I do not own anything. I'm just translating. The characters belong to the great J.K. Rowling. The story belongs to the amazing Brigi. Her e-mail: tbwtpbe et hotmail .com

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THE BOY WITH THE PIERCING BLUE EYES

Chapter 15 – Kings Cross again

Harry washed a plate and moved to a glass. He should have done this last night but he was too tired.

He turned on the TV and a popular TV series was airing. Harry liked it because it was funny. He looked up from time to time to see what's happening.

Mr. Wilson was having breakfast at the table like usual while James and Henry was doing something entertaining. Mrs. Lipton put cookies on a tray with two cakes. Someone was knocking on the staff entrance door.

"Open the door, Henry. Sometimes you have to learn too!" James said sternly.

The boy blinks stupidly then walks to the door to open it.

The audience laughs and Harry grins at the sight of his frown.

Mabel is kneeling on the floor cleaning it. Henry opens the door.

"Oh, it's you?" He says when he sees the man with the brown sack.

"Good afternoon."

"Uh." Henry mutters and goes back to the kitchen, leaving the surprised man behind.

"Hello, Mr. Pee." Mabel says. The man takes his hat off.

"Hello."

"Mrs. Lipton, the man from the spice shop arrived." Henry announces.

"Oh, it's not a man, Henry. It's Mr. Pierson." The woman says.

"Come in, Mr. Pierson!"

"Good afternoon."

"The tea's there, James. Ivy! You take the cucumber sandwiches and the cake. Then go help Mr. Stokes to set the table!"

"Oh, how fluffy this sponge cake is!" Ivy says enthusiastically.

Snape entered a little annoyed with his hair long. When he saw his reflection he frowned.

"I hate your father…" He muttered.

Harry smiled.

"Good morning, professor.

"Good morning." He sighed and looked around.

When the police officer sees the delicious food the girl is carrying he stands up.

"Oh, this plate is too full of cucumber sandwiches. I take this two. I can't let you drop them and stain the carpet!" He explains and takes the two sandwiches. The audience laughs while he bites and groans in satisfaction. "And can I get a little of that delicious cherry pie, Mrs. Lipton?"

"What are you watching?" Snape asked curiously.

"Oh, it's just… I just turned on the TV so it wouldn't be too silent. It entertained me while I was washing the dishes… I can turn it off if you don't like it!" He offered.

"You can leave it on…" The man stepped to the refrigerator.

"It's a… series… very funny." The boy smiled.

But he only received a faint humming. The teacher seemingly couldn't decide what to eat.

"It's hard to choose, right? No wonder, we don't have much here…"

Snape barely visibly smiled.

"We have fresh milk." Harry suggested. "We can eat corn flakes."

He saw Snape frowning.

"That is food for kids…"

"We can make scrambled eggs." The boy chuckled.

He got the response he wanted: Snape shuddered.

"Okay, where is the cornflake?"

Harry set two bowls on the table with the milk and some chocolate syrup, cocoa powder, fresh sliced fruit, spoons and two types of cornflake.

"Thank you." Snape muttered. He kept an eye on the TV while he started eating. He couldn't watch TV since he arrived to the Dursleys.

"Strange machine, right?" Harry said. "Here is the remote!" He handed it to the man.

"Don't bother, I don't know how to use it… just watch whatever you want."

The boy shrugged and changed the channel.

Snape's eyes widened. The waitress disappeared and a Muggle boy appeared talking about something.

"Witchcraft." He muttered, making Harry smile.

"And now, after Gary Barlow's Eternal Love. It's Wannabe from the Spice Girls! Come on, girls!" He smiled then the clip started.

The two people in the kitchen frowned.

"Boring." Harry shrugged. "They've been playing this for weeks…"

"This is music?"

His student made a grimace.

"I found the wizard's music strange at first…"

Snape turned to him.

"I haven't heard wizard music until the Triwizard Tournament. It was during the ball… Quite unusual."

The man studied him for a while but didn't say anything. Harry lowered his head and smiled bitterly.

"I'm a strange freak, right? I don't belong here or in the wizard world…" He muttered.

"Don't say such things!" Snape said seriously.

"But it's so difficult!" Harry said while they were sitting in the garden later that day. "What happens after I finish school?"

"What do you mean? You'll get a job and…"

"But the question is: in which world? I studied at a wizard school so I can't go to a normal university. I can't go there because I didn't learn what other Muggle children did."

"I didn't know you wanted to go to a Muggle university…"

"It's not the point! I couldn't go even if I wanted to!" He sighed sadly. "I can't go and say: 'Good afternoon. No, I don't know what derivation is but I can conjure a Patronus. Will that be okay?' How would that sound?"

Severus pondered.

"It's funny. I was quite good at Math before Hogwarts. And you can learn exciting thing at a university… When I was little, I always wanted to try it. Don't wizards dream of more than just going to school then get a job? Don't they want to travel around the world?"

"It's a matter of birth, Harry. A wizard or a witch can't do much in the Muggle world."

"But why? And then what about me? I grew up as a Muggle, like all the other normal kids. Then I found out I was a wizard and I was dragged into another world."

"It was not against your will." Snape looked at him sternly. "And you said yourself that you prefer that world."

"But it's different now… I had a girlfriend. And I studied all summer but I preferred doing Muggle things… cinema, concert, TV… even the ice cream seemed to be more delicious than the wizard sweets! Even the fact that I had to work… I liked it… And now I don't know which world I can call home…"

The teacher frowned a bit confused.

"Why are you complicating things?"

"They are complicated on their own…"

Harry pulled his legs up and wrapped his hands around them. He looked like a lonely puppy.

Severus watched him for a while then his face softened and he smiled.

"I wonder if all teenagers are this troublesome?" He muttered.

The boy looked up. He felt a little uncomfortable, because Snape surely though about his dead child. He could literally feel the pain radiating from the man.

"When I first saw you… in the Great Hall, I knew you will be a troublemaker." He said in a nostalgic sound. "It would have been a miracle if a Potter wouldn't turn out to be one."

Harry felt the way he always feels when Remus talks about his parents. Warmth filled his heart and he looked at the grass again.

"Still… you looked so much like a child he could have been…"

"You mean…" The boy's eyes trembled.

The man only nodded.

"Dark hair, frail body, innocent, shy, handsome, boyish face, big eyes… yes" He sighed. "Only your eyes were different… They always reminded me who you really are. I had been teaching for more than ten years then. Dumbledore thought it would make it easier to forget what happened. But… he couldn't imagine how it feels to teach hundreds of student day after day… with the knowledge that your own child died before he could even speak…"

"How can he talk so calmly about this?" Harry looked at him compassionately.

"One can never forget something like this… the memory never fades… But it was enough for you to show up to make me confused…" He said and looked at Hedwig who was sitting next to them. "I didn't really know how to handle this. Your name reminded me of your father and godfather, but every time I looked at you… I couldn't stop thinking about how much you resemble a child you've never even known. Someone I always wanted to have by my side… You made me so confused. We hated each other, but it was hard for me… You began being more like your father…Quiddich, troubles every year, Remus, Black… you even behaved like him. You became arrogant and stubborn. I would have never let my son be like that…"

Harry gulped: he started to understand what the man was trying to say to him.

"When Voldemort returned I hoped I can have my revenge… that he would pay for what he did. But then I learnt the prophecy… that you're the only one who can kill him… I hated you with all my heart. I felt helpless…"

The boy's eyes began burning with the unshed tears.

"Then this summer came." Severus continued. A little smile appeared on his face. "I hope you know how hard it was for me to come here…"

"I can imagine." Harry moaned and fought the tears so the man would continue.

"At the headquarters, when I saw you in Fletcher's memory as a boy with piercing blue eyes… I felt the world freeze around me."

Harry swallowed his tears, sat up and turned toward the man.

"The boy with the blue eyes. What about him? Haven't you ever thought about…?" He asked.

"I talked about this with Dumbledore, but according to what you said, it can't be him. Lamerin would be older than you and the Death Eaters mentioned a younger child…"

The boy lowered his head.

"A lot of adults and children were kidnapped that time… it could be anyone." Severus said. "It must be painful enough for his parents… Dumbledore entrusted a few people to search for him and help him if it's needed."

The tears finally rolled down Harry's face.

"Wait!" The teacher pressed his lips together. "I didn't talk about this to…"

"I know, but it's so hard! It's so hard to live with the knowledge of how many people suffered and died because of me…"

Hedwig hooted gently and flew to Harry. She tapped the boy's shoulder like she was comforting him.

Snape sighed.

"I think it's time for you to go back to school." He said in an encouraging tone.

"How?" The boy sniffed. "I don't have my books yet!"

"Don't worry about that!" The man smiled. "You'll get them tomorrow."

Next day, at the Kings Cross station Harry and Snape shared a hack to put their bags and Hedwig's cage on, then covered it with the invisibility cloak.

"Won't see suffocate?" Harry asked.

"She won't. The material lets air through the cloak. This is why you haven't suffocated yet…"

"Really…"

"This way you are not so noticeable. With an owl protected by law… You can't know who is watching."

"How will we know if we lost the cage and the bird too?"

"A note is sticking out." He pointed at the paper.

"We are early, right? It's a little past ten and the train…"

"I know when the train leaves." Snape said quickly. He seemed a little tense.

"How will I get my books?"

"Someone will bring them here…"

"Mrs. Weasley?"

"You have an awful lot of questions today!" Severus frowned. Harry grinned.

"I can't believe it, mom." Ron said when he met his parents at the station. "Over the past six years you haven't arrived here this early." He smiled.

"Maybe because we only had to pack for Ginny this year."

"You boys can pack for hours." Ginny said with a smile. Ron grimaced.

His face was tanned. Hermione and her parents stood next to him. The adults greeted each other and began chatting about the summer.

"I can't wait to see Harry again." Hermione looked around. "It's a pity he couldn't stay with us."

"Oh, he enjoyed the summer, believe me." Ginny winked.

"Oh, really?" Ron rose and eyebrows. "And how do you know that?"

"I visited him at Grimmaud Place."

"Did he say something?" Hermione grabbed Ron's hand to stop him before he started arguing. The boy seemed to relax a little and stroked the girl's hand. "What happened to him? Apart from that horrible attack…" She shuddered.

"Well… he had a girlfriend." She said mysteriously.

"What?" They both said.

"I don't know much, but she must have been important if he chose to spend the summer with her instead of the Order…"

Hermione looked at Ron.

"I'll question him." He winked and kissed the girl's forehead.

"It's good to see you behaving so relaxed." Ginny sighed. "You played shy for five years!"

The other two wanted to protest but someone scared them from behind.

"Bu!" Fred grinned.

He with his twin, Remus, Tonks, the three spirits and the oldest Weasley boy laughed at the three pale children.

"Hello." Remus greeted them kindly.

"Professor Lupin!" Hermione smiled.

"Good morning!"

"How are you, Ron?" George asked.

"Why?" His brother asked.

"Oh, don't be so grumpy!"

"…grumpy?" Ron muttered while his brothers hugged him.

"We haven't seen you in a while!"

"Yeah… you are pure kindness…"

"We brought some sweets for the journey." Fred showed a basket.

"Oh, you shouldn't have!" Hermione smiled.

"So can we tie the cans after the train?" George winked.

The girl stopped smiling and turned away.

"I knew you wouldn't let us alone!" Ron said. "I say it one more time: leave us alone!"

Tonks looked at Remus and smiled. She took his hand and stepped closer to him.

"Guys." Lupin said. "Stop arguing. Let's find Harry!"

"I can see him!" Ginny said. "I can see him!" She pointed toward the two figures. "They are standing there!"

"But… that's Snape!" Hermione and Ron said astonished.

"Actually, why aren't we going to the platform?"

"We are waiting for someone… Don't sit up there!" Severus said grimly when he was the boy sitting on the railing. "You will fall down."

"I won't. I have a good sense of balance."

The man anxiously scanned the crowd with his eyes.

"Who are we waiting for?"

However, the teacher didn't say a word and his face showed surprise.

"Is something wrong?"

"Can't you feel them?"

"D-Death Eaters?" Harry paled. He touched his scar.

"Come here!" Severus said.

Harry stepped closer tentatively then let the man go behind him and put a hand in front of his heart. Then he realized what his teacher was doing and shuddered.

"Stop this! I don't want you to defend me with your body against curses!"

"Shut up…" Snape muttered.

"I don't want to!"

"It doesn't matter what you want. If I must, I will protect you because it is my duty…"

"To die for me, huh?" Nice Order… You have to blindly obey every command here too?"

"Would you just shut up? I'm trying to pay attention! Insolent child…" He shook his head.

The boy sniffed but shook like a leaf.

"How many are there?" He asked quietly.

Severus smiled in anger.

"Try to sense them."

"How? Should I close my eyes?"

"Not necessarily. Imagine a Death Eater. If you did that then concentrate on that shape and try to rise above the crowd and look around to see how many are there and where are they hiding…"

Harry tried to follow the instructions. He no longer heard the noises but only his heart. The crowd was like a colorful mass and he looked for the Death Eaters. He began breathing rapidly. When he opened his eyes he almost fainted. He felt dizzy.

"Six… but outside… one of them just came in…" He said quietly.

Severus was quite proud.

"Very good." He said.

Harry's hear still beat wildly.

"I don't want anyone to get hurt…" He whispered.

His eyes flashed. A huge wave of warmth and determination ran through his body. The effect spread through the crowd and everyone stopped for a moment. Harry blinked in surprise.

"What was that?"

"I don't know but it was good." Severus smirked. "Where is that bloody woman?" He said jokingly.

"Woman? We are waiting for a woman?"

"Actually, yes." Snape let go of the boy because he felt the Death Eaters leaving.

"So you were talking to her through the mirror!" The boy realized.

"How do you know that… You were eavesdropping?"

"It was an accident!" Harry apologized but couldn't stop smiling.

Severus shook his head in resignation.

"I'm sorry… really…"

"Yeah, I know you…"

"May I ask who this woman is?"

"Well it is unnecessary to hide any longer. She will be the new DADA teacher…"

"Uh." Harry frowned. "A woman again? It won't end well… I hope she's not like Umbridge…"

Severus grinned.

"There you are, at last!" A beautiful female voice said far away.

The both turned to her.

Harry though his eyes would fall out.

A tall, very feminine woman stood there in her thirties. She had long golden brown hair. She was wearing a spaghetti-strap top with a brown mini skirt that let her long, graceful legs show. A gold necklace was around her neck and she was holding books in her hands. Only one unusually thing was about her: the black ribbon around her right wrist. Otherwise she looked like an ordinary Muggle woman. With a smile she tried to make her way through the crowd. She walked so smoothly like she was floating and all man turned around to see her. The boy felt the pale green eyes enchanting him. If humanity was exiled from Paradise it must have been because of a woman like her…

He forgot to blink while he watched the beautiful creature.

"Stop this. It is disrespectful to stare at a woman." Severus said with a smile. Then he became serious. "Harry, there is something you should know… She is Rowena Dareling…"

"Like Rowena Ravenclaw?"

"Well, she really was a Ravenclaw." Severus smiled. "She was two years younger than us… But wait, let me finish! She was… your godfather's fiancée…"

Harry felt dizzy.

"What?" He couldn't believe it.

"They were engaged when… Voldemort" He said more quietly. "killed your parents. But when Black was imprisoned Dumbledore sent her away… She was teaching in Durmstang for all these years."

"But… but… why didn't she come back when she heard that Sirius escaped?"

"Your godfather was a wanted criminal, no one though he was innocent. Not even Lupin. When you started your fourth year she wanted to come back. But she had to stay because of the Triwizard Tournament. Since Karkaroff came to Hogwarts she had to keep an eye on the remaining students. But Karkaroff ran off when… Voldemort came back and she got the job to watch Igor…"

"And when she came back it was too late…" Harry finished. "This explains the ribbon on her hand. She couldn't meet him…"

"Harry, listen to me." Severus grabbed his shoulders gently. "The important thing is that everything goes according to plan. Don't forget, we are ordinary Muggles. Pretend that she is your aunt or something. When she gets here just hug her."

The boy nodded and Snape stroked his head anxiously.

"All right…"

"Finally I got you." The woman said when she reached them.

Her smiling face also showed curiosity. She greeted Snape, gave him the books and turned to Harry. She gently stroked the boy's face and looked into the big green eyes.

"I was… so looking forward to meet you, Harry Potter." She said softly.

The boy couldn't resist so he embraced the woman. Rowena patiently stroked his head and back.

"It's okay…" She whispered. "It's okay."

When Harry released her they smiled at each other.

"Is everything all right, Severus?"

The man nodded.

"What was that… before?"

Snape pointed at Harry.

"Well… whatever it was, it made three Death Eaters leave. And it helped me find you. Can we go now?"

"You have to go alone." Severus shook his head.

"W-what?" The new teacher frowned.

"Rowena, you know the rules! Three Death Eaters are here! Every student arrives now with their parents. Not to mention all these Muggles." He looked around. "You go to the platform and get on the train and don't do anything until it leaves. And I'll do my own job…"

Harry heard rustle. Severus was wearing his black robes and was about to leave.

"Severus!" The woman pleaded. "Don't do anything stupid…"

"No, wait!" Harry grabbed the sleeve of his robes.

The man looked at him anxiously then their hands parted slowly. Severus disappeared in the crowd, only a letter remained. Harry clutched it in surprise.

"Don't open it here!" Rowena looked around. "Let's go to the platform!"

She led Harry to the wall to go to the wizard station. To platform nine and three quarters.

The boy took his cloak and put it in his bag then they put the bags on the train. But Harry didn't want to board yet.

"Look Harry." The woman started. "I don't know what Severus told you, but I don't want you to be sad every time you look at me. I don't want you to blame yourself…"

"How…?"

"It doesn't matter now! When we have a quiet moment at school I promise we will talk about everything. But right now I want you to get on the train and…"

"Rowena!" A sharp voice snapped behind them.

They heard only one voice, though Lily, James and Sirius also called out.

Lupin looked at the woman sharply while Tonks was staring at Remus.

"Remus." The woman smiled kindly. "We haven't met for a long time. I'm so glad to see you."

"I am too. But… what was that?"

"What?"

"Since when… are you friends with Severus?"

Rowena looked surprised. She looked at the children then grabbed Remus' arm and dragged him away angrily. The small team could only hear a few words like '… I'd appreciate … not in front of the children' and '… you should have told me you were back…'.

They stopped listening and greeted each other.

"I'm so glad to see you." Harry said sadly. "I missed you so much!" He hugged his friends.

"We missed you too!"

"Seamus!" They waved at their roommate.

"Neville!" Harry nodded toward the boy and his grandmother.

"It's so good to be together again." Ginny mumbled.

Harry hugged her and left one of his arms around her.

"Are you feeling better, Harry?" Ron asked.

"We heard what happened… horrible…" Hermione said.

"Hey, everything's fine." The boy soothed them. "Now I have one more scar!" He pulled his sweater up and showed them the wound.

Hermione hissed and Ron's eyes widened the same way as when he first saw the scar on Harry's forehead..

"This is not cool, okay?" Hermione argued. "You could have died."

"Come on, you can see he's all right…!"

"It's starting… again…" Ginny frowned. "Nice scar." She smiled mysteriously. "Harry… I'd like to talk to you… it's important. I'd like to ask some advice…. Would you… help me?"

Harry smiled and kissed the girl's cheek.

"Whenever you want. It sounds serious… is something wrong?"

"No… not yet… But we'll talk about it at school, okay?"

The boy nodded.

"HARRY!" The twins shouted.

"Fred! George!" Harry hugged them. "Hogwarts won't be the same without you."

"And the team would be short with two chasers." Ginny sighed.

"Well make sure our reputation remains. We are counting on you. YOU TOO RON, STOP KISSING NOW!" George teased the bickering duo.

Ron turned around angrily.

"You would die if you couldn't humiliate me in front of so many people?"

"Ron is a little shy." Fred said to Harry.

"Hermione and Ron are dating now." Ginny added.

"What?" Harry grinned. "Seriously? Why… why didn't you tell me this?"

His friend blushed but didn't say anything so he hugged them.

"You… you don't mind?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"Are you stupid, Hermione?" The boy smiled. "I'm the happiest about it! It was about time." He winked.

"Harry!" Arthur greeted.

"Oh, Mr. Weasley!" He shook the wizard's hand. "Mrs. Weasley!" He smiled.

"Harry dear, are you all right? Do you have everything?"

"Yes, thank you."

Rowena furiously left Remus and boarded the train. The man returned to the group. Harry rarely saw him this angry.

"Hello, Remus." He greeted to soften him a little but the only response he got was a grunt. "What did I do now…?" He asked wondering.

Remus dragged Tonks away, talked to her about something while the woman nodded. To Harry's surprise they embraced and kissed.

"Love is in the air, huh?" Fred winked.

"Why is Remus boarding the train?"

"He is going with you. He got a job in the school." Mr. Weasley said.

"Really?" The kids asked.

"Yes. But I think it is time for you to board too."

They said their goodbyes then Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny got on the train and started looking for the cabin Remus was in. They greeted Dean Thomas and Padma Patil on their way. They found Luna Lovegood too: she was playing chess with Justin.

Finally they found the professor sitting alone in a cabin staring out the window.

"Can we come in, Remus?" Harry asked cautiously.

"Of course, Harry." The man sighed.

The boy could see that something was bothering him but he didn't want to ask about it in front of everyone. He'll ask in the school. This school year started out excitedly too…

This is it. The next chapter is about the journey. So how did you like it?

REVIEW PLEASE

Bye

Hermina