"You did what?", Ella asked incredulously as John explained how he'd almost choked Malfoy out on the train.
"John. When I agreed to help you in strength training, what did I say?", Jeremy asked. He didn't raise his voice, but he didn't need to.
"You can only be a good man if you're dangerous, but you're under control", John recited, the grin fading from his face. Harry gave John a guilty expression. He'd not started the fight, but he was certainly involved.
"You're grounded for two days", Helen said, looking just as disappointed as her husband.
"What the hell could he have said for you to go for his throat?", Ella asked, once they were in the car, breaking what was otherwise a silent journey.
"I'd rather not repeat it. Let's just say it was... a scummy thing to say", said John.
"That's no excuse", Helen said, sharply.
"I - No. It's not. Meet words with words if you need to and all that", said John. It had the sound of another lesson that his adoptive parents had taught him. Harry had been with John's adoptive family for mere minutes and was already feeling like something of an outcast. As much as he hated to admit it, he also felt jealous that John, his brother by blood, had the opportunity to learn life lessons from parents that loved him. They were stern right now. Disappointed. But they wouldn't be if they didn't love John. Stomach turning uncomfortably, Harry stayed silent, afraid that he'd do or say something stupid if he opened his mouth.
"You've never lost your cool around this Malfoy boy before. What changed?", asked Jeremy.
Harry and John exchanged an uncomfortable look. The last thing Harry wanted to do was to recount the fact that they'd heard how Voldemort was able to locate their parents before he murdered them.
"It was a hard couple of days. We found out what happened to our parents. Biological parents, that is", said John.
Harry's jaw dropped.
Jeremy managed to keep his eyes on the road as he continued to drive the car, but Helen turned to face John, her expression softening.
"Voldemort - that dark wizard I told you about - was hunting them down. They went into hiding with a magical spell that can hide secrets inside a living person. They hid the secret with their best friend. He betrayed them. His name... his name is Sirius Black", John explained.
Harry had no concept of how Jeremy kept control of the steering wheel, but he managed it.
"And we've been going to school with half a dozen teachers who knew the whole thing", Harry finished. If John got the ball rolling, he may as well finish the job.
"I... don't know what to say", Helen said at first, before clearing her throat. "Perhaps I can understand why your temper wasn't... where it should have been. But can you accept that this Malfoy boy had nothing to do with it? That taking it out on him was too far, even with whatever he'd said?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I get that. It just... I can't remember being that damn angry and he showed up, mouthing off, insulting Hermione. I guess he was an easy target at the time. Someone I could smash without feeling too guilty about it. Fat lot of good it did", said John, looking down at his hands.
"Hating someone isn't a good enough excuse to resort to physical violence. Self defence only. Understood?", Jeremy said, leaving no room for argument.
"I got it", said John.
"Good. Now, I don't want you thinking that because of this... episode, that Ron and Hermione aren't welcome to spend some time with us", said Jeremy.
Harry was surprised to hear that, given that Ron and Hermione were also involved in the whole thing.
"Uninviting them would punish you, but them as well. That's not our decision", Helen explained, seeing the confused look on Harry's face. "I'm sure their parents will have words with them too".
"Especially Ron's parents", John muttered.
True to their word, Ron and Hermione had made it to the Taylor residence, with Hermione's parents picking Ron up from a train station in London to bring them to Richmond, the part of London in which John's family lived.
They looked apprehensive when they made eye contact with Harry and John. Four voices spoke at once.
"Sorry".
Four faces smiled shyly.
"We get it. You were trying to look out for us", Harry admitted.
"And we don't get it. Don't think we ever will. Just... don't go all reckless, alright?", Ron asked earnestly. John didn't miss Hermione giving Ron a slightly teary-eyed look and began wondering when they'd get a clue.
"Can we put it all behind us?", Hermione asked, wiping her eyes.
"Definitely. Come on, let's go out further. Dad gave me some money for train tickets", said John, holding out his wallet, inside which was enough money for the four friends to travel and have a day out.
"Muggle trains... dad will be jealous", Ron said, grinning.
"They are quite efficient. Though they don't hold the historical appeal of the Hogwarts Express and that old steam engine", said Hermione.
"Can you speak like a human one of these days?", John asked, his lips twitching upwards as the four walked out through the front door.
"As opposed to someone who's well read?", Hermione asked, rolling her eyes.
"As opposed to a breathing encyclopedia", said Ron.
"Impossible", Hermione muttered to herself.
They spent an otherwise pleasant day roaming London and playing what were in Ron's opinion, 'weird muggle board games' alongside Ella.
However, an owl that'd come from Hagrid finally did what Ron and Hermione had hoped. It distracted Harry and John from thinking of Sirius Black. Not for good reasons however.
Hagrid's owl bore the news that Buckbeak was facing a death sentence, pending a formal hearing.
This kept them held over until they returned to school, where another christmas present was awaiting Harry at the foot of his bed. Undoubtedly a broomstick, judging by the size and shape, Harry wondered who'd have left it there, at school. When he opened it however, the confusion over who sent it became stronger still, for his new broomstick wasn't just a new broomstick.
"I don't believe it", he said, while Ron and John stood behind him, staring in shock.
A gleaming handle, hand-picked twigs at the tail... and the letters 'F-I-R-E-B-O-L-T' engraved into the wood.
"What the hell", Ron breathed out.
"Christ, who the hell's spending that much money and not leaving a note?", John asked.
Hermione had exactly the same question. They theorised and came up with name after name, each more unlikely than the last. McGonagall, Lupin and Dumbledore all came up, though none seemed to fit.
When Hermione got the broom confiscated by McGonagall however, the boys closed ranks against her, none too pleased about her decision.
Being in an ongoing row with Hermione was a strange experience for Harry. He and Ron saw McGonagall and Flitwick "stripping down" the firebolt as no less than criminal damage. John meanwhile, had enough to distract him in his new relationship with Isobel MacDougal, who seemed eager to never mention what they'd heard in the three broomsticks. While not exactly a 'power couple' (that accolade tended to apply to older students), there were plenty in their year group that seemed somewhat envious of how easily it came to the pair of them.
They were all at an age where they were discovering the opposite gender properly for the first time and no one seemed to know what to do. Harry, for his part, seemed to have lost the interest in Shelly McInally, though discovering Ravenclaw's seeker, a very pretty girl called Cho Chang made up for it.
Wood, meanwhile, wholeheartedly agreed with the boys when it came to Hermione getting the broom confiscated, though he was chewed out by McGonagall when he tried to get the broom back.
Harry finally had something else to work on when he and Lupin began their sessions on defence against dementors.
"There's a boggart in here. It should serve as a good proxy for the real thing", Lupin explained, pointing to a shaking trunk.
"The spell I'll try to teach you is called the patronus charm. Have you heard of it?", he asked. Harry shook his head.
"I'm not surprised", said Lupin, thoughtfully. "It is a very difficult one to pull off. Many adult wizards can't manage to produce a patronus. However, it's the only thing that can back down a dementor.
"So I take it punching it in the nose is out", Harry muttered.
Lupin smiled.
"I'm told that they don't have noses", Lupin said, lightly. "Now, to understand the patronus, you need to understand dementors. They are beings that feed on every positive emotion, every happy memory. If left around dementors for long enough, a person would be left with nothing but their worst experiences. That is in fact, why you are affected by them quite severely. The experiences in your past are more than enough to make someone faint. Dementors make you relive memories you dread, fear and loathe. They reproduce in atmospheres of fear, despair and revel in decay and hopelessness. When Voldemort was strong last time, their numbers were out of control", Lupin explained.
"Azkaban really must be terrible", Harry remarked.
"The worst place on the planet in my opinion. And I've never even been there", Lupin said, simply, before taking a deep breath and pressing on.
"Now with what dementors love being in mind, think of what they must hate", he added.
"Hope? Happiness?", Harry asked. Lupin nodded.
"It's that simple. The patronus charm is an embodiment of that which they hate in humans. Inner strength, happiness, hope, the courage to overcome fear. To conjure a patronus, you need to think of a powerful happy memory. One that you cannot forget. You need to focus on that memory with intensity, allow the memory to fill your very consciousness, before casting the incantation. Expecto Patronum."
"Expecto Patronum", Harry recited.
"Good. Now. Cast your mind around. Think of a happy memory", Lupin said. Harry nodded and his mind instantly went to the feeling of his first time riding a broomstick. The weightlessness and sense of freedom when fifty feet off the ground. Harry nodded again.
"Allow that memory to fill your mind, then try to cast the charm", said Lupin.
Harry nodded again.
His first anti-dementor lesson was a surprising success, overall. His legs felt like jelly, but he managed to drive the boggart dementor back into the trunk. It was a start.
Lupin offered Harry some chocolate and also pulled out a familiar bottle from his suitcase.
"I doubt you'll have tried this before-"
"Butterbeer! Yeah, that stuff's good!", Harry blurted out excitedly. Lupin eyed him suspiciously.
"Oh err... John brought some from Hogsmeade last time", he said, hoping to cover his blunder. Lupin nodded, but the suspicion hadn't left his eyes.
As the pair sat in his office, drinking the butterbeer, Harry allowed his curiosity to get the better of him.
"Sir... what's under a dementor's hood?", he asked.
"The people who could accurately answer that question are in no condition to tell us. Dementors lower their hoods when ready to use their final weapon. Perhaps the most horrific weapon any creature has. Worse, in my opinion, than a basilisk's gaze or a dragon's fire. I suppose that they have a mouth under there, because descriptions say that they lock their jaws around their victim's lips and they suck the soul out through their mouth", Lupin said, grimly.
Harry almost choked on his butterbeer.
"They can kill you too?", he asked.
"Oh no. I suppose a dementor is strong enough to choke a man to death, but this is worse. You see... you can exist without a soul. But your sense of self is gone. Everything you were, or would have become is gone. You would be an empty shell. A living, breathing body with no humanity. No memory. You wouldn't recognise your own wife, your best friends, your own children. I would rather make eye contact with a basilisk or cover myself with oil and face a dragon", Lupin explained. "It's the fate that awaits Sirius Black".
"He deserves it", Harry snarled. Lupin looked surprised.
"Really? You think anyone could deserve that?", Lupin asked.
"Yes. For... some things", Harry muttered. "You knew him at school, didn't you?", Harry asked.
"I did. I suppose that's not news to you, knowing that I also knew both of your parents. Sirius Black was a friend of theirs too, once upon a time", Lupin said, gazing out through a window, looking older and more tired than Harry had ever seen him. "I thought I knew him".
John wasn't having a good day. His attempt to patch things up with Hermione went as well as approaching a mother bear protecting her cubs, his and Ron's attempts to look into Hippogriff baiting went nowhere and both Harry and Isobel were busy that day, but there was one beacon of hope for him that he was currently pursuing, by knocking on McGonagall's door.
"Mr. Potter. Can I help you?", she asked.
"Yeah. We were learning about animagi a couple of months ago", said John, who decided that he needed to be blunt and get his question over with. "Can I learn how to do it?"
McGonagall was good at masking her emotions, but even she couldn't mask her surprise. Talented as John was at Transfiguration, he was also lazy.
"Mr. Potter, I'm not sure you fully grasp what you are asking. Can I guide you to becoming an animagus? Yes. But this won't come without adding to a workload that is only increasing", she said.
"I know", said John, quickly. "And I know I won't be able to choose my form, and I know that it can go badly if I mess up. But it's like... I dunno, a way to push myself and try something that most people won't ever try themselves. Could I do it?", he asked.
McGonagall studied him for a moment.
"Come with me", she said. John followed her into her office behind the classroom and watched as McGonagall pulled a book out from her chest of drawers. The book was titled: From Man to Beast: The History of Animagi
"Read chapter three, detailing the process of animagus transformations. If you're still interested, bring the book back to me. Understood?", she asked. John nodded.
"Now, if you don't mind me asking, why do you want to become an animagus?", she asked.
"Well, for one thing, watching you turn into a cat and back again was one of the coolest things I've ever seen", he said. McGonagall's lip twitched upwards.
"For another, it'd be useful, wouldn't it? Being able to turn into something that's faster or stronger or more agile than a human, but still keeping human intelligence. Unless I turn into a flobberworm or something".
"It wouldn't be your choice, though I highly doubt that your form would be a flobberworm", said McGonagall. "Remember to bring that book back", she added, again.
While Hermione was rowing with the boys, it hadn't descended into a refusal to speak completely. Hermione did enquire about John, voluntarily reading. It was a rare enough sight.
"I'm deciding whether I should become an animagus", he said, simply. Hermione gawked at him.
"What? Just like that?", she asked.
"I spoke to McGonagall about it. This is her book anyway", he said, shrugging.
"Won't it involve a lot of work? On top of your school work?", Hermione asked.
"Yeah, but don't you think it'd be worth it if I turn into a lion or something?", John asked.
"I don't think you-", Hermione started.
"I know, I know, I don't get to choose my transformed form. Still though, it'd be a useful skill, wouldn't it?", he asked.
"Well... if you can manage the workload", she said.
"You're one to talk. Drop a subject or two Hermione... it's not the lazy git in me talking here, you're overdoing it", said John. Hermione smiled.
"Ron said the same thing to me this morning. I was worried this whole broom situation would drive a wedge between us", she said.
"Well we might not have been happy about you running to McGonagall but we don't exactly like seeing you having barely enough time to eat and sleep", John said, shrugging. "Hey, if you think I'm worried, then you should see Ron. He's watching you like a worried mum or something", he added, smirking.
"Don't make fun of him for that", said Hermione, at once. John smiled in spite of himself.
"I'm not. Just the first thing that came to my head. Still though, you really need to drop a subject or two at least", John said.
"I'll think about it", said Hermione.
"I swear to god, you being a giant nerd's going to send you to the hospital wing one of these days", said John.
"And Quidditch doesn't send you to the hospital wing? Remember what happened to Harry?", Hermione asked, with a raised eyebrow.
"Not a fair example. A dementor showed up. And last year, Dobby messed with that bludger", John explained.
"Yes, but it's not just Harry. You dislocated Applebee's shoulder in the game earlier this year", said Hermione.
"By accident, and it wasn't a foul, I just snatched the quaffle", said John, putting the book down and marking his page.
"That's my point. I won't stop you from playing quidditch even though it's dangerous, so it's not entirely fair to ask me to drop some subjects. Though I will think about it", said Hermione.
This argument was likely to repeat itself that year, John decided when Hermione settled herself to completing her Arithmancy homework and Isobel sat down beside him, curiously looking over at what John was reading.
The process of becoming an animagus is also well-documented and is considered to be one of the most arduous magical transformations known to wizardkind. Without considerable talent in the field of transfiguration, it is impossible and even with the prerequisite talent and a knowledgable guide, two years would be considered exceptional.
"You want to commit to that?", Isobel asked.
"Oh yeah. Though I swear if I turn into a slug or something shitty like that I'll be fuming", said John.
"A slug? I don't see it. You're at least a big dog or something. Like a german shepherd", she said.
"Dogs love being petted you know", John quipped. Hermione and Ron, both of whom were nearby mimed themselves gagging just as Harry arrived from his first anti-dementor lesson.
"How did it go?", Ron asked.
"Pretty good, but it's bloody exhausting. The charm's called the patronus charm and it does work but I need a lot of practice", said Harry.
"I've heard of that charm", Hermione said thoughtfully.
"Big surprise", Ron muttered. Hermione ignored him.
"Isn't it supposed to be incredibly difficult? I've heard that it's not even on NEWT level curriculums for Defence Against the Dark Arts", Hermione said.
"Yeah it's hard alright. But it's the only thing that works. Lupin also told me more about dementors. Didn't think I'd say this but I'm glad the ministry's got those things looking for Black", said Harry, savagely. Ron and Hermione exchanged worried looks.