Hi Everyone! Sorry for the wait. Life has been hectic lately. I don't know when things will slow down, and, since I'm working on several stories simultaneously, updates will be erratic. Hopefully this nice, long chapter will make up for the wait. Hope you'll stick with me through the unpredictable updates. I would also like to point out that despite their familial relationship in canon, I have consciously made the decision to make Sirius Harry's uncle. Ok, enough from me. Enjoy!
Chapter 2: Expect the Unexpected
The next morning, Harry woke feeling excited, although he was almost positive his parents and aunt and uncle had forgotten his birthday. Still, he dressed in his nicest day robes and tried to do something with his hair before he went downstairs. The entire family was in the sitting room angrily discussing the contents of the Daily Prophet. They didn't even notice when Harry walked in.
"Good morning, everyone. What's wrong this time?"
"Oh! Harry, goodness. Well, you see…" His mother's sentence trailed off, and she looked to Tom for support.
"Your mother's brother has escaped from Azkaban." Tom misinterpreted Harry's blank look. "Azkaban is the only wizarding prison. No one has ever escaped before."
As Harry tried to process this information, a major question came to mind. "Mother, Aunt Cissy, you have a brother?"
"We had two, actually, Sirius and Regulus, but Regulus died years ago, and Sirius betrayed us and was sent to Azkaban."
"Aunt Cissy, what do you mean? How could your own brother betray you?" Narcissa and Bellatrix gave each other long looks before sighing.
"We had best tell you the story as we know it, Harry, although a part is only speculation." Harry nodded at his mother, who told the story in a somewhat deadened voice that scared Harry a little. "Well, as Cissy said, we are not the only children in our family. We had one other sister, by the name of Andromeda, although she is not important to this story. We also had a younger brother named Regulus, and an older brother named Sirius. We were all the best of friends growing up, but Hogwarts changed that. Sirius was the first to go. He was sorted into Gryffindor, the first in the entire direct line of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black to be so. As you know, the Sorting Hat will, to some degree, take your wishes into consideration, however, Sirius didn't even try to be sorted into Slytherin, he meekly accepted the Sorting Hat's first choice. We were all incredibly disappointed in him, but were willing to see how things turned out. Unfortunately, he soon fell in with the staunchest of Dumbledore supporters: Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and James Potter." Harry was surprised to hear that name. Bellatrix noticed his change in attitude.
"Yes, Harry, James Potter, the man who helped steal you from us. I entered Hogwarts the following year, and by then the little band of Gryffindors Sirius was a part of were known as the Marauders." This too, struck a chord with Harry, who thought of the map hidden in his trunk upstairs. Luckily, his mother didn't notice his reaction this time and continued. "He stuck with that group all through Hogwarts, and I didn't see him much. He was disowned by his fourth year, and went to live with the Potters. He tried to reconcile with the family after he graduated. He said he didn't know what they all supported, and wanted out, but none of us could believe that he made it through seven years, three of which he was actually living with one of them, without knowing what they stood for." Bellatrix paused for a moment, and Harry could tell that she was rather red in the face. He wondered what was coming next.
"After father died, Sirius tried to win over mother, but she was even more skeptical than the rest of us. She firmly believed that his attempts at reconciliation were actually instigated by Dumbledore in an attempt to have a spy in our midst. I had no idea how correct she was." Bella stopped and took a deep breath, but seemed unable to continue. Tom put his arm around her and continued the story in her place.
"About a year after you were born, Harry, Sirius came to visit your mother, presumably to seek a reconciliation once again. However, on that particular visit, Dottie, not realizing Sirius was there, brought you to us while we were in Sirius' presence. Sirius was always smart, and was able to immediately discern who you were. We immediately forced him to leave, and were preparing to leave the next morning. However, Dumbledore came for you first." Harry saw that his mother had unshed tears in her eyes. He could understand how difficult this was for her. His own throat felt a little tight.
"That night, Dumbledore snuck in, we still aren't sure how, and managed to grab you without the wards detecting his presence. We never even would have known he was there if it weren't for the wards surrounding your crib. We placed undetectable weight detection alarms on your mattress, so the moment you were picked up we were alerted. We spotted Dumbledore dashing through the gates and the flash as his phoenix transported him. We knew we had lost you at that point." Tom had to pause for a deep breath. "We knew that Sirius must have been a spy as Bella's mother believed. Otherwise, how could Dumbledore have possibly known where you were?" Lucius saw that Tom was nearly overcome with grief, and decided to finish the story.
"A few days later, we received an anonymous note with your whereabouts. At first, we believed that it may have come from Peter Pettigrew, who we had managed to turn to our side, but the writing wasn't correct. We also considered it may have come from your godfather, Severus as he had been employed at Hogwarts for the past year acting as a double agent on our behalf. In any case, armed with this knowledge, your father set off to rescue you. He didn't want to take anyone else with him, in case they panicked and Apparated you away. As you probably know, when he arrived, he discovered it was a trap. Dumbledore appeared and attempted to kill him. Thankfully, Tom had safeguarded against that. Still, once again, you were lost to us. As you know, it took us ten years to finally find you, and that, only by your attending Hogwarts."
Harry gazed at his parents and aunt and uncle. They were all so saddened by the story, he didn't want it to continue, especially on his birthday, but there was one thing that didn't make much sense. "How did he end up in Azkaban?"
Lucius cleared his throat. He knew he'd be the only one able to continue. "Well, Peter Pettigrew, who, as I mentioned, had become a spy for our side, decided to confront Sirius. The well-known version of the story is that he accused Sirius of betraying the Potters to us. However, that was obviously a lie given out by Dumbledore. What actually happened was that he accused him of helping destroy you, Harry, and our family. Unfortunately, Peter was never a good one for dueling. He was much more suited to spying. Sirius blasted him with a curse that hit a Muggle gas pipe, blowing the street, Peter, and 13 Muggles to bits. It is said that when Aurors arrived a few minutes later, Sirius was standing in the same spot, simply laughing. He was sentenced to Azkaban without even a trial, based on evidence given by Dumbledore. Although this evidence was evidently false, none of us intervened, considering what he had done. He had helped in your kidnapping, he'd sent that note which was obviously to lure Tom into a trap, and he killed one of our allies. We saw no reason to lift a finger for him."
Harry felt anger building inside of him. Once again, his family was awed by the crackle of magic emanating from the young boy. It had obviously grown stronger since the year before. Harry grabbed the daily prophet and stared at the front page. A large photograph of a sunken-faced man with long, matted hair blinked slowly at Harry from the front page. Harry could see the family resemblance, but only slightly. His eyes wandered to the article.
BLACK STILL AT LARGE
Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today.
"We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm."
Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis.
"Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone. And let's face it – who'd believe him if he did?"
While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse.
Harry's anger bubbled up even more. In an effort to control the magic swirling around him, Harry quickly leafed through the newspaper to find something to take his mind off of all this. He finally found just what he needed on the last page. Harry scanned the moving photograph, and a wicked grin spread across his face as he saw all nine of the Weasleys waving furiously, standing in front of a large pyramid. There was fat Mrs. Weasley; balding Mr. Weasley; six sons; and one daughter, all (though the black-and-white picture didn't show it) with flaming-red hair and wearing shabby robes. Right in the middle of the picture was Ron, tall and gangling, with a rat on his shoulder and his arm around his stupid little sister. Harry wondered if Weasley even realized there was a rat on his shoulder or if that was just a typical occurrence for him. He quickly read the article.
(Re-print) MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE
As previously mentioned, Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw.
A delighted Mr. Weasley told the Daily Prophet, "We will be spending the gold on a summer holiday in Egypt, where our eldest son, Bill, works as a curse breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank." The Daily Prophet followed the Weasleys on their trip to get a photograph of the entire family, as our previous photo only showed the five youngest children.
The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt, returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley children currently attend.
"Merlin, the Weasleys are stupid. They win a pile of money, then, even though they can't afford to get their children proper clothes or books, they spend it all on a family vacation." This news perked up his family.
"Did they really, dearest?" asked his mother. "I always knew they had no sense. It's a shame Molly didn't get any of the Black family brains."
"Mrs. Weasely was a Black?"
"No, dearest, but her mother was, before she married into the Prewett family. Why they ever let her marry that scum is beyond me." The photograph was passed around and everyone had a good laugh. Even Draco had a look, once he finally entered the sitting room. Harry was happy to have lightened the somber mood of his family. Before they could even call for breakfast, Dottie appeared before Bella.
"Minister Fudge is at the door for you, Mistress Bella." This announcement sent the family into a flurry of movement. Tom seemed to vanish from the room as Bella stood and smoothed her robes.
"You all stay here, I'll see what the blasted man wants." She left, returning a few minutes later with Minister Fudge behind her.
He bowed apologetically. "I am sorry to bother you today of all days, but I need to speak with Mr. Potter. Is there someplace we might speak privately?" Despite everyone's hatred of that name, Bella had Dottie lead Harry and Fudge to the small parlor on the other side of the house. They walked in silence, and Fudge waited until Dottie was out of sight before speaking.
"Mr. Potter, it is a pleasure to meet you. As I said, I'm terribly sorry to bother you on your birthday, however, certain events must be taken into account."
"Are you referring to Sirius Black's escape?"
"Yes, yes indeed. You see, as brother to Mrs. Riddle and Mrs. Malfoy, we have reason to believe he may visit them, and we wish to ensure you are safe. Is there anywhere else you may visit for the summer? Perhaps your relatives…" Fudge trailed off at the look on Harry's face.
"Minister, I will never willingly set foot in that house again. As far as I am concerned, they are no family of mine. As for Mr. Black coming here, I find it incredibly unlikely, considering that he was disowned by the Black family. If he does happen to come by, I can assure you that my friends here will keep me safe. They are family to me."
"Then you are happy here?"
"Completely."
"Very well then, Mr. Potter. I am satisfied as to your safety. If you need anything at all, do not hesitate to send me an owl."
"Of course, Minister. Thank you for your kind concern. Shall I have Dottie escort you out?"
"Actually, I need to speak with Mrs. Riddle and Mrs. Malfoy."
"Very well, Minister, allow me to lead you back to the sitting room." Once they were in the sitting room, Draco escorted Harry back up to his room.
"Harry, what other gifts did you get last night?"
"Well, Mia sent me a broomstick servicing kit. I was surprised. At first I was sure it would be a giant book. Luna sent me a training Snitch."
"A what?"
"A training Snitch. It came with this little leather band to put on my wand. When I touch the band, the Snitch will come zooming right back to me. It should be great for practice or pickup games, and apparently it can be used by anyone."
"Sounds cool. Well, I need to change out of my pajamas, give me a moment, then we can head outside."
"Alright, Draco." About ten minutes later, Draco emerged from his room with a large grin on his face.
"Ok, you ready?"
"Ready for what, Draco?"
"Well, it is your birthday."
Harry shrugged. "Yeah, but I'm sure everyone's forgotten in all of the excitement lately, especially with Uncle Sirius escaping from Aza…Askaz…?"
"Azkaban, and it's not uncle, he's Sirius Black, betrayer and mass murderer. Dobby?"
Dobby appeared with a soft POP! "Master Draco called?"
"Is everything ready?"
"Of course, we are waiting for you and Master Harry."
"Come on, Harry." Draco raced down the stairs and Harry followed him, wondering what was going on. He had suspicions, but he didn't want to get his hopes up. He followed Draco through the house and out to the back patio, where he stopped dead.
"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY!" Everyone was standing out on the lawn, including his parents, aunt and uncle, Luna, and most of Slytherin house. Tom and Bella rushed forward to meet their son.
Harry spoke quietly to make sure no one else heard. "Mother, Father, I can't believe you remembered. Thank you."
"Of course we remembered. How could we not? Now, run along and enjoy your party." Harry did so, excitedly flitting between his friends until he found Luna. He gave her a large hug.
"Thanks so much for your present Luna, it was great."
"Neith didn't wake you, did she?"
"No, you were right, I was awake."
"Oh, I'm so glad. I missed you, Harry."
"I missed you too, Luna. But we're both here, together, so let's go have fun." Dobby and Dottie took it upon themselves to see that Harry had everything he wanted. Luna immediately noticed the change in the elves that Harry had missed.
"Dobby, Dottie, you language and grammar are much improved. Have you been taking lessons?"
"Yes, Mistress Luna. Master Lucius and Mistress Cissy have been giving us lessons every day. We are very excited and have been working hard," answered Dobby.
"Well, it shows. Congratulations."
"Thank you, Mistress Luna." Dottie was blushing, making Harry smile. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed the improvement. Quickly, however, this revelation was pushed to the back of his mind as he and Luna wandered around the backyard. They had fun watching the "Muggle-style" magician who was pulling a rabbit out of a hat, and making cards appear and disappear. They also had lots of fun with the Galleon hunt.
Galleons were hidden all over the yard, and the children were all gathered together, before being directed to go searching for the Galleons. They were admonished not to use magic to summon them as the Galleons had been charmed not to respond to magic. Harry, used to muggle methods, was able to find 100 Galleons. Many of his friends manage to scrape together between 25 and 30 Galleons. Draco managed to find 50. Luna, however, did best. She found 125 Galleons. When Harry asked her how she had found so many, she giggled and told him it was her secret.
Once the Galleon hunt was done, the children were called back toward the house as Dobby and Dottie levitated out an enormous cake. It was in the shape of a large green snake with silver accents to represent Slytherin house. Everyone cheered at the amazing cake.
"Dobby, Dottie, this is amazing. Did you make it?"
"Yes, Master Harry, we made the cake for you."
"Thanks, both of you, it's amazing!" The elves were practically bouncing up and down in glee. They served everyone some cake, and several of the children came back for seconds. Harry sat on the back patio eating his cake, thinking the day couldn't possibly get any better.
"Are you enjoying your birthday, Harry?" asked Luna, who was sitting next to him.
"Of course, it's the best birthday ever. I don't see how it could possibly get any better."
"Well, you still have to open your presents."
"Presents?"
"Of course, right over there." She pointed to a table loaded with gifts. Harry couldn't believe his eyes. There were more gifts on the table than even Dudley typically got for a birthday. Luna was saddened by the look of wonder on his face. Obviously he hadn't had many presents in his life. She wanted to help change that.
With a quick, sly look at Draco, she started a chant. "Pre-sents! Pre-sents! Pre-sents!" Slowly, the other children took up the chant. Bella, Tom, Lucius, and Narcissa stepped forward, and, laughing, escorted Harry to the present table. Everyone started cheering as Harry took the first present. He unwrapped his presents slowly, reverently, as each one was special to him. From his friends and classmates he received candy, books, scarves, gloves, and some really interesting bottles of ink. Draco gave Harry a pair of Dragonhide boots. Vince gave him a book titled Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland. Greg gave him an amusing pair of color-changing earmuffs. They changed to suit the wearer's mood.
Bella whispered in Harry's ear that the family gifts would be given once the party was over. Eager to see what his family had given him, Harry did no attempt to prolong his birthday party past the socially acceptable hour of 4:00pm. Harry bid Luna a tender good-bye before she took the Floo back home.
By 4:30, he was in the sitting room, surrounded by his family and his final gifts. He was surprised by the entrance of none other than Professor Quirrell. He had assumed something had happened to him after Tom had been reborn.
"Professor, it is so nice to see you. I had thought…" Harry trailed off.
Professor Quirrell laughed. "Not at all, Harry. I was merely wanted by the Ministry, so I traveled abroad for a while to lay low." He quickly pulled a wrapped package from his cloak. "As you are now 13, allow me to present you with this."
Harry took the gift and opened it. It was a book of Dark magic. "Professor, why would I need this?"
"Despite the belief that is practiced and enforced at Hogwarts, it is very necessary for witches and wizards to have a solid understanding of the Dark Arts. This allows you to combat darker spells, and, in certain situations, use some yourself. Now, many witches and wizards are uncomfortable actually using so called "Dark" spells, and I had a feeling you would feel the same way." Harry nodded. "This book will give you a solid understanding of Dark Spells, although it does not teach you any. Rather, it teaches you how to adapt common, everyday spells to different situations. You would be amazed what can be done with a simply scourgify."
Harry's eyes widened in understanding. He looked back down at the book with wonder. "Thank you, Professor. By what did you mean about my now being 13?"
"13 is the age when Pureblood families have typically started augmenting a young witch or wizard's Hogwarts education. By this age you've learned the simple spells, and are usually able to pick up spells rather quickly. This supplemental education is typically done during holidays and is mainly to fill in gaps and to teach spells unique to the family."
Professor Quirrell's words reminded Harry of Hermione's letter. "Mother, Father, I'd like to speak to you about that more later. Would you help me remember to bring it up?"
"Of course, Harry. Now, open your other gifts." Harry did as his mother suggested. He opened his gift from his aunt and uncle first. He couldn't believe his eyes. It took him a least half a minute to register that his gift really was what he thought it was.
"A…a Pensieve? Really?"
The adults chuckled at his reaction. "Of course it's for you, Harry."
"Thanks Aunt Cissy, Uncle Luke. This is great!"
"You're very welcome, Harry." Harry reached for his last gift, knowing it was from his parents. He was completely unprepared, however, for what the wrapping contained. He pulled off the paper and saw dozens of little bottles arranged in a little caddy, like potions ingredients. Confused, he picked up a bottle and read the label.
First word. He suddenly understood. He picked up the next bottle. First steps. He randomly picked up another. Day of Birth. He looked up at his parents. The look of wonder on his face said more than any words could. Unsure exactly what to do or say, he simply stood and stumbled over to them and gave them a heartfelt hug. Bella blinked quickly to keep the tears from his eyes. Draco looked away, feeling as though he was intruding on a very personal moment.
When Harry was certain he wouldn't cry, he ended the hug and looked to both of his parents. "Thank you." The words came out as no more than a whisper, but the emotion behind them said it all.
"You're very welcome, son."
"Can I…can we watch them now?"
"We can in a minute, I have one last gift for you. Follow me, Harry." Harry followed his mother out of the family sitting room, down several hallways, and into Aunt Cissy's private sitting room. Bella flicked her wand, and a tall rectangular object with a sheet over it came floating towards them. "I know you have been wanting to have that dreadful spell removed, and we have, as yet, been unable to do so without risking your father's life. However, I thought you might like a good look at your true self." She pulled the sheet away, and Harry recognized the mirror he had looked into almost two years ago. Bella and Tom both came to stand beside him.
Harry finally allowed himself to look at his reflection. He gasped. He was much taller, almost reaching his father's shoulder, whereas now he barely reached his chest. His hair was still long and straight, hanging down to his chin. He looked more muscular as well. His eyes stood out the most. His glasses were gone, and he noticed that the gold and purple flecks that had dotted his eyes previously were more pronounced. He took a good look at his father's eyes, remembering what his mother had said before. He noticed that the purple and gold flakes in his father's eyes were less pronounced than his own. He briefly wondered what that meant.
"I can't wait until I can reveal that I am your son. Then I won't have to be Harry Potter; I can be Harry Thomas Salazar Riddle." Tom and Bella looked down at their son, smiling proudly.
"Well, Harry, hopefully that day will come soon. For now, let's go watch those memories and take your first step towards reassuming your proper identity.