Disclaimer: This Harry Potter story was written for fun. All rights belong to the wonderful lady (JK Rowling) who gave the world Harry Potter to read and enjoy. No ships. Bashing around everyone.
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14 Disturbing News and Arguments Harry at Grimmauld Place August 9The morning after Harry had been kidnapped from Privet Drive and brought to the secret house in London, he ventured down to kitchen early. He wanted breakfast, even if he had to cook it himself. And more importantly, he wanted to escape the Orange Walls of Snoring. The silencing spells cast by other persons in the house captured and reflect each of Ron's snores back into the bedroom to condemn Harry to a sleepless night.
While they spoke in the lounge that first night, Sirus explained the Molly Weasley ruled over the household at the behest of Dumbledore. The witch decided that Ron and Harry would room together despite there being ample empty, filthy rooms on the first floor.
Breakfast appeared on the kitchen table as the lights came up when Harry walked into the kitchen.
"Thanks, Kreacher," he announced, pleased to see the Black family elf was recovering since the locket had been given to the secret magic users underneath Gringotts. The young wizard was the first person up and about for the day. While eating a Full English, Lord Black gently reached out and took inventory of the wards that surrounded this Black family property. The war wards were disabled but Dumbledore's Fidelius charm hid the house from the memory of every living soul who'd known of the house for years before.
Surreptitiously, Harry tweaked a few wards – the twins were barred from any empty room, Ginny was barred from all bedrooms except for her parents and her own, and each guest was tracked the entire time they were in the building. Molly could enter and clean all bedrooms except for the one that Sirius used (or climb the stairs to the next floor where he would sleep).
Nymphadora's recording charms in the showers to spy on the males were disabled and then disintegrated. The wards also hid the rune tablet in her room where she stored the images.
The magic in Walburga Black's portrait was best described as 'extremely sour'. The witch's portrait reflected the wasted life and pain she'd inflicted on her husband and sons. The painting was magically fused to the whole of the wall and could not be moved unless the load bearing wall was banished and replaced. So, Lord Black forced the bitter representation of the witch's soul and personality into a deep sleep. An additional draining ward was placed on the portrait to force her to remain asleep. And the curtains that covered the painting were spelled to blend into the wallpaper that covered the rest of the wall.
Satisfied about security for the moment, Harry planned to move to another bedroom before nightfall and wanted to explore an additional floor that didn't seem to be visible to anyone but him. No one would be invited to the second floor this month.
Lord Black was also displeased to find that the food and drink being consumed by everyone at every meal, tea and snack was paid for by a Black family vault to maintain the members of the family. Sirius Black was the only family member living here the entire summer and yet, the accounts had paid for enough food to feed an entire house at Hogwarts for the same number of days during any term.
By the time that Molly Weasley appeared in the kitchen, Harry had eaten, and the dishes were washed and put away. He enjoyed another cuppa and looked over the Daily Prophet that was reporting on the tragedy in muggleland that left two purebloods, Emmaline Vance and Mundungus Fletcher without their souls. Some Auror from Makepeace's coven must have sold the memory of the pair lying on the ground with burn marks around their mouths because the picture was on the front of the paper.
"Harry dear," Molly said to greet the boy. "Are you starving? Did the muggles feed you at all this summer?"
"I've already eaten Mrs Weasley," he replied. "I woke early and came down to the kitchen. I've been cooking breakfast since I was a little kid."
"Now, there's no reason to be shy!" the witch insisted. "Give me twenty minutes and I have porridge with eggs and bacon for you. Of course, don't tell Ron about the bacon."
"No, really Mrs Weasley, I had a Full English breakfast and I'm full."
"A Full English? How is that possible? There are no tomatoes."
Shaking his head, Harry opined, "I guess someone went shopping."
Finally noticing what the boy was reading, Molly moved to snatch the newspaper out of his hands. Harry pulled away from her hands and cried, "Oi! That's my paper! Hedwig brought it early just for me."
"No! Children in this house are not to read those horrible stories about persons who were kissed by rogue Dementors! They knew those people."
"I was there, Mrs Weasley," Harry reminded her. "My uncle and I had to identify the bodies. It is strange that the Daily Prophet didn't mention Mrs Figg dying too."
"She was a squib, dear. Best forget about them when they leave for the muggle world." Attempting to act motherly, she smiled, reached out her hand and said, "Now, give me the newspaper."
"No. I'm not finished reading," he replied. "Besides if you don't start cooking now, Arthur will be late getting to the ministry for his job."
Drawing her wand, Molly growled, "Harry Potter, I didn't raise you to defy me! Now, give me that paper or you won't sit down comfortably for the rest of today."
Harry raised one eyebrow in an act of defiance that infuriated Molly. She flicked her wand casting a hex to welt the boy's buttocks. But it was the witch who hollered in pain as the welt was cut across her ample backside.
The wards directed the wails of pain up the stairs rousing the adults in the house including Arthur Weasley, Sturgis Padmore, Sirius Black, Alastor Moody, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks, and Remus Lupin. (Tonks and Lupin had been very careful not to be seen or noticed, but the wards registered the two leaving Lupin's room at different times.) Ron Weasley and Ginevra Weasley slept on undisturbed.
The adults expected to find the house under attack by Death Eaters. Padmore and Lupin went to the windows to scan for wizards on brooms over London and to check the street for any sign of witches or wizards. Arthur and his twin sons stormed downstairs and into the kitchen expecting to find invaders had entered through the flames in the fireplace. (Fred's wand cast a geyser of water into the fireplace while George's wand shot a series of painful hexes in a spray across the area.) Sirius Black and Alastor Moody rushed to the front door, preparing to defend the only entry to the house. Nymphadora waited at the bottom of the stairs, ready to support the kitchen or the front door, whichever defence area required assistance.
It was almost five minutes before the adults began to move toward the now quiet kitchen. Inside the well-lighted kitchen, the adults entered to find Fred and George attempting to relight the fire and activate the floo connection.
As soon as Arthur saw Sirius he called out, "Black! Come and light the fire! Molly's been hurt! I must take her to Saint Mungo's!"
Sirius hurried to the fireplace and banished the wet fuel. The wizard called for Kreacher to bring new fuel, and a pile appeared on the floor. Fred and George handed pieces to Sirius who stacked eight pieces of wood across each other and used his wand to ignite a flame. He refused to allow the twins to speed up the flame with their magic, warning about that affecting floo travel. But the moment the fire was hot and high enough, Arthur led his wife to the fireplace, threw in a pinch of floo powder and pulled her through the flames to enter Casualty at Saint Mungo's.
"What happened?" asked Remus Lupin.
"Mum said that Harry threw a spell at her that left with a welt on her…her backside," Fred replied.
Alastor Moody entered the kitchen looked over the entire room with his magical eye. He commanded, "Potter, hold up your wand."
Harry did as commanded, and Moody looked the wand over without touching it. He grunted and continued his search of the room. From underneath a China Cabinet, he levitated a wand and asked, "Mister Weasleys, can you identify this wand?"
"That's mum's wand!" George announced and Fred nodded in agreement.
"This is the wand that threw the hex to raise the welt," Moody explained.
Fred asked, "Then how did her spell hit her in the…the backside?"
"Must have been the wards," Sirius declared. "They reflected her hex back at her backside."
"How is that possible, cousin?" Nymphadora asked. This was her opportunity to remind the newcomer that she was related to the presumptive Lord Black.
The wizard smiled at his lovely cousin and explained, "Harry's my godson and heir. The wards see him as Heir Black and will protect him from anyone in the house with ill-intent."
Nymphadora frowned – with the declaration by Sirius, the boy ranked much higher in the power in the house.
"Mum wouldn't have bad feelings toward Harry!" George said emphatically.
"We'll have to study the situation," Alastor Moody said. "Maybe take a look at the wardroom, yeah, Sirius?"
"Sure thing, Moody," Sirius replied, but deflected the hint by adding, "Now, if I can just remember the passcode to get through the door."
"How about we ask the elves to put a breakfast spread on the table?" Harry suggested. "Everyone has had enough excitement, this morning and needs to eat."
"Kreacher!" yelled Sirius. The elf appeared and threw toast at Sirius and called him disparaging names before snapping his fingers to reveal a loaded kitchen table. There were copies of the Daily Prophet sitting on each plate.
The guests fell on the fresh croissants with butter and jam, or tackled a Full English with that included sausages, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, fried bread, and beans. While everyone ate, Harry sat at the table with a fresh mug of tea and nibbled on a croissant. He spoke with Alastor about the information from the previous day as stated by the Aurors and repeated in the newspaper.
About halfway through the meal, Ginny appeared and wanted to sit beside Harry but was forced to sit between Fred and George. She was confused about her mum being at Saint Mungo's, but the twins promised to take her there as soon as they finished eating. A paper bag appeared beside George who peeked inside and said, "Breakfast for Dad!"
The three Weasleys hurried to dress in day clothes and then stepped through the flames to follow their parents to the hospital with the bag of food for their father. Sturgis Padmore went up to shower and then dress, while Alastor Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, and Remus Lupin lingered around the table, nibbling on the leftovers. At one end of the table Harry and Sirius compared stories in the newspaper.
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Author's Note: The wards around the Black Family Manor will always protect Lord Black.
Arthur's Confusion August 9In late morning, Arthur returned to Grimmauld Place with Ginny, Fred and George. He insisted on speaking to Harry Potter and while the boy was present in the kitchen, Alastor Moody and Sirius Black stood between the angry wizard and the teenager.
"Weasley…" Sirius tried to address the man.
"No, Black. I want to know why Harry struck my wife with a hex that left a welt on her body that keeps her in the hospital for an entire day! She lost so much blood, they had to administer a blood replenishment potion!"
"Weasley!" shouted Alastor. "Potter didn't cast any spells. Your wife cast the spell, and the wards reflected it back on the caster."
"What? No, that's not what…that's not possible!"
"Arthur, the wards in this house protect me and my heir," Sirius said. "You, your children, and wife are guests, and when a guest violates the hospitality of the house by throwing spells of any kind at me or my heir, the spell reflects back on the offender."
"I don't believe it!"
Alastor offered to check Harry's wand a second time, but Arthur doubted such proof. But then, the retired Auror handed over Molly's wand.
"This wand was underneath the furniture here in the kitchen. You know this belongs to your wife and can feel her magic. Check it for the last spells cast."
Arthur did and appeared to be even more upset. Sirius pressed, "Well, Weasley, what do you say now?"
"Leave Dad alone," Ginny whined.
"No, he entered my house and accused my godson of attacking his wife," Sirius said. "I want to hear what he thinks now.
Arthur confirmed, "Alastor is right. Molly fired the spell that struck her. It wasn't Harry Potter."
"You owe my house multiple debts, Weasley," growled Black. "My godson saved your daughter at the end of the second year, and I've offered you protection from the Death Eaters under my secure roof. And your wife repays these debts by attacking him and then making a terrible accusation about the attack."
"She said that Harry wouldn't obey her," Arthur said as he tried to rationalise the events. "He was reading the Daily Prophet, and she didn't want it in the kitchen. They had words and then he cast…"
Ginny wanted to interrupt and ask questions, but the twins held their sister back.
"So, because my godson wanted to read his newspaper, your wife thought it appropriate to cast a spell strong enough to draw blood?"
Remus Lupin attempted to mediate and spread some soothing words, but Sirius growled so the werewolf backed down.
"I'll speak to Molly before she returns tonight," Arthur said. "She will apologise and leave Mr Potter alone after today."
Instructing the twins and Ginny to be proper guests for the whole day, Arthur hurried to his room to dress. When he reappeared to leave for the ministry, Ron accompanied his father. Mr Weasley vanished through the flames and Ron asked, "Where's breakfast?"
Food appeared to placate Mouth, and while Ron moved toward a feast laid out on the table, Ginny stepped closer to Harry. She reached out her hand to grab his sleeve, but a spark made her jerk the hand back. Still, she insisted, "I want to talk to you, Harry. You can't be cursing my mum like this."
Harry looked at the girl but said nothing. She huffed and continued, "What will people say?"
"Miss Weasley, I hope that no one speaks about it at all. This is a private matter here that no one needs to hear about."
Ginny pursed her lips and looked away. Watching her closely, Harry asked, "Did you or your brothers say anything to anyone while you were at the hospital?"
"No. We didn't say anything," Fred answered. "But mum was crying and telling everyone that she'd been attacked by the Boy-Who-Lived because he was in a snit."
"The healers can't say anything to anyone," Sirius said, trying to reassure everyone.
Then George added, "She was yelling it while in the waiting room. There were other patients and their families there. Those people aren't under any confidentiality contracts."
Looking up from the breakfast table, Ron demanded, "What are you talking about?"
"Harry and Mum had a fight in the kitchen this morning," Ginny replied. "Dad took her to Saint Mungo's to get fixed up."
"What!" shouted Ron, exploding in anger.
"That's not right, Ginny!" Fred called out. "Ron, mum threw her welt hex at Harry, but it hit her backside instead of Harry's. He didn't cast any spells."
"That's not how hexes work! They don't fly back and hit you."
"In this house it is, when you throw one at Sirius or Harry," Ginny said sourly.
Growing angrier by the moment, Ron shouted, "It's all about you, ain't it, Potter! Tell you what, get out of my room! I ain't gonna share with someone who hurts my mum!"
Harry didn't respond but knew his trunk had been moved by Kreacher or Dobby to a set of rooms on the second floor. Turning back to the table, Ron roared again when the breakfast foods vanished before he could return to the table for his third helping of eggs and bacon.
"Where did it go? Bring back the food!"
Nymphadora Tonks snickered and commented, "Not even here twenty-four hours and you've already got the whole house in an uproar, Potter."
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Despite Ginny and Ron's determination to stay with Harry (and aggravate him), when the pair searched through Grimmauld Place, they found themselves coming back to the kitchen when they thought they were headed down the hall. They never knew that Harry and Sirius were in the library – a room denied to every other person in the house. After looking at the rows of bookcases, Harry smiled and said, "My friend Hermione would really like this place of little books, big books, and even more books."
Seeing his godfather look a little uncomfortable, Harry asked as to the cause.
"Well, pup, there is some serious news…bad news from the summer. Your muddy friend, Hermie Granger and her parents vanished the same day the Express returned to London. Albus investigated and determined that Death Eaters killed them and vanished their bodies."
Playing like he was ignorant, Harry asked, "What spell can vanish a whole body?
"Evanesco. It's charm that takes a lot of magical power to vanish a magical body – even when it is dead. The Death Eaters use Deletrius to vanish all the muggle furniture and clothes, pictures and even the muggle garbage. "
"Why hasn't anyone said anything? Why was this story not reported in the Daily Prophet?' asked Harry.
"Come on kid, the Daily Prophet is not going to report the disappearance of a mud…muggleborn witch and her muggle parents. Especially since Fudge denies the Dark Lord returned. Now, Cornelius Fudge is a wizard who wants to cast Unforgivable spells at you and Dumbledore."
"Sirius, have you read the Prophet lately?"
"No…didn't even glance at it for last few days. I'm tired of the character assassination of my godson in each edition."
"You need to read the lead stories for the last couple days," Harry said. "The minister had a change of heart after reading statements more carefully. The night of the third task, I was exhausted, terrified after seeing a friend killed in front of me and suffered giant spider poisoning. The new articles state that I am a child swept up in the storm of Dumbledore's manipulations."
"But Dumbledore says you were there at the ritual that restored Riddle! You fought a duel with the Dark Lord! And survived!"
"Think! The only duelling spell that I've been taught is Expelliarmus!" insisted Harry.
Sirius stared at his godson who stared back steadily. Then Harry asked, "How likely is it that I fought a duel with a dark lord and survived when the only spell I know is how to summon my opponent's wand?"
"Harry. I didn't know," Sirius said before he hugged his godson to assure himself that they were both safe. "But why is Dumbledore telling everyone you saw those things?
"I don't know why he's making up stories," Harry began to say. Then an idea seemed to form and rush out, "Well, maybe it's because the headmaster wants me to take some of the attention off his back. If the minister is mad at me and Dumbledore, people are going to divide the hate between us. If the headmaster is taking all the heat, it will be harder for him to hold onto all his power."
A few minutes later, Harry asked, "Why are all these people living here? Are they helping to pay for the food and drink?"
"No, I am paying for those things as my contribution to the Order of the Phoenix since I can't go out and fight."
"Are these people fighting anyone? All they do is act as prison guards around my aunt and uncle's house in Surrey."
"Well, it's complicated. Yeah?"
"No, it's not complicated! They're freeloaders keeping you and me where Dumbledore wants so he doesn't have to keep an eye on us."
Sirius laughed softly and said, "Well, you're here now and will be until the first of September. We can plan some great pranks against the old fuddy-duddies!"
"That'd be fun," Harry agreed.
"Really?" Sirius smiled, looking as if his birthday present had just arrived. Then he asked, "Tell me how you did it? How did you get Fudge to back off."
"Why do you think I did anything?"
Sirius smirked, "This sounds exactly like something your dad would have dreamed up."
"But I never knew my dad," Harry replied. "I just know some stories told by Hagrid and Madam Pomphrey."
"Hagrid and Pomphrey? Hasn't Miss Kitty told you any?"
"Who? Who is Miss Kitty?"
"That's what we called McGonagall all the time. James was her favourite student of all time, and she tolerated a lot of his pranks… more than mine and…the rat."
Refusing to dwell on Pettigrew, Harry asked, "Back to the disappearing people, is there any way to know for sure if my friend and her parents were killed by the Death Eaters?"
"Harry, if Dumbledore says they're dead, then they're dead."
A look of horror appearing on his face, Harry's voice was shaky when he asked, "You don't think Dumbledore killed them and used Evanesco to get rid of the bodies?"
"No. Of course not," Sirius retorted.
"But you said only the most powerful wizards can use that spell to get rid of a body and Dumbledore is the most powerful wizard alive, isn't he?"
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Lunch August 9When the clock chimed noon, Harry and Sirius returned to the kitchen. When Ron wanted to begin an argument, the food appeared on the table and the hungry teenager turned his attention to the food.
'Potter will be around this afternoon to curse black and blue,' the boy reasoned as he reached for three sandwiches. With chips, drinks, sandwiches and afters, everyone had enough to eat. Once the meal was complete, Remus left for a job in muggle London –security at something called a mall.
Ginny feared an afternoon of boredom because none of her brothers would entertain her, and the Boy-Who-Lived would want to spend more time with his godfather. She decided to try different hair styles and see if one made her look older. And maybe she could catch the eye of a boy at Hogwarts and make Harry Potter jealous.
The twins were developing a spell to apply the image of a person's face on the sheets of a bog roll. They hoped to transfigure every roll on the Express to have the likenesses of Minerva McGonagall, Draco Malfoy, or Severus Snape.
Nymphadora Tonks was bored – her shift with the DMLE didn't begin until 8:00 PM and she'd not see Remus for at least four days.
When everyone but Ron rose from the table, she lingered to whisper to the teenager while the others went about their day. Before Harry and Sirius reached the library, they heard Ron running to catch up with them.
Knowing that Dobby was present to shield him from any spells, Harry asked, "Get enough to eat, Ron?"
"Yeah, yeah," Ron replied. "Listen, did you get all your stuff out of my room? Your trunk and everything?"
"Yes, I did Ron…"
"Great," the red head replied before he ran back down the hall and up the staircase as if his life depended upon reaching his room.
"What was that?" inquired Sirius forgetting how he often acted when he was fifteen.
"He must have a new Quidditch Journal to read or something," Harry said, shaking his head. "That's the only thing I know that can get him to leave the table while there's food there's still food on the table."
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