4. Comfortably numb

21st of December 1992 - The Hampstead Tea Rooms

"Spill!"

What to tell?

Hermione was very patient with him for this last month. She was also a little distracted with studies, naturally, and this small book on Occlumency she ordered. There was nothing about it in Hogwarts' library, much to her disgust.

A way to enhance learning ability and memory retention, without the risk of dodgy potions? Just why don't they teach it to everyone? And all that was required was some meditation and patience?!

But patience for Harry was something she showed in spades and had finally run out of.

Harry honestly thought he was ready for this, but now discovered that he needed to stall for just a tad longer.

"I need another tea," he replied. "Cake?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and waved for the waitress.

"Do you need anything?" asked the kind lady who arrived at their table. This was the owner and Hermione knew her well. She used to come to this nice tea-house after school from time to time, do her schoolwork and have a bite, till her mum or daddy came by to pick her up on their way home.

"Hi Mrs Watson," she answered with a bright smile.

This gave Harry the time that he needed since Mrs Watson was interested in her health, then asked about how she was doing since she left for this public-school of hers, and how was this school, then asked about the parents...

She finally brought them a fresh pot and some cookies and freed Hermione to turn her stare towards Harry once more.

"Spill!"

Harry had many things he could have talked about. Things which he refrained to tell her about for a while now. Some - Hell? Lucifer? Mazikeen? He would probably never tell her about. Some - Death? She would never believe even if he did. He really didn't want to go there. Some - he didn't know just how to explain. The Philosopher's stone was such a subject, though he certainly could use Hermione's help in discovering just how it worked.

Or he could find out how the Resurrection stone worked and ask the Flamels.

So, Harry chose the truth he was least uncomfortable to share with Hermione at this moment and reached out over the table with his hands palm up.

"Resurrection stone," he pointed at the circle on the palm of his left hand. "Wand," he added, pointing at the short line on his right-hand palm. "There might be a triangle somewhere on my body too, but I couldn't locate it," he concluded and waited for Hermione to say something.

It took a while. He smirked slightly watching his friend turn her stare from one palm, to the other, to his face - again and again. All with her mouth slightly open.

Speechless!

Harry did make an effort to keep his amusement off his face. She was his best friend and he wanted it to be this way for years to come.

"How?!" was the first question that finally escaped her.

"No bloody idea," he answered and Hermione's face clearly expressed that this answer was not acceptable.

She tried another angle by asking: "How long?".

"About the start of the school year," he answered, and then stopped further questions with a motion. "Last year, when I came back," he started.

As best as I can explain it…

"I woke up in that unused classroom wearing my cloak and with the wand and stone right next to me," he went on with a sorta truth.

For a while, Hermione listened to his tale about his return and his reasons. She could understand him keeping mum about Dumbledor's wand being in his possession. Certainly after discovering the significance of these objects.

For a moment, Hermione didn't know what to ask next.

"And look," Harry's soft words solved this dilemma for her. On the open palm of his right hand, a small light shined now. He Hurried to close his hand and shut it out, so as not to attract attention.

"You can't use magic outside of school!" Hermione dressed him down. Predictably so. She then regained her train of thought. "That's how you banished all of Lockhart's bones!" she exclaimed - as quietly as she possibly could.

Harry shrugged. "I think I only repelled whatever he was casting on me, but it did make me start experimenting."

Lockhart was transferred to St Mungo's as soon as the depth and width of his ailment was understood. Rumour has it that the healers there are still struggling to restore his bones. All of them. It wasn't clear yet just how much his brain might survive not being protected by a skull. Worse yet - would the healers be able to restore his award-winning smile?

Hermione was excited once more. "Did you try anything else?" she asked.

Harry shrugged in response. He lit the small light in his palm once more - just for a second.

"This is so fascinating!" Hermione enthused - as quietly as she could. "So many things to research!" A thought, then, came to her. An unsettling one - "Death?" she whispered, and harried to cover her own mouth.

Harry smiled softly. In his mind, he could imagine Death smiling fondly at his friend's antics. "I reckon Death, was she an actual being, would not be as easy to boss around as the story suggests," he answered as truthfully as he could.

Hermione nodded in complete agreement. "I need a library!" she stated with quite a bit of frustration.

"Why didn't you come to visit?" Ron insisted, as soon as he got to the carriage for the train ride back to school..

Harry didn't notice. He was still preoccupied with this Raven girl who came asking to speak with her mother. Said mummy being deceased for a few years now both saddened him and disturbed him equally.

"Maybe next year," was all he could manage in response to both questions.

"He had things to sort out," he heard Hermione try and explain, but Ron didn't look convinced.

"You just studied again all this time," he remarked, dejectedly. "Mum was so excited about you coming," he added.

"Had to sort my home issue for the summer, mate," Harry tried to explain, quite dispiritedly.

"Don't you live with your family?" Ron asked.

"Not any more," came a curt answer.

"You can stay with us!" Ron was excited once more. Harry - not so much.

"I don't want to impose," he replied softly. "I also need a home for myself."

This was something which actually moved forward significantly, yet required some attention from him during the end of the holiday-time. Turns out he most certainly couldn't afford buy anything at and around Hampstead, where Hermione and her parents lived. He did have enough for a modest two-bed south or the river, the south-eastern parts of Islington, or the likes.

The Grangers helped quite a bit in this effort. Some delicate probing of the estate agent by Hermione's father raised the possibility of short-term letting the flat during the school-year. It would not be much and means that Harry would have to find some alternative accommodation for the first week or so of the summer holiday, but it will cover all ownership costs and even Harry's expenses during the summer to a modest extent. The flat won't feel like a true home, during this time, but this was not truly expected till he graduated and moved there full time.

Soon enough, they were talking Quidditch once more, and the chances of the Ravens and Puffs against the Slytherins - all was well in Ron's world.

And I
Will always love you
I will always love you…

Harry heard Hermione sing to herself, while he let Ron trunch him in chess again. He smirked.

What a tacky song…

"Eeeep!" Hermione exclaimed, when Harry appeared out of thin air right beside her library table.

"Hush there!" The expected harsh hiss of madam Pince came almost immediately. "This is a place of knowledge!"

"You learned how to use it!" Hermione whispered excitedly, as soon as she got over the initial shock.

Harry nodded. He reached out for her hand and soon both were invisible. "Not here," he told her.

Walking three times across the empty wall while focusing, summoned a room they have been visiting frequently. It had a sofa across from a fireplace, a Large table with a few chairs, and not much more.

"The cloak?" she asked as soon as they were safe within the privacy of the room.

Harry nodded. "Reckoned that since I can use the wand." Beside the both of them, a chair Levitated slightly to demonstrate. "The Cloak is something I'm familiar with using too," he explained his choice.

"It's also useful!" Hermione smirked.

Harry shrugged a little. He could walk the corridors at night without issue now, even without hiding.

"So, resurrection?"

Harry reached out with his left hand, over the table, and both looked at the small circle on his palm.

"How do you use the others?" Hermione asked the practical question.

"I just do?" was the unhelpful answer. "I want the chair to levitate, I look at it, and it levitates," he elaborated. It did once more as he spoke.

It was still unhelpful and the look on Hermione's face expressed it well.

"Same as with the cloak - I…"

"Just wanted to disappear," Hermione completed his sentence dryly. He nodded.

"So you just think of someone dead and he appears?" she asked incredulously. "Don't yet!" she stopped him, when he turned his eyes to the circle on his palm.

"Who are you trying to summon?" she asked and Harry looked at her a little sheepishly. "You were just about to summon 'someone' in general, didn't you?" she deadpanned. Harry looked even more sheepish now.

"Now, it is said that being summoned causes the summoned person pain," Hermione moved into her lecture tone. "Torture even! As much as you probably like to, I don't think starting with your parents is clever." Harry nodded again.

"Better start with someone we don't like, however," she went on with the lecture, "We don't know in what capacity this person will appear."

"If anything will happen at all," Harry answered with a slight smile.

Hermione rolled her eyes at this. "Better not start by summoning You-Know-Who, for example. Or Jack-the-Ripper. What we need is a person who is disliked, but rather harmless. I had this distant relative once, who was truly annoying. He used to pinch my cheeks too hard and pet my head every-time we met. Shame you don't know uncle Samson. Who do you know and don't like, who is…"

In the middle of this lecture, Harry got his too-wide smile on. He then glanced at that circle on his palm.

"Harry my boy!" a shade of a person, who suddenly appeared at the chair beside them, said and stopped Hermione's lecture.

"Harry!" she frowned.

"It's quite easy!" Harry exclaimed, still smiling. "Just need to think about the soul coming."

"Thank you for bringing me here. There are many things you need to know and I didn't have the chance to tell you. You see - Voldemort isn't truly dead!"

Harry was enjoying himself now. "How's the afterlife?" he asked.

"Headmaster!" Hermione now paid enough attention to recognise the shade sitting with them at the table.

The late Headmaster, however, ignored her. He was focused on Harry. "Voldemort anchored himself to this world and will be coming back. It's imperative, Harry, that you…"

Harry rolled his eyes. "And how did you plan to rid me of the cut in my forehead?" he asked, cutting the shade's speech short.

The late Headmaster sombred at that. "The truth, dear Harry, it is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with caution," he answered, and Harry smiled even more.

"And this," he told Hermione as Dumbledor's shade faded into smoke, "is why I truly loathe the old berk."

Hermione was not persuaded. "The headmaster was a great wizard!" she stated. "He doesn't deserve you bringing him here to hurt him."

It made Harry smile some more. It also reminded him of something important. He stopped Hermione's lecture with a motion and soon Dumbledor's shade was seated at the table with them once more. Once more he wore his grandfatherly smile on.

"Thanks for…"

"Tell her I said 'hi', if you get the chance?" Harry asked without waiting for the Headmaster to finish that sentence and dismissed him once more.

"Her?!" Hermione asked and looked at him suspiciously.

I shouldn't have said that…

"Right, History?" he offered.

Hermione frowned at him changing the subject, but let it drop for the time being. "All our books are in the library," she answered, and made to get up.

Harry smirked. He focused for a moment and their book appeared on the table in front of them.

"Right," she relented. "The Room-of-Requirement. We're doing D-day now. Did you prepare your assignment?"

"Here," he offered, and they exchanged their papers, to go over each other's work. "We're making very good progress," he added.

"Might be done with Year-9 by the end of the Summer," Hermione agreed. It didn't stop her from glancing his way suspiciously, from time to time…

It was only a few days later when Harry was back to the room - alone this time. He opened the door hesitantly and looked inside. It was dark - exactly as he expected it to be. He stepped in cautiously.

This might be dangerous!

Thank Merlin this was a long weekend. He did have his share of studies to do. That morning was Griffindor's second game against the Ravens and his teammates were now frowning at him for exactly the opposite reason than the last time. It only took him slightly over a minute to get the Snitch during that game. It dragged on as long as it did since he was polite enough to wait for the Raven Seeker to join him above the pitch and ask for his well being before diving on the bloody thing.

"Quickest in Hogwarts history," he heard madam Hooch mumble to herself as she walked away with the ball-chest.

Just who in his right mind elects a person going by 'Hooch' to be an educator?

"Let us play a little, why don't you?" Katie complained, and all others readily agreed.

"Make up your minds?" he answered.

Now he had an additional weekend-day to do this. He will certainly need some time to rest after it. He walked in slowly, with his knives in hand. Not swishing them at all. He hasn't trained for more than half a year now.

Mazikeen would gut me for it!

No she wouldn't. She'd torture him for decades, for it, making sure he can be healed, so she'll be able to do so all aver again…

A rustling sound came from deeper into the room. Harry slowly slinked round a heap of rubbish and peeked behind it. This was the version of the Room with all the discarded stuff. He noticed a shade passing between piles of broken furniture and swished a knife once to steady his nerves. It didn't help much.

"You grew slow," A voice whispered in his ear and Harry shuddered. Was it for the voice? Was it the sharp point pressing against his neck just hard enough to draw a drop of blood? Or the body pressed against his from behind? Harry wasn't certain. "And fat!" the voice added, clearly disgusted. This voice had a pronounced lisp and Harry smiled.

"Hello there!"

The knife was drawn back and Harry pushed away. He turned to face the half-faced, well - demon, who stood there. She towered over him. She was oh-so-dangerous. Alluring too… He smiled a little more.

"I can kill you, y'know," she told him offhandedly. "Death might like you, but mother created us with free will."

Harry chuckled lightly. With a swish, one of his knives headed for her head. Said head was not where he threw the knife at any more. On the other hand, he was exactly where her knife was heading. He had to turn to let it pass without hitting.

Just like a bludger!

He concentrated for a moment and a Bludger appeared in front of him. A second later it shot off, looking for its target. That target was right behind him, though, and he barely managed to stop her from stabbing him. As a punishment he soon found himself kicked in his stomach and thrown onto a pile of junk. His opponent waved her hand and the next moment she showed him his Bludger stuck-dead on her knife.

"Nice toys you have here," she smirked at him.

Harry's smile grew wider.

It was more than two hours later when Harry gingerly left the room. He had several tears in his clothes. Several cuts which will require seeing to. He was drenched in sweat and utterly knackered. Yet, he had a wide smile on. It has been a long time since he last felt so alive.

He didn't even blinked when the Fat Friar drifted beside him through the wall, on his slow walk towards the Gryffindor tower and the awaited shower.

"Hello, young Harry," Friar said.

Harry nodded in return. He was too tired for a conversation.

"You should be careful when using the Room," the Friar went on, and took a sip from his mug. "Everything there is a hard light hologram. Well, aside from all the rubbish people left there throughout the centuries. Popular shows aside, it has no safety protocols to speak of."

With that, the Friar drifted away through the wall, leaving Harry behind, rather stunned.

"Oh hello," Harry called when he came back to his dorm-room from the shower.

This long long shower was reinvigorating and certainly well deserved. All he had on was a towel. Well, except for his glasses and a knife, that is.

On his bed lay an open pack of chocolate-frogs, with one box missing. This pack was in his trunk when he went for that shower.

Ron most likely…

Also on his bed were his wand and the other knife - exactly where he left them. Also there was a fat rat, who was trying to get into one of the chocolate boxes. For a moment, the rat looked troubled. He stared at Harry with his beady eyes, literally, well, more figuratively - like a cat caught in the light. He then scurried, only to meet a barrier which looked surprisingly similar to Harry's curved knife. Before he managed to turn around, that knife was grabbed and pressed into his fat stomach.

"And who might you be?" Harry asked, looking at the rat with some interest. He was pressing the tip of his knife harder to the rat's stomach and smiling too happily for the situation. Much too happily.

"What are you doing?!" A shout came from the door. "Leave Scabbers alone, you nutter!" Ron bellowed and tried to rush at Harry, only to find himself floating in the air just a few steps into the dorm-room. Harry was holding his hand pointed at Ron. He had his wand in his hand, although Ron thought he noticed it on the bed when he entered the room. "Let me down!"

People started arriving, up from the common room, to see what this argy-bargy was all about. Most reckoned Harry had finally lost his marbles. By the sound of it, a few noticed that Harry had lost his towel.

Still know where it is, though.

Scabbers squeaked and tried to wiggle his way away from the knife and the boy holding it. An ever-so-slight added pressure from the tip of the knife persuaded him otherwise.

"Scabbers!" Ron shouted in desperation.

"What are you doing, Mr Potter," came a calm question from a six-year Prefect, who just arrived.

Harry disregarded the question entirely. He was focused on the rat under his knife. "What are you, little dear," he asked, not losing his smile. Ever since Nick's death day celebration and his little chat with the Friar, back then - Harry made sure to look at souls. Humans, pets, and anything in between.

You don't have a pet's soul, mate.

"Leave Scabbers alone, Harry!" Hermione's levelled voice pulled his attention from the fidgeting rat. She stood there, at the dorm door, a little red in the face and making sure to keep her eyes on his. He let his smile grow wider.

"Hermione!" he called. "We have a rat now to dissect for Biology!" he stated. "Have you ever seen a rat's entrails? Hope his heart keeps beating when it's opened…"

"Completely bonkers," Ron lamented.

"And put Ron down right now!" Hermione added, now noticing their friend's 'condition'.

Harry, though, was back focusing on the rat. "I need to cut him open carefully, so as not to do much damage to internals," he mumbled - for all to hear. He then applied a little more pressure to the knife.

With another loud squeak, the rat disappeared from the bed and was replaced by a portly small person, with balding and greying hair, and pointy face.

Looked better as a rat.

Harry moved his knife to the man's neck, just to be on the safe side. Disembowelment of a human will make a huge mess on his bed.

"H.. Harry m-my boy," the man's voice shuttered. "So glad to see you. I w-was your parents best friend!"

"Were you, now?" Harry didn't lose his smile, but his voice now was cold as hell.

"Please call Professor McGonagall?" the prefect asked a third-year girl.

"Tell her to call the bobbies!" Harry added, much to the prefect's confusion.

"Aurors," the girl explained and rushed down the stairs.

"Everyone else - carry on please," the prefect then added.

Harry sighed and let Ron drop from being levitated. Ron didn't linger and ran out from the dorm, not sure if he was getting away from the man-who-was-rat, or from his friend.

"Trousers please?" Harry asked Hermione who blushed even more. It made Harry snort in amusement. "Pants too, if you insist," he added.

The man on the bad, though, made the wrong decision and tried to use Harry's momentary inattention to try and grab for his wand. He then screamed in pain, when his hand was pinned to the bed's header by the way of a sharp curved knife.

"You stay put, dear friend of my parents," Harry told him. "After-all, everyone deserves a little Lucifer," he then added softly, mostly to himself.

"You will have to give me better instructions, mates," Harry told his teammates over breakfast, with an easy smile. It was springtime already, and the morning of their last match of the year.

They all looked at each other, rather flustered.

"Just get the Snitch," Wood instructed him, like it was the simplest of things.

"But not too quickly," Fred added.

"We want to enjoy the game too!" Angelina explained.

"Don't delay too much," Katie deadpanned, and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Most of us use old brooms with fading comfort charms," George readily agreed.

"Bollocks!" Wood sorta agreed too.

"And don't let the other seeker get it first," Alicia warned him.

"We would like to win the Quidditch cup and also the House cup," Fred explained, in case Harry was too slow to get it himself.

"All this sounds very complicated to me," Harry pondered loudly. "And boring!" he added. "Are you certain you won't prefer McLagen to play? He's a third-year, y'know. Might understand all these instructions better?"

Half a table down the hall a tall third-year Gryffindor raised his head hopefully. Only to hear Katie snort loudly.

"When Hell freezes over," she answered.

"Not so far-fetched," Harry replied, clearly amused.

"Just get the snitch," Wood summarised, to conclude the discussion.

"But not too quickly," Fred added helpfully. He was soon hit by stinging charms from all his teammates including his own brother.

Meanwhile, Hermione was making an effort to learn something before the game begins and noise levels rise above practical. Harry was her best friend after all - she wasn't about to miss his last game of the season. Then, hopefully a rave-up in the common room will follow.

"Hi Hermione," a voice pulled her attention away from the book she was reading. By pure if convenient coincidence, that page she was reading had a rather detailed diagram of a bisected rat on. Ron sat not far, looking green around the gills, yet unable to take his eyes off it.

"Why are you looking at this?" he asked.

"It's called studying," she answered, quite acerbically. "You might like to have a crack at it from time to time?"

"This is disgusting," he muttered and Hermione rolled her eyes on him.

"You have no issues at all with brewing potions using eyes of newts, tongue of dogs, bat spleens, and the like, but this," he showed him the drawing up close, "is disgusting?"

This was enough for Ron to vacate his seat and move farther down the Gryffindor table for the remainder of the meal. Brekky was the most important meal of the day after all. His seat wasn't vacant for long, though.

"Why are you studying this?" a new voice asked, a little timidly.

Hermione raised her eyes once more. She was trying to memorise all the Latin names to the various body internals, while having a toast and sipping from her tea. Had to lay down her avocado-toast and clear her mouth, before she could answer - Her mum raised her well.

"Hi Padma?" She was surprised to see the Ravenclaw girl at the Gryffindor table across from her. "I study Biology, in this case - the makeup of the body," she explained. "Later on you learn about the human body too. It's important for Medical Studies and the likes."

"Do you really dissect rats?" Parvati asked with some interest.

"Regular school-students, who study biology, usually do at some point," Hermione answered casually, not really paying attention to the direction this conversation might be heading.

"Ewww!" Padma exclaimed.

"They then dissect human bodies too?!" Parvati was visibly shocked by the thought.

Hermione wanted to object then realised that the true answer will be 'at times'. Also that a good explanation will require her to cover issues like higher-education, medical-studies, operations, and autopsies - all completely alien to the two pure-blood girls and to most of the people around. The people around were now listening in on their conversation with some interest.

"Muggles use human bodies for potion ingredients?" a disgusted voice asked from further up the table.

At the Professor's table Snape looked on, clearly interested in watching Hermione digging herself an even deeper hole. For a singular rare moment - Harry shared his interest.

"Only Doctors do!" she objected. "Medical-Doctors!" she corrected herself, and still did nothing to explain the issue better to her current listeners. "Healers," she now made a better effort at it.

"Why would you cut a person open, if you want to heal him?" Padma was now confused. She was still quite disgusted too.

"Since…" Hermione started to explain. Try to at the least, but she was saved by Wood who announced it was time to head to the pitch and trunch the Huffpepuffs.

"Bring it on!" a voice answered from across the hall.

Harry slept through a large part of the way south.

Seven bloody hours!

The last week of school was long and hectic. They had examinations, naturally. He and Hermione also had to study twice as much as they usually did. They had all these questions coming in regarding their extra studies, as well as the practice of dissecting human bodies. They did manage to put off answering those.

They also disregarded the forest near school being forbidden, one night, and went in. They didn't go far, though. For once, Hermione was glad for Harry's knives and the fact that he was so practised with them. Huge spiders tried to hunt them in the dark, once the invisibility was lifted. Harry handled these spiders, yet their screaming attracted more and even-larger spiders. Fortunately, those were chased away by the three Centaurs who arrived in the nick of time. Well, most were chased away - a few were now riddled with arrows and added their shrilling voices to the ambient sound. Thankfully, no more spiders arrived.

"You must go back, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger," one Centaur told them gravely.

"The woods are not safe for children at this time," another agreed.

"We were sent to look for the Unicorn Elders," Hermione tried to explain.

The first Centaur nodded calmly. "He asked us to pass on a massage," came the surprising answer. "Sleep wearing your family's cloak, and he shall speak with you then." They were then kindly, yet firmly, escorted back out of the wood.

"Please tell the Headmistress that we asked to speak with her," the third Centaur asked politely from them. "Ever since Hagrid has left no one enters the woods to speak with us."

"Some important issues need to be discussed," the first one concluded.

At the edge of the forest Headmistress McGonagall was waiting together with Professor Flitwik and Mr Filch. Turns out their shenanigans made enough noise to be heard all the way to the castle. It earned them a night of detention, which Harry didn't really mind, yet Hermione did. He did mind the disappointed face Filch was wearing.

"Completely forgot to tell you!" Ron exclaimed, just as the outskirts of London appeared out the windows. "Talked with my parents and you can come spend the summer at the Burrow. This way you won't be bored with Hermione and the Muggles," he told Harry like it's the most obvious of thing. "You'll bunk with me!"

Harry looked pained, though Hermione only snorted in amusement.

"We have plans," Harry flatly dismissed the offer.

"Come on, mate?!" Ron complained loudly. "She'll make you study all summer long!"

Well, study time was taking a large part of their summer plans. First they had their examinations to hold starting next week.

They then had a few tutors arranged for them, during the month of August, to help them get ready for the year-9 examinations which they scheduled for the end of the summer. They knew they were pushing it. The curriculum was getting harder too, but Hermione fancied the challenge and Harry didn't mind. A month of effort now will only let them spread the effort later on, he reckoned.

Harry had to finalise the purchase of his flat as well. Gringotts were handling most of it. Since he was only twelve and his guardianship was a tad in the air, they will be managing it in trust for his account. Still, Harry himself had to be present for the closing.

Then make it habitable…

Not that their summer plans were all work and no play. Well, Hermione had no issues with it, but her parents put their foot down, so the Granger family were headed to Greece for the late half of July. Harry was invited to join and accepted this time. He was truly learning to feel comfortable with the Granger family.

Ron rushed out of the compartment as soon as the platform appeared out of the windows. Must have been afraid his family would leave him behind or some such. Neville hurried as well. His grandmother wasn't known as the patient sort.

Hermione and Harry took their time. Her parents were waiting for them at the train-station's cafe where they will all have tea together before heading home. Both could wait out the rush of school-mates in the passage.

"Harry, over here!" Neville's voice caught them as soon as they set foot on the platform. He was standing some distance away from them, towards the Engine, and motioned them to come. He was standing there within a group of people. Hanna and Susan were there too, talking animatedly with two women, neither he nor Hermione knew. Susan noticed them and waved excitedly too. Neville's grandmother was easily recognisable, even from a distance, what with the stuffed vulture hat that she was known to wear. She was frowning at Neville and telling him something sternly. Probably had issues with him shouting in such a public location. By the look of it, Neville was properly chastened.

With them stood two men Harry didn't know. Both looked haggard and weary. One of them, though, was wearing immaculate new robes. The other looked rather tatty.

Also with the group was what looked like the whole Weasley family. All chatting animatedly with each other.

Most surprising within this group were the Malfoy family. They were standing to the side, overtly distancing themselves from all these redheads. The woman, probably Draco's mother, was conversing stiffly with the better dressed man, while Draco and Malfoy Snr were frowning and distancing themselves from the other rabble.

"Madam Longbottom," Harry politely greeted the only person within this group he knew personally. She did help him, this last winter, to try and understand the mess which was the status and execution of his parents' wills.

She nodded minutely, but before she managed a response, Susan interrupted.

"And this is my aunty Amelia Bones and Hannah's mummy Merry…"

Her introduction was cut short, though, since the unknown well-dressed man interrupted it by hugging Harry tightly. Harry froze stiff. Physical contact wasn't something he was used to. Being hugged by strangers wasn't something he was comfortable with at all. A curved and very sharp knife appeared in his hand, yet Harry stopped himself in time. This person was standing with people who were helpful to him, so to speak. Also, Susan's aunt was supposedly heading law enforcement. Doing a person in, in her presence, wouldn't be the brightest of ideas.

He could hear Hermione giggling at his discomfort. Some form of revenge will come. Cold and embarrassing, preferably. Thankfully, the man noticed Harry's discomfort and took a step back.

"So sorry!" he stated, now looking just as uncomfortable as Harry was. "Haven't seen you since that night. Got carried away, sorry?!"

Aunty Bones was visibly amused by their discomfort too, although revenge, in her case, would probably not be advisable. "Mr Potter," she addressed him formally. "Please allow me to introduce you to Lord Black," she added with a glint in her eyes.

"Sirius!" the man complained, and Mrs Malfoy frowned.

"Your godfather," Bones clarified.

This was taking too much time. Harry had places to be and things to do. Important things. Hermione's parents were waiting for them too.

"The one who allegedly betrayed my parents to Riddle?" he asked coldly.

This remark was followed by a series of strange reactions. Both Ginny and Malfoy Snr grimace visibly. Others looked perplexed - probably not familiar with the name.

Sirius closed in on himself. "Might as well did," he mumbled.

"Let it go, Sirius," the other unknown man commented delicately. "You paid your dues for that mistake," he added. "With interest!"

People paying for their guilt for too long, Harry could understand. "Sorry sir, no worries," he mumbled. Being mean to people for no reason at all was something he tried to refrain from.

Still, they were in a hurry…

"Lovely to,"

"You will come with us, dear," Mrs Weasley interrupted, and took a hold of his arm. "We'll let Black put his life in order and he will contact you then. You'll bunk with Ron, dear. Your best friend and you, just like at school, only without all the schoolwork," she added kindly.

"Awkward!" Hermione said out loud, then hurried to cover her mouth. She stared at Ron with a raised eyebrow. The slight reddening of the tips of his ears was quite telling.

"You can go with her," the yet-to-be-named shabby man told him. It was said in a kind, yet a little patronising tone of voice. Harry was no longer a little boy in need of care, after all. "The Weasleys are a good family," the man added. "Long time supporters of the late Headmaster," he then said, like this was a commendation of sorts.

Harry was unimpressed. Neither by the endorsement, nor by the hand holding his arm. This, he was free from with a slight shake of his.

"No!" he answered curtly.

This brought a frown to Ron's face and a smirk to Draco's.

"Mate!" Ron complained. "We said you'll help me train for…"

He was cut short by Mr Malfoy. "There is no reason to burden the Weasley family with the care of another boy," he remarked in a silky tone of voice. "Lord Black is family and Mr Potter is such an important young man to our society. We will only be glad to host him at the Malfoy estate for as long as is needed. We will even offer him a guest room all for himself," he needled the Weasleys.

This made everyone frown, except for Harry, who got his too-wide smile on. Only Hermione got the meaning, though, and she took a careful step back.

"Mr Malfoy, so kind of you," he answered and Malfoy Snr smiled. "Nice dress!" Harry then added, and the smile was lost.

"It's a robe," Malfoy rebuked, and Harry's smile widened.

"You wear it well," he replied kindly. "Your invitation is kind, but we already have an arrangement and plans. I would be glad to carry it on at a later opportunity, though," Harry went on, and the smile returned to Malfoy's face. "The 7th of never through the 15th of ain't-gonna-happen? How does it work for you guys?" he asked innocently.

Sirius barked in amusement.

The Shabby person looked disappointed in him.

Mrs Weasley was taken back.

Mrs Malfoy's face was blank, yet Harry could swear he noticed a shade of a smirk there.

Mrs Bones looked like she was about to say something, but Harry wasn't finished.

"Thank you so much for sending Riddle's diary to school," he continued conversationally. "Sadly it was destroyed," he told Malfoy sombrely. "Made certain to give you the whole credit for it, sir."

Malfoy's face lost any trace of expression or colour.

"Lady Longbottom," Harry politely nodded towards the people he knew. "Lady Bones, Sirius." He then grabbed Hermione's hand and dragged her behind him towards the portal, walking as fast as he could without running. "Your parents will be worried!"

"Harry!" someone called from behind them. Probably the shabby-looking man.

"I'll owl you!" Black called out. He was clearly amused.

AN:

Feel free to review and tell me what you think - It's appreciated!
usually, I answer each and every review, but this system is down and replies to reviews won't even reach your inbox (checked).

So sorry...

Many many thanks to flyboy38 my beta, who invested time and effort to make this readable for you all.

Cheers!