It was dark in the hallway. He slithered this way and that. He could smell his prey, smell his master's enemies. Smell who he needed to kill.
He flicked his tongue out. There!
With barley a hiss, his teeth sunk into the leg of the man, biting through cloth. It wasn't enough. He released his teeth. More, the man needed more. How dare he go against his Master? Master was all powerful! Crunch. Master was the greatest wand wielder in the world! Crunch. Master would be pleased with him. He slithered over the mans crying, snivelling form. Pathetic. Until-
Mr. Weasley! Harry thought. He had just attacked his best mate's dad! Oh but his Master would be so very pleased, Master would love that he gave into the temptation! His venom would flood the man- no no no NO!
Come back to me, my sweet, he heard in his head. It burned, the pain in his forehead burned. He was going to explode, he was going to die. Yet it felt so delicious, this magic running its hand over his scales.
Where was he? Who was he? This didn't make sense. He needed to get out of here, he needed to wake up, this had to be a dream. He needed to tell Ron. He needed to figure out where the hell he was-
Come to me, Nagini. My wonderful creature of the night.
Nagini's mind was a tumultuous blend of emotions and thoughts as she slithered by Voldemort's side, his praise echoing in her consciousness. The memory of her previous life as a woman, her autonomy and identity, had been overshadowed by the Horcrux's influence. She struggled to reconcile her past self with her present state as Voldemort's loyal serpent and Horcrux.
As Voldemort's cold, sibilant voice resonated through her mind, Nagini felt a mix of pride and submission. His words were like dark melodies, playing upon her desire for recognition and purpose. She had become an essential part of his sinister plans, a living vessel for a fragment of his soul. While the human emotions she had once cherished were distant echoes, a small part of her still yearned for his approval.
Harry was both disgusted and enthralled. Something connected him to Voldemort, he released. There was no way that he wasn't some normal kid who had been targeted by Voldemort. Nagini, my sweet, the voice called again.
Voldemort's praise fed into that yearning, validating her loyalty to him. His acknowledgment of her contributions to his cause stoked the flickering flames of her devotion. His words seemed to seep into her very being, twisting her thoughts and desires until they aligned with his own. She was both a weapon and an extension of his will, a willing participant in his quest for power and domination. Her master, she loved her master-
Harry flung himself out of bed, gagging. He ripped off the covers, almost flying down the stairwell to McGonagall's office. It was closer than Dumbledores. As he ran, he tried to shake off the lingering darkness in his mind, the power surging through his veins. Something was wrong with him. Fleeting memories of laughter, friendship, and the warmth of human connections resided in the corners of his consciousness. They weren't his memories, no, they were Nagini's. Was she a human once? Was that the purpose of holding onto memories that were barely fragile threads?
"Mr. Potter! What are you doing up at this hour!" McGonagall demanded after Harry banged on her door.
"Mr. Weasley's been attacked, he was in this hallway, and Voldemort's Snake, Nagini- I, he's been attacked! Someone needs to go help him!"
"Mr. Potter those are serious-"
"Please!" Harry practically screamed. Harry didn't know if it was the look in his eyes, or his tone, or if McGonagall had taken pity on him, but she nodded.
"I'll fire call Molly. Go to Dumbeldore." And Harry was off.
As he ran through Hogwarts windy walls, Voldemort's words rose quickly into his mind. My sweet he had said, and part of Harry had liked it, had wanted more of it. It disgusted him, he disgusted himself.
No matter how much Harry shook his head, or dug his nails into his palms, Voldemort's praise could never completely erase itself from his mind. Harry's mind was trying to crush down the intoxicating allure of serving the Dark Lord. It wasn't him! It was that damn Snake. Yet they were somehow connected.
The gargoyle jumped aside and Harry clamoured around the corner. Up another flight of stairs he went. HE slammed open the door.
"Professor! Mr. Weasley! He's been attacked!"
"Breath, Harry. Breath. What do you mean?" Dumbledore questioned.
"The hallway," he gasped for breath. "I've been dreaming of the hallway, and this time I saw Mr. Weasley. He was, the snake-" Harry gasped again. "Please!"
"Dumbledore!" Harry heard from behind him. McGonagall. "Arthur was on duty tonight and hasn't answered Molly's patronus!" Dumbledore's face hardened as he stood up.
"This is serious, Minerva. Go and get their children. Send them home early, use your floo. Harry, please stay here."
"But sir!" Harry objected.
"No, Harry, it isn't safe for you right now. Who knows what else you might see. We need you here for your safety. I will be back with news." And both teachers left the room, grim looks on their faces.
Hermione had talked about the five stages of grief once. He didn't believe that was true, denial coming first and all that. He knew that he was the one who attacked Mr. Weasley, even if he wasn't actually there. Harry was in the snakes mind, Harry had felt her thoughts caress his own, had felt Voldemort's sinful words slide over his back-
Harry vomited. Then he did it again. Voldemort's words were in his head, calling, caressing, and crucifying him over and over again. He must be some sick and twisted freak to have like what Voldemort had said to him. He tried to tell himself that it was Nagini, the snake who liked it all. But wasn't he the snake? He was, deep down. Everytime Voldemort's words flickered in his mind, his head pounded and his magic flared. Something was happening, something was wrong- how long had he been on the floor? Where was he? He-he killed someone! He killed his best mate's dad!
"Harry, mate, I know you don't have a flare for the dramatics but it's starting to seem like you do." Harry heard. The voice was murky, as if the person speaking was far away.
"Ron don't be an Arse, he's been out for two days."
"He saved my dads bloody life, he needs to wake up so I can thank him."
"I killed him.." Harry muttered. He felt a hand running through his hair. It was Neville. He had a distinct chunk missing from his palm from a plant that had attacked him summer of fourth year. Harry could recognise it anywhere.
"Killed who- Harry you saved my dad!" Ron jostled his shoulder. Harry just let out a pathetic moan, head slumping over on his shoulder.
"Ron you don't understand-"
"Then explain it to me!"
"Ronald!" Harry heard. Could that be- "Honestly, he's just woken up from passing out, give him room to breathe."
"'Mione, he was out cold for two days."
"She's right, Ron." Neville chimed in. Harry was already fast asleep.
When he woke up again, it was not his friends beside him, but Dumbledore.
"Hello, my boy." Dumbledore said, voice quite. Harry was suddenly blessed with the image of Dumbledore knitting a sweater. Ha, funny brain.
"Where am I, Professor?" Harry asked, voice scratchy. Before Harry could even bring a hand to his throat, Dumbledore was handing him a glass of water. He chugged it gratefully.
"You're here in Grimmauld place, Harry. You were unresponsive for two days." Dumbeldore shook his head. Before Harry could apologise to the man, Dumbledore looked at him again. "Harry, I'm so sorry for just leaving you there. If I had been there- well I guess there's no use in suffering on what could have been, but Harry I am truly sorry."
"It's fine, Professor." Harry mumbled, embarrassed to have such a strong teacher apologising to him. Dumbledore did nothing wrong.
"If I may ask, Harry, what let you in on the fact that Mr. Weasley had been attacked?"
Harry said nothing for a few moments, formulating words in his head and trying to see whether he could pronounce them outloud. How could he tell Dumbledore what he had done?
"I dreamed of it, sir." Harry answered quietly. Dark thoughts tried slipping into his brain, Voldemort's sickly sweet words spinning round and round.
"Dreams you say? Curious, very curious."
"You sound like Olivander." Harry couldn't help but interject. Dumbledore just chuckled.
"My mother always said that the older people get, the closer they start to sound." A soft quiet lapsed around then. "If that's all, Harry, I will send Sirius in." Dumbledore gave Harry's arm a warm pat and he made his way out the door.
"I was the snake." Harry said quietly.
"Pardon?" Asked Dumbledore, face revealing nothing when Harry looked through his bangs. He couldn't unhang his head, not if he was going to admit to this.
"Nagini, the snake that attacked Mr. Weasley was called Nagini. And she- and I-" Harry hiccuped, tears slowly filling his eyes.
"Harry, it's alright. If it's too painful we can speak about it another time." Dumbeldore sat on the edge of his bed. His bed, in Sirius' house, and- what if he hurt Sirius? What if he transformed into Nagini and attacked his friends- he needed to be put down.
"I was Nagini, I attacked Mr. Weasley."
"Harry, you couldn't have been the snake. Unless you somehow managed to get from the Ministry of Magic to Hogwarts and back inside undetected, I can guarantee it wasn't you." Dumbeldore reassured.
"You don't understand, you didn't feel the way he did, his magic washed over me- over nagini, over us! It was so vile, but it was delicious. It was so good and I wanted more, I felt like I could overdose on it and die happy. That's not me! I'm not evil or vile or disgusting." A choked sob left Harry's throat, and his fingers itched to wrap around it. He would do that at the Dursley's when he cried, just to make sure no one heard him. "And in your office- even now his words are still in my head! Calling me to him, telling me to come home. He's not my home, but everytime I hear his voice my magic spikes. I can feel it in my bones, in my heart Dumbledore something is wrong with me. I-" Warm, filled arms wrapped around Harry's shoulders. He blinked. Curly black hair.
"Pup, you aren't evil or wicked or mean or vile or anything. What you went through- Harry you are so strong. So strong for talking about it, for making the move to tell Dumbeldore." Sirius rubbed circles into Harry's back. Harry clutched at the man's shirt, fat tears rolling down his cheeks and soaking the fine material.
"Sirius- I"
"Shh, Harry. It's okay, you're home. You're home with me. That's all that matters." Neither one noticed when Dumbledore left the room.
"What if I hurt you, Sirius? What if I turn into some horrible snake and kill you?"
"Even if you did, Harry, you are my son. That's all that matters. Plus, hospitals are a thing. And I'm pretty sure Dumbeldore would force Snivellus to make the antidote for me."
"He'd probably make it wrong to poison you more." Harry said bitterly. Sirius let out a small laugh.
"Maybe. Then I'd have to come back as a ghost and haunt him for life. Maybe I'd be a poltergeist. Blow up his potions lab every thursday."
"Only on thursdays?" Harry asked, a small smile forming on his face.
"Of course, I have to have enough time to prank everyone else!" Sirius smiled into Harry's hair as the fifteen year old laughed. Yeah, Harry would be okay. Maybe not now, but eventually. Sirius would just have to help him get better.
"Severus." The man just walked away from the door, ignoring the man. "The boy will never be yours if you continue to act like this."
"I don't want that pathetic boy." Snape sneered. He kept on walking.
But oh how lovely it would be to have someone to comfort again.
After Dumbledore was sure Harry was well enough to get up, Harry, Neville, and Ron instantly found themselves in the library. Often times accompanied by Sirius and Hermione. Which leads us to our current predicament.
"Ronald! Honestly, studying such volatile magic at such a young age! What if you got hurt? What if you got Harry hurt?" Hermione asked one morning, rubbing a hand through her curls.
"That's what Nev's for, of course!" Neville clicked his tongue in mock annoyance, throwing his charms book at Ron's head.
"Still, this is very irresponsible! Harry, you can't be okay with this." She rounded on Harry. The green-eyed boy sighed, closing his book. He didn't want to get into a row with Hermione, but he had some pent up frustration that he would love to release. Not that it was healthy, but Hermione was practically asking for it.
"Hermione, I'm the one who pressured his into practicing with us. It just made sense." The three boys shared a look.
"And why wasn't I invited?" She asked, a mixture of hurt and annoyance in her eyes.
"We did invite you, multiple times. Not like we can say 'oh come practice super hard magic in an unused classroom with us. We invited you to practice transfiguration and you said no." Harry responded, rubbing a hand over his face. Sirius was sitting quietly (for once) by the entrance of the library. Sirius seeing him lose his temper was not on Harry's to do list for the day.
"I thought you meant transfiguration! Not some advance sort of magic that you have no need to be practicing!"
"What do you mean by that, Hermione?" Neville said icily. Fhozite, Nevilles vine friend, was poised around Nevilles finger like a snake.
"You know what I mean." She shot back, arms crossed.
"No, I don't think we do Hermione. Spell it out for us since we are oh so stupid." Ron said with a glare. Sirius stood up, ready to intervene.
"This! This is what I mean! You're so quick to anger, to annoy, that you don't need to be practicing malevolent magic! It's dark magic!" Hermione practically shreiked.
"How is it dark magic?!" Harry rounded on her. "Neville can make things grow, Ron is so bloody good at Rune's ints insane! I can make illusions of anything I want! How is that dark magic?"
"They all have dark sources! Neville could kill plants, Ron could make wards that disenigrate people, Harry could, well I guess yours is just silly illusions-"
"Silly?" Harry asked, a deep calm settling over him. That's right my sweet, thats's right. Words settled in Harry's head. Hermione was still talking, Neville and Ron both interrupting her. Harry couldn't hear them.
Show them how powerful you really are, Harrison…
Magic slowly rose around him, filling his senses. It wasn't often he got like this. It was once before, after a bad comofrtation with Malfoy that had made his skin itch, made his magic flare. Nothing had been wrong then, but now that Harry had such comforting words in his head-
"Harry no!"
Magic exploded around Harry, not caring who it was supposed to hit. Was it even supposed to hit someone? A long snake made its way to Hermione. Nagini, Harry released. With a jolt of fear, Harry reigned in his magic, trying to pull everything back into him like he was breathing. It wasn't working, Nagini was still making her way to Hermione and she sat there not moving. Fear passed through her eyes when she looked up at Hermione's
"Finite Incantatum!" He heard a voice yell. The snake lunged. As Nagini's teeth began to graze Hermiones neck, she faded away in a colourless display of sparkles.
"Harry!" He heard Neville yell. Harry looked up at his friend. Worry was evident in his eyes. Ron was next to him too, grabbing his shoulders before his knees gave out.
"Attacking your friends now, Potter?" He heard a voice snere. "Oh how the mighty fall." Anger flooded Harry's veins again, but Neville's and Ron's grounding hands kept his magic from lashing out. It was if the three of them shared one magical core. It was much more stable when they were all around each other. Harry didn't deem Snape worthy of a response.
"Hermione, do you see why we have to practice? Why we have to learn this magic? I can't just- I'm sorry, Hermione." Harry ended lamley.
"Oh Harry-" She tried to get closer to him, but she stoped short. Ron and Neville were glaring at her. Harry shrugged them off, just for a moment, and opened his arms wide for his bushy haired friend.
"Harry I'm so sorry, I can't believe I would ever say something like that. You have every right to practice magic, and just because I can't doesn't mean its bad. Harry I'm so sorry." Hermione sniffled into his shirt. Harry patted her back, Neville and Ron eventually joining in on the hug. "I'm sorry to you guys too. I shouldn't have called you stupid or idiotic, because you aren't. You are all so strong and smart but you- you guys are doing so well without me I didn't know what to do."
"Of course we need you, 'mione. You understand topics-" Someone cleared there throat. It was Snape. "Sir we're having a moment, please wait. Now Hermione, you can understand topics better then anyone we know! Your research skill are unparalleled, and you just get magic in ways none of use understand. You just don't understand wizarding things. Thats okay! If you try to learn, we'll teach you." Hermione sniffled some more, leaning into the hug more. Unbeknownst to them, Snape was seething.
How dare those insolent brats ignore him!
"Ah, Harry!" The group heard. It was Dumbledore. "I'm so glad I found you, I need to talk to you and Severus soon." Harry tensed up, Neville tensing up with him.
"Why, professor?" Harry asked.
"Ah, I'm afraid its for your ears only." So it was probably 'family' talk. Bloody fucking hell. He just attacked his friend with magic and was now going to have the big bad family talk.
"Hermione, I really am sorry." Harry told his friend. She gave him a watery smile and gave his shoulder a little pat.
"I'm fine Harry, I shouldn't have, yeah. It's not your fault." Wasn't it though?
"Harry, I know that this might not seem like the wisest plan-"
"You're bloody right its not! Sticking my son with that git-" Sirius interrupted the headmaster, hands slamming onto the table. They were in Sirius' father's office, a beautifully decorated place, even if it was covered in that same sticky disgusting dark magic.
"If you remember correctly, Black, he came from my loins-"
"Don't speak of your bloody loins infront of my son!"
"Severus deserves some time with Harry, Sirius." Dumbledore stated plainly. Harry sat quietly on the couch. It was comfortable, but everything about the atmosphere in the room was too awkward to enjoy.
"This isn't spending time with him! This is tearing into his mind to teach him some mind magic that could be resolved with a magical object. No, he's not doing it." Sirius stated with finality.
"Harry must, Sirius. I believe Voldemort is trying to possess Harry."
The room dropped ten degrees.
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked, anger no longer pulsating around the room. Instead, confusion and fear took its place.
"It's exactly as he said, Black." Snape sneered. Sirius snarled at the man, wand at the ready.
"Boys!" Dumbledore boomed. "Maybe it was a mistake to have you in here, Sirius. I thought you could handle this as an adult, as Harry's father." Sirius filled with satisfaction when Snape bristled, but his eyes and tone were still hard.
"No, because then Harry would have taken it as punishment for soemthing he couldn't control."
"Thats exactly what this is, Sirius. Training so he has some control."
"Ah yes, because the great Harry Potter can tell the future from dreams." Snape said, non too quietly. Sirius growled, deep in his throat. Harry's heart pumped with happy satisfaction. For all of Sirius' flaws, he protected him like a father should protect his son, and that's all Harry could ever ask for.
"You don't know what the hell you're talking about, Snape." Sirius snapped.
"He's right, Severus. It isn't just dreams." An uncomfortable silence followed, all three adults looking at Harry. Severus sneered. Harry was looking up at Black as if he hung every star in the world, wrote every song, and created magic. It made him sick. Potter was a pathetic, snivvling brat who had no use being his son.
"Harry, do you think you could explain it to Professor Snape?" Dumbledore asked softly. Harry began sweating.
"Not all of it, Pup, I promise. Just the more, uh, important bits."
"I was the snake. I heard Voldemort talking to me in my head." Harry's teeth were clenching, stopping him from biting through his own lip. This is so ruddy awful.
"Lying now, Potter? You wan't the attention on you that much?" Snape sneered. "You cannot simply become someone else." Dumbledore held his hand up, stopping the man from speaking anymore. This didn't stop Harry.
"You're a right prat, Snape. You weren't there, you didn't feel it. Or maybe you do when he crucios the shit out of you. Yeah, I've seen the meetings. Did you like how it felt? To have his disgusting dark magic flowing into your brains, begging you to come to him, seek him out?" Harry was standing now, his presence overbearing as his magic and emotions flared. "Does he call you his sweet? His creature of the night? No! You don't! There's something wrong with me! I thought you'd at least be of some help, being the only person to have survived Voldemorts-" Harry grinned cruelly at Snapes flinch. "-mind powers. But no. You just can't bear the fact of helping anyone survive."
"You insolent boy!" Snape roared.
Now my sweet.
The crystal glasses exploded. Shards embedded themself in everyone in the room. Harry stared, eyeing Snape, not wincing as blood dribbled down his face. Must have got a shard in his face. Snape's stare was as heavy as his own.
"Harry, you're bleeding." Sirius said softly. "Let's go check your head out, okay?"
"Yeah, alright." Harry finally looked away from Snape, eyes angry and tired and oh so through with this. They left in silence.
"You're losing him, Severus. Faster than you can think." Dumbledore told the man. He was angry, Severus noted. At what? Probably at him.
"You can't lose something you've never had." Snape said tersely.
"But you can always lose something you could have had."
"You were speaking Parseltongue, Harry." Sirius mused.
"Was I?" Harry asked dejectedly.
"Yeah. Can you tell me what he said in English?" Sirius rushed to add, "If you're okay with it."
"My sweet, " he said. "Creature of the night."
"Still Parseltongue, Harry." Sirius said as he pulled out small pieces of glass in Harry's temple. They were small, hard to get with magic.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
Harry thought his head only ever thought in Parseltongue.
It was the day before Christmas-eve when Mr. Weasley got released from the hospital.
"Harry!" He had called out to the teen, ready to thank him for his life, to thank him for everything.
Harry had fled.
The sight of Arthurs bandaged neck was too much, even for him. Even though he had steeled himself, readied himself to see what he had done to the man, it was too much. Arthur was pale, too pale, for a man who spent weekends outside dealing with gnomes, working in the sun on god knows what. He was thin, thin like Harry was coming back from the Dursleys. Yet he was still so joyful, so happy to see Harry as if Harry hadn't been the one to try and kill him.
Harry dry heaved into the toilet.
He did this. He could have ended this family's life, ended everyone's life. He attacked Mr. Weasley, then Hermione, even hurt Sirius! He was dangerous, too dangerous. He needed out, out now!
"Breath, Harry." He heard a voice say. "If you don't breathe you'll suffocate- get your hands off your neck, now." His hands were roughly pulled away from his throat, and a choked sob left him.
"I did that to him, I tried to kill Ron's dad."
"You didn't, brat. Quit your mindless self pitying." This voice didn't sound like Sirius, but Harry couldn't bring himself to open his eyes, to see who it was."
"I'm sorry."
"You should be." The man infront of him got up and left, Harry's breathing finally calming down. It was quiet. When Harry opened his eyes, he was alone.
"Harry! Where'd you go?" It was Ron.
"Uhm," Harry looked around. A bathroom. He should know this, he almost threw up in the toilet in here. "Bathroom."
"Dad really wants to see you, mate. Come on. I know it's scary but he looks so much better."
That was better? Oh God, what had he done?
"Yeah, I'll come out."
"Good!" A loud voice rang out. Harry smiled despite himself. "I've got so much to tell you about."
Oh how Harry loved his dad. His Sirius.
"Harry if you don't come out, I'm coming in!" Sirius yelled in a sing-song voice.
"Oh Daaad! I'm gaaaaay!" Harry joked, opening the door.
"I knew it, you cuddled with Neville far to much." Ron said sagley, nodding his head.
"Bugger off, Ron!" Harry said with a laugh, pushing Ron's kissy face away.
"Yeah, who would want Harry's skinny arse anyway?" Neville joined in, bounding down the stairs.
"Good point, Nev." Ron said, nodding his head once more.
"Crazy, the lot of y'all." Sirius said.
All of them were smiling though, which means a little crazy must be okay sometimes.
Christmas at Grimuald was beautiful.
Paper snowflakes held from the normally dapper ceiling. Snow filled reindeers pranced around, sprinkling snow on whatever victim was closest. Red, white, and gold everything hung from every surface. "No green, too snakey." Sirius had said.
The rooms were filled with so much life. Harry was filled with so much life.
"Come on mate, open your presents!" Ron nudged. Harry just rolled his eyes.
"Neville went first on Christmas-eve, he goes first on Christmas." Harry stated, matter-of-factly. It was Ron's turn to roll his eyes. Hermione just launched a pillow at the both of them.
"I saw ladies first." She sniffed. Ginny, sitting next to her, just grinned.
"Youngest lady first!" She yelled, tearing into her presents. Everyone followed suit after that.
Ron's gifts were bloody amazing. A multitude of books on warding, and even one on spell craft! Blaise even included a Speaking-Quill, which would trace over the words and read the words too you! The voice was a tad annoying, but Ron was adamant that it was better then reading them himself.
"You better write Blaise, you know how prissy he gets." Harry said, dodging the chocolate frog one of the twins threw at him.
"Yeah, Mr. Prince cant be left alone without thanks for long. He might combust." Neville joked, eyes staring greedily at his newest book, Uslenlit and similar plants, and the posions they make. Blaise's note was short and crude. 'We'll make a posioner out of you yet, Longbottom.' Neville just chuckled and used it as a bookmark.
All three boys had received beautiful quill sets from Chlodion's Ink and Quill Store courtesy of Daphne. Both Ron and Harry were playfully insulted by the girl in their letters. 'Maybe it will help with Ron's and Harry's horrid handwriting.'
Neville got a sweet 'Happy Yule, Neville.'
Harry's favourite gift was from Luna. It was a painting of some sort of sea creature.
It was about the size of a carp, and had two small flippers. Its long dorsal fine and huge muscular tail were what captivated Harry the most. It was a a beautiful bronze colour, yet it seemed to fade into white on it's underbelly and its dorsal fin. It had a thin nose, like that of a dolphin, but it's large, long body was nothing like one.
At some angles, the creature almost looked skeletal. As if the copper colour fizzled away, leaving only strong bones and cartilage.
'These creatures are very territorial, but reside calmly in river banks.' Luna wrote. 'The Saffron-Scaled Drever reminded me a lot of you."
"I thought saffron was yellow." Hermione remarked, not unkindly.
"Who knows with Luna." Harry said, his grin large and happy and bright that Hermione couldn't comment on anything else.
"Oh! Harry, Ron, we've got gifts from Grandpa and Grandma!" Neville shouted, passing the two boys another parcel.
"Grandpa and Grandma?" Mrs. Weasley questioned.
"Oh, the couple Harry stayed with this summer, they're absolutely wonderful." Ron told his mother.
"And the chocolate Grandma Mary makes is delicious."
"Always wondered how she made it." Ron said, rubbing his stomach.
"Magic." Harry joked teasingly.
"Maybe you should check it for spells, just in case." Hermione supplied, noticing the adults' uncomfortable looks. "We don't even know how they got here, Harry."
"Hedwig of course." Sirius reached for the package in Harry's hands. Harry jerked back, almost hitting Ron in the process.
"No, it's mine." He hissed. Nothing else was said as the three boys tore into their packages. Hermione didn't know if they just didn't notice the atmosphere, or if they were choosing to ignore it. Probably the latter.
"Oh Sweet! I got a wand holster!" Ron yelled proudly, strapping on the walnut-coloured leather onto his wrist.
"I got a miniature Dryopteris Sensibilis! Harry you didn't!" Neville exclaimed.
"He totally did! He can't be trusted!" Both boys tackled Harry, all of them laughing and happy.
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked, confused.
"We told Harry we wanted these months ago! This git told Tom and Mary!"
"And I'd do it again! Viva La Grandparents!" He shouted joyfully.
"What did you get though?" Ron asked.
Harry just raised up a beautiful journal and pen set. The journal itself was the same colour as Ron's wand holster and the pot of Neville's plant. On the cover the words 'Harry J. Potter, the youngest brother' were detailed in soft gold. When he traced them, words began to glow on his friends' gifts too.
"Neville A. Longbottom. The middle brother." Neville read.
"Ronald B. Weasley. The eldest brother."
All three shared a look. That's right, they were brothers, and no one could change that.
No one else at Grimmauld commented on their gifts, and if the three boys fell asleep together on the couch, pinkies intertwined, no one said anything. Not even Snape.
"Harry, take a look at this!" Hermione passed him the paper. The Letter, Harry noted with a smile. Each issue was starting to get better and better.
Here you have it, parents! The long awaited issue that many a person have sent in a letter about. Harry Potter versus Draco Malfoy.
'It was insane mom! I've never seen someone duel like they were! It was insane! I think I already said that, but it's true! The way Potter and Malfoy were duelling stopped everyone else! Even Potter's best friends, Weasley and Longbottom.
Malfoy threw some sort of spell at Potter. My housemates are speculating if it was dark or not, but Professor Umbridge allowed it so It must not have been. It shattered Potter's arm! Like, from shoulder to his fingers! It wasn't his wand arm, I don't think. He kept switching what hand he was casting with the whole time, it was bloody awesome! Then, Potter cast two spells back to back that made Malfoy throw up blood and food, and then Potter got Malfoy's wand. Then they walked to the infirmary together! It was so awesome!
So there you have it, parents and students alike. A small piece of the Harry Potter puzzle solved. Now, here's some of our funniest (but most unlikely) theories about the two boys, sent from students in their fifth year!
'They're lovers, I just know it. Malfoy purposely avoided Potters wand arm, and Potter casted that shield around the both of them that blocked Malfoy from view. They probably shared a passionate kiss!'
'They're brothers, Paul! I'm serious, there's no way they aren't. Maybe Potter was kidnapped from the Malfoys when he was a child? No! It must be the other way around, Malfoy is a secret Potter!'
'They both time traveled here, I'm sure of it, Dad. They are both too strong for their own good. That duelling club is something else.'
"A secret Lover? Oh how you wound me, Harry." Ron said with a dramatic sigh, draping himself over Harry's shoulders. "I thought I was the only one."
"Ger off, prat." Harry laughed. Ron didn't budge.
"Speaking of the duelling club." Hermione started to say. Ron felt Harry tense. "I was thinking of starting something similar."
"Oh, really? That's an amazing idea 'Mione!" Ron voiced. Harry nodded with a smile.
"Well, I want you to lead it, Harry." She said with a whisper.
"I can't Hermione, I've got my hands full with quidditch and the DC already."
"If you were the poster boy, people would feel more inclined to join." She sated. Harry scowled.
"I'm already Umbridge's poster boy, I can't be yours too. Plus, if anyone in the duelling club got wind of it, our plans would be over with."
"Plans that, maybe if you filled me in on them, I could help with!" Hermione stated with a huff.
"'Mione, not again please." Ron said with a tired shake of his head. "We'll fill you in later, just leave it for a little alright?"
"That's not fair to me!" She yelled. Harry heard some of the people stirring upstairs. Must be coming to see who was yelling at who this time.
"It's not fair to us either Hermione. You can't demand things of me and Ron."
"Why is asking to be including a demand?" Hermione, well, demanded. Harry just got up and left, leaving his two friends to argue without him. He was too tired for this.
"Potter, come here." Harry heard. It was Moody! "I got this for you when Dumbeldore told me about your magic inheritance. It's a book on magic signatures." The gruff man said.
"Thank you, Sir." Harry said, holding the book to his chest. The auror just grunted.
"Use it well, Potter." Then the man hobbled off.
Harry stared at the book in wonder. He definitely would.
"Uhm, well first I would like to say welcome! I know most of us here are muggleborns or halfbloods, but I do hope we'll all be able to get along well." Hermione said awkwardly. "Well, let's start the first meeting of the Defense Ascosication! Does anyone know how to cast Protego?"
A few students raised their hands. Most of the students were younger. Almost everyone in the room was a victim of the dreaded blood quill. Everyone hated Umbridge
Words burned on Hermiones hand. I will learn to respect my betters.
"Alright, the motions go like this."
"Is it wise to let their counterparts run free?" Life said, watching the three brothers studying.
"Is it wise to leave you alive?" Death muttered sourly.
"Is it wise to have us interfere in their lives?" Time questioned. "I think not. Yet, we still do it."
"You like the boy more then you let on. He reminds you of Cadmus." Life teased.
"As if young Weasley doesn't remind you of your boy Antioch? As if Death hasn't stalked Young Longbottom like he stalked and waited for Ignotus? They are their copies, through and through." Time remarked.
"Will we lose them the same?" Death questioned, always the more emotional of the three deities.
"I hope not." Life remarked quietly.
Time stayed quietly, but had a small smile on his face. The joys of time, he knew how this would end.
AN: Six thousand words. I'm a fiend. I would like to give a special thanks to Darth for his amazing reviews, and another to EV RIDDLE for her name alone. It made me smile when I saw she followed the story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! We're nearing the end. Only 3 more to go for this book. Now, would you prefer the second book connected to the first so it's easier to find, or would you want it on a different story? Please let me know :D