*A/N* Hey guys! I'm so sorry it took me awhile to update, but writers block stinks! I do think I am back on track though. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!
Chapter 17
Horror on the Quidditch Pitch
It was Monday morning, and Amelia Bones warily eyed the blond aristocrat talking to the Minister, but she waited until their conversation was over before approaching him.
"Mr. Malfoy, may I have a moment of your time?" She asked, and watched as he visibly stiffened.
"I'm afraid I don't have the time…"
"Please make time Mr. Malfoy. Tom will not be pleased if you don't." She whispered.
Lucius raised one of his perfectly manicured eyebrows and slightly nodded his head. "Lead the way Madam Bones." He said.
He followed her to the lift, and all the way down to the Auror offices. Just before she entered her own office though, she stopped and looked at a pink haired Auror.
"Tonks. My office."
Tonks quickly rose to her feet and made her way in after Lucius.
"Both of you have a seat." Madam Bones said, and waited until they made themselves comfortable. "First of all let me say Mr. Malfoy, that I know you are/were a Death Eater, but please don't be alarmed. That is not why you're here. Second of all, Tonks, is there any news from home?"
"No ma'am. What Remus sent to you yesterday is all we know. I do know that the whole of Hogwarts now knows, and will no doubt send letters home. They managed to get the word out in a very unique way."
"How so?" She asked, furrowing her brow in confusion.
"A howler sent to Harry by James and Lily." She said with a smirk. "I suspect your niece will give you full details on the proceedings. Sirius and Remus set it up though."
"Very well Tonks, thank you. Please stick around for a moment."
Tonks nodded, but glanced between Madam Bones and Malfoy.
"Now Mr. Malfoy, our mutual friend at Hogwarts assures me that you can be trusted, and also says that you are working on a bill that will help muggle borns have an easier time in our world. First of all, I thank you for that. If anyone can help change the thinking of the pure bloods, it is you. Second of all, I want you to know that you can count on my help. I will help you in any way I can, and I, along with those who side with me, will back you in the Wizengamot."
To say that Lucius was shocked was an understatement. "I must say this is a surprise Madam Bones. I thought you of all people would want…" He glanced at Tonks. "…our mutual friend…locked in Azkaban. Not running around Hogwarts where there are innocent children."
Amelia laughed, and Tonks snorted at his choice of words. "Yes well, 'The Dark Lord' is on the run right now, and I do want to see him locked up in Azkaban. As for our friend Tom Riddle, I would not have thought so either a few months ago, but it is what it is. I have bigger things to deal with. However, I saw you talking to the Minister, and there is something you need to know. He is currently under the Imperius Curse, and is now under the control of Albus Dumbledore. I don't know what you told the Minister a few moments ago, but I hope it wasn't to terribly important. That is what Tonks and I were referring too. I'm not sure if your son Draco is sending you a letter about what happened, but if he doesn't, get him to tell you about it."
"I will." He said, then looked at her curiously. "I must say this is a surprise though, coming from you."
"I know of your Death Eater dealings Mr. Malfoy, but I also know that you showed reluctancy over the various killings and tortures. That is the only thing that is keeping you out of Azkaban. I also know of Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott, but they too have been vouched for by our mutual friend. I trust him, and by extension, you. I hope you can come to say the same about me."
"And us." Tonks added. "Regardless of our past Lucius, we need to work together. Narcissa is my Aunt, and that makes us family. Sirius, being head of the House of Black, wants to put the bad blood behind us. Dumbledore needs to be brought to justice, and Tom's name needs to be cleared."
Lucius smiled at them. "I look forward working with you both, and I will speak with Narcissa." He said, looking at Tonks.
Tonks and Amelia smiled, and Lucius nodded his head. Knowing that he was free to go, he quickly left the office, and began pondering over his new allies.
In Ottery St. Catchpole, a man in dirty torn robes stood in front of a crooked house that was quickly falling into neglect. His long white hair and beard had bits of leaves and twigs stuck in them, and his blue eyes reflected malice and hate.
Albus Dumbledore stood in front of The Burrow hoping to find a warm shelter and something to eat. Since he had fallen into an unfavorable standing in the wizarding world, he had been forced to scavenge for food in his vulture form, but now he was wanting to have a decent, non-rotten meal. He had been living at Hogwarts for so long that he didn't have a real home to go to, and since he had left all his things at Hogwarts, he had none of his belongings, except for his wand. Albus also had no money, seeing as the goblins had barred him from Gringotts. Not to mention, he was a wanted wizard.
He had been observing The Burrow for the last few days, and noticed that no one had bothered to come and go from it. The twins, Ron and Ginny were at Hogwarts, Molly was still in Azkaban, Percy had a flat in London, Charlie was in Romania, and Bill and Arthur were living somewhere else. He hoped that here, of all places, would be deserted.
Turns out he was right.
Albus checked the property for intruder alarm charms and other wards that might alert someone that he was there, but there were none. He sighed with relief and carefully entered the house. The air inside was just as cold as outside, but at least the wind couldn't reach him anymore. He breathed a large sigh of relief, but started coughing as the dust that had built up entered his lungs. Albus shook his head and headed for the fireplace. Once lit, he sat in front of it and began rubbing the chill from his body.
He didn't know how long he had sat there, but he was finally warm he went into the kitchen.
Thank goodness for Molly's charms. He thought, as he opened the cupboard to see potatoes, meat, vegetables, and other food items. They had been placed under preservation charms, and looked as good as the day she had brought them home from the market.
He was pants at cooking, but he made do. The food wasn't rotten, and between the fire and the food, his stomach was full and his body was warm. He cleaned the dust off the couch, and for the first time in almost two months, he finally had a decent night's sleep.
All was quiet at Hogwarts for only one day after McGonagall's no pranks request, but on Tuesday Umbridge found out that Justin's name was not Elton John. She found out from Hermione and Ron, and Justin was expelled for throwing a 'Bottled Killing Curse' at her. The only problem was, she couldn't get ahold of his parents to let them know. Hermione and Ron didn't know his parent's names, and Justin swore up and down that their names were Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
Justin, of course, wasn't going anywhere.
As soon as Harry learned that he had been expelled, he told Justin that he was still welcome to stay at the castle and sit in his classes. The Professors were fine with this, and life continued on for Justin like it had been. Needless to say, Umbridge wasn't happy.
To further her misery, and because Umbridge tried to expel Justin, the twins decided to deploy one of their Portable Swamps inside her classroom. Her office and living quarters were at the top of the stairs in the classroom, so she was forced to make her way through the swamp multiple times a day. She tried to get Godric to give her a new classroom, office, and living quarters, but he said that there was nowhere else to put her. This, of course, was not true, but Godric didn't care.
Umbridge tried to get rid of the swamp herself, but when she couldn't, she enlisted the help of Professor Flitwick. He also 'couldn't help her', and she finally gave up and was forced to live with it. After this happened though, students gave up all pretense of being sick and started to just go straight to Merlin and Salazar's Defense classes.
On Wednesday, the Creevey brothers took the 'Bottled Killing Curses' a step further and introduced 'Bottled Stunning Spells'. The red and green Glow Sticks became so popular that nearly everyone had at least one or the other, and in some cases both, stuck to their robes. Godric made them an optional part of the school uniform just to annoy Umbridge even more. Death admitted that he had confunded Hermione himself, so there was nothing McGonagall could do about it.
Despite the madness going on around them, classes and study time continued on as normal. Students knew not to interfere with them, or the real Professors, and as long as this didn't change, detentions weren't given and points weren't lost for the multitude of pranks breaking out across the school.
But it wasn't only the students getting in on the act.
On Thursday, the entire school got pranked at breakfast. Someone had asked the house elves to only serve pumpkin juice for something to drink, and also had them spike it with a hair dye potion. This potion caused everyone's hair to turn into an awful rendition of a 60's tie-dyed muggle T-shirt, complete with swirly patterns. Not even the hairless 'Voldemort' escaped this fate, because the top of his bald head was also dyed. Everyone immediately looked over at the Gryffindor table, but the usual suspects were denying any involvement. It was obvious a few short minutes later when a Ravenclaw accused Snape of being the prankster because nothing had happened to his hair. He was also drinking from a hip flask Mad-Eye style, and he smirked at the gaudy tie-dyed population. Then a very large banner descended from the ceiling that said, Potions Are The Best! It too had the awful tie-dye job. The entire hall went silent, before the Gryffindor table burst into laughter and applause, and Snape stood up to take a bow. Much to Draco's dismay, the potion didn't where off until Friday evening.
"Snape did what!?" Sirius asked, laughing loudly. "Moony, we have to make him an honorary member of the Marauders. That sounds like an excellent prank!"
"Tie-dye." Remus snorted. "Those were the days."
It was Friday night, after the potion had worn off, and Harry, Fred, George, Neville, and Tom were sitting in the dorm talking to Sirius, Remus, Bill, and Arthur via the two way mirrors. They had waited this long because they knew they'd never hear the end of it if Sirius had seen their hair.
"Don't worry." Harry said with a grin. "Colin got loads of pictures. We have sent Hedwig off with copies for you."
"Yeah." George grinned. "Umbridge, McGonagall, Salazar, Godric…"
"…Merlin, random students, and best of all…"
"…Voldyshorts." The twins finished together.
"I can't wait to see that one." Bill laughed.
"Oh, you all should know that Lucius Malfoy has been brought in to our little group now. Tonks said that she and Amelia talked to him on Monday." Remus said.
"How did Lucius react?" Tom asked.
"Very well from what Tonks told us."
"Ok. I know Lucius though, so I will owl him tomorrow after the Quidditch match. No doubt he is wondering if this is real or if it's a trap." Tom said.
"Just talk to him tomorrow." Harry said. "He always shows up for Slytherin Quidditch matches because Draco is seeker."
"No, it won't be a good idea for me to be seen talking to him. It might raise questions with the wrong people."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Slytherins, always worried about something, and always having to be sneaky."
"Unlike Gryffindors, it is what keeps us alive." Tom said, and got hit with several pillows for saying it.
"In this day in age, it is good to be cautious." Arthur wisely said. "You all be careful tomorrow, and watch for signs of Dumbledore."
"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Moody roared from somewhere in the back ground.
"Dad and Mad-Eye are right you guys." Bill added. "I'll be at the match though."
"We all will." Sirius said. "It's the first match of the season, and it's against Slytherin. We aren't going to miss it." He grinned.
"Tommy boy here says he's going to dress in green and gold to show support for both teams." Neville said. "We haven't decided if we are going to let him get away with it."
"I'll hex you all." Tom warned. "Besides, the whole school knows I'm part Slytherin anyway. They won't think twice about it."
"Well that is true." Neville admitted with a laugh.
Suddenly they were interrupted by the dorm room door bursting open. Ron and Hermione stood there glaring at them, as Harry and the others calmly gazed back.
"What?" Harry asked rather rudely.
"We know you have gone dark Harry. Please let us help you. Dumbledore warned us that this might happen one day. You know as well as I we do that the wizarding world will believe anything that they are told to believe. This is proof."
"Yeah. You-Know-Who might have everyone else fooled, but he is a slimy Slytherin. He's going to end up killing you."
Harry laughed at them. "Did Umbridge put you up to this?"
"She's only looking out for you Harry. She told us not to tell you that she is the one who wants to warn you, because she knows you probably won't believe her. It's true though, she only wants what's best for you." Hermione said.
The laughter that erupted from Harry and the others was very loud indeed. Even Sirius and the others at Potter Manor were having a good laugh.
"Harry hold me up so I can talk to Ron." Bill requested, and Harry did. "Ron, listen to me. Whatever Dumbledore and Umbridge has told you, it's not true. If you keep following what they say, you're likely to end up in Azkaban, just like Mum."
"Mum will be out soon!" Ron yelled.
"I know, but the fact remains, Dumbledore is the bad guy. I promise you."
"You're lying!" Ron shouted, before storming out the room.
Hermione shook her head. "Harry think about it. There is no spell that can bring back the dead, so how did your parents send you a Howler? Clearly we were wrong about Sirius and Professor Lupin, and they used Dark Magic to do it. They obviously support You-Know-Who, and they probably helped Peter Pettigrew betray your parents. If they didn't use dark magic to get your parents to send that Howler, then it was a very cruel trick and they made you think it was really your Mum and Dad. I will figure out how they did it."
Harry laughed. "You really can't let things go, can you? It really was my Mum and Dad, and I already know exactly how they did it. I'm not going to tell you though, so drop it."
"Then you really have gone dark. I think Dumbledore was right, Ringo is working for You-Know-Who, and I think he has turned you into a dark wizard too. I just don't think you realize it. I don't know if you know this or not, but your new best friend, Tom Ringo, is really You-Know-Who's son. Think about it Harry, he's the right age, he's a Parselmouth, Hogwarts recognized him as a descendent of Slytherin, and his last name is somewhat similar to You-Know-Who's. They even have the same red eyes! Tom Ringo," she said pointing towards Tom, "is not your friend Harry. He will deliver you to his father on a silver platter, and you will be killed." She stressed. "I realize I stole from you and spied on you, and I am really, really sorry about that, but I don't want to see you, or any of you, dead. Please Harry. You have to come back to the light side!" She pleaded.
Neville and Harry unapologetically burst out laughing, and the twins got on their hands and knees in mock worship of 'The Dark Prince'. Sirius and the others were also laughing, but Hermione glared at them all. Tom on the other hand, stood there with a smirk on his face.
"Well Granger, it looks like you have me all figured out then. I guess I should go tell my father that our little dastardly plot has been uncovered."
"Do you think your Dad will be angry and upset?" Harry asked, deciding to play along.
"Maybe, maybe not." Tom said with a shrug. "He wanted to keep it a secret until Dumbledore was out of the way, so that I would be out of danger. That's the real reason I haven't been to Hogwarts until now. He wanted to wait until he regained his body so that he could better protect the both of us."
"Well that makes sense. If I was him, I'd want to protect you from dear old Albus too." Harry said, and the others agreed by nodding their heads. They were too afraid to speak, in case they burst out laughing and gave it all away.
Hermione stood there with a surprised open mouth. "You knew?" She gasped.
"Yeah." Harry said with a laugh.
She seemed to snap out of her surprised stupor. "I need to inform Madam Umbridge straight away."
"You do that." Harry said in a flat tone, and watched as Hermione scurried out of the dorm room.
"Do you think it's wise to let them believe that?" Bill asked.
"I don't see the hurt in it." Arthur said. "They can't chuck Tom into Azkaban for being Voldyshorts's son now can they?"
"He's got a point." Tom said.
"Death is going to love this." Neville laughed. "How did she come up with that anyway?"
"Well, it makes sense, truth be told." Tom said. "Even if the logic is way off."
"How so?" Neville asked.
"Let's see, I'm supposed to be fifteen, so that means I was five when 'Dad' lost his body. Mom must have been either a Death Eater or a muggle. Given my knowledge about muggles and muggle things, I'd say she was the latter. According to logic, how is that possible if 'Dad' hated muggles? Dumbledore would have known about a son, and not only that, but since I was under the imperius for much of the last part of the war, I wouldn't have had time to raise a son." Tom said, shaking his head. "There is just so much wrong with the idea of me being Voldyshorts's son, but I think it's funny to let her believe it. When she finds out she was wrong, it will drive her mad and end up being hysterical to watch."
"You are an evil genius." Harry snorted. "But this could be a good thing though. At least they won't peg you for being Voldyshorts."
"That is an upside. I agree." Tom admitted.
"I'll send word to Amelia about all this." Remus said. "So that she is not blindsided with the news."
"And I'll take a trip to Malfoy Manor, so that Lucius knows to play along. I assume that you will inform Draco and the other Slytherins?" Sirius asked.
Harry nodded. "Yeah we can do that."
Harry, Neville, and the twins began casting patronesses to get the word out to those at Hogwarts who were 'in the know'. They knew Luna probably already knew, but Neville sent her one anyway, just in case. The only thing that bothered Harry about all this is how everyone else would react. No doubt Hermione was already broadcasting it to the entire common room. Would they understand? Would they forgive them? Harry wasn't sure, but he knew that this just added another crazy twist into their already crazy year.
Turns out Harry didn't need to worry. At breakfast the next morning, Luna, under her invisibility cloak, told them that the rumor had already reached Ravenclaw House, and Tom being Voldyshorts's son is something they had 'figured out' a long time ago. Ravenclaw wasn't angry, and come to find out, neither was Gryffindor. Tom being Voldyshorts's son wasn't something they had figured out, but with Tom being in their house and Harry's friend, they really didn't care. To Gryffindor, since Harry had known this from the beginning, all was fine. They even understood the need for secrecy because of Albus. Hufflepuff felt the same way, and oddly enough it was because of Susan. She reminded her house what Tom had done for her the day she slapped Dumbledore. Apparently Tom had made a big impression among many people that day, and he hadn't even realized it. Slytherin, of course, just rolled with it.
Harry hoped that they all would forgive him, yet again, when the real truth finally came out. Whenever that was going to be.
Since it was Saturday, the day of the first Quidditch match, talk soon turned from gossip and everyone focused on the game. The rivalry between the two houses was legendary, and everyone knew that this game oftentimes boarded on down right illegal and dirty playing. However, this year was shaping up to be different. With the reduced tension between the two houses, everyone knew that was unlikely to happen now, but they also knew it would still be highly competitive.
Harry and the rest of the team finished eating their breakfast, and began to gather together to go over final plans for the match. However, Tom came up to Harry to wish him good luck, and when he did, Harry grinned mischievously.
"Thanks Tom." Harry said, as Tom pulled his brother into a hug. "But because you can't make up your mind about which team you want to support, I decided to help you out."
Tom's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Look down." Harry said, as the rest of the Gryffindors tried to suppress their laughter.
Tom looked down and realized that his formally green and gold stripped shirt had been changed to bright Gryffindor red. It also said in bright gold letters,
I ❤ Gryffindor Only!
Tom's face went through a range of quick emotions, then he wheeled around to face the head table, and flung his arms wide open.
"D-aaaad!" He cried loudly. "Dad! Look at what Harry just did to my shirt! Make him change it back! Make him change it back NOW!" He exclaimed loudly, stomping his feet and wailing at the top of his lungs.
The image of a seventy year old former supposed Dark Lord acting like a two year old throwing a temper tantrum was too much for Snape, McGonagall, Godric, and Salazar, and they burst out laughing. 'Voldemort' on the other hand calmly placed his napkin down on the table and stood up.
"Now my son, what have I always taught you?"
"To get revenge whenever possible."
"Correct. So what is the proper revenge in this instance?"
Tom's eyes lit up, and before Harry good grasp what was about to happen, Tom wheeled around with his wand pointed at him.
"Ha!" Tom cried. "Revenge is mine!"
Harry looked down to see that his Quidditch robes had now been turned from red and gold, to green and silver.
"WHAT!? NOOOO! Uncle Voldyshorts, you can't let him do this!" Harry whined, as he ripped off his Quidditch robes to reveal his muggle clothes underneath. "I am not wearing the colors of Slytherin! Godric, do something!"
Godric was in no condition to say, much less do, anything. He was too busy laughing, along with Salazar, at how the two boys were acting. Fred and George were laughing hysterically, and Neville was concentrating on trying to breathe because he too was laughing hard.
Seeing that he was not going to get any help, Harry grinned and lunged at Tom.
"Change my robes back!" Harry cried, as he put Tom into a headlock.
"NO!" Tom shouted, flipping Harry over onto his back. "Not until you change my shirt back!"
The two boys began to struggle with each other on the ground, but their impromptu wrestling match was interrupted by a very loud shout.
"OY!" Angelina cried loudly. "Unhand my seeker this instant!"
Both boys stopped and looked up as she stood above them with her arms folded across her chest. They grinned sheepishly and began to untangle themselves from each other. As they stood up, Harry straightened his glasses and reached for his shirt which had somehow gotten torn from his body during the melee. Tom tried to straighten his own shirt, which Harry had managed to pull over his head in order to limit his sight and movement, but he had to give up because it was so tangled. He ripped it off, and they both stood there grinning like fools, with their hair sticking out every which way and shirtless.
"He started it!" They cried together, as they both pointed at each other.
"I don't care!" Angelina said, as she tried to suppress a laugh. "We need Harry unharmed!"
"HA!" Harry cried. "See, I'm needed!"
Tom stuck his tongue out at his brother in response.
"Now, if you don't mind, we need to get to the pitch, so Tom, if you would please return Harry's robes to their original color, that would be great." Angelina said.
"And if I refuse?" He asked playfully.
"Then I will be forced to change Mr. Malfoy's robes to red and gold." McGonagall said with a threatening smile.
Everyone turned to look at her with wide eyes.
"No please! Anything but that!" Draco shouted, and everyone burst out laughing.
Tom sighed in defeat and returned Harry's robes back to red and gold, and Harry returned Tom's shirt back into its original green and gold stripes. Still grinning, Tom sat back down with Neville and Dean, and Harry left with Fred, George, Seamus, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie. Today was shaping up to be a good day.
Harry had learned over the years that good times can come to a screeching halt because he was, well, Harry Potter.
The game progressed beautifully for about thirty minutes, and no one had decided to shed blood. The reduced tensions between the houses made for a clean game, though still highly competitive, just like people had expected. Gryffindor was winning by thirty points, but Slytherin was at the top of their game.
Crabbe and Goyle were actually pretty decent beaters, better than the last timeline, because they were actually playing the game, versus trying to kill every member of the Gryffindor team with the bludgers.
The Slytherin chasers, Montague, Pucey, and Warrington, also made decent players, and their keeper, a guy named Bletchley, defended their goals almost perfectly.
Draco, as always, was running his mouth to Harry, but Harry was giving back as good as he got. They weren't exactly friends, but at least they were on somewhat friendlier terms.
Harry was hanging around the Gryffindor goals when it happened though. Draco had just flown past him when Harry suddenly had flash backs from his first Quidditch match in first year. Draco's broom began bucking wildly fifty feet away, and about ten feet below him. As soon as Harry realized what was going on, he took off to try and help the blond, but as soon as he tried, his own broom began to buck wildly. As Harry tried to grasp what was going on, the spectators fell into a horrified silence. Even as Harry tried to remain ahold of his Firebolt he realized that every player's broom on both teams was doing the exact same thing.
Suddenly a scream filled the silent and shocked pitch as Alicia's broom succeeded in unseating her, and she lost her grip and began plummeting towards the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw two black columns of smoke erupt out of the Gryffindor stands as Neville and Tom took to the air. Five more columns of black smoke flew out of the visitor stands, and one flew out of the staff stands as Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Bill, Moody, and Snape took to the sky. Across the pitch, Harry was able to see that Fred and George had let go of their own brooms, and before he could think about it, Harry let go of his Firebolt.
Alicia was caught by Neville just feet before she hit the ground, and the others that were flying unsupported began trying to get to the players on the brooms before they fell. Draco was violently thrown from his broom, but Harry managed to catch him just as it happened.
When they reached the ground, Harry set him down beside Alicia. "Are you two ok?" He asked, and they managed to nod as they looked up with worried expressions on their faces.
Harry looked up too, and took to the sky again. The hurling hexes that had been cast weren't allowing the unsupported fliers to get close to the broom riders, but Moody was shouting for the players to let go. Some were being thrown off, but the others finally realized what those black smoke columns were, and began letting go.
It seemed like hours to Harry, when in reality it was only a few minutes, but finally everyone was on the ground. Madam Pomfrey began looking everyone over, half of the Professors were checking on the players while the other half were trying to make sense of the situation. The parents of the players were checking on their children, so Harry found himself surrounded by Sirius, Tonks, Remus, and Tom.
"Are you alright Harry?" Sirius asked, as he pulled Harry into a tight hug.
"Yeah." He managed to answer, as he quickly sat down on the ground. The excitement of the situation had finally caught up to him, and he suddenly felt very tired.
Just a few feet away, Fred and George were also sitting on the ground, and they were being looked after by Bill and Arthur.
"Yeah Sirius, I just need…I just need to…"
Harry didn't get to finish that sentence because blackness suddenly over took him.
Harry awoke hours later, and he knew it was dark outside because moonlight was shining softly down on him. He groaned and rolled over, but the events of the afternoon suddenly came rushing back. He felt calm and peaceful though, despite what had happened earlier. Someone was humming softly to his right as they ran their fingers lightly through his hair. He turned his head slowly and his eyes found the semi-solid figure of his mother.
"Mum?" He asked in a groggy whisper.
"Hello sweetheart." Lily said softly. "How do you feel?"
"I'm fine." He said quickly. "What…where…"
"You're in the hospital wing. You fainted on the pitch and they brought you here."
"What happened? Who did…?"
"Fudge was at the game." She whispered. "Albus used him to jinx the players brooms. 'Hogwarts' had been trying to draw everyone's attention to what was happening, but no one could hear her over the cheering crowd. It was announced shortly after you fainted."
Harry sighed angrily. "We need to get him. He need to find him."
"I know." She replied. "But on a good note, Fudge was arrested by Amelia and it has been officially noted that he is imperiused. They are keeping him under observation. It will be in the paper tomorrow."
Harry grinned at that bit of good news, but then he looked at his mother curiously. "How are you here?"
"It's a compromise. Your father is up there, but Death allowed me to come down without the use of 'official channels'." She said with a knowing smile.
Harry smiled back at her. "I'm glad he allowed it."
"Me too." She whispered, and she began to softly hum and run her fingers through his hair again.
Harry closed his eyes and swam in the comfort of his mother's voice and touch. How many times had he wished for her to be at his bedside if he was hurt? Too many to count in his opinion. After a few minutes though, he reopened his eyes and looked at her.
"Are the other players alright? Was anyone hurt?"
"Everyone is ok. You're the only person still here in the hospital wing though. Most of the other players were fine, but some had torn shoulder muscles and sprained wrists. Poppy said it was from trying to hold onto their bucking brooms."
Harry frowned. "But why did I faint?" He asked. "I could have helped people."
Lily sat back in the chair she was sitting in. "Voldemort," she said, "was about to become very, very angry, but when you fainted his attention shifted, and he focused on you and your well-being instead."
Harry nodded slowly as he grasped what his mother meant. If Death hadn't knocked Harry out, Tom would have went into a near uncontrollable rage, and likely would have taken his anger out on someone, namely Fudge and Umbridge.
"He is laying over there." Lily whispered, pointing to the bed beside Harry. "He's asleep right now though. Poppy couldn't get him to leave, even though she threatened him." She said with a chuckle. "You know she can get, but Tom refused and said nothing in this world was going to make him leave until you woke up. Poppy finally relented."
Harry laughed softly, but squinted at the bed that sat just behind his mother. Even without his glasses he could just make out the blurry outline of his brother in the semi-darkness.
"Harry, I need to ask you something. I want to know how you would feel if I asked Tom to call me Mum. We talked a lot before he fell asleep, but he keeps calling me Mrs. Potter and I don't like that. As you know, your father and I have been watching over the both of you for many, many years, and we consider him a second son. How would you feel about that?"
Harry's heart raced wildly and he grinned up at Lily. "I think that would be brilliant!" He whispered excitedly. "We consider ourselves brothers and best friends anyway." He said, but then he paused. "It just feels…right. I can't explain why though."
"It does just feel right." Lily agreed with a smile. "Tom, despite having a seventy year old mind, is coming to terms with his younger self, and you have a lot to do with it. His soul that was embedded in your forehead might have been an evil horcrux, but your natural good nature, heart, and soul spent many years influencing that soul piece. Tom's own good nature and willingness to not be the person Albus turned him into, helped with that. Not to mention, the last act of murder he committed, namely mine and your fathers, he didn't want to do. The 'horcrux' part couldn't compete with all of that innocence and purity, and so the 'evilness' of it never really manifested correctly. Take Nagini for example, in your old life she was vile and cruel, but without the influence of the horcrux, she is not. All living things can be corrupted by evil, but you were protected by many, many things. Now that Tom has regained most of his soul, he is getting all those old feelings back. His child-like ways are also returning, and even though he won't admit it, he longs for a family. You yourself provide some of that because of the bond of brotherhood that you share. The piece of his soul that spent all those years in your head recognizes you as part of him, and your soul recognizes him in the same way. Tom feels what you feel, and wants what you want. You want a proper family with your father and I, and so does Tom."
Harry sat up as the thought over what his mother had said, but then he turned towards her. "It kind of makes sense." He admitted. "But what about his own mother and father? Shouldn't Tom want to be with them?"
Lily sighed and shook her head. "Unfortunately Merope and Tom never bonded as mother and son. They never had the chance. She gave birth, named him, and a few hours later she died. She never even got the chance to hold him. He doesn't long for his birth parents because he never got the chance to bond with them. Tom had only spent a few short days with his father, after many, many years of being separated from him. That was not enough time to bond as father and son. I have spoken with Merope, and she feels it is best if she stays away because Tom will feel conflicted about his feelings. Merope doesn't want Tom to feel he has to choose between her and me. She doesn't want him to feel guilty about not choosing her, his own mother. You see Harry, your father and I had fifteen months with you before we died, and we bonded as a family, despite the danger around us. Tom's soul feels that bond because that one little piece resided in your forehead. He feels our bond, and so, that is what he wants. Muggles bond too, but it is nowhere near as strong as ours."
Harry nodded. "He wants you to be his Mum, and he wants Dad to be his Dad."
"In a nut shell." She said with a smile. "Your father and I, despite being dead, feel that too and it's all because of the bond. We feel that parental connection to him. We all feel the need to become a proper family."
Harry furrowed his brow in confusion. "But that can never happen. You and Dad are dead."
"And that is where magic comes in." She said with a chuckle. "The stone has already allowed Tom to officially meet your father and I, and it has allowed him to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we forgive him. It has helped Tom move past the fact that he killed us, and it has strengthened that bond we all share."
"But the stone doesn't really work like that. You and Dad should not want to return here. We keep using the stone to bring you back, but you and Dad seem to enjoy it. According to the legend of the stone, shouldn't you want to stay away?"
Lily lovingly looked at her son. "Harry, when a witch or wizard dies, we find out the truth about the living. In most cases, the dead move on peacefully knowing that their loved ones will be ok. Those that don't want to be dead, become ghosts. Most do not want to return, and the ghosts eventually regret their decision to stay. The stone rips those who have moved on back to the land of the living against their will, but your father and I are different in that aspect. When we died, we knew the truth about Albus and Tom, but we were never given the choice to return. Had we been given that choice, we would have become ghosts, but as I said, we were not given that option."
"Why?" Harry asked. "I don't understand, why didn't you get a choice?"
"I don't know Harry, but your father and I have a theory. Death is very, very cunning. He is a force to be reckoned with, and no one can out smart him. Death knows a lot more than he lets on in most cases, and he did not give your father and I the option to become ghosts for a reason."
"What do you think it could be? What is your theory?"
Lily sighed softly and looked at her son. "I don't want to say." She whispered, wiping a ghostly tear from her cheek. "I don't want to say because I don't dare to hope it myself, and I don't want to give you false hope, just in case your father and I are wrong."
Harry laid back down in the bed, and silently watched as his mother tried to regain control of her emotions. He suddenly sat bolt upright, and threw his arms around her.
"I love you Mum." He whispered.
"I love you too my son."
They sat like that for a long time, but finally Lily loosened her grip on him.
"You need to get some more rest. The sun will be up in a few hours."
"Will you still be here?"
"I don't know, but I hope to be." She said with a smile. "Just lay back down, close your eyes, and fall back to sleep. We will worry about things tomorrow."
Harry nodded and laid back down. Lily resumed her humming, and before long, Harry felt himself sliding into a pleasant dream.
"Tell Tom to call you Mum." He whispered, before the darkness once again claimed him.
When Harry fell back to sleep, Lily double checked on him once more before turning her attention to her other son that laid in the bed behind her. Still humming softly, she kissed Tom of on his forehead and smiled as he mumbled a sleepy 'I love you Mum'.
"Madam Pomfrey, I'm fine. Can I please go eat breakfast?" Harry asked, as he looked pleadingly at her. "I'm starving."
Harry had woken up that morning feeling exceptionally good, and was delighted to find out that Lily was still sitting beside him. Not only that, but Sirius and Remus were there too, and had used the stone to call James. Tom, of course, was still there as well, and all of them were taking turns begging the Healer to release him.
Madam Pomfrey sighed and glared at all of them. "Fine, but if you feel tired for any reason, you come straight back to me. Do you understand?"
"Yes ma'am!" Harry grinned, jumping out of the bed. "I promise!"
"Very well then. You may go."
Harry quickly changed into some muggle clothes that Tom had gotten from the dorm earlier that morning, and they all filed out the door and into the corridor.
"Does anyone know what happened to my Firebolt?" Harry asked, as they made their way to the great hall.
"Oh yeah," Tom answered. "Merlin was able to dispel the hurling hex after Fudge was caught, and he stopped them from drifting out of the pitch. Salazar and Godric retrieved all the brooms, and yours was claimed by Fred and George. They put it in the dorm."
"Excellent." Harry said with relief. "I was hoping to avoid another whomping willow incident."
They all chuckled as they continued down the hall, but suddenly, Sirius started to laugh.
"I can't wait to see the look on Umbridge's face when she catches sight of you two." He grinned, pointing to Lily and James.
James grinned as Lily scowled. "Yes well, we will have to watch Lily closely because she is liable to tell that woman off."
"Why stop her?" Tom asked. "I for one would like to see what Mrs. Potter says to her."
"Ok, hold it. Stop right there." Lily said, stopping in front of the group, and turning around. "First of all Tom, no more Mr. and Mrs. Potter, it is Mum and Dad. Second of all, none of you can stop me from saying anything to that woman. I will threaten her life if she says anything to either of you." She said, eyeing both Harry and Tom.
"Mum and Dad?" Tom asked in a quiet voice, looking from Harry to Lily, and then to James.
"Yes, Mum and Dad." Harry grinned. "We are brothers, and we might as well face the fact that we are stuck together."
"So you might as well call us that." James said with a smile.
The corridor became quite as everyone looked at each other.
"You actually want me as real family?" Tom asked. "Are you sure? Even after I killed…"
"Yes." Lily said softly, as she touched the side of his face. "We are sure. Harry and I talked about it last night when he woke up, and James and I have talked about it for years. You are our family too."
"Mum." Tom said quietly, as he looked into Lily's eyes. "And Dad." He whispered, as he looked into James's. "Mum and Dad."
"Yes." Lily said, kissing his cheek lightly. "That is who we are."
Harry could see that Tom was fighting the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks, but a few succeeded, and when they did, the rest followed freely. Tom wrapped his arms around Lily and buried his face into her neck. Harry, unable to keep his own emotions back as he watched Tom cling to her, threw his arms around them both, and right after, James joined them.
"I have a Mum and Dad." Tom whispered.
"And a brother." Harry whispered.
"And a brother." Tom repeated, as the realization hit him. "I have a family."
"A strong family." James said squeezing them all tightly, as his voice cracked with emotion. "A family that looks out for each other."
Harry could tell Tom was nodding even though his eyes were closed tightly. He just wanted to stand there forever, wrapped in their arms, but his own stomach betrayed him by protesting the lack of food in it.
Tom snickered, and Harry started laughing.
"Stupid stomach." Harry mumbled, and Tom laughed.
"It's just telling us we need to get to breakfast." Tom said, as he quickly wiped away the dampness from his cheeks as they all separated.
"Yes it is." Lily agreed, drying her eyes. "You both need food. So let's get down there."
"Does this mean that Tom gets to claim Sirius and Remus as his Uncles?" Harry asked.
"Yes it does." They answered together. "As a matter of fact," Sirius continued. "I think it would be a good idea to figure out a good Marauder name for him."
"I agree." Remus grinned.
"Hmm, I'm thinking something to do with snakes." James laughed. "How about Snakeling?"
"Nope." Harry and Tom said.
"Hatchling?" Remus offered.
"Nope."
"Pipe?" Sirius asked. "Cause you know, snakes crawl around in them."
"Nope." Harry and Tom said again.
"Oh Merlin." Lily laughed as she shook her head.
They continued down the corridor, and the names became more and more ridiculous as they walked. Unbeknown to them though, someone else had been standing there in the corridor looking at the scene that had taken place. The group hadn't seen the bright flash of pure white light that had surrounded them, but that someone else had.
Death stood there watching them walk away with a large smile on his face. The family bond was now complete, and it was time for part two of his plan.