BROTHERS
James Sirius Potter walked across the Gryffindor common room, winking around, high-fiving, quiping and laughing, not forgetting to toss his head with the special movement that rid him of the brown lock brushing his left eye while giving him an incredibly cool look.
Sometimes - very rarely – his carefree and popular personality was a weight and he needed to make an effort to maintain the appearances.
Like now, for example.
The "big brother" part was not one of the roles people expected from him. He had carefully avoided meddling in Albus and Lily's lives when they had arrived at Hogwarts. It was one thing to tease them at home or to share a candy package during the school year, but James did not want to be accountable to his parents about what could happen to his cadets.
"To each his own mistakes, to each his own success," often said his mother when her sons tried to put blame on each other, or when Lily wanted to shorten the congratulations given to one of the children. James had applied this philosophy to Hogwarts without any trouble. Albus, of course, had had much trouble with that. Fortunately, Lily was smart enough to not need her brothers' help and, in the end, the second Potter boy had stuck to worry about his friends – just like his father had done in his own time, if one was to believe the old stories of their aunts and uncles.
Until now, everything had been fine.
But since Minerva McGonagall had announced the replacements in the staff, James could not shake off a strange feeling of unease.
Why had his father come running to school two days after Al had fallen during Quidditch workouts?
What secret had let out the Boggart?
And who could possibly believe someone would buy the story of their spending holidays in Graphorns' territory?
Suddenly, like soap bubbles, were hatching in his mind lots of unsettling memories, countless times when Harry's eyes had been staring at Albus anxiously as if there was something he did not say aloud, glances his parents had shared, all those times someone had sighed: "He's not like you or Lily."
Yes, Al loved books and was rather shy.
So what?
He was in Gryffindor, just like them. He played Quidditch, he had fun with his mates, his grades were fine and he probably had a crush on the girl with long brown hair who hung out with him all the time.
One couldn't get more ordinary than that.
James heaved a sigh and ruffled his hair.
He walked around the slouched sofa and leaned back against the fireplace, frowning.
"What did you do, Al?
Why did Dad drop everything for you?
Is there something I should have noticed before it came to that?"
His eyes scanned his brother's face, a bit annoyingly. Albus was snuggled against the armrest, on which a cat was purring, his knees drawn up against his chest. There was a toad on his head and another huddled against his cheek. He was fast asleep, his mouth slightly open, and his best friend - the smart blond whose name James could never remember - was sprawled on the cushions next to him, his glasses across the face, his legs stretched on the old scarlet carpet. The third spot on the sofa was occupied by the young Malfoy whose bluish dark circles gave an even more sickly look.
Why do you hang out with them, Al? Wasn't there anyone else? You really like to single yourself out, don't you? Just because Uncle Ron said it was better to avoid this kid, you had to decide to take him under your wing, of course...
James crossed his arms and chewed the inside of his mouth. He had no idea what he was going to say.
One of his teeth ached dully.
"It's your fault Dad may have lost his tenure in the Ministry of Magic?"
Might as well throw him off the top of the Astronomy Tower.
"I can help you, you know. Just tell me what's wrong..."
Yeah, sure.
"You do know that even if I act rotten at home, I actually love you, don't you?"
So marshmallowed it'd make one vomit.
He huffed in exasperation, stepped forward, cleared off the toads and shook his brother's shoulder.
"Action, James.
It still does you better than ten thousand years of thinking."
Albus groaned, cracked open an eye and yawned.
- "Dad? Is it time already?" he slurred. "Coming... Terri, Scorp... we..."
He jumped when he saw his big brother.
- "James? What are you doing here?"
The sixteen years old boy pulled a face and perched on the armrest, shamelessly toppling off the cat.
- "Until proven otherwise, it's also my common room in here."
Albus looked terribly embarrassed and a certain eagerness to make him even more uncomfortable jiggled in James' stomach. He drowned it with the genuine concern he felt diffusely.
- "What are you doing, Al? I heard you're in detention all week. What did you do to earn this?"
Had he been in his normal state, he probably would have said "wow! Way to go, bro!" but the idea did not even crossed his mind.
His brother shrugged.
- "T's none of your concern. Nothing."
- "Nothing! This is the first detention you got in four years!"
James had nearly choked when Jeremy Shacklebolt had told him Quidditch practice would happen without their Seeker who had "managed to get himself locked in detention until the next game."
Albus Severus Potter in detention? It was the world upside down.
And one more thing to add to the utter nonsense disrupting Hogwarts' routine...
Terrence muttered in his sleep. He rolled to the side with a silly grin. Scorpius was now slumped with his nose in the other boy's armpit.
- "And why are you all dead beat?" James added, edgy. "Is it because Spring's coming?"
Albus blushed to the tip of his ears.
- "No, not at all. We're in detention together, that's all. They make us... uh... clear brush the Forbidden Forest. Late at night."
James snorted dangerously.
- "Yes, sure. And Dad's imaginary Graphorn is about to receive the Grand Order of Merlin for his thesis in Mugglogy."
- "Muggle Studies", Albus corrected absently, then his shoulders shrank under his brother's blazing stare. "Sorry, James," he added hurriedly.
James shook his head grimly.
- "Sorry?" he repeated. "That's all you can say?"
Albus nibbled his lips.
- "You're in detention almost every month, I'm not listening to a lecture from you", he retorted, annoyed.
- "I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT YOUR BLOODY DETENTION!" James yelled, jumping on his feet.
The silence that fallen on the common room made him turn and he glared at everyone who had their head in their direction.
- "Let's go out", he snarled, grabbing his brother's wrist and dragging him out of the room.
They rushed down the spiral staircase and barged on the other side of the portrait of the goat rider, out of breath, so fast they nearly bumped in the railing white stone overlooking the void.
- "I don't have my shoes", Albus stammered when his brother let go of his bruised wrist.
James clenched his fists. He sighed deeply, then bent down and took off his own shoes.
- "Put these on", he ordered gruffly. "If you get sick on top of this, Mum will skin me alive."
He thrust his hands in his pockets and tried to control his ragged breathing whilst Albus slid his feet in the shoes too large for him.
There was no one else under the high ceiling and the stairs stood almost still.
- "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you..." the younger murmured after a while.
- "I'M NOT WORRIED !" James barked.
His bad faith was so obvious the other boy chuckled despite himself.
- "It makes you laugh?" James exploded. "Seriously, are you daft, or what? Do you understand the mess you created? Dad hired to be a teacher? Journalists, an imaginary graphorn and now you're in detention? Are you proud of yourself? Trying to screw up your reputation of being a good little baby? Mum's worried stiff and if the parents get a divorce, Lily will hold you responsible!"
He stopped because Albus' face had blanched.
- "They had a fight because of me?"
Something crumbled within James immediately. He stepped forward, put his hand on his little brother's shoulder.
- "Yes, but it's not going to end up like... uh. Well. Anyway, they'll patch things up, don't worry. It's not your fault, 'kay? Well, it is… a bit. But it's grown-ups' business. Whatever they end up deciding, they are responsible."
He wanted to groan in frustration.
Darn big green eyes against which you couldn't possibly hold a grudge...
He pulled away, determined to get the answers he was looking for.
- "The Boggart..."
Albus did not stiffen as much as he had expected, which reassured him a little.
- "What did you see, exactly? These rumors are ridiculous. Did you talk to Dad? I'm sure he has a good explanation."
- "T'was just a nightmare", hastily mumbled his brother. "Dad never did such a thing. It was all in my head."
James raised an eyebrow and came closer again.
- "I know you're lying", he said wearily. "Lily's much better than you at this game".
Albus unconsciously stepped back and found himself cornered by the railing.
- "Leave me alone", he protested, as if crushed by the three inches that allowed his big brother to look down on him.
The defiance in his eyes was mixed with something that was not fear and this intrigued James even more.
- "What are you hiding, Al?"
- "Nothing!"
For a moment they were on the verge of brawling like it had happened to them once or twice.
"You're protecting something, isn't it? Something you love and don't want to share...
What and why, Al?"
Someone cleared his throat and James let go of his brother's arm.
- "Mr. Potter, I believe you were given an appointment at eight o'clock at the gate", said Neville Longbottom, gazing at the two boys alternatively.
- "I'm on my way", Albus muttered, rushing down the stairs.
James stared back at the teacher who was a friend of their parents.
- "Why do you always treat us like children?" he growled.
Neville sighed.
- "Because you do stupid things?" he suggested, very quietly. "Where are your shoes, James?"
The teenager glanced at him furiously. He was about to retort something when Terrence and Scorpius suddenly bursted out of the passage leading to the Gryffindor common room.
- "Why didn't you rouse me up?" Malfoy was complaining.
- "You were supposed to watch the time!" Swanson threw over his shoulder. "Evening, professor, sorry, we're off!"
He hopped down the stairs, putting on his shoes, followed by Scorpius who was tying up his cloak.
- "Where are you going?" James shouted. "Wait for me!"
Neville grabbed his shoulder to stop him.
- "To detention. The three of them are grounded", he said curtly. "I can arrange a week of dishwashing in the castle kitchens or some cauldrons to clean with my esteemed colleague Flaubert, if you envy them that much."
James jolted off and his eyes blazed, clearly telling "shut up and please don't take that 'I understand you' voice, it's disgusting" but the teacher did not seem to take offense. Nor did he react when the portrait of the goat rider tumbled down because James had slammed the door violently after rushing into the passage.
He just sighed again then continued his rounds in the corridors.
"We won't be able to keep the secret for much longer, Harry...
Very soon, there will be too many unanswered questions...
James and Lily are no fools. They probably already realized we were hiding something.
And after them the rest of the school will too."
He stopped by one of the arch windows of the first floor and rubbed his chin.
- "Oh."
What he was watching made him forget for a moment the mountain of problems that stemmed from their secret, the fact it was him who had invented the "detention" cover and that he was not proud of lying to all his students, including to some of his colleagues.
- "That's beautiful…"
Wendy did not know she was using the exact same words her Herbology teacher was muttering on the floor below. Her nose pressed against the glass, she was lost in the contemplation of the sheaves of blue sparks flaring over the Forbidden Forest, like ephemeral flowers.
"Is it the magic of the Centaurs? Maybe that of the Unicorns… Who can produce something this delicate and powerful at once?"
Her fingers were trying to catch the glows flashing in a wild ballet.
"Maybe that's what they call a Patronus? No... It looks like fireworks...
I'd like to see them from closer..."
But she would have never dared sneaking out at night. She wondered for a while if the boys could see the blue lights from where they were, then she decided they were probably busy weeding Bert Hammersmith's vegetable garden and would be sorry to have missed such a show. She fished a parchment in her schoolbag and, not caring about her bare feet curled up on the cold stone of the windowsill, she tried to draw the beautiful sight.
But her drawing wasn't a hit at all, the next day.
Terrence, Albus and Scorpius were in an advanced state of fatigue and a suspicious euphoria made them hiccup from time to time. They had lunch in a daze, chuckling when their eyes met, and did not even try to pretend they were interested in what she was saying.
The oddest of the three was Albus who was beaming at nothing, while his brother and sister shot him mournful glances from their tables. Terrence and Scorpius had badly healed blisters on their foreheads and their bangs were blackened and rough like if they had been burnt, but they claimed – and they were absolutely not convincing – they had fallen asleep next to the fire the night before, when coming back late from detention.
Wendy wished there had been someone who made sense to talk to at her table, but Rose Weasley was buried in the Daily Prophet and Craig Finnigan was far too busy gossiping with Samuel Flinch-Fletchley.
- "... and apparently they burnt to ashes three villages! If they don't like the negotiator, they'll probably fry her like a sausage on a spit!"
A milk jug flew across the table and hit the Irish boy's head, splashing on everybody around.
- "Hugo, are you out of your mind?!" yelped Alison Corner.
The redhead had his fists clenched and his eyes were full of tears. He was not very tall and had to stretch his neck to glare at Finnigan who was staring at him unbelievingly.
- "Take back what you said", hissed Hugo in a quivering voice.
- "He's going to get himself a good beating", commented Fabius Macmillan in between two spoonful of oatmeal.
- "Hugo, drop it", his sister intervened wearily.
- "IT'S ABOUT MUM!" shrieked the boy, out of it. "HOW CAN YOU LET THEM SAY..."
- "Mr. Weasley, come with me, please", cut in Professor Lovegood who was coming in floating steps from across the dining hall. "Come, my child. You too, Miss Weasley."
Rose bit her lip and slammed the newspaper on the table before getting up and picking up her bag angrily. She grabbed her brother's hand and pulled him behind her in a deadly silence.
- "Her mother is Hermione Granger? The director of the Departement for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures?" gasped Paul Sommerset, amazed, looking up from the article that announced the dispatch of a delegation to the Hebrides. "Why don't they have the same surname?"
His neighbor thrust his elbow in his ribs.
- "And her father's the Auror. Did you just fall from the moon or what?"
- "I'm muggle born", the boy muttered. "I'm just starting with the wizarding world politics..."
- "I don't understand why the shrimp was so mad. They didn't mean to insult his precious mother", said Adelais Fowler to her friend as they passed behind the Gryffindor bench with glasses of pumpkin juice.
Wendy's gaze followed the two Weasley, then came back to her three friends who had not noticed the uproar at all. She wanted to slap them, but only shrugged in the end. They looked exhausted beyond limits.
Maybe Bert Hammersmith had them sniff too much fertilizer...
At the end of breakfast, the conversations were on a different topic. The fourth year of Gryffindor would have their first lesson with the new professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, and opinions were divided between fear and jubilation.
- "I heard yesterday McGonagall in person came to his class when he was with the Ravenclaw third years", Violet Morgensten told them as the group headed for the classroom. "Apparently she said: Mr. Potter, what must I do to remind you these children have no other enemy than their year-end examinations and that we are not at war anymore?"
Her outraged and a bit shaky voice perfectly imitated that of the director and some people laughed feebly under the arcades.
- "They say he levitated the little Donald Abercrombie!" squeaked someone.
Cries of horror - and delight - mingled. Irritated, Wendy slowed down to wait for the three boys who were walking in a daze. Terrence had an arm around each of his friends' necks and was whispering something. Scorpius giggled hysterically and Albus smiled mysteriously.
"He seems... more...
Handsome…"
Wendy shook her head, troubled by the strange thoughts suddenly crossing her mind.
- "Hurry up, you three!" she called. "You're going to be late! You don't want to earn yourselves a second week of detention!"
They looked up and saw something behind her that sobered them instantly.
Scorpius, especially, became white as a sheet and Wendy turned round, surprised.
They had arrived at the classroom and in front of the wooden gates were standing two men.
Harry Potter, wearing blue-jeans and a sweater that swore totally with the image of a respectable teacher.
And another man, tall, slender and so blond his hair was almost white, elegantly dressed, leaning on a cane with a silver knob, who looked exactly like an older version of Scorpius.
TBC
Next chapter: OUR FATHERS ENNEMIES