Chapter five - Suzhen and the conversation with McGonagall
As Harry started to head back down Diagon Alley towards Madam Malkin's, a happy spring in his step, he struck up a conversation with his new familiar. He wanted to grow as close as he possibly could to the friend he would now have for the rest of his life.
"So, I guess we should start by finding a name for you, unless you already have one?" There, that was a good place to start right?
"This one has not been named, she would be most honoured if [soul-bonded/precious-child] gave her one." The snake-bodied snallygaster sounded incredibly cheerful, and Harry was happy she seemed just as glad to be with him as he was.
"Well, I don't really know any good names, maybe we should look through some history or story books for inspiration?" Harry's suggestion was poorly received, much to the distress of the surrounding magicals, as a serpentine hiss of affront rang out.
"This one will not accept a name from a children's story book! This one would have a name befitting her beauty and power." As Harry's discussion with his familiar about where to look for a name continued, he came to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and entered. The assistant from earlier stood behind the counter, and she smiled and started to raise her arm, but froze as she immediately noticed the winged snake hovering loosely around Harry's shoulders.
"Er, mr. Potter? What's that?" Her voice had a deep uncertainty and a tinge of fear, her eyes switching back and forth between Harry and his familiar. Harry looked up at her curiously, then had to restrain himself from facepalming. Hadn't Oliver told him that parseltongue had been used by a previous dark lord? Besides the intimidation inherent in a flying, venomous snake, serpents themselves had probably also taken a hit to their reputation by sheer association.
"Um, this is my familiar. She doesn't have a name yet, but I promise she won't do anything, she's very nice!" A small lie, perhaps, as he was the only one that had been shown any kindness by his flying companion. Oliver, and the occasional stranger on the street on the way to the clothing store, had been shown nothing but contempt or indifference.
"This one shall not bite, unless [soul-bonded/precious-child] is in danger or commands it," a low murmur sounded. That was reassuring at least. Harry used his index finger to gently caress the underside of the snake's jaw, where her head and neck met. She gave a pleased hiss, and wiggled in a fashion that made it clear how much she liked it.
The shop-assistant still looked somewhat concerned, but she nodded and quickly stepped through the doorway to the back room. Harry could hear her talking with someone in a hushed tone, probably Madam Malkin. Harry hunched his shoulders slightly, uncomfortable that his familiar would seemingly give him a bad reputation, but unwilling to either let her go or hide her away. Despite any potential bad reputation or scorn, Harry had found someone he was certain would be a constant and good friend. He wouldn't leave someone like that under any circumstance.
Harry refocused as Madam Malkin exited the back room, a bound bundle of clothes floating behind her at shoulder height. They were mostly black, though Harry could see some dark-green or blue trims, as well as some patterns in the same colour on what looked like chest pieces. The squat woman gave him a kind smile, totally ignoring the serpentine beast on his shoulders.
"Here you go, mr. Potter, we've made 8 sets total, of various combinations of dark-green and blue, and you should be able to mix and match the different sets without clashing colours. They have a limited resizing charm, so they'll adjust for any growth spurts you over the next couple of years. They're not unlimited however, and you'll likely need some new sets by your third year at Hogwarts." As she talked, she rang up his total on her register.
"It all comes to 16 Galleons and 13 Sickles," she finished, giving him a kind smile as she gestured to the small display showing the same number. Harry nodded and fished out the wooden tube from Gringotts, tapping the display and handing over the slip of paper it spat out. Madam Malkin took it with a smile. As Harry took the bundle with his clothes, Madam Malkin caught his attention.
"Dear, I know you're new to our world, so I don't blame you, but it's very uncommon, and slightly rude, to bring more exotic familiars into shops like this. I don't mind, but you might be refused service in places like Flourish and Blotts, The Apothecary or Quality Quidditch Supplies." Harry flushed in embarrassment, even as the familiar in question hissed about rudeness and 'biting the owners a hundred times!'.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"It's alright dear, I told you I don't blame you, but you gave my assistant quite a shock!" Madam Malkin waved his apology away with a chuckle, sending a sly look over her shoulder toward the doorway. Harry spotted the assistant out of the corner of his eye, who quickly hid away. He smiled.
"Well, I'm just going to return to my room at the Cauldron and change into some of these, so it shouldn't be a problem. Next time I go out, I'll be sure to have a talk with this one." Harry shrugged the shoulder under his familiar's head, causing her to hiss quitely at him. Seemed like she wouldn't appreciate being left on her own. Madam Malkin's eyes flickered briefly to the winged snake, but returned immediately to Harry's own. She gave him a smile and a nod, which Harry returned before he left the shop and went back to the Cauldron.
"This one will not be left in your room like some stuffed toy, to wait for the return of her owner! If [soul-bonded/precious-child] needs to go somewhere, this one will most certainly follow." The end was delivered with something that sounded almost like a sniff, even though Harry was pretty sure snakes couldn't physically do that. Harry gave his familiar a small smile, endeared by the fact that she insisted on following him.
"I'm really glad you want to go everywhere with me, but it wouldn't do any good if other people won't let me buy what I need if you come along. I'll be sure to only leave you at my room if I have to buy something, and I'll come straight back, ok?"
Harry thought it was a very reasonable offer, but all he got was another sniff. Entering The Leaky Cauldron with a shake of his head, he decided to take the gentle lesson from Madam Malkin to heart. Catching the attention of Tom the barkeep, he asked if it was alright to keep his familiar with him while he stayed. The barkeep gave the flying snake a distrusting look, but acquiesced when Harry insisted she would be well behaved. Thanking him, he headed up to his room, ignoring the looks the winged snake coiling around his shoulders attracted from the other patrons.
Locking the door to his room behind him as he entered, he put the bundle of robes he'd bought down on the bed. At the same time, the snake-bodied snallygaster slipped from around his shoulders down to the bed, flying again in that weird combination of slithering on thin air and beating her wings lazily. She curled tightly around herself, then covered her body with her wings, leaving only her head free to observe him.
As Harry unbound the robes, he quickly removed the oversized clothes he was wearing and raised the first set from the packet up in front of him for a look. The clothes were black, with an open robe that had a dark emerald trim. It looked a little like a cape with sleeves, under which went a vest-over-shirt combo that had a waving pattern in dark blue and a pair of black pants that had a thin line running down the sides in the same shade of emerald as the robes trim. Nodding to himself, pleased at the look, he quickly changed, with only a slight fumbling at the unfamiliar clothes.
Harry then headed to the stack of books he'd fished Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them out of the evening before. He had meant to read a bit about the magical world's culture and most recent history, and perhaps find out why people kept reacting to his name. But on the other hand… Harry's eyes gravitated to the first year books on charms, transfiguration and defence against the dark arts. He dithered. He really wanted to read those instead…
Making a decision, he gathered the three aforementioned books, as well as Duelling, an Introduction by Earnest Silverthorn. He would ask mrs. McGonagall about the way people reacted tomorrow. He could also ask Tom the barkeep, but he was more comfortable with mrs. McGonagall, and this way, he could read about actual magic the whole evening instead.
Harry walked the short distance to the desk in front of the window and sat down, putting the stack of books he was going to read to the side. His familiar flew to the desk as well, coiling herself in the corner the same way she had on the bed.
"Are we to find this one's name now, then?" The question made Harry's hand freeze on its way to the first year charms book at the top of the pile. Right, it would probably be best to focus on his familiar. He really needed to get his act together, he was being all over the place.
"First, let's make a list of what I need to do before tomorrow. An important woman is coming by, to talk with me about where I'm going to live before school."
The magical beast tilted its head to the side, staring at him.
"[soul-bonded/precious-child] does not live here? This one had thought this to be your dwelling."
Harry hunched his shoulders, slightly ashamed at not having a proper home to present his familiar with.
"No. Until yesterday, I lived with some relatives, but the woman I mentioned, she took me away from them. They… did not treat me well."
The winged snake stared at him without saying anything, before suddenly blurring forward to curl around his shoulders and neck and resting her head atop of his. Her wings splayed out and covered most of his head, from back to front, in a facsimile of a hug.
"This one would strike the relatives a thousand times each for their transgressions if she could. But since this one cannot, she will make do with comforting [soul-bonded/precious-child/hearts-treasure] as much as she is able."
Harry squeezed his eyes shut, feeling a sudden rush of tears well up in his eyes. His heart felt fit to burst, filled with gratitude and affection for his familiar. He reached his hand up and gave a long, gentle caress along the serpentine body around his neck. Then he cleared his throat, and refocused on making a list of what he wanted to do before McGonagall returned.
"First, we need to get you a proper name, [hope-fulfilled/hearts-treasure]." He blushed a bit at how parseltongue made him address his familiar, and he felt her squeeze his neck lightly before moving her wings out of his face. She didn't move from her perch on his head, neck and shoudlers.
"Indeed, then this one shall receive a name worthy of her beauty and might!" Harry smiled slightly at the overdone arrogance, suspecting that was the exact reason it had been done. Finding some writing utensils in one of the desks drawers, Harry wondered briefly at the thick paper and quill before setting it aside. Together, Harry and his familiar worked out a short list.
Harry's list to do:
- Find a name for my familiar.
- Make a list of questions to ask mrs. McGonagall.
- Explain to my familiar who mrs. McGonagall is and why she's important.
- Make a list of spells that would be important/useful to know.
With that out of the way, Harry put aside the books on magic spells, and found one in his trunk about famed magical creatures.
It had taken three hours, but they had finally found a name they both agreed was suitable. They had argued back and forth, Harry initially going for Hedwig, a person mentioned in A History of Magic, but the familiar had much preferred eastern-sounding names.
Eventually, they landed on Suzhen, from the name Bai Suzhen, a mythological figure in Chinese folk religion. She was a one-thousand-year-old Great White Serpent, a magical-snake species native to China, and the inspiration for the "Legend of the White Snake", one of China's "four great folktales". In the stories, she was a great hero and the companion to a god, on a mission to save the world.
The now named Suzhen was flattered to be compared to a massively powerful magical being and mythical figure, while Harry appreciated the kindness implied by a snake with magical healing that travelled the world with a god solely to help others.
But now, after three hours of reading and discussion, both Harry and Suzhen were mentally exhausted. Leaning back in his chair, Suzhen still around his neck, he stretched his arms and legs out in front of him. Stomach growling, Harry decided it was a good time to get some food, before continuing with the points on his to-do list.
"I'm going down to get some food, would you like some as well, Suzhen?" Harry asked, his eyes tracking her head as she coiled down from the top of his head to look him in the eyes.
"This Suzhen has also grown hungry, a mouse or two would not go amiss." Harry nodded, getting up and putting on the outer robe he had discarded during the hours he had been reading. He gestured to Suzhen, but instead of following him in the air like he expected, she wrapped herself around his waist, then coiled her body up his back then up around the back of his neck. He gave her a confused look.
"This Suzhen does not wish to leave [soul-bonded/hearts-treasure], so she will stay close to his warmth." That didn't help with Harry's confusion, but he shrugged it off. This way was fine too, Suzhen was partially hidden by the outer layer of his robes, and her head sat on his left shoulder. He smiled, as he was reminded of a figure of speech; 'having an angel on your shoulder'.
Unlocking and exiting his door, Harry headed down the stairs to the pub proper. As it was a Saturday evening, a lot of people were sitting and eating, but Tom waved him over to a small table by the desk with the register.
"I see you've got yourself some proper wizarding robes, lad, good quality too. Madam Malkin's work, if I'm not mistaken. Worth every Knut, those robes are."
Harry smiled, pleased that his decision to buy some new clothes were praised by the friendly pub owner. He wondered briefly if some kind of special magic was involved in ordering food, since he couldn't see a menu, when a plate filled with pork chops, steamed potatoes and brown sauce plopped down onto the table, along with a glass filled with some kind of soda. On the seat beside him, two dead brown mice appeared.
"Oh, thank you..?" Harry found it strange that he didn't get to choose his food, but he didn't want to appear ungrateful. He hadn't really thought about it yesterday, but he didn't get to choose then either. But when he considered it, Harry found that both times, the food was exactly what he wanted. Obviously some kind of magic, though Harry had no idea how it knew what kind of food he wanted. Digging in, he found the taste to be amazing, a sentiment echoed by Suzhen if the sounds she made while swallowing the mice were anything to go by.
"Thank you, Tom, this tastes great! Suzhen thinks so too." Harry thanked the owner again with a compliment and a smile, the man giving him a nod and a smile in return while cleaning a tall glass with a rag. The man sent a quizzical look at the familiar, but didn't make any comments. Soon after he finished eating, Harry asked Tom to wake him around eight since he didn't have an alarm clock, then went back up to his room. The looks he and Suzhen were getting, very quickly got uncomfortable again.
Entering his room and locking the door, Harry returned to his desk after discarding the outer layer of his robes again. His list of things to do wasn't going to do itself!
"First things first, I want to explain who mrs. McGonagall is, and why she's the one I'm going to ask all my questions to." Harry started to explain to Suzhen, his familiar once again wrapping herself around his shoulder and neck, while resting her own head atop his.
"Mrs. McGonagall is the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, the school I'm gonna go to, to learn magic. She's also the one who took me away from the Dursleys, so I'm more confident in asking my questions when it's her."
Suzhen had wondered why he hadn't simply asked Tom or Madam Malkin, but even though they were nice and very friendly, he would simply be more confident about asking questions if it was the stern but kind mrs. McGonagall. The fact that she had essentially rescued him from the Dursleys, meant that Harry simply felt better about her than anyone but his familiar at that moment.
"This Suzhen understands. [soul-bonded/hearts-treasure] has to be safe with the person he asks about his future." He nodded in agreement.
Harry worked on his list of questions until late in the night, wanting to know about people's reaction to him, the dark lord he had heard mention occasionally, what spells McGonagall would recommend learning first, what Hogwarts and the teachers there were like. Everything and anything he had wondered about went on to the list, even some questions about the paper and quill he was using made it on. In the end, the list took up multiple pieces of the thick, off-white paper.
When they were done making the list, both Harry and Suzhen were feeling very tired. Peeling his clothes off, Harry got into bed and Suzhen curled into a wing-covered ball on his stomach. He fell asleep almost instantly.
The next morning, Harry awoke to the sound of Tom knocking on his door again. Quickly dressing in the same set of robes as the day before, he opened the door to the barkeep waiting with a tray of breakfast. A muttered 'good morning' was answered with a grin, and then Harry was back at his desk. Suzhen was still lounging lazily in the bed under the covers, luxuriating in the residual heat trapped there.
Harry yawned, then cracked open the book on first year charms to read while he ate. It didn't take much longer than breakfast for Harry to assert that first year spells sucked. A fire-making charm that made a fingernail-sized flame? How to turn a matchstick into a needle? 4 chapters on the dangers of iguanas? Where were the bolts of lightning? The turning boulders into monsters? Harry's head thunked heavily onto the desk.
"What has upset [soul-bonded/hearts-treasure] enough that he must disturb this Suzhen from her sleep?" The lazy hiss rang from the bed, and Harry turned his head that was still mashed into the desk.
"First year magic sucks. None of these spells are useful! The defence book talks about iguanas for 4 bloody chapters, then just vaguely mentions their blood for potions. The only spell I've found in the first half of it, turns a person's fingers into jelly." Harry despaired. He'd thought that magic would be a quick way to the power and freedom he wanted, but it seemed it would take several years at least before he got anywhere near that point. In hindsight, it should have been obvious that it would take a long time before he could fling around flame-throwers and alter the landscape.
Suzhen finally untangled herself and flew the short distance to the desk, coiling in the air over the desk to look at both Harry and the books.
"This Suzhen doubts there is truly nothing useful in these books, even if [soul-bonded/hearts-treasure] must satisfy himself with basic first steps towards power." Harry glanced up at her, before nodding. That much was true at least. Even if it would take a couple of years before he sent magic swords flying to skewer his enemies, he could get the basics down now. And there was a levitation charm, along with a transfiguration to turn matchsticks into needles. That was basically flying swords lite, right?
The next couple of hours Harry and Suzhen spent looking through his first year books. Contrary to Harry's expectations, they did find a few useful spells. Though it was worded as a warning, the lighting charm could be overpowered to blind people. They found a basic protection-charm, designed to keep children and small, magical pests either out of, or within, specific areas. The fire-making charm Harry had found earlier might be small, but it could also be focused and made very hot. Those, and a few other spells, made it onto a list for Harry to learn as soon as he could. The irony that most of the effects Harry wanted were listed as warnings was not lost on him.
It was just as Harry started to look through Duelling, an Introduction, that a knock sounded from his door. Opening the door, he saw McGonagall and another wizard standing just outside. The stranger wore dark-blue robes, with yellow zig-zagging patterns and had his face set in a bland, calm expression.
"Hello mrs. McGonagall, please come in!" Harry smiled, opening the door further then quickly got his list of questions and walked to his bed to sit down. Suzhen came gliding through the room to hover around his shoulders.
Both McGonagall and the unknown wizard stopped briefly as they got inside the door, glancing at the winged snake with wide eyes. The man was the first to move, sitting down cautiously at the desk. He seemed vaguely interested in the books and scattered pages of paper, despite his distraction. McGonagall waved her wand, and a plush, red chair popped from thin air to stand by the wall between the desk and the bed.
"Hello to you as well, mr. Potter. This is Otho Dotts, he's from the Department of Magical Child Protection, or DMCP. He's here to discuss your former living situation with your relatives, and to help decide where and how you're going to live in the future. Before we begin, could you introduce us to your new friend?"
Harry listened intently to McGonagall, fully aware that this was important and wanting to do as good a job as possible. Hearing that he had to talk about his life with the Dursleys was distressing, and Suzhen hissed quietly. Both McGonagall and Dotts glanced at each other when she did.
"Um, this is Suzhen, my familiar. She's a snake-bodied snallygaster, I got her from, uh… Rogers Curious Beasts and Rare Creatures, I think it was called" McGonagall's eyes had stayed on Harry, but Dotts' eyes had strayed from him to Suzhen. He gave a small nod to McGonagall before speaking.
"How certain are you that she's your familiar? Taking a decade to meet a suitable beast is usually considered very fast, it's quite rare to meet one so quickly." The man's voice was somewhat dry, but it had a calm kindness that put Harry at ease. Suzhen, on the other hand, hissed loudly at the insinuation that she wasn't Harrys familiar.
"Mrs. McGonagall explained the feeling I would get if I met a creature or beast that could be my familiar, mr. Dotts. I felt something kinda like it with an owl I saw while shopping with mrs. McGonagall, but I wasn't really sure, so I looked around some more yesterday. And when I saw Suzhen at that shop… I knew right away." Harry blushed slightly. "She's certain too. She calls me her soul-bonded and hearts-treasure."
Mr. Dotts nodded, his expression not changing from the bland calm expression he'd had since entering. But Harry saw him send a look at McGonagall.
"You're saying you understand her, mr. Potter?" Mr. Dotts voice hadn't changed, but Harry felt an alarm go off in his mind. Oliver had told him the day before, that the ability to talk to snakes and serpents had a very bad reputation in Magical Britain. And he had just inadvertently revealed himself. He tried to think of a way to deny it, but as the silence dragged on, he realised it would be futile.
"Yessir." There was a brief moment of silence at that, before McGonagall gave a small cough.
"Regardless of that, we came here to discuss your past and future living-conditions, mr. Potter. Mr. Dotts has some questions for you, then we will discuss where you will stay the rest of the week before term starts. We will save the discussion of your future permanent home for last. Mr. Dotts, if you would?"
Her voice was clear and crisp, and Harry was grateful that she hadn't reacted to the fact he was a parselmouth. He gave her a grateful nod, before turning his attention to mr. Dotts. Though the man's expression hadn't changed, he was staring intently at Harry and Suzhen.
"Indeed. Mr. Potter, I have to ask you a few questions about your life with your relatives. I realise it might be uncomfortable and scary, but we need you to know that you can tell us anything. Answering truthfully is important for us to best help you find a good home in the future."
Regardless of his intent reaction to Suzhen, and Harry's ability to talk with her, mr. Dotts' voice still had that calm kindness that put Harry at ease, and he gave a small nod. Suzhen tightened herself around his shoulders, softly hissing encouragement.
From there followed an intense conversation about Harry's life up until that point. He was gently encouraged until he shared all the treatment he'd endured. How the Dursleys had deliberately ignored how much he was bullied. How they worked him like a house elf, and used intermittent starvation as punishment. How they beat him with fire pokers, whipped him with belts and used the underside of his arms to put out cigarettes. Harry had shown his back, covered in scars going from the base of his neck, down into his pants. At the end of it, McGonagall sat very stiffly in her conjured chair clutching her wand, and mr. Dotts had a very long list of notes in his hands that he held with deliberate care in stiff fingers.
Harry himself was deeply emotionally affected, and only the physical affection he received from Suzhen had allowed him to keep a semblance of composure. As it was, he was crying softly, both his hands clutching at his pants, with his duvet around his shoulders. As the conversation had progressed, Suzhen had grown more and more agitated, but she had refused to let go of Harry even at her most enraged.
Letting out a slow, deliberate breath, mr. Dotts tapped the paper in his hands gently on the desk. "Thank you Harry, for being brave enough to share that with us. I know it was very difficult, but any family who takes you in to care for you, needs to be able to help you properly. They can't do that without knowing everything, so it was both very important, and very impressive, that you shared this with us."
There was a very real admiration in the subdued man's voice, different from the bland calmness he had started out with. Harry didn't react beyond a small nod, as he focused on taking deep, calming breaths. He had very much wanted to avoid talking about the Dursleys, exactly because of how he'd reacted. He knew he wouldn't get punished for it, now he was gone from them, but the ingrained aversion to talk about his relatives' treatment of him didn't disappear overnight because of that.
The silence stretched on for a while longer, all three of them needing to regain their composure. McGonagall had initially wanted to comfort Harry, but had withdrawn after he'd flinched heavily at her hands approaching, and then had simply allowed Suzhen to continue doing it. Only when Harry's last hiccups quieted did McGonagall restart the conversation.
"It was decided, Harry, that you should continue to stay here, under supervision from Tom, until the day term starts. Then, I would collect you and your belongings here and escort you to the transport to Hogwarts. But in light of your situation, perhaps it would be best if-"
"No!" Harry had never interrupted anyone before, let alone a figure of authority, and even he looked taken aback at his outburst. But then his expression hardened, and he looked seriously at McGonagall and Dotts.
"I really like it here. Tom is fun and nice, and I can read my books all day without interruption. The shops and people in the Alley are interesting, and I kind of want to explore a bit more. I'm fine with staying here until school starts, with Tom looking after me. Please let me stay!"
McGonagall and Dotts looked at each other, communicating wordlessly while Harry looked on anxiously. Suzhen hissed in his ear softly, and Harry focused on keeping his breathing deep and even. Eventually, mr. Dotts nodded.
"Very well, mr. Potter. Provided the proprietor of The Leaky Cauldron, Tom, agrees to keep specific supervision of you, we can allow you to stay here the week until the start of term."
Harry's face lit up, though it was marred by the faint teartracks on his cheeks. McGonagall gave him a small smile, before telling him to freshen up.
"We'll have something refreshing to drink ready when you come back."
Faintly embarrassed, Harry quickly went into the small bathroom attached to his room. Turning the warm water on in the sink, he carefully scrubbed his face. As he did, Suzhen coiled herself so her head was in front of his face when he straightened back up.
"This Suzhen knew [hearts-treasure] desired power because of the suffering he had endured, but she had no inkling that the pain had been so great. This Suzhen apologises unreservedly, and promises she will do better in the future."
Harry stared dumbly, taken by surprise by the heartfelt apology. He and Suzhen had grown close quickly, but he hadn't thought she would apologise like that for not prioritising his pain more, after barely a day together. He frowned, suddenly realising that he, too, would be heartbroken if he discovered that Suzhen had suffered greatly in the past without telling him.
"You don't have to apologise, Suzhen. It wasn't because I wanted to hide anything that I didn't tell you. I just… I want to forget everything about them." Harry looked at his familiar seriously, and could feel her accept what he said. "And Suzhen, even though it can't be right now, if anything has happened to you in the past… We'll talk about it. I want to know just as much about you, as you now know about me. I'll be there for you too."
As Suzhen nodded her acceptance, Harry returned to McGonagall and Dotts. Both of them had moved their chairs closer to the bed, and between them, a tray with a glass pitcher and three tall glasses, filled with a yellow liquid, floated on thin air. Quickly sitting on the bed again, Harry grabbed the glass closest to him and took a sip. A light, sweet taste filled his mouth, and he felt both refreshed and much calmer. All three people took a few sips, before mr. Dotts cleared his throat and continued the earlier conversation.
"The last thing we need to talk about, mr. Potter, is how your future, permanent home will be decided." Harry swallowed nervously, then nodded. "First, let me assure you that you will have significant input on which family is chosen. Noone has any interest in forcing you to live with someone you don't feel comfortable with."
Harry sighed quietly, relieved that he would have some influence on his eventual foster family. Hopefully, it would be enough to avoid another Dursley family.
"Now, it is actually quite rare for a magical child to have no one they can rely on. Britain's magical families are all related to each other in some form, and muggle-borns usually have many other relatives." Harry just nodded along, not really sure about the various terms for people that mr. Dotts had used. Luckily, 'muggle' was already on the list of questions he had for mrs. McGonagall, so he could just expand on that. He wasn't really sure if he had the energy for asking all of his questions today though.
"In your case, we've had to unseal the parts of your parents' will that pertained to your guardianship. Unfortunately, this didn't reveal any potential guardians for you, as all people mentioned by it have already been deemed… unsuitable." Harry understood what that meant. Everyone on that list were either like the Dursleys or worse, the Dursleys might even be on it themselves. What had his parents been thinking..?
"As such, we were forced to look further afield, and have discovered two people linked to you by blood, through your paternal grandmother, Dorea Potter neé Black." Harry must have had a confused expression, because McGonagall interrupted.
"That means, we found people related to you, Harry, through your fathers mother."
"Indeed," mr. Dotts nodded. "The people in question are Andromeda Tonks and Narcissa Malfoy, both née Black. They are sisters, and the nieces of your grandmother. As such, the specific family link is 'first cousin, once removed.'"
Harry shook his head. "That's all very confusing, sir."
"Indeed so, mr. Potter. Fortunately, their precise degree of relation to you is not relevant, as it's exactly the same. During the coming month, two separate meetings will be set up, for you to meet each of them individually, then a meeting with all three of you the following month. Afterwards, any meetings will be arranged at your discretion, until you have reached a decision about which family you wish to live with. The deadline for that decision is two weeks before the end of the school year."
Harry nodded. That at least, was easier to wrap his head around. He would have an entire year to meet and decide between the two people he had the option to live with. That both were family as well, however tenuous the link, was amazing and he hoped he could keep in contact, even with the person he didn't end up living with.
That seemed to be all mr. Dotts were there for, because he finished his glass of the sweet drink, then stood.
"Mr. Potter, thank you very much for seeing me, and my deepest condolences for your situation. Mrs. McGonagall, I'll be in touch." He gave a nod, then exited the room and closed the door after himself.
Harry and McGonagall sat in silence for a moment, before the Deputy Headmistress cleared her throat and stood as well.
"If you would follow me downstairs, mr. Potter, we will have a conversation with Tom, then-"
"Actually, mrs. McGonagall?" The tall witch looked at him, before sitting down again.
"Yes, mr. Potter?"
"I was hoping you would answer a few questions I had, before you left again."
The woman looked at him with soft eyes before nodding, refilling her glass with more of the sweet yellow drink.
"Yes, mr. Potter, what would you like to ask me about?"
Harry swallowed his nervousness, then pulled the long list he and Suzhen had compiled together from his pocket. McGonagall raised her eyebrow at the thick wad of parchment, then chuckled. Harry blushed.
"Well, the first thing is, I've noticed a lot of people react weirdly when they hear my name, and some of them just recognize me immediately…"
It was a very long evening, both for Harry and McGonagall, as they stayed in his room till late in the evening. But Harry learned of his fame and role in the fall of the dark lord Voldemort, as well as about various smaller things. Like why and how they used a quill and parchment for writing, how the mailing system worked, the trace Ollivander apparently should have told him about, which spells McGonagall thought convenient and easy enough to learn, what Hogwarts castle was like and who the teachers were.
Besides the scary conversation about Voldemort, it was exactly what Harry needed after the heavy conversations he'd had that day.
AN: It really annoys me that I can't fit the entire chapter title, because of a stupid character limit :/