God, I finally got the second book in my Anthony Black series up and running! Everyone, welcome to Anthony Black and the Chamber of Secrets, the sequel to my first story in my OC Harry Potter series, Anthony Black and the Philosopher's Stone. If you haven't read that one, then I suggest you stop reading this one and go rear the first or else you'll be confused.
I got not much to say about this story except that I hope you all enjoy it, and I just know I'm going to get reviews that say "Nothing's changed, just an OC along for the ride." Let me tell you something; just because there's an added OC to the plot doesn't automatically mean the story has to bloody well change. I will write my stories the way I want to, because it is my decision at the end of the day. I'm not holding a gun to your heads and making you read this, so don't complain like I am.
Also, there's something I want to talk about. A new Harry Potter story that's in my mind, but nothing's in the works yet because I need to try and figure it out but ideas would be appreciated. The idea is... an OC grandson of Gellert Grindelwald, neither Light or Dark, but perhaps in between, and doing his own things to 'fix' magical Britain while not being liking his grandfather, Voldemort or Dumbledore. I'll mention it at the bottom of the chapter and see if anyone can help me.
Other than that, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I only own the OC Anthony Black.
"So let me get this straight, for your First Year at Hogwarts you've faced a three-headed dog, made an enemy of Snape, a troll, snuck a dragon out of the grounds, went into the Forbidden Forest... and faced You-Know-Who?" Nympadora asked her cousin with wide eyes as he sat across from her, having just came back from King's Cross station with Andromeda.
"Yeah, pretty much." Anthony Black nodded.
Nymphadora stared at him before she pouted. "Wish my First Year had been as exciting as that. Least you went and got Snape as an enemy."
"I wasn't even trying to make that happen. Snape just seems to hate me and Harry!" Anthomy argued.
"Snape never got on well with your fathers while they were at school." Andromeda sighed, having been around to see what James and Sirius did to Snape. "I don't know much, but all I can say is Snape holds a grudge and has done so for years. Now..." Andromeda put her hands on her hips and looked at Anthony sternly. "We need to talk about you and the amount of trouble you've caused this year, young man."
Anthony groaned, having a feeling this was going to happen. "I'm fine, aunt 'Dromeda. Nothing happened."
"Yet it could've." Andromeda retorted. "You confronted a three-headed dog, could've been killed by a fully grown mountain troll, went into the Forbidden Forest-"
"It was part of the punishment. And Hagrid was there!" Anthony cut in but Andromeda seemed to ignore his defences.
"And last, but least, you went into a forbidden corridor on the Third Floor, and came face to face with You-Know-Who, who could've killed you!" Andromeda finished.
"Not a bad year, I'd say." Ted chuckled, before stopping when his wife glared at him before looking at her nephew.
"How could you?" Andromeda said in a hushed voice. Anthony winced because his aunt sounded so wounded and so sad. "How could you do this? Putting yourself in deliberate danger like that! You could have died! You could have been seriously injured! What were you thinking?"
"I… well, you see… it was for something important." Anthony adverted his eyes towards the kitchen. Nobody was exactly coming to her aid. Traitors.
"Something important?" repeated Andromeda. "I understand that this had something to do with You-Know-Who, but you are eleven. You should be leaving things like this to the adults."
"I just… I couldn't," said Anthony, shaking his head. "No one believed us and Voldemort… I couldn't let him get that Stone, you know? If he came back, then the others will and I… I can't let that happen to someone else. You're worried about me getting hurt? I'm worried about meeting someone else with the same scars as me."
Andromeda's face softened. "You don't know that."
"And neither do you," Anthony pointed out. "Look, Andy, I'm fine, I'm safe, let's drop it, all right? I'll never do this again. I'll stand by whenever danger arises and do nothing, okay?"
Andromeda sighed and pulled him into a hug. "I don't mean it like that. I just want you to be safe and healthy, is that too much to ask for?"
Anthony shook his head. "No, but I'm just asking you to trust me, that's all."
"Well, I suppose you are your mother's son," said Andromeda, letting go of Anthony and brushing his hair with her fingers. "She too would not have stood idly either. Come, Ted and I made your favourite – Lamb Chops."
Anthony walked into the kitchen after he saw that the food was already placed on the table. He took a seat next to Nymphadora.
"So, how's training?" Anthony asked as he filled her plate.
"Same old, same old," said Nymphadora, shrugging. "It's Mad-Eye. He's working us to the bone, but nothing I can't handle."
"How is old Mad-Eye?"
"Same as he's ever been. You should come see him one day. He'll appreciate it. Though he might give you some speech about wand safety now that you're in Hogwarts. Can't save you from that."
The rest of the dinner they continued on with different sorts of conversations. Ted told them about the articles he was working on for the Daily Prophet, while Andromeda spoke about the Potions she was working on. However, Nymphadora decided to bring up a certain topic that made Anthony red in the face.
"So, find a pretty girl to call a girlfriend?" Nymphadora grinned.
"What?!" Anthony's eyes widened, his cheeks going red. "N-No! Why would you ask that?!"
"You're blushing! So there is someone! Who is it?" Nymphadora asked, looking eager for details. "Tell me! My little cousin is becoming a man. It's an older girl, isn't it? One in her Fifth or Sixth Year?"
Anthony groaned and buried his face into his hands, wondering what curse he was hit with to go through this madness. But at the same time, he was just glad to be back with his family and be back into the usual dynamic.
There was a knock on the door of Anthony's bedroom, causing the boy to groan as he buried himself deeper into his bed covers, trying to get back to sleep but the persistent knocking was driving him further away from the sweet embrace of slumber.
"Go away..." He mumbled.
"Anthony Black, get your lazy ass up!" he heard Andromeda shout from downstairs, but he ignored it as he always did. There was only a few weeks left until Second Year at Hogwarts starts, so Anthony was taking more linger lies than he usually does.
"Do you think he's waking up?" He heard a voice, it sounded familiar... it sounded like George Weasley.
"I think we better give him the reason to wake up." That sounded like Fred.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures. Remember what Tonks said?" Was that Ron?
"Oh yeah." The Twins said in unison. Why did it sound like they were grinning.
Anthony ignored this, thinking it was a dream. He thought he heard his bedroom door opening, followed by footsteps approaching him... and then he felt the cold feeling of water being poured onto him which made him snap awake with wide eyes.
"What the bloody hell?!" He shouted before shutting his eyes when more water was splashed on him. He opened them, spitting water out his mouth, and glared at the laughing Weasley boys who fell to the floor in laughter. "I hate you guys. What are you guys doing here?"
"You're staying over at the Barrow, remember?" Ron reminded once he got himself under control. It was then that Anthony remembered, he was going to stay with the Weasleys for the rest of the summer holiday. Ron had sent an owl a week or two after term ended, asking if he wanted to stay over. He'd even sent one to Harry but there had been no response.
"Oh yeah." Anthony muttered but still glared at them. "Was the water necessary?"
"It was your cousin's idea." Fred smirked.
"A real prankster that one, Fred." George smiled.
"I think we can learn from her, George." Fred nodded.
"Please don't, one of her is bad enough." Anthony muttered, shaking water out of his hair. "Give me a few minutes to get changed, my bed dried and my stuff packed."
"We'll handle that." The Weasley Twins said before setting off to work on packing Anthony's things.
Once Anthony took a quick shower, followed by changing into casual clothing, he helped with packing his things, and putting away the various letters he got from his friends like Ron, Hermione, Neville, Dean and Seamus. But the strange thing is, there was none from Harry even though he said he would owl them. Anthony had even sent a letter, wanting to see if Harry would like to come over and stay rather than be stuck at the Dursley's, but he got no response back at all.
When Anthony was all set and ready, he went downstairs with the Weasleys behind him and saw Molly Weasley speaking with Andromeda in the living room before they noticed him.
"Hello Anthony dear." Molly smiled as she hugged the boy. "Ready?"
"Yeah." Anthony nodded.
"And you behave yourself." Andromeda told him sternly. "If I hear one thing is out of place..."
"Oh, he'll be fine, Andie." Molly assured. "Fred, George, ready? All right then, you first."
Fred went forward first and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder. "The Burrow!"
Andromeda helped George with the trunk so that he could hold onto it better. He then cried, "The Burrow!" and vanished within the flames.
"Ron, you next," said Molly.
Ron disappeared into the flames and Anthony turned to his aunt, hugging her tightly.
"Be sure to owl me when you're going to Hogwarts and on your first day, okay?" Andromeda asked. Despite how stern she can be, she did love her nephew and really wished he wasn't similar to his father in getting into danger. He truly was a mix of his parents. Selene wouldn't stand idly by while Sirius would jump into the danger recklessly.
"I will." Anthony nodded. He soon stepped into the fireplace and shouted "The Burrow!" and vanished within the flames.
"So you haven't heard from Harry too, then?" Anthony asked when he was in Ron's room that night, after dinner had been had and everyone had gone to bed.
"No." Ron shook his head. "It's strange! I've sent like ten letters asking if he wants to stay but got no response back! I sent one to Hermione and she says she hasn't heard anything either."
Anthony frowned. "You don't think those Muggle relatives of his did something, do you? I mean, Harry was clear on their hatred for magic and anything they deem 'freaky'."
"Not sure." Ron shrugged. "But get this. Dad came home from work the other night before we came to get you, saying that Harry had been given an official warning by the Ministry for use of underage magic."
"Seriously?" Anthony blinked. "I know Harry said he'd pretend to threaten his relatives with magic since they don't know about us not being able to use it at home, but I didn't think he'd actually go through with it! We need to go and see for ourselves, but we have no way to get to Little Whinging."
"Is that so, young Black?"
Anthony and Ron snapped their heads to the doorway where they saw Fred and George popping their heads around the corner with identical smirks.
"Lucky for you-" Fred started.
"We have just the idea-" George added.
"To go see Harry." They finished together.
Anthony raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? How? By flying car?"
He blinked at the growing grins on the Twins' faces while Ron looked like the idea would work. Oh boy...
"Petunia!" roared Harry's uncle. "He's getting away! HE'S GETTING AWAY!"
Harry's uncle stood framed in the doorway and he let out an angry sound. He dove straight for Harry, grabbing him by the ankle. Ron and Anthony seized Harry's arms and pulled as hard as they could. They gave a gigantic tug and Harry's leg slid out of the man's grasp – Harry was in the car and he slammed the door shut.
"Put your foot down, Fred!" yelled Ron and the car shot suddenly towards the moon.
Harry rolled down the window and looked back at his uncle, aunt and cousin as they stared at Harry, dumbstruck. "See you next summer!" yelled Harry.
Anthony and the Weasleys roared with laughter as Harry settled back in his seat. Harry let Hedwig out of her cage and she glided alongside them joyfully.
"So – what's the story, Harry?" said Ron impatiently. "What's been happening?"
Harry told them about Dobby, the warning he'd given Harry and the fiasco of the violet pudding. Silence followed when he finished the story.
"Very fishy," said Fred.
"Definitely dodgy," said George. "So he wouldn't even tell you who's supposed to be plotting all this stuff?"
"I don't think he could," said Harry. "I told you, every time he got close to letting something slip, he started banging his head against the wall. What, you think he was lying to me?"
"Well," said Fred, "put it this way — house-elves have got powerful magic of their own, but they can't usually use it without their master's permission. I reckon old Dobby was sent to stop you coming back to Hogwarts. Someone's idea of a joke. Can you think of anyone at school with a grudge against you?"
"Draco Malfoy," said Anthony.
"He hates me," said Harry.
"Draco Malfoy?" said George. "Not Lucius Malfoy's son?"
"The very same," said Anthony.
"What about his father?" asked Harry.
"Lucius Malfoy was a big supporter of Voldemort back in the day," said Anthony. The Weasleys winced at the name. "Sorry, boys. Lucius was in his inner-circle. After Vol – You-Know-Who disappeared, Lucius came back to our side and said he never meant any of it – that he was doing it out of fear. It was a load of rubbish. Anyone who knew Lucius knew he certainly never did anything out of fear."
"I don't know whether the Malfoys own a house-elf…" said Harry.
"Well," said Fred, "whoever owns him will be an old wizarding family, and they'll be rich."
"Yeah,' said George, "usually the snooty ones who believe they're above everyone else."
"And they can be nasty." Anthony grimaced. "I have a house-elf."
"You do?" The Weasleys and Harry asked.
Anthony nodded. "Met him twice, his name is Kreacher and... yeah, he's not really the nicest house-elf you could meet. He's been in service to the Black family since my grandparents were head of the house. He's technically mine since the house and him go to the oldest son and his child – me."
"What's so terrible about him?" Harry asked.
"First time he met me, he called me the 'son of the swine who made his mistress cry'. He's also called me a blood-traitor and several other things under his breath." Anthony said, shrugging at the looks he got. "That's the Black family for you, with their pureblood ideals. It's no wonder they were quick to side with You-Know-Who when he rose to power."
"Anyway," said Ron, "I'm glad we came to get you, Harry. I was getting really worried when you didn't answer to any of my letters. I thought it was Errol's fault at first –"
"Who's Errol?"
"Our owl. He's ancient. It wouldn't be the first time he'd collapsed on a deliver. So then I tried to borrow Hermes –"
"Who?"
"The owl Mum and Dad bought Percy when he was made Prefect," said Fred.
"But Percy wouldn't lend him to be," said Ron. "Said he needed him."
"Percy's been acting very oddly this summer," said George, frowning. "And he has been sending a lot of letters and spending a load of time shut up in his room…."
"Maybe he's got a girlfriend," said Anthony, shrugging.
George, Ron, and even Fred, who was driving, craned their necks to look at him. After a moment they started laughing. Fred was banging his hands against the stirring wheel as George and Ron started turning red in the face.
"Yeah, sure," said George. "Percy with a girl?"
"Come off it," said Fred, snorting. "A Veela would soon marry a troll before Percy ever got a girlfriend."
"Just saying," mumbled Anthony. "Fred, you're driving too far west." He pointed at the compass.
"So, does your dad know you've got the car?" asked Harry.
"Er, no," said Ron, "he's been working for the last couple hours. He didn't even come home for dinner. Hopefully we'll be able to get it back in the garage without Mum noticing we flew it."
"What does your Dad do at the Ministry of Magic, anyway?"
"He works in the most boring department," said Ron. "The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."
"The what?"
"It's all to do with bewitching things that are Muggle-made, you know, in case they end up back in a Muggle shop or house. Like, last year, some old witch died and her tea set was sold to an antiques shop. This Muggle woman bought it, took it home, and tried to serve her friends tea in it. It was a nightmare — Dad was working overtime for weeks."
"What happened?"
"The teapot went berserk and squirted boiling tea all over the place and one man ended up in the hospital with the sugar tongs clamped to his nose. Dad was going frantic — it's only him and an old warlock called Perkins in the office — and they had to do Memory Charms and all sorts of stuff to cover it up —"
"But your dad — this car —"
Fred laughed. "Yeah, Dad's crazy about everything to do with Muggles; our shed's full of Muggle stuff. He takes it apart, puts spells on it, and puts it back together again. If he raided our house he'd have to put himself under arrest. It drives Mum mad."
"That's the main road," said George, peering down through the windshield. "We'll be there in ten minutes…. Just as well, it's getting light…."
Fred began to lower the car slowly. Their house was outside the Ottery St. Catchpole village. They hit the ground with a slight bump. They had landed next to their garage in their small yard.
As the sun began to rise upon the horizon, Anthony could finally see their house properly. It was slightly rooked with five chimneys upon the red roof. Extra rooms had been added to make it several stories high and there was a lopsided sign stuck to the ground near the entrance: The Burrow.
"It's not much," said Ron.
"It's wonderful," said Harry happily.
They got out of the car.
"All right," said Anthony, fidgeting, "like the plan said: Everyone will go upstairs quietly and wait for Mrs. Weasley to call us down for breakfast. Then Ron will come downstairs and say something like, 'Look who turned out at night, Mum!" or something else, and she'll be all happy to see Harry safe and no one will ever know that we broke many, many laws…"
Fred clapped him on the back. "Cheer up, Anthony, no one will ever know we flew the car."
"Right," said Ron. "Come on, Harry, I sleep at the – at the top –"
Ron turned a nasty greenish color with his eyes fixed on the house. The rest of them followed his gaze.
Mrs. Weasley was marching across the yard with her chickens scattering across the yard. Anthony thought that she was a kind woman, but Mrs. Weasley looked ready for the kill right now.
"Ah," said Fred.
"Oh, dear," said George.
Mrs. Weasley came to a halt in front of them, her hands on her hips, staring from one guilty face to the next. She was wearing a flowered apron with her wand sticking out of the pocket.
"So," said Mrs. Weasley.
"Morning, Mum," said George, trying to sound cheerful.
"Have you any idea how worried I've been?" she asked in a deadly whisper.
"Sorry, Mum, but see, we had to –"
George, Ron and Fred were all taller than Mrs. Weasley, but they cowered over her rage. "Beds empty! No note! Car gone — could have crashed — out of my mind with worry — did you care? — never, as long as I've lived — you wait until your father gets home, we never had trouble like this from Bill or Charlie or Percy —"
"Perfect Percy," muttered Fred.
"YOU COULD DO WITH TAKING A LEAF OUT OF PERCY'S BOOK!" yelled Mrs. Weasley, prodding a finger in Fred's chest. "You could have died, you could have been seen, you could have lost your father his job —"
It seemed as though she was screaming for hours at her sons. She kept listing things off her fingers as her face turned a scarlet red. She then looked at Anthony and patted his cheek.
"You all right, dear?" she said calmly. "You look a bit tired." She then looked at her sons. "I can't believe you dragged him in your little escapade."
Anthony was at a loss for words as Mrs. Weasley turned to Harry.
"I'm very pleased to see you, Harry, dear. Come in and have some breakfast."
She turned and walked back into the house. Harry looked the Ron nervously before following after her. Anthony looked at the twins and Ron before shrugging. When they entered the house, he saw Mrs. Weasley clattering around, cooking breakfast chaotically while throwing her sons dirty looks as they entered the house.
"I don't blame you, dear," she reassured Harry. "Arthur and I have been worried about you, too. A few nights ago we were saying we'd come and get you ourselves if you hadn't written to Ron by Friday. But really, flying an illegal car halfway across the country – anyone could have seen you –"
"It was cloudy, Mum!" said Fred.
"You keep your mouth closed while you're eating!" snapped Mrs Weasley.
"Mrs Weasley, they had bars on his window," said Anthony.
"Be that as it may, it was still dangerous," said Mrs Weasley.
At that moment, Ginny came down the stairs in a long nightdress, gave a small squeal, and ran out again.
"Ginny," said Ron to Harry. "My sister. She's been talking about you all summer."
"Yeah, she'll be wanting your autograph, Harry," said Fred with a grin, but he caught Mrs. Weasley's eye and bent his face over his plate without another word. Nothing more was said until all five plates were cleaned.
"Blimey," said Fred, yawning, "I'm tired. I think I'll go to bed and –"
"You will not," snapped Mrs. Weasley. "It's your own fault you've been up all night. You're going to de-gnome the garden for me; they're getting completely out of hand again —"
"Oh, Mum —"
"And you two," she said, glaring at Ron and Fred. "You can go up to bed, dears," she added to Anthony and Harry. "You didn't ask them to fly that wretched car —"
"I can help," said Anthony. He felt guilty for how the boys were taking all the blame.
"I'll help too," said Harry. "I've never seen a de-gnoming –"
"That's very sweet of you, dears, but it's dull work," said Mrs. Weasley. "Now, let's see what Lockhart's got to say on the subject —" And she pulled a heavy book from the stack on the mantelpiece.
George groaned. "Mum, we know how to de-gnome a garden —"
"Oh, he's marvelous," said Mrs. Weasley, beaming down at Gilderoy Lockhart, who was winking at her from the cover of his book. "He knows his household pests, all right, it's a wonderful book…"
"Mum fancies him," said Fred, in a very audible whisper.
"Don't be so ridiculous, Fred," said Mrs. Weasley, her cheeks rather pink. "All right, if you think you know better than Lockhart, you can go and get on with it, and woe betide you if there's a single gnome in that garden when I come out to inspect it."
Yawning and grumbling, the Weasleys slouched outside to their large garden with Anthony and Harry behind them.
And that's it for the first chapter. Hope you're looking forward to the rest of the second book.
Anyway, about the OC grandson of Grindelwald idea. I have read many stories where Harry is different compared to canon, is politcal and all that, as well as lord of his house and everything, but I wanted to try something a LITTLE similar but with an OC decendent of Gellert Grindelwald himself, as I don't see that many OC Grindelwalds, which is understandable given who Gellert Grindelwald is.
The story would be set in Harry's time at Hogwarts, and will also be a harem. I just need help in trying to make it look good, like what ReaperOfBalance does with his Harry Potter stories. If anybody can offer ideas, or even help me with writing out the chapters, do contact me on my Discord account and we'll talk. You'll find my name on my FF profile.