Chapter 22: HBP part 2
"Next day, Harry found out that as Slughorn was teaching potions instead of Snape, he could take that as a NEWT so could still become an auror. However, he didn't have any books or ingredients because he didn't think he could take it."
"Old Sluggy won't mind. Not when it's 'the Chosen One.'" James snorted. "Lily got away with anything in his lessons."
"As Harry was also Quidditch captain, Professor McGonagall told him she had some names to organise tryouts. The team had lost pretty much all its members except one chaser and Ron as keeper, but Harry decided to hold tryouts for every position except seeker."
"Oh no. Of course, the twins are gone." Sirius looked crestfallen.
"In DADA we started using non-verbal spells. Harry got detention for cheeking Snape."
"Atta boy son." James grinned proudly. Lily hit his arm.
"Do not encourage my son to be a smart mouth to his teachers." She said disapprovingly.
"In Potions, Harry and Ron both got given books by Slughorn. Harry's had loads of scribbles in as the previous owner had written his own instructions and some of his own spells. It said it was the property of the Half-Blood Prince." Lily gasped, eyes wide.
"You know who it is?" Remus asked her. She nodded.
"That's Sev's old potions book. I wonder why he left it there."
"My son is using instructions and spells made by Snivelly?" James asked looking horrified.
"At least he was good at potions. The instructions are probably better than the book's." Remus argued reasonably.
"They were. We were supposed to make Draught of living death and Harry followed the scribbled instructions rather than the usual ones. He did the best and Slughorn gave him a small bottle of Felix Felicis."
"That lucky kid." Sirius exclaimed.
"Well that is the point." Hermione grinned. Sirius chuckled. "Anyway, I was mad at him for following random instructions in a book when he didn't know who had written them."
"As you should be Miss Granger." McGonagall sniffed. "That could have gone very wrong."
"I did try to find out who it was but no luck."
"First time the library let you down?" Sirius asked innocently. Hermione glared.
"Harry then had his first lesson with Professor Dumbledore." Everyone leaned forward eagerly. "He told Harry that they would basically be learning about Voldemort. He showed Harry a memory. A Ministry official went to an old house. Somebody had nailed a snake to the front door."
"That's disgusting." Lily shuddered.
"A man appeared in front of Bob Ogden, who was the Ministry official, and spoke to him in parseltongue, which he didn't understand but Harry did. Suddenly he attacked Ogden and then an older man came out of the cottage yelling at the boy. The two men were Morfin and Marvolo Gaunt."
Dumbledore took a sharp intake of breath. Everyone looked at him questioningly.
"That is Lord Voldemort's uncle and grandfather." He explained. Everyone frowned at the thought of Voldemort's family.
"Mr Gaunt was very hostile and Ogden was very persistent. He was there to see Morfin, who had apparently attacked a muggle. Inside the cottage, he saw Merope Gaunt."
"Voldemort's mother?" Lily gasped. Dumbledore and Hermione nodded.
"Her magic was very poor as she was terrified of her father and brother. Marvolo Gaunt was set on both proving his own pure blood and asking about Ogden's. His son's summons to a Ministry hearing only infuriated him. He was the worst pureblood fanatic by all accounts."
"No surprises there." Sirius spat.
"While they were talking a carriage rode by outside. In it were two muggles, one called Tom Riddle."
"Voldemort's father was a muggle?" James asked in astonishment. "How can he have such a pureblood mania then?"
"He despises his father." Hermione said. "That was the muggle that Morfin attacked. He saw his sister had developed a liking for him and cursed him. While Ogden was there Morfin told his father in Parseltongue that the muggle outside was one his sister liked. Their father flew into a fury and attacked Merope. Ogden blasted Marvolo away from her and then Morfin started hexing everything in sight. He ran and apparated back to the Ministry."
"Wow. I feel sorry for Merope." James said. "Shame she had to give birth to worse spawn than the family she came from."
"I agree, that poor girl." Lily frowned.
"Harry and Professor Dumbledore left the memory. Dumbledore told Harry that Ogden came back fifteen minutes later with reinforcements. Marvolo and Morfin went to Azkaban. While they were away Merope was able to use magic a little better. He guessed that she used a love potion and she ran away with Tom Riddle."
"So Voldemort was made by love potion?" James asked, trying to keep a straight face.
"We don't know for sure but it's the most likely guess." Hermione told him.
"Does that have anything to do with why he can't seem to understand love?" Lily asked curiously. Dumbledore studied her.
"It may, Mrs Potter. Not many people are under the effects of love potion very long, certainly not long enough to conceive a child."
"A few months later, Tom Riddle returned to the village without Merope. The Professor guessed she had hoped that he had been with her long enough to actually love her. Or maybe as she was pregnant, he would stay for the baby. Either way, she was wrong and he left."
"He didn't care that he had a child?" Remus asked, horrified. Hermione shook her head.
"Harry noticed that Professor Dumbledore actually had a ring that Marvolo Gaunt had been wearing, a family heirloom proving his purity of blood."
"Why did Albus have such a ring?" McGonagall asked.
"Well all the Gaunt's died, as for why he found it, I shall tell you later." Hermione smiled. Everyone groaned. "With our workloads growing, we didn't have time to visit Hagrid. He was upset with us for not taking his subject and ignored us in corridors."
"You should have explained." Sirius said.
"How do you explain that? Sorry Hagrid, but given your liking for really dangerous creatures we didn't want to continue anymore?" James asked sarcastically.
"We decided to go down after the Quidditch tryouts."
"Good. Get your priorities in order." James nodded approvingly.
"Their friend should be the priority." Lily disagreed, glaring at him.
"During breakfast, a new copy of Advanced potion making arrived, but Harry just swapped covers so he could give the new book back to Slughorn." Hermione looked disapproving.
"Nice, Harry." Sirius grinned.
"At the tryouts there was a boy called Cormac McLaggen. He was a complete arrogant idiot." Lily glanced slyly over at James, who failed to notice.
"He was really rude and annoying so I may have confunded him so he missed the last penalty in his keeper tryout. Ron got in instead." Hermione blushed.
"You confunded someone? Brilliant." Sirius laughed. All the Professors looked scandalised, as did Remus.
"You interfered at Quidditch tryouts?" James looked horrified.
"For the good of the team." Hermione assured him. "As was proven later." She added. James didn't look convinced. "Afterwards we went to see Hagrid. He wasn't very happy to see us. He wouldn't talk to us until Harry threatened to break down his door."
"He wouldn't?" Lily asked.
"I doubt it. But Hagrid came out before he had a chance to try anyway." Hermione went on quickly. "He let us in and we tried to explain that we couldn't fit in into our timetables. He confessed that Aragog was dying."
"The giant spider who tried to eat Harry and Ron second year?" Remus enquired. Hermione nodded. James shuddered.
"'Bout time too. That thing is over fifty years old." Sirius said.
"We offered to help, but he turned it down."
"Thank goodness. I do not want my son near that monster ever again." Lily interjected.
"However, the offer seemed to make him feel better and he was soon back to normal with us. On the way back, Harry asked if I had confunded McLaggen and I told him I had, but not to tell Ron. If he knew he got in because of that his confidence would be shot."
"Oh good. Helping the team again." James smiled approvingly.
"Honestly James, Quidditch isn't the only thing in life." Lily rolled her eyes.
"How dare you!" He exclaimed, looking offended. "Of course it is."
"Slughorn asked Harry to one of his meetings, but Harry had his detention with Snape. Slughorn tried to convince Snape to move the detention."
"Ha! Bet Snivelly loved that. Asked to move detention because Harry is so famous." Sirius snickered.
"His face must have been priceless." James chuckled.
"Soon it was a Hogsmeade weekend. It was really cold so we spent most of it in the three broomsticks. Slughorn invited Harry to another meeting but he had another appointment with Professor Dumbledore."
"Bet Slughorn hated that." Lily smiled. "The meetings weren't that bad really." Hermione raised an eyebrow. Lily blushed slightly.
"On the way back we saw Katie Bell, a Gryffindor chaser, and her friend ahead of us arguing. They had a package, it tore open and Katierose in the air and then collapsed. Just then Hagrid arrived and took her to the castle. Harry wrapped the parcel, which was a necklace, and took it back with us."
"Someone tried to send a cursed item to Hogwarts? Who would want to attack Katie?" Lily asked, open mouthed.
"There must be security measures against such things. I doubt she would have even gotten it in the castle." Remus frowned. "If it was for her, she would have opened it right? So if she was delivering it, someone either didn't know about the wards, or was desperate." He pointed out.
"But why on earth would Katie want to curse someone? She would have known about the wards." Lily argued.
"Her friend, Leanne, told us that she went into the bathroom and came back with the parcel." Hermione told them.
"So someone wanted her to curse someone at the castle?" James asked. Hermione nodded.
"Well normally the target is Harry, but as you were right behind her, it can't be. Professor Dumbledore maybe?" Remus suggested. Hermione fought a smile.
"We went and told Professor McGonagall what happened. Harry tried to blame Malfoy."
"She got it in a girls bathroom." Sirius pointed out.
"But Malfoy had been in the castle in detention anyway." Hermione continued. "Katie had to go to St Mungos."
"Poor girl." Lily sighed.
"Then Harry had his next meeting with Professor Dumbledore. He told Harry that Merope Gaunt had sold her necklace, which was the famous locket of Slytherin to Borgin and Burkes at the end of her pregnancy. She died shortly after Tom Riddle jr was born."
"That's why he was raised in an orphanage." McGonagall frowned. Everyone stared at her. "I was at school with Tom Riddle." She explained with a sigh. The marauders and Lily all gaped at her.
"Then he showed Harry a memory of first meeting Riddle. He went to the orphanage and told a young Tom Riddle that he was a wizard. Riddle readily believed he was a wizard. He told the professor about all sorts of magic he had done and he had an unusual amount of control over it already. Even at that age he used magic for revenge or to frighten other people in the orphanage."
"Even at 11?" James asked in astonishment. "I know he didn't exactly had a wonderful childhood, but that's no excuse for what he has done."
"Of course not. There is no excuse." Sirius said sharply.
"Professor Dumbledore offered to accompany Riddle to buy his school things but he prefered to work alone."
"Friendless and operating on his own even back then. Nothing changed when he got to Hogwarts." Dumbledore sighed. "Plenty of admirers, but no friends."
"How can anyone not want friends?" Sirius asked incredulously.
"Well, they could be like you." Lily interjected with a sly smile. Sirius put on an offended face and held his hand over his heart.
"You wound me Lily flower." He complained. Lily snorted.
"Riddle also collected items from other kids that he bullied. He showed plenty of instincts for control and cruelty."
"No 11 year old kid should have any instincts for cruelty. That's just wrong." Remus frowned.
"It's not that uncommon for young children to be bullies. Look at Dudley Dursley, however Riddle had the advantage of being magical." Hermione said.
"An advantage I doubt he really needed." James muttered. "He could probably just manipulate people anyway."
"Next morning, Harry told us what he had seen. Then Ron and I got in an argument about Slughorn's christmas party. I was going to invite him as he was being left out all the time, but he started mouthing off about me and McLaggen so I didn't bother." Hermione flushed slightly.
"Sure that's the only reason you were going to invite him." James teased. Sirius tried to hide his scowl.
"Harry had to invite Dean Thomas, a dorm mate of his, to play on the Quidditch team as Katie was still injured. The team were great except Ron. He had such a bad case of nerves all the time. On the way back from practice, Harry and Ron walked in on Ginny and Dean kissing. That finally got Harry to realise he had feelings for Ginny."
"Awww, Harry's got a crush." James cooed.
"His best mate's sister. Brave move." Sirius whistled.
"And she was his first fan." Remus pointed out.
"Ron had the tact of a toad and annoyed Ginny. She started shouting about how both of his friends had kissed people, it was only him who had a problem with it. Ron apparently got touchy because I had kissed Krum so Harry didn't want to admit his feelings for Ginny. Although I think Ron was the only person who remained oblivious. He was pretty obvious."
"So Ron sounds like you Sirius. Tact of a toad." James grinned.
"I have loads of tact." Sirius protested.
"Yes. How about my first proper date with James, when you caught us holding hands and starting yelling for all of Hogsmeade to hear about how James had finally slipped me love potion." Lily looked over at him, faintly amused.
"Oh yeah, that was hilarious. James' face was redder than your hair." Remus laughed.
"I'm still not convinced he didn't." Sirius said seriously.
"I wouldn't do that." James scowled at his best mate. "It was inevitable she would fall for the great Potter charm." He grinned over at Lily and ducked when she tried to hit him.
"Mr Black, you are many things, tactful is not one of them." McGonagall informed him.
"Minnie! I thought you were on my side?" Sirius pouted.
"Moving on." Hermione interrupted quickly. "Before the Quidditch match, Ron was really aggressive and nervous. Harry pretended to slip Felix Felicis into his drink. I thought he had really done it, but Ron drank it anyway. Ron played excellently and Gryffindor won."
"YEAH!" James and Sirius cheered.
"Harry admitted he hadn't put anything in the drink. At the after party, we found Ron snogging Lavender Brown very publicly."
"Yet he has issues with everyone else kissing?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow. Hermione just shrugged. "Shall we take a break?" Everyone nodded. Lily got up and went to the kitchen. The Professors began talking quietly in the corner and James started sorting out Harry. Sirius turned to Hermione, quickly casting Muffliato.
"Did you ever end up going out with Ron?" He asked in an undertone. Hermione bit her lip.
"We got together just before the final battle." She admitted. Sirius frowned. Jealousy welling up inside him, along with a little bit of worry.
"Were you still with him when you came here?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to that.
"Well, no. We broke it off before I came."
"Because you came or because it wasn't working?" Sirius pressed.
"Both." Hermione looked at her hands. "Me coming here is the reason we ended it when we did, but it wasn't working anyway. We were just too different. He became so overprotective and we bickered all the time."
"Well, I can't blame him for being overprotective. I would hate for anything to happen to you." Sirius told her.
"I will try to skip over the parts about me and Ron."
"Just tell the story however you have to. Just don't blame me for being a little jealous." He gave a small smile and pulled her into a hug. "You're not even mine and I can't stand thinking about you with other guys." He admitted ruefully. She slipped her hand into his.
"Maybe we can fix that. I know it's really soon but I can't help liking you Sirius. You've made it so much easier coming here. All of you have, but you in particular and I…" She didn't get to finish before Sirius spoke.
"'Mione, you entranced me ever since you fell through the fireplace. Would you do me the honour of becoming my girlfriend?" He asked. Hermione just nodded and his face lit up like Christmas. Sirius leant in and kissed her passionately. She responded with equal fervour until James wolf whistled and she remembered they had an audience. Hermione sat back, blushing but Sirius held her close to him.
"'Bout time Pads." James grinned at his best mate. Sirius undid his spell, still beaming. "Just never hurt her ok? 'Mione is like family." Hermione blushed an even deeper scarlett.
"I wouldn't dream of it." Sirius told him.
"Good. I'd hate to kill ya." Remus grinned. "Can't have you hurting my cousin." Sirius laughed.