บท 13: Harry Gaunt - Chapter 13
"Aah!" Harry landed in a bush filled with nettles. "Ah-oh-eeee."
Harry stopped trying to move, freezing in-place as his eyes flicked around.
Where was he, he didn't know this place. There were derelict buildings all around him, broken and abused from lack of care.
Harry stayed still for a moment longer.
"Serpensortia."
Snakes began to appear in the space around him, dozens and dozens of them all hissing in the nettles. "Find out what's here," instructed Harry. "Go. Go now."
Harry felt a few flick over him, not a pleasant experience as they all slithered off, disappearing through bushes and trees. Harry would wait here, he didn't feel like doing anything anymore.
"I am such a fool…" he muttered, looked down at his current state as evidence. "I thought she was her, I even-"
Harry hung his head. Bellatrix must be so confused, and there not a minute before was Harry thinking how nice it would have been to have some friends again. And how pretty Bellatrix Black really was.
Who was he kidding. He would never know anyone again as Harry choked back a sob, shutting his eyes at how unfair it was. Why couldn't he have been someone else.
"Shut up!" he shouted. "SHUT UP!"
Harry purposefully rolled into the nettles, hissing pathetically as he clambered out into the grassy field. This was ridiculous, he thought as he stomped to the nearest building. He was Harry Potter, if not him then somebody else would have to deal with all this.
And more than likely, mess it up.
"I mustn't fail," declared Harry with a desperate need. "I cannot… it would all be for nothing otherwise."
Harry wouldn't allow Ron and Hermione's deaths to be in vein because he couldn't stomach being alone. Harry was better than that, starting today as the snakes begun to return.
"Master…" came the first with a sibilant hiss. "We are alone…"
And then another. "Woods…" it parted through the grass. "Trees with needles…"
"…food…"
"…hungry… Master…"
Harry looked down at the hungry faces. "I haven't got any," he bit, searching for the snake that was last to arrive. He found it towards the back, directing it near as he looked into its eyes.
Harry saw its journey through the derelict village as it searched for food, then a bit more as it edged down an overgrown path. This place was much bigger than Harry had thought. "Is that-"
The memory rewound.
"It is," he realised. "This must have been a magical village."
To think that this was where he would arrive.
"Master?"
The snakes were looking at him, just like they always did as Harry flicked them away with a sweep from his hand. He didn't like the way they did that, or when they found him, followed him and generally became a bother when he was camping.
It was like a curse. One Harry would never be rid of as he walked to the main street where the snake had come from. "It's just like Hogsmead," he observed, looking between the many ruined houses along the way. "Chimneys."
They all had chimneys, tall spire like things that even now seemed to poke towards the sky. Harry smiled at how silly they looked.
There was also a small square with an empty fountain just up ahead, which had a stylish water snake rising from the centre.
"It's a Horned Serpent."
Was Harry in America?
"Surely not," he dismissed, thinking that impossible as he came to a stop by the fountain. "It's too far. And the light-"
Harry realised with a blink, checking the sun which was rising just above those trees. It had been evening when he'd left the Blacks. "Oh... right."
He'd apparated across the ocean, given a boost from the Black's collapsing wards. "That explains the nettle bush then."
Harry scratched a few stings, wondering why these things always happened to him and not someone else. But it mattered not, he'd just chalk it off and take a Portkey, once he way away from this place.
"This way."
Harry set off down the path that he'd seen, which really was overgrown with plants as he hopped between them. It might take a while to reach a proper road, so until then, Harry would just enjoy his solitude.
It wasn't so bad. He'd be just fine.
Break.
James didn't know what to do as he stared at the board. "Knight to E…" he grimaced. "Four."
Sirius was smiling.
"You sure?" said his roguish friend. "I can give you a take back?"
Sirius was sitting opposite, currently on a winning streak as James scratched his head. "Okay, Queen to E four."
The queen moved, appearing confused as it did.
"Oh James, my dear Prongs," sung Sirius as he took the Queen with his Knight. "Chess really isn't your thing."
James was now in check, he'd have to move the King and then if he did, two moves later he'd lose the game.
Sirius began rearranging the board.
"I know Sirius," said James with an edge. "That's why I wanted to play Quidditch!"
James pointed to the evening outside, just perfect for racing around on a broom. But no, Sirius had insisted they play an intellectual game instead.
"I wanted to win something. No shame in that," returned Sirius, looking up from arranging the board. He hadn't even looked outside. "One more game. Then we'll go."
Sirius wanted five out of five.
"One more game," warned James, moving first. "I am not usually so bad, I just can't think properly."
He moved the piece with his hand this time, that way they couldn't judge him.
"I know what you mean," agreed Sirius as he moved his own piece. "That guy."
Sirius shook his head in disbelief. Even he couldn't have made up what had happened to them. He and James had talked about it before the holidays, yet never established more than what Remus had told James in the hospital wing.
James still thought the most about what had happened, Sirius too when he wasn't eating and sleeping. It was just so strange what had happened in the forest.
"Have you heard from Peter?" asked Sirius.
"No," replied James, winkling his noise a little. "Not a peep."
James clacked another piece down.
"He was badly hurt James, you can't blame him for not replying." Sirius might do the same if he'd nearly been killed by a psychotic camper. "He'll come around."
They had the whole summer to recover, and what's more Sirius was here instead of at home with his mother.
"I suppose, the thing I don't get though is why he flipped out and attacked Peter. He was fine looking at us." James moved another piece with a clack.
"Mostly fine," corrected James at Sirius's look. "He was out of it, thought we were a dream or something…"
That had been the general conclusion after they'd discussed it.
"What about Dumbledore," posed Sirius, taking a moment to study the board. "They spoke right? You were there?"
James nodded.
"They didn't say anything useful though," he returned. "And that was weird too. Dumbledore spoke to him, but the whole time it was like he was talking to me instead."
Harry had hardly looked away from him. It was unnerving.
"He must have a thing for you," supplied Sirius with a straight face. "You're a good-looking guy James, it's-"
Sirius dodged the flying chess piece.
"That's not funny Sirius," said James, trying not to laugh as his friend cackled. "He's crazy enough for it to be true!"
Sirius laughed again, it was so fun to tease James when he got like this. Lily and Snape were perfect material. "So let's get it straight," began Sirius as he moved to check. "Harry - we'll call him Harry, attacked Remus in the Forbidden Forest."
James nodded once at Sirius's look.
"Then, Harry decides to drag his body along the lake for whatever reason, sees us, knows we're Animagi-"
"Hang on, how did he know we were Animagi?" interrupted James. "He shouldn't have. There's no way to know."
It had said as much in the books they'd stolen.
"He stopped Remus without any trouble," offered Sirius. "Maybe he's a Magical Creature's expert."
Like Hagrid, only with a wand.
"It was like he recognised us," pondered James with an elbow on the table. "But that's impossible. We don't know him."
James nibbled his lip, moving a piece absently. He was at his limit, and about this close from asking his mother.
She seemed to know every wizard worth knowing.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he turned up again," said Sirius thoughtfully. "And check mate." He pointed his Queen by James's King. "He sounded English too."
Which in Sirius's mind meant that Harry was indeed English, probably lived around here grew up here had friends here-
"You don't think he'll come to Hogwarts?" jolted James from the table. "He couldn't have been much older than us. W-what if he's a seventh year!"
"He's not a seventh year James," sighed Sirius, thinking James was being ridiculous. "Ask your mother, she'll know if he is."
Euphemia was a governor at Hogwarts. She'd gotten James out of trouble quite a few times as Sirius packed the board away.
"Yeah. Yeah you're right." James nodded to himself as he rose from his chair. "She should be back by now."
James left Sirius at the table in his room and headed down to the kitchen on the ground floor - Potter Manor had five floors, not that anyone cared as Sirius hurried after him.
But James had already disappeared down the corridor. Sirius sighed. "He won't settle down until he knows."
It was always like that with James, he never could just let things go as Sirius walked at his own pace. Like with Lily, who he still hadn't given up on. Then there was Snape, who Sirius would admit didn't deserve the treatment he got from them.
James just couldn't let it go. And what could Sirius do?
If Sirius didn't have James, he'd be right back at home with his awful family. If Sirius didn't have James, he wouldn't just be back at home with them, he'd be one of them. A Pureblood snot who looked down on everything.
Sirius shivered just thinking about it - and his mother, who was by far the worst when it came to putting Sirius down, calling him traitor and the like whenever Arcturus wasn't around.
Some family. Sirius wished he was on Bellatrix's side, at least Druella actually cared for them. "And Cissy's a good laugh," he added, smiling at the times she'd managed to get one over him.
Granted it wasn't exactly a fair fight, not with Bellatrix lurking nearby with a stinging hex. Ruthless she was, but unloving she was not. Bellatrix would do anything to protect the people she loved, which as Sirius saw it was shrinking list as month by month the family split apart.
The Blacks were finished, he'd be the last of their Lords.
"Sirius, how are you?" smiled Euphemia from the kitchen counter. "Did you win again?"
She was looking at the chess set in Sirius's hands.
"Yes Mrs Potter," nodded Sirius with a grin. "James can't compare to my genius."
Sirius did a little bow.
Euphemia giggled. "Come and sit, I've brought dinner."
She gestured to the table where James was currently sat, apparently denied from asking questions until dinner was served.
"Thank you, Mrs Potter."
Sirius took a seat by James, knowing that as he did Euphemia was tutting, sulking about Sirius calling her Mrs Potter instead of Euphemia.
It made James uncomfortable.
"Mum, can I ask you now?" said James with restraint, holding still as Euphemia brought dishes to the table.
"In a moment James," she said, bringing cutlery, cups and a jug as well. "It's not about what you asked before is it?"
Euphemia raised a brow from the counter.
"N-no," said James as he looked away. "Forget about that. This is much more important."
He adopted an expression of intense focus.
"Alright then," allowed Euphemia as she took her seat. "Go ahead."
She glanced at Sirius, hoping it wasn't about how Lily kept ignoring him.
"Do you know a wizard called Harry?" blurted James. "Tall. Green eyes. Crazy?"
James leant forwards, looking at his mother with wide eyes.
"Crazy?" she repeated. "Harry's not crazy. He's a nice boy."
Euphemia promptly ignored her son's reaction as she ate a spoonful of food.
"You do know him!" triumphed James, jiggling in his seat with a glance at Sirius.
"How do you know him?" asked Euphemia, curious herself as her son turned back.
"Maybe I should explain," said Sirius. "James doesn't tell it well."
Euphemia nodded, all too happy for Sirius to step in. "It went like this," he began. "We were in the forest with Remus on the full-moon, all four of us, I led the way."
Sirius adopted a proud look. His Animagus was the best.
"Okay…" trailed Euphemia, failing to see how Harry could come into this. "You were all transformed I assume?"
She wouldn't put it past them to forget.
"Of course we were," butted in James. "We're not stupid."
He crossed his arms. His mother still thought him a child, it was so annoying.
Sirius continued. "And then out of the blue we feel this… magic." Sirius made a face. "It was cold, different than anything we've noticed before."
There was always Hogwarts in the picture then they transformed, it was easy to feel it and know which direction to go in. But Hogwarts was a castle, not a bunch of trees with nothing around.
"It wasn't Remus?" posed Euphemia, assuming a Werewolf's magic would be different. "And you all felt it?"
She looked to them both, getting nods which only furthered her confusion. It was certainly right that as an Animagus, magic became more sensitive. Euphemia herself could always feel when she passed through the wards of their home, despite it being her husband who controlled them. "What happened next."
She prompted Sirius on.
"Well after we felt the magic, we followed Remus's scent to a lake nearby," said Sirius, beginning as he did to glance at James. "It was foggy. But just by the shore we saw a figure walking by."
James shifted. Then Sirius.
"It was Harry," gave Sirius, looking directly at Euphemia. "And just behind him was Remus, being dragged like a dead man."
"And that's not all," added James as he sat up straight. "After he tossed Remus away and apparated over, he attacked Peter! Like a loon!"
James waved his spoon around.
"James! You're getting mess everywhere." Euphemia looked angrily at the mess he was making. "He attacked Peter?" she repeated, looking at James intently. "How?"
"Jumped across James's back to get to him," said Sirius, wiping a spot that had landed near him. "After James threw him off, we bolted. Then the next day Remus and Harry show up at Hogwarts, but I wasn't there for that bit."
Sirius handed back to James.
"That was the weirdest part too," emphasised James with a subdued spoon. "He kept looking at me, gave me advice on how to wear my glasses."
James habitually pushed them up. "Who is he?" he asked with purpose to his mother. "Do you know?"
James looked with Sirius as Euphemia became guarded, taking it all in with a thoughtful frown. As much as she wanted to tell James the truth, she wouldn't.
"I cannot tell you," she said instead, raising a hand at the impending outburst. "But I have spoken to Harry on more than one occasion, and I can assure you he is not a loon. Just a little… eccentric."
That was the word: eccentric. Euphemia disapproved of calling someone a loon, especially when it was such a stigma in Harry's case.
"But Mum, you-"
"No James. You will not ask me this again, Harry is a nice boy and that's final." Euphemia declared it with her own spoon, daring James to say otherwise, which he didn't. "Besides, you'll see for yourself soon enough."
Euphemia took another spoonful of food.
"And why's that?" frowned James. "He's not coming here is here?"
James didn't like the idea of that at all.
"We've not pencilled anything in yet," mused Euphemia, missing James's growing horror. "But you'll see him at Hogwarts in September, I and the other governors signed him off to attend in his seventh year."
Harry was clearly a talented and well-educated boy, even if he didn't have OWL's. So they'd pulled some strings with Dumbledore's help.
He seemed very keen to have Harry attend for his final year. "Oh stop it James."
Euphemia looked at him rubbing his head.
"I want you to make an effort to befriend him," she added. "He's perfectly pleasant when you're not herding Werewolves at him."
Sirius laughed. That would be the day. "It'll be fine James," he comforted. "Remus did say that he helped him back, you're just caught up again."
Sirius patted his arm, hoping James would finally just give in.
"We'll see," said James after a moment. "But if he tries anything…" James met Sirius's eye, gleaming with mischief.
That would be a no then, thought Sirius as they all returned to their meals.
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