doctor is giving you." Nicolas said with a wave of his hand.
"How did you know about that?" Albus asked suspiciously.
"A magician never tells my boy, you know that. And as for Harry, I'm assuming he escaped unscathed or I would have been notified, so no harm no foul. The boy finds out there's someone after his blood. He'll study harder and be more careful. I really can't see the problem with that. Isn't it what you as a parent should want?" Nicolas said as he scratched his head in confusion as if he didn't understand why Albus was worried.
"Of course I want him to do well in school and to be careful, but Nicolas he could have died." Albus said slightly hysterical.
"But he didn't." Nicolas said bluntly. "Don't dwell on the what if's Albus you'll drive yourself crazier than you already are." He said with a sympathetic look.
Albus sighed and sat back down in his chair. "You're right that I shouldn't worry so, but I fear that I cannot help it. What brings you to Hogwarts?" he asked with a tired look at his mentor. The man didn't look a day over thirty five, when in reality he was almost twenty times that.
"I have actually come to visit my godson." Nicolas said. "He sent me a letter telling me everything that happened between you two and I'm sorry to say that I only just received it yesterday. I've been exploring the Alps and before that I was in South America. Perenelle is nursing the poor bird back to health."
Albus shook his head at his mentor's odd travels. "What was it that you were looking for?" he asked with a smile.
Nicolas smiled mischievously. "An adventure." He said.
"Of course. Nathan is in his room. You haven't been here in a while are you sure you know where you're going?" Albus asked with a teasing smile and twinkling eyes.
"If I say no will you carry me there?" Nicolas asked smiling devilishly. Before Albus could retort Nicolas disappeared through the bookcase that divided the headmaster's office from the chambers he and his family lived in. Nicolas quickly and seriously made his way to Nathans bedroom. Luckily he didn't meet Minerva, so there was no one to hold him up.
He entered the room without knocking and found Nathan writing furiously in a notebook. There was loud music playing so the teenager didn't notice his godfather enter. Nicolas waved his hand and the music stopped. Nathan looked up and when he saw who it was he closed the book and stood up from his desk.
"Hello Nathan."
"Uncle Nick." Nathan said in greeting.
Nicolas entered the room fully and cast a silencing ward over the door. "I received your letter." Nicolas said and Nathan nodded seriously. "These are for you." He said as he handed him a jacket and a small hour glass on a long chain.
The jacket was faded grey and looked like an old army jacket, there were two small crossed wands stitched onto the right breast of the jacket. Nathan first took the chain and put it over his head and tucked it under his shirt. The jacket he tried on and was surprised when it was a perfect fit. He pulled out his wand and tapped the crossed wands with his. The jacket morphed into a long grey robe with a sweeping hood. All that you could see of Nathans face was a vague black shadow due to obscuring charms.
He tapped his right breast with his still drawn wand and the jacket returned to its former shape. "Does this mean what I think it means?" Nathan asked his godfather with a guarded face.
"Yes." Nicolas said with a small smile. "You know where to be, I shall see you on Monday." Nicolas said his face seemed sad. He turned to leave but changed his mind and instead crossed the room and gave his pseudo nephew a tight hug. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked into Nathans auburn hair.
Nathan looked into his godfathers eyes with a strong resolve. "I'm positive." He said strongly.
"It won't be easy" Nicolas pointed out.
"Nothing worthwhile is." Nathan said.
"You are wise beyond your years; I only wish you weren't in such a hurry to grow up. You are only young once." Nicolas said.
"I'll see you Monday morning." Nathan said.
"Adieu." Nicolas said before he vanished from the room without a sound.
Nathan stood in the middle of his room for some minutes staring at the spot his uncle/godfather had just vacated. He didn't move a muscle until a house elf popped into existence before him. "Dinner is served Little Master Nathan." The tiny creature said.
"Thank you." Nathan said. With a deep breath he stepped out of his room and headed to the dining room where his parents had promised to be. His father was at the head of the table and his mother was opposite to him. There were six chairs between them, three on each side of the table. He sat in the middle chair.
"New jacket dear?" Minerva asked her son.
Nathan felt his heart speed up slightly but he kept his face from showing any of his nerves. He smiled and made a show of admiring the sleeve. "Yea, I bought it in London last week. Do you like?" he asked his stomach twisting unpleasantly at the lie.
"It's lovely." Minerva said to her son.
Nathan smiled and turned his attention to his plate but suddenly found himself sick to his stomach. He spent the diner hour pushing food around on his plate barely able to take two bites, while his parents talked about work. His mum was angry at his dad for something he had done this morning at breakfast.
"Are you alright son?" Albus asked notice his sons slumped posture and untouched food.
"I don't feel so well, may I be excused." Nathan said.
"Of course." Minerva said. "You look peaky, go lie down I'll check in on you in a little while."
Nathan stood up hurriedly, his chair scrapping loudly against the hard wood floors. He practically ran to his bedroom and collapsed on his bed. He had lied to his parents before but never about something this serious and never about something this life impacting. This was how it was going to have to be. He was forbidden from telling them anything. He hadn't realized living a double life was going to be so hard and he hadn't even started yet. He wasn't sure if he could do this.
A little while later he heard his mother enter the room. He kept his eyes closed and his breathing even, she left after softly caressing his face. When the door shut a tear leaked down his face, things were never going to be the same.
Authors Note:
Hey peoples, what's good?
Took me a while to write this chapter not that the chapter gave me trouble, it's my hectic life. I'm in school full time and I work forty hours a week. I have a hard time finding time for homework and sleep, let alone writing, but I love it so I won't e giving up any time soon. I'm actually supposed to be writing a literary analysis paper right now, but I couldn't concentrate and I just finished this chapter last night and I kinda want to get it out there. So here it is!
Review me… please?
Peace,
Alisha