Search:

SIYE Time:1:59 on 29th March 2024
SIYE Login: no


The Beast Within
By hgromance

- Text Size +

Category: Alternate Universe
Characters:Draco Malfoy, Dumbledore, Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Minerva McGonagall, Neville Longbottom, Oliver Wood, Other, Remus Lupin, Ron Weasley, Severus Snape, Sirius Black
Genres: Drama, Romance
Warnings: Death, Mild Language
Story is Complete
Rating: PG-13
Reviews: 272
Summary: Two pivotal things happen the night of October 31, 1981. They will change the course of Harry's life. Forever.





Posting issue resolved. For the moment at least and hopefully permanently.
Hitcount: Story Total: 152336; Chapter Total: 6020
Awards: View Trophy Room






ChapterPrinter
StoryPrinter


One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand
and to be understood.
--Lucius Annaeus Seneca


Once dressed in hospital clothes and lying in a bed, Remus sat next to Harry on the bed's edge and ran a hand gently through Harry's hair. Madame Pomfrey had given him a pain potion and it had made him drowsy. Harry had managed to say he had heard something but hadn't seen anything before he'd succumbed to sleep. A hand patted Remus' shoulder.

“He'll be alright, Remus,” Poppy softly assured him. “Sleep will do him the most good now.”

Remus heaved a sigh. “I suppose.”

The nurse took in the man's haggard appearance and cupped his elbow. “You should rest, too. You just went through a transformation yourself last night.”

“I'm not leaving Harry.”

“I never said you had to.” She pointed to the bed on Harry's left. “That one is available.”

“Oh. Okay. I suppose.”

“I'll stay with Harry in case he wakes up, Professor.”

Remus smiled gratefully at Ginny. “Thank you. Please. When it's just us, call me Moony.”

“Okay. Thank you. Has there been any word from--”

The door to the ward banged open and Sirius rushed in, his face pale, anxiety rolling off him in waves.

“Remus, what happened?”

Poppy, stopped Sirius' progress by stepping in front of him. “Sirius, Remus needs to rest for a bit. Harry will not wake for awhile yet. Miss Weasley, Minerva and I will fill you in on what we know. You must calm yourself first.”

Sirius took a few steadying breaths. “Yeah, okay. Dumbledore told me something had happened with Harry. I didn't really give him the chance to tell me anything.”

Off to the side of the occupied beds, Poppy gathered four chairs. As they were sitting again, the door opened once more and Dumbledore strode in.

“How is Harry?”

“He'll be fine once he's had a chance to rest. Going through a total of four transformations in less than 24 hours has taken a toll.”

Sirius looked horrified at the thought. “Four?” He looked at those gathered. “Somebody better start talking.”

“With the help of Miss Weasley and a couple of other students, Harry was practicing his Charms work when, it appears, he was hit with a modified animagus reversal spell. It forced him to undergo another transformation.”

Sirius grabbed Ginny's shoulders, desperately looking her over. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you? What about the others?”

“I'm fine, Sirius. So are Hermione and Neville. A magical room appeared and we got Harry in there in time.”

Sirius' shoulders drooped and he closed his eyes. “Oh, thank Merlin. It would have killed him if he'd gotten you. Or the others, for that matter.” He turned to Albus. “Do we know who did this?”

“We have no proof of anything at this time. I do need to go as someone is being brought to my office who may have some knowledge of this.”

“I want to be there.”

“Sirius, you cannot be. You'd best serve Harry by being here.”

The man's need for answers warred with his need to watch over Harry. He hadn't been the godfather he should have been. Because of his inability to handle the deaths of his friends, he'd let Harry down, hadn't been around when the boy needed him most. That had to change. Sirius looked up and nodded.

“You're right. I'll stay here.”

Albus nodded and took his leave. McGonagall also stood. “I'm sure Miss Granger and Mr. Longbottom are worried. I should inform them that Harry is here. Poppy, if you need anything, let me know. I'll send some clothes for Harry with Mr. Longbottom.”

“I'm sure he'll appreciate that.”

With a final nod, the Deputy Headmistress left the ward. Poppy turned to the two remaining people. “I'll be in my office if you need anything.”

A shifting of position and a groan came from Harry's bed. All three looked over. Remus jumped up out of a dead sleep and hovered over Harry. Seeing Harry was still sleeping, Remus gave a brief nod to the others and lay back down. Sirius turned back to the matron.

“Did you give him a pain potion?”

Madame Pomfrey arched an eyebrow. “What do you think? Nevermind. Of course I did.”

“Well, how about something stronger. He's obviously still hurting.”

“Sirius, I gave him the strongest potion I dared to give him.”

“Well, it's not good enough,” he complained, arms crossed over his chest.

A look came over Madame Pomfrey's face that neither man nor child had seen before. She very firmly and very deliberately spoke.

“Since you weren't around while Harry was growing up and therefore are not aware of things, I'll let that pass this time. I won't have you insinuating that I'm not doing all I can for that boy. Do so again and I will ban you from my ward. Am I understood?”

Looking properly chastened with head hung, Sirius nodded. “Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry.”

Her expression softened. “I care as much about Harry as you do, Sirius. Never doubt that. I'm doing all I can for him.”

Sirius rubbed at his eyes and nodded. “I know you are. You always did the best you could for anyone. I know that. It's just...”

Madame Pomfrey patted his shoulder. “I know. Now, I'll be in my office.”

The matron retreated to her office, Sirius and Ginny took a pair of chairs closer to Harry's bed and settled in. The door opened admitting Hermione and Neville, Neville carrying the bag Harry used on full moon nights. Sirius took the bag and set it on the floor next to him.

“Thank you, Neville. Harry will be happy to get out of those hospital clothes when he wakes up.”

“Is Harry going to be okay?” Hermione asked, anxiously watching Harry sleep.

“He will. He just needs to rest.”

“What happened? What's wrong with him?” Three pairs of eyes exchanged glances before turning to Neville. Sirius was about to speak when Neville interrupted. “I know it's something serious. You don't have to tell me if you think you shouldn't. I saw his eyes, though. They weren't green anymore. And he kept saying he wasn't safe.”

Sirius sighed. “At this rate we're going to have to do a Fidelius Charm. I shouldn't be the one to tell you, Neville.” He pointed in the beds' general direction. “That's Harry's or Remus' place.”

“Why is Professor Lupin here? And how did you know my name?”

“Grab a chair, Neville. I have a little story to tell.” Once Neville was ready, he began. “You see, back when You-Know-Who was around the first time, a group of us dedicated our lives to fighting him. Harry's parents, Remus, myself and several others were a part of the group. Your parents, Neville, were a part of us.”

Neville stared at the man, in shock. “You knew my parents?”

“Not well, but yes, I knew them. I was sorry to hear what happened to them. They'd be proud of you.” At Neville's confused look, Sirius chuckled. “Don't think I haven't heard you taking up for Harry even though you didn't know him. It's not easy to stand up to people, especially those you consider friends.”

Neville immediately blushed. The man's words reminded him of Dumbledore's praise at the end of school two years ago.

“Thank you,” he quietly said.

“You're welcome. Now, back to my story. Remus and I were very good friends with Harry's parents. When Harry was born, they feared for his safety and chose to go into hiding. It worked for awhile but they eventually were betrayed.”

“Hold on. You're Sirius? What are you doing here? Everyone says you betrayed them.” Neville turned a confused look to the girls. “Why are you not upset that he's here?”

Ginny squeezed Neville's arm. “Let him finish his story and you'll understand.”

Looking doubtful, Neville nodded. “Okay. Go ahead.”

“Everyone thinks I'm the one who betrayed them because I was known to be their Secret Keeper for the Fidelius Charm, a charm that hides information inside a person. No one other than the Secret Keeper can divulge that information. I convinced James to switch at the last moment, thinking I'd be too obvious a choice. He agreed and used another friend. What we didn't know is that friend had turned traitor.”

Sirius had to pause to get his emotions back under control. Even after all this time, it still hurt to speak of them.

“He's the one who betrayed them, then,” Neville concluded.

“Yes, he did.” Sirius cleared his throat. “When I heard they'd been killed, I took off after that friend, vowing revenge on his worthless hide, completely forgetting that I had been named Harry's godfather and that it was up to me to raise him. Remus raised him instead. I searched for that traitor for awhile but got discouraged when I couldn't find him. I got depressed. When I finally pulled myself together, several years had gone by. I contacted Albus to find out what happened to Harry but he wouldn't tell me a thing, just that Harry was where he should be. I didn't understand what that meant since I had blocked out everything that came after 'James and Lily are dead'. I couldn't find Remus, either. It was like the both of them had disappeared from the planet.”

Sirius shook his head, feeling a ghost of the frustration he'd felt at the time. He took a deep breath and slowly released it.

“I ended up leaving the country. Too many bad memories, I guess. No, I take that back. I was a coward. I gave up too easily. Then I saw the Prophet and the article about Harry returning to Hogwarts and I just had to come back. I have no intention of replacing Remus, but I'm going to try my hardest to be the godfather I should have been all along.”

“Is it true that werewolves attacked the village the night Harry's parents were killed?”

With a guarded expression, Sirius nodded. “Yes, it is.”

Neville turned a speculative gaze to Harry. After a minute or two, eyes still on Harry, he said, “Harry's one, too, isn't he?”

Twin gasps were the girls' reactions. Sirius tensed, staring at the boy as if he was trying to look into the kid's soul.

“I've read bits and pieces of our Defense text. I wanted to be a little familiar with the stuff for when we started studying them. I came across the section on werewolves. Ginny told me Harry had something that came back every month to explain why he seemed sore and so tired a few days each month. I hadn't really thought much more about it until today.”

Sirius sighed. “This is getting out more quickly than I thought it would. I know Remus hadn't planned on this.”

“I won't say anything, I promise. I'll even take an oath if you want me to.”

“That won't be necessary. Just be extremely cautious when discussing any of what you've learned. Someone is trying to expose Harry, probably hoping to turn people away from him, therefore lessening his influence and making it easier for You-Know-Who to take over again.”

“Of course I will. Do we know who it is?”

“There's a few people Professor Dumbledore is looking into,” Hermione answered.

“Bet you only need one guess,” Ginny added, archly.

Neville nodded thoughtfully. “I can see that. He's done everything he can to mention werewolves in connection with Harry. People are going to start noticing things. I'm kind of surprised no one's noticed anything so far. I mean, surely the older kids have studied werewolves before.”

Sirius shrugged uncertainly. “It's probably more a lack of interest in Harry, even if he is famous. In this circumstance, his staying to himself has helped.”

“How do you know all this? I don't remember having seen you around.”

Sirius smiled at Neville. “One more secret for you to keep.” Then he promptly changed into his Animagus form. After a few seconds, he changed back. “I've been around for a little while.”

Neville, mouth agape, could only stare. The giggling girls snapped him out of his astonishment.

“That's-that's brilliant!” Neville looked to the other occupied bed, his expression falling. “Is Professor Lupin a...?”

Sirius nodded. “As Albus had told me, Harry was where he needed to be.” Sirius watched Neville for any negative signs. “How do you feel about them now that you know?”

“What?” Neville turned to Sirius, confused. “What do you mean 'how do I feel about them'? Harry is still Harry and Professor Lupin is the best teacher I've ever had. It's not their choice to turn into something horrible every month.”

“Thank you for that.” Sirius gave Neville's shoulder a squeeze. “It'll mean a great deal to them, as well. Harry is a bit jaded when it comes to friends. Ginny, here, has helped tremendously. It's my opinion, the more he's around those who know and don't care, the more likely he'll open up and learn that not everyone will react the same way. I'm just sorry it's taken until now for that potential lesson to present itself.”

The kids hung around until supper, talking with Sirius and Remus once the latter had awakened. All three ate quickly and returned to the Hospital Wing. Harry woke soon after for a brief period of time. His first thought was Ginny before he even was aware of her presence.

“Ginny!” he cried, panicking. “Is she okay? Hermione? Neville?

“Relax, Harry. They're fine and here. I won't bother asking how you feel,” Remus lamely joked.

“Good, don't,” Harry weakly responded.

No one missed the grimace and hiss of pain as he tried to sit up. Remus helped him up, stuffed a pillow behind him and handed over Harry's glasses.

“Take it easy for a bit. Are you hungry?”

“I am, actually.”

“Just what I was hoping to hear,” Poppy said from a few feet away.

She carried a tray with a bowl of something steaming hot and a goblet. She placed the tray on the table beside the bed.

“I imagine you're still rather sore. I can give you a mild pain potion for tonight but that's it. I can't give you anything else after that. Pain potions are just too addicting.”

Harry ran a hand down his face. “I know. It's okay.”

Poppy nodded sadly and turned to the tray. “Here's some stew and some pumpkin juice. Try to eat as much as you can. I'll be back to give you that potion and you can get some more rest.”

“Thanks.”

Harry picked up the bowl and glared at Remus, who had tried to take it from Harry, causing Sirius to laugh. Remus backed off with a sheepish apology. After a few bites, Harry noticed Neville was still around. To say he was surprised was an understatement. He'd thought for sure, the shy boy would have been scared off by what he'd witnessed. Maybe he hadn't put everything together yet.

“So you saw nothing or heard nothing, Harry?” Sirius asked. “How would you rate the change compared to normal?”

Harry choked on the bite of food he'd been swallowing, his wide eyes flying from Sirius to Neville and back.

“He knows, Harry,” Remus told him.

Harry's gaze turned to Neville. “And?” he asked, expecting to hear what he'd heard all those times before.

Neville shrugged. “Doesn't change anything. You didn't ask to be bitten.”

“I could hurt you.” He turned to Ginny and Hermione. “I almost did.”

Ginny, seeing where Harry was heading by the expression on his face and by his body language, plopped herself on the bed at his feet and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Only because someone, we all have a good guess who, made it so. With the potion, you're fine. We all know that and we're not going away. I told you before. You're not alone anymore.”

For a long minute, green eyes met amber ones. Then he sighed and a corner of his mouth tilted upward.

“Yeah, I suppose so, huh?” He still sounded surprised at that notion.

“If I have to I'll start smacking you for any thoughts of ditching us.”

Harry winced a little. “I'd really rather you didn't.”

“Good.” she said with a nod. “Then we finally understand each other.”

Sirius let out a bark of laughter and winked at Ginny. Remus, too, laughed at their banter. Hermione held a hand over her mouth to hide her smile. Neville didn't bother to hide his. Harry, a little embarrassed and a whole lot happy that they weren't walking away, ate a bit more of his stew. After a handful of bites, he yawned. Sirius took the bowl and Remus helped Harry to lie down.

“Why don't you three head back to the common room now?” Remus suggested.

All three nodded and said their good-byes, promising Harry they'd see him the next day.

“Do you want that pain potion Poppy mentioned, Harry?”

“I just want to sleep.”

Sirius started to object but Remus cut him off. “Sirius, don't. Harry's old enough to make a few decisions himself. If he feels he can sleep without it, then that's good enough for me.”

Glancing down at Harry, Remus gave a laugh. “Besides, he's already out. Do you really want to try to wake him up just so he could take a potion to help him sleep?”

“No, I guess not.”

Remus pulled the sheet and blanket up over Harry's shoulder and tucked it around him. Satisfied Harry was as comfortable as he could be, Remus sat back in his chair with a sigh and ran both hands down his face.

“I had a feeling our lives would change this year but I wasn't expecting this.”

“It's been mostly good, though. Harry's made friends–true friends.”

Remus dropped his hands into his lap and watched Harry. “Yeah. I sometimes wonder if I did good enough. Maybe I should have pushed him to continue trying to be friends with people. Maybe I should have made him come to school when he was eleven.”

“Remus don't think like that. You've done well with him. Better than I would have.”

Remus turned an insecure gaze on his friend. “You think so?”

Sirius nodded. “Absolutely. I wasn't equipped to handle everything. I can't give him what you can, Remus. Even if I had stuck around, I would have suggested you raise him. You know exactly what he has to go through. That understanding is priceless.”

Remus shrugged. “We could have both raised him.”

“Maybe. The point is, you've done a really good job so far. I don't think Harry has any complaints.”

“Perhaps not, but you don't know how hard it was to watch the light leave his eyes every time we were pushed away, to see him try a little less each time to make friends. It hurt to see him hurt. After a while, he took to crying in his room instead of crying in front of me. That was even worse. Then he just stopped letting it affect him, just stopped caring about anyone other than the two of us.”

“Well,” Poppy said, stopping a few feet away, holding a vial. “I was going to give Harry his potion but I see he doesn't need it right now. Let me know if he wakes up and wants it.”

“I will. Thanks, Poppy.”

“You're welcome, as always. Get some sleep soon.”

With that, she walked back into her office.

“But there were good times, right?” Sirius asked, returning to their discussion.

“Yeah.” Remus laughed softly. “I remember on Harry's seventh birthday I took him to this event that Puddlemere United had put on for kids...”

“Come on, Uncle Remus, let's go already!”

Young Harry drug Remus into the line and danced from one foot to the other in his excitement. He'd been looking forward to it all week. Now here they were, at Puddlemere United's practice pitch. He was actually going to get to meet the players! Maybe he'd even get to fly. To Harry, there wasn't anything better than flying. Not even treacle tart was better.

After an interminably long wait, they were finally let in. Harry gazed in awe at everything his muted green eyes landed on. Pulling Remus behind him, Harry headed straight to the field and the brooms. People were everywhere but Harry paid them no mind. It was hot but that didn't bother him, either.

Laughing, Remus called out. “Slow down, Harry. We'll get there.”

Harry barely glanced over his shoulder. “I want to get a good spot.”

Dodging in and around people, Remus apologizing as best he could, Harry pulled his uncle along until he found a spot where he could easily see. A handful of other kids had gathered there with their parents. For a fraction of a second, Harry felt sad, but the weight of his uncle's hand on his shoulder chased away the feeling. A few minutes passed before one of the team members wearing his dark brown uniform with two crossed golden bulrushes on the front came over and began speaking. He gave them several tips on how to fly then the moment Harry had been impatiently waiting for.

“Mount your brooms young recruits. Moms, Dads, don't worry. These brooms won't go very high nor will they go very fast.”

Once they all were hovering in place, he gave further instructions. “Alright. See that flag over there?” He pointed halfway across the pitch. “Let me see you fly there and back. It's not a race. Just do your best.”

He gave them the signal and Harry was the first to take off, coaxing out of his broom every last bit of speed he could get, which really wasn't much. He was first to the flag and the first to return, his eyes lit up and a huge grin on his face.

“Hey, there. You're a natural, kid. What's your name?”

“Harry. It's my birthday today.”

“Well, Harry. Happy birthday. Maybe we'll see you playing once you're grown.”

Harry's smile dipped a little. “Maybe.”

By that time, most of the others had returned and the man turned to greet them and congratulate them on a job well done. Harry ran over to Remus, still beaming with pride.

“Did you see me? I was the fastest. He told me I was a natural. Did you hear him?”

Smiling, Remus nodded. “I did hear him. He's right. And I saw that you made it back before everyone else. You did good.” Remus mussed Harry's already messy hair. “Come on. Where do you want to go next?”

Harry dashed off in another direction. “Harry!” Remus panicked. He couldn't see him anywhere. “Harry! Harry, where are you!”

Remus ran from one place to another calling Harry's name. Five terrifying minutes later, he found Harry at one of the stations that had been set up. Grabbing the boy and hauling him against his chest, he took deep, calming breaths.

“You scared me, Harry. Don't ever do that again. Promise me.”

“I'm sorry, Uncle Remus. I didn't mean to scare you.”

“I know you didn't, Harry. This is a huge place with a lot of people. Lots of things could happen. Promise me that you won't take off again no matter where we are.”

“I promise.”

“Good.” Remus forced a smile onto his face, hoping to reassure his nephew and get the happiness back on the boy's face. “Now, is this where you want to go next?”

Harry nodded and so they waited for Harry's five tries at throwing a Quaffle through a few hoops, all at differing heights, but none over five feet. By the time he'd finished, he'd become animated again. The Beater station allowed the kids to hit soft balls with a bat, the balls being gently floated to them. At the Keeper station, Harry and the others got to protect a pair of hoops while hovering on brooms, not more than three feet off the ground. Again, soft balls were gently floated in their direction from various angles. Harry did well enough. The last station let the kids try to catch a Snitch charmed to fly around them at a mild speed, easily within reach. When he was done, he decided that was what he'd do if he ever got to play.

After buying a couple souvenirs and some lunch, Remus led Harry over to a picnic area. Sitting at a wooden table with benches, they enjoyed their lunch and snacks, Harry excitedly recounting everything. As they finished, Harry yawned and sleepily rubbed an eye.

“Have a good day, Harry?”

“The best! Thank you, Uncle Remus.”

Remus smiled and playfully mussed Harry's hair. “You're welcome, Harry. You were lucky they planned this event for today.” Harry yawned again and Remus began gathering their trash. “Come on, Harry. You could use a little nap. You're still recovering from three nights ago.”

Harry nodded. He really was tired. He didn't think he'd ever get used to “the change.” Their trash taken care of, Harry grabbed his jersey and signed team roster and walked with Remus to their Apparition point. He hated Apparition. He always worried he would permanently be squished. When it was their turn to go, Harry linked his arm with Remus' arm. Remus pulled Harry close.

“Hold tight.”

He spun them and they popped away from Puddlemere's Fun Day.


“Sounds like Harry had a great time,” Sirius remarked. “But tell me. How was it that he wasn't recognized? I mean, those eyes and that scar...”

“I hid the scar and dulled his eye color to something more common. And he did have a good time. As far as I know, he still has that jersey. I always tried to do something special on his birthday, even if I had to save up for months in order to do it.”

“See? Those good times are what you need to focus on, not whether you'd done good enough. Otherwise I'll have to start calling you Moody instead of Moony.”

Remus laughed. “Constant vigilance!”

Sirius let out a loud bark of laughter then slapped a hand over his mouth, glancing quickly at Harry and then towards Madame Pomfrey's office. Neither stirred so Sirius let his hand drop. His merriment faded a few moments later.

“I think Greyback is gone again. I haven't seen him in a little while now.”

“And I don't remember catching his scent either. I don't know whether to be happy or worried about that.”

“I'd go with 'happy'. There's enough other stuff going on to worry about.”

“Yeah,” Remus agreed solemnly, watching Harry sleep.

0000000000


Regardless of the unfortunate beginning to the week, the rest went by without a hitch. Even though winter was in full swing, Harry enjoyed it. He had three friends that he knew he could count on to stand by him, no matter what. Five friends total including the twins, though Harry wasn't sure how they'd react to him if they knew what he was. Many a time, their play outside consisted of snowball fights. When he was little, he and his uncle would build a snowman so that was one of the first things he did this year. He'd been sad to do it without his uncle and then he'd gotten a pleasant surprise. On the pretense of keeping watch over the kids outside, Remus had come over and helped with the building for a few minutes before moving on to another group of kids so it didn't appear he gave Harry special attention.

Before he knew it, the end of term was nearly upon them. Harry and Ginny, Remus and Sirius chatted in Remus' office for awhile and then Remus sobered.

“I'm going to be gone for the first few days of Christmas break, Harry.”

“What? Why?”

“Dumbledore wants me to contact a fringe werewolf community. They attempted to stay neutral in the last war. He thinks, and I'm inclined to agree, that if I can get them on our side, others may follow. A lot of them supported Voldemort last time. Voldemort will return one day and we need to be ready. That means reaching out to all those who felt to be outsiders to both sides.”

“But you'll be back for Christmas, right?”

“I should be.”

“You don't sound too positive.”

“Well, they're an unknown, Harry. Unpredictable.”

“What about you, Sirius?”

“Well, kiddo,” he hedged. “I hate to say it, but I'm going to be gone a few days, too.”

“So you're both leaving him?” Ginny asked, her temper flaring.

“It's okay, Ginny,” he said, disappointment heavy in his voice.

“No, it's not, Harry. Why are you leaving, too, Sirius?”

“It's only for a couple of days. There's someone I want to talk to. Hopefully, I can get them to join the Light side. It's more of a preliminary meeting to see how receptive they'd be.”

Ginny narrowed her eyes at the men. “So Harry will be left alone in the castle over the holiday.”

“I'm safe here, Ginny. I'll be fine. There hasn't been another incident.”

Ginny turned her attention to Harry. “I don't like it. It isn't fair for them to abandon you like this, especially at Christmas.”

Her unwavering support and indignation on his behalf warmed him. His stomach swooped as he took in her flashing eyes and set jaw. He gave her a brief smile in appreciation of her efforts.

“It's only a few days. I can manage.”

“Maybe you can spend those days at my house, Harry. I'll ask Mum. I'm sure she'll be okay with it.”

“Oh. I don't want to intrude on a family gathering.”

Ginny rolled her eyes. “You wouldn't be. She's already invited you, remember? You'd just be over a little sooner. My mum always says 'the more the merrier'. I'll send off a letter right now.”

She jumped up and rushed out the door before anyone could say a word.

“That girl is a force to be reckoned with,” Sirius teased. “You're better off just following along. Your mother was a lot like that.” To Remus, he said, “What is it with Potter males and redheads anyway?”

Harry's face burned at that causing the two men to laugh. After a moment, Remus answered.

“I'm not sure, Sirius. It seems like a curse, though, doesn't it?”

Sirius nodded. “Seems to hit every single one of them.”

Harry, face still burning, shook his head. “Well, not me.”

Remus let out a noncommittal sound. “Still having those feelings you told me about? Figured out why yet?”

Harry was sure he face was about to combust. He refused to meet either man's gaze as the two shared more laughter.

“Seriously, though,” Remus spoke again after calming down. “Maybe being with her family a few days would be good for you. It would be a new experience for you. The Weasleys are a large, loving family. You should experience that at least a little.”

Harry detected a note of–sadness or regret, maybe–in his guardian's voice. “I have you and Sirius. That's all I need.”

Remus gave a small smile. “Thank you, Harry, but I still think you should experience what a common family is like, to see how they interact with each other. Like it or not, that's something that Sirius and I just can't give you.”

“Besides, kiddo, it'll only be for a few days. It's not like we're never coming back.”

“So you'll be back before the full moon?”

“Definitely.” Sirius nodded in agreement to Remus' reply.

“Well...alright. I guess.”

0000000000


Exams over, Harry was in his dorm, packing a bag with the things he wanted to take to Ginny's house. He felt rather nervous. He'd met others' parents before but not like this, not the parents and family of a real friend. It still shocked him to think that they'd invited him to stay as long as he needed to. Harry left out a set of clothes for the morning and packed enough for a week just in case he needed extras. He'd already stuffed a large bottle of Wolfsbane Potion in the bag. Madame Pomfrey had given him an entire week's worth so if some was spilled he wouldn't have to worry. A little guilt at not telling the Weasleys of his “issue” wormed its way into his heart but he pushed it aside. He was only going to be there two days, three days tops, well before the full moon. He could take his potion the instant he awoke. No one would have to know.

The door to the dorm room opened. Harry didn't bother looking up; he just continued packing. He knew it was Ginny's brother who'd come in. He could feel the weight of the boy's gaze on his back. It had been that way since Harry had found out he was spending the first few days of the holiday with Ginny. Ron, needless to say, wasn't too happy to hear Harry was going to be around and made sure Harry knew it.

Now, as Harry quietly finished packing his toiletries and Christmas gifts, Ron opened his trunk and crammed his stuff inside. Done with his packing, Harry zipped the bag and discreetly placed a charm on it so no one could go snooping in it. Placing the bag on his trunk at the foot of his bed, Harry started for the door.

“I'm watching you, Potter. I know something is up with you. I just haven't figured it out yet. I still don't think my sister should be hanging out with you. I'm not happy about you being at home and I won't pretend otherwise.”

Harry stopped and threw over his shoulder, not meeting the boy's gaze, “Fair enough.” Then he proceeded out the door and down to the common room.

0000000000


“Relax, Harry,” Ginny said, giggling, for the hundredth time.

Harry immediately stopped bouncing his knee. He couldn't help it. They were minutes away from King's Cross station, minutes away from her family. How was he supposed to feel?

“It'll be fine, Harry,” Hermione reassured him. “Just be yourself.”

“You'll like them, Harry. They've been really nice to me,” Neville added.

Harry nodded and tried to breathe deeply. It hitched but after a few breaths, it came more readily. The train slowed to a stop and Harry waited his turn to retrieve his bag and his broom.

“Harry, have a good holiday,” Neville said and gave a little wave before heading out to find his Gran.

Hermione gave Harry a hug. “I'll see you around Christmas day. My parents and I will spend most of the holiday together traveling but I will see you before the new term.”

“Thanks, Hermione. Happy Christmas.”

“Well, you've stalled long enough,” Ginny said, holding back a grin. “Are you ready?”

Harry glared at her but there wasn't any heat behind it. He shouldered his bag, grabbed his broom and followed his friend off the train, Hermione following behind. The third year girl immediately split from them to find her parents. Harry hadn't walked more than five steps before some reporters descended on him, cameras flashing, yelling rapid fire questions at him. Some of the reporters weren't even from England.

“Harry Potter! How does it feel to be attending Hogwarts?”

“Harry, where have you been and what have you been doing?”

“Harry, what do you say about the rumors that You-Know-Who isn't really gone?”

Dazed, he couldn't think what to do so he stood there, Ginny pushed off to the side as if she was unworthy of being near him. Then the crowd around him, for the reporters had gathered quite a bit of attention, parted and a balding red-haired man clasped Harry's shoulder and led him away, gathering Ginny as he did so.

“Sorry about that Harry. I should have done a better job of anticipating the impact your arrival would have.”

“Er...that's okay.”

Harry received a pat on his shoulder and a smile in response. The man led them to a brick wall and Harry was confused as to why until he noticed people were walking through it. He heard Ginny giggle and he turned to her, his expression one of shock.

“Oh, come on, Harry,” she teased. “You've been at Hogwarts how long now and you still are surprised by fake walls?”

“Ginny,” the man lightly admonished her. “It's the barrier we use here at King's Cross, Harry. It's the only access to Platform 9 ¾ here.”

Harry watched as other students and their families vanished through the wall. When it was their turn, he almost put out his hand to test the wall's solidity. As it was, he closed his eyes and reopened them when nothing happened. They'd passed through the barrier as if it hadn't been there. Now they stood in a very busy train station. After getting a trolley for Ginny's trunk, they waited at the barrier for Ginny's brothers to appear, Arthur's hands resting on each child's shoulder.

“Harry, this is my dad. Dad, this Harry.”

Harry gulped and met the man's gaze. “Thank you for letting me stay with you, sir. I hope I'm not a burden. I can always go back to the castle if I am.”

Kind blue eyes looked down at Harry and smiled. “You're welcome, Harry, and you're not a burden. We love having the kids' friends over. As soon as Molly read Ginny's letter, she was determined to have you stay with us. A sentiment I completely share.”

“Dad,” a neutral voice greeted them.

Harry didn't have to look to know that Ron had found them. Ron stood beside Ginny, on their father's left, while Harry stood on the man's right side. Harry looked up and noticed Ron's narrowed gaze on his dad's hand, which still rested on Harry's right shoulder. A pang of guilt squeezed his heart and Harry looked to the ground. He tried to subtly move aside but the man's hand tightened a little, not letting Harry escape without causing a scene.

A few seconds later the twins arrived followed closely by Percy.

“Hey, there, Harry. Glad you're coming home with us,” Fred started.

“Yeah, Ginny would be lost without you,” George finished, giving them both a playful wink.

Harry and Ginny blushed, Arthur chuckled and scowls marred Ron's and Percy's faces.

“Oh, dear brother, do you not remember Hogsmede?” Fred teased. “I think the lost one would be Harry.”

“Oh, you're quite right, brother mine.”

“Alright, that's enough, you two. Now that we're all here, we can go.”

The man led the group out of the train station, neither hand moving from their positions, and into a far corner of the parking lot. In a way, it was nice to have that reassurance that he was welcome, but in another way, it wasn't. He could feel Ron's eyes boring into his back. Besides, that welcome was most likely an illusion despite what Ginny said.

“How are we getting home, Dad?” one of the twins asked.

Arthur stopped and gathered everyone around. All the trunks were shrunk and the trolleys were returned. Then he answered Fred's question by pulling out a torn piece of parchment.

“By portkey. Harry, have you traveled by portkey before?”

Ron gave a derisive snort but instantly composed himself at his father's frown.

“Yes, sir,” Harry answered the man. “My uncle and I have used portkeys many times.”

“Excellent. Gather round then, you lot. “

As soon as everyone was touching the parchment, Arthur activated it and they were whisked away. A fraction of a second later, they were set down in the backyard of a tall, narrow, very crooked house.

“Welcome to The Burrow, Harry.” A final pat on his shoulder and Ginny's dad entered the house calling out, “Molly, we're home!”

A joyful shriek sounded from somewhere in the house. A moment later a short, plump woman came running out, a huge smile on her face. She hugged Percy first, hugged the twins simultaneously, hugged Ron, then turned to Harry and Ginny.

“Harry, this is my Mum. Mum, this is Harry.”

What the woman did next totally took Harry off-guard. She folded him into her arms, giving him as big a hug as she had her other children. The sincerity in that hug floored him. It touched something deep inside him, filled a void he hadn't even known was there. He'd been hugged by Madame Pomfrey growing up, but those didn't feel like this one. This one was...more. He couldn't explain it. His vision blurred and he closed his eyes, hoping he wouldn't end up crying. Wouldn't that just be great? Hi, nice to meet you. Don't mind me while I cry all over you.

She pulled back and smiled at him, cupping his face. “It's very nice to finally meet you, Harry, dear. Ginny has told us a lot about you.”

“Thank you for letting me stay. I hope I'm not in the way or anything. I can always go back to Hogwarts if I am.”

“Nonsense, you dear boy. It's no trouble at all. I love it when the house is full.” With actions mirroring her husband's, she led them back toward the house. “Now, Harry, I have Bill and Charlie's old room ready for you. It's on the same floor as Ginny's room.”

The back door opened again and Ginny let out a surprised but happy yell at the two people who had exited. “Bill! Charlie!”

Laughing, she ran toward the two brothers she hadn't seen for awhile. Harry stopped in his tracks and turned to Molly.

“I don't want take anyone's room. I can sleep on the couch. I can sleep pretty much anywhere.”

“Don't be silly, Harry,” she said, the hand on his shoulder sliding up to cup his face again. “Bill and Charlie chose to give you their room. Besides, I don't think those two will fit in that room together anymore.”

Harry reluctantly nodded and they continued on, their breaths puffing in the icy air.

“So you're Harry Potter, huh?” the one with a ponytail said, once he and Molly reached the porch.

Harry wasn't exactly sure how to respond. The tall, thin man had a fang dangling from one ear, dressed in somewhat outrageous clothes and wore dragon hide boots. He looked rather cool and so intimidated Harry a little. Standing before him, Harry felt a little...unkempt.

“Don't let Bill bother you, Harry,” said the other brother. “Welcome to our house.”

The short and stocky man held out a callused hand attached to a very muscled arm. His hair was a bit overgrown but not nearly as long as his brother's. His face was heavily freckled. His blue eyes twinkled and the open expression put Harry at ease.

Harry shook his hand. “Thank you. I didn't mean to put you out of your room.”

The man waved away Harry's apologetic words. “Don't worry about it, Harry. Bill's a Curse Breaker for Gringotts and I work with dragons. Both of us learned a long time ago to sleep anywhere.”

And I'm a werewolf so I've learned to sleep anywhere, as well. Instead of saying that, Harry merely shrugged.

“Oh, let's get inside out of this cold, shall we?”

“Come on, Harry,” Ginny said, motioning for him to follow. “I'll show you to your room.”

0000000000


Bill's brows rose as he watched the kids leave. “Such a polite chap. You think he could influence Ron a little?”

“Bill, don't,” Molly warned as she went about setting the table for a late supper.

Bill and Charlie exchanged puzzled looks. “What's wrong, Mum?”

“Nothing, really, Bill. There just seems to be a little animosity on Ron's part towards Harry. He's written your father and I few times. Apparently he seems to think Harry is trouble or some such silliness. He thought we should tell Ginny to stay away from Harry.”

“What?” Charlie asked with a disbelieving laugh. “I haven't seen Ginny this happy since the Chamber incident.”

Molly shook her head. “I don't understand his thinking, either. Your father and I talked about it and decided we had no reason to mistrust the boy. So when Ginny wrote stating his uncle had something to do for Dumbledore a few days and would be left at the castle and asked if he could come, we agreed.”

“Well, I have to say, Mum,” Bill said as he began transferring food from pots and pans to serving dishes, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, “I'm kind of surprised. Harry's a boy, after all. You have noticed that, right? Ginny's friend is a boy.”

“Oh, you!” Molly playfully swatted her oldest son. “Of course I know that! But she's happy again thanks to him. And he would have been alone. I couldn't say no. He stood up for her once, did you know that? Before they even knew each other. Anyone willing to do that is just fine in my opinion.”

“Say, Bill,” Charlie said tossing a wink at his brother, “Mum knows Harry's a boy. Do you think Ginny has noticed?”

Bill's eyes lit up. “Ooooh. Good question. Or maybe we should be asking if Harry's noticed Ginny's a girl.”

“Stop it, you two. Ginny's too young for that kind of thinking–and Harry's just too polite.”

The two men exchanged 'You've got to be kidding' looks. Bill wrapped an arm around his mother, temporarily halting her supper preparations.

“Mum, you do remember how us boys were at 13, don't you?”

“Of course I remember how you two were. Just because you two were a little early doesn't mean every boy is. As a matter of fact, Percy wasn't and neither were Fred and George. Ron I'm not so sure about.”

“I guess we'll just wait and see then,” Bill quipped, stealing a small chunk of bread before his hand could be smacked away.

“Out of my kitchen. Both of you. And no teasing either Harry or Ginny.”

“Yes, Mum,” both said, grinning to each other.

0000000000


Back in the sitting room after dropping his bag, with appropriate anti-snooping charm, and broom in his room, he and Ginny began playing a round of Exploding Snap. Ron left the instant Harry walked in. Suddenly a shrill, continuous whistle, accompanied by a frightened yell, came from upstairs. Ron bolted down the stairs, his hair mussed, face pale and eyes wide, muttering fearfully about spiders.

“What's wrong, Ron? What is that sound?” Arthur asked as he hurried over.

Harry rushed passed them and into his room. Within a few seconds, the alarm quieted. Harry waved his wand again, resetting his warning system. When he returned to the sitting room, everyone was watching him.

“It was the alarm on my bag,” Harry stonily informed them. “It lets me know if someone other than me tries to get into it.”

Every pair of eyes swung to Ron, who tried to salvage the situation. “Well, why does he have an alarm? Because he's hiding something, that's why. Just what are you hiding?”

“Ronald Bilius Weasley!” Molly stood, hands on her hips, face flushed in anger. “How dare you go sticking your nose where it doesn't belong! Now, I've had enough of this behavior from you. You apologize right now or you'll be confined to your room!”

Ron angrily apologized but both boys knew he didn't mean it. Afterward, Ron stomped off to his room, slamming his door.

“Harry, I'm sorry. I--,”

“It's okay, Mrs. Weasely. I understand. Let me get my bag and I'll be out of your way.”

Arthur caught Harry by the shoulder, effectively stopping Harry in his tracks. “Harry, you're not going anywhere.”

“What?” He looked around at the others before meeting the man's gaze. “But wouldn't it be better if I just left? I don't want to ruin the holiday.”

Molly joined them and benevolently corrected him. “It would be best if you stayed. We want you here, Harry. You're not ruining anything.”

“But--,” Harry looked to the ceiling as if he could see Ron in his room.

“If Ron wants to act immaturely then he will suffer the consequences.” The woman smiled kindly at him. “Now, come on. Supper's ready.”

She held out an arm in encouragement, her smile growing when he took a step in her direction. Again, Harry looked around the room. All wore happy expressions. Fred and George came up on Harry's other side.

“Come on, Harry,” Fred joked, “Don't be so noble.”

“Right,” agreed his twin, “you're making the rest of us look bad. All these manners and such. You keep it up and--”

“Mum and Dad are going to nag us to act like you.”

“Can't have that, can we, brother mine?”

Molly rounded on her sons. “You could learn a lesson or two from him. It wouldn't hurt you any. However, the food is on the table so let's go eat.”

Fred smiled broadly at Harry and George gave Harry a wink before rushing off to kitchen. The other brothers followed suit. Ginny tugged Harry by the sleeve into the kitchen and then sat him next to her. Once everyone was seated, the food was passed around.

“So, ickle Harrikins,” Fred said from directly across Harry. “What was that alarm? What spell did you use? I've never heard anything like it.”

“Oh, er, it's something I found in one of my uncle's old books. It's called The Whistle-blower.”

“How does it work? I mean, do you have to cancel it each time you want to open your own bag?”

“That's the beauty of it, Fred. It keys into your magic so it recognizes you when you touch it and won't go off.”

“Brilliant!”

“You have to teach us that one.”

“Can you modify it to allow certain people access?”

Harry nodded. “You can. Anyone touching whatever you plan to charm when you charm it will have access. So say...Fred, you had a book you wanted to charm so no one but you and George could open it, you'd have George touch it while you performed the charm. You, of course, wouldn't need to touch it. Does that make sense?”

“Perfect sense.”

“Why do I suddenly get the feeling we're going to be hearing that a lot?” Charlie asked, making everyone laugh.

“Ron kept talking about spiders. What was that about?”

“Oh, er,” Harry ran a hand through his hair and sheepishly added, “you can set the alarm to make an unauthorized person see something they're afraid of.” He shrugged. “Kind of a double alarm system, but you don't have to if all you want is the whistle.”

“Wicked!” Fred breathed.

Bill dropped his head into his hand and groaned. He looked Harry in the eye and sarcastically said, “Thanks a lot, Harry.” He tempered his words with a smile and wink. “That's some impressive spellwork. Ever thought about being a curse breaker after Hogwarts?”

Harry shrugged, looking away. “Not really. Haven't thought that much about the future, I guess.”

Harry could feel Ginny's gaze but he refused to look at her. Percy finished chewing then addressed Harry.

“It's never too early to start thinking about it. If you'd like any advice, I'd be happy to discuss your options with you.”

“Er, thanks, Percy. I'll let you know.”

After that, Harry picked at his food but managed to eat enough to satisfy the Weasley matriarch. He perked up a bit when she brought out a treacle tart.

“Ginny told me it was your favorite,” she said as she placed it on the cleared table.
“It is but you didn't have to go to any trouble.”

“It was no trouble. This lot will eat anything I put in front of them.”

Touched, he swallowed the lump in his throat. For a moment, he wondered if his family would have been the same way had his parents lived. Then he mentally shook himself. There wasn't any sense wondering. Uncle Remus was a great guardian and now he had Sirius, too. Determined to be happy, he dug into his generous slice of the treacle tart.

After the meal, Molly stood and began collecting the plates. Harry stood, too. “I could do that, Mrs. Weasley.”

“I thank you, Harry, but you're a guest in this house. Run along.”

Reluctantly nodding, he followed Ginny into the sitting room. It wasn't long before he was yawning and decided to get some sleep. In his room, Harry changed into his pajamas and closed his bag up again, double-checked his charm, and crawled into bed. Snuggling into the cushiony mattress, he yawned again, looked out the window and said good night to both Remus and Sirius.
Reviews 272
ChapterPrinter
StoryPrinter




../back
‘! Go To Top ‘!

Sink Into Your Eyes is hosted by Grey Media Internet Services. HARRY POTTER, characters, names and related characters are trademarks of Warner Bros. TM & © 2001-2006. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions on this site are those made by the owners. All stories(fanfiction) are owned by the author and are subject to copyright law under transformative use. Authors on this site take no compensation for their works. This site © 2003-2006 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Special thanks to: Aredhel, Kaz, Michelle, and Jeco for all the hard work on SIYE 1.0 and to Marta for the wonderful artwork.
Featured Artwork © 2003-2006 by Yethro.
Design and code © 2006 by SteveD3(AdminQ)
Additional coding © 2008 by melkior and Bear