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halothenthehorns · 4 years

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OWL POST

Next morning dawned very bright and early for the household, despite their late evening they were all up and around well before a normal breakfast. Since he was the first one up, Sirius decided to make breakfast before Lily could kick him out of the kitchen, which also meant breakfast was a very quick affair. They were all settled down and ready to read within an hour of being awake, highly anxious to get reading again.

Sirius, having finished off last time, passed the book along to Harry for his start.

The narrative starts by stating the simple fact that Harry Potter was considered an unusual boy.

"Oh come on Harry, you're not that weird," James said bracingly, "odd stuff just seems to happen to you."

Harry grinned lightly without looking up, deciding to read the reasons he felt he was so weird before he really believed him.

Beginning to list the reasons, the first of which was that he hated his summer holidays.

"So do I," Sirius mock pouted, "so are you saying I'm unusual."

Before Harry could even answer, Remus really did mock him, saying, "Sirius, Harry doesn't have to say that. I'm saying it for him."

While Harry laughed at the pair, Sirius just huffed and grumbled a bit with a smile.

Another reason was that he actually wanted to do his homework,

"That's not so odd either," Lily chuckled, getting into this now, "I enjoyed doing my homework all the time. It was always something fun and unusual."

"That's just because you didn't grow up around magic," James rolled his eyes, "if you did, you'd just think of it as boring homework."

but was forbidden and now did it in secret during the nights.

Then they all grimaced in disgust as they now firmly remembered where exactly Harry was, and why he would be doing that.

The last of his reasons, he was a wizard.

"Right," James drew the word out in disbelief. "So what about all of that made you unusual again?"

"Well when you put it like that it's not," Harry chuckled, "but sitting around thinking about it..." he trailed off.

They all smiled indulgently at him, pleased he truly did seem to be relaxing and finally making more jokes.

The timing properly started at midnight, Harry lay awake under his bed sheet working on previously said homework, an essay about Witch Burning from the Fourteenth Century and why it was pointless, and gaining knowledge of the subject from his text entitled A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot.

"I actually remember that essay vividly," Lily giggled, "it was pretty funny to find out the lengths wizards go to hide themselves from Muggles, when Muggles can't hardly find us when we're not even trying to hide."

Using his quill he was scanning the page looking for something to add to his essay and came across a likely paragraph, going into details about one witch in particular deemed Wendelin the Weird who enjoyed being caught simply for the use of using a tickle charm she'd hidden in the flames.

"I can't imagine how she got her nickname," Sirius said, mock-puzzled and wondering why she didn't just perform that charm herself, rather than being 'caught.'

"How did that work though?" Harry asked, realizing the book wasn't going to explain further. "The Muggles would have been sitting there watching, and wouldn't they have noticed she wasn't burning up?"

Remus happily explained, "since the smoke was in everyone's eyes so much, they most often did these in open fields and such, they could just disappear before the charm wore off. Anyone who

heard the loud crack it makes, just assumed it was logs or even the bones breaking, stuff like that."

Harry nodded in understanding, having a pang in his chest as he realized this kind of answer would never go in his essay, because he hadn't been able to ask them this. It was the small, little things that still got to him and reminded him that his home life really had sucked.

Harry carefully pulled out a bottle of ink and then used his quill to carefully begin scratching notes on the topic, silently as possible. He feared that if the family he lived with, the Dursleys, heard the pointed sound,

"I always wanted to ask," Harry butted in again, "why do we use quills, instead of pens?"

Both Lily and Remus released bursts of laughter at this, Lily explaining, "trust me, I think every muggle-born's asked that at some point or another. Professor Flitwick explained it saying that it's just more traditional. He tried to give a muggle comparison, saying it's why some teachers still want you to use print instead or cursive on your homework, even though there's no real difference at the end results."

Harry shrugged and said thanks, happy that random little thing was explained.

he would definitely get in major trouble for it, likely being locked in the cupboard for the remainder of his holidays.

Their good mood was gone in an instance, all wanting to threaten or far worse to those Muggles Harry was forced to live with, but Harry wasn't hearing of it as he read on loudly.

The Dursley family of number four, Privet Drive, was the reason that Harry never enjoyed his summer holidays.

Sirius began saying something rather foul at once, but Harry was still diligently ignoring them and continuing.

His Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and their son, Dudley, were Harry's only living relatives. They were Muggles, and they had a very medieval attitude toward magic.

"Medieval, that about sums it up," Lily agreed bitterly.

Harry's dead parents,

Even Harry couldn't keep a hitch out of his voice as he forced himself to read that.

who had been a witch and wizard, were never mentioned. For years in Harry's younger life Petunia and Vernon had done their best to keep Harry as miserable as possible, hoping to squash his hereditary magic out of him.

This time Harry had to cut across all four of them trying to continue their threats, but Harry refused to let them get on for long. He didn't want their tempers' spiking, and for them to possibly rile themselves up enough to go out and act on those threats.

To their horror, it hadn't worked, so they now lived in fear of what anyone would think if they knew where Harry had spent the majority of his last two years of life at Hogwarts.

"Who exactly is anyone?" James scoffed in disgust. "It's not like they have any friends."

Harry just sighed, not really wanting to indulge them and explain that the Dursleys were very neighbourly people, often boasting loudly about the goings on of their life. He didn't quite know what the neighbourhood thought he'd been doing the past two years at school, but he knew without a doubt the Dursleys hadn't been saying it in a good way.

All the Dursleys could get away with now was to take Harry's magical means, including his wand, school books, and supplies and stow them away in the cupboard and forbid Harry from speaking to any of the neighbours.

This time they didn't actually try and cut Harry off, realizing he wasn't going to let them, so they quietly simmered and grouched about that line.

This could have been a real problem for Harry, as he had summer homework and knew one teacher in particular who would never take any excuse for him not doing it. Professor Snape would take any opportunity to give Harry a solid month's worth of detentions for any reason.

"I can see that," Lily agreed fairly, before any of the boys could get in a more biased opinion, "a teacher would have the right to scold you for not doing homework. Though admittedly," she continued even more loudly when James looked about to cutting her off, "I do wish you had explained why you wouldn't be able to do your homework."

Harry just shrugged, knowing that Snape wouldn't have cared no matter what, and never having bothered with the other teachers either.

Harry had outsmarted them though, biding his time and found an opportunity the first week of holidays. Vernon had received a new car and had brought Petunia and Dudley out front to have a look at it, boasting loudly enough that surely the neighbours heard as well.

Remus muttered something under his breath that caused Sirius to release a bark-like laughter, causing James to scowl at them mostly because he wasn't in on the joke.

Harry had taken his chance and gone to the cupboard, picking the lock,

"Glad to see Fred and George taught you that nifty little trick," James approved.

and stowing away a majority of his school things. So long as he left no evidence of it, the Dursleys need never know he was studying magic by night.

"That's my pup," Sirius grinned from ear to ear, "stick it to those bloody Muggles."

All four of them were beyond pleased Harry seemed more and more likely to stand up to that rubbish family of his and even doing small things like this boosted their moral of the ratty situation.

Harry was particularly keen on staying out of their crosshairs as of late, as they were in an especially bad mood with him,

"As opposed to?" Lily asked, genuinely curious.

"Just, a normal bad mood," Harry shrugged, unable to really explain that any other way.

"So, what did they blame you for doing?" James asked without really wanting to hear the answer.

Harry sighed, remembering quite well that this essay marked the time passing from when Ron had called him. He explained the whole fiasco, which both delighted and infuriated them all at the same time. Harry regretted having told them this though when he realized the book was about to explain it, so it's not like they could move past this.

all because he'd received a telephone call from a fellow wizard one week into the school vacation.

"At least he tried," James sighed.

It had been Ron Weasley, Harry's best friend from school, who came from a family of wizards. This unfortunately meant that he wasn't very skilled in using muggle objects, like phones, hence his confusion when Vernon answered the call, and heard Ron bellowing at the top of his lungs 'hello?'

"Wow," Lily muttered, rubbing at her ear, "when you said he shouted, you meant it."

"Guess next time, you should go into a bit more details with Arthur," Remus sighed.

Harry was looking down at the pages sadly, suddenly realizing that he had left out the part where Vernon had shouted at him for this mess, but had merely said this is what caused them to be extra mad at him. Now the book was possibly going to show something he didn't particularly want his family to hear... sighing in defeat he pressed on.

Harry had happened to be in the room at the time, and could clearly hear Ron's continued shouting that he wanted to talk to Harry. Vernon turned on Harry on the spot, fury prevalent.

Not even Lily felt pity for this horrid man, she joined in as they laughed just a bit cruelly at his ignorance of the situation.

Vernon roared right back, demanding to know who was speaking.

"Poor Ron," Sirius chuckled, "he probably doesn't even understand he's doing anything wrong, since that arse is responding in exactly the same way."

"Where did he even get a hold of a phone?" James suddenly asked. "That's not something he'd have around his house."

"I asked," Harry shrugged, "he said his Dad apparated him into town to use one."

"Wait, you could still write to him?" Remus asked eagerly, misunderstanding how Harry had asked, "So did you pick the lock on Hedwig's cage this summer?" Remembering all too well the

injustice done to that poor bird last summer.

"Actually," Harry fully grinned this time, and deciding against correcting his assumption; really he had asked on the train ride home last year. "I really was just allowed to let her out at night. Uncle- err," he corrected himself at once for the slip that he knew they all hated for addressing them as

any type of family, "Vernon hated the racket so much he said I could so long as the neighbours didn't see her."

"Probably the most decent thing they've done in their life," Lily beamed, taking this small victory.

"Even if it was for the most selfish of reasons," James agreed.

Ron called right back in the same tones, speaking as if from the opposite end of a football field,

Sirius couldn't help but chuckle at the mental image.

that he was a friend of Harry's from school. Vernon's hate filled eyes narrowed in on Harry, who had been trying to edge back to his room.

"Uh-oh," they all muttered, Harry had left the part out that he'd been in the room when this happened.

Vernon steamed back that no Harry Potter lived there, now holding the phone as far away

from his head as if it were a ticking bomb,

"I wish," James grumbled, enjoying that for a moment longer.

Continuing to shout that no one had better come near his family!

"He is a bloody paranoid one, isn't he?" Remus said in an almost conversational tone of voice, if his hands weren't white knuckled from what he was dearly trying not to picture that man doing to Harry in retaliation for this. "Honestly, one stupid phone call, and he thinks Ron's going to kill them all?"

"Wish he would," Sirius huffed, "actually I wish Arthur or Molly would really go over there sometime this summer, and take Harry with them, and then never come back."

"If only," Harry agreed, though he really did want to move on now, never letting himself think like this for too long, since it wouldn't ever come true.

Then he slammed the receiver down so hard it was in danger of breaking. The following fight was one of the worst ever in that house.

Lily released a pitiful moan at that description, not even wanting to think on what this could mean...

Vernon rampaging that how dare Harry give out the houses number, to people like him. Ron seemed to have realized that he'd gotten Harry into trouble, because he had yet to try again.

"Wait, wait, back up!" Sirius demanded. "Is that all he did? Shout at you."

"Yes," Harry said quickly...a little too quickly. They'd all had this moment before, where they genuinely wanted to question what exactly Harry was hiding about his home life there. It was

something, of that they were all sure by this point, but the last time they had tried to press on the matter further Harry had gotten very uptight about the matter and had refused to speak on it, saying it wasn't important.

There were several options, none of them good, that would cause him to do this. They wanted desperately to know, but feared if they forced Harry to tell without making one hundred percent

sure he trusted them first, it could break the rather tentative hold they had on said trust. So they didn't question the obvious lie, and waited patiently for Harry to divulge the information willingly, well as patiently as any of them really could be. They weren't subtle about giving Harry looks that said quite clearly 'liar.'

Harry ignored all this, now reading on as fast as possible.

Harry's other best friend from school, Hermione Granger, hadn't made contact either. Harry had the suspicion that Ron may have sent her a warning against doing so, which Harry regretted as she did come from a muggle family and would have known perfectly well how to not only use the phone, but had enough sense not to speak of their school.

"Now that I'm not sure of," Lily disagreed, "since I can assume I'm right in saying you've never told your friends about how you're treated there. So Hermione wouldn't have found it odd at all to mention she knew you from school."

Harry just shrugged, muttering, "yeah, guess so," before quickly pressing on, they all noted Harry didn't exactly answer the first part of his mother's question.

So Harry had no word from any of his wizarding friends for five long weeks,

"Wait, what?" Remus snapped. "I thought you said Hedwig was allowed out? Why on earth aren't you sending them mail?"

"I said I wouldn't," Harry said like he thought it was obvious, rather annoyed he really couldn't just skip this part.

"Harry," James groaned, "this is one time you could have lied! Merlin, they wouldn't even know the difference."

Harry just shrugged again, which was all too common an occurrence whenever this type of thing was brought up. Usually the boy was more than willing to talk and interact with them, asking questions and demanding details, and always more than willing to say what went on around school where some of the deadliest things had happened to him. The fact that he was so closed up about this particular subject continued scaring them the longer this dragged on.

making the summer drag on as horribly as the last one. The one improvement on the situation was his owl, Hedwig. She'd finally been allowed out at night, after Harry promised not to let her send or receive mail.

They all clenched up and muttered a bit more, and were growing beyond frustrated at Harry's not letting them get a word in this time.

The only reason this had even been allowed was because of the racket she made when Vernon had caged her up last summer. Speaking of Hedwig, Harry rolled out from under his bed, eyes burning and putting away his homework for the night into a loose floorboard under his bed.

"Props for finding that," James grinned weakly, happy he had any reason to do so again. Merlin, were they only on the first chapter and he was already feeling like crap again?

Then he stood and glanced around his room, noting his owl's empty cage, before his eyes landed on the clock and he felt an odd jolt in him. The time now read one in the morning, meaning that Harry was now officially thirteen years old.

Then the four of them released pitiful sighs, knowing by now not to even ask about how this birthday was going to go, and only hoping it went at least a little better than last year...Merlin

almost anything would be better than last year!

Yet another unusual thing about Harry was how little he looked forward to his birthdays.

"Yeah, I've got nothing for that," James huffed in disgust, wishing with everything he owned he could fix that. His friends clearly couldn't do anything for Harry, even on this day in particular, so Harry's hatred for his birthday was both founded, and unarguable, plus just down right depressing.

"Congratulations Harry," Sirius said in a falsely bright voice, "we agree, you're unusual."

Harry really did laugh then, making them all feel just that little bit better.

He had never received a birthday card in his life.

Harry joined in on their wince of pain this time, not really appreciating that little reminder.

The Dursleys had made a practice of not even acknowledging the date, and Harry had no suspicions that this would change. His eyes again landed on Hedwig's empty cage. She'd been gone for some time now, but Harry wasn't exactly worried, she'd been gone longer. He was just hoping she would come back soon, as she was the only living thing in this area who didn't flinch at the sight of him.

"I can see how you would find that depressing," James sighed.

Harry then glanced in a mirror and reflected on his own physical appearance, thinking how he was still rather slight for his age with wild black hair, green eyes behind the glasses, and a lightning shaped scar. This scar just so happened to be the most unusual thing about Harry yet.

"Fair point on that," Remus agreed, "so you were right twice over now."

Harry just smiled weakly this time, knowing they weren't about to appreciate his remembering of how he got this scar, so hoping to get past this part quickly he speed read.

Harry had not received it in the lie the Dursleys had told him, that Lily and James Potter had died in a car crash.

'Pig's tail' Lily comforted herself when she made to start screaming all over again because of that lie 'just remember, they did get their due.'

They had been murdered,

James winced, and he probably always would whenever he was forced to hear that sentence. It didn't matter how many times it appeared, it would never not be weird, and heart-breaking.

by Lord Voldemort, the most evil wizard to ever have existed. He had sought out Harry's line and dispersed of his parents, but when he'd turned his wand on then one year old Harry, it had backfired, causing Voldemort to disappear that same night, and leaving Harry with fame. Sadly Voldemort was not gone for good, as Harry had now come face to face with him twice, and all things considering, he felt rather grateful to have reached another birthday at all.

There were several times many of them made to interrupt during that summarization of his last thirteen years of life, but it wasn't anything he hadn't heard already, and it was depressing enough to think about in his spare time. He didn't want his family to be sitting around thinking about it anymore than he had to.

Harry wandered over to the window and leaned out, letting the night air blow against his face as his mind continued to travel, until his eyes caught sight of an odd something heading for him.

"Crap," they all muttered at once, thinking 'it wasn't possible!' Harry was in a town full of Muggles, nothing too dangerous could be happening to him...right?

He froze for a moment, hand on the window and prepared to slam it shut,

"Glad you at least had that sense," Lily said uneasily.

before he recognized the shape as it passed below a street lamp and Harry lept aside.

"What was it?" Remus asked, mixtures of eagerness and fear still lingering.

Harry chuckled when he told them, making Lily say, "aw, the poor thing," while the boys laughed at the scene Harry described.

Through the window came three owls, two supporting the middle one creating such an odd shape. The middle bird was half unconscious, and they all landed on Harry's bed with a whump.

"He's not really dead, is he?" Lily noted with worry even though she knew Harry would read that with more concern if the bird was harmed.

There was something tied to all three of their legs, and Harry recognized the middle owl that was currently passed out as Errol, the Weasley's family owl.

"Oh, hey!" James yelped, grinning with glee now. "So this means Ron did send you something! Ha, can't imagine why he hasn't done it before now."

"He knew he'd gotten me in trouble," Harry reminded.

"Yes," Sirius waved his hand, trying to avoid screaming about that 'trouble' all over again, "but that was because of the phone. Why wouldn't he have sent you mail again?"

Harry just sighed, he understood Ron's reasons, but he didn't know how to explain it to them.

"It's a good thing you were awake for this anyway," Lily said, going back to the original point of this, "because that would have been odd to wake up for."

Harry ran forward and quickly unloaded the owl, setting its package aside and instead carrying the bird over to Hedwig's cage so that he could get a drink.

Lily beamed with unsuppressed glee, happy to see Harry taking the time to help out this owl rather than go right to his mail.

Harry then turned his attention to the other two owls, the white one being his own Hedwig, but the last unfamiliar in colour though what it was carrying was clearly a marked package with the Hogwarts crest.

"Nice," Sirius grinned, "so you got your Hogwarts letter on top of everything else today, and," he continued almost bouncing with glee, "that'll contain your Hogsmeade letter?"

For just a moment, Harry went as bright-eyed as Sirius. He'd heard all about Hogsmeade from the older students, and he was as keen to go as anyone, then that smile trickled right off his face when he realized who he was going to have to ask to sign it. They all noted his changing expression at once, and sadly didn't have to ask what it was about.

They all dearly wanted to sit around and make threats that those useless Dursleys had better sign Harry's form, but recognized it would only make Harry feel worse the longer they leaned on the subject, so they just desperately hoped Harry found a way to convince them.

Harry untied his parcel as well, and the school owl departed again at once, leaving Harry to look after his own pet curiously and remove a parcel from her leg as well. Turning back to Errol's package first, he tore apart the paper to find a birthday card slipping out and a present still wrapped.

Harry couldn't help it, his voice spiked with emotion as well, feeling a little silly something so small would mean so much to him, but not any kind of ashamed the people in the room all looked as if it was their own birthday as well. Surely, since they seemed just as happy if not more than him about this, it wasn't silly at all.

He found a newspaper clipping as well, the title of which declaring who had won a Ministry Employee Scoop Grand Prize; Arthur Weasley.

"Sweet," Lily grinned, "no one deserves that as much as them!"

"Best thing that could have happened to them," James agreed.

The article then described Ron's dad's position in the ministry, and how the family were currently using the money to spend the holidays in Egypt, and would return shortly so that five of their kids could go back to school at Hogwarts in the fall. The accompanying picture showed the nine Weasleys.

Harry at once began wondering why this photo felt significant. Why would it mean anything to him, except a nice reminder of his favourite family (outside of his own right now.) He brushed past it, wondering if he was really losing it.

The picture detailed each of the siblings that Harry recognized, including Ron with his pet rat Scabbers sitting on his shoulder, both of his parents, all of his elder brothers, and his only younger sister Ginny.

"Wish I could see that picture," Sirius chuckled, "must be funny to see them all squeezed in so tight for the camera."

Harry gave a little start and gave Sirius quite a look, one the others didn't even know how to describe. It wasn't truly recognition, but Harry knew this sentence was important to him... it was gone. He just shrugged, not really letting himself think about it too much since it was probably nothing.

Harry was more than pleased to hear of this news, knowing that no family deserved the pile of gold more.

"Hey, you said there were nine of them in the picture," Remus pouted, "how come you didn't finally describe the mysterious Charlie and Bill Weasley."

"Cause the picture wasn't that good," Harry shrugged, "just an old black and white one, and I could pick out two I didn't recognize. I'm sure I meet them eventually," he finished with

conviction.

Harry then turned his attention to the written note attached in Ron's handwriting, beginning with a birthday greeting for Harry, and going on to apologize for clearly getting Harry into trouble. He'd asked his Dad, who had suggested maybe he shouldn't have shouted.

Sirius couldn't help but release a surprised snort of laughter, while James said, "a fair thing to think, if you'd never worked one before and didn't know."

Then he described his time there in Egypt, but did promise that they'd have enough left over for him to get a new wand before he went back to school.

"Thank Merlin," Lily chuckled.

"I don't know, I agree with Harry," Remus laughed, "it did come in handy there at the end."

"Yes well, it was gone now, so we couldn't have kept it anyways," Harry reminded, still grinning.

Harry remembered all to vividly how Ron's wand had exploded at the end of last year, after having spent the whole of the year nearly being snapped in half when their flying car had crashed into a tree.

"Just thinking about that sentence without knowing the background of it," Sirius cackled, "makes it even more priceless!"

"So, I forgot to ask," Lily said, having to speak a bit louder than usual over Sirius for Harry to hear her, "did you ever tell anyone about the car? Or is it still in the Forest?"

"I told Dumbledore and McGonagall how we got away from the spiders," Harry admitted, "but as far as I know, no one went in and got it out. It's still in there."

"Where I hope it stays," James grinned.

Ron then informed that they would be back in time to get some stuff in London the last week of holiday, and if Harry had a chance of meeting them there?

"That brings up a good point I hadn't thought of," Lily said, frowning once again as she asked, "how are you going to get your school supplies this year? There's no way they're going to drive

you up to London, and even if they did I certainly don't want them knowing about your Gringotts Vault."

Harry just shrugged, saying honestly, "can't remember exactly, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. I'm sure when Ron gets back from Egypt, I can go stay round his place again, and someone there would have made sure I'd gone." Harry frowned as he finished saying this, feeling how wrong those words were. He got his school supplies, no the part that was bothering him was in saying he stayed with Ron. He had a very bad feeling all of a sudden, like something had happened at the Dursleys... the thought was gone. Even now as he decided not to push it, he could feel the beginnings of a pounding headache returning even as he thought to try, so with nothing else for it he read.

Ron began to finish off by telling Harry not to let the Muggles get him down,

All four of them scowled heavily, wondering just how much Harry had told his friends about how that lot treated him. Just like with any other time though, whenever they asked Harry about it, he remained suspiciously closed up.

and hoped to see him soon. Then he added a P.S., pointing out that Percy was now Head Boy.

"Oh, this ought to be great," Sirius muttered sourly, as if that boy wasn't big-headed enough already, no now he was given even more responsibility.

Harry turned to the added on parcel now and unwrapped it to find a mini glass spinning top.

"Nice, it's a Sneakoscope," James said eagerly, finding this a rather fun toy when he was a kid.

"A bit useless around school, what with so much untrustworthy students hanging around," Remus chuckled, "but fun all the same."

Harry dearly wanted to ask what it was, or what it did, but hoping Ron might explain he instead read.

Harry read the attached letter, which was from Ron explaining that he'd given Harry a Sneakoscope which was used to detect people who were untrustworthy. Ron didn't put too much stock in it,

"Nonsense," Sirius scoffed, "they're plenty useful."

because even as he'd been sending it, it had been going off. Though that could have been because Fred and George had been putting beetles in someone's soup.

"That'll do it," Lily chuckled, "those twins are as untrustworthy as it comes."

"Well that's a bit harsh," James grinned without any real heat, knowing she didn't mean it. "I like them, they're good for a laugh."

"Which explains why I don't trust them," Lily smiled indulgently at him and all the other boys who were chuckling at their joshing.

Harry carefully placed his top down, watching it balance and stay still in the dim lighting.

'I don't know' Remus thought, frowning suddenly 'I don't trust any of those Dursleys as far as I can throw them, so I really wouldn't have been too surprised if it had gone off then.' It hadn't though, so he just ignored it for now.

Harry then turned happily to his other present, the one Hedwig had come with, which turned out to be from Hermione.

"Aw," Lily cooed, "Hedwig went out to find Hermione, that is so sweet! I love your owl."

Harry nodded in fervent agreement.

Her letter began by saying that she had indeed heard from Ron about that phone call, and hoped he was alright.

"About as alright as he ever is there," James muttered bitterly.

Harry sighed, wishing desperately the book would quite mentioning this now.

She was on vacation out in France and had wanted to send Harry something, but hadn't known how, what if they'd open it through customs?

"Which is another reason we invented our own postal system," Sirius chuckled.

Then Hedwig had arrived and Hermione was able to send her present which she'd ordered via owl-order, through the daily prophet.

"Why haven't you subscribed to that yet?" James asked curiously.

"Hadn't quite found it relevant enough yet," Harry shrugged, "reading the paper just didn't interest me."

Hermione then went on to say that she was learning a lot over here, but was slightly jealous that Ron was in Egypt learning about their ancient customs.

"Oh yes," Remus nodded, trying his hardest to sound serious as he continued. "I am so sure learning's exactly what's on Ron's mind as he goes around those pyramids," he couldn't hold the

expression much longer as he burst into laughter.

Hermione had learned so much that she'd rewritten their history of magic essay, which was now two rolls of parchment more then asked for.

All four boys gawked at this, while Lily simply smirked and shrugged, completely unsurprised by this.

Hermione finished by saying she was going to be back in London at the same time as Ron, and hoped to see Harry then. She also added a P.S. commenting on Percy's Head Boyship, and how unpleased Ron seemed about it.

They all chuckled, glad to see Hermione still had her sense of humour.

Harry laughed as he turned his attention on her wrapped gift, feeling how heavy it was, and imagining it to be a complicated book of advanced spells.

James and Sirius frowned at the thought, but Lily and Remus scoffed, as Remus said, "I doubt that. Hermione might be bad around exam time, but she's hardly pressured either of you to be

studying more. No, I'm sure Hermione got you something she thought you'd really like."

Harry looked very eager and curious now as he read.

It was the opposite. When Harry unwrapped it he found a Broomstick Servicing Kit inside.

"Nice," all five of them praised, Remus giving his two friends rather superior looks.

"Alright Moony," Sirius scoffed, "knock off that, so you were right, again."

Harry chuckled affectionately as Remus' look only increased.

Inside were several objects all geared towards maintaining and keeping up a broom. Apart from his friends, one thing Harry missed the very most about Hogwarts was playing on his house Quidditch team.

"Can't blame you there," Sirius agreed with a groan, it had been ages since he'd been out flying, let alone played a game.

Harry happened to own a very good racing broom, a Nimbus Two Thousand, which was one of his most prized possessions.

"One of?" James questioned, a teasing smirk lighting his features.

Harry smirked and said, "yes, one of. I'm sure you can guess the other."

Sirius and Remus both snorted in appreciation at James rather put out look, he had been hoping Harry would correct him and say that his invisibility cloak was his most treasured object, and here his own son was, obviously teasing him and purposely saying the exact opposite.

Harry carefully placed this present aside and picked up his last bit of mail, which he recognized as being from Hagrid.

"Oh, so Hagrid sent you a letter along with your Hogwarts' stuff," Lily beamed, "wonder what he's been up to this summer."

Harry had only begun to unwrap the present however, and caught the hints of a book cover, when the object began to move, and snapped at him.

"Snapped?" Remus yelped, fear coming back at once. "What on earth could Hagrid have sent you that snap's?"

Harry was frowning, trying his best to describe what he had only gotten a glimpse of, but he wasn't doing a good job, so he turned back to the book in hopes for a better description.

Harry froze, knowing from first-hand experience that Hagrid didn't always have a good gage when it came to dangerous things.

Sirius released a weak chuckle, no one was going to argue Harry on that point.

The gamekeeper had been known to befriend giant spiders and sneak illegal dragon eggs into his home,

"And that's just the tip of it all," James muttered.

so Harry's caution now was quite warranted. He gingerly began unwrapping the rest of the parcel, now clutching his lamp as a defence should he need it, and out fell a book.

"A book?" Lily repeated faintly.

"A biting book?" James probed, looking like he was sure Harry was messing with him this time.

Now knowing the book in his hands was going to properly explain he read on curiously.

Harry only just made out the title The Monster Book of Monsters, before the book rolled itself right off of the bed, landing with a thunk, and beginning to scuttle around on its cover like some odd crab.

Sirius released a low, throaty whistle as he said, "damn, points for originality anyway. A book about monsters, that's kind of a monster itself."

"Guess it's no weirder than the invisibility books on invisibility," James agreed, still frowning at the odd little thing, and unable to stop himself from wondering why Hagrid would have sent that to Harry.

Harry tensed up at once, fearing that any noise made would draw unwanted attention. Harry tried to creep after the object, being as quiet as possible,

"But this would have been such a sight to walk in on," Remus muttered, "a book attacking them." Still hoping right along with Harry that the momentary humour it would have provided at the

Dursleys freaking out over this wasn't really going to happen, in favour of what they might do after the shock had worn off.

Harry reached out to pick up the book again, when it snapped closed over his fingers and scuttled away.

"Must have been quite the sight," Sirius really did laugh this time, unable to help himself at the rather annoyed look on Harry's face that he was being bested by a book!

Harry scrambled after it, threw himself on top of it, managing to flatten it in place. From the room over, he heard Vernon give a cough.

Then all four of them winced, already sick of this constant enjoyment flashing to fear and anger every other paragraph, all because of the house he was in.

Hedwig and Errol watched with interest,

Even Lily couldn't stop herself from giggling at that image, it must have been quite a sight.

as Harry got to his feet while keeping the book clamped tight to his chest and staggered over to a drawer, drawing out a belt, and clamping the book firmly shut. The book shuddered in clear anger, but was no longer able to go anywhere as Harry sagged back onto the bed and found Hagrid's accompanying note and read first a birthday greeting, then a cryptic comment saying that Harry may need this for his next year.

"That's right," James suddenly brightened, "Harry's taking Care of Magical Creatures this year! Hagrid might have sent that to him, for a jump start on the class."

"Well that was nice," Lily sighed, "though I'd much rather he'd just sent him whatever the school says."

Hagrid didn't put any further information in the note, saying he'd explain more when he saw him.

"Tell you what?" Sirius asked in confusion.

"Why on earth would any of us know," Harry pointed out, grinning over at him. Sirius shrugged, smirking right back.

Then Hagrid signed off his letter, and Harry instead went to his very last piece of mail from school, which contained its normal Hogwarts school list, plus an extra note this year explaining all about Hogsmeade and how he'd have to get a signed permission form to enter. Harry's enthusiasm wasn't very high when he realized who he was going to have to ask to sign it.

They all sighed, that old pang returning with a vengeance. Harry shouldn't have had to worry about asking permission for this, it should have been as simple as him going to see his parents and

having a nice conversation about all the shops available. This horrid reminder that he couldn't do this hurt worse every time they thought about it.

Harry glanced over at his clock again and found two hours had passed, and itching with sleep, decided to worry about it in the morning. Leaning up to a chart above his bed, Harry crossed off another day passed until September first arrived and he could return to Hogwarts.

"I did that all the time," Sirius nodded in agreement, "it helps the wait not seem as long."

Harry shared another smile with Sirius, oddly happy they had such a random thing in common.

Then he took off his glasses and fell asleep facing his birthday cards. Though Harry considered himself an unusual person, for the first time in his life, he was happy it was his birthday.

"Well that was a depressing end," Remus said in a forced chipper voice as he leaned over to take the book.

"And it's only going to get worse," Harry muttered, now knowing that vague feeling from before was growing stronger inside. Something really awful happened on this birthday, which was

saying something when compared to his other birthdays.

HPHPHPHP

Because someone asked, and it's a very good question, no there will not be anyone else joining the reading series. I did seriously consider adding Hermione and Ron sometime during the fourth book, but I'm still enjoying my idea that they don't really know what's going on. If any other people did join from the future, then they would ruin all sorts of stuff like Sirius, and Dumbledore, and countless other death's I'm still going to enjoy being a surprise. I could erase their memory, but it's the same reason I'm not going to be adding anyone from this timeline. If I have any other characters from their own time join, like say Molly and Arthur, then I would have to constantly deal with go back and read the book themselves, or 'we'll explain later' and just yeah not worth it. The five that are there are what you guys got.

P.s. If there are any book mistakes you'd like me to explain feel free to ask, and I will try and go back and fix them. Geeze this chapter's almost as much my talking as the characters.

#Harry Potter #The Life that Never Lived #Bookhater #James Potter #Lily Potter #Sirius Black #Remus Lupin

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natreads · 2 years

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bookhater said: Find a literary journal

What do you mean?

#replies #bookhater

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shitkanyesays · 11 years

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I am a proud non-reader of books.

Kanye West

#bookhater #watch out words #literature #books #kanye west #yeezus

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halothenthehorns · 4 years

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DOBBY’S REWARD

DOBBY'S REWARD

They had a very late dinner then. All just needing to take a break from what was hands down the worst chapter yet. After a nice relaxing meal, Harry even offered they could quit for the night, since nothing this awful could happen the rest of the year. They disagreed though, stating that they may as well finish, there couldn't really be any surprises left, right?

Before he began, Sirius noted the length of the book and told them, "I think this is the last chapter."

"I bloody well hope so," James groaned, massaging his stomach and still not looking one hundred percent. He had eaten a very light dinner, something Lily had noted and was genuinely concerned about, "because I honestly can't take much more from this one."

Harry gave them all sympathetic looks, but really couldn't think of anything to say as Sirius read.

Harry only briefly glanced around the room before someone started screaming. It was Mrs. Weasley, yelling her daughter's name.

They all nodded, none of them really too surprised Ginny's parents were up at the school, and more than pleased they were some of the firsts to find out she was alive.

Both she and Arthur were corralled around their daughter in a second,

There were finally smiles back in the room, all of them genuinely happy in that one small moment that this family was still whole.

and Harry sidestepped them to let them have their moment and instead walked over to Dumbledore who was next to the fireplace.

'Well I was right' Sirius mentally sighed, 'one more bad thing and Dumbledore's back.' He hated that the 'bad' thing was that poor Ginny had supposedly died though, so he didn't bring it up.

He laid the hat and sword down on McGonagall's desk, who was still clutching her chest in shock at their arrival. Fawkes flew past Harry and landed on Dumbledore's shoulder, but before Harry got a chance to speak, Mrs. Weasley had pulled him and Ron into a bone crushing hug, praising her thanks, and then asking how they'd pulled it off.

"You're not going to like it," Harry offered weakly, thinking that if these people's reactions were anything close to his family's he'd be lucky if someone in that room didn't faint as well.

Harry went into as much detail as possible explaining what all had been going on this year,

"Everything?" James couldn't help but ask.

Harry nodded, not having left anything out of the story that time. He'd been too worried Ginny was going to be blamed, so he added as much ridiculous detail as he could manage, while leaving her out of this as long as possible. Not remotely concerned for his own place at the school at that point so long as she wasn't punished.

telling of all he'd learned, and it all culminating to his trip to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"Putting it like that doesn't sound nearly as dramatic as reading it all through," Remus chuckled weakly.

"Sorry I couldn't just summarize it," Harry admitted.

"Nah, the fun, good parts almost make up for the horrible, you could've died parts," Sirius chuckled.

Surprisingly, the others did agree. It was horrible, heart wrenching, and many other synonyms that they had to hear about their little Harry having to go through all of this, but they were also getting something in return. A true record of their boy's life, things he might not even have told them if they had survived. What twelve-year-old would tell them about the singing valentine? It was the little things like this that made the story worthwhile.

McGonagall was the first to speak, first pointing out that they had broken nearly every school rule in the process of all this,

"Oh it wasn't quite every one," Lily murmured, "I could actually go back and count, but I might go bald in the process if I tried."

but then asking how Harry had survived his stay in the Chamber? Harry kept talking then, describing in detail his battle with the basilisk, but having so far left out Ginny's part in the story. He was to worried that she might be blamed in all of this, and how could he prove otherwise when the diary no longer worked?

All five of them were now tense and upset again, knowing they really couldn't stand it if she was blamed for this mess...

Sirius read with fervour, hoping desperately some miracle would help the girl.

He turned his attention to Dumbledore pleadingly, and Dumbledore almost smiled as he commented he found it astounding that Voldemort had managed to take hold of Ginny when his last rumour had been the Dark Lord was somewhere in Albania.

That sentence created a whole stirring of emotions in the room, the least of which was relief that Ginny wasn't going to be blamed.

"So, did Dumbledore know what was going on this whole time?" Lily asked hesitantly. His crimes against Harry had been bad enough last year, but if he had stood by with even having an

inkling that something bad was going on with Ginny...

"Did he say Voldemort really was alive?" James demanded, hating that he couldn't go one bloody chapter without wanting to snatch up his son and go into hiding for the rest of his life.

"How did Dumbledore know it was Voldemort enchanting Ginny?" Remus grumbled, not exactly sorry, but stunned all the same.

The three of them had asked their questions almost exactly at the same time, so it took a moment to sort out and decide if any of them even had an answer to any of the above.

They didn't.

After a few circular arguments where nothing was remotely resolved, Sirius kept reading, knowing that Dumbledore really hadn't explained much last year, but hoping he might this time.

Arthur was shocked, stuttering out how this could have happened to his daughter?

"Poor guy," James said in sympathy. Ginny wasn't even his daughter and he'd felt wretched at the idea, he could only guess at how Arthur was really feeling right then.

Harry was quick to explain all the diary had told him about her possession, and Dumbledore seemed almost intrigued by the book, explaining that Riddle had been one the brightest students Hogwarts had ever known.

"And yet, I still hate him," Sirius told no one in particular.

He went on to explain that after he'd left Hogwarts he'd disappeared from the public eye, and gone through so many horrific transformations to gain himself power, that by the time he'd come back as Voldemort, no one could connect the two.

"Barely recognizable?" Remus demanded. "I've never seen him, but I've heard he doesn't look the least bit human."

"Some people say he isn't," Lily agreed, "though now I guess we know that isn't true."

Mr. Weasley was still stuck on how his daughter was involved in all of this, asking her how she hadn't realized how dangerous this had been? He'd always told his children never to trust something where you couldn't see where it kept its brain.

"That's pretty sound advice," James nodded, happy someone had said this with Harry around. Hopefully nothing like this would come again.

He asked his daughter why she hadn't shown it to him, or her mother, since it was clearly a dark object.

Lily grimaced, all for the fact that her parents were educating Ginny on this, but now didn't seem the time to reprimand. Yes her parents were scared, but couldn't they have held off telling her this... then she remembered all the times she spun on her own son in fear of what she had just discovered he'd done, and recognized she had scolded first. Guess it was just a parent thing that you snap in fear, even if it is at the child themselves.

Ginny was still half crying that she hadn't known better, she'd found it in one of her textbooks, and thought someone had left it around for her.

"She found it in one of her books?" Sirius demanded, looking flabbergasted. "Was that thing being sold at Flourish and Blotts or something?"

"Not possible," James shot down, "I can't imagine this thing in a shop like that."

"Well surely Ginny isn't lying," Remus frowned, "so what else could it be?"

They were rather annoyed they truly did seem at a dead end this time, and all the more upset it didn't seem possible they could easily prevent this thing from falling into someone else's hands.

Dumbledore cut her off with a gentle command that she should go up to the hospital wing. She would not be punished in any way for this.

Though they had all been praying for this, they still couldn't help but release a breath of relief at this confirmation.

He even told that Madam Pomfrey would be up already, because she was busy awakening the other petrified students. Ron was overjoyed to hear Hermione was waking up, and Dumbledore agreed that there was no permanent damage done. Arthur and Molly escorted their daughter out, still looking deeply disturbed by the whole thing.

"As I'm sure they will be for some time," James agreed sadly. He had only just found out his son really should have died in that Chamber as well, and he still didn't look any kind of okay about it.

Then Dumbledore turned his attention on McGonagall and told her to go and wake all of the houses, a feast was in order. She agreed, stating that she would leave the headmaster to deal with the boys as she left.

"Deal with us?" Harry asked curiously. "We aren't really going to be punished are we? There's not actually a school rule saying we can't go into the Chamber is there?"

"Well no," Sirius said, unable to suppress a grin at the outraged look on Harry's face, "but you did admit to several other rule breakings. Going into the forest comes to mind."

Then Harry turned sheepish and uncertain, now hoping he really wouldn't get into trouble himself now that it was clear Ginny was in the clear.

Harry and Ron exchanged very concerned looks as their head of house left and they were now stuck with Dumbledore, who began by reminding them that he had threatened to expel them if they got up to any more rule breakings this year.

Lily then said something very unladylike, not looking the least bit abashed as she continued, "-he's not really going to expel you is he? You did save her life! All those things you admitted to doing wouldn't warrant expulsion!"

Harry couldn't help but grin at his mother, glad to see she would have been just as outraged as anyone else if Dumbledore did kick them out.

Sirius didn't feel like waiting around for an answer, but blasted on to see if their old Headmaster really would do something like that.

Harry didn't have time to feel the weight of that before Dumbledore kept talking about how this showed even the best man was left to eat his words.

They released yet another breathe of relief, happy Dumbledore was indeed 'eating his words.' Harry and Ron getting punished on top of everything else that had happened tonight would have

been a bit too much injustice.

He decided that they would both get Special Awards from the school for their act, and gave them two hundred points each for Gryffindor.

They all beamed with pride at that. Unlike last year, they felt these two boys fully deserved that praise for the remarkable job of everything they'd done this year.

"Well, ah-" Remus began before breaking out into laughter.

"That should put a twist in Voldemort's knickers," James cackled, "my son taking away his stupid trophy, and proving Hagrid's innocence."

"So, would this mean Hagrid could go back to school and learn more magic?" Lily asked eagerly.

Harry suddenly cocked his head to the side in puzzlement as he responded slowly, "err, well yes, it should. I know for a fact Dumbledore says he doesn't have a record anymore, but for some

reason Hagrid never actually goes 'back to school'. He still lives there as gamekeeper though." He finished this with a sense that he had left something out, though he had no idea what? Did Hagrid hold another title at school perhaps?

"I wonder why?" Sirius asked in puzzlement. "Did he at least get his wand fixed?"

Harry just shrugged, saying, "Can't tell you that. Doubt I ever asked him anyways, even if I could remember. It seems a bit personal."

"Fair enough," they all agreed, deciding to move past this for now.

Then Dumbledore turned to the last person in the room, Lockhart, who had been standing in the corner being quieter than he probably ever had in his life. Harry had forgotten he was even there as Dumbledore asked why he had been so silent this whole time.

"I still haven't," Remus couldn't help but snicker all over again, "and I'm going to enjoy this one for a long time. Though I do wonder what kind of idiot they're going to get next year, you've somehow got a worse track record than us!"

Harry gave him a puzzled look, he had been wondering that himself, but still had no honest way to answer that.

Lockhart just gave a vacant smile as answer, and Ron added in the part that there had been a mishap in the Chamber involving the Professor. Lockhart cut them off by demanding was that really his job?

"No," all five of them muttered at once, bitter hatred for his lies still lingering tenfold, especially what he had tried to do to Harry.

Then he asked if he was as bad at the job as he thought.

Remus smacked Sirius for that, then Sirius let out a surprised yelp of pain and demanded, "What was that for? I thought you'd appreciate that one?"

"Don't joke like that Sirius," Remus scoffed.

With a wicked grin, Sirius flipped the book so Remus could see for himself, which made Remus smile like he'd just gotten his Christmas and Birthday all at once. "I still don't believe it! This is wonderful!"

The others were too busy laughing at the whole exchange to get in a real comment.

Ron explained that he'd been hit with a memory charm he'd been trying to use on them, and Dumbledore made the comment that Lockhart had been hit with his own sword.

"Say what?" Lily demanded, laughter dried up at once. "Is that saying Dumbledore knew what he had done?"

"Maybe he couldn't prove it?" James murmured, "I mean, no one else in the entire wizarding community seemed to have noticed anything either."

Lily sighed as she backed down, and also admitted she couldn't start blaming Dumbledore for every little thing that ever went wrong around that school. He was a powerful wizard, but even he

couldn't fix everything.

Lockhart didn't seem to get it, asking about a sword dumbly.

"Truest words yet," Remus muttered, still rather enjoying this.

Then he gestured that Harry had a sword. Dumbledore turned to Ron and asked him to take Lockhart up to the hospital wing as well.

Harry looked genuinely puzzled by Lockhart's predicament. He seemed to be in the same boat as Harry had been when he'd awoken, but he had advanced some by then. He understood jokes and metaphors like Dumbledore had just made so had something else happened to him other than a memory charm being placed on him? He struggled to remember, but the moment his head began

pounding all over again he let it go. He had gone so long without that concussive pain returning, he didn't want to break now when they were so close to being done.

Ron agreed, and then it was just Harry and Dumbledore. The Headmaster began the conversation by saying he thanked Harry for his actions, as only the truest of loyalties could have called his pet down to Harry in the Chamber.

Harry nodded to himself, that had been something else he was wondering. How had Fawkes known to come to him? He had meant to ask, but in all the hubbub down there, he'd never found his chance. He supposed it was just the magical quality of the bird that, when showing its master loyalty, a phoenix knew to come?

Then he asked how Harry felt about meeting Tom Riddle.

"That's putting it mildly," James hissed, frowning anew at what he knew would give him nightmares tonight of that green hewed cavern.

Harry couldn't keep it in any longer, blurting out that Riddle had pointed out some of their similarities, how he could see they were alike.

"That hasn't been bothering you now, has it?" Lily demanded at once, feeling repulsed her son could think something of himself as to be compared to Voldemort.

"At first," Harry admitted, "but then I saw the way you guys reacted, and how you brushed all that stuff off, so I didn't really think on it after that."

All four of them beamed with pride, happy beyond words Harry really was relying on them in this way.

Dumbledore seemed interested, asking what Harry thought of it. Harry burst out a little too loudly that he didn't think that at all.

"Which means you were really afraid you were," James groaned.

"Yes," Harry admitted, "but not now," he finished with a reminder, making his dad smile once more.

He tried to say that he was in Gryffindor, but he stuttered off as he reminded himself that the hat had wanted him to be in Slytherin,

"Please," Sirius scoffed, "while I'm not saying you should have been in there, even if you had been you'd have been expelled the next day. Don't tell me Snape wouldn't have found some way

to kick you out because you got snarky with him in class."

James and Remus nodded in agreement, while Lily just rolled her eyes at all of them.

how he could also speak Parseltongue. Dumbledore decided to explain that his was a rare gift, that Voldemort had possessed through his own bloodline.

All five of them were frowning all over again, as Remus asked, "so? Why would Voldemort being able to do something mean anything to Harry?"

Harry could feel a bead of sweat beginning to trickle down the back of his neck. Before he realized it, he was almost panting with the effort to keep a sudden memory from emerging, blasting his skull into fire and- "Harry," James finally broke into his concentration, "relax son."

Harry nodded miserably as he opened his mouth, but- "I'm sorry," Remus blurted out before Harry could, mischievous and giving him a smirk, "I should have known better by now then to direct a question like that at you."

"What are you apologizing for, you can't help it," Harry blustered, rubbing at his temple all over again.

"Exactly," Sirius grinned, "you can't help but try to draw up the memories and answer. So stop trying to apologize for it."

He nodded in understanding, but began slowly and hesitantly, "I think, I'm fixing to find something out. Something Dumbledore tells me, you guys aren't going to like it."

They exchanged heavy looks at that, very worried at Harry's reaction, but already assuring him that they didn't care one jot what Dumbledore could ever say, they all still loved him.

Sirius went back to his reading, deciding he hated this chapter damn near as much as the last one because of the way it was making Harry feel.

He postulated that the night Harry had received his scar, Voldemort may have somehow inadvertently given Harry some of those powers.

Sirius' voice was already spiking in confusion and fear at the implications this implied, but he didn't have to guess that Harry must question Dumbledore about this, so he kept going loudly in hopes for a better explanation.

Harry spluttered in shock that some of Voldemort was in him, and Dumbledore agreed it looked that way.

"That's all we get?" Lily whimpered when it seemed Sirius had frozen up, meaning there wasn't anything else. "I really don't like the sound of that. What does that even mean? How could he-"

she broke off when she realized she had scooped up Harry's hand again, and was wringing it instead of her own. She smiled sheepishly at him, but he didn't pull away.

They all sat there for a long time, alternately soothing Harry that what they said was still true, they didn't care one teensy little bit...but they still really didn't like what this was implying.

The fact that they had no idea, not even an inkling to guess at what this could mean for Harry, scared them more than anything. Harry seemed fine now though, so deciding the boy had been

worried enough for one day, they firmly pushed this topic aside for later.

Harry then said this meant he should have been put in Slytherin,

"Still no," Sirius said at once, "the houses have absolutely nothing to do with that kind of stuff."

Harry finally gave a real smile then, unable to put into words how much he appreciated them still backing him up after all of this.

but Dumbledore corrected him by saying that Harry may have many of the traits Slytherin valued, like his determination, and a blind eye when it came to rules,

"Something that all five of us tend to have," Lily reminded Harry, beaming down at him

Harry chuckled at her then, having noted quite a few times where his mum wasn't really as against his nosing around as he would have expected from a mother. She clearly had just as much of a

curious streak as anyone else in the room.

but the sorting hat still put him in with the Gryffindors. Harry butted in that was only because he'd asked for this.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," James scoffed.

"Personally, I have a theory," Remus told them all. "We all have the basis for the other three houses, but it's our bravery that we asked for a house that may tip the scales to set us into

Gryffindor."

"I asked to go into Slytherin though," Lily objected, noting the stunned look, and shrugging without remorse. "What, after we had talked on the train, we decided we wanted to be in that house."

"Well I'm still partially right," Remus shrugged, "you asked to go into a house specifically, you just didn't get the house you asked for."

"I didn't ask for a house," Harry corrected, "I just said the house I didn't want."

"Which is the same basic principle," Sirius backed up Remus' theory, "you still asked, you just asked for what you didn't want."

They all nodded, rather curious, but determined they really couldn't ever know. No one really knew how the sorting hat worked.

Then Dumbledore told Harry there really wasn't a mistake, if he looked closer at the sword. Harry looked at the hilt, and etched into it were the words Godric Gryffindor.

"No way," James breathed, his eyes going wide as saucers, and a sudden burst of pride for his son making his chest nearly swell right out of him as he realized his very own boy had produced this legendary object.

"Not the fabled sword of myth," Sirius murmured.

"What are you guys talking about?" Harry asked curiously when it seemed they were all going to sit in stunned silence.

Lily explained eagerly, "The four founders of Hogwarts all created objects of great power. They were said to go to those in their house at a time of need, but no one's been able to summon them since they got lost back in the medieval times after the Founders passed."

"Gryffindor had a sword," Remus continued elaborating, "they say it was Goblin-made, indestructible, and had been enchanted to go to those of great potential. There are rumours that this was King Arthur's sword."

"Why would a wizard need a sword?" Harry probed curiously.

James was nearly bouncing in his seat as he explained, "back when Magic was a common thing among Muggles, Muggles had the right to challenge Wizards like anyone else. It was considered

immoral for Warlocks to use magic on Muggles even then, unfair to be honest, so it was just as common for our kind to be practiced in sword skills, as well as magic."

"Also how Wizard's duels came into existence," Sirius added on happily.

Harry looked so intrigued on the matter, he knew he could have sat there for hours questioning all of this further. What did the other founders have, what kind of magical properties, but he

recognized that it was getting very late, and his family dearly wanted to go to bed soon, so he held his tongue and thanked them for the History lesson.

Dumbledore explained that only a real Gryffindor could have convinced the hat to give up this sword.

"Sweet," Sirius whispered, all the more jealous of his pup. He would have been downright envious, if the set of circumstances Harry had gotten it didn't involve him nearly dying.

Then Dumbledore finally changed the subject by saying Harry should head down to the feast, and Dumbledore would be joining him soon, but he had to send a letter first. It was high time this school got its gamekeeper back.

"Thank Merlin," they all agreed fervently.

Then he also added to himself he'd have to put out another ad for a new DADA teacher, and how fast they seemed to go through those.

None of them could even muster up a smile, all too afraid of this run of inept teachers Harry seemed to get stuck with. Sirius was already creating a new list of insults he could implore on the next sucker of this job.

Harry turned to leave when the door burst open by Lucius Malfoy.

"Argh," Sirius snarled, "just when things were supposed to be getting good!"

"He can't do anything but complain," James huffed, "he's just bitter he couldn't keep Dumbledore out of school."

Hiding behind his legs was Dobby.

"Dobby!" They all repeated in shock.

"Malfoy owned Dobby!" Sirius repeated like he'd just been clubbed over the head.

"I've been wondering about him," Remus nodded, "and I kind of want to smack that little elf all over again." Harry was frowning at him, so he explained, "one of the very first things you asked him was if this had anything to do with Voldemort, how much more involved could he be with a bit of Voldemort's soul hanging around the school! That's not even getting started on how the bloody hell that elf even knew that was what was going on this year!"

He hadn't really run out of steam, but Harry was still giving both he and Sirius beseeching looks.

Somehow, Harry was still dearly defending this odd little elf, and their verbally berating him was making him uncomfortable. Sirius had been about to join in, in fact his older vow that he still wished this stupid elf harm still stood ten times over now that he knew who exactly his masters were, but they would rather cut off their right hand then make Harry upset like this, so they both bit back their tongues on the matter, for now.

Malfoy was livid as he glared at Dumbledore snarling that he was back despite the governor's having suspended him.

"They suspended him from his position," Lily spat, "there's no law saying he can't come back up to the school any time for a visit."

James suddenly frowned, not having realized that as he asked, "so, ah, are you saying Dumbledore isn't back as headmaster?"

Lily shrugged, saying, "I've no idea honestly. It hasn't said one way or another yet, and everyone their respects him enough they'd do what he said without the title. I'm just saying, Malfoy shouldn't be so upset...yet."

Dumbledore was as calm as ever as he explained that once Arthur Weasley's daughter had been reportedly killed, the other eleven members had flocked to his door begging him to come back.

"There you go then," Lily shrugged, "he's back. Are you all happy now?

"Yes," the four boys said at once. Remus added on, "how did Malfoy know though? Ginny was taken at sundown, and it's still the dead of night."

James pointed out, "He probably heard from some source he has in the ministry that Dumbledore was back, and he went up to the school in a temper."

Dumbledore found it odd that most of them had been under the impression that if Dumbledore hadn't been taken away in the first place, they all would have found their families under harm.

"Ha," Sirius muttered under his breath, though he was altogether sad that he had been right this time. The idea of Malfoy sinking so low as to threaten people just to get what he wanted was more

than depressing to squash Sirius' little victory.

Malfoy didn't deign that with a response, demanding to know if who'd done this had been caught. Dumbledore agreed that they had.

"We?" Lily demanded under her breath, "Harry and Ron did everything."

James heard that, and gave her a pointed look as he mouthed, "Fawkes," at her.

Lily rolled her eyes, thinking that Dumbledore's bird hardly counted as Dumbledore himself helping them. Then again, if Dumbledore never had Fawkes, then Harry might not have survived

that, so she was just a bit grateful this time.

When Dumbledore didn't supply the answer, Malfoy prompted it out of him, and Dumbledore explained it had been Voldemort himself through the use of his old diary, while watching Malfoy with interest.

"Trying to see how he'd react to his old master's name I guess?" Remus murmured to himself.

Harry wasn't watching any of that, but instead eyeing Dobby.

Sirius opened, then closed his mouth, biting back a comment about 'who on earth watches the house-elves?' There was just no sense in picking on Harry for something like that. It was slightly interesting why Malfoy brought Dobby at all, as it was uncommon to bring your elf out of the house at all.

Dobby was behaving more strangely than normal, as he went in a cycle of gesturing at his master, to the black book, then hitting himself over the head for it.

And then Sirius' mouth really did flop open in horror. Glancing up, he saw the others were as well.

"It, he-" Lily began unable to form that thought, it was just too awful to imagine.

"It was Malfoy," Harry howled in outrage, "he gave that diary to Ginny! That day at Flourish and Blotts when he gave Ginny back her Transfiguration book, he slipped it in there! I knew it, I knew something foul had just happened, but I couldn't remember." He ran out of steam, but was still simmering below shouting levels as he glared vehemently at the book, mostly hating on himself right now. Last year he hadn't remembered that Quirrell was the one doing all of this, this year it was his fault his family had been sitting in the dark when he had remembered such crucial information like this...

"Hey," Lily said pointedly, tapping Harry on the temple gently until he turned her eyes back on her, "we just talked about this love. You cannot go blaming yourself every time you forget these

things. What Malfoy did is the worst, the most awful thing I can ever imagine-" she paused for a moment, and turned away so Harry wouldn't see the downright murderous look on her face. Harry

was stunned silent himself when he realized the last time he'd seen all of them look like this was because of the way the Dursley's treated him, but then Lily kept going, "but we're going to handle it. I promise, we'll never let this type of thing happen to Ginny, or anyone else, now that we know

how to fix it."

Harry nodded, feeling the tension roll right out of him once again. He seemed to have a hard time staying angry in this room.

Sirius went on again, hoping dearly Dumbledore would pick up on this, and send Malfoy to Azkaban for the rest of his no good life.

Malfoy was unimpressed as Dumbledore admitted it had been a good plan, and that if Harry hadn't solved it poor Ginny might well have been locked away for her deeds.

They all continued to mutter more foul things in that moment then many of them had said in their life. For someone to put this type of thing on a child, it was the worst thing any person could even think of doing! The act itself was seriously putting a strain on their 'wait until this is over' to go and kill Malfoy now, because he wasn't even a child. He was a full grown man right now, probably taking orders from Voldemort about doing other unspeakable things to people.

The only thing really stopping them was Harry, who despite how peeved he looked right along with them, was also giving the door covert looks, like if one single person made for it he'd spring

up and tell them all over again to wait it out. None of them still understood why, but they trusted him enough to believe him.

Dumbledore also went on to speculate that this could be even worse off for her father, and his Muggle Protection Act. Imagine if his own daughter had been caught doing these things do Muggle-borns.

The book really did slip from Sirius' grasp then, a look of the utmost outrage crossing his features as he said quietly, "Is he implying, that Malfoy went and pulled this stunt, just to get rid of that?!"

He looked so deranged in that moment, Harry had a very disquieting feeling that at one point, Sirius really did scare him. That was ridiculous though...right?

"Of all the-" Sirius made to keep going, but James cut him off gently by saying, "we know Sirius. He's a horrible waste of a human being, but we still can't do anything about it, not yet anyways," he finished prominently. Sirius was still scowling and grumbling as he picked the book back up and made to continue, only Remus and Lily having noticed Harry watching him curiously.

It was good luck indeed that Riddle's memory no longer existed, or something far worse could have come of it.

"I'm sure he was just imagining them all bloody year," Sirius couldn't help but growl, but this time he managed to restrain himself so that he could keep going.

Malfoy chose his words very carefully as he agreed with Dumbledore in a tone that implied otherwise. Dobby was still doing his rotation, and Harry suddenly understood with a nod. His task done, the elf slunked into the nearest corner and began twisting his ear as hard as he could in more self-punishment.

"That poor thing," Lily moaned, "I want to be able to do something for him."

Sirius opened, then closed his mouth swiftly. Now that he knew this thing belonged to the Malfoys, something very odd was happening to him, he pitied it. While Dobby had done a lot of

awful things to Harry this year, he had also gone out of his way, against his Master's views of the world even, to try and help Harry in his own twisted little way. Sirius had always thought House-elves were just the slaves of families, and the creatures would always just be the same horrible type that the family that owned them was. Yet here was Dobby, a creature owned by the worst type of Wizard, who had tried to save Harry's life? It had officially skewed his whole opinion on the matter, but he also noted he had been silent too long in thinking about this.

Since he didn't fully know where he stood on the matter anymore, he ignored the others' inquires and read loudly.

Harry spoke up then, asking if Malfoy would like to know how Ginny had got a hold of such a thing? Malfoy shot back he had no interest in this, but Harry now said that he knew Malfoy had given it to her that day they met in the bookstore. He'd slipped it into her cauldron. Malfoy's hand twitched, his eyes flashing as he told Harry to prove it. Dumbledore stepped in by pointing out no one could.

Then they all groaned in hate. "So does this mean Malfoy's not even going to be punished for this?" James demanded of nothing.

"I thought I hated the Government before this," Sirius grumbled, "and my opinion of it just keeps going down."

This time, no one could think of anything to say to the contrary. For someone to get away with attempted mass murder like this was repugnant to the extreme, not to mention the other injustices done this year against Hagrid.

The ministry was clearly just as skewed then as it was now, except then they couldn't blame Voldemort for the way they were acting. The people in power clearly didn't need to be there.

Dumbledore did add on though that it would be prudent for this type of thing not to happen again, or Arthur for one would lead the charge to make sure Malfoy was brought to justice.

"Anymore," Lily muttered, "how about we try punishing him for this crime now!"

"I have the utmost faith you sure will," Remus tried to pacify her, which didn't really work that well since technically, Malfoy hadn't really committed the crime yet.

"What I want to know is how he got that," James growled. "I still don't understand how this thing even works, how did he make it?"

Harry opened, then closed his mouth, he seemed to be having some odd feelings about those questions, but by now he knew better then to answer. It was something very important though,

something about how Malfoy wasn't the one who'd made this... it was gone and he had nothing as always.

Malfoy glowered at them all, and Harry once again saw his right hand twitch with a longing look.

"Try it," Sirius snapped, "just try and curse Dumbledore, and I will die of happy laughter when he curses you into oblivion."

James gave his best friend a haughty look for his choice of words, but Sirius didn't seem to notice.

He decided against it, and turned on the spot telling his elf to leave, then kicking him out the door, literally.

All five of them genuinely winced in sympathy that time, wishing that Dobby would get some kind of reward for his efforts, bad as some of the results were.

Harry felt horrid just standing there watching, when his eyes flickered around the room, and he got an idea.

"Oh this should be fun," James said weakly as he saw the bright eyed look across Harry's face.

"What did you think of?" Lily asked eagerly.

Harry however, pursed his lips and still wasn't able to hid his grin as he said, "No, I want you guys to see this one play out."

"Aw come on," Sirius whined, "we've been doing that all year, please!"

Harry hesitated, before finally admitting the idea he had. Causing everyone in the room to burst into righteous laughter. Praying that it would work, Sirius read eagerly.

Harry asked Dumbledore if he could have that diary back, and Dumbledore saw no harm in it. Harry quickly snatched it up, tore off his shoe and one soiled sock off his foot before replacing his shoe and stuffing the diary into said sock, and racing after Malfoy, calling out to him. When he stopped, Harry thrust the diary into his hand. He pulled the diary out and tossed the sock to the side.

All five of them were leaning forward, more than eager to hear if this worked, and a little uneasy it hadn't outright said what Harry had been hoping would happen...

Malfoy gave Harry the cruellest of looks as he told Harry he'd wind up like his parents someday soon.

Sirius cut himself off with a look of pure disgust at what he had just read, but ignored the comment for now. The lovely vision of all the curses he could send at Malfoy soothing him

enough to keep reading and find out what was going to happen to Dobby.

Calling them meddlesome and foolish.

"Meddlesome?" Lily repeated curiously, "I don't really see how it's a bad thing to be concerned with other people."

"I doubt that's the way he meant it love," James grinned, "and I don't care." Nothing a Death Eater could say about him could really sting too much, considering how little he of thought of their kind anyways.

He turned to leave again, calling for his elf to follow, but Dobby didn't respond. He was frozen up in shock, holding Harry's discarded sock.

"Yes!" They all cried happily.

Lily gave Sirius a look of genuine surprise as she asked, "I'm surprised Sirius, I thought you'd be outraged by Harry's trick."

"Oh please," he snorted, "I can't blame Harry for what he did. Dobby clearly isn't anything like my old elf, and the little guy deserved to be away from those Malfoy's. I wouldn't wish that on any elf."

Harry was beaming, looking genuinely happy Sirius had come around to this way of thinking, while the others gave him approving looks, happy to see he could put that kind of thing behind him.

Dobby was clearly in shock as he spoke of how his master had given him a sock, and Dobby was free.

Remus couldn't help but furrow his brow in worry, thinking that technically Malfoy hadn't given Dobby that sock. He had cast it off to the side, and Dobby had caught it. If it was so easy, why on earth hadn't Dobby ever just waltzed down to the laundry room and grabbed hold of any of the Malfoys' clothes and said 'hey, they tossed these down here and now Dobby's free?' *He had

always thought that you had to give the elf clothes with the express intent of freeing the elf, so did this count? Were they celebrating too early? Then again, he had heard of the idea that wizards magically do something to clothes so that elf's can't just pick up any random bit of clothing and state 'I'm free.'** Dobby had already just disobeyed a direct order from Malfoy, and hadn't come to him. He dearly wanted to pry into this subject further, but admitted now wasn't the time or place and he and Lily could sit around and have a real discussion about it later.

Malfoy got over his shock quickly and lunged at Harry.

"He did what?" The three without the book screeched in outrage.

"As if I didn't want him dead before," Sirius growled, "now he's actually moving to attack you?!"

Harry however, was suddenly grinning like a fool as he said, "this is it! Dobby protects me, I'm sure of it. This is why I forgave him for all that stuff he did!" As sure as he was though, he still begged Sirius to keep going so that he could know he was right, and get the details of this.

As outraged as they still were, they were all just as curious to hear about this.

Yelling that Harry had lost him his servant! Dobby stepped in between, shouting that Harry Potter was not to be harmed. Then there was a loud bang, and Malfoy got thrown back.

"Ha!" They all cheered, finding this small repentance for what he truly deserved.

He tumbled down the stairs and landed on the floor below.

"Hope it hurt," James grumbled.

He got to his feet with murder clear in his face, but Dobby still had his hand raised, telling him to leave now, Harry Potter was not to be harmed.

Lily was almost doing a little happy dance in place, giggling like a toddler herself at the mental image of a 'high and mighty' wizard being taken down by the little elf he had been abusing! Oh that was sweet justice if she ever heard it.

Outmatched, Malfoy turned to leave with one more incendiary look at the pair of them.

"Tail between his legs," Remus said in a sing song voice, indulging in that mental image happily.

"This almost makes up for the fact he didn't go to Azkaban for that stunt," James cackled, "because this is just priceless."

Dobby then turned to Harry, thanking him for all he'd done. Harry said it wasn't a problem, and asked Dobby for only one promise in return. To never try and save his life again.

"A fair trade honestly," Sirius grinned, then they all caught sight of Harry frowning curiously. Why though, what could cause Harry to vaguely remember something about this promise? None

of them had any more idea than Harry himself, so they didn't ask him about it when he didn't volunteer the question.

Then Harry asked what Dobby had meant back during the summer, when Dobby had insisted this didn't have anything to do with You-Know-Who.

"I was wondering that to," Remus nodded, "and it was really bothering me."

"Glad I asked then," Harry chuckled.

Dobby said that he had been trying at a clue, by phrasing it this way before the Dark Lord could really be named.

"That..." James began before trailing off in disbelief.

"-is the most inept clue ever," Sirius finished, looking torn between laughing or getting angry. He decided on laughter, not wanting to be mad at the elf just then since he was still so giddy for his actions just now.

Remus and Lily were both shaking their heads indulgently, wondering how on earth anyone was supposed to understand that, but letting it go realizing it hardly mattered now.

Dobby gave one last goodbye to Harry, before he vanished with a crack.

"Good luck," James said happily, rather curious about Dobby and what happened to him. He very much hoped Harry would find out.

The feast that night was one of the randomest and best Harry ever had in his life. For one thing, everyone was in their pj's.

"Now there's some originality," Remus chuckled happily.

Plus Hermione came running in shouting with glee that they had figured it all out, and then Justin had come running over, shaking Harry's hand and endlessly apologizing for thinking Harry had done it.

"Good of him to admit it," Lily nodded with approval.

Then Hagrid had arrived, while the best part of all came up when Dumbledore announced that exams were to be cancelled. Only Hermione's whispered no could even vaguely be heard through the cheering.

"She would be upset," James grinned.

"What about OWL's and NEWT's?" Lily frowned. "You can't just cancel those, you need honest grades."

"They still had to take those," Harry shrugged, "but, you know, they were delayed and I think given a bit of slack because of this year."

"Must be nice," Sirius laughed.

Also Dumbledore stated the early retirement of Lockhart,

"I'm sure the whole of Hogwarts was just heartbroken," Remus snickered.

and Harry noticed the majority of teachers clapping along with that statement.

All five of them burst into renewed laughter at this, unable to blame those teachers one bit.

Ron was the only one in the whole hall who said this was a bit of a sad thing, as he and Lockhart had really been starting to get along.

Sirius agreed, saying, "yeah, it might really have been fun to shove him in a classroom and see how he did teaching with no sense, oh wait he was already doing that."

School ended on a high note, with the extra free period that their cancelled DADA classes added, then Ron pointed out they'd had more than enough use of that class this year.

"Hope you get someone even semi decent next year," James sighed miserably, wishing this stupid taboo would leave the post already.

Lucius Malfoy had also been fired from his position as a school governor.

"Best news ever!" Sirius cried happily.

"I'll agree with you on that one," the others all nodded.

Instead of flaunting himself around the school now, Draco was more commonly seen sulking in the corners.

"And I hope he stays that way, annoying little twat," James muttered, his good mood not even slightly dampened.

Ginny on the other hand was in good spirits again.

"Just glad there's no lasting effects on her," Lily agreed happily.

Before they knew it, their trunks were packed, and they were all loaded up into the Hogwart's Express, all the Weasley's (except for Percy), Harry and Ron getting a compartment where they played Exploding Snap. They almost made it to the station,

The longer Sirius read, the more upset he was getting again. He had been thoroughly enjoying the end of Harry's year, but now he was going back to those dreaded Dursley's again, and none of

them had any reason to think they'd be any happier seeing Harry this time around. Couldn't Harry just move in with Ron already!? Knowing this wasn't going to happen, he just decided to get it

over with.

when Harry asked one final question of Ginny, what had she caught Percy doing?

"Sweet," James grinned, "so we do at least get to find this out!"

Ginny gave a giggle of remembrance as she spoiled her brother's secret, that he had a girlfriend. Fred dropped some books on George's head in shock.

Remus released a snort of mirth that went unheard in the following laughing fit.

"Oh don't," Lily frowned at all of the boys who were laughing like idiots, "it's not that funny."

"No, it's not," Sirius agreed, wiping a tear away, "but as it's Percy the pompous jerk, it's hilarious."

Lily rolled her eyes at these boys, and snapped at Sirius that he needed to get over this and keep going. Sirius didn't look very eager, he had more than appreciated this little distraction from Harry having to go back, but read on anyways.

They all yelped their shock, and Ginny explained it was the Ravenclaw prefect Penelope Clearwater.

"Aw," Remus grinned, "so I was right. He did know her personally, which is why he was particularly upset by her petrification."

"That really is adorable," James agreed without any malice, clearly this girl could put up with Percy's attitude which made her a pretty tolerable girl even without knowing her personally.

Ginny had walked in on them making out in an empty class, then she asked if her brothers were going to tease him for it?

"If they're any kind of good brother's they most certainly will," James disagreed full heartedly.

"Makes me almost happy you don't have siblings," Lily snorted at him.

"I resent that," Sirius pouted, "since James basically adopted me at some point."

"I'll back that up," James agreed.

Remus and Lily exchanged amused looks, but didn't argue the point.

Fred exclaimed he wouldn't dare, his tone implying the exact opposite. George agreed it had never even crossed his mind, while not even trying to hide his glee.

"There's the proper reaction," Sirius told Lily as if he was educating on a very important matter, to which Lily ignored him further.

The train did pull into the station then, and Harry pulled his two friends aside for one last conversation, writing some numbers down on a bit of paper and giving one to each of them, telling them it was his home number.

"Now there's a good idea," Remus brightened at once.

While they all looked rather happy at Harry's trying to keep in contact with his friends over the summer, it made a whole new kind of sadness come on all over again. They were all dreading

having to hear any more horrid things about what those putrid Muggles were going to do to Harry, and a phone call just wasn't going to cut it if they started trying to imprison Harry all over again. Then they consoled themselves that, at least if they did, Ron would show up and rescue him all over again. He'd just need to use something other than a flying car this time.

Harry had walked Mr. Weasley on how to use a phone over the summer, and Harry was going to need someone other than Dudley to talk to over his vacation.

They still smiled sadly at this, glad Harry was still trying his hardest to keep in contact with his friends.

Hermione asked if Harry's aunt and uncle would be proud of what Harry had done this year?

Sirius released a bark like laughter that held no real amusement that time.

Harry scoffed in disbelief, stating that of all the times he could have been killed this year and gotten away with it? No, they would be furious to learn otherwise.

"And he's not even kidding," Remus huffed in disgust.

Then the three of them left their platform, reentering the Muggle world.

"That's it," Sirius huffed, tossing the book away, not at all pleased it had ended with him going back to those muggles, but admitting it could have been worse.

They all stretched as they made to get up, but then Harry suddenly asked, "what did Riddle mean by werewolf cubs?"

"Oh that," Sirius gave an actual chuckle, albite still too dark to be his normal tone, though this could be put to his hatred of werewolf ignorance. "Just a bigot joke I suppose. It's not possible for that to be a real thing. Werewolves aren't born, they're created. A werewolf has to bite another person for the contagion to occur."

"Besides," Remus butted in, trying his very hardest to keep the self-hatred out of his voice, "my kind don't breed, so the term itself is kind of null and void."

"I hate it when you say it like that," James told him with a straight face. "'My kind'. You're not a 'kind' Remus, you are a person."

Remus rolled his eyes good naturedly, but didn't correct him. He phrased it that way to generalize, he had long since given up the argument that he was no longer 'technically' one hundred percent human. James, Sirius, and Peter always gave him hell if he said anything to the contrary.

"What about Nick?" Lily asked Harry curiously. "Ever find out who fixed him?"

"The Grey Lady," Harry answered. "I heard Flitwick explaining that to another student. Yeah, apparently she went in there and did something to the potion, making it able for Nick to drink it. Some ghostly secret. Why it worked on a potion, and wouldn't work on food or anything I've no idea."

"The same reason we know nothing about the other weird things about ghosts," Sirius shrugged, "they don't like sharing."

James nodded, glad his son seemed able to find out all of these small little details that would have driven him crazy if he hadn't had a way to find out, and then he asked curiously, knowing by now his son had a habit of storing up questions, "anything else you want to know before we get to bed?"

"Yes," he answered quickly, catching Sirius' eye, "did something happen between you and the ministry?" He was recalling that odd moment when Hagrid was arrested, and his father's and Remus' comments.

Sirius rolled his eyes in disgust as he explained, "about a month ago, some Auror's came over to my place and tried to arrest me, on the grounds that some Muggles had been attacked in my area. That was it, they went by my name being in the area of Muggles and decided I was guilty enough they could just arrest me for it. Bloody wankers," he trailed off muttering a few more words he'd spoken at the time.

"I showed up while this was happening," Remus butted in, at least cutting off his cursing, "and managed to be his alibi, as if he even needed one. Guess I'm just lucky they accepted it at all, and didn't arrest me just for being there."

James was frowning at both of them, Sirius for the injustice done to him, and Remus for his snide comment which could have been all too real. This injustice against both of his friends was one of the main reasons he was training to be an Auror, he was sick of the prejudices and injustice committed by people in power, and was hoping he could help make some kind of difference.

"And what about those messages on the wall?" Lily asked curiously. "Did they ever come down?"

"Nope," Harry responded for sure this time, "as far as I'm aware they never could find a way to get them down."

"That's awful," Lily groaned, "for that kind of reminder to be stuck there forever."

"Why wouldn't they go away?" Harry asked.

"It depends on what was even used to put it up there," Sirius said, "some things are cursed so that they just can't be removed, some types of blood for instance."

Remus asked this time, "so who explained about Ron's broken wand blowing up then?"

"Oh yeah," Harry said in remembrance now. "It was Dumbledore, he asked me and Ron for more details later on what happened to Lockhart. Then he explained something about how that much

magic, being used through a broken wand, made the core explode or something. The improper use of the wand over such an extended period of time, we were lucky it hadn't happened sooner."

"Well, I still don't regret who it did happen to," James chuckled.

They all mulled around for a bit longer, just talking and enjoying each other's company. It was only as Harry nearly cracked his jaw on the next yawn that they all decided it was high time they go to bed. As Remus began climbing the stairs, he made some vague comment to Sirius about how next year, Harry just had to have a nice, peaceful year. This year might have ended on a semi happy note, but they still felt like the books were watching them, laughing at their delusion that Harry might get one year of peace.

#fanfiction #The Life that Never LIved #bookhater #Harry Potter #James Potter #Remus Lupin #Sirius Black #Lily Potter

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halothenthehorns · 4 years

Text

MUDBLOODS AND MURMURS

Harry just shrugged and said, "How should I know? I don't even know how much time skips any more than you guys."

James hesitated for a moment, before swapping the baby that was still in his arms with the book so that Lily was now holding her little son. He began the next chapter in a rather foul mood, he was still ticked Lockhart had lied about the book's he'd made up, and Harry was going to go another full year without a proper teacher. DADA was an important class, and Harry was having worse luck than they did about awful teachers. Still, he was determined to shake it off and enjoy the rest of Harry's year.

Harry spent the next week learning to dodge around corridors in order to avoid Lockhart.

"Good." All four of them said gleefully, Sirius adding on, "great time for you to practice the uses of the hidden corridors."

Harder to avoid was Colin, who somehow managed to memorize Harry's schedule.

"Why's he following you around?" Lily asked in surprise.

Harry was grimacing in annoyance again, admitting, "he liked to try and talk to me. It was bloody irritating too, because he just kept trying to ask me questions about stuff like if I was going to go on and be a Dark Wizard Catcher, when I had no idea what that was? I hated being hero worshiped."

Lily felt bad for both the kids, seeing both sides of the coins there.

James looked dearly like he wanted to say something, but he thought Lily would get mad at him again, so he held it in.

In class wasn't going any better, as Ron's wand was continuing to act up, the most spectacular event being when it shot out of Ron's hand one day during a Charms class and hit Professor Flitwick in the forehead, making an odd green boil appear.

"Points for originality," Sirius chuckled, "we never did that."

After so much happening in just his first few days back, Harry had been more then looking forward to the coming weekend, but was woken up at an absurd hour to find his Quidditch Captain, Oliver Wood, hovering over him in full practice clothes.

"Early Quidditch practice," James agreed sagely, "not unsurprising."

Harry slurred out what was going on, and Wood told Harry they had a Quidditch practice to get to. Harry glanced at the window to find it was hardly sunrise.

"Okay," James grimaced, "I've never had to get up that early."

"Vosper got us up before dawn once," Sirius reminded him, "it was before his last game there, and he was desperate to make sure we won that one."

James nodded in remembrance, their old Quidditch Captain had been a real fanatic, like Wood apparently.

Harry tried to protest, but Wood wouldn't hear it. Saying that this was their opportunity to get a jumpstart, as no other teams had even started yet.

"You sound way too enthusiastic about this," Lily said lightly, feeling like laughing at these boys. They wouldn't stay up past midnight to study for exams, but would get up as early as they had to for a game.

As Seeker for his team, Harry had no choice and stumbled around his room to get dressed. As he made his way downstairs, he was joined by none other than Colin,

"Wow," Remus said in surprise, "he's dedicated. I never went down with those two, I enjoyed sleeping too much."

Harry just shrugged, he still found Colin more aggravating than anything.

camera in hand. Colin said he'd heard someone mentioning Harry's name on the stairs, and he'd been dying to show Harry the photo he'd taken. Harry glanced at it to find photo Lockhart trying to tug Harry's elbow onto full screen, but Harry's photo self was putting up quite the fight.

All four gave appreciative chuckles at that, glad photo Harry was putting up as much of a fight as the real Harry.

Colin asked if Harry would sign it, and Harry refused,

"I thought you said you would have, if you were alone?" Lily asked, starting to feel bad for the little first year. He was just trying to talk to Harry after all.

"That was before Lockhart made such a fuss about it," Harry said, just as flatly to his Mum as he had been to Colin.

saying he had to get to practice. Colin eagerly declared he wanted to come, and Harry tried to discourage him by saying it was going to be boring.

"Wow, you were really desperate to get rid of him," James said, mouth twitching with humour.

Harry rolled his eyes at all of them, they clearly found this funnier than he had.

Colin didn't seem to believe him, now pounding Harry with questions, like how Harry had been the youngest Seeker in over a century.

"Bet your camera he was," Sirius agreed proudly.

Then Harry went wide eyed as he popped himself in the head and said, "oh, Colin told me and I remember now, went on about buying that camera in Diagon Alley before he came to school. That's how he got it."

"Well that explains it," James grinned, happy that random little thing had been answered, and also understanding there was no way Harry could remember that until after all of the conversations

with Colin came back to him.

Not even waiting for an answer, he continued by asking for details, like if the broom Harry was holding really was the best?

"No, to the last one anyways," Harry said, looking grumpier the more James read, "a new model came out over the summer. What?" he demanded as the others just kept smiling at him.

"Sorry," Remus said, trying very hard not to laugh, "we just think it's cute is all. This kid is clearly hero worshiping you. The fact that you're taking it like this, the opposite of how your father would have, is funny as all get out to us."

James really did laugh then, unable to deny that one bit, while Harry was beginning to wonder about his dad's younger personality.

Harry began grudgingly answering Colin's questions about the basics of the game, and Colin clarified that Harry was the Seeker for his team.

"Best one there is," James said with pride.

Harry agreed he was, then tried to convince him that was all there was to it.

"That's it," Sirius chuckled, "wow you were really trying to get rid of him weren't you?"

"I don't want to be worshiped, then or now," Harry snapped at him, a bit more edge in his voice then he meant.

Sirius didn't look mad though, on the contrary, they all suddenly felt a little bad as they finally realized what Harry was so annoyed about. It was the same feelings they had whenever an adult tried to praise Harry for being famous. It wasn't the fame, it was what he was famous for! It must have bothered Harry greatly that this student wasn't catching on to that part, so Sirius was the one to apologize and promised not to pick on Harry about it anymore.

Harry looked surprised, but thanked him all the same.

Colin kept it up though, talking to Harry all the way down to the pitch. Harry only managed to shake him off when he went into the team only changing area, to find the rest of the team in place, all half asleep. Wood was standing in front of them, holding some cards. When Harry sat down and joined them, Wood began going into absurd details about all of the training plans he intended for them this year. The team was falling even farther asleep in the process.

"Uh-oh," James chuckled, "not a good idea at all."

"Why?" Lily asked.

"Cause they're all still asleep," Sirius laughed. "He should have had them do some warm ups, then sat them down and talked about real tactics."

Harry verbally agreed, saying Wood had gone on far too long with this.

After the first board, Wood brought out three more all of equal lengths, and Harry began zoning out Wood's voice as well.

"He's not even taking the hint," Remus laughed "how does he not notice his teams falling back to sleep, and not paying attention?"

When he was finally done, he asked if there were any questions? George came out of his nap with a start and demanded why Wood had chosen to do this at the worst possible time.

"He's got a point," Lily agreed, "now seemed like the worst opportunity."

Wood snapped back that this was important! They should have won the competition last year, but because of circumstances, Harry shifted uneasily in his seat with guilt.

"We don't blame you one bit," James said at once, as Harry did indeed still look guilty over that, "saving the Stone was far more important than some game."

Lily pursed her lips, agreeing with James, though still thinking Harry should have never gone after the bloody thing to begin with. It was far over and done with now though, and Harry didn't look guilty anymore, so she let it go.

Wood rounded them up and gave them one last pep talk, saying let's go and put his new theories to work! The team followed him out as sleep dazed as they walked in.

"Not exactly the cheerful speech to get them moving either," Sirius chuckled.

They walked out to see the sun had properly risen now, and Harry spotted Ron and Hermione in the stands with breakfast between them. Harry got on his broom and zoomed up to them, where they were shocked to hear that Harry hadn't even started, but instead was supposedly being taught new moves.

"Can you recall any of them?" James asked.

"Nope," Harry said brightly, looking back the whole scene was almost funny.

Harry started flying around the stadium, the wind doing far more to wake him then any speech. While doing some aerial manoeuvres though, he heard a strange clicking noise, and looked around to find Colin also in the stands taking pictures.

"Something I've never thought of," Remus agreed, "are cameras even allowed on the field?"

"I suppose so," James said with a shrug, "I've never heard of anyone bringing one though, so I'm not sure."

Fred asked who that was, and Harry denied knowing while speeding away. Wood wasn't pleased, demanding to know if that was perhaps a Slytherin there to spy on their training practice.

"He doesn't recognize he's a Gryffindor?" Remus asked in surprise.

"Did you know every single student in the castle?" Lily asked in disbelief.

Remus shrugged, admitting that.

George however pointed out that the Slytherin's didn't need a spy, because they were coming up in person.

"This can't be good," James said in trepidation. He had been hoping for a nice normal Quidditch practice. Clearly things were about to turn ugly.

Harry verbally agreed.

Wood was outraged, already pelting back towards the ground and steaming that he had booked the field.

"They really can't be there then," Sirius said, getting angry now. "Two teams aren't allowed on the pitch at the same time, it causes too many problems. Wood says he booked it, so they really can't be there."

"That's clearly not stopping them," Remus huffed.

Wood and the Slytherin Captain, Flint, bowed up to each other, Wood all but spitting they had to leave. Flint scoffed and said there was plenty of room for both of them.

"There's hardly enough room for your ugly mug," James snapped, "let alone two teams."

The rest of the team had joined by now, as well as Ron and Hermione coming over. Wood snarled back that he had booked the field!

"He should go and get Madam Hooch then," Sirius said, "she must be close by, she usually is when there's a practice."

"Well she wasn't this time," Harry said, feeling a sense of forbidding again. He had yet another bad feeling that something was going to happen, something about Ron and slugs again?

Flint said that he had special permission from Snape to be there.

"He can't do that," James said at once. "If the teachers could fill up the pitch for the students, there would be too much of a chance for overbooking!"

"This cannot be legit," Sirius said in disgust.

Flint pulled out a bit of paper that had Snape declaring he gave the Slytherin team special permission to practice that day, because they had a new Seeker.

"Teams get new members all the time," Remus snapped, agreeing with his friends about the injustice of this, "that doesn't give them a right to more training."

"Please tell me you took this to Madam Hooch, instead of fighting it out," Lily said at the look on Harry's face, and the way he looked like he was about to start reaching for his wand based on his emotions at the time.

"I can say this," Harry said, digging to try and remember at least slightly what happened next, "we don't practice that day."

The three boys looked more than annoyed at this deceleration, and James read in a real temper now.

From behind the six large boys, the new Seeker came forward with a smirk in place, Draco Malfoy.

Harry rolled his eyes in disgust, why wasn't he surprised?

None of the others looked very shocked either, the little git had to try and beat Harry some other way, since he clearly couldn't do it inside school.

Fred only half recognized him as Lucius' son, and Flint made the comment that it was Lucius Malfoy who had gifted the Slytherin team.

"He bribed his way onto the team you mean," Sirius spat.

"Probably couldn't get on any other way," James said vindictively.

It was then Harry realized all seven members were holding top of the line Nimbus Two Thousand and One brooms.

"Gits," all four boys muttered.

Lily couldn't help but agree with them, but chose to stay out of this for now.

Flint was gloating over this fact, mocking the Gryffindor teams brooms in comparison.

"So," Sirius snapped at once, "there are pros and cons to every broom model. You could have the fastest broom in the world, and you'd still be an awful player."

James suddenly began laughing, saying, "Well you just said it dear Padfoot," he grinned wickedly at his friends, "Malfoy is probably rubbish as a player, but he bought his way onto the team. I doubt Harry will ever lose a single match to those twats."

Harry smiled at his dad, loving the confidence he seemed to have in him.

Ron arrived then, demanding to know why Malfoy was even there. Draco very obviously pointed out his new position, and his new broom he'd acquired for him and his whole team.

"He's not even subtle about it," Remus said in disgust.

Then he made a crude joke about how a museum might buy the Weasley's brooms for a bit of money.

"Oh please," Lily huffed, "that wasn't even funny."

"Malfoy still hasn't gotten any new jokes it seemed," James said, wrinkling his nose in disdain.

Hermione shot back that at least the Gryffindors didn't have to buy their way onto the team, they actually had talent.

"Go Hermione," all five of them praised, glad someone said it.

Malfoy scowled over at her, beginning to call her a mud-

James cut himself off with the look of deepest shame and disgust at what he had been fixing to say.

Sirius and Remus roared in outrage, causing the baby in Lily's arms to begin fussing all over again. Lily noticed, and quickly excused herself from the room, trying very hard not to remember

the last time someone had called her that.

Harry looked around at them. Clearly Hermione had just been insulted, and James hadn't even finished the insult, but Harry instinctively knew what the rest of that word was. Feeling very upset himself, he asked, "What's a mudblood?"

James jaw was tensing so much he looked like the Lockjaw curse had been set on him.

"It's a foul name for a Muggle born, about the worst thing you can call us," Lily said from behind Harry. He turned around and saw his mum, now childless, leaning against the staircase, holding herself instead. She must have gone upstairs to put the baby away.

The anger Harry felt reared up again in tenfold, now he knew for certain something awful happened, and it was because Malfoy had called his friend that.

Lily came back in and sat down in her spot, sighing she said quietly, "Just keep going James. We can't do anything for it now."

"I'm not saying it," James snapped at once, finally breaking his jaw back open, "I refuse to call anyone that."

Lily sighed in annoyance, then said, "well, since we know what he meant, just skip the word and keep going."

James did not look happy, but did as asked, skipping over that foul word but reading the rest of the sentence.

blood. Harry could tell that Malfoy had clearly just insulted his friend, but it wasn't a word he'd ever heard before. The rest of the team clearly had though, as they all began shouting at Malfoy for his use, and Ron went for his wand.

Sirius and Remus grinned viciously, Malfoy deserved whatever curse Ron pegged him with.

James sounded very pleased indeed as he read.

There was a bang, a shot of green light, and Ron was flung backwards as a spell came out of the wrong end of his wand,

"Wait what!" he yelped.

"Oh dear, what curse did Ron try to use?" Lily asked fearfully.

James read quickly.

making him land on the ground, hard.* Hermione sprinted to his side, demanding to know if he was alright, but Ron didn't seem able to answer. He opened his mouth, and instead began vomiting slugs.

"I really want to laugh right now," Sirius said pityingly, "because I wanted that to happen to Malfoy. Poor Ron."

"Worst part is, he clearly did that spell properly, and the wand backfired on him," Remus said, wincing in sympathy.

"No the worst part is, there's no counter-curse to that," James said, feeling really bad for Ron. He had stood up for his friend, and gotten hit for it by his own wand, "now he's going to be stuck like that for at least the next twelve hours."

Harry sighed, feeling really bad for Ron.

Lily was the only one smiling though, she felt warmed that Ron had done something like this, the opposite of what her supposed 'friend' had done all those years ago.

The Slytherin's reacted typically enough, each one of them collapsing to the ground in gales of laughter. The Gryffindors didn't seem to know how to react, no one seemed to want to

touch Ron.

"Not even his brothers," James huffed.

"Well like you said," Sirius said sadly, "not much they can do for the poor kid."

"They could still get those bloody Slytherins back while they're distracted," Remus pointed out.

"Remus!" Lily yelped.

Sirius however, clapped Remus on the shoulder, grinning with pride as he said, "and that's why we kept you around Moony. Always keeping us on point."

Harry and James were both laughing very loudly now, while Lily just rolled her eyes in annoyance at all four of them.

Harry suggested they take him to Hagrid's.

"Better than anything else they could do," James agreed, still fighting back bursts of laughter. He wasn't so angry anymore, Ron had tried to do the right thing after all.

Harry and Hermione each took up one of Ron's arms and began hoisting him to his feet, just as Colin arrived. He asked if he could get a picture of Ron as yet more slugs began pouring out of his mouth, while also asking how Harry was going to fix him?

"Why would he think that?" Harry asked, "Do I look like I know how to fix him?"

Lily smiled sadly at her son, the younger boy was clearly putting Harry on some kind of pedestal, probably viewing Harry the same way Hermione obviously viewed Lockhart.

Harry ignored him and pushed him out of the way as they began dragging Ron the distance to Hagrid's hut, and almost made it there when the door opened and out stepped Gilderoy Lockhart.

"Bloody hell, this guy's like a doxie infestation, they just keep cropping up!" Sirius said in disgust.

"Well I've had plenty of practice hiding from him by now," Harry reminded him, making them all feel better at once.

Harry quickly ushered them into a bush, much to Hermione's disappointment.

"For such a smart kid, she seems remarkably blind this year," Remus noted.

"She's just star struck," Lily said, "hopefully it will wear off."

Lockhart was still talking even as he exited, offering Hagrid to buy a copy of one of his books. Then he waved goodbye, and Harry made sure he was out of sight and heading back towards the castle,

"Whatever he was saying, I doubt it was actually useful," Remus huffed.

before he eased himself out and went to knock on the door himself. Hagrid answered with a rather grumpy look in place, which instantly cleared away when he saw who it was. He invited them inside and hardly seemed bothered by Ron's problem as he was lowered into a chair.

"Guess he's seen worse," James agreed.

Acting almost cheerful as he told Ron it was better they go out then in,

Sirius and Remus really did laugh then, James agreeing, "true enough."

while handing Ron a bucket. Hermione said that she didn't know a way to stop it, as it was a rather difficult curse to be pulling off even without a broken wand.

"Shows a lot of his potential though," Lily said fondly, "he'd probably be doing far better in all of his classes once he got his own wand. That is Charlie's broken wand if you recall."

"We remember," James agreed.

Hagrid began puttering around his hut, making them tea as Harry asked what Lockhart had been doing here? Hagrid grumbled that the man had been offering him advice of all things on how to take care of a kelpie problem.

"Oh please," Remus scoffed, "I am convinced that idiot is all books, no talent. The worst kind of Ravenclaw."

"That's still being overly kind," James scoffed, "since he clearly doesn't even know how to handle what he does read and write about."

Hagrid grumbled that he didn't believe a word of what that man had been saying, exclaiming that if half of it was true he'd eat his own kettle.

"Wonder if he annoys everyone around school like that?" Lily asked.

"I think he does," Harry said, "at least, none of the teachers seemed happy with him all year."

"Can't imagine why," Sirius faked shock.

Harry felt a jolt of surprise, as it wasn't like Hagrid to insult the teachers, and Hermione even tried to defend Lockhart as she said Dumbledore seemed to find him to be the man for the job. Hagrid corrected that Lockhart was the only man for the job, as he was the only one who applied. That curse on the DADA job had spooked away everybody else.

"So we were right," James sighed, "kind of almost wish we weren't."

"Can't even imagine what kind of idiot you're going to get next year," Remus agreed.

People were starting to call the post jinxed.

"Starting to?" Sirius laughed, "the post has been cursed for how many years now?"

"And not one single person had lasted more than a year, in that many odd years," James finished, "yeah, it's a real mystery why people aren't willing to try anymore."

Then Hagrid changed the subject by asking who Ron had been trying to curse? Harry said Malfoy, because he'd called her something bad. Ron agreed and told Hagrid that he'd called her a

James broke off again, looking disgusted, but Lily said gently, "James dear, if Ron can say it about his best friend, just spit it out. We all know you don't mean it."

"Doesn't make me feel any better about saying it," he huffed, but took a breath, and winced as he finished.

mudblood. Hagrid was shocked and looked just as outraged, which only confused Hermione all the more as she said she had no idea what that meant.

"Guess she couldn't have come across that in a book," Remus agreed.

Ron explained that it was the worst kind of insult you could call a muggleborn, it meant dirty blood. Since Malfoy was a pureblood, it made him feel superior enough to insult anyone who wasn't. He explained all of this while still occasionally having to spit a slug out of his mouth in the process.

"I am rather curious why Ron knows this," Sirius said, "surely he's never come across it, since his family would never say something like that, plus being a pureblood, nobody would have called him that."

"I asked that night," Harry said, having wondered this same thing, "he was in Diagon Alley with his dad and his co-worker Perkins. Well they got stopped inside the Leaky Cauldron by this guy, Mr. Weasley later told Ron his name was Yaxley. Yaxley, called Mr. Perkins a Mudblood, and Tom the barkeep kicked Yaxley out. Mr. Weasley told Ron what had happened afterwards, since

he didn't understand at the time obviously. Ron was only eight or something."

"That's awful," Lily huffed, "for someone to go around like that in public, did Yaxley even know who this Mr. Perkin's was? You can't tell if someone's muggle born just by looking at them!"

"Ron didn't know, he's never asked," Harry said.

"I'm not too surprised," Remus said sadly, "I've seen a lot of pretty similar instances."

"Now you guys are really depressing me," Sirius said, forcing himself into brighter tones he said. "Can we move on now?"

James was more than happy to comply.

Then Ron said that the whole blood thing was pointless really, if you took people like Neville into consideration. He was a pureblood as well, but terrible at most brands of magic. Hagrid praised Hermione as well, saying she was the brightest witch there was, making Hermione blush. Ron continued by pointing out that most of their kind were half-bloods anyways, since if wizards hadn't married Muggles they would have died out.

"Couldn't have put it better myself," James said with pride.

Then Ron retched again and had to go back to sticking his face in the bucket.

"Poor kid," Sirius said again.

Hagrid did say though that it was probably a good thing Ron's curse had backfired, as Lucius himself would have come up to the school if his son had been hexed.

"I'll take that trade any day," James huffed, "I'll back Ron up in an instant. Malfoy deserved it."

"I'm sure Ron's parents would have as well," Lily agreed, "he was standing up for a friend."

Then he added on that at least Ron wasn't in trouble. Harry wanted to point out that vomiting slugs was something he'd consider trouble,

"Yeah, you've got a point there," Sirius grimaced.

but because he'd taken of bite of Hagrid's offered dessert, he couldn't seem to unclench his teeth.

James couldn't help but chuckle a bit then, Remus saying, "I see Hagrid's cooking hasn't gotten any better."

"And it never will," Harry said brightly, he missed Hagrid a lot.

Then Hagrid turned his attention to Harry, a joking look taking hold as he demanded of Harry how come he hadn't gotten a signed photo from him yet?

The four of them couldn't help but crack a grin at that, Hagrid was clearly messing with Harry, though the boy looked far from amused.

Harry was so indignant he wrenched his jaws apart and snapped that Lockhart shouldn't be still spreading that around! Hagrid pacified him, laughing and brushing it off, saying how he'd told Lockhart that Harry was ten times more famous then him without trying. Harry grinned back now, saying how he was sure Lockhart hadn't appreciated that, and Hagrid agreed it did seem to annoy him. Lockhart had then brought up the subject of one of his books, and Hagrid voiced he'd refuse to ever buy one, which is when Lockhart had taken his leave.

"Thank you Hagrid," Sirius said with a straight face, "now I know the perfect way to get rid of him."

Hagrid then asked Ron if he'd like some food, and Ron politely declined that may not be the best thing for him now as he still looked fairly green.

"I found a plus side to vomiting slugs," Lily said lightly, "a polite way to say no to someone's cooking."

"I'll keep that in mind," James said seriously.

Hagrid then offered them all outside to look at some pumpkins he was growing for Halloween, and they all went outside to find them to be bigger than boulders.

"Wow," Remus said in surprise, "wish he did that more often. That must be quite the sight."

Hagrid was quite proud of this, saying they should be more then big enough come the holiday.

"Bigger than boulders?" Sirius laughed. "How big is he trying to get them?"

Harry asked what Hagrid had been giving them, and Hagrid gave a rather shifty look to where his pink umbrella was resting against his cabin.

They couldn't help but smile indulgently at Hagrid, no wizard could blame him for his actions there.

Harry had a very good reason to suspect this umbrella wasn't all it looked, in fact Harry had a strong impression Hagrid may have hidden his old school wand inside that battered object.

"Only a strong impression?" James asked, "I thought you had a better gut feeling then that?"

"I do," Harry assured, "but since I've never been able to prove it, I just put it like that."

"Fair enough," Sirius chuckled.

Hagrid wasn't supposed to use magic, since he'd been expelled during his third year. Harry had asked what happened once, but Hagrid tended to obviously change the subject whenever it happened. Hermione praised the size of the pumpkins, and Hagrid said that Ginny had said the same thing. She seemed to have come around a few times in fact, perhaps hoping to run into someone, he finished with a suggestive look at Harry.

"I see Ginny's still as awestruck as Colin," Remus said lightly, trying to avoid making it a joke at Harry's expense again.

Harry told Hagrid to shut it, causing Ron to snort with laughter, sending even more slugs spraying forward.

"Ouch," all five of them muttered, that had to be worse than puking them up.

Hagrid quickly pulled Ron away from his vegetables, not wanting those slugs anywhere near them. As it was getting close to lunchtime, the three of them decided it was time to head back to the castle for some food, Ron still hiccupping from time to time but only bringing up smaller slugs now.

"That's the nice stage of the spell," James said sadly, "the poor kids going to have a come back later that night. One of the reasons that spells so tricky, it has a delayed effect."

They only just got inside though when Professor McGonagall got a hold of them, telling them that they would be doing their detentions that night.

"Damn," Sirius drew the word out, "can we have a real discussion about McGonagall's awful timing of late?"

James did agree, but ignored the stupid question anyways.

She told Ron's first, saying he would be polishing up the trophy room, with no magic, under the supervision of Filch.

"At least it's a normal punishment this time," Remus said weakly.

"Hope Ron's 'comeback' doesn't happen then," Sirius said.

Then she told Harry that he would be helping Lockhart.

"Say what?" Lily yelped.

"I thought they banned torture?" Sirius spluttered.

"Wow, that's a new low, even for her," James said in disgust.

"I think I'd rather take the fine," Remus said, getting annoyed already at having to spend any length of time with that jerk.

Harry tried to protest, asking if he could do the trophy room as well, but McGonagall cut him off and told him it wasn't his right to pick his punishment.

"Guess that is a first for her," Sirius agreed "students don't usually ask for other detentions."

"I don't blame Harry one bit for this though," James huffed.

Then she said that Lockhart had asked for Harry by name.

"Great, just great, a night of my life," Harry said in disgust.

She told them the times they were to be there, then walked off, leaving both boys feeling truly miserable, and Hermione a rather 'well you did deserve it' look.

"She has an expression for that?" Remus asked, trying to change the subject for Harry's sake.

"Yeah, we saw it a lot during the first half of last year," Harry said, a little distracted.

Harry and Ron didn't savor their lunch nearly as much as they thought, both boys convinced they'd received the worst punishment.

"Oh Harry got the worse deal by far," James said at once.

Ron bemoaned that he'd be at his task for hours, he'd never had to clean things like a muggle before. Harry grumbled that he'd happily swap, he had more the enough practice from the Dursleys.

"The way you say it like that," Lily huffed, never appreciating those random comments by her son "that's not normal."

Harry shrugged, it was true.

Harry was going to have to sit around and listen to Lockhart for hours though! They weren't getting out of it though, so at eight o'clock he showed up and grudgingly knocked on the professor's door and went inside. Inside, the office was decked out of photos of the man himself.

"Here I thought his head couldn't get any bigger," Remus snorted in disgust.

He lead Harry inside and set him the task of addressing where the envelopes will go, then launched into tail after tail about all of his remarkable adventures. Harry wasn't really listening, just saying things like 'mm' and 'yeah' whenever there was a pause.

"Better than me," Sirius groaned at the mere thought of that, "I would have just ignored him."

Occasionally he caught a phrase like 'celebrity is as celebrity does,' and that Harry should remember all of these important lessons.

"If Harry remembers anything about you, it will be the hundreds of people you hoodwinked into thinking you're a decent person," Lily snapped.

Harry was left with only the melting candles to mark time, thinking over and over again that it must be time to leave!

"I note McGonagall didn't say what time he could leave," James said miserably, wishing now he could have given Harry yet another of his old things, that two way mirror would have come in handy by then.

"That's for the punishing teacher to decide," Remus reminded him, though James of all students should have known that himself from all of his detentions, "so it's up to Lockhart."

Harry's aching hand was dragging across yet another envelope when he heard it for the first time. A terrible voice, one he'd never heard before in his life, that sounded like ice come to life.

"Err, James, now's not the time for those kinds of jokes," Lily said, looking a little queasy as to why her husband would have said something like that.

"I wasn't joking," he whispered, looking suddenly very upset. That had been very close to the way Harry had described Voldemort's voice last year...it couldn't be possible Voldemort was hanging around Lockhart to...was it?

James didn't give his friends a chance to put their two cents in, he read the words quickly.

It began to whisper 'come, let me kill.'

Harry shuddered in disgust, his Dad wasn't doing a very good job of capturing just how creepy that voice had been.

"Damn James," Sirius muttered, rubbing where his heart was, "I was putting money on a student trying to scare someone with a creepy voice, but I can't see many students saying that."

"You don't think," Remus began hesitantly, "perhaps Vol-"

"Don't." Lily snapped, her eyes suddenly shining brightly, "just don't. I can't stand it if Voldemort's come back again this year. Let's say Sirius is right for now, and skip past this to Lockhart wetting his pants."

Harry was rubbing his temple again, there was something about what his Mum had just said that didn't feel right, but James only seemed reassured enough to read on.

Harry jumped so hard that he nearly upset his ink bottle. He screeched 'what' loudly, and Lockhart only seemed to vaguely notice as he repeated that he had indeed been on the bestseller list for months and had broken records.

There was a very nasty pause at Lockhart's words, surely the guy would have freaked out as much as Harry had.

James kept going in a very uneasy tone of voice.

Harry corrected that he'd meant the voice, and Lockhart sounded truly mystified as he asked what voice?

"He didn't-" Sirius broke off, looking worriedly at Harry he tried again, "Lockhart wouldn't have been faking it?"

"I don't see how," Harry huffed, now rubbing his temple in real pain, "it was loud enough to me, but he didn't react at all."

All four of them exchanged very uneasy looks now. Why had Harry suddenly heard a voice someone else hadn't?

James mind floundered as he tried desperately to think of something, Harry was looking around at all of them clearly very concerned at their reactions.

It was Remus who took a brave stab and said, "I'm sure you ah, heard something like a ghost just being a jerk. Lockhart couldn't hear it over his own prattling."

None of them looked convinced at all, they had lived at that castle for seven years and never heard of anything like a ghost doing that, but James still read on.

Harry insisted he'd heard another voice, and Lockhart simply brushed it off when he saw the time. It was past midnight, surely Harry was just tired.

They were all still too freaked out to make an annoyed comment at Lockhart's not noticing it was midnight!

Harry was finally excused, and quickly made his way back to the common room, feeling jumpy and paranoid. He went up to his dorm and waited up for Ron, who came in a half hour later,

Sirius finally took a brave stab at attempting normal conversation again, "Guess you should be lucky you got the detention you did. Filch has kept me there since two sometimes, he liked making me stay late."

"Maybe that's because you insulted him while you worked," Remus said distractedly, still straining his mind for a reasonable explanation to Harry's problem.

the boy cradling his arm in pain as he explained it hurt to even move it. He'd had to buff the Quidditch Cup fourteen times.

"Why was the Quidditch cup in the trophy room?" Lily asked distractedly, "I thought, since Slytherin won last year, Snape would have it."

"Snape lent it to Filch that night, just for Ron's detention," Harry said bitterly, having asked that very thing the next morning.

Plus he'd begun to vomit slugs all over again on some Special Award for Services to the School.

"Poor kid," Sirius said for the final time, hoping that was the last of that curse.

Harry cut in and told Ron that he'd heard a voice Lockhart hadn't seemed to. Ron asked why Lockhart couldn't have heard it, and Harry said he had no idea.

"That's the end of the chapter," James sighed, passing the book along to Sirius.

HPHPHP

*I'm not sure what to call this, a nonverbal spell? His wand being screwy? Ron just did some very powerful magic though, and it's really glossed over how advanced something about that is.

#Reading the books #fanfiction #the Life that Never Lived #Harry Potter #James Potter #Remus Lupin #Sirius Black #Lily Potter #Jilly #bookhater

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