Harry potter and the Time of Retirement
Everything related to Harry Potter belongs to JKR
Chapter 60 – Year 3
"I think your class mates are having their exams right around these days. Any news from them?" asked Sirius, lazily, while stretching on his chair. They just had a long, fulfilling dinner and they were now just gossiping before starting their usual round of cards and booze. "Butterbeer, Harry. You get butterbeer."
"Nothing special. They all work hard, no big surprise for badgers, so they should have no problems. I wonder why we don't win the house cup more often" said Harry, sipping from his drink.
"Good question. Well, Ravenclaw would win every year if it was only an academic contest" said Sirius. "Why, isn't it?" asked Harry, smiling; he half knew the answer already.
"By all means, no!" snorted Sirius, almost scandalized. "Teachers give their points away however they want, so it's more of a popularity contest. And how well you can show off, I guess. No wonder it mostly revolves around Gryffindors and Slytherins."
"I guess we are too bland, and Ravenclaws are too self centered" commented Harry, stretching himself. "Did you ever win a house cup?"
"Sure did, kid. And believe it or not me, Remus and your dad were even a net positive when it came to points, for our house" bragged Sirius, as Harry snorted lightly.
"Who would have thought that such a brazen rule breaker would become a ruthless rule enforcer, one day?" said Harry.
"Nothing like mercilessly ordering drunks to stop singing" quipped Sirius. "Maybe there will be some excitement soon, though. The World Cup Finals are almost here, my coworkers are going crazy over it."
"I hope they won't dump security duties on you during the match" grumbled Harry, frowning. "I doubt the veterans volunteered to cover the shift."
"They tried, and they didn't but" said Sirius, smugly "unlike the poor couple of semi new recruits we have currently, I made sure to pressure Bones as much as I could to avoid it. No post-game party for me, I will have to work, but I am free for the match itself."
"Good, good" said Harry, nodding. "Nothing against Remus, mind you, but just the two of us would have been a little weird. Three is the right number."
"Yeah, about that…" said Sirius, suddenly awkward. "What about being four, Harry?"
"Oh, for God's sake" countered Harry immediately, sighing. "Dumbledore again? Really?"
Sirius frowned, surprised, and then blushed. "No, it's not Dumbledore. It's someone more… female than that."
"More female than…wait, really?" said Harry, going from stressed to amused. "She convinced you to let her join us? With your friends? Oh, you are so whipped."
"Shut up" answered Sirius, curtly, while shaking his head. "I don't even know how it happened. Something like always desiring to see the World Cup, since she was a little girl. But she never hinted at liking Quidditch before!"
"She is good" commented Harry. "I give you one more year before you are married. Maybe less."
"Not going to happen" said Sirius, paling down a little. "That is the red line. Not going to happen."
"Less than a year. Totally" added Harry, laughing lightly. Pouring down some Firewhiskey in Sirius' glass, he pushed it towards him. "Here, here. In hindsight, you have only schoolyard experiences with girls. Of course a woman in her thirties is playing you like a fiddle."
"As if you were some kind of playboy" grumbled Sirius, taking his glass and gulping it down in one strike. "Why am I even talking about her to you, anyway. I need Remus' advices."
"If you say so" said Harry, smirking lightly. "I don't know if he ever had a woman at school, but he certainly doesn't have one now."
"The cards, Harry. Just take the cards" concluded Sirius, annoyed. Harry, quietly, went on to pick them up.
Much later in the night, Harry apparated back home. Outside his house, waiting next to a close window, was an owl. Letting it inside, he picked up the message tied to its leg.
"Harry;
I recovered the last item, and it is part of the set we talked about during our last meeting.
Hogwarts is quite busy with the exams but you are already invited here once the school break starts, to experiment with the full set. Make sure to bring the missing piece.
As for the elf situation, I am having troubles convincing his owner to cooperate without revealing any detail. I fear your help is necessary. If you agree, let me know and we will organize a visit and talk to him in person, together.
As I suggested last time we met, make sure to remain particularly on guard. The silence from all of his former followers is starting to upset me.
A.D."
'You sound upset all right' commented Harry mentally, rolling the letter in his hands. 'This was as cryptic as they come.'
Throwing the letter into the dying fire, Harry climbed the stairs to his room. 'A joint talk with Sirius… I can imagine how well that will go.'
Shaking his head, he prepared for bed.
A week after, during one random morning, Harry heard someone entering his greenhouse. Tensing immediately, he grasped his wand and remained crouched on the ground, trying to see who had stepped in. With a smile of relief and self teasing, he stood up when he heard his name being called by a definitely young and female voice.
"Harryyyyyy" said Hannah, loudly. "Are you here?"
"Yes, Hannah, yes" he said, tiredly but still smiling. "When did you come back home?"
"Only yesterday. I spent the afternoon at home of course, with my parents" said Hannah, with a wide smile. Meanwhile Harry had wiped his hands clean of dirt and fertilizers and walked out of the greenhouse, the girl following him.
"Well, this is the start of another summer. Any plans?" asked Harry, opening the door and letting her walk inside the house.
"Actually, yes. I was a bit jealous of Justin lately, you know? He always brags about all the places he visits, during the holidays" said Hannah, sitting down on the old couch. "So, I pestered my parents to try one muggle hotel, this summer. We will visit London."
"Do you even need a hotel? I am pretty sure you could all just use the Cauldron as base to come and go into muggle London all you want" argued Harry, confused.
"Well, sure, I guess" said Hannah, smiling slyly "but I wanted the full experience. That telesomething in my bedroom, a pool, and crazy food from other countries. All the stuff I tried at Justin's place."
"I would have visited Justin again and again, this summer" said Harry, snorting. "Less expensive."
"That's mean!" complained Hannah, before turning her frown into a giggle. "But funny. And he would certainly deserve it."
"If you brag about your money, don't complain if people want to exploit them a little" stated Harry with a small grin, while nodding wisely.
Hannah smiled too. "He promised us a poolside party next month, that seems fun. Make sure to come by the way. Beside that… no, I want to tour around with my parents. I haven't seen them in months."
"I see. Have fun there, and come back with plenty of stories to tell."
"What about you, Harry? Any news?" asked Hannah.
"I am going to the finals of the world cup, soon" said Harry. "My godfather invited me. I hope he got good seats."
"Oh, right" said Hannah. "I heard Zach saying he would go there at all costs. Even Susan and Megan seemed interested."
"It should be fun enough, for a quidditch fan" said Harry. "Plus, there are going to be wizards from all around the world. It's going to be chaotic."
"My dad hinted at it a couple times, but I think he gave up. Mom wasn't interested, anyway."
After that the conversation died down a little so Harry waved at some of the snacks he had available on the table, and offered to prepare some tea. While they drank, they chatted a little more about summer homework or the plans of their classmates.
After a while Harry offered her to play some cards, but she laughed and refused. Following that, he was all but drag out of his home to tour the village and its outskirts. Finally, they went inside Hannah's house where her parents invited him to stay for lunch.
Harry hesitated a little but finally, shrugging, accepted – as usual they were well intentioned, and he hardly had anything better to do. So he remained, only to be grilled a little by both parents. They kept seeing him in his yard, they said, and were a little worried about such a little boy living alone.
"Even if Hannah keep swearing you are the most independent boy around…." said her mother, worried.
"Some school is needed, kid. Though I'll admit you seem to be always working in that greenhouse of yours. Being hardworking is a good quality" added her dad, nodding.
Harry smiled, politely, and moved on the topic to their upcoming trip to London. Once Hannah brought up that he was raised by muggles, he mixed his own experience with some of their own old memories to create some sort of plan on what to visit in the big city.
"I really wish I could have met my muggle grandparents" said Hannah, while eating down her meal. "But for what I have been told, their house was totally different from Justin's."
Hannah's parent smiled sadly, and added some memories of its own. Overall, it ended up being a nice lunch and it was only when Hannah was asked by her mother to help clean up the table that he stood up, got a friendly pat on the back from Hannah's dad and left, followed by well wishes and a warning from Hannah that she would see him soon.
The following Sunday, Harry was cleaning up the dishes and mentally preparing himself for his visit to Grimmauld's Place. Dumbledore had written him the morning before, asking him to be present there after lunch hour, to deal with Sirius and Kreacher.
Harry was understandably unenthusiastic – a well informed Sirius was bound to be a way more annoying Sirius – but he had resigned himself to other people's cooperation for the time being, so dealing with other people was pretty much unavoidable. 'The headmaster probably thinks the same here and there' thought Harry, then switching mentally to an old man's voice: 'Can't you just all do what I say?'
Smiling bitterly Harry went upstairs to put on his best robes and after that he apparated directly to Black's house. With no hesitation, he knocked at the door. The face the opened it, though, vastly surprised him.
"Hello, Harry. Welcome" said Lupin, smiling down on him.
"…hello, Remus" said Harry, puzzled. He walked in, and kept staring silently the man in front of him.
"You seem a little surprised" said Lupin. "Didn't you expect me to be here?"
"Not really, no" answered Harry, giving a passing glance to the frowning painting of Mrs. Black in the entrance hall. "I assume Sirius asked you to be present?"
"Oh, yes" said Lupin. "Dumbledore was short on details but, as he said you were coming too, we assumed it was about your future. Sirius wants to involve me in the matter, and I too would like to be present."
"….I see" said Harry, sighing mentally. 'A fair assumption' he thought, tiredly – why couldn't Dumbledore simply state it was again about Kreacher and the old Blacks? 'Nevermind' he concluded, following Lupin towards the living room.
"Are you still a professor, anyway?" asked Harry, from his back.
"No, not anymore" answered Lupin, opening the door to the living room and walking inside. "I received some… pointed comments from another professor that made me realize I was on thin ice over there. I retired voluntarily, as this leaves me the option to come back eventually."
Inside the room, already sitting down, were a grumpy Sirius and a frowning Dumbledore. They turned towards them as they entered, but they still remained silent as Harry and Lupin sat down.
"What a cheery atmosphere" said Harry, eventually, with a roll of his eyes.
"Of course I trust professor Lupin completely" started Dumbledore "but this discussion is a bit more personal. Some things, the less they are known around the better."
"As I said, I certainly don't want to intrude but…" started Lupin, uncertain, seeming almost ready to stand up again – only to be stopped by Sirius' tapping the table with his palm.
"No offense meant, headmaster, but my trust in other people is a little low lately" said Sirius, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "What kind of matter could involve Harry, his school but not his father's dearest friends? Remus stays."
Dumbledore frowned, then turned his stare to Harry. "Today's topic does involve Harry, but not necessarily all of his… informal guardians. Harry?"
Harry remained uncertain for a second, then shrugged. "Technically, that's true. But it's hard to explain why without going into details."
"What have you done, Harry?" asked Lupin, suddenly.
"Excuse me?" countered Harry, a bit offended.
"Well, it does look like you did something bad once again. Something that the fewer people know, the better" insisted Lupin.
"Harry, can't you stay quiet for a couple months?" added Sirius, frowning.
Harry himself remained speechless for a second. "Of all the possibilities, accusing me is your first choice?"
"You have to thank your own reputation for that, young Potter" commented Dumbledore, with a condescending expression on his face. The glare Harry sent him back was quite hostile.
"I did nothing, and none of you is so clean-handed as to be able to lecture me" said Harry, acidly. "I can't believe you exhausted my patience already. Sirius, we are here for your elf."
At this, Sirius turned towards the headmaster. "That again? Wasn't I clear enough last time, that you had to drag my godson into it?"
"I know your family is a sore spot, but this is important" answered Dumbledore, defensively.
"How? They have been dead for a decade now. And good riddance, by the way" said Sirius.
"It's just a talk with him. We only need your cooperation to make sure he will answer honestly" concluded the headmaster.
"Except I can't even stay in the room while you snoop into my dead relatives' past, right?" countered Sirius, hostile, as Dumbledore sighed. He then turned towards Harry. "Well, you seem to know what's going on, kid. Spill it out."
"Maybe I really should have not come" murmured Lupin from his corner. Harry scoffed a little at this.
"It's not like we have to reveal every single detail, after all" said Harry eventually, looking towards the headmaster. All he received was a stony look in return, and silence. Harry shrugged, and started again.
"Very well. The headmaster and me are searching for old relics of the dark lord. And we think your brother took one from him, with Kreacher's help" revealed Harry, finally.
"Old relics…." started Sirius, uncertain. "Wait, why would a boy like you ever be involved in something like this?"
"Any relic of you-know-who is hardly safe to keep around, sir, even for adults" added Lupin, looking towards Dumbledore with reproach.
"I know, Remus" said Dumbledore, tiredly. "You more than anyone should be aware how all I wish for Harry is to stay safe at Hogwarts, far away from matters outside of his age."
"Except when you find it convenient to exploit him" added Sirius, lightly, but with sarcasm clearly dripping from his voice. "Young men are so easy to use and then to abandon once they are in the way, right?"
"Now, I deeply resent what you are implying" said Dumbledore, firmly. "I will repeat forever how sorry I am for not pushing more to give you a trial, back then, but I insist it was not my decision. Not that you ever actually said anything about being innocent, anyway" concluded Dumbledore with a curt tone.
"Like I had a chance!" exploded Sirius in rage. "I was under shock and in grief, and less than 24 hours later I had been thrown in that cursed island while all my supposed friends turned their backs on me!"
"Padfoot, please" said Lupin, almost begging. Sirius glared at him too, but seemed to calm down.
"Maybe honesty is the better option here, headmaster" commented Harry, grimacing. Dumbledore didn't answer, but seemed almost to cave into himself. As for Sirius and Lupin, they turned towards Harry, silently and in wait.
"The dark lord is still around, still alive. I met him already, his shade at least" said Harry, almost sadly, as Lupin and Sirius frowned instantly. "Of course, we want him dead for good. We need those relics to make sure he is."
Sirius seemed to mull over these words, before turning again towards the headmaster. "He lives... and you didn't want to tell us anything because?"
"Because I don't spend my days involving young men into solving my problems, only to abandon them when they are not useful anymore?" countered Dumbledore, offended.
"Except Harry" commented Lupin, casually, only to draw a hostile stare from the headmaster. "Sorry sir, but that's kinda true."
"Right, about that" said Sirius, now sending his attention towards Harry. "What do you mean, you met him already?"
"What do you think it means?" said Harry, shrugging. "I met him, I insulted him, he tried to kill me. I survived, obviously."
"Oh, well, all is good then" said Sirius, angry. "And why weren't we informed of all this?"
"It all happened before you were freed, or hired" said Dumbledore. "And it's not like your godson came rushing forward to confess it, anyway. I learned about his misadventures last Christmas myself."
"When you two had that big disagreement" almost murmured Lupin.
"You are certainly telling me everything now, Harry" said Sirius, grimly. "What where you even doing, when you met a supposedly dead Voldemort bent on killing you?"
"While I imagine that talk can't be avoided now" said Dumbledore, sending an annoyed look at Harry "we should not forget why we are here. As he said, we need access to this Kreacher to gain some critical information. Will you allow it?"
"Only to be told later that I don't really need to know the details? Forget it" said Sirius. "First you tell me what is going on in my godson's life, then I decide. And, as an auror, I strongly advice to contact Amelia anyway."
"We are, well, I was trying to keep this matter under wrap" said Dumbledore, sending another annoyed stare at Harry – which this time reciprocated with a disdainful expression.
"Of course you were" commented Sirius. "Nevermind. So, you met a dead dark lord. Only not dead. How?"
"He is some kind of ghost at the moment, able to talk and possess other people. In my first year he took over a professor at Hogwarts, Quirrell" said Harry, shrugging.
"Wait, my predecessor that died at the end of his year?" asked Lupin, surprised.
"Yes but make no mistake, the two things are unrelated" said Harry.
"They were not, he is lying" added Dumbledore, icily. At Harry's outraged look he commented, not without a tip of venom in his voice "I thought honesty was the better policy, now."
"This is childish beyond belief" said Harry, stunned. "How are we supposed to kill him if we bicker like that?"
"At thirteen you are not supposed to kill anyone!" shouted Sirius. "Am I the only one that hasn't gone mad, here? Who do you all think you are?"
"Sirius, calm down" suggested Remus, but it was useless.
"I will not! These matters are to be handled by us aurors, remember? And Harry, you should be in school worrying about quidditch and girls!" said Sirius, hands in his face. "This is crazy. You too, headmaster."
"Believe me, I am not particularly happy myself" said Dumbledore, evenly. "But my school is not a prison, and each and every student stays there voluntarily."
"You did expel Harry" commented Lupin, unsure.
"Suspended him, and I offered to reverse the decision several times already. I am done with him, by this point" countered Dumbledore, raising his hands.
"In any case, it is obvious that I can't leave this matter up to you two" said Sirius. "I can't believe I have been so… so yielding until now, but it ends here. You want my help with Kreacher? Harry goes back to school, immediately."
"Deal" said Dumbledore, shrugging.
"It might be for the best" said Lupin.
"Beside my very obvious no, you do realize it is in Hogwarts that I keep meeting Voldemort, right? Two times, at that" said Harry, shaking his head.
"Two times?" asked Lupin.
"Yeah, my incident last year, he was involved in that too. I gamble my life staying in Hogwarts, let me tell you" commented Harry, almost smugly "while I am quite cozy and safe in my home."
Silence followed those words. Harry rolled his eyes, and moved on.
"Listen, I think too that we are missing the big picture here. We need access to Kreacher… to make sure I don't meet Voldemort a third time, hopefully. Can't we do that at least?" he said.
After a while, almost defeated, Sirius spoke. "Fine. Kreacher!" Still, as the elf appeared, he sent a final glare to the headmaster. "This is not over, though. At the very least, you are going to explain everything with Amelia."
"If I have to, I will" said Dumbledore. "I was just trying to prevent the panic that would follow such a revelation as the return of Voldemort."
"She is not going to panic" commented Sirius, while turning towards Kreacher. "But, just like me, I am pretty sure she will be pissed."