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Stars
Chapter 7: The Dove
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Summary: What if Harry wasn't taken in by Petunia? What if, instead, he was taken in by another wizard who moved into number four after Petunia forced her family to move to avoid taking in the freak? Neutral!Harry
Beta: Cauchy! Big thanks to her for being my beta! This means less confusing words and spelling errors and brains flying around.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own character.
A/N: Thank you all my reviewers! You inspire me!
Updates may come a bit slower. I'll still aim to update frequently, but I may have to push it back to once every two weeks. I have beta now, so hopefully things will be a little smoother.
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Christmas was just another busy day for Cygnus, so Harry usually spent it reading or studying. For this year, Harry had really been looking forward to the trip to Taiwan, but in the end, Cygnus had decided to cancel the trip because of Harry's concussion.
Cygnus had given Harry the option to stay at school or go home. Harry chose to come home like many of the other students. At home, Harry wouldn't have to worry about random attacks and looking through his food for anything spiked. At home, Harry could study in peace, without having to share his room or the kitchen or the living room. At home, Harry could learn more about warding.
Since his dad had fixed the wards, no one had actually outright attacked him. Harry was sure that his little scuffle with the troll would have improved his reputation in Slytherin, but apparently that wasn't the case. Pansy had taken to telling anyone who would listen how flattened he almost got, never mind the fact that she hadn't actually been in the boys dorm, but somehow that had turned into the fact that "little Potter" was acting like a Gryffindor, which only increased the whispering and the rumors.
On the other hand, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff had warmed up to Harry quite nicely. Harry could hardly walk down the hall without someone saying hello or waving at him. He had even been invited to the other tables during lunch, which he only agreed if he was allowed to bring Draco with him.
Draco, for some strange, inexplicable reason, had taken to following Harry wherever he went, keeping an eye out for him and helping him when he had trouble remembering what classes he had. From what Cygnus had told him, he had saved Slytherin house from a troll, so Draco's actions could have been gratitude, but he couldn't be sure.
Or maybe it had something to do with Harry apparently telling Draco he couldn't be a friend.
But now that Harry really thought about it, it was true that Draco had a very poor outlook on what friends were. He had minions in the form of Goyle and Crabbe. Not friends. He had people he could benefit from, but never someone to confide in. Since when had being in Slytherin meant that you would have to give up trusting others? When had cunning and ambition become backstabbing and betrayal?
Harry wasn't really sure if Draco was serious or not in being his friend, but by the end of the week, Harry was a bit sick of Draco being a little puppet. He turned to Draco after dinner and said, "Draco, can we talk?"
"Sure… Harry," Draco said, looking a little confused.
"I was just noticing… That you are… strangely close these days," Harry began, watching Draco for a reaction.
"Good friends are supposed to stick together!" Draco said, frowning just a little.
"I suppose…" Harry said, not able to refute the statement, but somehow finding it extremely uncomfortable. "So that's what you're doing…? Sticking together?"
"Yes! Is that a problem?" Draco insisted.
Harry thought that if there had been a problem, that he would just have to deal with it himself, as Draco didn't seem inclined to change his behavior. So Harry merely shook his head.
"Not really… It's just… It's a bit awkward… You're… really close," Harry said. "It makes me uncomfortable. Your constant hovering is distracting." He gave a soft sigh and shook his head. "Do you think you could back off? I mean, we only have a few days left together until the holidays."
Draco frowned and Harry hoped that he would at least consider his words before he shot it down. Draco didn't seem to be the type to just drop whatever he was doing because of a simple request. But to Harry's surprise, Draco merely nodded and said, "Sure, Harry. By the way, are you going home for Yule?"
Harry paused and then sighed deeply. "Probably only for part of it. I think that I'm going to come back early since my dad's going on a trip after Christmas."
"Yule," Draco corrected. "If you want, you can spend time in my manor. We can spend New Year together."
For some reason, warning bells set off in Harry's head. Harry had initially opened his mouth to accept, but then paused, considering Draco's offer. "Thanks Draco," he said slowly, "But I think I'll stay here. I wouldn't want to intrude…"
"You wouldn't be!" Draco said, shaking his head. "I'll even let father know!"
"Thanks Draco, but I really shouldn't," Harry said, shaking his head.
"But you'll be here, all alone!" Draco said, a determined scowl on his face. "Come on! It'll be fun!"
Harry merely shook his head, done with talking about the conversation. He looked at the window and sighed, thinking about what his dad had planned.
Christmas wasn't a big thing in Cygnus' household. Instead, New Years was the grand holiday. Chinese New Year especially, as that was usually much more extravagant. The red firecrackers that Cygnus hung as well as the fruit offerings that he placed in front of a temple in his room always looked wonderful. They would go to muggle London and watch the Dragon Dance and the performances by muggles. Red lanterns always hung around the streets during the Chinese New Year holiday and there was always abundant of food to eat.
Harry was a bit sad that this year, he wouldn't get to go. Cygnus had told him that he would send him some food, but it wasn't the same without Cygnus there.
He shook himself out of his daze and looked at Draco. "So, what is Yule like in Malfoy Manor?"
Draco busied himself through the next hour, talking about the holidays. By the time he was finished, he had completely forgotten about trying to convince Harry to come during New Year.
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Harry woke up on Christmas morning to the smell of cookies. He smiled a little, marveling at the early hour that Cygnus had gotten up. It wasn't even light yet, but Harry was too excited to sleep. He shot out of bed and brushed his teeth quickly before flying down the stairs.
"Presents!" Harry exclaimed when he saw the wrapped gifts under the tree. Cygnus had put up ornaments on the tree, mostly little doves and silver bells. Harry knew that Cygnus hated decorating a tree for Christmas and was touched that his dad had actually done it this year. Harry suspected it had something to do with his injury.
"Good morning to you too," Cygnus said, poking his head out the kitchen. "The presents can wait. Why don't you wash your hands for breakfast? I have made rice porridge and brought out pickled radish for you."
"And pork sung?!" Harry asked, perking up, his attention ripped from the presents.
"Yes, and pork sung. I also went out and bought the roasted peanuts you liked," Cygnus said, but Harry had already shot into the dining room for breakfast.
After breakfast, Harry ran back to the living room, admiring the tree and the little shimmering lights. The weather outside was cold, but the fire was going strong in the fireplace. Cygnus came out of the kitchen and placed a pair of scissors on the table.
"I kind of expected you to be inspecting the presents," Cygnus said honestly, smiling. "Go ahead and open them. I've checked them for anything dangerous. It looks like all of them are safe."
Harry didn't even pick up the scissors before he tore into the first package.
It was a pretty good haul this year. Apparently, Neville had not forgotten that Harry had rescued his remembrall, despite his abysmal memory and sent a packet of chocolates and candies. Draco had sent him two boxes, one with dragon hide gloves and the other with a green scarf, which, according to the card that Draco had written, was knitted by his mother. Malfoy senior sent him a rather expensive looking cloak that, according to the tag, retained heat in the winter and remained cool in the summer. Along with the generous gift was a note.
Dear Mr. Potter,
I would personally like to write to you to thank you for protecting Draco from the troll during All Hallow's eve. We are currently investigating how the troll got in and traumatized so many children that night, but regardless, thanks to your quick thinking and actions, my wife and I are grateful that the damage was minimal. We hope you recover quickly.
I have enclosed a cloak for your personal use as thanks. It will adjust to you as you grow older.
Sincerely,
Lucius Malfoy
"Well, that's friendly," Harry said, smiling a little, nodding happily. "How useful. Right, Dad?"
But Cygnus was staring at the cloak and then at Harry, a curious expression on his face. He picked up the cloak and looked at Harry, frowning.
"Why did he send you something this… extravagant," Cygnus asked, looking a little suspicious.
"Maybe he's grateful that I was able to save the Slytherins? This includes Draco, by the way," Harry said, shrugging, reaching out to take the cloak back, but Cygnus pulled it away, out of Harry's reach. Harry scowled and said, "Give it back! He gave it to me!"
"Harry," Cygnus said, in a tone that left little room for argument. Harry felt his irritation grow as Cygnus refused to give the cloak back, but didn't verbally respond. "Harry, I told you before, but you might have forgotten. The Malfoys don't make friends."
Harry opened his mouth to retort, but Cygnus continued.
"They make allies. Not friends. They are the kind of people who respect people for power and blood. Blood-Purists," Cygnus said, sighing deeply. "Gratitude isn't something they feel lightly. Giving you such a lavish gift isn't something they would do lightly." He looked at the cloak suspiciously, frowning. "They would have some motive for doing so."
"Is it that hard for you to assume that they feel gratitude?" Harry snapped, snatching the cloak back. Cygnus sighed.
"Haven't you ever heard that if something is too good to be true, it probably is?" Cygnus asked, shaking his head. "Consider this, Harry, what would they gain by giving you this? What would Lucius in particular gain?"
"You're crazy," Harry said, shaking his head, marveling at the texture of the cloak. "Maybe he just wanted to pay me back for saving Draco."
"Harry," Cygnus said, placing a stern hand on Harry's shoulder. "You saved all the Slytherins. So why, then, was Lucius the only one to give you a thank you cloak?"
Harry paused at that, now thinking about what he knew of the Malfoys. Harry knew that if he didn't play along with Cygnus, Cygnus would confiscate the cloak and not give it back until he thought things through.
Cygnus was right in that he had saved all the Slytherins. That much was clear, considering that Cygnus and Draco, along with the school had a unanimous agreement on that. Draco had been acting funny since he came back from his healing, but Draco had said that it was because Harry had apparently told him he would make a lousy friend. So Draco was putting in an effort to be friendlier. Maybe he just didn't know how to be friends, which was why he was acting so… oddly stalker-like.
But that wouldn't really have anything to do with Lucius' behavior, would it? Draco wouldn't have told his father that he was stalking Harry—that'd be extremely awkward and would probably go badly. Lucius might have truly been grateful, but other possibilities?
"He… is trying to befriend you?" Harry suggested. "I'm your son, after all."
"He had the opportunity on November the second," Cygnus replied. "I saw him and actually spoke with him briefly. He seemed extremely worried about his son, which is natural, considering that a twenty foot mountain troll broke into the safe zone of the Slytherin Dorms."
"Then why wouldn't he be grateful," Harry asked, annoyed. "You said it yourself! He was worried about Draco. Considering I saved Draco, means that he would be grateful to me!"
"Humor me, Harry. Why else?" Cygnus insisted. Harry felt his irritation melt a little at the serious expression on his dad's face.
"Ummm… He wants to impress me? Show off? Flash off how much money he has?" Harry suggested, now rattling things off in his head.
"Contrary to what you might believe, we are just as well off as the Malfoys. I had no reason to spend all that money, so I didn't bother buying a manor or any expensive gifts," Cygnus said, shaking his head.
"Gifts come from the heart, right," Harry said, obviously parroting something he had heard many times before. "Okay, so not bragging or showing off. Maybe Lucius Malfoy wants to thank me in Draco's stead."
"Draco is more than capable of doing it himself," Cygnus said, shaking his head. "Why would Draco need such a roundabout way to thank someone when he could just do it himself?"
"I don't know," Harry admitted.
Cygnus nodded, leaning back in the chair. "That's alright. It might be gratitude, though I think it's more likely that Lucius is trying to… endear the Malfoys to you."
"Endear…?" Harry asked, looking confused.
"That's right," Cygnus said. "You are quite famous, if you recall. You have a father who can write powerful wards—a profession that is both rare in the British Magical community and difficult to master. I think that Lucius is trying to make you a political pawn in his life. You contain quite a bit of influence in the Ministry. My dealings with them proved that much."
"What kind of dealings?" Harry asked.
"Adopting you formally in the Magical Community," Cygnus said, propping his elbows on his knees and leaning forward. "You'd be surprised the effect your name has in the Ministry. I merely suggested that I was the better alternative and I had the pictures and the skill to prove it. The downside to this, is that the Ministry is now more aware of me. Fortunately for me, my business was with Gringotts alone. However, they may have informed Albus Dumbledore of this development by now."
"Oh… That's bad, right?" Harry asked, frowning.
"For him, perhaps," Cygnus said, "But it's too late now. We're a true family, magically and non-magical." He smiled lightly and sighed deeply. "So, Lucius Malfoy had asked me to ward something of his. I assume he was attempting to assess my ability."
"Did you?" Harry asked apprehensively.
"No. I just said I was busy," Cygnus replied. "But he will likely ask the goblins and serve as my client. I do not much care for the man and his rather sneaky ways, but if I'm getting paid, I suppose I'll do it."
"You told me that wards were… difficult to write…" Harry said slowly. "What about them makes them so difficult?"
Cygnus paused before taking the ripped wrapping paper. He smoothed it out on the table and picked up a pen from the holder.
"Listen, Harry," he said gently, writing two characters on the table and then three runes around them. "Look at these two characters. What is different about them?"
Harry looked over the paper and then paused a little, pointing to the character on the left. "This one has an extra dot… and this one is a little farther to the left than that one."
"Good," Cygnus said, nodding approvingly. "That actually makes a difference."
"It does?" Harry asked blankly. Cygnus nodded.
"I told you in November month that I didn't want you to be a wardist. It's very difficult and disastrous if wrong." Cygnus placed a hand on each of the patterns and they both shined a white color. He smiled and placed the paper on the ground before throwing the scissors at one of the wards. It passed through one of the wards and skidded on the ground, encased in a layer of ice. "The way that each character and rune is written is very specific. While I'm glad you saved the lives of your classmates, you did a very dangerous thing by placing your magic in the ward.
"It is true that since I shared my magic with you when you were a baby, you can fuse with my magic," Cygnus said, looking very serious. He picked up the scissors and placed it on the second ward, activating it with a flick of his hand and attempting to push it out of the ward with his hands. The scissors remained stuck fast to the ward. "Because of that, I was able to supply you with magic when you suffered magical exhaustion from the backlash of a failing ward."
"But you work for Gringotts. Do those wards not fail?" Harry asked, looking worried.
"Anyone can power a ward after it's written," Cygnus replied. "I do not power it. The goblins power the ward. That way, even if I die, the wards will remain. For this house, the wards will fall until someone powers them again." He smiled a little dimly. "I write wards and they find people to power it. It's the same thing in Taiwan. The wards are keyed to whoever is in the area and transferred if they leave the area. Or they fall, with no power source."
"You told me that my trunk was warded heavily, right? Why did it fail, then?" Harry asked.
"The trunk was fine, wasn't it?" Cygnus asked, nodding. "What failed was your magic. Wards are extension of your magic. You haven't the control or the strength to withstand impact from trolls."
"But you… you ward my trunk and it activates a lot!" Harry protested. "Do you feel the impact? How do you go about acting like nothing is wrong?"
"Control and experience, mostly," Cygnus said, picking up the next present. "Here. This isn't the time to talk about that. But for the record, the answer is no, I don't feel the impact. I am disconnected enough where only complete obliteration of the ward will cause a backlash."
"Mmm…" Harry took the present and started unwrapping it. Any further questions were forgotten in the joy of obtaining a multi-case trunk. Before Harry even knew what he was doing, his arms were around Cygnus and his body was hugged to his dad's. "Thanks, Dad."
Harry wasn't positive, but he could swear that Cygnus' cheeks reddened a little.
"Um… you're welcome," Cygnus said, nodding a little. Harry smiled at him and marveled over his new gift, not even seeing the last present under the tree. It didn't escape Cygnus' notice though, so he scooped it up and offered it to Harry.
"Oh, yes! I did get you a present from school," Harry said, smiling widely. "I'll go bring it down—what's that?"
"The last present," Cygnus said. "For you."
Harry paused, putting down his multi-case trunk and picking up the present. It was light and, by the texture, it felt like some kind of cloak. He unwrapped it carefully, looking inside before pulling out a large silvery cloak.
"Hmmm?" Cygnus looked interested, looking at the card that fell out. He looked up just in time to see Harry's body vanish into thin air and his jaw dropped.
"What?" Harry asked, blinking, unaware that he was simply a floating head suspended in midair.
"Look down," Cygnus said faintly, looking pale.
Harry looked down and gasped. "Wha…what?! I'm… invisible!"
"It came with a note," Cygnus pointed. Harry snatched up the fallen paper and frowned at it, reading the loopy script.
"Who would send something like this to me?" Harry asked, frowning deeply. "Is this one of those… too good to be true?"
"Quite likely," Cygnus said, touching the cloak. He recoiled sharply, surprised and slightly alarmed.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked, frowning.
"This fabric is infused with wards I have never seen before. And the power on them… the power emitting from them is ancient… Something or someone who had placed the wards on this has greater mastery over wards than I do," Cygnus said, running through the wards he knew in his head. "A non-detection ward… An anti-summoning ward… And a ward linked to bloodline somehow…?"
"Huh… But it's harmless?" Harry asked, pulling off the cloak, looking slightly wary at it.
"Yes," Cygnus said, nodding. "There is a ward to prevent spells from attaching to it. Magic slides right off. There is nothing on this you should be worried about."
"When you said ancient… But for them to have held the ward active, they would need to be alive, wouldn't they?" Harry asked, frowning. "So whoever made it is still alive. You could always ask them about it…"
"I believe they are dead. The wards are ancient, but the magic powering it is quite recent," Cygnus looked confident. "It's strange; the wards are powered by magic… I'm guessing magic from who owns the cloak. Your magic, right now, Harry. But it's… muffled somehow."
"Muffled?"
Cygnus looked at Harry, tilting his head. "Like static. Something… or someone is covering it up. Whoever they are, they are quite powerful. That is the power I sense from this cloak."
"Hm…" Harry looked thoughtful, so Cygnus seemed compelled to relax him.
"Make no mistake, however, this cloak is a very nice gift. It isn't dangerous, and as the person didn't identify themselves, I can only assume that they are not expecting anything in return. Considering the note's contents, I would guess that this cloak's bloodline ward rejected whoever had owned it in the past," Cygnus said. "It rightfully belongs to you, if it did belong to your father."
"Oh… okay!" Harry smiled as he collected his presents. "I'm going to put these in my room."
"Make sure you wash up for lunch," Cygnus called.
Somehow, the idea of the handmade card seemed cheap in comparison to the lavish gifts that Harry had received today. Still, Cygnus loved it and placed it on the fridge to look at. That made Harry smile.
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When Harry went back to Hogwarts, he was surprised to note that there were quite a few students that had stayed for the holidays. The tables had been pushed back to the walls for meals and Harry found himself sitting between Ronald Weasley and McGonagall for breakfast and dinner.
Harry rather enjoyed the free time, passing it by reading the many novels that were in the library. He preferred mystery and adventure over the dry and boring textbooks he was supposed to be reading, so he decided to push the reading of his texts until after school started again. At night, Harry would often go to the hallways and watch the falling snow through the windows, Hedwig sometimes flying down from the Owlery to join him.
It was on a cold winter January night that Harry had wandered out of the dorms and headed to the halls to watch the falling snow. He leaned against the glass, thinking about how busy Cygnus seemed to be and how strong the wards on his trunk really were.
Now that he knew the true nature of wards, he was a lot more wary of people getting near his trunk. He didn't want to be responsible for causing Cygnus to go into magical exhaustion while he was away at work. It was true that the wards had held up spectacularly against the attacks all through the fall and the troll, but that didn't mean that the wards didn't have a breaking point.
Even if they didn't, Harry wasn't sure if the wards ever needed to be recharged. From what Cygnus told him, he was pretty sure that it was possible to charge them long distance, as Cygnus had very good control of his magic.
Harry let his feet guide him into the empty Transfiguration classroom. He walked up to the window, still pondering, giving a deep sigh. How could Cygnus live, knowing that any wards that shattered could mean the death of him? His dad's life was constantly hanging in the balance, between life and death. Harry wondered why Cygnus decided to pursue a career in warding. Certainly not because he liked the feeling of living on the edge.
He watched the snow for a few minutes more before he turned away and decided that he wanted to head to bed. To his surprise, he came face to face with a large mirror, or at least, what he thought was a large mirror. He saw no reflection in it. Harry glanced up at the top of the mirror: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.
Harry paused and then stepped in front of it, frowning a little. He touched the non-reflective glass, curious about the strange mirror. It showed him nothing. Not even his own reflection. He turned away from it and jumped a little as he saw Dumbledore by the door.
"Hello, Harry. Isn't the falling snow beautiful?" Dumbledore asked serenely.
"If you want to call it that," Harry replied, trying to calm his panicked heart. Dumbledore smiled.
"So… You, like many before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised," Dumbledore said, sitting in a chair next to Harry. "Have you come to realize what it does?"
"It is a rather poor mirror, that's what it is," Harry said exasperatedly, tired and really wanting to head to bed.
Dumbledore paused, thinking. "What do you see in this mirror, Harry?"
"Nothing," Harry answered honestly. "Not my reflection, that's for sure. So it makes for quite a poor mirror." He turned back to the mirror.
Harry jumped, startled immensely as he saw Dumbledore's reflection. Curiously, he did not see his own. It was as if he had become… invisible…
Dumbledore's chuckle broke Harry out of his thoughts.
"It shows nothing less… than the deepest, most desperate desires of our hearts," Dumbledore said slowly, as if he had something on his mind. "You said you see nothing though… how curious…"
"Yes," Harry replied, uncomfortable with the strange mirror. "I have no deep desires, so I suppose it'd make sense that it didn't show me anything." He shifted uncomfortably, frowning. "But… I do have desires… I wonder why the mirror didn't show me those…"
Like the desire to keep Cygnus safe and without the need to risk his life by warding his things. Like the desire to understand Draco better. Like the desire to make more friends…
So why didn't the mirror reflect those desires?
Harry hesitated before heading towards the door. He wondered what Cygnus would see in the mirror. What Draco would see. Harry was positive that Dumbledore was here to spy on his movements, but he wasn't sure how a mirror would help Dumbledore.
Dumbledore watched Harry Potter-Rowan leave with some apprehension. He looked at the mirror, turning away from the scene that was long lost to him. Harry said that he saw nothing… what did that mean?