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: So this chapter is a little "Honks" fluff, hope you guys like it, and someone makes his first appearance in this story this chapter that I think will make you all smile. Oh, and just so I get this out since the book is only a few days away: I think a horcrux should be in Gringotts.
S/N 2: Next chapter you'll get a little information about Harry from Sirius, too; or, rather, you'll get information about the Potters.
Chapter 7: Grim old ring
Sirius was moving on with his life on Sunday night, sitting with Remus, Hestia, and Emmeline in Harry's living room, enjoying himself. Being his second full day as a free man, the wizard just rested and relaxed, preparing himself for the coming week that would surely be tiring. "So think he's asked her yet?" He questioned to the group, taking a sip out of his butterbeer. The cold liquid—for that's how he liked it during the spring and summer times—sent a chill down his throat, which made the rest of his body release a shiver, opposite of the warming effect that it would have if served hot.
Remus looked down at his timepiece, biting his lip: 8:30. "I don't know," he shrugged, not really knowing. "If I had to take a guess, I'd say not yet." His eyes rolled to Sirius, who stared back at the werewolf for a few seconds, before turning his attention back to Emmeline, a small smile playing at his lips.
And it was true, for Tonks and Harry were walking down a street hand in hand, basking in the ambiance of each other. They were in an all-wizarding part of Paris, and had just come from a romantic dinner at Potion D'amour; or, in English, Love Potion. It was a quaint little place that was lined with candles, and had a string quartet that played live music. Although it was small, wizards and witches from all over the world came to it, hoping to enjoy a little sliver of the wizarding part of the City of Love. The pair stopped on a bridge, as the water of the Seine ran underneath them. Harry watched as a Veela walked past them, curiously not trying to attract him at all.
"It's hard to believe that three and a half years ago, we had our first date at that place." Tonks smiled, looking up into Harry's green eyes. They reflected the bright moon that was glowing high above them, lighting the area with its silver glory.
"Yeah," Harry nodded, remembering that first night at Potion D'amour. He was more nervous that night than he'd ever been in his life, including both of the Quidditch World Cups that he played in. "I knew I would love you from that moment on."
Tonks giggled, batting him on the arm. "Sure, sure, but don't tell that to the other fifty women that were ogling you tonight."
"I'm serious." Harry said, running a hand across her cheek. Once his eyes met hers, he knew this was the moment. With the moon shining brightly above them, and the peaceful sound of the running water below, Harry quietly reached into his pocket with his left hand. "Nymphie, I love you more than life itself. You've been there for me whenever I needed you. You laughed with me, you cried with me, you held me when I was hurt, you made me smile when I was sad, and you calmed me down when the anger became too much."
Tonks continued to look into his gorgeous green eyes, as she tried to swallow the lump that was in her throat. As she was losing herself in his eyes, she failed to see the ring box that Harry was holding securely in his left hand. "I don't know who or where I'd be if you weren't in my life. I know that without you my life wouldn't be complete; it wouldn't be perfect." He smiled at her, flicking his eyes to the ring that was in his hand. "Nymphadora Tonks, I come to you as a man, nothing more, nothing less, to ask: will you be my wife?"
Tonks' breath caught in her chest, as her eyes moved down to the ring. "Yes! Yes, I will." She cried, smiling with tears in her eyes as he slipped the ring onto her finger. Reaching up to his face, she pulled him into a kiss, releasing all the love she could muster. "I love you so much, Harry Potter." She told him, pulling back from the kiss. "Does everyone else know?" She questioned, hoping she would be able to brag to at least one of their friends.
"Pretty much." Harry grinned, sheepishly.
"Cedric? Viktor? Kingsley? Roger? Lisa? Hermione?" Tonks listed off the names of their friends, hoping one of them would be ignorant of their engagement. "All of them? You didn't even leave me one?" She groaned, closing her eyes with a frown. "My parents? Remus? Sirius?"
Harry laughed, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I didn't tell Dumbledore, so you can tell him."
"Fine. First thing in the morning, we're flooing into his office, and showing him my ring, got it?" She said, begging him to tell her no. He, of course, just nodded. "Now that we got that over with, when do you want to have our wedding?"
"Soon, I hope." Harry answered, truthfully. There was no need for a long engagement in his opinion, since they've been together for so long already.
"How soon is soon?" She questioned. "Because I want to be known as Mrs. Harry Potter before the World Cup comes around. That way when people see me screaming my head off for you, people can point and say 'oh, that's just his pretty wife Tonks'."
Harry smiled, knowing how loud she could be. Although at the last World Cup they weren't together, he had seen her memory of it in the pensieve, and after coming out of it, he couldn't hear for a week. "How about a month from now?"
"A month?" She repeated, biting her lip. "Can we get it done?" She questioned, going over what they would have to do. There was a lot, what with sending out invitations, getting a band, figuring out what they wanted, it might be too much for them to get done with in a month.
"I can if you can." He replied, studying her reaction.
She continued to bite her lip in thought, running all the things she would need to do through her mind. Finally, looking up at him, she smiled and wrapped him in a hug. "A month it is!" Keeping him in the embrace, she apparated them to the nearest floo connected fireplace, where they flooed to her apartment, kissing each other the second they appeared in her living room. Falling back onto the sofa, their kissing intensified as they rolled over each other. Harry swished his wand distractedly, closing off the loft from all intrusions, locking the doors, creating an apparation ward, and sealing the floo network. After all, it wouldn't be good for people to walk in on them.
"Dumbledore's office!" Harry called out the next morning, throwing floo powder down, and traveling through the roaring green flames. Arriving in the office, he smiled as he saw Tonks already flashing her ring at the Headmaster, positioning her hand so the light glistened off the rock. "Albus." Harry smiled, taking a seat in the chair.
"Congratulations, Nymphadora." Dumbledore said, with his eyes twinkling as he looked at the metamorphmagus. "You two make quite a pair, that is for certain."
"The wedding is in one month's time, so make sure you mark your calendar." Tonks scolded, wagging a finger at him. She looked as if she were a grandmother, talking down to a mischievous grandson; except, with Dumbledore being as old as he was, the illusion was severely lacking.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Dumbledore replied, suppressing the laughter that was aching to get out. Seeing Harry and Nymphadora together gave him energy his old body wouldn't otherwise have.
Harry rose from his chair, kissing Tonks' head. "I've got to go, I have an engagement with Sirius." His eyes flicked over to Dumbledore's. "Albus, we'll talk later?"
"Sure thing." Dumbledore nodded, watching Harry floo back to his home. "So, one month you say, hm?" He said, returning his attention to Tonks.
"About time you got back." Sirius teased, sitting on the couch as Harry stepped out of the fireplace. He wore a simple pair of muggle jeans, and a gray t-shirt, clearly from his shopping spree just days before. "Here I was, thinking I got stood up."
Harry rolled his eyes, taking off his top robe and throwing it onto the table. He liked keeping up appearances when he went out, but with the prospect of cleaning all day—and getting the expensive robe dirty—and the springtime heat, it wasn't worth it. "Ready to go?" He questioned, rolling up his sleeves.
"I thought you were bringing donuts." Sirius pouted, rising from his seat. The man, although in his early forties, acted like a teenager sometimes, which was something that Harry couldn't help but laugh at.
"I am." Harry replied, patting his godfather on the back. "You'll see them when we get there." He looked down at Sirius' wand, noticing it was made out of maple, rather than his father's mahogany. "Is that your new wand?"
"What?" Sirius questioned, looking down at the piece of wood. "Oh, yeah, it is. Maple, twelve inches, dragon heart string. I put your father's back on the mantle in the cabinet." He said, following Harry out of the building, and heading towards Grimmauld Place. It was only a few blocks away, so it was clearly in walking distance. "That was your mother's on the other platform, right?"
"Yeah," Harry nodded, crossing the street. "Another gift from Dumbledore on my graduation day."
"He sure does give you a lot of gifts." Sirius muttered, jealousy creeping into his voice. He should have been the one to give Harry family heirlooms, not Dumbledore.
"He also gave me my father's invisibility cloak during my first year. He gave me my pensieve, too." Harry laughed, shrugging. "And most of the advanced books in my magic room. You know, the place I was making the potion for you in?"
"Heir apparent to the Dumbledore throne, huh?" Sirius whispered, realizing just why Dumbledore and Harry were so close. The man was grooming him to make sure someone would be there if another Voldemort was to rise up.
"I…I don't know." Harry replied, sighing. "I guess so. I mean, during my sixth and seventh years, he gave me advanced training during my free time, on top of what Remus was doing with me. He taught me a lot; things that I wouldn't otherwise need unless that's what he intended. For me to take over the 'throne' of light magic, I mean."
"Well, he definitely thinks of you as a grandson, that's for sure." Sirius said, turning onto Grimmauld Place. It was the first time in over twenty-two years that he had been on this godforsaken street. He never dreamed of coming back here; what with being locked up in Azkaban, plus his hatred for what the Blacks represented. He knew, though, that Harry wouldn't stop badgering him until he took control of the Black family house and made it his own. Nineteen, seventeen, fifteen, ah, thirteen Sirius thought to himself, stopping in front of the dark and gloomy townhouse. Looking up at it, he noticed it was exactly the same as it was when he was a child; large, eerie, and seething with darkness. "We're here."
Harry glanced up, frowning at the shabbiness of it. It had potential, he noted, but lacked in the upkeep department. The door, which was painted black, had a silver knocker in the shape of a twisted snake, with neither a letterbox nor a keyhole. The windows, which were placed on each side of the door, were grimy and covered in dust. "How many wards are on this?" He questioned, feeling the magic that surrounded the house.
"I don't know." Sirius answered, darting up the stoop to the door. "Are you any good with wards? Could you check them out for me?"
"I could," Harry shrugged. "But I still have a lot to learn when it comes to things like that. Dumbledore's been helping me with them, but I'm still no where near excellent at it." He watched as Sirius put his hand on the handle, which immediately turned blue and the door swung open as a result. "Wow, powerful magic right there." He said, impressed.
"I guess." Sirius said, taking a step into the dusty, smelly house. It hadn't been touched in over fifteen years, ever since his mother had died. He flicked his wand towards the wall, igniting the candles that were fastened onto it. With another flick of his wand, he cleaned the air in the immediate vicinity, making it less musty and more breathable.
"Well," Harry laughed, slapping Sirius' back. "This sure looks cozy." The wizard strolled farther into the house like he owned the place. Swishing and swirling his wand, Harry cleaned whatever he saw, as if he were a one man cleaning team. He circled around the room, banishing whatever he felt was necessary, as he began to make the house livable. "Zeali!" He called out, coming back around to Sirius.
With a pop, the house elf appeared, a plate of donuts in his arms. "Master Harry, sir, here are the donuts Zeali made for you!" He chirped, shoving the treats into his master's arms. "What else does sir want Zeali to do?"
"Told you I'd bring donuts." Harry smirked, looking at Sirius. "Zeali, this is Sirius. Sirius, this is Zeali." He gestured to each respectively.
"Zeali so glad to meet master's friend. Zeali's heard so much about mister Black." Zeali gushed, hugging Sirius' leg.
"It's good to meet you, too, Zeali." Sirius said, awkwardly patting Zeali's head. "I hear you've been helping Harry out on his house, right?" Zeali nodded happily, grinning madly.
"Zeali," Harry said, taking a bite out of one of the donuts to make sure he didn't hurt the poor elf's feelings. Zeali was still young and prone to sadness, so Harry had to make sure to treat him right. "Your father still works at Hogwarts, right? Well, do you think you can go to him and ask him to come and help us? I've okayed it with Dumbledore, so make sure he knows that." Zeali vanished with a pop, leaving Harry and Sirius alone. "I was thinking you could have his father be your house elf, since it seems like your family's one has been slacking off lately." Harry smirked, his nose flaring to get a good whiff of the putrid smell.
"Kreacher must have died or something." Sirius noted, knowing the elf would have been screaming at him the second he walked into the house. He turned his attention to the two elves that appeared in the room with a pop. One, he knew as Zeali, the other, however, was a young elf—although old enough to have a child—with a long pencil nose, and big, tennis ball-like green eyes, akin to Zeali's. He was a little taller than Zeali, being close to three foot. The new elf, surprisingly, wore an oversized red sweater, with two different socks on his feet.
"Master Harry, sir, my father, Dobby." Zeali chirped, pointing at the house elf next to him.
"Dobby's glad to see Harry Potter, sir." Dobby bowed, looking up at Harry.
"It's good to see you, too, Dobby." Harry smiled, remembering his days back in Hogwarts when he would sneak down to the kitchens with Cedric and Roger to get a midnight snack. Dobby and the other house elves had been more than happy to serve them whatever they wanted. "Did Zeali tell you why I asked you to come?"
"Yes, sir." Dobby nodded vigorously. "Dobby would be most happy to help clean this dark, dark house." The elf shuddered, his eyes glancing around the room. "Dobby knows when a house is dark, for my former master was as dark and as evil as they came."
"Who was that?" Sirius questioned, wondering when the elf became free.
"Dobby must not speak about them." Dobby answered, frowning.
"The Malfoys." Harry supplied, looking down at Dobby. "If I'm not mistaken, they gave you clothes because they had a more 'loyal' elf, correct?"
"Yes," Dobby replied, his frown deepening. "Dobby was a good elf, but they were bad, bad wizards. Dobby was given clothes when the former elf of the house of Black, Kreacher, came to the Malfoys."
"What?" Sirius growled, his eyes narrowing at the elf. "Kreacher is still alive then, huh?"
"Very much so, Mister Black." Dobby said, his eyes flicking to the ex-con. "He didn't do a very good job with this house, Dobby thinks."
Sirius laughed, liking the subtle insult that Dobby threw at Kreacher. "Well, Dobby, I don't know if you'd want to or not, but what do you say you come work for me? I'm sure I could work something out with Headmaster Dumbledore, and you're free to make whatever demands you want. It's just that, as you can see," He gestured to his surroundings. "I'm going to need a lot of help with this house, and I don't want to have to rely on Harry and Zeali to help me. I'd love to be able to clean most of it between us two." He asked, liking the elf enough to take Harry's advice.
"Master Black wants Dobby to come work for him?" Dobby asked, tentatively. It was true that he was happy working at Hogwarts, but working for a good master would make him just as happy, maybe even more so.
"Only if you want to, Dobby." Sirius supplied, hoping he wouldn't scare the elf into working for him. "If you want to stay at Hogwarts, that's fine, I'm just giving you the option since Harry obviously likes you."
"Well, sir, Dobby makes one galleon a month and has one day off a month at Hogwarts." Dobby said. "I like to make my own clothes with the money I receive, sir. Dobby prefers making socks the most, sir."
Sirius smiled, finding Dobby to be the strangest elf he had ever encountered. He had never heard of an elf wanting money or a day off, let alone actually wanting to make his own clothes. The money wouldn't be a problem, for his Uncle Alphard had given him a considerable sum when Sirius had decided to run away from home after his sixth year. Plus, being the sole heir to the Black estate, he had a fortune stowed away in his family's vault. "If that's what you wish, so be it. Although, if you ever want to up that agreement, all you have to do is ask."
"No, no, sir!" Dobby cried, fear in his eyes. "Dobby doesn't want too much. What Dobby asked for is more than Dobby could have ever dreamed of."
"Then what do you say?" Sirius asked, bending down so he was eye level with the elf. "Would you like to come work with me? Help an old man like me get back into the swing of things?"
"Old?" Harry laughed, rolling his eyes. By wizard standards, being that most had double the lifespan of a muggle, Sirius was in the prime of his life.
"I will, sir." Dobby nodded. "But Master Dumbledore is a good man, I want to ask him for permission."
"I already did for you, Dobby." Harry said, taking another donut from the plate. "He said he'd be fine if you wanted to leave Hogwarts. Whatever makes you happy, he told me. But if you want to ask him for yourself, then go ahead."
"I do, sir." Dobby replied. "I will be back with my things if Dumbledore allows it." He said, before disappearing with a pop. Being a house elf, with different magic than wizards, he could apparate and disapparate to and fro Hogwarts whenever he wanted to.