Chapter 11
Politics at Play
Harry woke up with a sharp intake of breath. His eyes snapped wide open as he shot up into a sitting position. Shortly after, a wave of nausea hit him and he fell back down. Everything blurred in and out of focus, but he blinked several times, forcing his vision to slowly clear.
He was in the hospital wing, though he could have figured out that much simply from the feel of the bed. The ceiling overhead was quite familiar. He frowned, then looked left, and then right. The beds were empty, which he'd expected, but still…
What happened to Sirius?
Sirius had been with him when the dementors had attacked. If Harry had been discovered and been taken to the hospital, then surely Sirius had been found as well.
I guess Sirius wouldn't be in the hospital wing, since he's a wanted criminal. They didn't have him kissed, did they?
If Professor Lupin and the others had arrived in time to save him, then Sirius must have been saved as well. Professor Lupin didn't seem like the type who would let someone be kissed after they were already taken into custody. He hoped that meant Sirius was located in a hospital outside of Hogwarts–or at the very least, getting treated.
There's also Pettigrew…
Harry didn't care if Pettigrew lived or died. That said, he knew that Pettigrew needed to live if Sirius was to be acquitted. In that regard, at least, he hoped the rat hadn't been offed yet.
Madam Pomfrey wasn't in the hospital, which lead Harry to assume that she was speaking with Professor Dumbledore. He wondered how long it would be before they came in.
As if his words were prophetic, the door opened. Professor Dumbledore walked into the room alongside Madam Pomfrey and Madam Bones. Harry rose to greet them.
"Ah, Mr. Potter," Professor Dumbledore greeted. "I am glad to see you're awake. You gave us all quite the scare."
"I apologize, Professor," Harry said softly, even as he turned to Madam Bones, who eyed him with a stern frown of disapproval. "Madam Bones, I'm sorry to have called you here. I have… information on Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew."
"I figured as much," Madam Bones admitted, her frown becoming even more prominent. "Tell me, how did you manage to break out of the veritaserum's effect?"
Harry shook his head. "I didn't. It's impossible to fight against the effects of veritaserum."
"Then how did you–"
"If I may, Madam Bones," Professor Dumbledore interrupted. "I do not believe Harry has the ability to fight off veritaserum. That would indeed make him quite powerful, but no one can do that. Rather, I think what Mr. Potter did was simply remove any memories pertaining to Sirius Black from his mind."
"Remove–" Madam Bones' eyes went wide, but then they narrowed. "–You mean he has a pensieve."
"That would be my guess," Professor Dumbledore admitted.
"The headmaster is correct." Harry nodded in acknowledgement. "I do have a pensieve. I knew that I would be questioned upon my return, so I bought a penseive to store my memories in before coming here."
Were the situation not so serious, the expression on Madam Bones' face would have been amusing. Given that the situation was dire indeed, Harry found no humor in it.
"May I ask why you decided to hide evidence from the aurors like that?" Madam Bones asked.
"Because the aurors method of questioning leaves no room for expanded information," Harry supplied. When he noticed the looks he was getting, he elaborated. "Aurors are only allowed to answer a specific set of questions when interrogating someone who is underage with viretaserum, thanks to the laws of humane conduct that were imposed during the early seventeen-hundreds. What's more, when under the effects of viretaserum, people cannot expand upon their answers, which limits the amount of information they can give. For example, if you had asked: Did you meet Sirius Black?"
"You would have only acknowledged that you had met Sirius Black, but you wouldn't have been able to inform me of the circumstances behind your meeting, or what happened after," Madam Bones finished his thought.
Nodding, Harry said, "Yes. You must also take into account that you're not allowed to ask me to explain myself in depth. The laws of humane conduct have an article in section nine, which states that you cannot ask questions that would 'mentally impose upon a student's private life.'"
It was a law that had been created by the purebloods to keep aurors from asking their children questions that might get them in trouble. A lot pureblood houses had illegal side businesses. Even the "light houses" that followed Dumbledore were not pure in this regard. It had been a unanimous decision by the House of Lords to impose this law upon the Ministry of Magic.
"Which means you wouldn't have been able to give me a full accounting of what happened." Madam Bones sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead. "I understand your situation now, though I do not like it. You do realize that if you were an adult, I could have you thrown in Azkaban for obstructing justice?"
She was putting on airs. Harry, being who he was, could have gotten out of almost any charge against him. That said, were he not The-Boy-Who-Lived, then she could have easily put him in jail. He also understood the point she wanted to make, which was why he didn't argue.
"I realize that. However, I didn't want any information on Sirius Black leaking until I had Peter Pettigrew in captivity and presented to you."
"Speaking of," Professor Dumbledore interrupted, "You'll be pleased to know that both Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew are in our custody."
Harry shifted as a weight was lifted from his shoulders. "That's good. May I ask what's going to happen to them?"
"Since it's clear that Sirius Black did not kill Peter Pettigrew, we're going to give him a re-trial," Madam Bones said. "The fact that Pettigrew is alive brings into question everything we thought we knew about his case."
Harry frowned. "You mean you're going to give him his first trial. Sirius Black was never given a trial."
"What?" Madam Bones blinked.
"Sirius Black was never given a trial," Harry repeated. "The Ministry of Magic threw him into Azkaban without giving him a trial."
Madam Bones turned to Professor Dumbledore. "Is this true?"
The headmaster frowned, his half-moon spectacles glinting. "I do not know. I was not part of Sirius Black's case. Minister Bagnold told me that due to my biased toward Sirius Black, his case would be handled by another."
"Do you know who did preside over the trial?" asked Madame Bones, to which Headmaster Dumbledore shook his head.
"There was no trial," Harry stated again. "Lucius Malfoy made sure of that."
There was a moment of silence as Professor Dumbledore and Madam Bones looked at Harry like he'd sprouted two extra heads. He didn't think he'd ever seen the headmaster so flabbergasted before. Had he really not known this?
"Lucius Malfoy?" Madam Bones blinked rapidly several times. "That… can't be right. He might've been able to get out of his charges because he has deep pockets, but…"
"My understanding is that he bribed the Minister to send Sirius Black to prison. Given the upheaval at the time, I imagine Minister Bagnold was more than happy to comply, especially since it meant her coffers became quite full," Harry said with a shrug.
"There was a rumor going around that she had accepted several bribes," Madam Bones murmured. "That was part of the reason she resigned as Prime Minister…"
The other reason Minister Bagnold had retired was because of how the war had gone. Under her leadership, the war against Voldemort had steadily been turning in the dark lord's favor. Had he not gone to kill Harry when he did, there was a good chance he would've won.
"So… Sirius Black never received a trial." Madam Bones suddenly looked tired with her shoulders slumped and her posture slouched. "I'll have to look into this, but if it's true, then even if he was guilty of his crimes, we wouldn't be able to hold him prisoner. Of course, if he's innocent, we'll also have to make reparations… this is becoming quite the mess."
They spoke for a while longer. Harry promised to reveal everything he knew about the circumstances surrounding Sirius, while also apologizing to both Madam Bones and Headmaster Dumbledore for deceiving them. After letting Harry know that she would be calling upon him again some time in the near future, Madam Bones left, leaving him with the headmaster and Madam Pomfrey.
"It seems this year is going to be another eventful one," the headmaster said lightly. There was a twinkle in his eyes.
Harry closed his eyes and slumped down. "Headmaster, I'm… sorry, for the way I've been acting."
"It is all right, Mr. Potter," Headmaster Dumbledore said, his voice reassuring. "I, too, understand what it's like to lose people you love."
"You too, huh?"
"Yes, I've lost many people in my time, including my brother and sister. It was difficult to move on after my sister died and my brother stopped speaking to me. However, all wounds of the heart fade in time, though I am afraid the scars left from such wounds will never fully heal."
He appreciated the headmaster's frankness. At the same time, it didn't really help him.
Harry clutched a hand to his chest, feeling the emotional pain as though it were a physical ache. "I already know this pain will never fade. I'm not so naive as to believe this is something that will ever heal or go away simply because I want it to."
He'd already tried doing that. He had pushed his friends away, he'd lost himself in his projects, he'd tried to run. It hadn't helped. All it had done was make him sink further into darkness. It had made him revert to the vile creature that he'd been before meeting Lisa Crawft. He felt his stomach bubble from just thinking about it.
"I suppose not," Headmaster Dumbledore allowed. After another moment of silence, the headmaster stood up and smiled at him. "Well, I believe I shall let you get some rest. Your friends should be by soon."
"I see. Thank you, Headmaster."
"Think nothing of it."
Dumbledore waved and left. Once more, Harry was left to his own devices.
XoX
During his time in the hospital wing, Harry was visited by all of his friends. Daphne and Susan had scolded him. According to them, what he'd done had been stupid, reckless, stupid, irresponsible, stupid, dumb beyond all recognition, and stupid… in that order. Everyone else had sat back and watched with amused smiles as Harry was scolded like a child who'd stolen candy from a grocery store.
Later in the day, after his friends had left (been kicked out by Madam Pomfrey for making too much noise), Harry received a surprise visit from Professor Remus Lupin. The man strolled in, his expression slightly haggard, as if he'd been having trouble sleeping. Given what he must have learned about Sirius, Harry imagined the man was wracked with guilt.
"Harry," he greeted, sitting down on the chair like he was boneless.
"Professor Lupin," Harry said. "Or should I call you Moony?"
"Either one is fine," Remus replied with a weary smile. "I shouldn't be surprised you know about that nickname. I assume you also know about my relationship with your parents?"
Shrugging, Harry said, "I do. Sirius told me a lot about your adventures together."
That was, of course, only partially true. Sirius had indeed told Harry a lot, but Harry also remembered a lot. He recalled how Remus had visited them a few times, though he rarely stayed for long. His parents had always asked if he wanted to stay the night, especially during the full moon, but Remus had always declined.
"If you know about my past, that makes this easier." Despite his words, Professor Lupin looked like someone who'd just had a planet dropped onto his shoulders. "I owe you an apology. After your parents died, I went off on my own, abandoning the son of my two best friends in order to live a secular life of self pity. I never once thought about what you must have been going through and only cared about myself."
Harry sighed. This man was being pretty hard on himself. He thought it was deserved, but being rude or rubbing how much his life had sucked thanks to the professor's inaction, wouldn't benefit anyone.
"We all have our problems. I don't blame you for what happened in my past, so you shouldn't either."
He thought about bringing up Professor Lupin's lycanthropy, but decided not to. It wouldn't help him here.
Professor Lupin smiled. "You're too kind."
"Has there been any news on Sirius and Pettigrew?" Harry asked.
The face Professor Lupin made was that of someone who'd swallowed a lemon. "I have not heard anything. It looks like Headmaster Dumbledore and Madam Bones are keeping everything related to this incident under wraps. The only reason I even know as much as I do is because I was the one who arrived on the scene first." Professor Lupin paused, grimacing as though remembering something unpleasant, and then he shook his head. "I never would have imagined that Pettigrew was alive."
"I doubt most people would," Harry said, already looking to head off Professor Lupin's pity party. Considering the number of months he'd been having his own pity party, he didn't want to deal with the professor's. "Pettigrew was cunning enough not to leave any evidence, and I doubt you'd have been able to find him since he'd disguised himself as the pet rat of the Weasley family."
"Yes, I suppose that's true." Professor Lupin tried to smile. "Still, I feel like I should have known that Sirius was innocent. He and James were as close as brothers."
Harry realized that if he didn't stop this man, then he would be forced to listen to Professor Lupin's self-recriminations, which were far too close to his own current issues with his friends. He changed the subject. Again.
"Would you mind telling me some stories about your time together at Hogwarts?"
For the first time since he'd entered, Professor Lupin's smile was genuine. "I would love to," he said, and then spent the next hour regaling Harry with stories of his parents.
XoX
The days passed by in relative peace–relative because there was a new hot topic that had come up since Sirius Black had infiltrated Hogwarts.
Harry didn't know how the rumors were started, but someone had found out at least something related to what happened with him and Sirius. Numerous theories were being discussed within the corridors. Everything from Sirius Black attacked him, to Sirius Black saved him, to Harry Potter fought against and single-handedly captured Sirius Black, had been bandied about.
Being the cause of these rumors, Harry had once again been forced to endure everyone he passed going silent, and then starting up again when they believed he was out of earshot. It was annoying–extremely so. However, there was nothing for it. He couldn't stop the rumors, and if he tried to stop them by saying something, then people would just come up with more rumors. This endless, vicious cycle was something he had grown used to.
It didn't help that Madam Bones had essentially sworn him to secrecy. He was neither allowed to confirm nor deny the rumors. Fortunately, people didn't ask him. He guessed they were too scared.
It had been a week since the incident with Sirius Black. Classes continued on as per the usual, Harry had been slowly regaining his former physical strength, and he'd become more comfortable with his friends. Even so, he still had moments where he felt guilt creep up on him. Thankfully, Daphne and Susan were there as support.
Perhaps it was because they knew most of his secrets, including his most important one, but Daphne and Susan had been a constant presence for the past week. At least one of them was always by his side. Whenever Harry went into a relapse, one of them would be there with a reassuring hand. It had become a habit for him to be holding at least one of their hands whenever they were sitting down. He believed it was their way of giving him strength.
He wasn't sure if the others had noticed. Blaize probably did. He was observant. However, he was also intelligent and knew better than to draw attention to it.
It was late afternoon. The mid-september air was crisp and refreshing. Leaves were spread across the ground, having fallen from their branches. The Black Lake appeared the same as always. Harry could see the giant squid waving a tentacle at some of the students standing by the shore, almost as if it were greeting them. The students waved back.
"Quidditch will be starting soon," Tracey said. "Do you plan on going out for the team this year?"
Harry thought about it for a moment, and then shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Quidditch is fun, but it doesn't give me the same thrill that something like sparring and dueling does."
He did enjoy flying, but not when playing Quidditch. Still, Harry mused that he was missing out on a good opportunity to regain his popularity within the Gryffindor house. On the other hand, if he soundly defeated every other house, they might not like him as much. If he wanted to reclaim his former popularity with all of the houses, then he needed to regain the precarious balance he had between being an exceptional student, yet not someone who constantly stood in the limelight. It was a lot harder than it sounded.
"That's too bad," Tracey sighed. "Thanks to Malfoy's father getting Slytherin brand new equipment, I have a feeling that sniveling dirt bag is going to win."
"Not very supportive of your house, are you, Trace?" Daphne asked rhetorically.
"Oh, can it," Tracey muttered. "I love our house just fine. It's Malfoy I hate, and since my hatred for Malfoy is greater than my love for Slytherin, well…"
"Malfoy isn't an easy individual to get along with," Blaize agreed with Tracey's words, nodding ever so slightly.
"Understatement of the century, Blaize."
"Has he been causing problems?" asked Harry.
Daphne shook her head. "He mostly keeps to himself these days, though he has amassed a small following since you went under. A lot of the younger students look up to him, and a few of the older students have been listening a little too often lately."
Hearing that made Harry want to sigh. Draco wasn't much of a threat, just a boy who thought he deserved the world because his father was rich. Dealing with him would not only be tiring, but it would also be more trouble than it was worth.
Still…
"Could you please keep an eye on him? You don't have to observe him closely. Just let me know if he starts acting strangely," Harry said.
Blaize nodded. "Since I share a dorm room with him, I'll keep my eyes out for anything unusual."
"I wouldn't worry about Malfoy," Astoria said. "I've met him once or twice before. The boy's a coward. I've never seen someone whose belly is yellower than his."
"I'm with Stori on this one," Tracey agreed.
Luna nodded. "He has a lot of nargles around him."
Conversation probably would have continued, but at that moment, Professor McGonagall, of all people, strolled onto the grass and walked over to them. Her movements were harried. There was a stilt in her step, as if she'd rushed down a flight of stairs and injured herself. She stopped in front of them. Her cheeks were slightly flushed.
"Mr. Potter, Headmaster Dumbledore would like to speak with you."
There couldn't have been many reasons for the headmaster to call him. In fact, Harry could think of only one reason for the headmaster to ask for a meeting.
"Do you mind if I come along as well?" asked Susan, who must have realized the same thing.
Professor McGonagall frowned, but when Harry gazed at her imploringly, she sighed. "Very well. You may also come. However, only you. Since your aunt is also here, I believe it would be nice if I let you see her. Nothing more."
So I was right.
Hearing that Madam Bones was also present made what they were calling him for even more obvious. It had to be Sirius. That was the only reason Madam Bones would have been at Hogwarts. Something big must have happened with Sirius, and they were going to tell him.
He stood up. Susan stood up with him and grabbed his hand. Her face was beat red. Harry guessed she was embarrassed. He tried not to let her embarrassment make him embarrassed. Matters weren't helped when, upon looking at their hands, Professor McGonagall's lips twitched into a smile.
"If you two will follow me," she said before turning around and walking back toward the castle.
They were lead to the headmaster's office. Professor McGonagall spoke the password, gumdrops, with an embarrassed blush on her face. Having never been to the headmaster's office before, Susan was startled when the stairs began to move. She squeaked and grabbed onto Harry.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yes. I'm just surprised. Sorry."
"It's fine," Harry murmured as Professor McGonagall lead them down the steps and up to the door. She was just about to knock–
"Come in, Minerva."
–when a voice called out from the other side. Harry glanced at Professor McGonagall. A vein throbbed on her forehead, though she still opened the door, allowing him and Susan to proceed her.
Several people stood in the office, which was filled with knick knacks and various odds and ends. Headmaster Dumbledore and Madam Bones were there, obviously, but there were also two other people. One of them was Professor Lupin, and the other was…
"Harry!" Sirius shouted with obnoxious joviality as he rushed over as if to hug him–only to pause. Harry did not like the gleam in his godfather's eyes. "Now who is this? Harry, you sly dog. Why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend?"
While Susan turned red right down to the roots of her hair, Harry frowned. "Susan isn't my girlfriend… I think."
"You think?"
"Well… she is a girl, and a friend… but…"
Harry knew nothing of relationships. They were about the lowest point of interest on his list. He had neither the time nor the inclination to understand what it meant to be intimate with someone. Even if he was going through puberty and dreamed of doing various intimate acts, he wanted to wait until he'd accomplished his other goals before he even contemplated the idea of dating someone.
Sirius looked from him to Susan. "I think your friend might disagree."
Harry frowned at Sirius, but he didn't have time to deal with the man's comments on his relationship.
"It's… good to see you Sirius," Harry said at last. He took a deep breath. "I was… worried, um, when I realized you had infiltrated Hogwarts."
Sirius's eyes popped wide open, as though he couldn't believe what Harry had just said. "Was that… concern in your voice?"
Harry turned his head. He could feel heat rising to his cheeks. "N-no."
While Sirius looked ready to burst into a grin, Madam Bones walked forward and greeted Susan. "It's good to see you. I hadn't realized you were coming with Harry."
"I wanted to be with… Harry," Susan started off strong but ended in a quiet voice.
"I see." Madam Bones paused. "Well, if Harry is fine with you being here, then I see no problem. Headmaster?"
"I do not have a problem either," the headmaster replied with a twinkle in his eyes.
"In that case, I'd like to speak about what's going to happen within the next few days." Madam Bones coughed into her hand. "First, we are going to make a public announcement at a press conference that Peter Pettigrew is alive and has been caught. We'll make a public spectacle out of it by showing him at the press conference. We'll also state that Sirius Black has been cleared of all charges, but that he'll need to come forward to publically proclaim his innocence."
Nodding, Harry could already see where this was going. "I'm guessing Sirius will then turn up at the Ministry of Magic?"
Madam Bones, to his surprise, shook her head. "What we want to have happen is for you and Sirius to make an appearance together. If they see the Boy-Who-Lived with Sirius Black, then they're more likely to accept him. We'll hold another press conference then, and you'll tell everyone about what happened this summer; how you and Sirius reconnected and you discovered that he was innocent. It will give Sirius more plausibility."
"It will also let others know what happened to me during the summer, thereby putting a close to the many rumors that have been going around," Harry added with a nod. "This is a pretty cunning move, if you don't mind my saying so. I'd expect political maneuvering like this from someone like Celestina."
Madam Bones made a face. "I did consult with her on the matter. I don't know how, but she managed to find out about Sirius Black a few days after he was taken to the hospital." She shook her head and muttered something about "loose lips," which made Harry wonder about how far reaching that woman's hands were. "In any case, that's the basic plan so far. We're not going to make the announcement until after Halloween, so there's some time before anything happens. We need to make a lot of preparations."
There was a pause in the conversation. Harry felt something similar to tension within the room, and he realized soon after that it was coming from Susan. Everything that was happening wasn't something normal students went through, or, indeed, even those with people in high positions. She was probably nervous. He squeezed her hand to reassure her, and was pleasantly surprised when she squeezed back.
Madam Bones continued. "In the meantime, Sirius Black is going to stay… wherever he's been staying." She eyed Sirius, who grinned and then made a zipping motion by his lips. Madme Bones gave an exhausted sigh. "I also want you to keep quiet about what's going on. I'm sure there are plenty of rumors going around Hogwarts. Don't verify any of them, even if someone comes up to you."
"Can I at least tell me my friends?" asked Harry, which caused Headmaster Dumbledore and Sirius to crack a smile. Even Madam Bones smiled a bit.
"Yes, you can inform them about what's happening, but do so where no one else can hear you." Harry nodded. "Well, that's all I wanted to speak about. Since I'm here, I would like to spend some time with my niece. Harry, I'll let you and Sirius talk for a few more minutes as well."
"Thank you, ma'am."
While Madam Bones took Susan over to a corner so they could talk, Sirius and Professor Lupin walked up to Harry. Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore remained in the background, mere observers to the proceedings.
"You look a lot better than the last time we saw each other," Sirius observed.
"I could say the same of you," Harry shot back. "You can thank my friends for being too stubborn to cut me loose."
"Those are some good friends," Sirius said.
"Yeah." Harry closed his eyes. "They are good friends."
"Say, Harry…" Sirius hesitated for a moment. "I know this is kinda out of the blue, but after all this is over and I'm a free man again, would you like to come and live with me? You don't have to, of course, but I thought it might be nice if we–"
"That," Harry interrupted, clutching at his chest. It felt hot. There was a stinging sensation that he didn't recognize. Taking a deep breath, he shunted the feeling aside and said, "I would love to."
Harry didn't know if he'd made the right choice, but when he noticed the look of relief on Sirius's face, and the slight smile that Professor Lupin wore, he decided that maybe, just maybe, it didn't matter.
XoX
Days passed by slowly, yet pass they did all the same. The fallen leaves had been cleared by the house elves, leaving the once grassy ground bare. Nights became colder and a chill seeped into the day's air. Halloween was coming.
Harry spent his time with his friends, going to class, studying, and helping everyone get ahead in the classes they were struggling with. With the passage of time, he became more comfortable around them. He no longer felt hesitant when he spoke to them, no longer worried about whether or not they had accepted him. Perhaps it was because what he'd been looking for from the very beginning hadn't been their forgiveness but his own.
Third years and above were allowed to, with permission from their parents/guardian, visit Hogsmeade, the small town next to Hogwarts. The first weekend trip was coming up. Despite not getting a guardian signature–since he had no guardian anymore after erasing the Dursley's memory of him–Harry was still allowed to go, thanks to Susan asking Madam Bones to pull some strings.
Early that morning, he and the others woke up and got ready for Hogsmeade. It was the weekend, so they didn't need to get up as early as usually, but the sun was still near the mountains when they all congregated in the Great Hall for breakfast.
Everyone there conversed. They spoke of whatever caught their fancy, from quidditch and brooms, to school and history. Neville spoke with Hannah about her father's vineyards, or rather, he listened while she did most of the talking. Terry and Lisa were quietly conversing about their classes. Tracey talked to Blaize about their respective families. Meanwhile, Daphne was consoling a sulking Astoria, who's pout made her look like a super adorable version of her older sister.
"Come on. Don't pout, Stori. There's no reason to."
"But I wanted to go with all of you to Hogsmeade," Astoria complained.
Daphne gave her sister a consoling smile. "None of us were able to go to Hogsmeade our first two years. What makes you think it would be any different for you? Besides, you have plenty of friends. You and Luna should hang out with them."
Astoria was vastly different from her sister, which showed in how she interacted with everybody. A social butterfly, Astoria was always smiling, always enthusiastically chatting with people in the All House Common Room, and always getting involved in whatever activities were being held at the time. Harry had seen her playing everything from soccer to makeshift quidditch games. Sometimes she'd be sitting with first years of various houses in study groups. In fact, the only first year group she didn't talk to was the Slytherins, and that was because they'd been drinking Draco Malfoy's koolaid.
The situation between him and Astoria was still tense. She greeted him with kurt politeness, always referring to him as "Potter" instead of "Harry." He had an intense feeling that she hadn't forgiven him for what he'd done to Daphne, but that was okay. It just meant he had to earn her trust.
The journey to Hogsmeade didn't happen until after lunch. Harry and his friends spent that time playing a game that he'd devised called magical shooter. It was basically a mock battle between two forces. Using the color changing spell, two sides would fight each other. When someone was hit, they "died" and had to sit down in the spot where they'd been slain. It had been a fun way to spend the next two hours, though most everyone had gotten too tired near the end to play and spent the remainder of their time lying on the grass.
After the game, they were taken to Hogsmeade by carriage, the same carriages that were pulled by the thestrals. Despite there being nine of them in total, they were able to easily fit thanks to the expansion charm. Harry didn't know how the teachers felt about him expanding their property. However, he'd rather they all be together than not.
Hogsmeade was the only all-wizarding village within Great Britain. It was by Hengist of Woodcroft, a wizard born in the middle ages. Harry had a card of him that he'd gotten from a chocolate frog.
When the carriage slowed to a halt, he and Blaize opened the doors, stepped out, and helped their female companions exit the vehicle.
"Thank you, Harry." Daphne smiled as she placed her hand in his, allowing him to help her down the steps. It was a far cry from their first year. He still remembered how she'd originally looked at his extended hand like it was covered in viral diseases.
Their feet tapped against the hard pavement. Hogsmeade wasn't what Harry would reasonably call a village. It was more like a hamlet, a small community that appeared to have been transported straight from the middle ages. There were only a few houses and several places to visit. All of the buildings were thatched roofed and brick walled. Harry turned his head this way and that as they walked along the road, traveling ever deeper into the village.
"Where should we go first?" asked Lisa, pondering the question with more seriousness than it probably warranted.
"Honeydukes!" Tracey and Hannah said at the same time.
Harry looked at Daphne and Susan, then at the others. Blaize was sighing and shaking his head, his expression resigned, while Neville, Terry, and Lisa wore hopeful expressions.
"Honeydukes?" he asked.
Everyone else nodded. "Honeydukes," they said in unison.
Thus their first stop of the day was Honeydukes, a wizarding sweet shop that was famous for its chocolates and many myriad of sweets. It was already filled with people when they entered. People were crowding every aisle, chittering like excited squirrels. Daphne apologized when someone bumped into her, shoving her against Harry, who in turn bumped into Tracey.
"Bloody hell, this place is crowded," she grumbled.
"Language, Trace."
"Whatever, Mom."
Harry eyed the many shelves, all of which were lined with succulent-looking sweets that made him want to gag. Nougat, pink squares of coconut ice, honey-coloured toffee… they had hundreds of different types of chocolate lined up in neat rows. There was a large barrel of Every Flavour Beans, another topped with Fizzing Whizzbees–levitating cherbert balls–and they even had one wall covered with Special Effects sweets like Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, or Toothflossing Stringmints, and even Ice Mice.
Having never been a sweets person, Harry felt sick just standing in there.
"All right!" Hannah cheered. "It's time to get some sweets!"
"Chocolate time!" Tracey cheered right alongside her.
They all split up, going off to grab their favorite treats. Since Harry wasn't one for sweets, he didn't partake like the others did. Instead, he wandered around the store with Daphne, who also didn't eat many sweets but was shopping for her younger sister. She grabbed sugar quills, pixie puffs, and treacle fudge. Those appeared to be her sister's favorites. Harry wondered if he should also get Astoria something as a means of bridging the gap between them, but he decided against it. She'd probably see through such an ill-fated attempt.
He and Daphne were the first ones out. Neither of them were a true fan of crowds, so they waited outside while everyone else bought their sweets. Sitting on a bench several meters from the store, Harry breathed in the crisp air. Next to him, Daphne looked in her bag to make sure none of her sweets had broken while they made it to the exit. There had been a lot of jostling, pushing, and prodding to get out.
"I notice you didn't get anything for yourself," Harry commented. "Nothing to your taste?"
"I've never been much of a sweets fan," Daphne admitted. "What about you? I notice that you didn't buy anything."
"Sweets and I don't mix," Harry returned. Daphne raised a hand to her lips and giggled, causing him to grin.
Their friends came out of the store in ones and twos, gathering over by the bench when they spotted him and Daphne. When everyone had exited, they decided it was high time they went to The Three Broomsticks.
As Harry's feet clomped on the hardwood floor, he was greeted to a warm atmosphere with lamps located on lintel posts and a ribbed ceiling. Tables were interspersed across the floor. Dozens of patrons sat around those tables, or in the booths pressed against the walls. At the far end sat a bar, near which dozens of people gathered, laughing merrily as they drank from mugs filled with frothing liquid.
A middle-aged woman with blond hair and a charming smile strolled past them and said, "Find a seat anywhere. I'll be with ya in just a second!" before hurrying back into the throng of people. Harry could hear her shouting at several customers to "behave themselves," though she didn't sound angry.
"Well," Susan started, "Let's find a place to sit."
Even though she said that, finding a spot to sit was difficult. The place was packed. They were also a group of nine, and most of the tables only sat four. After worming their way through the crowd, Harry and the others eventually found a nice group of people who were willing to cede their booth to them. It was still too small, but Harry cast a modified version of the expansion charm to make just the seat and table larger.
"I'll never understand how can you modify magic on the spot like that," Hannah mumbled.
"You changed the arithmetic equation of the spell, didn't you?" Lisa inquired.
"More like modified." Harry frowned as he flicked wand back into its holster and sat down. He scooted over for Daphne, who slid in next to him. It wasn't long before her hand slid into his under the table. "Since it's a charm, it's easy enough to modify the equation to only enlarge specific objects while leaving out everything else. Transfiguring this table would have taken a lot more arithmetic modifications, since transfiguration is more scientific in nature."
As he and Lisa discussed the merits of spell modification, Tracey looked at Daphne. "You're boyfriend is being a nerd again."
"And you're being a pest." Daphne snapped, blushing, to which she merely received a grin.
Harry frowned at the comment. He wasn't sure how to take that, though he understood that Tracey was just teasing Daphne. Did they really appear as if they were dating? Should he be happy about that? Well, the idea had its appeal. Many of his dreams had featured Daphne in them, but he didn't think that was a good reason to start dating someone. However, once they were older, and he had accomplished his goals, if she wasn't averse to the idea, then…
Then… what?
Romance had never been Harry's priority. His goals were to make his parents proud by reshaping the wizarding world, and while he intended to eventually have kids, that wouldn't happen until much later. At the moment, he was too young and had too much on his plate. He couldn't be worrying about romance.
Besides… if I start dating Daphne, then what about Lisa?
His non-magical friend was another problem that he would have to face. He'd vanished without a trace, not telling her a single thing. How worried must she have been to arrive at the Dursley's one day, only to discover that they had no recollection of him?
One thing's for sure, Harry sighed to himself as he continued speaking with Lisa, this Christmas is going to be troublesome.
XoX
Harry had become used to doing something on Halloween. During his second year at Hogwarts, rather than lock himself up somewhere–or kill a troll–he had spent that day with his friends. They'd eaten, conversed, and laughed. It had been fun.
This year was shaping up to be much the same.
That morning, as Harry entered the Great Hall with his friends, he was forced to duck low as a swarm of bats flew overhead. Blinking, he looked back inside to find that much of the Great Hall was decorated. The tables were still there, but they had been painted in orange and black. Pumpkins sat on the tables, and all of the food had been transfigured to look like halloween symbols: jack o'lanterns and bats and green-faced witches with a wart on their noses. That last one threw him off. It was so mundane.
Streamers hung from the ceiling. They must have been charmed for they were constantly changing color. As Harry walked over to the Gryffindor table with his friends, several loud popping noises erupted from the floor. He glanced down to see what looked like miniature fireworks. They didn't seem to be actual fireworks, though, because they didn't hurt. He stepped on another one and it popped, the sound echoing off the walls.
"Looks like the party's already started, hasn't it?" asked Tracey as they all sat down.
"Certainly seems so," Lisa said in a cool voice.
"What do you think about them?" Susan asked Daphne, who pondered the question as the blonde girl put French toast shaped like brooms on her plate.
"I think they're excessive. Also, the tables are going to be removed, right? Why bother adding so many decorations when they still have to get these out?"
"Because it's awesome," said Tracey.
Daphne stared at her friend. "You have a way with words that I never will."
"Was that a compliment?"
"No."
The Halloween party was going to be much larger than the one last year. Professor McGonagall had informed the Gryffindors that it was going to be more like a gathering than a simple dinner. It was apparently a suggestion from the Hogwarts Board of Directors, which was headed by Lucius Malfoy.
Harry suspected that he'd funded this idea to counteract the popularity Harry had received due to all of the changes he'd made last year. It was a well-played move. Harry couldn't undermine it, especially since he'd been busy sulking by himself. Perhaps if he'd not been so absorbed in his own angst, this wouldn't have happened.
While Tracey placed a hand against her chest as if Daphne's words had wounded her, Blaize pulled strange, multi-colored string from his hair. "I hope they clean this place a bit before the feast. This stuff will get in our food."
"I'm sure the staff has planned for that eventuality," Terry said.
"I'm just excited by the idea of a party," Neville added.
Conversation continued, though they relocated after breakfast. They didn't have class that morning or first period. The group ended up gathering in the All House Common Room. There were already several people from other houses; one group was playing Exploding Snaps, but another was playing the muggle board game Monopoly. Harry and the others went over to the fireplace and sat down on the plushy pillows or took a spot on the floor.
"Say, Harry?" Susan, who'd taken a spot on the floor to his left, started.
"Yes?"
Twirling a strand of red hair between her fingers, Susan asked, "I was just wondering if you had any plans for the Chamber of Secrets now that you're not staying there…"
Harry managed to contain his wince, but just barely. "Once I get the basilisk converted to saleable parts, I plan on turning it into a gym and workstation."
"Workstation?" Daphne inquired. She was sitting next to Tracey, who sat on the floor, her legs crossed and flapping like a butterfly's wings.
"That's right." Harry nodded. "Even if I plan on shelving some of my projects, there's still a lot of stuff I want to work on that I don't want other people getting into."
"Are they dangerous?" asked Lisa.
"Some of them are."
"Are you going to tell us what they are?" asked Tracey–only to be kicked by Daphne. "Ow! The bloody hell was that for?!"
"For being intrusive," Daphne said.
"I'll show you intrusive," Tracey declared with a menacing shake of her fist.
"I don't intend on hiding my projects from you," Harry said. "You guys can come in and watch as I work. Just please, for your own safety, don't touch any of them. Some of them are volatile."
"I'm now feeling the desire not to go near the Chamber of Secrets anymore," Tracey admitted shamelessly, to which Daphne elbowed her. "Owch!"
Harry had three classes that day: Charms, Study of Ancient Runes, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Charms was the easiest of his lessons. They weren't learning anything particularly difficult, and since he'd studied ahead during his last two years, he already knew all of the content.
Of course, Harry had studied ahead on all of his courses. Last year, before Hermione had been killed, he'd been up to his fifth year in all of his classes. Even the electives were courses that he'd studied up on a bit more than was expected of a third year. He'd just begun learning about fourth year arithmancy, and he was halfway through his third year of ancient runes.
Arithmancy was easier than runes. Being a math based subject, it was something that he excelled in, and he had plenty of experience with mathematical equations. Arithmancy was a lot like algebra. They learned about prime numbers, the equations that spells were made of, and how those equations worked to form spells. Out of all his electives, arithmancy was the one where he didn't really need to study ahead because his background made him already familiar with the concept.
During those periods, Harry tried to be helpful by not only participating in class, but helping others solve the problems without giving them the answer. It was best to let people come to the conclusion on their own. While some of his peers were still wary, they slowly came around as he lent them his aid.
"Hey, Harry?" Daphne whispered into his ear. "Can you check to see if this is correct? I'd like to have my answer double-checked before determining that it's finished."
It was Study of Ancient Runes. Their current task was reconstructing the theoretic runic sequence to create the names of one of the old Norse gods using Eldar Futhark runes. He, Lisa, Terry, and Daphne were all sitting together.
"Sure," Harry murmured back.
He scooted behind Daphne, ignoring the fresh scent of her hair, and peered at her work from over her shoulder. She had chosen to reconstruct Freya's name. The runic sequence went as followed: Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz, Ansuz, Raidho, Kenaz, Gebo, and Wunjo.
Runes are broken into three sections or groups of eight, called aett (aettir, plural). This helps one to remember their order, and it has significance in magical uses. First, the rune name is given, then its phonetic value, its symbolic image, and finally, the esoteric meaning used in divination.
"This is correct," Harry said at last. "However, you'll want to fix up your line right here for Kenaz. See how it's a little crooked? If you were to activate this rune with that, it would blow up in your face."
Daphne nodded and, after using a spell to clear away the the ink, she recreated the Kenaz symbol, which looked a lot like a sideways "v".
"Much better," Harry approved. Daphne smiled at him.
Defense Against the Dark Arts was Harry's last class of the day. They were currently learning about grindylows and how to deal with them. That evening, Professor Lupin had acquired one from the Black Lake to show to the class.
Grindylows were ugly creatures. They had sickly green skin and tentacles for locomotion. Their faces looked stretched and taut, undulating as if their muscles were made of gelatin. The one that had been presented to them would use its long, spindly fingers to pull faces at them through the glass of its small aquarium. Harry wondered if all magical creatures were jerks. The pixies had acted the same way.
Professor Lupin had given them homework, a one foot essay on the grindylows strengths and weaknesses. Harry and the others, wanting to get it out of the way quickly, went to the All House Common Room and finished the paper before the Halloween Party. This would let them enjoy the party without worrying about homework.
Since it was a wizarding party, no one dressed up in costumes. That was a non-magical tradition. Later in the evening, he, Neville, and Astoria came down from their dorm with the rest of the Gryffindors and made for the Great Hall.
"You look awfully cute in that dress, Stori," Harry complimented.
Astoria had chosen to wear a red dress that was several shades lighter than the Gryffindor colors. It was highlighted with gold at the hems, but was otherwise plain.
"It's Astoria," she corrected. "Just because I don't think you're a bad guy, that doesn't mean I'm going to let you call me that. Only Daphne can call me that."
"Man, that was harsh," Harry murmured.
"Sounds like she still doesn't like you," Neville teased.
"It's not that I dislike him," Astoria corrected. "I just don't care about him one way or the other."
Sighing as he scratched the back of his head, Harry realized that he still had a long way to go with Astoria. She would often treat him like this. Her words, her tone, everything was spoken in slight sarcasm, but it was only with him. She greeted everyone else with smiles and kind words, unless she was pulling a prank with the Weasley twins.
The Great Hall, when they entered, appeared to have their decorations finished. The tables had been moved out of the way, and in their place were several circular tables with food and… pumpkin juice. Streamers still hung from the ceiling, and bats circled the streamers. The ghosts were also mingling with the students. Giant jack o'lanterns sat along the walls, charmed to move in time to the music, a spooky song from a Weird Sisters cover band who were playing on the teacher's podium, which had been transformed into a makeshift performance stage.
Several people called out to Astoria, a group of girls who were waving her over. Since no one was wearing their robes, it was hard to judge which house they were from, but Harry had memorized their faces and knew they were a combination of Ravenclaws, Gryffindors, and Hufflepuffs. Luna was one of the people there. There were no Slytherins.
"Tell my sister that I'll meet up with her later," Astoria said before traveling over to her friends. Harry watched as Luna and Astoria greeted each other, and then the group moved off.
"She's much more of a social butterfly than her sister, isn't she?" asked Neville.
Harry would have agreed, but Daphne spoke up behind them a second later. "Who's much more of a social butterfly than me?"
Neville twirled around, face paling. He stuttered something out, but then his cheeks went beat red and he fell silent. Harry didn't blame him.
The girls must have all decided unanimously to dress up, because all of them were wearing dresses. They weren't particularly stunning. Indeed, they were just regular dresses of varying color. However, there was a certain charm to seeing several cute girls in dresses. Harry thought that Susan's red dress suited her quite well, and Daphne always looked good in green.
"You girls look stunning," Harry said with a bright smile.
The reactions were interesting. While Daphne accepted his compliment with a gracious smile, Susan blushed down to the roots of her hair. Meanwhile, Tracey and Hannah wore satisfied grins. Lisa's smile was small but noticeable. Her cheeks were a touch pink.
"Thank you," Daphne said, accepting Harry's hand as he extended it to her.
"I somehow feel like we were only complimented because Harry was being polite now," Tracey said.
"That's not true at all," Harry admonished them. "I'd never say something I didn't mean."
"But you'll stretch the truth," Tracey rebutted.
"Only with people I don't like," he fired back.
"Please not now," Lisa said. "Can't we enjoy the party like normal people?"
"This is normal," Tracey defended herself.
As the girls ganged up on Tracey about what was "normal," Blaize, Neville, and Terry went up to Harry, who was still holding hands with Daphne.
"I'm not sure why the girls decided to dress up," Blaize said. "It's not like this is a political function. Simple clothing would have been fine."
Despite his words, the silk shirt, creased pants, and shiny black shoes that Blaize wore could have only been the height of fashion. He looked even more dressed up than the girls.
"You only say that because you don't understand how we girls think," Daphne said.
"And… how do girls think?" asked Neville.
"A lot differently than boys."
"I'll second that," Harry agreed.
"By the way," Terry started, "what do you guys think of this party?"
"I think it's a poorly constructed political ploy by Lucius Malfoy," Harry said with a grunt.
Neville and Blaize shared an amused glance. "Is that so?" asked Blaize. "Are you sure it's not jealousy that you hadn't thought of it first?"
Harry just clicked his tongue. He was not jealous. Not at all.
… He wasn't.
XoX
The party had lasted until midnight. Nothing had happened. Harry didn't know why he was so surprised, as it wasn't like Lucius Malfoy could just randomly show up at a Halloween party meant for the students of Hogwarts. At the same time, he had been expecting just that. It made him wonder about Lucius's motives.
Having gone to bed so late, no one went to exercise the next morning. It was Saturday anyway, so they didn't have classes.
Harry went down to breakfast with Neville. Astoria had joined them, though she'd claimed it was only because she wanted to eat with her sister. Very few people were in the Great Hall that morning, which appeared pristine, as if the party last night never happened. Harry determined that most of the students were sleeping in. He didn't blame them. If it wasn't for his internal alarm clock, he would have probably still been asleep as well.
None of his other friends were there, leading him to believe they were still asleep or just waking up. Since that was the case, Harry sat down at the Ravenclaw table and slowly grabbed a bowl of oatmeal, some milk, almonds, and fruits. Neville and Astoria sat beside him and piled their plates with pancakes and bacon.
"It looked like you and my sister had a good time at the party," Astoria said, her tone conversational, though Harry thought he detected underlying currents of tension.
"Yes… I suppose we did," Harry admitted.
Daphne had never strayed far from Harry during the party. Thinking on it, Susan hadn't either. They were probably keeping an eye on him, making sure he didn't suffer from a relapse. Regardless of their reasons, he wouldn't deny that spending time with them had been pleasant.
"Do you like my sister?"
While Neville did a spit take, spraying pumpkin juice all over the table, Harry paused, his spoon halfway to his mouth. Slowly, he set the spoon back down and regarded Astoria with a speculative glance.
I could play the ignorance card, but that wouldn't get me anywhere…
He understood that Astoria wasn't talking about liking Daphne as a friend; she wanted to know if he liked her romantically, like the kind of like found in one of Lisa's trashy romance novels.
I'd better be honest.
"I don't know," Harry said, shrugging. "I think Daphne's attractive, I like her, but I've never thought about romance before."
Actually, he actively tried to avoid it because he didn't want to deal with the trouble that came with it. He didn't like the idea of being romantically involved with someone when he was this young. Even though he was undergoing puberty, even though he had sexual thoughts, the idea of him someone dating wasn't appealing.
"And what if I said that my sister liked you?" Astoria continued.
"I'm not sure how that would change my opinion." Harry frowned. "Why are you asking me this?"
Shrugging, Astoria cut slice of her pancake and stuck it in her mouth. Harry remained silent as she swallowed her food. "Because I'm trying to gauge whether or not you'd really do anything to help my sister."
"If you're asking me whether or not I'd be willing to marry your sister in the future… then you'd have to ask me in the future."
As a political idea, marrying Daphne to get her out from underneath her father had merit, but he didn't know if that was what Daphne wanted. What's more, was that something he wanted? It wasn't often that Harry would admit to being his age, but even he believed that contemplating marriage was something that someone his age shouldn't do.
Astoria must have realized this, because she nodded seconds later. "Fair enough. Though you should be prepared with an answer the next time I ask you this."
"Understood," Harry said.
"I have no clue what you two are talking about anymore," Neville finally admitted.
"That's probably a good thing," Harry added, Astoria nodding along.
As morning wore on, people eventually trudged in for breakfast. Daphne walked in with a yawning Tracey and a frowning Blaize. She greeted her sister with a tender kiss on the temple before sitting in between her and Harry, to whom she offered a smile. Susan and Hannah came in next, with Susan taking his other side, and then Terry and Lisa arrived a few minutes after them.
As more and more people arrived, the owls started coming in. Harry looked up as he felt a presence poke at his mind. It was a presence he hadn't felt in some time. The joy he felt at feeling Hedwig again was shocking, but he couldn't deny his happiness as the white owl set down in front of him and her presence caressed his mind.
"Good morning, Hedwig," Harry said. He grabbed a piece of bacon and held it out to her. She took the bacon–then she bit his hand hard enough to draw blood. "Ouch! What was that for?"
"Hoot!"
"I know I was being an idiot before, but that's no reason to bite me."
"Hoot!"
"Well… yes, it is my fault–b-but I've already expressed my remorse."
Hedwig glared, causing Harry to turn away. She hooted again.
"A-all right. Fine. I'm sorry, Hedwig. I didn't mean to shut you out." Another hoot. "And I'll give you extra bacon every night."
Hedwig nodded once as if satisfied, and then she allowed him to pet her.
Astoria leaned into Dpahne and whispered, "Does this happen often?"
Daphne's answering grin made Astoria lean back. "More often than you might think."
"Uh-huh…"
Tracey was grinning. "Man, that bird has you whipped."
Harry clicked his tongue but didn't say anything. He was too busy fighting against a blush.
After Hedwig had gotten her fill of pampering, she alighted and took off, disappearing out the window. Laying on the table where she'd been standing was a newspaper. It had been unrolled. Peter Pettigrew, alive and well, if incredibly frightened, was on the front cover. The title read: PETTIGREW ALIVE?! SIRIUS BLACK INNOCENT! in big, bold print.
Harry smiled. It looked like Madam Bones' plan had begun.
Another quick update! I'm already working on chapter 12, so I'm hoping to have that out next Friday. Anyway, I hope you all are enjoying the story. ^_^