Harry Potter and the Boy Who Lived
Chapter 3
Choices
How the Other Side Lives
Hogwarts Express, (Dec. 16th)...
A very excited Hermione Granger left the loo and started walking back towards her compartment. Her first semester at Hogwarts was over, but the school was more than she could have ever dreamed. The professors were knowledgeable, the magic incredible, the library washuge,and she had real friends for the first time in her life.
That wasn't to say that everything that had happened during the fall term was good. There were some low points. At first, most of her peers didn't like her. For the first two months of school they had made fun of her, calling her a bookworm or beaver. While the taunting was mean, it was something she had grown accustomed to in primary school. Coming face-to-face with a gigantic mountain troll, however, was not. Halloween was, without a doubt, both the most terrifying moment of her entire life, and, in retrospect, one of the best. It had led to her making friends.
As she passed several compartments, Hermione couldn't help but occasionally glance at the people inside. It was a compartment near the middle of the train that caused her to stop in her tracks. Sitting inside was... Nathan? She was about to open the door and ask what he was doing when she realized that Nathan would never slick his hair back or have his head buried in a book. It wasn't Nathan; it was Nathan's brother. But why was he sitting alone? Surely there were some Ravenclaws on the train that he could hang out with?
Truth be told, Hermione envied Harry Potter. She couldn't count the number of times she had felt alone in Gryffindor because no one understood her. She hated that she was surrounded by a bunch of people who just didn't appreciate the fact that shelikedto learn new things. The Sorting Hat had wanted to put her into Ravenclaw; it was actually rather persistent that she would do well there, but Hermione had stubbornly said she wanted Gryffindor. In the end, she had found a place in Gryffindor and now had good friends, but she had been very lonely for some time.
Harry Potter, on the other hand, had gone into Ravenclaw. She frequently saw him in the library studying or talking to Madam Pince about a book. No one ever seemed to make fun of him for spending time there though, and they certainly never hinted that it was wrong or weird for him to want to learn magic. It was as if being a Ravenclaw gave him a free pass to spend as much time as he wanted learning. Not even the Slytherins teased him. They didn't call him a bookworm or a brainiac. They just shrugged their shoulders and let him be. Harry Potter was a Ravenclaw, and it was expected of him to spend a lot of time in the library.
Stepping away from Harry's compartment door, Hermione resumed her walk towards her own compartment where Nathan and Ron were most likely chatting about Quidditch. That sounded about as much fun to Hermione as getting her teeth checked by her parents. Pushing the thought of Ron mindlessly spouting off some useless piece of trivia about the Chudley Cannons, Hermione found herself thinking again about Harry Potter. Nathan didn't talk about his brother a lot, but when he did it was usually with a smile on his face and about some fun thing they had done growing up together. It was clear that Nathan cared about Harry.
After Harry had dragged Nathan out of the Great Hall following the mountain troll fiasco, Hermione was worried that Harry was going to hurt Nathan. Harry did not look happy when he came over to talk to them, and Hermione admitted to herself that she probably didn't make the situation any better by being snappish towards him. Before they had become friends, she had overheard Nathan telling Ron once that Harry knew a lot of spells and curses before they even stepped foot into Hogwarts, and, naturally, Hermione was concerned for her new friend.
She had followed the two boys out of the Great Hall from a distance and watched them enter a classroom. Hermione had tried to listen in on the conversation from outside the door, but she wasn't able to hear a single word that was spoken. Not even muffled noises were coming from the other side of the door. Realizing that she might be caught, Hermione had walked to the end of the hallway and waited. After a while, the door opened and Harry walked out shaking his head and looking less than pleased.
Once Nathan left the room, and didn't appear to have been cursed or hexed by his brother, Hermione asked him if everything was alright. Nathan had assured her that everything was fine, and that Harry took what had happened surprisingly well. Although after some questions, Nathan did admit that Harry had threatened to hurt him if he ever did something as stupid as shoving his wand up a troll's nose ever again.
As Hermione reflected, that was probably the only time she could think of at which she had seen Nathan and his brother interact for longer than a minute of two. As she entered her own compartment, her curiosity about Nathan and Harry's relationship was piqued.
"…so that's why I think the Cannons have a real shot next year."
"Ron," Nathan said, exasperated, "there is no way that the Cannons will ever get Gibbs to leave Puddlemere. They could offer him all the gold in Gringotts and he would never accept."
"Are you twostilltalking about Quidditch!"
"Hermione, Quidditch is important," Ron said seriously.
Refusing to be baited, Hermione turned to Nathan. "Can I ask you a bit of a personal question?"
"Umm, alright, I guess."
"What's the deal between you and your brother?"
Nathan looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you don't really talk to him a lot, but you don't seem to dislike him or anything. So I guess I was just curious."
"I…well, it's hard to spend time with him," Nathan said slowly as if only now realizing just how little he had seen of his brother this term. "We don't share any classes with the Ravenclaws, and I've got Quidditch practice four times a week."
"He's also always in thelibrary," Ron muttered.
"There is nothing wrong with studying, Ronald," Hermione snapped.
"Relax, Hermione, I didn't mean it like that," Ron said quickly.
After glaring at Ron for a moment, Hermione asked, "So you and Harry get along then?"
"Yeah, of course we do," Nathan said without hesitation. "Why?"
"Oh, well, I just saw him in a compartment." Hermione smiled. "I thought he was you at first, actually."
Nathan laughed. "Please. We look nothing alike."
"From a distance you do," she insisted. "The only real difference is your eye colour and the way you do your hair."
"Maybe," Nathan acquiesced. "But would I be around a bunch of Ravenclaws talking about magical theory or whatever boring stuff the Ravenclaws discuss?"
"No, but neither was Harry. He was just sitting in a compartment reading a book."
"Really?" Nathan asked, surprised.
"I thought it was a little strange as well," Hermione admitted. "I know I saw Su Li, Lisa Turpin, and Terry Boot in another compartment so there are definitely other Ravenclaws on the train."
Standing up, Nathan said, "I should go see if he wants to join us."
"Don't worry about it, Nathan," said Ron. "We're going to be getting to London in, like, ten minutes anyway, right Hermione?"
"True," Hermione agreed. "It would be a waste of time for you to walk to his compartment, convince him to join us, and bring him here only for him to leave a few minutes later. He'd has to go get his stuff when we arrive."
Nathan looked at the door for a moment before consenting to his friends' opinion; he'd talk to Harry at home later anyway.
ooo0000ooo
Necessary Conversations
Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, London...
Stepping off the train at platform nine and three-quarters, Harry scanned the crowd looking for his parents and brother. The platform, while not as busy as the first of September, had a good number of people milling around searching for family members.
Harry eventually found his parents standing next to a red-haired couple, who could only be the parents of Ron Weasley. A younger redheaded girl stood next to her mother with wide eyes and an excited look on her face. Harry briefly wondered just how many Weasleys there were. He knew Ron had twin brothers that were in their third year as well as a fifth year brother who was a prefect.
"Mum, Dad," Harry greeted with a smile.
"Harry." James happily pulled his oldest son into a hug before looking around curiously. "Where is your brother?"
"Oh, um, I'm not sure. We didn't sit with each other on the ride back."
Lily glanced down at her son, concern evident in her eyes. "Why not?"
"I was talking to Professor Flitwick, and I arrived late to the station. Nathan had already found a compartment, and I didn't want to search the entire train trying to find him."
"Well... alright," James said hesitantly, deciding not to press Harry in a public setting. He'd ask Nathan later if they'd had some sort of falling out. "How was your first term?"
Not really wanting to talk about his first term at Hogwarts, Harry turned to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. "I'm sorry for not introducing myself, sir, ma'am. I'm Harry Potter, it's nice to meet you."
"Such a polite young man." Mrs. Weasley smiled at Lily and James.
"It's nice to meet you as well, Harry," Mr. Weasley said, subtly guiding an embarrassed looking girl forward. "This is our daughter Ginny. She will be at Hogwarts with you starting next year."
"Are you excited about Hogwarts?" Harry asked, trying to be polite.
Ginny just nodded her head, appearing uncomfortable for some reason.
Seeing that Ginny wasn't about to talk and being in no mood to coax a conversation out the girl, Harry turned his attention to the discussion between his parents and the Weasleys.
"...completely agree, Arthur. Perhaps Boxing Day would work?" James asked.
"Unfortunately, we'll be in Romania 'till the 28th, James. We're going to visit my son Charlie who works at a dragon preserve."
Harry could only shake his head. There wasanotherWeasley in Romania? How many kids did these people have?
"Ooooooo, Mum, is that him?" Ginny squealed.
Slightly surprised by the quiet girl's outburst, Harry turned to where Ginny was frantically gesturing. The girl was practically jumping up and down at the sight of Nathan, Ron, and Hermione. Harry shook his head in annoyance – he had a feeling that it wasn't the sight of her brother or the Muggle-born witch that suddenly had Ginny excited.
Looking up at his father, Harry was hoping to see him give the girl a reproaching glare for her annoying fangirlishness. Unfortunately, his dad simply looked amused by Ginny's antics.
"Ginevra, it is not polite to point," Mrs. Weasley chided, while sending an apologetic look to the Potters.
"Mum, Dad," Nathan said arriving with a bright smile, "these are my friends Ron and Hermione."
"It's very nice to meet you both," Lily said kindly.
"It's nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Potter," Hermione said as Ron was getting what looked to be a back-breaking hug from his mother.
Harry couldn't help but notice that Ginny had yet to look away from Nathan. It was slightly disturbing.
"How long have you been waiting here?" Nathan asked his dad, seemingly oblivious to his creepy redheaded stalker.
"Harry got here a few minutes ago, and before that we were speaking with the Weasleys."
"How are we getting home?" asked Harry.
"Portkey that the Headmaster was kind enough to make for us," James answered. "Now, tell me. Did you two pull any good pranks?" Seeing that Lily had suddenly turned around to glare at him, James quickly added, "Because I would hate to have to punish you over the break if you did."
"No," said Harry, "I didn't really do any pranks."
"And I've been really busy with Quidditch," Nathan added.
"I know. Minerva wrote and explained how you had made the team. I'm very proud of you, Nathan. Youngest Seeker in over a century," James said excitedly. "I know your uncles have been over the moon about it as well."
"And how are you grades, Nathan?" Lily asked sternly. "You're not letting them slide because of Quidditch, are you?"
"No, Mum. I think I'm doing alright," Nathan said hesitantly.
"And you, Harry?" Lily asked.
"I think I did very well this term."
"Nathan, I need to go find my parents. I think they're waiting for me on the other side of the barrier," Hermione said.
"Oh, why don't I go with you so you aren't by yourself," Lily offered with a smile. "I remember how hard it was to sometimes find my parents because of the Muggle-repelling ward on the platform. Honestly, I've told Albus that he needs to find a way to help the parents of Muggle-borns get onto the platform for the Christmas holiday and the end of the spring semester. Having children wandering around King's Cross looking for their parents is just asking for trouble."
"Why didn't the charm affect them when we came here on the first of September?" Hermione asked, clearly hoping to learn more about the magical world.
"Your ticket to get on the Hogwarts Express was charmed to let your parents pass the Muggle-repelling ward on the platform for that instance," Lily explained as she led Hermione towards the Muggle part of King's Cross.
"Well, Ron, I'll see you in January. Enjoy Romania," Nathan said.
"Thanks. I still can't believe my parents are letting me go when Percy and the twins are staying at Hogwarts," Ron said smugly.
Harry snorted slightly. If all the time he had seen Percy hanging around Penelope Clearwater was any indication, Harry wasn't surprised that Percy would want to stay at Hogwarts since Penelope wouldn't be going home this break. As for the twins, Harry heard that their best friend Lee Jordan was staying at Hogwarts as well.
"Ron, Ginny. Come on, we've got to be going," Mrs. Weasley said.
"Coming, Mum. I'll see you later, Nathan," Ron said before leaving with his sister and parents.
"So, boys, how was your first term?" James asked.
"Great! Hogwarts is awesome, Dad, just like you said," Nathan said happily.
James smiled at his son's exuberance. "Harry, how do you like being in Ravenclaw? I remember back in my fifth year, Sirius, Remus, and I charmed that stupid knocker to speak in limericks after it wouldn't let us into the Ravenclaw common room."
Before Harry could answer, Lily arrived with a smile on her face. "Nathan, your friend Hermione seems like a very intelligent girl."
Nathan just rolled his eyes. "Hermione's a genius. She's the only person I know who spends as much time in the library as Harry."
"You say that like it's a bad thing." Harry smirked. "We'll see who's laughing after our grades are delivered."
"I'm sure you both did well," James said, stopping any argument that might develop between his two sons. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bizarrely multicolored striped sock.
Lily looked at the sock and shook her head slightly. "I honestly don't know what Albus was thinking, choosing that to be a Portkey."
"I try not to contemplate why Albus does half the things he does, Lily. Fruit punch," James said, activating the Portkey and sending the Potters back home.
ooo0000ooo
Potter Residence, (Dec. 20th)...
Harry,
I'm writing you to let you know that the first term grades have been scored, and that Filius did indeed send out your transcript to Durmstrang as he promised to do.
That is the good news.
Unfortunately, I also have some bad news to report to you.
Your first term grades have been scored.
Now, as you know, I am not allowed to discus a student's scorecard prior to receipt of grades in the mail; however, I will say that your insistent complaints about the easiness of your exams were well founded.
Now, to the reason I am writing you. Filius has been acting slightly off ever since your meeting with him on the 16th. He has not been his excessively chipper self, which is very strange, especially around the holidays. Many members of the staff are concerned, but he has not yet told them the reason behind his less-than-joyous attitude.
Recently, Filius has taken to disappearing into his quarters, only showing up at meals. Also, he has begun asking everyone about how much free time they might have available next term to tutor a student. It is my opinion that now that Filius has seen your scores and is aware of your potential, he will not let you leave Hogwarts without a fight.
I am positive that Filius will soon be informing other members of the staff about your decision to leave Hogwarts. From what you have told me, your family is somewhat close with Headmaster Dumbledore as well as Professors McGonagall, Snape, and even Filius himself. It could easily get back to your parents that you desire to transfer.
I know you wanted to wait until after you know you have a spot at Durmstrang to tell your parents about wanting to leave Hogwarts, but you might want to consider telling them before they hear it from someone else.
The best of luck,
ProfessorQuirinusQuirrell
Harry scowled as he put down the letter. What was he going to do? He didn't want to tell his parents that he wanted to leave Hogwarts unless he waspositivethat Durmstrang had accepted him. He knew that he would have to fight his parents to get them to understand why he would want to leave, and he really didn't want to have that argument unless he knew Durmstrang would have a spot for him.
Still, if Quirrell was right, Professor Flitwick would tell the other teachers or Headmaster Dumbledore about him wanting to transfer. He had to stall Professor Flitwick somehow.
Sitting down at his desk, Harry took out a piece of parchment and a quill.
Dear Professor Flitwick,
I know we weren't able to meet for very long in your office before I had to leave...
ooo0000ooo
Uncomfortable Discoveries
Potter Residence, (Dec. 22nd)...
"Hey Harry," Nathan said, entering his brother's room, "Mum wants to talk to us."
"Oh?" Harry asked, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "What did you do now?"
"Nothing," Nathan said a little too quickly. "Well, nothing that would get you in trouble."
"Whatever," Harry said as he and his brother went downstairs and into the living room where their mother and father were talking.
"Harry, Nathan, your mother has just gotten off the fellowphone with the Grangers," James said brightly. Harry and Nathan both snickered at their father's intentional mispronouncing of the Muggle device.
Lily shook her head. "James, stop being stupid. Anyway boys, your father and I have discussed it, and we're going to be having a small party on New Year's. As of right now, the only people who are coming are your uncles, the Weasleys, and the Grangers. Harry, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to invite anyone from Hogwarts? Albus will be providing Portkeys for everyone so we don't have to worry about giving away the secret to the Fidelius Charm."
Harry shifted nervously. "Ugh, no, I'm good," he said before making an excuse and going back upstairs to his room.
"That was strange," James commented.
"I know," Lily said in concern. "He's been acting a little 'off' lately. Nathan, did anything happen at Hogwarts?"
"I'm not sure," he said, feeling slightly guilty that something might be wrong with his brother and he hadn't realized. "I… well, Harry and I weren't able to spend a lot of time together this last term, so I didn't get to talk to him a lot."
Lily appeared surprised. "Why weren't you able to spend time together?"
"You didn't get into a fight, did you?" James asked. "Harry mentioned that you two didn't sit together on the train ride back home."
"No, we didn't get into a fight" Nathan said quickly, "It's just...he's in Ravenclaw, and I'm in Gryffindor. We don't share any classes, and I've been really busy with Quidditch and everything."
Lily and James shared a disbelieving look. "So you didn't talk to each other for an entire term?"
Nathan shook his head. "No, we did... just not a lot."
"Who does Harry spend time with?" asked Lily intently. "I know we've spoken about Ron and Hermione, but somehow I can't remember Harry ever mentioninghisfriends."
"I-I really don't know," Nathan admitted.
"I don't like the sound of this," Lily muttered. "Nathan, try harder. Can you think of anyone that Harry is close to at Hogwarts or might have mentioned as being a friend?"
Nathan thought back. He recalled all the times he saw Harry studying in the Library surrounded by books, but never people. At meals, his head always down, never involved in conversation. The happy smile on his face whenever they talked, and the brief flash of annoyance whenever Nathan had to leave and do something with Ron or Hermione.
With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Nathan remembered Hermione's comment about Harry sitting alone on the express. "I-I can't think of anybody."
"Nathan, why don't you go fly outside," James ordered. "Your mother and I need to talk."
Reluctantly, Nathan nodded his head and went outside. He didn't go flying though; he was too disappointed in himself. Sure he was busy at Hogwarts, but he should have recognized something was bothering Harry. He'd make it up to his brother next term. He'd make time to hang out with him, even if it meant hanging out in a library for a day studying. Nathan smiled slightly, Hermione would probably like that plan.
Once Nathan was outside, James turned to his wife. "Do you think I should go talk to Harry?
"I don't know, James," Lily muttered. "Merlin, I knew something seemed off with Harry."
"What do you think we should do? After how quickly Harry left, he clearly doesn't want to talk about it."
"He's probably embarrassed, James. How would you feel?"
"I honestly don't know," James admitted. "I met Sirius on the express along with Remus and...him. I never had a problem with friends at Hogwarts after that."
"I can't believe Nathan," Lily said, the disappointment evident in her voice. "He should have realized something was wrong. I don't believe that tripe about how being in different houses means they didn't have time for one another. Severus and I were in different houses and that didn't stop us from being best friends for the longest time."
James smartly swallowed the comment he wanted to make about Snivellus. Lily and the greasy git had reconnected several years ago and had been steadily rebuilding their friendship. They had even started to do some Potions research together. It had at first bothered him, but he had smartly swallowed his pride and never said anything. He had Lily, and he knew that she loved him. Snivellus wasn't worth fighting with his wife over anymore.
"So what do we do about Harry?" James finally asked.
"I think we should let him come to us," Lily said after a moment of thought. "I don't want him to feel bad over Christmas, and Harry knows he can trust us with anything. If he hasn't talked to us about his problems by the start of the new year, we'll sit him down and talk to him about it."
"I hope you're right."
"Me too, James. Me too."
ooo0000ooo
O is for Outstanding
Potter Residence, (Dec. 26th)...
"So Nathan actually didn't catch the snitch, Dad." Harry smirked at his blushing brother. "He swallowed it!"
"We still won," Nathan said indignantly as his brother and father laughed uproariously. This just wasn't fair. He couldn't even defend himself. It wasn't like he could tell his parents that someone had been jinxing his broomstick –they'd have him off the team faster than he could say Quidditch.
"I'm sure you played well, Nathan," Lily said with a smile hinting at the corner of her mouth. "Your father and I will try our best to see your next game at Hogwarts." Nathan beamed at his parents as they all sat around the kitchen table having brunch.
The sound of fluttering wings interrupted their meal as several owls entered from an open window. Two immediately flew towards Harry and Nathan while the third owl settled next to their mother. "Must be your first term scores," Lily commented. "Albus said they would be getting sent out soon."
Harry quickly removed the owl of its burden and opened the letter. He read and then re-read his scores. While he thought his tests were easy, it was still hard to believe. He had perfect scores. Straight Outstandings. A note at the bottom of his letter from Professor Flitwick said that he hadn't missed so much as a single point on his Charms, Transfiguration, Defense, or Potions exams, and that Harry was first in his year.
"So how did you do?" James asked.
"I got an outstanding in Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense," Nathan said happily.
"That's excellent, Nathan," James said happily. "How about you, Harry?"
"Yes, Harry, how did you do?" Lily said, putting down her letter and looking intently at her older son. "Perhaps your scores will explain why Filius sent me a letter asking to meet with us on New Year's along with Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall?"
Harry sighed. Apparently the letter he had sent to his Head of House hadn't done as good of a job as he had hoped.
"Well, Harry?" James asked.
"I got Outstandings in all my classes," Harry said somewhat defensively. Did his parents really think he would have done poorly?
James took his son's score card and whistled appreciatively. "Wow, I don't think even you got scores this good, Lily."
Lily looked over her husband's shoulder and her eyes widened slightly. "I know I didn't. Harry, this is an incredible score card. Can you think of any reason why Filius would want to meet with us after seeing scores this good?"
"Maybe," Harry said shrugging his shoulders. "I have to go send a letter."
Harry quickly stood and left the table. A few seconds later, Harry was up the stairs and in his room. A silencing charm on his door ensured that his scream of frustration wasn't heard by anyone.
Flitwick must have told Dumbledore and McGonagall about him wanting to leave Hogwarts. That could be the only reason for all of them showing up on New Year's. They were all going to try to talk him out of transferring. At least Professor Flitwick hadn't outright told his parents that he wanted to transfer, so his letter had apparently done something to convince his Head of House. Still, it was going to be hard enough to convince his parents that he wanted to leave Hogwarts. Now that he had the Headmaster, his Head of House, and Professor McGonagall to deal with as well, he was going to need a plan.
Taking out a piece of parchment, Harry quickly scribbled out a letter.
Dear Professor Quirrell,
My grades came today along with a letter from Professor Flitwick to my parents...
ooo0000ooo
A Decision That Will Live in Infamy
Potter Residence, (Dec. 31st)...
"So, Harry, only one term at Hogwarts and you're already in so much trouble that the Headmaster, Deputy Headmistress, and your Head of House all need to show up to talk to your parents about you, huh?" Sirius teased.
"Padfoot, shut up. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, Harry," said Remus. "Your first term grades were incredible, so I doubt you'll be in any trouble. Besides, I know the Headmaster was planning on spending New Year's here anyway and Minerva was invited as well, so perhaps Filius just wants to talk to you or–"
"Maybe he'll give you an award for being the smartest Ravenclaw, ever," Sirius said with a bemused expression. Harry couldn't help but smile. His uncles always had the ability to make him laugh, even now, as he was nervously awaiting his professors' arrival.
With a whoosh of displaced air, Harry saw the Grangers arrive with Professor McGonagall. At least Harry assumed it was the Grangers. Judging from the lack of red hair, he knew it wasn't the Weasleys, and the three people around Professor McGonagall had crashed to the floor upon arrival; clearly the result of a lack of experience traveling by Portkey.
"That was incredible," Mr. Granger said after climbing to his feet. "It was like riding a roller coaster but without being strapped into anything." From the look on Hermione and her mother's faces, the two female Grangers did not appreciate the style of travel nearly as much.
Mrs. Granger cast a weary sidewise glance at the innocent looking dishtowel that had managed to transport them across the country in a matter of seconds. "You weren't kidding when you said traveling by Portkey was something you had to experience to understand Professor."
"When will Hermione learn how to make those?" Mr. Granger asked.
Sirius let out a bark of laughter, alerting Professor McGonagall and the three Grangers to their presence in the room. "I think I could teach the little lady how to make them if you really wan–"
"Sirius Black, you will do no such thing," McGonagall snapped. Turning to Mr. Granger, Professor McGonagall drastically softened her tone. "Portkey creation is highly restricted, and it isn't something that Hogwarts typically teaches its students. The only reason I was able to acquire one for us to use is that the Headmaster, in his roll as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, is allowed to make them. I do not even want to postulate a guess as to why you, Mr. Black, know how to create them."
Sirius appeared scandalized. "Minerva, I'm hurt. Do you really think that I would ever do anything,untowardwith a Portkey?"
"Remus, it is good to see you again." Minerva smiled, ignoring Sirius's question.
"Professor, it's always nice to see you as well," Remus replied. "I understand you've gotten another Potter to win the Quidditch Cup for you."
"Yes, well, I couldn't have such talent watching a match from the stands, could I?" Minerva asked before turning somewhat serious. "But I suppose introductions are in order. Mr. and Mrs. Granger, Hermione, allow me to introduce Remus Lupin, and that lecherous man standing next to him is Sirius Black."
"In case you couldn't tell, I was Minerva's favorite student," Sirius said in a stage whisper to Harry.
Mr. Granger walked over and extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Remus, Sirius. Now, is this the young man who has somehow captured my daughter's heart?" he asked, looking at Harry.
"Dan, don't embarrass our daughter," Mrs. Granger chided. "We've only been here for a few minutes. We'll have plenty of time for that later."
"Mum!" Hermione exclaimed, looking at her mother in horror.
"I'mHarryPotter, sir. Nathan is my brother, but I'm in Hermione's year at Hogwarts," Harry said as he politely shook Mr. and Mrs. Granger's hands. "It's nice to see you as well, Professor."
"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said kindly.
"So, Minnie, are you going to tell us what the big hush-hush secret meeting tonight is all about?" Sirius asked as he draped an arm over his old Head of House's shoulder. As Sirius escorted Professor McGonagall out of the living room, Harry was willing to bet that his transfiguration professor was fighting the urge to turn into her cat form and scratch Sirius's eyes out.
Harry saw Mr. Granger fight back a laugh at Sirius's actions while both Hermione and Mrs. Granger seemed to be sending very reproachful looks at him.
"Mr. Black…"
Sirius pouted. "Seriously, Minerva, why do you call James, Lily, and Remus by their first names, but I'm still Mr. Black?"
"Because they have all proven that they are adults," Minerva snapped. "When you grow up, I will call you something other than Mr. Black. Now take your arm off of me this instant, or I will make sure that you spend the rest of the evening as a pincushion!"
Sirius immediately removed his arm and took a step away from the irate transfiguration mistress, causing everyone to laugh and Professor McGonagall to look smug.
"Secret meeting?" Hermione asked Harry curiously.
"Don't worry about it," Harry said. "Sirius was just, well, being Sirius."
"He's certainly immature," Hermione huffed, clearly disapproving of Sirius' actions.
"Sirius was at Hogwarts with my dad and mum. They were all Gryffindors and have known Professor McGonagall for a long time, Hermione. They also fought in the war together," Harry said, defending his godfather's actions.
"Well," Hermione said, though a bit less judgmental, "he could still use a bit better manners."
Before Harry could reply, Nathan, Lily, and James entered the room.
"Hi, Nathan," Hermione greeted with a bright smile. "These are my parents."
"It's nice to meet you sir, ma'am."
"You as well, Nathan. Hermione has told us a lot about you," Mr. Granger said.
"Err…nothing bad, right?"
Both Grangers just smiled at him in a knowing way, and Nathan shot Hermione a reproachful look.
"Oh please, I just said that you should spend more time on your studies instead of playing that silly game."
"Silly game!" James said in mock horror. "Surely you're not talking about Quidditch, young lady?"
"I sincerely hope she is," Lily said seriously. "Nathan could use someone reminding him that the world doesn't revolve around that sport." Everyone in the room laughed as Hermione blushed at being simultaneously approved and disapproved of by the Potters.
"Lily, it's good to see you again," Mrs. Granger said kindly.
"You too, Emma. This is my husband James, and children Harry and Nathan."
"Yes, Dan and I met Harry earlier, a very polite young man..."
Harry blushed and wandered away, leaving the adults, and Sirius, to discus whatever it is that adults talk about.
"So did McGonagall say anything?" Nathan asked catching up to his brother.
Harry looked uncomfortably at Hermione for a moment. "No, though Sirius did try to ask."
"Say anything about what?" Hermione asked curiously.
Nathan was about to answer when there was another whoosh of displaced air, signaling the arrival of the Weasley family. Harry, Nathan, and Hermione walked back to the living room in time to see Ron and his sister picking themselves up off the ground.
"I suppose we should say hello to his parents," Hermione instructed as she led them over to the Weasley family.
The introductions to the Weasleys didn't take nearly as long as with the Grangers. Harry and Nathan had already been introduced to them at King's Cross, and Ron quickly dragged Nathan and Hermione away as soon as the basic pleasantries were done. That left Harry standing next to Ginny Weasley, who, once again, seemed to be in a state of stunned silence.
"So, Ginny," Harry said, trying to think of anything to engage the girl in conversation. "Do you like Quidditch?" he eventually asked out of desperation.
"Yes," she mumbled shyly.
Seeing that the girl wasn't about to elaborate, Harry left to find his brother and his friends –at least they knew how to talk properly. After not finding them anywhere downstairs, Harry went upstairs and was about to enter his brother's room when he heard Nathan say, "I think we should talk to Harry about it."
Curious, Harry continued to listen.
"Are you sure that's smart?" Ron asked. "You said it yourself, your brother likes Snape. He'd never believe us."
Harry scowled. Just great, his brother was going to blame Snape for something. Harry had heard the rumors about how Snape treated his brother in his classroom. While Harry thought it wasn't exactly fair, he had written his mother and she had explained it somewhat to him. Apparently, Snape and his father did not get along at school, and Snape now saw Nathan as James re-incarnate, obsessed with Quidditch and more interested in joking around than doing school work. Harry's academic prowess in Potions had been enough for Snape to realize that he was more like his mother than his father, and Snape had not treated Harry badly at all.
"...I couldn't find him in the library, I doubt Harry would know," Hermione said.
Harry cursed himself for not paying attention. Find who in the library? And for that matter who was Granger to think she was better than him? He was top in their year, not her!
"Alright, I just thought he could help," Nathan said.
"Maybe he could," Hermione said hesitantly. "We just have to make sure he won't tell anyone what we suspect."
"We can trust him," Nathan said certainly.
What was going on? Trust him with what? Why was his brother keeping something secret from him?
"Harry?"
Harry quickly turned around and saw his uncle standing at the top of the stairs. "Oh, hey Uncle Sirius. I was just looking for Nathan."
"Well your mum sent me to get everyone, dinner's ready."
"I'll get Nathan," Harry said as he knocked on his brother's door. A moment later the door opened, revealing his slightly guilty-looking brother.
"Hey Nathan, dinner's ready," Harry said, pretending that he hadn't heard anything between Nathan and his friends.
"Oh, alright. Ron, Hermione, dinner's ready."
"Great! I was getting hungry," Ron said, quickly leaving the room and going downstairs.
"Harry," Sirius said in a surprisingly serious tone that instantly grabbed Harry and Nathan's attention. "Professors Dumbledore and Flitwick are here. They want to talk to you and your parents after dinner."
Harry simply nodded his head and ignored the very curious look that Hermione was sending him as they walked downstairs. Arriving in the dining room, Harry immediately took an open seat next to Remus, two seats down from Professor Flitwick, who he acknowledged with a nod.
"Well now that everyone's here, we can begin," Lily said as she casually waved her wand, causing a knife to rise in the air and cut several pieces of the roast in the center of the table. Once the roast was sufficiently cut, every plate rose up and one by one had a piece of meat, some vegetables, and potatoes placed on it before it went back to its owner.
"Amazing," Mrs. Granger said in awe.
Lily laughed. "If you think that's nice, imagine not having to do dishes ever again. My mother thought that was the single greatest benefit of magic."
Immediately conversations started to pop up around the table. Sirius was unsuccessfully trying to convince Professor McGonagall that the catnip that was sent to her for Christmas was not from him. Professor Flitwick, Lily, and Mrs. Weasley began explaining the different charms that were rather common around the house to the three Grangers. James, Sirius, Mr. Weasley, Nathan, Ron, and, surprisingly, Professor Dumbledore were discussing Puddlemere's chances at winning the title this year.
"You have nothing to be worried about, Harry," Remus said.
"No, I know," Harry answered. "I'm certain I'm not in trouble."
"Really?" Remus asked with a raised eyebrow. "So if you know you aren't in any trouble, why are you nervous?"
"I'm not."
Remus just smiled and tapped his nose. "Harry, you smell nervous and anxious. If you know you are not going to be getting in trouble, what is there to worry about?"
"Well... how would you feel if the Headmaster, Deputy Headmistress, and your Head of House all showed up to talk to you when you were a first year?"
"I'd be terrified." Remus recalled meeting Dumbledore when he was ten and being frightened to death that the man would hate him for being a werewolf.
"Still, you're not scared," Remus said, seemingly thinking out loud. "So, wait a minute, do you know what this is about?"
Harry fidgeted nervously. He didn't want to lie to his uncle, or anyone for that matter. So far he'd just been avoiding the question or giving half-truths, but he hadn't lied.
"Harry?" Remus asked again.
"Well, I might have an idea what it's about."
"Then why didn't you tell anyone..." Remus trailed off as a very large and imposing eagle owl began pecking against the window with a letter tied to its leg.
Lily flicked her wand and opened the window. The owl flew towards Harry, landed on the back of his chair, and extended his leg, showing the letter that was tied to it. Harry quickly untied the letter and gave the large bird a piece of meat.
Looking down at the letter, Harry saw the Coat of Arms for Durmstrang: a double-headed eagle sitting on top of a skull, and a flag with the words Durmstrang Institute emblazoned across it. Harry nervously opened the letter – he was so focused that he didn't realize that all other conversations had stopped around the table.
Mr. Potter,
It gives me great pleasure to award you admission to the Durmstrang Institute of Magic. Since you are a transfer student, your letter of acceptance is due no later than the 6thof January, and you will be required to take several placement tests. The tests will be administered by a Durmstrangrepresentative at the British Ministry of Magic on January 8th. Once your testing has been complete, you will be given a book list and a Portkey that will take you to the school on the 11thof January.
Congratulations,
Demetri Überzeug
Assistant to the Highmaster
"Harry?" Professor Flitwick asked, breaking the silence.
Harry smiled broadly. "I got in."
"In where?" Remus asked as he picked up the envelope. He glanced at it for a moment before he turned to face Harry, shock registering on his face. "Why?"
"What's going on, Harry?" James asked. "Remus, who was that letter from?"
"It's a letter... from Durmstrang," Remus said in disbelief.
Lily's eyes widened. "Harry, why are you getting a letter from Durmstrang?"
"While the timing is unfortunate as it has interrupted our meal," Dumbledore said, standing up, "Harry, I believe we should have that discussion now."
Professor Flitwick immediately stood, and he was quickly followed by Professor McGonagall.
"Is there a comfortable place we can talk in private?" Dumbledore asked.
"The living room, but Albus, what exactly is going on? Why do you all need to talk to Harry?" Lily demanded.
"Harry, you said you wanted to wait," Professor Flitwick gestured to the letter, not looking particularly pleased. "Well, you have your answer."
Reluctantly, Harry realized that the moment had finally come, and he couldn't put it off any longer. "Mum, Dad, I don't want to go back to Hogwarts."
"What!" James and Nathan exclaimed simultaneously while Sirius simply stared at his godson incomprehensibly.
"Harry," Lily asked hesitantly, "why on earth don't you want to go back to Hogwarts? You're first in your year."
Ignoring Hermione's surprised gasp, Filius took charge. "Lily, James, perhaps this is a conversation that is best done in private?"
Seeing that both the Weasleys and the Grangers were staring at Harry, Lily quickly agreed. "Very well, Arthur, Molly, Dan, Emma, excuse us."
As all the Potters, Sirius, and Remus stood up and followed the Professors out of the dining room, Harry heard Ron say, "He's a loon, why would anyone want to leave Hogwarts?"
The Headmaster led everyone into the Potter's living room and once everyone was settled, cast a series of locking and silencing charms, ensuring that they wouldn't be overheard.
"Alright. Now what is going on, Harry?" James asked.
"Why don't I begin," Filius said, noticing Harry's hesitancy. "Earlier this month, Harry approached me asking that I send out a copy of his transcript to Durmstrang. I did not get a chance to inquire why he was interested in transferring, but he seemed to have done some research about it, otherwise he would not have known to come to me about sending out his academic record. Harry then sent me a letter on the twenty-second politely asking that I not tell anyone about his desire to leave Hogwarts until he was certain that he would be accepted at Durmstrang. He, understandably, felt that his family would be against such an idea, and he did not want to have the discussion unless he knew he had a spot at Durmstrang. I had just finished informing Albus and Minerva about your potential transfer, Harry, when your owl arrived. After looking at your scores, we knew that you would be accepted... how could you not be?" He ended a tad bit bitterly.
When Filius fell silent, Professor Dumbledore continued. "I inquired from a contact at Durmstrang and found out that they would be sending you a positive response and that it should arrive by today."
"Which is why we all came tonight," McGonagall stated. "We knew that a decision would need to be made soon, and we wanted to speak with you beforehand."
"Alright, that explains why you're here," Lily said. "But why do you want to leave Hogwarts, Harry?"
"I just don't like it," Harry said quietly.
"What exactly don't you like about Hogwarts, my boy?" Dumbledore asked kindly.
"And why didn't you come to me with any problems you might be having?" Flitwick asked.
"I did, sir," Harry protested. "I went to you, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape. You all told me that I was too young to learn advanced material; that everything at Hogwarts would get harder for me, but it never did! I'm so bored in class, sir."
"You were reading a third year Transfiguration book," Nathan blurted out. "That wasn't just a one-time thing, was it?"
Everyone turned to look at Nathan, and then back at Harry. All of the professors looked surprised at that bit of information. "Mr. Potter, is that true? Are you really that far ahead?" Professor McGonagall asked in astonishment.
"Yes. Madam Pince has been helping me find good books on theory so that I'm not confused by some of the advanced material."
"That's incredible," Flitwick said. "What about Charms?"
"I've been reading an older edition of the third year Charms book since late October."
"Mr. Potter, just how did you get this far ahead of your peers?" Dumbledore asked curiously.
Lily sighed. "That may be my fault. Harry asked me to teach him magic a few years ago."
"But, and I mean no offense, Nathan's grades are not perfect in four classes," McGonagall said, apparently still amazed that the boy in front of her could be so far ahead.
"I admit that while I taught the boys the same material, Harry has always been more... enthusiastic about it," said Lily. "I knew he was sneaking some books out of our library to read, but I didn't realize just how advanced they were. He didn't have a wand, so I never thought reading ahead would give him too much of an advantage."
"Mr. Potter, just how far ahead where you when you entered Hogwarts?" asked Dumbledore. "And how have you shown such a command for magic when you only had your wand for a month before classes started?"
Harry let a grin cross his face. "I might have only had my wand for a month, sir, but I've been getting ready to do magic for my entire life. I studied the theory, and I practiced the wand movements all the time. Since I knew I was magical, and I knew the right incantations and wand movements, it was easy for me to make the spells work. Most of the spells in my first year book I got on my first or second try, and a lot of the second year spells didn't take me too long to master."
Filius could only shake his head in amazement. "Unbelievable."
"Well, this is rather…unprecedented," Dumbledore mused. "Not even I was so advanced or comfortable with my magic when I began Hogwarts."
"But why Durmstrang?" Sirius interjected. "You know theyteachthe Dark Arts there, don't you, Harry? Why not Beauxbatons? At the very least they have a bunch of pretty French girls."
"Durmstrang encourages people to study advanced magic, and they let people move ahead of their peers into harder classes. I could easily test into my second or maybe even third year in a bunch of classes." Harry couldn't help but grow excited as he spoke about the possibility of moving ahead in classes. "And because they teach the Dark Arts, they don't have a restricted section in their library. That means I can learn advanced charms and transfiguration without needing a pass to take out the advanced material."
Dumbledore narrowed his eyes slightly. "Where exactly did you learn this from, Harry? What you are speaking of is not common knowledge for someone who has never been to Durmstrang, and I know of no book in the Hogwarts library that would mention it."
Harry froze. Professor Quirrell has specifically mentioned not to say anything about how close they were, and Harry was not about to betray the closest thing to a friend that he had at Hogwarts. "Well, I wrote to the Highmaster asking what Durmstrang could offer me, and he wrote back explaining how Durmstrang was superior to Hogwarts."
With a noticeable sigh, Dumbledore removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Yes, Igor has always believed that Durmstrang should be considered the premier school of magic in Europe; however, I am surprised that he took the time to write you back Harry. Igor Karkaroff has never been one for friendly conversations, especially with students."
"Karkaroff!" exclaimed James. "Igor Karkaroff is the Headmaster of Durmstrang? Well, that settles it. Harry, you are not stepping one foot inside that school!"
"What! Why not?"
"He was a Death Eater, Harry. This is not up for debate," Lily agreed.
Harry looked confused. "But if everyoneknowshe's a Death Eater, why isn't he in prison?"
"Igor claimed to have a change of heart and revealed several key Death Eaters before the Wizengamot," Dumbledore said hesitantly.
"So… he sold out a lot of Death Eaters to get out of prison?" Harry asked.
"Essentially, yes," Dumbledore acquiesced.
"But if he realized he was wrong and gave up the other Death Eaters…"
"Harry, Igor did unspeakable things for Voldemort," Dumbledore said, causing everyone else in the room to flinch. "He betrayed his fellow Death Eaters to avoid Azkaban. It had nothing to do with any sudden moral objection."
"But if something happened to me at Durmstrang, everyone would just assume that he did it," Harry argued. "He'd be right back in front of the Wizengamot answering questions, and there is no way he would be released a second time."
"Igor is very clever, Harry, and he is ruthless," Dumbledore warned. "If he wanted to harm you, he could very easily facilitate it by means that would not reflect directly on him."
"I'm not stupid, sir, I'm not going to be walking around at night unsupervised. Plus, don't the Professors at Durmstrang have to take oaths that they won't harm a student and grade fairly? Since they usually only accept purebloods, Durmstrang had to make sure that feuds between families wouldn't spill over between faculty and students."
"That…is true," Dumbledore admitted, "and once again you have demonstrated a piece of knowledge that typically does not leave Durmstrang. I take it Igor wanted to assure you of your safety?"
"Wait. Just wait. I amnotcomfortable with this," James said, stopping Dumbledore and Harry's discussion. "Not at all, Harry. I don't care that Karkaroff can't do anything; I don't want a Death Eater near any of my children. It's bad enough that I have to put up with Sn–"
"James," Lily hissed angrily, "you promised."
"Sorry," he muttered, not sounding at all apologetic.
"Harry, what if I agreed to give you the extra lessons you requested?" Filius asked.
Harry's eyes widened. Private lessons with Professor Flitwick would be amazing. "Would I still have to attend Charms class? Or could I maybe move into a more advanced class?"
Flitwick looked at Dumbledore, who shook his head slight. "No, Harry, you can not be moved ahead."
"Then that doesn't solve the problem," Harry said adamantly. "I'd still be bored, and I'd have to do a bunch of essays and take tests on stuff I learned ages ago."
"Harry, that is a very generous offer from Professor Flitwick, you should consider it," Lily said.
"I understand that, and I do appreciate it Professor, but…well, Mum, Dad, can I talk to you and the professors in private?" Harry asked his parents hesitantly. He didn't want to do this, but it was looking like Quirrell was right.
Everyone appeared surprised that Harry didn't want his uncles or brother in the room.
"You can say anything in front of Sirius and I, Harry," Remus said softly. "You know that."
"I-I know that, but it's…well, it's embarrassing," Harry admitted truthfully.
Lily and James shared a look with one another and seemed to come to a conclusion. "Sirius, Remus, Nathan, please give us a moment."
After a surprised glance at Lily and James, Sirius, Remus, and a protesting Nathan got up and left.
"What's this about, Mr. Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"I… well, I wasn't exactly being one hundred percent truthful about why I wanted to leave Hogwarts," Harry said, his face turning red. Taking a deep breath, Harry opened his mouth several times before gathering the courage needed. "I-I don't have any friends." Looking up, Harry saw the confusion on Professors McGonagall and Flitwick's faces while his parents looked deeply saddened, but not surprised. The worst though was Professor Dumbledore. The man Harry considered a grandfather just stared deep into his eyes until, slowly, an expression of pained understanding appeared on his face.
"What do you mean, Harry?" Flitwick asked.
Harry didn't have to use the charm that Quirrell told him would fake tears as he felt a few fall on their own. "I don't have any friends, sir. All the other Ravenclaws hate me."
"Harry," Lily said softly, "why didn't you tell us?"
Harry just shrugged his shoulders and did his best to hide his embarrassment.
"What about your brother?" James asked, wanting to hear Harry's opinion on the matter.
"He's really busy," Harry said quietly, "and whenever we do hang out, he brings Ron with him."
"You don't like Ron?" Lily asked.
"All he does is talk about Quidditch and make fun of me for wanting to study," Harry said with exasperation. "When Nathan and I actuallyaretalking or studying together, Ron complains about being bored and eventually Nathan and him go fly, or play chess, or explore the castle, or do something else I'm not interested in."
James frowned. "Have you told Nathan about this?"
"No," said Harry bitterly, "it's not like we hang out all that much anyway."
"You said you don't get along with your housemates?" Filius asked in concern.
Harry couldn't keep the anger from showing on his facing, surprising everyone in the room. "They're just obsessed with knowing about the Boy Who Lived. They don't even care about getting to know me."
Filius shook his head, trying to think of ways to resolve this. "Have you given them a chance to see you as a different person?"
"Of course," Harry snapped out in frustration, "but just because I tell them that Nathan wasn't trained by the Headmaster from birth to be the next Merlin, they all think I'm jealous of Nathan for being the Boy Who Lived. It's not like they're even interested in getting to knowNathan, all they care about is the myth of the Boy Who Lived. I know they are Ravenclaws, sir, but they are a group of complete idiots!"
James snorted and was sent a reproachful look from both Filius and his wife. Wisely, he shut up.
"And then," Harry continued angrily, "after they realized I'm smarter than them, they started saying all kinds of awful things about me behind my back! Then they had the gall to be upset with me when I refused to help them do their homework the day it's due. I hate them, sir. I hate them!"
To say that the three Hogwarts professors were stunned was an understatement. Filius was horrified at what had been going on seemingly under his nose. McGonagall was surprised that Harry Potter, the normally polite and kind young man, was speaking with such rage towards his peers.
Finally, Albus Dumbledore was truly concerned. The anger Harry had just shown reminded him of another boy. A boy who also had a tremendous control over his magic from a young age and let his anger and loneliness destroy him. No, Albus had seen firsthand what had become of Tom Riddle, and he would not, he could not, allow Harry, who was like a grandson to him, to fall the same way that Tom had. But was allowing Harry to transfer the answer? A long time ago Gellert had spoken to him at length about Durmstrang, and he knew that the school wasn't evil as many people made it out to be. They had, after all, expelled Gellert when he pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable.
"Mr. Potter, Harry, why didn't you come to me with your problem?" Filius eventually asked.
"It was embarrassing, sir," Harry said honestly, "and there was nothing you could do. You can't make someone be your friend."
The prolonged silence that filled the room was palpable.
"Please let me transfer," Harry practically begged.
"Harry, are you sure this is what you want?" Lily asked, deeply saddened by what her son had just told them. It was every parent's nightmare to have your child feel alone, and what had been happening to Harry at Hogwarts simply broke her heart.
"Yes, please."
"Albus, do you think Harry would be safe at Durmstrang?" Lily asked, ignoring James's protest.
"Harry is correct that the faculty at Durmstrang would not be able to do him harm magically; however, Harry, you should know that Durmstrang does enforce corporal punishment as discipline. There is also the student population that could prove to be dangerous."
Thankfully, Quirrell had prepared him for this objection. Without hesitation, Harry said, "Nott, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Flint, Parkenson, and Travers." When Quirrell had written and listed all the children, nieces, and nephews of confirmed or rumored Death Eaters, Harry had initially been horrified, but he privately admitted that the information would indeed be useful to convince his parents.
"A valid point," Dumbledore conceded. "Voldemort did recruit most his followers from England, and so you are unlikely to find as many of his supporters' children at Durmstrang, which caters to a more international group of students."
"You're forgetting Karkaroff," James insisted. "He might not be able to magically harm Harry, but what about non-magically? You said that Durmstrang employs corporal punishment. What does that entail?"
Dumbledore grimaced. "Durmstrang's punishment system is very similar to what Hogwarts had before I became Headmaster and eliminated what I considered unsavory practices. Whippings, floggings, and being chained by your wrists or ankles are not uncommon forms of discipline."
"I, Harry, I'm sorry," Lily had tears in her eyes. "I will not allow you to be persecuted by Igor Karkaroff! The answer is…"
"No," Harry said desperately. "I won't get into trouble. I promise. I've never gotten a detention at Hogwarts, and I won't at Durmstrang. I swear."
"It might not be that simple Harry," James explained. "Karkaroff could instruct his professors to hold you to a higher standard than the rest of your peers. I admit I'm not fond of the idea of you leaving Hogwarts, but I absolutely refuse to send you someplace where you could be hurt.
Harry looked around the room, hoping to find someone that would come to his aid. At first glance, Flitwick appeared sad, but the slight glimmer in his eye told Harry that Flitwick was secretly pleased that he would be staying at Hogwarts. McGonagall, likewise, looked troubled by Harry's story, but she did not appear at all sympathetic towards him wanting to leave Hogwarts. Harry could see some tears forming in his mother's eyes as he silently begged her to reconsider, but she shook her head slightly. Turning to look at his father, Harry immediately knew that he had no chance of convincing him.
Desperately, Harry looked at Professor Dumbledore. The typically constant twinkle in his grandfather's eyes was gone, replaced by a look of deep sadness and pity. When it appeared that Dumbledore as well would not lift a finger to help him, Harry felt his anger grow. After everything he had said, after everything he explained, after revealing his most embarrassing secret, his family and professors didn't care. They all wanted him to go back to Hogwarts. It wasn't fair!
Suddenly, a bookshelf located directly behind Harry exploded, showering the room with splinters, and causing everyone to jump in shock. Everyone, that is, except Harry and Dumbledore, who simply continued to look at Harry with growing concern. Meeting his professor's eyes, Harry tried to convey the anger and betrayal he was feeling towards everyone in the room.
"Perhaps," Dumbledore said, redirecting everyone's attention from the destroyed bookshelf, "I might be able to help. Lily, James if your only concern for sending Harry to Durmstrang is his safety, I shall go speak with Igor personally. I happen to have in my possession a few pensieve memories of him acting on Voldemort's orders outside of England. Our Wizengamot might have given Igor a pardon, but that doesn't mean other countries wouldn't be interested in finding the person responsible for a few unsolved crimes. That should certainly provide the propermotivationfor Igor to not only treat Harry fairly, but to ensure that he is well looked after."
It took Harry all of three seconds to process what Dumbledore had said before he jumped out of his seat, and, with a look of pure joy on his face, hugged his grandfather. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Albus, I don't understand," Lily said in confusion. "If you had this evidence, why haven't you used it already? Karkaroff does not deserve your protection!"
"Lily," Albus said wearily, "had I given the evidence to the other ministries immediately after Igor left Britain in 1981, there was a strong possibly that he could have evaded justice. Igor was a very talented duelist back then, and he was completely ruthless. I have no doubt that should he have managed to avoid the Aurors, he would have gone underground and continued to harm innocents. By allowing Karkaroff to take an honest profession, where he knows I am watching him, he has been partially held in check. Now that Igor has grown accustom to a certain lifestyle at Durmstrang, he will fear my evidence much more than he would have ten years ago."
"So can I go Mum? Dad? Please!" Harry begged.
James looked at his son's pleading face. If Albus could promise Harry's safety... could he really tell Harry no? A quick glance at Lily told him that she had already accepted Harry leaving Hogwarts and wouldn't be much help if he wanted to force his son to stay. Sadly, James knew that there was only one option left for him to choose. "Harry, if Albus can assure your mother and I of your safety, I, well, I suppose we can let you transfer."
Smiling brightly, Harry hugged his parents and began explaining just what was involved in the transfer process.
ooo0000ooo
Outside in the hallway...
Sirius canceled the eavesdropping charm. "Not a word," he said to Nathan and Remus. "Harry can never know we heard."
"But I should say something," Nathan protested. "I need to apologize."
"How do you think that would make him feel?" Remus asked, shaking his head sadly. "He clearly didn't want us to know, Nathan. You would just make him feel bad. It wouldn't make him change his mind."
"But he's leaving and it's my fault! I should have spent more time with him."
"Nathan, this isn't your fault. You didn't make the other Ravenclaws dislike Harry."
"But it is," Nathan argued. "If I wasn't the Boy Who Lived, Harry wouldn't have had those problems."
"Nathan we can't change who we are," Sirius said, trying to calm down his nephew.
"I should have done something, though," Nathan said, tearing away from his uncles and running up the stairs to his room. He didn't notice the concerned looks that the Grangers and Weasleys sent him as he passed the dining room.
ooo0000ooo
A Parting of Ways
Potter Residence, (Jan. 11th)...
Surveying his room, Harry was pretty sure that he hadn't forgotten anything. He was departing for Durmstrang soon, and he definitely didn't want to leave anything at home by mistake. His trunk was packed to its magically-expanded brim. While Durmstrang required casual day robes like Hogwarts, they had to be specially-cut red robes with the Durmstrang crest magically embroidered on them. Durmstrang also required that he buy several heavy Russian-made ushankas and tsigeika coats. The heavy coats were lined with special built-in heating charms, and Harry couldn't imagine a situation where he would ever want to wear such a coat. He had practically started sweating after trying on the thing at Madam Malkin's. Durmstrang couldn't possibly be that cold.
Harry had taken his tests at the Ministry of Magic, and was quite proud to say he had surprised the examiner with his skill. He was actually ahead in third year Charms and Transfiguration theory, but he was slightly behind in the practical aspects. Because of that, he had been granted tentative acceptance into third year classes in Transfiguration and Charms. If it appeared that he couldn't keep up with the practical work, the instructor had the option to send him down to the second year class after a month. Harry also managed to enter second year classes in Potions, History of Magic, and Herbology. His final two courses would be first year Dark Arts and Spell Crafting.
It had initially surprised him that Astronomy was not a core subject at Durmstrang, but Spell Crafting was a class that seemed very interesting. He had only glanced through his book, but the amount of effort it took to create your own spell was astonishing. When Harry had mentioned this to his mother, she had recommended he write to Professor Snape as he had created several spells while at Hogwarts.
If Harry was honest with himself, he admitted that he could have tested better than he did on his Dark Arts exam. He certainly felt that he could have tested into his second year for that class, but with his father standing in the room watching him perform the spells for the Durmstrang representative, Harry was hesitant to show just how much Quirrell had told him about the Dark Arts. While he didn't know a whole lot, it was still more thananyHogwarts first year should have known. Plus, it would be a hard claim to sell that he learned some basic Dark Arts at Hogwarts. It's not like he was allowed into the Restricted Section to look at those books.
Confident that he had everything packed, Harry casually levitated his trunk behind him and walked out of his room and downstairs. He immediately saw Nathan sitting at the kitchen table and looking unhappy.
Harry hadn't seen much of his brother of late, and that wasn't Nathan's fault. He had been very busy not only preparing to take his tests at the Ministry of Magic, but also trying to learn as much German as he could before he went to Durmstrang. Professor Dumbledore had visited for at least an hour every day since Harry had sent out his acceptance letter, and he had personally been helping Harry learn how to read, write, and speak in German.
The charm that helped someone learn a language worked by momentarily enhancing the part of the brain that dealt with understanding languages. During the period that the charm was active, the person it was cast on should be completely immersed in the language he was trying to study with no outside interruptions. Fortunately for Harry, Professor Dumbledore was fluent in German, along with several dozen other languages, and had taken the time out of his busy schedule to help him get a grasp on the language.
Dumbledore had said that some people take to the language charm better than others. A few rare people like the Head of the Department of Magical Cooperation, Barty Crouch, only need the charm on them for an hour or two before they could begin speaking fluently. Unfortunately, it seemed like Harry was on the other side of the spectrum as he had the charm placed on him for well over ten hours, and he still only had a rudimentary grasp of German. Harry didn't even want to think about what he would have done if it wasn't for Professor Dumbledore. Going to a new school in a foreign country was scary enough, but not even having the slightest grasp of the language would have been downright terrifying.
"All packed?" Lily asked.
"Yes," Harry said as he levitated his trunk to the ground and took a seat at the table.
James smiled sadly at his son. It bothered him that one of his sons wouldn't be graduating from Hogwarts. "How long until your Portkey activates?"
"The letter that came with the Portkey said it will activate at ten this morning, so another twenty minutes or so," Harry said after doing a quicktempusspell to check the time. "They said that someone will be waiting for me when I arrive, but I have no idea where I am going."
"Durmstrang's location has been a secret since the school was built, Harry," Lily commented. "I'm not surprised they won't tell you where it is until you are there."
"It has to be somewhere in Germany," Harry said certainly.
"That's what everyone seems to think," James agreed. "Albus knows, but he refuses to say. Something about an oath he took as a member of the ICW. With the sheer amount of heavy cloaks you had to buy, I think it's somewhere in Northern Russia."
"Maybe it's in Siberia," Nathan said, smiling slightly. "You'll wish you were at Hogwarts if you're stuck way up north freezing your butt off."
"Language," Lily chided. "I doubt Durmstrang is in Siberia, Harry. From my experience, purebloods seem to be rather…pampered."
"Hey," James protested indignantly.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Please, like you weren't spoiled rotten as a child."
"Just because my parents showed me a lot of affection…"
"James, had you and Sirius pooled your monthly allowances, you could have bought all the chocolate at Honeydukes. Anyway, Harry, the point is, I doubt Durmstrang, which is far more popular for purebloods, is going to be anywhere truly unbearable like Siberia."
"I hope you're right," Harry mumbled.
"And if you're stuck in Siberia, you can always transfer back to Hogwarts," Nathan added.
That was the second time his brother had hinted that he should go back to Hogwarts in less than two minutes. If Nathan was trying to be subtle, he was not doing a very good job. "I'm not going back, Nathan."
"But, but you might," Nathan said hesitantly. "You never thought you'd leave Hogwarts, so you don't know that you won't hate Durmstrang."
"I suppose you're right, but I doubt it," Harry said, trying to nicely convey the message to his brother that short of having an Unforgivable shot at him, he wasn't going to be leaving Durmstrang. He'd seen what Hogwarts could offer him, and even if he was friendless at Durmstrang, at least he'd be able to study any magic he wanted there.
"Well, I still think you should think about it," said Nathan. "Maybe you could ask Dumbled–"
"Nathan, enough, your brother is not going to be going back to Hogwarts," James said. "Please try to accept that."
Nathan looked ready to argue, but Harry quickly cut off whatever his brother was planning on saying. "Nathan, I don't want to fight, but I'm not going back to Hogwarts."
"This is stupid, you shouldn't leave," Nathan said with tears forming in his eyes.
Lily sighed. Sirius and Remus had told her that they had used an eavesdropping charm and that Nathan was taking Harry leaving very badly. "Nathan, this is your brother's decision, and your father and I support him."
"But, please Dad, I know you don't want Harry to go to Durmstrang."
"No, Nathan. I don't like that your brother is going to Durmstrang," James said honestly, "but the decision has been made."
"Harry, just stay, please?" Nathan begged. "I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would let you back into Hogwarts."
"Nathan," Lily said sternly, "please don't make this any harder for your brother."
There was a soft chiming sound, and Harry took out the Portkey that Durmstrang had provided him. "Five minutes," he said softly.
Lily pulled her older son into a tight hug. "Harry, please be safe, and write to your father and me often. We want to know that you're alright."
"I promise."
"Seriously, Harry, write often. I know what you said about your professors taking those oaths, but there are ways around everything," James said as he too hugged his son.
"I promise, Dad."
As the chiming sound got louder and Harry noticed his Portkey starting to glow, he turned to face his brother. "I guess I'll see you over the summer." Seeing the dejected look on Nathan's face, Harry quickly added, "but that's not so long from now. I even get out of school before you, so I'll be there on the platform when you get back from Hogwarts."
"Yeah, I suppose so," Nathan said turning away so that his brother wouldn't notice a few stray tears.
As the letter started to flash red, indicating that the Portkey would activate in ten seconds, Harry smiled at his family. "I love you, I promise to write and tell you everything about Durmstrang."
"Harry, I'm sorry," Nathan blurted out.
Confused, Harry turned to his face his brother. "Sorry about what?" he asked as the Portkey activated, taking him to Durmstrang.
"For everything," Nathan said softly to the now empty spot in the kitchen where his brother was standing not a second before.