Harry Potter and the Power of the Past
Disclaimer: All JKR's, not mine.
Summary: This is a complete AU- Harry Potter is a 21-year-old wizard, who's on top of the world. He's rich, in love, and loved by all, but his life is turned upside down as a spiral of events leads to the ultimate battle between good and evil. Can Harry lead the fight for the light, but yet manage to keep his life together?
A/N: I know, I know, another choppy chapter, but I had a lot written before I started it back up, so the first couple of chapters will be like this. So enjoy, and trust in me that it will get better. Thanks for the reviews everybody. Oh, and review again!
S/N: This is the chapter that you finally see that Harry isn't a male Mary Sue, or rather, a "Gary Stu". He does have faults, and he does have things about him that many people around him keep an eye on. In my version, he's a lot more similar to Voldemort than he would like to admit (although he's not bad at all).
S/N 2: You'll be seeing more of Hermione and Lisa later on, too; this is just an introduction of sorts for them. Oh, and just so you know, I consider Harry, Tonks, and Sirius the three "big" characters of this story.
Chapter 6: To the party…
Getting up from her chair, Tonks put her hand out towards the man, smiling slightly. "Sirius Black." She questioned rhetorically, trying to ease the awkwardness that was rising inside her. Just a few days ago she thought the worse of this man, and now…now she was shaking his hand, hoping he was as good of a guy as Harry said he was.
Shaking the outstretched hand, Sirius got a good look at his godson's girlfriend. She had a pretty, pale, heart-shaped face. Her hair was long, and golden. Being an auror, she had a fit body that allowed her to run and move quickly if need be. "So you're the one Harry's told me 'oh so' much about?" Sirius asked, moving his eyes up to meet hers.
Looking over at her boyfriend, the witch cocked an eyebrow. "Depends if it was all good or not?" She asked, a wry grin playing at her lips. Harry played with his fingernails, pretending to pay the conversation no mind.
Sirius laughed. "Well, you are my cousin, so I'd hex him into oblivion if he said anything bad."
"Well, that's nice of you, albeit a little exaggerated." Tonks smiled, easing into her chair as Sirius did the same. The awkward tension seemed to have dissipated as Sirius took his seat, losing himself in the moment.
Flexing his muscles, Sirius shook his head in amazement. "That potion was incredible, Harry. I feel like I'm new again."
Remus nodded in agreement, barely recognizing his old friend. Sirius looked like a forty-year-old version of what he used to look like as a teen. Gone was the gaunt figure, pale complexion, and matted hair, and in its place was a handsome, aristocratic wizard, with long black hair and shinning gray eyes. "You did quite a job, Harry. What was it?"
"I don't know." Harry shrugged. "I just kept putting things in it. It started as a sleeping draught, but it evolved somehow."
"So you don't even know how you made it?" Sirius asked in a mixture of amusement and amazement.
"Oh, no, I do, I'm just not telling you." Harry said, grinning as he took a bite of his muffin.
Sirius smirked. "That seems highly unfair."
Harry shook his head, while pouring his godfather and himself a glass of orange juice. "You know the saying 'A magician never reveals his secrets'."
Tonks stared at her boyfriend; a small smile crept onto her delicate features. She knew he rarely ever kept his magic secrets to himself, unless, of course, he didn't remember them himself. "You really don't remember, do you?"
"No, I don't" Harry responded with a laugh.
The rest of the meal was spent between Sirius and Tonks getting to know one another. Sirius was marveled by Tonks' metamorphmagus abilities, just as she was impressed by his animagus abilities. Both respected the other in magic and as people, and could tell they would be seeing a lot of each other from now on. "So, where will you live?" Tonks asked, while Remus and Harry cleaned up the dishes.
Sirius shrugged, not having thought about it before. "I suppose I'll buy a place."
"What about the Black manor? Grimmauld Place, was it?" Remus suggested, swishing his wand and banishing the butter into the refrigerator that was in Harry's kitchen.
Sirius scoffed at that idea, remembering his days as a child in that horrid place. It was dark and gloomy, and had no love in it, not even when it was littered with living Blacks. "I would much rather raze that place, than live in it."
"But you won't." Harry entered the conversation. "You are a Black. A Black should be living in their ancestral home." The young wizard said, looking at Sirius with his intense green gaze.
"Being born into the darkest wizarding family in all of England isn't something I can be proud of, Harry." Sirius replied softly, ashamed of his heritage. The Blacks would marry their own brothers and sisters if it was the only way to guarantee their blood purity. It was a disgusting and misguided habit that Sirius loathed to the core.
"So what?" Harry rebutted, hoping to sway his godfather's opinion. "You're the last of the Blacks. You are in control of how the world views the Black family. Make the word Black synonymous with the side of light. Refurbish the house, but don't out right deny it. In fact, I will help you change the estate of your fathers'."
"I don't know, Harry." Sirius said looking down. What he said was right; he was the last of the Blacks—at least in name—but still. What he was asking was a lot. To go back to a place that holds such wicked memories was something that wouldn't be easy.
Harry cocked an eyebrow, not relenting on his stance. "Fine, then I'll buy it from you."
"I can't let you do that." Sirius said, shaking his head. He looked up at Harry, and sighed in defeat. "When do we start?" Who knows, maybe it'll be fun, he thought to himself, wanting nothing more than to spend some time with his godson.
Harry smiled in victory, knowing that in the end Sirius would see what he meant all this time. "Monday morning. I'll bring donuts."
Remus calling Sirius from the fireplace caught the aforementioned wizard's attention. "Come on Sirius, we're leaving."
Sirius furrowed his brows, not knowing what his werewolf friend was talking about. "Where are we going?" He inquired, heading over to the fireplace.
"Harry and I, though mostly Harry, are treating you to a shopping spree." Remus grinned, patting Sirius on the back.
"There's no need." Sirius waved it off. "I'm fine." He said, not wanting to make himself a nuisance. Harry's hospitality was already more than he could ask for; making his godsend pay for him to go shopping was stretching it in Sirius' mind. Of course, Harry didn't see it that way, but Sirius didn't want to step on his toes, since, after all, they only knew each other for barely a week.
Harry put his arm around his godfather's shoulders, knowing what it was that was making Sirius hesitant. "We insist. Sorry I can't come with you, I have some business to attend to. But go and have a good time. We'll have dinner tonight."
Sirius gave a small laugh, recognizing Harry's mischievous grin as if it were James'. "Well if you insist. Who am I to say no?"
"That a boy." Remus laughed. "Till tonight guys." Throwing some powder into the fireplace, Remus yelled out his destination. "Diagon Alley!"
Sirius grabbed a handful of powder and made his way into the fireplace, as well. "Thank you for everything again, Harry." At his godson's smile, he yelled out his destination. "Diagon Alley!"
Harry turned back to his girlfriend, ready to start setting up for the party. Seeing her face, he raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You were a little hard on him about that stupid Black manor, don't you think?" She questioned.
Harry took out his wand, and made a few gestures. Streamers and party favors jumped out the tip, and raced towards their spots, where they stuck to the walls and ceiling. "No, not really." Harry shrugged. "He's a Black, he should at least notice his ancestry."
Tonks shook her head in astonishment. "You're unbelievable. Why are you so obsessed with people's ancestry? If I didn't know you, I'd think you were a Malfoy."
"I don't torment or kill innocent people, now do I?" Harry said, continuing with his decorating. He wasn't angry about what she said. He knew she didn't mean anything by it.
"No," Tonks replied, helping him decorate. "But you might as well go all out in your muggle hating. Why only go half at it?"
Harry turned around to face her, staring at her with his intense green eyes. He bit his lip slightly, thinking about what he was going to say. "You think the worst of me, don't you?"
Tonks looked over at her boyfriend, her eyes shining with love. "No, Harry," She said softly, shaking her head. She ran a hand over his left cheek, caressing it lovingly. "I think the world of you. It's the anger inside of you that I'm afraid of."
Harry nodded, turning back around. Most would think he was angry, even hurt by what she said, but Tonks knew better. She knew he thought she was right. Watching him walk around the room with a furrowed brow, Tonks knew she hit a nerve. "I'll be back in an hour or so." Harry called out from the kitchen. "I have to get some things for the party. Do you need anything?"
"No," Tonks said walking to where he was. "Are you going to a muggle or wizarding store?"
"Muggle." He answered, smiling. "I figured he'd want muggle food since it was the wizards who threw him in Azkaban."
Tonks' eyes fell to the floor, not meeting Harry's. "Harry, listen, I…"
"There's no need, Nymphie." Harry cut her off, pushing her chin up. "I love you, there's no need to apologize."
"I'm sorry." Tonks said.
Harry smiled, and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Dinner tomorrow night, just you and me. What do you say?" Before she could answer, he apparated out.
"Don't mind Harry, Padfoot." Remus said, as he and Sirius walked through Diagon Alley. Being a Saturday morning, the stores were packed with people, and children hustled around, playing with their friends. "He gets that way sometimes, you'll get used to it."
Sirius tried not to notice the stares and the people pointing his way. He knew it would happen sooner or later, and was just glad people weren't throwing hexes and curses at him. "What do you mean?"
"Well," Remus began. "You know Harry had a very difficult childhood, don't you?" At Sirius' nod he continued. "When he first started his muggle schooling, he pushed himself to get good grades. He hoped that if he got good grades, his relatives would treat him better. Well, they didn't treat him better. In fact, they didn't treat him at all. They locked him inside his cupboard, and only let him out for school and to go to the bathroom once a day. While he was inside his cupboard, all he had were his books. He grew to rely on them, and that's why he's brilliant. With the knowledge he gained from his books, he got more powerful. And as you know, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Sirius looked at his good friend confusedly, hoping the man didn't mean what Sirius thought he was implying. "What exactly are you saying?"
"If he weren't the son of Lily and James, we might have had another Voldemort on our hands." Remus replied, grimly.
"He's evil?" Sirius gasped.
Remus shook his head. "Just angry at how he was treated by the muggles. He prides himself as a wizard, that's why he chastised you about destroying the Black manor. There's no need to worry, though. He has it under complete control." At that Remus gave out a small laugh. "To think, Padfoot, the boy's flaws make me respect him even more. To have so much anger, as well as so much power, and not use it for malevolent purposes is incredible. Just like Dumbledore."
Sirius sighed, rubbing his forehead. "It's my fault, Remus. If I didn't run off to look for Peter, Harry would have been raised properly."
"No," Remus said, disagreeing. "Even if you didn't go after Peter, I doubt Dumbledore would have allowed you to raise Harry. He wanted Harry safe with someone related to his mother by blood. What's done is done, Sirius. Look to the future, don't try to turn back time."
"This potion that he made really is amazing." Sirius said, changing the subject. It was too difficult to talk about his own failures, and Harry's horrid past. "Is potions his best subject?"
"No," Remus replied, grinning slightly. "He's good in potions, but he's no Severus Snape, that's for sure. Heck, he's probably not even as good as Lily was." Sirius growled at the name of Snape, his hatred for the man rising up in his chest. "Calm down, Sirius; Harry and Snape have a mutual respect for one another. They're both very powerful wizards. Snape's even more powerful than I am. They're not friends by any means, nor even acquaintances, but they're not at each other's throats, that's for sure."
"What is his best subject, then?" Sirius asked, not wanting to hear anything more about Snape. Even after all his years in Azkaban, the greasy wizard still grinds his gears.
"Charms." Remus said simply, opening up the door to Gringotts so they could get some money. "You've seen that cabinet, haven't you? I still don't even understand how he did it."
Harry got back to his flat an hour before the guests would arrive. Hearing voices in his kitchen, the young wizard walked in with his bags. "We were wondering when you were going to get back." Cedric said, as he began to enlarge the bags Harry had just taken out of his pockets.
"Yeah, well, I needed to get a few things for tomorrow." Harry replied, noticing his girlfriend wasn't in the room.
Hermione smiled, knowing just what it was that Harry had meant. "Tomorrow's the big day, then?" She questioned, wondering just when the 'great Harry Potter' would settle down. Harry and her were good friends, even without her being married to Viktor, one of Harry's best friends. They had been Head boy and girl together their last year in Hogwarts, and had grown extremely close throughout that year; plus, they had been pretty close friends before their seventh year, as well.
Harry nodded, and gave the women in the room a kiss on the cheek hello. "Yeah, I'm kind of nervous. When did all of you get here, anyway?"
"Not too long ago." Lisa Davies nee Turpin, Roger's wife, said. She was a pretty girl, with long, straight brown hair, and brilliant violet eyes. Being in Ravenclaw, she was incredibly clever—although weak magically—and had been friends with Harry ever since his first train ride to Hogwarts; they shared a compartment together with Hermione, who just happened to be Lisa's best friend. "Roger should be here any minute." Lisa said.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Where is he?"
"Dropping off Harmony at his parents' house." Lisa responded.
Running his hand through his hair, Harry began walking to his room. "Can you guys handle putting out the food for me?" Seeing their nods, he smiled and left. Entering his room, he saw Tonks looking at herself in the mirror. Watching her with out being noticed, Harry couldn't help but marvel at her beauty. "What's the point of even looking in the mirror, you're always beautiful."
Tonks turned at his voice, and gave him a broad smile. "Think so?"
"No," Harry said making his way towards her. "I know so."
Giving her a passionate kiss, Harry embraced her like he hadn't seen her for years. Stepping back, Tonks took a deep breath. "What was that for? Not that I'm complaining or anything."
Harry shrugged. "For acting like a prat before to you and Sirius."
Tonks rolled her eyes. "You weren't a prat, Harry. I'm going to go get ready for the party, I'll be back in a few minutes."
It wasn't long before the guests began to arrive. Always prompt, Dumbledore was the first to walk in. Next were some former Order members and schoolmates that Sirius had been friends with before being incarcerated. Lastly were some notable wizards and witches from around the world that Harry thought Sirius might like, like former teachers, acquaintances, etc.
"Surprise!" They all said, as the fireplace roared with green flames. Unfortunately, however, it was just Remus. The werewolf threw some bags down on the ground, and ran to his spot next to Harry, saying, "Get ready, he's coming next."
Slowly, as if it were in slow motion, the flames erupted green again, signifying someone was being transported via the floo system. As the flames began to die down, Sirius Black, the man once known as Voldemort's second and most powerful, stepped out into the crowded room.
"Surprise!" The group yelled again, as Sirius stared agape at them all. There were people he hadn't seen in years, and some people he had only seen a few times in his life. He immediately saw his cousin, Andromeda, standing off to the side with her arm around Nymphadora. He smiled at her, giving a small wave somewhat awkwardly. She, in turn, smiled back, motioning for him to come over, which he complied with.
"Andromeda!" Sirius cried, engulfing her in a big hug. He pulled back, checking her out for the first time in over twenty-six years. He had never seen his cousin after she got pregnant with Nymphadora for fear of retribution from the rest of the family. "It's so great to see you."
"It's great to see you, too, Sirius." Andromeda smiled, wiping a tear away. All the emotion of thinking the worst about Sirius came pouring back the second he stepped out of the fireplace. "I'm so sorry…so sorry." She whispered to him sadly, not needing to say what she was sorry for.
"Shh." He replied, giving her another hug. "There's no need to apologize, the past is the past. Let's just look towards the future, okay?" He grinned at her, his eyes flicking over to the older-looking man that stood behind her. His hair was graying, but Sirius could tell he was around Andromeda's age; which was just five years older than his own. "Ted, I presume?" He asked, putting his hand out.
"Yup. It's nice to meet you, Sirius." The man said, shaking the ex-prisoner's hand politely. "Andromeda told me so much about you last night. She stayed up until three in the morning just gushing about stories from when you two were children."
"Did she now?" Sirius muttered, his eyes shifting to a smiling Andromeda. "Well, then, I'm going to have to hear these stories of her's later on." He gave her one last hug, before turning and saying hello to all his former friends, colleagues, and acquaintances.
Before anyone knew it, the party was in full swing. People were laughing, smiling, drinking and eating, generally having a good time. Sirius excused himself from a conversation with Harry and Dumbledore, heading over to where Remus was talking to two women; one was a long blonde haired, stately looking witch; while the other had pink cheeks, and medium length black hair. "Hey, Moony."
"Sirius, hey!" Remus replied, glancing towards the man. "You remember Hestia Jones," He gestured to the witch with black hair. "And I don't remember if you ever met Emmeline."
"No," Sirius said, shaking his head. He ran his eyes over Emmeline's figure, smiling in appreciation. "I'm afraid I've never had the pleasure. Sirius Black at your service."
"Emmeline Vance." The witch supplied, grinning. "I'm charmed to meet you." She said, happily. She was no older than thirty-five, having been just old enough to fight against Voldemort when the Dark Lord fell.
"I'm sure you are." Sirius replied as he threw his long black hair over his shoulder. Remus rolled his eyes with a slight smirk, as he grabbed Hestia's hand and steered her over to get a drink. Hestia Jones was a witch who had just joined the Order when Voldemort was defeated, and had been friends with Remus during the rough days when he couldn't find work. They dated on and off, and always had a thing for each other, but never really moved forward with it.
The rest of the night passed in good times. Sirius had started something with Emmeline, and enjoyed his first night as a free man immensely. Sure, the fact that he missed twenty years of his life angered him, but there was nothing he could do about it now. Instead of dwelling on the past, he would put his energy into making his future the best it could possibly be.