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When the Minister left Harry was very happy: he wouldn’t have to go back to the Dursleys and he finally had the chance to explore Diagon Alley. Soon his best friend would be back and they could enjoy the rest of the summer together. sure he was kinda worried about Sirius Black but honestly he didn’t care too much, lord knows if he had a psychopath wanting to murder him every year, having one more didn’t really make a difference.
As he fell asleep he thought again about that dog in Magnolia Crescent. That was one weird occurrence….
Harry opened his eyes and looked…at…hims… no that couldn’t be right!
“hi mini-me!” said the taller and older him
“you’re…you are…” he tried to say
“you. Or you are me if we want to be precise. I am what you will be if you continue with the course that your life has taken and believe me I don’t want to be me any more than you want to apologize for blowing up that bitch of Marge” older him said with a knowing look
“now listen we don’t have much time: I know you will think that I’m a trick or something because that’s what I would do. So I’ll give you proof that I am real and the future you’re about to see is also very real.” young Harry was extremely confused
“hold up! Future? About to see? What are you…”
“please I don’t have time!” something in the older ’s eyes told him that this was very important. He nodded
“tomorrow go to Gringotts and ask for an inheritance test, they will give you everything you need, including the informations.” He seemed to take a deep breath. He wanted to ask why he was there but the older beat him
“I am here because there have been unnecessary deaths including many people close to us who we loved very much.” He breathed again “one of them is Fred” he said looking meaningfully in the younger’s eyes
“no…this…no…”Harry didn’t know what to say
“ I know. It was horrible but that’s where you come in…or well where I come in: you and I will go through the future events as I know them and you will be changing what needs to be changed.”
“how? I can’t do this alone! I’m Just…”
“Just Harry I know. But you aren’t alone. Technically you won’t be alone in a few months. Ron and Hermione will also be doing this for themselves but we need to spread the meetings through time so Hermione will learn about everything on Halloween night and Ron just before Christmas, alright?” younger Harry nodded
“I know it’s a lot of informations but…walk with me you’ll see everything like I did. It’s probably better this way.” Together the two Harry s went through the older’s memories . they walked through them as if they were walking inside a movie as older Harry made a comment here and there about what he should probably NOT do this time around. younger Harry threw up in a couple of instances but, just as dawn was coming they arrived at the end
“So any questions?” older him said as he was starting to look less and less solid
“ what do you think I should do?” younger Harry said
“go to Gringotts, talk to Sirius and get the Horcruxes before getting to the Graveyard if you even will end up there. I don’t know what will happen but I know you will avoid all the shit we have been put through.” He said
“you have too much faith in me” younger Harry said commiseratingly “I’m alone! I have no one to turn to how will I…”
“listen you may have momentarily forgotten but adults always lie, adults can never be trusted and even among the kids few can be, everyone is against you but you will survive" He said repeating the mantra he used to tell himself when he was younger before Hogwarts " You may be alone but you can do this. I was alone and I did it. Now you have many informations that no one else has or know you have. You need to make it better. After that you and Ron and Hermione can all go live together in a cottage and forget about the world. if you time it right you will have to work for two years and then you can stop fighting altogether if you want.” As he was talking he became visibly inconsistent.
“I’ll be gone in a few. I believe in you Harry. I know you can make it. We’ll be happy” he said while his voice was becoming less and less audible until Harry could only hear the whisper
“it’s time to wake up”

Chapter Text

Harry shot up from where he was lying on the bed. His breathing hard
he looked outside the window and saw that the sun was just above the horizon (how the hell was he able to see the horizon? He was in a hotel room! A question for another time)

He scrambled up and took one of the notebooks he nicked from Dudley and started to write down everything he remembered, making a summary of everything he needed to remember and a list of what he had to do. 

Older him was right:  Gringotts was the first step he needed to take. 

He got dressed and  left the Leaky Cauldron. He made his way to the bank in a daze, barely noticing the shops opening and the people who were starting to come and go in the street.
he arrived at the Bank and bowed to the guards like his older-self told him to
“ listen well: we respect the Goblins. Always. They control our money and they will help you if you don’t go in and rob them like I had to. Bow to them, learn their greetings and Respect. The. Goblins.”
he was pretty adamant about it. 

He walked to one of the tellers and bowed again
“good day master Goblin may…” he hesitated trying to remember the greeting correctly “may your gold ever flow”
“good day to you young gentlemen. May your enemies perish to your axe” said the very surprised teller with a wicked smile
“more like basilisk fang” he muttered
“what can I do for you?” the goblin asked
“I need to talk to the Potter account manager.” The teller frowned “I am Harry Potter so that might be important to state” he said as an afterthought. The teller’s eyes widened and called for Ironclaw

This humble narrator will have to skip ahead as this conversation is kept secret under the Goblin Treaty of 1578: nothing said in a private manager account’s office can be revealed outside.  I shall tell what I can: Harry will become Lord Potter once he is of age and Lord Black once Sirius dies. He has been given the list of properties and the list of House duties he had. He was also given the  balance of his accounts and the list of his investments (he raised of a couple % the amount given to his account manager, to insure a prosperous financial future). Per his request  he also was flooed directly to Madam Tonks once his affairs were in order. He didn’t know but his visit made quite the news in the Goblin Nation, so did his generosity. 

This humble narrator shall now resume with the story, with an apology: Goblin Treaties need to be honoured for a number of reasons including that we respect the goblins and their wishes. 

Harry stepped out in Healer Tonks’ waiting room and he sat down to…wait. In a few minutes a woman with an uncanny resemblance to Narcissa Malfoy arrived in the room. She was wearing a healer uniform and guided him in her study almost without looking at him
“forgive me for my rude manners but my husband should come through in a few minutes and we don’t want patients to interact with the rest of my family. Now how can I help you…Mr. …” she was ordering her folders while talking but she slowly came to a halt once she looked at him
“Potter. But I’m guessing you already guessed it” he said smiling
“you….you really shouldn’t be here alone” she said looking shocked
“I know. But I’ve never been to a healer before and I need to before I go back to school. and if no one will bring me I’ll do it myself.” He said ignoring the elephant in the room called Sirius Black, Andromeda's cousin. Healer Tonks seemed shocked for a moment but decided that taking action would be better
“how come you’ve never been to a Healer Mr. Potter”
“I grew up with muggles and…”
“You WHAT?” she said, her hands trembling
“I grew up with muggles, I hope that is not a problem”
“it is but not in the sense you may think” she said already scanning him with magic
“it is not about the inferiority of muggles or whatever nonsense but you could have died from magical diseases totally preventable with vaccines that magical children do in time. Muggleborns have close to no possibility of contracting these diseases because they have no interactions with wizards before Hogwarts but they get the vaccines during the first week of school” she said looking distressed as the parchment she had conjured was becoming longer and longer. The longer the parchment became the more pale Healer Tonks was
“this is…” she whispered
“how …” she tried again
“in my defence I don’t go looking for trouble but trouble finds me.” Harry said trying to lighten the mood
“I know Mr. Potter believe me.” She took a few deep breaths and she decided
“I will have to place you in a magical sleep. I can’t work with all of this with you awake. You’d be in pain and I don’t want to cause you anymore considering…” she looked again at his medical history,  probably seeing all of his broken bones or his burns that he had while living with the Dursleys
“are you ready?” she asked  he nodded, laying down on the medical bed . he wasn’t freaking out because his older-self had warned him
“see this is what happens when we finally get to go to a doctor” he said showing his memories of him crying and Andromeda almost panicking. “we have a lot of issues” he had said needlessly as they watched the future memory of him go in a deep magical sleep

“how long will I be out?” he asked
“for about  12 hours. All the potions need to have their effect and I will have enough time to rid you of all the wards and compulsions you have placed on you”  she said handing him a vial of dreamless sleep. He took it and drank it in one gulp
“now that I think about it could I have a copy of my medical history and could I also have…new…glasses…” he was out before he finished the sentence. 

Andromeda Tonks worked tirelessly and administrated all the needed potions and did the necessary charms. Then she started crying. Because she knew Harry and he should have known her. She had been his healer when he was a baby. And now she had to make up for years’ worth of medical care and only mother Hecate know how messed up mentally this kid is.

Chapter Text

when Harry woke up he felt like a new man. He fumbled for his glasses and found new ones waiting for him on the nightstand.
“well good evening dear,” said Madam Tonks looking tired
“good evening to you too. Was everything alright?” he asked, trying to sound calm despite the anxiety he felt under his skin. Andromeda seemed to see it despite his best efforts.
“yes, everything was alright. I removed all the evil influences and the unwanted…presences. “ she said remembering the disgusting black pus she had to burn with Fiendfyre because nothing else was getting rid of it. 

"I burned them to the ground," she said. This sentence seemed to send  Harry straight to cloud nine
“you burned him. “ he said with a full smile. She nodded confused
“the only way to get rid of them is basilisk venom or Fiendfyre. And you burned it. I’m free” he hugged her on impulse and he looked like he was about to cry but managed to stop.
“anything else? He asked, his voice cracking
“nothing else. I just don’t recommend going to play Quidditch soon and a lot of food and rest. I was able to counter almost all negative effects of your prolonged malnutrition but you will have to make sure you don’t stop eating again…if you don’t mind me asking…do you…can you get out of there?”  she asked hesitating. 

“but adults always lie, adults can never be trusted and even among the kids few can be”

The words rang in his head and he made a split-second decision
“yes ma’am. I have multiple ways out. Don’t worry” he flashed her what he hoped was a reassuring smile,
“how much do I owe you?” he said taking the Potter House pouch he had gotten in Gringotts, in order to get the money
Andromeda just smiled and shook her head “nothing for you. I should have…” she stopped herself  “it doesn’t matter. You go back home and rest. Don’t worry about payment” he nodded and let himself be led to the waiting room where he took a bit of floo powder. He was about to throw it in when he abruptly turned around and said
“We both know that Sirius is innocent. If I can manage to contact him can I send him your way?” he asked making Andromeda freeze.
“How do you know…” she tried to
“I just do ma’am. Please, can I send him to you” she would have scoffed if the topic of conversation wasn’t so heavy
“you could have sent him to me even if he was guilty,” she said with a remorseful look flashing her face. Harry thanked her again and flooed to the Leaky Cauldron

Chapter Text

the following weeks were spent studying. He studied everything he could: did his homework in the first week, then introduced himself to Occlumency, wizarding costumes and arthimacy.
“see this? This we could have avoided if only we had studied a little more. Do that, trust me it’s necessary” had said his older self looking at another one of Hermione’s exasperated explanations 

He had decided to drop Divination as that proved itself to be shit (he knew this from his future self, sure, but one way or another he wouldn’t waste any time on that), and decided to take up arthimacy instead. He kinda missed math from when he did it in school and he was pretty good at it. 

About halfway through his stay he read again through the notes he had taken right after he woke up from his dream and read something he should not have forgotten 

Talk to dobby more often

It was a warm evening at the Leaky Cauldron so he was sitting on the windowsill facing outside. He called for Dobby immediately and the elf answered amicably. They talked a bit and decided to stay in touch. Harry asked his help with his own house-elf, asking what he should do and how to behave. Once he felt prepared enough he called for his elves:  seven elves popped up and almost all of them started crying because “Master Harry finally calls for us” he bonded with all of them including the smallest tone who barely had a few years. Apparently, two of his own elves had had a child and they needed magic to grow strong. All the elves marvelled at how powerful he was but he doubted it in earnest. 

Once they all finally left after he ordered them to make sure all his properties were in good shape it was well over midnight; he decided to cast a few spells to try out if he was actually as powerful as his house-elves said he was. he cast a Lumos
“so far so good,” he thought. Then he started pouring more and more magic in it until the light was so much it set fire to one of the papers he had nearby
“okay…I need to test this out,” he said to himself breathing hard. (Talking to Andromeda would later tell him that most of his magic was used to keep the Horcrux at bay. Now that it was gone he could finally use all the raw power he had because of years of magical training, as apparently keeping Horcruxes out of one's mind is not easy on the magical cores)

He kept up trying spells, both old and new ones. He mastered the Patronus Charms thanks to his older self’s instructions (like hell he was going to pass out on the train). He also kept studying. 

He was so busy that the arrival of the Weasley family almost took him by surprise.
“You look redder than usual, mate” he had told Ron, laughing at his outraged face and hugging him like he had seen him die (almost, but some experiences make you think).
He also did his best not to talk to Fred. He would again soon enough but whenever he looked at him the image of him dead on the Hogwarts floor popped into his head and he almost shut down.
Despite this they all had fun together, listening to the stories about Percy getting locked up in a pyramid (he frowned at that), about Bill being awesome and Fred and George being their troublesome selves.
he caught up with Ron and overall it was a nice day. 

The next day Hermione arrived and he hugged her fiercely. He couldn’t help but check her arm where Bellatrix engraved that word. Of course there wasn’t but that didn’t do anything to calm him down. 

They went school shopping and Hermione picked up Crookshanks.  He smiled as the cat tried to eat Scabber that night at dinner. 

He also particularly enjoyed making a show of ‘finding out ' how to open Hagrid’s book. Ron looked at him like he was a genius. 

A couple of nights later they were in Ron’s room at the Burrow. They were talking about school and Harry knew he couldn’t avoid it any longer
“I’m actually…not taking divination,” he said hesitating
Ron’s face fell but he didn’t seem hurt “why? I thought you wanted to take it with me”
“and I would but…I realized that I don’t think I’d like it. It sounds barmy mate! Predicting the future with tea leaves? It makes no sense even by magical standards. I just don’t want to… waste time with that class. We are going to have all the other classes together and we literally spend all our time together… is this okay? I can still take divination with you too” he said. Ron took his time then he decided that he didn’t care
“you know what, you’re right. If you like it so much then you take arthimacy. I’d rather take divination honestly” he said. Harry had the distinct feeling that he wasn’t telling him everything but honestly he wasn’t telling him about his dream of the future so it felt hypocritical of him to pester his best friend. 

The rest of the week spent at the Burrow was amazing: he had fun with the Weasley siblings, taking care of involving Percy too even if it meant asking him about school and his plans at the ministry. They all had fun. Even Ginny relaxed around him after a while. 

On September 1 st they arrived at King’s Cross after the usual chaos.  The cars provided by the ministry were a weird touch that reminded Harry about the ‘impending threat’ that was his dumb dog-father. When Arthur Weasley took him aside to warn him about Sirius he just nodded and told him he wouldn’t take any risks. That was the closest he could get to without lying.  Then he boarded the train.

Chapter Text

On the train, Harry sat down near Remus. He let Ron and Hermione banter over whoever he could be but he didn’t say much. He whispered "Moony" just to see if he was awake but the werewolf didn’t even flinch. 

So he told Ron and Hermione what he could: he told them who Sirius was and why no one wanted to tell him about him, he told them he overheard someone in Diagon saying that there would be dementors at Hogwarts so he learned the Patronus charm (Hermione was ecstatic, Ron impressed) and he promised to teach them once at Hogwarts. They talked a bit more about Hermione’s vacation and Ron’s stay in Egypt. 

Then the train stopped. Ginny and Neville came in just like his future memory said they would. Everybody wondered what could be happening as the compartment became colder and colder. The anxiety levels were rising and he could feel the familiar feeling of adrenaline
“guys stay behind me,” he said despite trembling from the cold. He stood up and stayed in front of his friends even if Ron tried to keep him sat down. as soon as the doorknob started to turn he yelled
“EXPECTO PATRONUM” and a majestic stag appeared, chasing the dementors away. This startled Remus awake and he looked at him and he could have sworn he was about to say “James” but he didn’t. instead, he asked, “what is going on?”
“there was a dementor professor.” Neville stuttered
“Harry chased him away with a stag!” said Ginny excitedly (he really needed to tell Ginny that he didn’t like her that way)
“you…cast a full Patronus?” Lupin asked bewildered
“Yes sir,” he said looking at the ground: he remembered his face pale because he was dead, leaving his son orphan. He didn’t look at him even as he offered him a chocolate frog and left to talk to the conductor
“Wow harry! I didn’t know you could do that!” said Neville
“yeah I learned when I found out there would be dementors at Hogwarts. I can teach you if you want” he said smiling. he remembered the future memories of the DA. He wanted to help Neville sooner this time around
“I don’t know if I can…”
“oh, nonsense! I’ll help you out. What do you say? Even if you don’t manage a full one a non-corporeal one is better than nothing don’t you think?” Neville nodded hesitantly.
“let’s change the subject. What plants did you work with this summer?” Harry asked him. The blonde boy lightened up immediately and started talking about his latest studies. Despite the fact that Harry didn’t understand half a word of what he said he listened closely. 

The rest of the trip continued in a similar fashion.

Once they arrived at Hogsmede they went towards the carriages and Harry was surprised as he was able to see the Therstals. He looked at them for a couple of seconds but he moved on.
“They are pretty, don’t you think?” Luna said with an airy voice, petting the dead horses
“I reckon they are.” he said without missing a beat
“you have many Nargles around you Harry Potter. But few Wacksprouts,” she said barely looking at him
“Well thank you,” he said “do you know a way to get rid of the Nargles?”  when he said this Luna turned to look at him with her owlish unblinking eyes
“you’re not supposed to be this way yet,” she murmured hesitating
“I live to prove people wrong." he shrugged "Harry Potter” he introduced himself, despite the fact that she obviously knew his name
“I know. Luna Lovegood” she said without extending her hand
“I know” he answered with a wink. “Shall we?” he said helping her on the carriage and shrugging away the weird looks his friends gave him. He heard Hermione whisper “what the hell was that” behind him but eventually everyone climbed on the carriage and they left for Hogwarts. 

Chapter Text

Once he asked professor McGonagall to switch to arthimacy she was delighted to let him. She went on and on telling him that his father was very skilled in that particular subject. He just smiled at her. 

Apparently, Professor Trelawney didn’t predict his death and that, along with him not passing out in front of the dementors left him with a whisper-free few weeks. 

/////////

The first Arithmancy lesson was quite an ordeal. He almost arrived late at the class, Hermione already sitting at their desk. He was surprised to see Malfoy in the seat across him
“What are you doing here Potter? Missed the turn? The broom closet is the other way for when you become the next Flitch” he snickered Harry usually would have reacted instead he calmly sat down and took his book from his back
“I know the bloody broom closet is the other way but why would I care. I’m taking this class and I'd like to actually be here for it don't you think?” That shut Malfoy up. He didn’t seem to have expected him to actually be in this class and as he didn't answer Harry kept going
“By the way, I never properly apologized for the first year haven’t I?” at this the blonde’s shock was visible
“I didn’t know refusing a handshake was such a big deal in the wizarding world, as I grew up with Muggles. i didn’t know any customs and the like at the time so I deeply apologize for refusing your handshake Malfoy, I hope you’ll forgive my ignorance” he said extending his hand. Malfoy took it looking dazed as the professor came in. She introduced herself and her course and she started asking some math questions. Easy at first then progressively more 'complicated'. As none of them had taken math after fifth grade (or none at all) there were varying degrees of success. Once she was satisfied in assessing the level of knowledge she turned and jokingly asked
“what’s the square root of 144” and Harry absentmindedly answered
“twelve” it took a second to understand why the teacher wasn’t asking more questions. Everyone was staring at him
“Mr Potter how did you know that?” she asked
“I” he scratched his neck, embarrassed “I did a couple of extra courses in primary um..”

he hesitated: he couldn’t tell her that he used to hide in the classroom where the middle school kids used to do math tutoring. The tutor knew him and always let him in when he was running from Dudley and his gang. He ended up learning quite a lot of math over the years. Back to Hogwarts, the professor clapped her hands excitedly

“Oh, an Honours student! I love when you lot come in, it's always easier to teach you! What level did you get in?” she asked Harry was even more embarrassed at this point
“I actually wasn’t…formally in the Honours course…Uhm… the teacher didn’t quite like me,” he said trying to bend the truth: he had actually tried to get in the Honours course at Primary but Vernon didn’t want to pay for it, so he had convinced the teacher that he was a delinquent so there went that option. 

Malfoy snorted “like anyone couldn’t like Saint Potter”. Harry turned to him and in the most deadpan voice he said
“I’m also dark-skinned you idiot” Malfoy looked extremely confused while the professor had an understanding look on her face
“Ah. I see Mr Potter. I trust your knowledge will make up for a lack of formal titles. I reckon if you want we could see if upper years tutoring is available” he nodded, a smile on his face, 

Once the lesson was over and they started to leave Hermione swatted him on the arm
“you didn’t tell me you were in the honours course!”
“that’s because I wasn’t. The teacher was a racist piece of work who got convinced by my uncle I was a no-good delinquent” he rubbed his arm “that hurt, woman!”
“yeah well. That’s the academic environment for you” she said, taming her dark hair in a high ponytail. She asked for the time and at his answer, she swore and said she had to run. He looked at her leaving and laughed to himself thinking ‘she’ll tell me about the Time-Turner when she’s ready. 

He didn't notice Malfoy listening in

//////

Another eventful lesson that week was Hagrid’s. According to his older self Care of Magical Creatures could have been a lot better without Malfoy’s incident. So when the idiot went to insult Buckbeak after he flew over the lake, Harry muttered to himself that he was going to get himself killed one of these days and jumped in front of Malfoy
“HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY!” he yelled “BUCKBEAK IT’S ME! IT’S ME!” he said standing protectively in front of Malfoy.  By the time the hippogriff had decided to attack Draco going around Harry Hagrid had managed to restrain him. Harry didn’t wait for Hagrid to finish as he took Malfoy by his shirt and dragged him out of the enclosure
“maybe” he hissed looking Malfoy in the eyes “just maybe don’t go INSULTING a highly OFFENDABLE CREATURE. A creature who has very big TALONS. MH? Does that sound cunning enough for a Slytherin to you Malfoy?” he said emphasizing some words. Then he turned his back to the blonde and went near Ron and Hermione. He took a couple of deep breaths giving Malfoy a death glare.
“go,” he told his friends when he calmed down “flying on him was really fun, you should try,” he said, pushing Ron towards the enclosure. The redhead looked at him, raising an eyebrow and went in, Harry knew that look. He knew they would be talking about what happened soon enough, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. 

After Care Hermione left in a hurry. Ron was complaining about how she seemed to appear and disappear at all lessons but Harry didn’t say anything.
“Look about Malfoy…”
“Yeah what the hell was that? Why would you do that? He’s a slimy git”
“okay first things first, snakes aren’t slimy and you know this, second…it didn’t seem right to let him be hurt by Buckbeack. And it was Hagrid’s first lesson. What would have happened if someone got hurt? He wouldn’t have us do any more cool lessons and it would hurt Hagrid more than Malfoy” Ron just nodded, understanding the logic. 

They went all the way to the castle not realizing that a certain blonde git had been listening in and he now had a lot of mixed feelings.  

//////

But the best, best, best of all was DADA.

Harry knew on a conscious level that this was coming. He also ignored the knowledge because he's technically a 13-year-old kid. So when Professor Lupin brought them to the unused classroom he only sighed. He knew in his gut, watching Neville face boggart-Snape that his fear really wasn't Dementors anymore. Slowly his classmates went on and on. Malfoy didn't make a comment which in and of itself was weird because it had happened in the previous timeline but not in this one so what had changed? 

"Whatever," he thought as Ron went up against Aragog
"I've been through a lot, it could be anything but I'm ready," he thought as in his mind he went through a list of the scariest things that had happened to him. 

What happened next surprised everyone: the boggart couldn't decide. 

At first, it rotated at breakneck speed between events that already happened:Ron hurt at the Chessboard, the troll in the bathroom first year, Hermione petrified and Him and Ron against Lockheart in the chamber, then Ginny in the chamber. Then it became even weirder as it flashed some future events that scared the fuck out of Harry. (luckily no one else really understood them or saw them properly, each event was too brief to observe)

The worst thing was what it had settled on. 
Once he saw it his mind went record-scratch. And the only thing he could think of was 'no. No. No. Nononononononononono' 

The boggart now looked like stairs, not any stairs mind you. Harry knew them very well, he lived under them for years after all.

The perspective was from the side, allowing everyone a very good look at the cupboard. He looked at it like the hellhole it was. He could hear the nervous snickers of the kids behind him. They may have gone to school together for three years but he was still Harry Potter, the boy who lived. He had vanquished Voldemort so surely he must have had a cool fear. When the cupboard appeared no one knew what to think. 

So they laughed about it but Harry was almost frozen. Professor Lupin tried to coax him out of his frozen state 

" try the spell Harry, Riddikulus". Harry just shook his head 

"It's not over yet" he murmured with certainty . He didn't know how he knew but he just did. A few seconds later the fake image of Vernon Dursley came tumbling down the stairs. Harry watched in horror as he started to open all the deadlocks in the cupboard. He knew he would be inside it and that just couldn't do. So he yelled 

"RIDDIKULUS" but nothing happened apparently. Just as Vernon opened the last deadlock he  said

"Well fuck me I guess" in the most deadpan tone, he had thought that the spell hadn't worked and that his abused past would be revealed.

That sentence combined with the spell and the fact that as soon as Vernon opened the cupboard the Weasley Twins popped up, made everyone laugh. Everyone except for Harry who did his best to muster a fake laugh. It was enough apparently also because the twins started making fun of Vernon and that was objectively hilarious. With a gesture of Professor Lupin's hand, Harry left his place to someone else. 

He went to stand by Ron and Neville. 

"Are you okay?" Asked Ron. Harry shook his head no. But realized that the rest of him was shaking too only once Ron hugged him. He was still shaking like a leaf when he let go but he was feeling better. Ron and Neville both started to chat his head off but his mind couldn't leave the cupboard. He put his shaking hands in his pockets and thought, between Ron's witty comment and Neville's joke, that he really wouldn't be able to sleep tonight

And he didn't. 

Luckily over half the dorm didn't so they spent the night drinking smuggled butterbeer and playing exploding cards. 

And if the Weasley Twins became a lot more protective of Harry from that day on...no one made the connection (except Hermione, but sis we been knew she was smart)

Chapter Text

About a week and a half into the first term, while relaxing at the lake Crookshanks left Hermione’s lap to go towards a big black dog. Ron froze, anxiously telling them it was the Grim. Harry ignored him and instead held his sandwich to the dog and waited for him to come to eat it. Slowly but surely the Dog let himself be pet.
With Ron still telling him to be careful and Hermione scoffing at him, Harry finally managed to get close
“Don’t do anything stupid like running away now” he whispered. The dog turned to face him with intelligent eyes “we are going to meet at the Shrieking Shack tonight. I know you didn’t do anything, I know you’re innocent. But I need you to trust me okay?” the dog’s tail was in between his legs “I won’t tell anyone else. Please. Shrieking Shack tonight.” He whispered again. The dog nodded then he turned around and left.
"Rude," said Harry
"Yeah well, what did you expect? It's a dog. Not like this beauty" said Hermione giving some cuddles to Crookshanks while Ron looked at Harry bewildered.
"You're crazy," he said
"Thanks," he answered grinning.

That night Harry said he was going to get something from the kitchens after Ron had settled in. The redhead had tried to go with him but Harry said not to bother. Ron looked at him weirdly but relented; He took the cloak and went outside (oh how he missed the map). He almost had a close call with Mrs Norris but he managed to get away.  Once he arrived at the Whooping Willow he levitated a stone to hit the right knot and went inside, always hidden by the cloak. He crawled through the narrow space and finally exited into the shack.
"Hello? Sirius?" He called out
"I'm alone! And I only want to talk to you please" he said again. He went into the 'bedroom' and he saw him, the animagus was sitting on the bed. Everything about his posture screamed anxiety, so Harry decided to speak up

"Okay, you want to stay as Padfoot? Fine. At least listen." The dook had his ears perked up so he kept talking "I know you are innocent. I've only learned that you were about a month ago. I learned after the time you saw me in Surrey and yes I know that was you. Way to introduce yourself by the way" the dog may have whined but we will never know
“Look I know you have no way to trust me but I…” he realized he had to give him a reason to believe him “I dreamed about my mother,” he said on impulse (this was becoming a habit he really didn’t like. he was so waiting for Hermione’s memories to come back in time, and lord if he missed Ron, even though he missed who they would become he felt so alone and in way over his head. he felt like he was drowning, in high waters and with shore becoming farther and farther away with each passing minute)

“she told me you were innocent. She told me about Remus, she also called him Moony and that he’s a werewolf. I know about the switch. i’m sorry, she told me to not be afraid of you and that we’d need each other. please, Sirius, I need you” he said, his voice cracking at the end. He had always wanted a father figure and his older self agreed with him (he had parental figures issues. sue him, he lived with the Dursleys)
Padfoot shifted and suddenly the alleged mass murderer Sirius Black was standing in front of him
“you really think I’m innocent?” he asked. despite his frightening appearance Harry held on his flinch and nodded
“I’m sorry. if I could have I would have taken you out sooner” he said, Sirius nodded.
“Can I hug you?” said Sirius in a desperate voice. Harry was surprised to see his eyes shining with tears. he nodded and the two hugged, each surprised at just how thin the other was
“I always said that your mother’s stubbornness could rival death..I never meant it literally” Sirius muttered
“I have a plan,” Harry said once they released the hug. Sirius seemed to perk up
“you need to heal Sirius, i’m sorry. you can’t do that here”
“I need to get the rat and…” he started but Harry interrupted him “no. listen...Peter is not an issue, he won’t hurt me as long as he doesn’t think i know who he is okay? you are out of Azkaban now” Sirius flinched “we need to make sure you don’t go back.  I can expose Peter in Transfiguration but not now. we need to wait until Christmas alright? you can heal and get some meat on your bones and everything will be better.” he hesitated.
“If we manage to get you a trial you need to be able to defend yourself” he said. that apparently convinced him because Sirius took his time and huffed out a laugh
“I wanted to ask you if you might be willing to come to live with me one day”  Sirius himself seemed to hesitate
“yes please.” Harry answered immediately “But to do that” he backtracked “you need to be considered healthy and you know...not a convicted mass murderer as false as the accuse is'' he said. Sirius smiled and he hugged him again. it was unprompted and Harry stiffened on instinct before returning the hug. 

They talked a little and decided that Sirius would go to Andromeda’s to get her to heal him and also stay together because you know, family.  Relaxed, Harry asked him to send him a letter telling him once he arrived. 

they parted ways and Harry went to sleep. The following day he sent a letter to Andromeda asking her to tell him when a large black dog arrived at her doorstep. He was delighted two days later to receive a letter in which Andromeda told him all about her new dog. The letter had a paw print on the side. He couldn’t stop smiling the whole day. 

Ron looked at him weirdly once again but Harry didn’t notice. He didn’t even notice the resentment hidden under his gaze. 

Chapter Text

The next few weeks were unworthy of note: he studied, hang out with his friends and studied some more. he exchanged regular letters with Sirius and enjoyed the time to relax without crazy megalomaniacs out to kill him (immediately, but eh, who's being THAT specific)

He got to know better Luna and Neville, he taught all his friends the Patronus charm (and they succeeded. In third year. fuck all those who say that it’s an Impossible charm) and overall the night before Halloween he was quite relaxed: he was waiting for the night after when Hermione’s memories would come back (finally). he wasn’t expecting to be awoken by the said girl in tears. 

he was calmly sleeping when the sound of his dorm room slamming awoke him. he barely got to his feet before he was slapped
“Hermione what the fuck!” he knew something was wrong when she didn’t reprimand him for his language. she instead stood in front of his bed sobbing
“Hermione…” he tried
“That was for the bloody fucking forest” he was marginally aware of his dorm mates waking up and he even heard Neville’s gasp
“Which time Mione? you need to be more specific” he said jokingly
“I. need. to. be. more. SPECIFIC? I MEAN WHEN YOU ALMOST DIED!” she whisper-yelled.  He didn't bother correcting her because the realization dawned on him
“you remembered tonight” she nodded, tears streaming down her face. 

he fully stood up and hugged her. Ron was groggily waking up but he shooed him and his other dorm mates back to sleep
“She just had a bad dream. she’s okay” he lied, leading his best friend to the common room. There was some older year studying but once they sat by the fire he cast a muffliato.

“I’m sorry. I thought it was tomorrow night. I was going to warn you today” she nodded silently as tears kept streaming down her face
“are you okay?” he asked. her dark skin was almost shining in the dawning light of the new day
“i...it’s a lot to unpack,” she said and he chuckled
“That's the understatement of the century” she chuckled as well before it turned into an outright belly laugh. it sounded a little hysterical if harry had to be honest.
“We need to stop Sirius. if he comes in here…”
“I already dealt with that,” he said. “I talked with him a few weeks ago, he’s at Andromeda’s. she’s a healer and he’ll be okay with her there” she nodded
“We need to do something about Pettigrew and oh my god your scar!” Hermione slipped back in muggle curses in her worry
“dealt with that too. I went to Andromeda and while she was healing me the bloody soul piece came out of my scar and she burned it with Fiendfyre” he said.
“Oh thank Merlin,” she said, a new wave of tears making their way on her face. She hugged him fiercely.
“We can't tell Ron for now,” he said, hating himself for it. she nodded her face still half-hidden in his chest. they had gotten much more touch freely over the years and it felt dumb to stop now.
“I can't wait until he remembers too,” she said. He nodded even though she couldn't see him.
“that’s why you dropped Divination. that’s why you already knew the Patronus Charm”
“yeah I also...something my future self didn’t notice is that...my magical core developed a lot. think of it as a muscle: I had to push back Voldemort’s influence for years, even as a toddler. it grew a lot stronger…” he hesitated.
“Show me,” she said sitting up. Harry spared a glance at the older Gryffindor who seemed to have fallen asleep in his books.
“ok look at this” he wandlessly created little fairy lights and slowly increased their intensity until the whole room looked like it was full daylight. Hermione looked at him in awe.
“And I can do a lot more,” he said turning them off
“Harry that’s amazing!” she said excitedly. they kept talking until they both fell asleep hugging on the couch
 

Later that morning Ron came down the stairs to find his best friends sleeping on the couch hugging on the couch. His first instinct was to be jealous but he thought of how distraught Hermione looked that morning and decided to leave them be. He went to breakfast and took some food to bring to them. when they woke up Hermione hugged him fiercely then she left to get changed. Harry told Ron she had dreamed they died and that she needed some comfort. the taller boy nodded, despite all his insecurities gnawing at the edge of his mind. 

That day they left to go to Hagrid's lesson and the whole ordeal was mostly forgotten. 

Chapter Text

Around the middle of November they had had a pretty enjoyable day. That evening Harry and Ron were playing chess, Ron absolutely disintegrating Harry, when a blood curdling scream came from the girls’ dormitories. they looked at each other because they knew this particular scream  way too well. they ran to the stairs just in time to see Hermione getting out of the dormitory only in her skirt and bra, covering herself with what was probably her uniform shirt.
“GET HIM OUT GET HIM OUT GET HIM OUT!” she screamed curling on herself and kneeling on the ground. They saw Lavender Brown calmly carrying a rat from their dorm and facing down to them.
“Keep your rat in your bloody dorm Weasley!” she commanded , managing to look threatening even wearing silk gryffindor pajamas. she threw the rat and Ron caught him, staring open mouthed at her reaction. 

Lavender and Faye gently brought Hermione back to their dormitory. she was still crying  and shaking. Harry saw red. that fucking piece of shit was watching teenage girls changing. he wanted to kill him. he had dared to watch Hermione. lord knew if he watched Ginny or someone else. he was practically vibrating with anger
“I think Scabber could do with some time in his cage don’t you think?” he suggested in a way that wasn’t a suggestion. Ron looked at him and then back at the entrance of the girl’s dormitories. he nodded.
“yeah” he went to their dorm and Harry followed. As soon as Ron was distracted he cast a dozen containment and privacy spells to the cage. 

The next day Harry and Ron waited anxiously for Hermione to come out. she was with her dorm mates and she smiled shakily at them
“are you okay Mione?”
“yeah yeah. I'm fine” she said. Harry hugged her nonetheless.
“he’s contained” he whispered in her ear “we’ll expose him as soon as Ron is back with us” she nodded.

at breakfast the next day Luna dropped by the Gryffindor table
“hello everyone” she said airly everyone greeted her and Harry asked
“Hi Luna, how are you?”
“I’m well. Daddy will print a piece about the Rotfang Conspiracy tomorrow so more people will learn about the dangers they present. Hermione just nodded, usually she tried to make Luna reason with her but this time she didn’t. to everyone else this was a strange occurrence but Harry knew it became normal after they were captured at Malfoy manor.
“I’m starting to believe that even more creatures have been involved in the Conspiracy including the Ziptres”
“and what are those exactly?” asked Seamus looking amused
“Ziptres are evil creatures that look like rats and hurt little deers and their friends, especially otters” Harry froze
“But not to worry I know that the Deer in question has a lot of friends, Otters and dogs. Even a Hare will help if they let it. it may be small but it can make a difference. they will defeat the Ziptres .” Hermione looked like she could cry again
“Thanks Luna, i’ll take you up on that” she said smiling sadly
“Anytime” the blond girl answered and she left
“that one’s barmy” said Seamus
“yeah, that’s why we like her” Harry answered with a sad smile

Chapter Text

that day professor Lupin was absent and Harry was reminded that the full moon was the night before. as Snape came in and started lecturing about werewolf he expected Hermione to be her usual know-it-all self but she never said anything until Snape started to lecture about how werewolves were dangerous
“YOU’RE A LIAR AND YOU KNOW IT!” she said, her eyes flashing.
“Hermione…” Ron tried to reason with her.
“NO. I will not stand for this.” she turned to look at Snape “you, sir” she said the title like a mockery “are the worst human being I’ve ever seen. how dare you say this. you KNOW someone in this class has a werewolf relative. you KNOW that. you also KNOW that werewolves are only dangerous when they are kept isolated from their pack. and even then YOU and master Rowle invented the potion to help them! I can’t believe you would spread disinformation this way you’re horrible!”
“if you are quite done Miss Granger” Snape tried to interject. Harry noticed that a Slytherin girl Cindy Moon if he remembered correctly was fighting back tears and looking very pale and tired.
“NO I’M NOT DONE. You know why talking about this in this particular class may be a trigger to some. How it may HURT people. and you dare to lecture us on ways to MURDER WEREWOLVES. Absolutely not.” she said packing her things
“you may tell Professor McGonagall whatever punishment you have for me but I will not attend any more DADA lectures made by you, sir. and just so you know.” she turned to look at him in the eyes
“I actually respected you, sir. despite the bullying, the triggers and your unexplainable hate for my best friend and for my entire house. I actually liked your classes and I held as much respect for you than for my own head of house.” she neglected to tell him that her respect for McGonagall had taken a dive after the Philosopher’s stone ordeal
“With this. you have lost all of my respect and I highly doubt you’ll ever take it back. have a good day” she turned her back and left.  the whole class was astonished. Ron and Harry looked at each other. Harry scribbled out on a parchment “I’d clap if Snape didn’t look like he could murder someone right now”
Snape was in fact looking at the class but as he looked at his Slytherins something in him clicked and he looked almost ashamed. it was barely a second but following his line of sight Harry could see he was looking at Cindy.

later that day Ron was complimenting Hermione
“That was brilliant,” he said
“yeah it was”
“I'm aware of that thank you” she had said but she was glowing with pride.  “now if you’ll excuse me I need to go to the toilet. I'll see you guys later” she said loudly. Harry saw from the corner of his eye three Slytherin girls who were obviously following them. He looked at her hoping his eyes could convey the question “are you sure?” she nodded and he and Ron left. Ron shrugged their weird behaviour once again and began complaining about Divination. 

Meanwhile, Hermione was in the bathroom, waiting. true to her expectations the three Slytherin girls came in.
“If you think I’ll expose you to anyone you’re sorely mistaken,” she said in a no-nonsense tone. Cindy flinched
“How did you know? I've always been careful and no one…”
“I'm not no one am I?” Hermione said. she was still facing the washer so she turned around to face them
“I just noticed too many absences in coincidence with full moons, including the blue moons. and you’re excused from astronomy, Parvati Patil mentioned it in passing. and…” she took a couple of steps towards them “I realized your own head of house was bad-mouthing your entire species just to expose another one of your kind and… I couldn’t shut up about it I’m sorry,” she said taking the other’s shaky hands
“I didn’t tell anyone and when I was yelling I didn’t even look at you. no one will suspect and I swear I won’t tell anyone” Cindy nodded. she and her friends looked like they weren’t expecting this kind of reaction.
“if there is anything I can do for you…” she trailed off as the werewolf hugged her
“thank you,” she said crying
“you’re welcome” she answered. she stroked her back until she stopped crying.

“If you tell anyone you’ll have to deal with us,” said Millicent Bulstrode looking threatening. Hermione calmly reassured again.
“I would never, if you knew me you’d know. actually….If you want to get to know me better I'm usually at the library whenever I have time. you’re welcome to join me. you’ll find out that I’m not cruel and that I don’t just hate Slytherins for some housist bullshit” Bulstrode seemed appeased and they agreed to meet up in the library soon.  

they would become friends in time, for now, she had their loyalty and that was more than enough

Chapter Text

it was the week after the Hogsmeade weekend (thankfully the twins had given Harry the Marauders’ map when they had seen him brood in the courtyard, had that not happened there would have been Problems). Harry however never could have expected the drama that was coming that day. he had just finished Arthimacy and he just wanted to sleep for a century: professor Vector had taken to giving him different work than the rest of the class, even Hermione. he tried his best to keep up with it but the topics were starting to be really difficult as he hadn’t breached them with the tutoring class he went to in Primary. It was enjoyable though as it was really stimulating. 

Despite his thoughts of ‘bed bed bed bed bed bed bed bed’, he noticed Ron acting weird.  so as any best friend would he asked him if everything was okay. he did not expect him to look at him like he was straight up crazy
“Are you joking right now?” Harry was very confused, but he was also starting to think he would have to get accustomed to it.
“no? you seem weird and I wanted to ask if…”
“No, I’m not alright!” Ron snapped.
Hermione was just joining them as she had used her time turner to both go to Runes and take a nap (because we learn from our mistakes in this house) so she asked “what happened ?” Ron looked at her with even wider eyes and gestured to her
“This!”
“what?” Harry asked again
“this! you two seem to be in on secrets that you don’t want to tell me about! at first I thought you were dating or something, but I thought you would tell me eventually! I don’t know what to think and I’m getting bloody tired of not knowing why you two are keeping secrets!” Both Harry and Hermione froze: they both knew about Ron’s insecurities, he was scared of being the second choice in everything, he was scared of not being enough or not being considered a friend. He only wanted to be included and they had just done the exact opposite. but how could they tell him what was going on? he would have thought they were crazy
“See! this is what I mean! you look at each other like you know what you’re thinking! it’s like you’re on a different frequency than me! first Harry then you Hermione!” he stopped himself “you know what I don’t care” he started to walk away but Harry grabbed his arm
“let me go, Harry”
“no.” he said with finality
“I said let me…”
“Do you want to know this thing or not?” he said with a challenge. Ron’s eyes turned hopeful as he stopped resisting
“Herry we can’t! you know we can’t! You were the one who said we shouldn’t” said Hermione desperately
“circumstances changed. let’s go” he said walking up the stairs in the opposite direction
“We can’t tell him! he needs to wait for himself…” she said pleading; he turned around on the stairs abruptly looking straight at Hermione
“I don’t care what we will decide. at the time we won’t have thought about the circumstances. I do not care what you or even I say what I can or can’t do. Ron is feeling excluded and that can’t stand.” he said then he resumed walking towards the painting with the ballerinas, Ron trailed after them asking himself when he had become the only one with decent grammar in their group of friends and then, as an afterthought, why had Hermione not corrected Harry
“what if someone overhears?” Hermione challenged “It could ruin everything we worked for, it …”
“That's why we’re going to the DA’s meeting room,” he said without looking. Hermione looked ready to retort but instead said
“that’s actually a good idea,” she said surprised
“I know it’s not my line but there is no need to sound so surprised,” he said as Hermione looked embarrassed.
“That's just rude,” she said and he smirked. they had reached the seventh floor
“Check that no one’s coming,” he told them. Ron looked confused as he started to walk back and forth. He also was making the imitation of a fish when the door appeared.
“Let's get in,” said Harry. 

The room looked a lot like a perfect mix between the Burrow and the Gryffindor Common room.
“how…?” Ron asked
“unimportant,” said Harry. he took a deep breath and said “this is going to sound crazy but I swear that everything we’ll say is the truth”

Harry and Hermione looked at each other again.
“Let’s sit down uhm…” they sat down on the bean bags and hesitated
“We have memories from the future” Hermione blurted out.
Ron seemed to stop for a second to process the information
“say what again?”
Harry glared at Hermione “you really had to say it like that?”
“well better to rip out the band-aid than drag it out” she defended
“Seriously? you know what happens?” he said excitedly. then he stopped looking at his friends “and it’s not nice I gather” he said frowning. Hermione nodded
“to put it as Snape would say I’m being raised as a pig for slaughter and the three of us are basically being trained to take on more and more dangerous obstacles so when the last one finally comes…”
“And you were complaining about me being too crass” Hermione interrupted Harry’s tirade. Ron’s usually pale face had taken to a very weird shade of green.
“what? you..you’re going to…? no nonono, absolutely not” he said
“you’re right. we solved that bit of problem early.” Harry dismissed with a wave of his hand
“you did everything yourself without waiting for us!” said Hermione accusingly
“well sorry for not wanting a piece of Mouldyshorts in my bloody head” he  answered just as pointedly
“You had what?!” asked Ron in a panicked tone, almost yelling. Harry and Hermione looked at each other
“that’s why we didn’t want to tell you,” said Hermione
“it’s a long story, and really complicated.” started Harry
Ron stopped them “I don’t care about that anymore you can’t say that you’re going to die and then gloss over the fact as if…”
“to be completely clear I did die,” Harry said.

you could have heard a pin drop.

“excuse you,” said Hermione in a deadly tone
“I didn’t tell you that? when I went to the forest after the Battle of Hogwarts, and also when I was a baby” he said
“How could you lie to us? even in the future! I am so mad at you right now! Voldemort couldn’t kill you but rest assured I will” she said standing up
“no Mione he literally did kill me! twice”
“we’ll I’m going to kill you again and let’s see if you manage to come back!” she yelled angrily “You didn’t tell us that! how dare you? something as important as your own murder you…”
“Can we please stop talking about Harry dying?” said Ron in a very small voice. they both stopped abruptly. Ron looked one step away from crying.
“please” he begged again. Harry stood up and hugged him
“I’m fine now. and we’ll make sure that nothing that we saw happens”
“It's a promise” agreed Hermione, who joined the hug. 

the three stayed like this for what felt like a long time. Ron finally stopped sobbing and they released each other
“alright. Even if I don't remember anything, I can still help. You won’t have to catch me up, I can do that myself somehow. please I don’t want to see you die”
Hermione and Harry looked at each other again and smiled
“We’re waiting for you actually”
“What?” Ron asked confused
“my memories came back right after I blew up Aunt Marge. Hermione’s at Halloween.” Harry explained gently. Understanding dawned in Ron’s eyes
“Yours should arrive around Christmas,” Hermione said
“The ritual we used needed the phases of the year. Harry came back in Lughnasadh, I came back in Samhain and you took Yule. we couldn’t do Mabon because apparently, it’s awful for continuations? it’s an end so it kinda didn’t work for us.” explained Hermione and Harry nodded, remembering the hours of research.
“so...you were waiting for my memories to come back in time in Yule” they both nodded and Ron looked like he was about to cry again
“and here I thought you were excluding me, while you were doing the exact opposite” he smiled a self-deprecating smile. Harry placed his hand on Ron’s shoulder
“we would never do this important stuff without you. or each other. It's a lesson you taught me. even if you don’t remember it yet the only actions I’ve taken alone were the ones that couldn’t be postponed to wait for you” 

the three agreed to wait until after Christmas to do anything. 
they went back to their usual lives after that but with a much stronger bond.

But Ron still had a secret...at it was this secret that created the guilt that was eating him up from the inside. He was also very confused and really worried: why didn't he See? why couldn’t he See?

Chapter Text

Thankfully there were close to no more problems: Pettigrew was kept in his cage, drugged with a tiring potion in his food (Hermione’s ideas are really worrying); Neville’s confidence was steadily rising with the help of the Golden Trio and their other yearmates; Sirius’ mental and physical health was also improving; Ron, knowing now that it was only a matter of time, was not bothered anymore to be on a different wavelength and was more or less patiently waiting to remember; classes were proceeding as usual, without murderers or Voldy bothering; Harry tried to get close to Lupin but the werewolf was stubborn in trying to be only his professor and Harry decided that it would happen in time; Draco Malfoy also seemed to be in an Identity Crisis and left them all well alone while he sorted through it. 

All in all it was good. 

One afternoon though Harry was studying in one of the tables of the Gryffindor common room. He was  waiting for Hermione to come down after her nap as Ron was taking a shower after George and Fred had pranked him.
He was startled from his essay when he heard a chair shuffle from the table. He looked up to see a very shy-looking Ginny.
“Hey Gin,” he greeted the girl. She didn’t answer so he went back to his homework. A few minutes later Ginny made a sound like she wanted to speak but she changed her mind at the last possible second
“Do you need something?” he asked her in the most gentle way possible. she nodded. she had a look on her face that he hadn’t seen on her since the year before, right after she was possessed.
“could you…” she started but she stopped herself
“I probably can. you just need to tell me” she hesitated again
“I don’t want you to think I'm…” the word ‘evil’ was said so quietly that he almost didn’t hear her.
“I don’t think you are. and even if you were with the way our lives are going I’d probably see your reasoning” he joked. and that was the wrong thing to say. Ginny’s eyes widened and she got up to leave
“I was joking! Ginny I was joking” he said to her. At that she hesitantly sat up again.
“Look i’ll help you, whatever it is. once you’ll be able to ask . I’ll be here” he flashed her what he hoped was a reassuring smile.  he was about to turn back to his homework when she blurted out
“I want you to take me back to the Chamber of Secrets” and then she slapped both her hands to her mouth as if she had said it without meaning to. she looked frightened, almost terrified.
“Okay” he said. his tone was questioning, he wanted to ask her why  but then he decided that he really didn’t care
“Okay” he said with a more decisive tone “let’s go”. and he got up to leave. 

she hurried after him
“Really? Now?”
“No day but today” he shrugged. he stopped abruptly and turned to her
“Unless you don’t want to of course. if you want to go later today or tomorrow or even next week…”
“no, no today's fine,” she stopped him “I...didn’t think you’d agree” he smiled at her
“Gin you’re not asking for the moon. even though in that case i’d probably just bring you Luna” this startled a laugh out of her
“No really. you didn’t even ask me why i want to go down there”  she said as they approached yet another flight of stairs
“I don’t care. you need to go down, I'm opening the doors. I trust you Gin, I don’t think you’re going to do anything evil, as you would say” she flushed red at her roots “and the bloody snake is dead. I’ve kinda made sure of it” he said pointing to his arm. she nodded. they kept walking in silence. 

once they arrived at the bathroom in the second floor they greeted Myrtle and he hissed at the sink
“open”

At that Ginny looked paler than before but Harry thought it was just because it was the bloody chamber of secrets and he asked her
“you okay?” she nodded and they went down. they passed the Basilisk’s skin shed and the place where Lockheart made the wall tumblr. As they arrived to the antechamber Ginny asked
“What’s the password? in English i mean” he didn’t think of anything so he answered
“It’s just Open,” what he was NOT prepared for was Ginny to look at the door and hiss the password in Parseltongue. 

he couldn’t help himself and just said “What the actual Fuck?” as he watched the door open. He turned to look at Ginny who had tears sliding down her cheeks.
“Ginny…” he started
“I’m sorry” she said. “I’m sorry” she said as she had to sit down right there on the ground. she kept crying and started to straight up sob.

Harry, for lack of things to do just hugged her.  at his hug Ginny tensed.
“It’s okay Ginny. I know it can be scary. but there is no reason too” he said. she relaxed in his hug and sobbed “it’s just a language that few people speak. it’s nothing wrong”
“but..He passed it to me...it means i’m evil” she stuttered between tears. Harry stopped hugging and took her by the shoulders. looking at her in the eyes told her
“Don’t you EVER say that again, Ginevra Molly Weasley. do you hear me?” she looked at him with wide eyes
“I don’t know where you heard this but it’s fucking bullshit. You fought him with all you had!” she cried a little more, but listened
“you were an ELEVEN year old. That tosser is a SIXTY year old spirit made of Black magic. the fact that he couldn’t try and fully possess you for over a year shows just how much of a Badass you are” 

Ginny kept crying but Harry just comforted her as much as he could. 

about an hour later they decided to go back.
“Listen Gin...you’re like a sister to me” he told her “I love you as much as I love Fred and George and Ron, alright? whatever you need you can tell me” he side hugged her again. she nodded weakly.
“Are you going to tell them?” she asked fearfully. he shook his head
“No. It's your secret, not mine. don’t worry, they won’t know. but if you want my opinion you should tell them sooner or later. they will love you whether you speak with snakes or not"

So they hiked back towards their common room and when they finally arrived back to Gryffindor they were laughing about some dumb thing Harry had said, the sadness and hurt and fear left back in the chamber.

Chapter Text

WARNING: BULLYING

They were just walking around the castle. they were goofing around. it was the middle of fucking december (the date is pretty important trust me), almost time for Ron’s memories to be back. 

Harry was saying how he missed Mrs Weasley’s desserts when they saw her.
Luna was walking without their shoes and dressed in only their pajamas. Hermione spotted her first
“Luna what are you doing here?” she asked worriedly. the three of them rushed to her
“I’m- I’m -I’m fine” they stuttered. her pale lips looked almost blue.
“Let's go back to Ravenclaw,” said Ron, trying to coax her. she shook her head
“They don’t want me there…” she murmured. Harry looked murderous “and I'm waiting for someone anyway” they said. Just before Ron could ask her who, none other than Draco Malfoy showed up holding a Slytherin sweater and breathing hard as if he had just run up the stairs. The four stopped, looked at each other.
“What do you want he…” started Ron. Harry just placed his hand on the red-head’s arm. The two best friends looked at each other and Harry shook his head “don’t antagonize Malfoy” he tried to convey. Ron seemed to understand. 

“Draco has been very kind to me. He went to his friend to get me something warm” Luna interjected with a far away smile on their face, despite her lips being chapped and almost blue from the cold.
“Get here Malfoy,” snapped Hermione. the blond came closer and handed them the sweater
“I had given this to Theo earlier. it’s better then nothing” he said hesitating.
“I really don’t mean to be rude, but are you a wizard or not?” said Harry. Hermione caught the reference
“We’re going to need some wood,” she joked. Ron laughed as Malfoy looked at them weirdly
“Inside Joke” the three of them said
“Ok Luna I’ll warm you up though i’m not the best of us at warming charms” Hermione said as she started to warm the little Ravenclaw
“Then who is?” asked Malfoy
“Ron” both Hermione and Harry answered
“I am?” Ron asked  at the same time as Malfoy asked “Then why is he not doing them?”
“Yes and long story” said Harry as Luna was getting better under Hermione’s ministrations. 

“what happened?” asked Ron again
“They didn’t want to tell me. They said that I’d help them but I wasn’t ready yet?” said Draco with a questioning tone.
“That situation won’t happen Luna” Harry said
“oh. we’re lucky then” she answered smiling. Harry heard Draco ask Ron “what does that mean?” but Ron only shrugged as he didn’t know this himself.
“I reckon we are ready to help. what do you say?” said Hermione pointing to herself and Harry. Luna turned to Harry with wide eyes and pointed at Hermione. Harry smiled and nodded. Draco and Ron didn’t really understand, but something made Luna trust them
“the other girls don’t like me.” she said “it’s okay, they’re full of Nargles but they have rejected my cork necklaces” she said looking down. she hesitated again “Some of the older years were mad at me. I was talking to Padma. she’s always nice to me. She wanted to know about the Rotfang Conspiracy and I was talking to her. they said I was bothering them and they threw me out of the tower out of the back exit.” she stopped. “it moves you see? whenever you close it  it shows up somewhere else. it threw me in a part of the castle i don’t know very well. “ she stopped again. looked up and smiled
“But Draco found me and helped me!” 

The temperature was rising, but that had nothing to do with Hermione’s spells.
“I’d say it’s time to go see the Ravenclaw common room, don’t you think?” Harry said in a tone that no one in this timeline had ever heard him use. it was scary. Draco was terrified but Ron Luna and Hermione knew he’d never hurt them.
“Let’s go. I have some choice of words and curses that I really want  to use” he said, taking Luna’s hand extremely gently in contrast to his hard words.
“Harry we’re children” Hermione reminded him
“does it look like i care?” He answered. Hermione just sighed.
“Harry just don't hurt anybody” she said exasperated
Harry raised his eyebrows and smirked “yes ma'am". 

Draco looked terrified at Ron “do you always do that?”
“sometimes” he answered truthfully. “this ought to be good though”

they arrived at the door.
“ What is full of holes but still holds water?” said the Raven
“FUCKING OPEN OR I WILL RIP YOU OFF YOUR HINGES” Harry hissed in parseltongue. the door swung open and Harry smirked. He didn’t know it but Draco was getting more and more terrified by the minute. 

“Hello everyone” Hermione said in a loud voice. a poor prefect was trying to say something but Harry without looking at him shot a spell and bound him.
“So i’d usually keep my nose in my personal business, despite what some might say” and Draco realized this was a jab at him and he did not like it.
“Unfortunately some of you had the brilliant idea of hurting my friend Luna here. and i promise” he said in a tone that meant the opposite “I just want to talk”  

two boys were shrinking back in the background while Padma Patil was rushing forward, she was dressed like she was about to go out
“Oh Thank Shiva! Luna are you okay?” she asked. She looked like she wanted to go hug the younger kid but she stopped seeing the anger in Harry’s eyes. she took half a step back
“Don’t worry she’s okay” Ron assured her
“Not thanks to them now isn’t she?” Harry said. “like i said. I just want to talk” he said again. Then he spotted the two boys. he looked at them and smirked. 

They were in their sixth year. with double his years of education. despite this he accioed them in front of him
“Hi” he said with a sickening smile on his face. without talking he disarmed and bound them.
“You can’t hurt us” said one with a trembling voice
“Yeah Flitwick doesn’t tolerate violence” said the other one
“what violence? I don’t see violence. i see bullying, that you two did against Luna. and if it was up to me i’d use Violence. a lot of it. alas they asked me not to. And they didn’t even ask me to do this. but i’m a good friend”
“Yes he is,” said Ron, intimidating them further.
“For how loyal he is he could have been a Hufflepuff” Luna said dreamly.  he smirked "thanks" he answered her.
“So” he let his magic out, focusing once again on the two bullies. It was a lot of magic and he addressed it to weigh heavily against the two idiots “as I can’t do what I’d rather do… I’m going to have to ask nicely” the rest of the house was still, watching that display of pure power.
“Can you please manage to grow the two necessary brain cells to understand that you can’t just leave a twelve year old girl out in the December cold in her pajamas?”  he said, gradually increasing both his voice volume and the magic pressing against the two.  they nodded terrified.
“Good,” he said with a sickening smile. He suddenly retracted all his magic. He turned to Luna
“you okay?” she nodded .
“okay” he turned to leave
“Oh.” he said as if he had forgotten something “If i catch one of you two or anyone really pulling some shit like this again…” he wandlessly released the bonds on both them and the prefect  and threw their wands back “you better start sleeping with an eye open” then he turned back and left, followed by Hermione Ron and Draco.

 they went a little way out of the Ravenclaw tower and Hermione couldn’t help herself and started laughing
“You actually made them think you’d ever do something” she kept laughing and Harry scrubbed his neck sheepishly
“I had to stop them. they’d keep doing it if they had no incentive not to”
“And you were mad” said Ron laughing at him
“Yeah I was mad” he said even more embarrassed. 

apparently this was the last straw for Malfoy
“wait a fucking second” he said “this is what you do?” the Gryffindors turned to look at him
“You see someone who needs help then Potter goes, you two just follow him and the three of you just fix whatever problem there is?” he said in disbelief. 

the three looked at each other
“I mean yeah”
“pretty much”
“there’s usually more blood” 

At that Draco looked ready to faint. Harry shrugged.
“you get used to it after a while”
“oh Merlin, and you don’t see anything wrong with that?” he said in a vaguely panicked tone
“Mate, your dad causes like...a third of our problems” said Ron deadpan. Hermione snorted and she looked like she was trying her best not to laugh out loud. especially looking at Draco’s terrified expression
“He’s not wrong. i would have tried to say it with a little more tact…”
“You? Tact?” said Ron incredulous. Harry looked like he was trying to argue but thought about the mishap in the ROR and thought better of it. 

“Oh Merlin's saggy tits,” said Draco disbelievingly. Ron nodded and put his hand on the blonde’s shoulder
“Yeah”
“We need to go. do you want us to come with you….somewhere?” said Harry realizing he had no idea where the Slytherins hung out.
Draco shook his head and said
“Bye” and left looking dazed. 

“That was something” commented Harry
“Oh yeah. make work for the Hogwarts’ Rumor Mill” said Ron laughing. Harry jokingly pushed him. 

they always talked about him. he’d be fine

And if Harry would get a detention from Flitwick as well as 50 points for helping a fellow student in need, it was well worth it

Chapter Text

Days were slowly wearing off, the clock was ticking. It was December 18th. Christmas was oh so near. 

Ron waited for it anxiously, so did Harry and Hermione. 

As all Thursdays Ron had gone to pick up Harry and Hermione from Arithmancy. As Hermione slipped away to go back in time,  the two boys made their way to the Gryffindor common room for a well-deserved nap.
Harry was joking about some dumb stuff and Ron shoved him. They didn't notice that someone had spilled water on the steps and Harry fell. Now let us not fear for our hero as they had climbed just a couple of steps: the fall would have probably hurt just a little.
Harry braced himself for an impact that never came. Instead strong arms caught him mid-fall. 

"Thank...you…" he trailed off mid-sentence looking up at his saviour. a billion emotions passed on his face in just a second
The other boy said "well hi there" Harry hastily got back on his feet.
"Thanks, Cederic" he stuttered out "Diggory...I don't know is it weird if I call you by your first name?"
The poor boy was a bit surprised at Harry's demeanour
"You know me?" He asked confused, he had thought to be nothing to the dark-skinned boy
"Uhm..yeah you're Hufflepuff seeker, and you're quidditch captain so yeah I know you," Harry said, extremely embarrassed. Had he noticed how beautiful Diggory is in his previous lifetime? Yeah he had. Cederic was getting redder and redder, embarrassed as well
"So uhm...we have to go," he said not looking the older boy in the eye "thanks again for the save," he said grabbing Ron's sleeve and dragging him up the stairs. 

Cederic's friends snickered “even the boy who lived knows you” as he and Ron made their way up. 

"You…" Rom started
"No shut up" Harry stopped him
"Oh absolutely not we are talking about this"
"There is NOTHING to talk about"
"But there was so much to unpack there!" exclaimed Ron, delighted. The redhead continued to tease him all the way to Gryffindor. Finally, in their common room, Harry headed straight for their dorm where their other roommates were already chilling. 

He plopped in his bed like a sack of potatoes, face still burning after the interaction.
"Gee what happened to him?" asked Seamus
"Heart problems?" Asked a snickering Neville
"You could say that," said Ron. Half a second later Harry had thrown a pillow at his head.
"Rude" he muttered. At the same time, Dean went to sit on his bed and patted him on the shoulder "there, there. Tell us all about it"
"Hell no, what help would you all be?" Said Harry, the sound muffled through the pillow
"Hey, I resent that" answered Dean punching him lightly. 

Harry only raised his head enough to let him see his raised eyebrows: Harry had woken up from a nightmare a few weeks ago and he found Dean longingly looking at what would become his boyfriend Seamus. Dean didn't know that yet obviously but the poor guy was so in love. The two had ended up talking about it and Dean had confided in Harry who had done his best to comfort him.

"Oh no, Harry! This is news for the ages! You actually like someone! We need to yell it off the tower" said Seamus. This made harry sit up
"NO? For like a thousand reasons?" He said incredulously
"Why not? You never have a crush on anybody! We all had! And we all talked about it, we can finally tease you about something" 

" because I am the boy-who-lived? And if news goes around that I like someone it'd make the papers in a day with a dumb ass title like the boy who loved or some shit" at this all his dormmates snickered
"Second it would make them uncomfortable considering the fact that I have no intention whatsoever to do anything about it and Third" he hesitated
"In the muggle world, this type of relationship would be badly considered to use a euphemism. And not that I'm not okay with that mind you, I just grew up like this and...I don't know I need time to process the fact that I do? It's weird to explain it to you" he said growing increasingly frustrated
"Ah, so it's a guy," said Dean knowingly. Harry nodded and plopped back on the bed. 

"Homophobes are getting rarer and rarer nowadays Harry, it'll be fine," he said. Harry raised his head and he said, deadpan "I live in surrey"
I have no idea if Surrey was progressive in the nineties so for the sake of the story let's pretend it wasn't
Dean made a weird noise
"How did you survive?"
Harry sat back up "tell me about it" he sighed and started counting up with his fingers while he talked
"One I'm brown, two I'm a wizard, three I'm bi. I've managed to get nothing right according to my uncle" Dean huffed out a laugh
"I'm black, I'm gay and I'm a muggle-born. What a couple we make" they both started laughing.
"Wait what's wrong with being gay?" Asked Neville confused. The two looked at each other
"Nothing just…" started Harry
"Homophobia" finished Dean
The other boys' expression were confused
"What's homophobia?" Asked Seamus
The two looked at each other again
"Your turn. I explained racism two weeks ago. I'm not doing homophobia too" said Harry, pointing at Dean.
"That's fair," nodded Dean. 

In the middle of the explanation, Hermione barged in
"Why are you guys talking about homophobia?"  She asked going to sit on Ron's bed
At the same time, Seamus said "And why do you walk in as if you sleep here, woman?"Ron answered "because Harry has a crush"
Hermione sat up again at Ron's words
"Oh my god who?" She asked excitedly, completely ignoring the Irish boy.
"Take a wild fucking guess," he said deadpan. Hermione looked at him
“How am I supposed to know?” she asked
“Just think about it for a second? a hint: he was the first the first time around to do what I didn’t” before he could tell her not to say his name
“OH my God you like Diggory!” she exclaimed, delighted. Harry made an exasperated noise and plopped back down on the bed, face down. 

“Oh come on you can’t like him” whined Seamus
“Why the hell not?” asked Ron defensively
“Because I can’t tease him about it now can’t I? the guy’s hot there is no denying it” the sentence, delivered in Seamus’ thick accent and with a burning passion made everyone laugh. 

Hermione had gotten closer and was sitting down by Harry on his other side
“Don’t worry, we’ll save him” she whispered in his ear. Harry nodded again, trying not to cry.
“We can totally help you out!” said Neville
“Oh no absolutely not,” said Harry
“why? we could…” and then the brainstorming commenced: for the following two and a half hours the boys and Hermione kept talking of ways to get Harry and Cederic together, with Harry growing increasingly frustrated and kinda horrified (no Seamus we will not tie them up to a chair)

it was a good night and they were all happy. 

unfortunately, the clock was ticking and their days of carefreeness were coming to a close.

Chapter Text

Harry got woken up at dawn by a very grumpy looking Fred Weasley. he mumbled something like “Morning practice” and he left. He was lucky that Harry had always been used to waking up early because otherwise, he would have fallen right back asleep. 

after he got dressed in the Quidditch uniform he went down into the common room where Angelina was making coffee from a makeshift stove
“I love you, from the bottom of my heart. but I don’t trust your cooking, stay out of my kitchen!”
“But Angie! It’s not even a kitchen it’s a magical flame with a metal ring floating over, come on!” was saying Katie.
The twins were apparently woke up by Oliver coming down the stairs, fully dressed and looking ready to tackle the day, despite it being barely 5 in the morning
“Oh look here he comes!”
“The Morning Wood,” said the twins, Harry snickered but quickly shut up after seeing Oliver’s dark face
“Shut it you two or you’ll do twice the workouts” he threatened
“Oh no!
Woe is us!
We already had a morning Wood
We wouldn’t want a night one” at that Harry laughed a little.
As soon as Oliver focused on him though, the twins started up again
“Come on Ollie! You know we love you
And we would love to see your face every day
Morning
And night
But five am is not really
What we meant”
Oliver sighed, ran a hand on his face and turned to Angelina “Is that coffee ready?”
It was Alicia who answered “No coffee for the guy who made us get up at this ungodly hour” then she took a big slurping sip of her coffee. 

After some more chatting and mostly coffee (they gave some to Harry as well and were all surprised at how well he took the taste, not knowing he had been drinking for years already) they finally left towards the Quidditch pitch.
And the training was going decently, as decent as it could go for a morning training,  when the troubles started. 

 Ron and Hermione had come to see the team train at some point in the morning because they had told Ron he would become the goalkeeper in sixth year so he decided that he wanted to take notes because he obviously hadn’t done that in the first timeline.  Of course, during the last half hour of their training, the Slytherin came to the pitch.
Marcus Flint was going on and on with Wood about how it was absurd that they were already here and that even if on that Saturday the pitch was open to the ones who arrived first that didn’t mean they could start before 7 am. Yadda Yadda yadda. 

like all bad ideas, this one came because Harry was bored: he usually would have been arguing with Malfoy at this point but the other guy seemed to have still an identity crisis going on because he was looking between the two captains like the referee in a tennis match. So he had nothing to do other than look over. So he went
“Why don’t we play a mock game then?” He said it loudly so that each discussion between the teams stopped and they all turned to look at him
“What?” he asked nonchalantly
“You want to play a game with us?” asked Flint for clarity Harry shrugged
“I mean sure, why not? We’re all here and ready. it could be fun”
“Harry do you know who you’re talking to?” asked Oliver, obviously referring to how Slytherin are evil and whatever else
“Yeah and I don’t care,” he said. there was a collective gasp and Harry rolled his eyes
“What? we were going to play a mock game with the Fans team from Gryffindor but that will be at five pm and I really don’t want to shower twice, I have other things to do. so how about it? We can play today's mock game and you Slytherins can start your training with sprint.” he shrugged again “ you could even deduce some extremely secret moves that we’ve been practising” said Harry mock conspiratorially and adding a wink for good measure
“I’m in,” said Flint, surprising everyone.
Oliver looked at Harry and then at the other team “Betrayed by my own seeker. Fine, you’re on” 

And they started playing. the Slytherin team proved themselves to be quite the good sports: they didn’t cheat once and the game was overall fun to play. the scores were lost somewhere around 50 points each so the game became to who would catch the snitch after a score for their own team. And Harry always liked winning. 

Malfoy was doing laps around the field when Harry spotted the Snitch on the opposite side. so he went, as fast as he could, cutting other players’ ways as he flew. But there is a reason why that is something no sensible person should ever do: The Slytherin Beater had thrown a Bludger at Alicia Spinnet. and Harry interjected it by accident and he got hit in the leg.
He had almost reached it anyways so he flew fast towards the snitch and caught it, lowering himself on the ground. Malfoy, who had tried to reach the snitch, therefore was close, arrived first.
“Oh, Merlin, Oh Merlin, Oh Merlin,” He said in a panic. to be completely fair Harry’s red and gold uniform was now completely red and the blood was dripping from the side as he held himself up on his other leg and hanging onto his broom
“Morgana’s tits Malfoy calm down its blood, not nuclear waste!” he said. Malfoy looked at him with wide eyes
“How can you be so calm you’re bleeding!” He was working himself into panic, so even as the other players reached them he hopped forward and took Malfoy by the arm
“Yes, I am bleeding, but I’m not going to die because of it, calm down”  Malfoy apparently didn’t catch the whole sentence because he faintly said, “DiE?” Harry sighed
“No, I’m not going to. I am calm about this so why shouldn’t you? Chill” he said, squeezing his arm, hoping the pain would ground him. Meanwhile, both teams had arrived back to the ground and the twins were starting to fret
“I think you should sit down,” said George
“I’ll go get Madam Pomphrey” tried Fred
“That won’t be necessary, and we already have Malfoy panicking I can’t have you two. I’m fine, I’ve definitively been through worse, and help is already on the way. Breathe and don’t get into panic please” he said firmly.
Oliver tried to interject “What do you mean you don’t want Pomphrey, and what help could you possibly…” but he was interrupted by a female voice
“Make way, coming through!”
in a few moments, Hermione’s curly hair was within Harry’s line of sight
“Hey. So I kinda have a problem…” he said to her
“No. You have a problem, I have an idiot who always gets into one”  she said at the same time Ron went “And it’s another Saturday what’s your point?”
Even as they joked, Hermione had already vanished Harry’s outer armour
when she managed to take off the inside as well, opening the seam around the outer thigh the real extent of the injury was revealed
“I am so sorry, I didn’t mean…” the poor beater looked genuinely sorry if not a little green.
“It’s fine don’t worry,” said Harry
“I can’t believe you Harry honestly” muttered Hermione
“Do I need to remind you of that time when you showed up at my door at three in the morning soaking wet, bruised and covered in glitter?” he asked sarcastically as she vanished the blood that had already poured out. Malfoy let out a pained sound.
“No, and we had agreed to never mention it again,” she said. whatever remark Harry had was silenced when she pointed her wand at him and traced the outline of the injury, mending the bone and healing the muscle and skin. for the first time since the Bludger hit Harry showed an outside look of pain. he grimaced and the knuckles holding onto his broom were almost white.
When he spoke again everyone could hear the pain underlying “I’m going to bring it up if you start being condescending to me OUCH! HERMIONE!” he said as she set back his knee
“Ups,” she said in a tone that was not apologetic at all.
“You done?” He asked again, as his voice returned to normal
“I think so, you probably need to go see either Madam Pomphrey or Andy because I’m pretty sure that if you won’t both of them will kill both me and you.” She paused and added “And Ron for good measure” as an afterthought.
“Good Merlin, I fear that woman a lot more than I’ve ever been afraid of Lord Mouldypants”  agreed Harry and Ron snorted.
“Let’s make something clear, I had nothing to do with this,” said Ron with a smile “So for the record, I don’t deserve to be killed”
both his best friends looked at him “You were here”
“So you do”
Ron laughed again and went to pick up Harry “Fine, fine, let’s go to Pomphrey then.” But before he could get there the twins moved faster and got Harry on both his sides
“Thanks, guys,” He said. “But just to be clear,” he said before leaving “It was an accident, alright, the bludger was aimed at Alicia's boom tail, not at me, I interjected it by accident. No hard feelings. and it was actually a pretty good game, I’d be down to do it again.” as he was about to turn around he looked at Malfoy “You good?” The other boy looked extremely white “Yeah…” 

as Harry was carried by the twins all the way to the Hospital Wing, Draco turned to Ron
“He was serious when he said he had worse, wasn’t he?” Ron seemed surprised by the question and took a few seconds to answer.
“I mean...yeah just last year there was this basilisk and…” Draco promptly fainted.

Chapter Text

warning of vomit

The trouble with Yule is that it is celebrated on many days: from the 20th to the 25th. so they couldn’t know when Ron’s memories would come back. 

So the designated days came, and so did the holidays. as usual, the rest of the castle left for the Holidays. Hermione told them she would come back as soon as she could but her parents wanted her home. 

so Harry and Ron went to sleep early every night, but days were going by and nothing happened.
The first night Harry convinced Ron that it was only a matter of time; the second night they were losing hope. the third night...they were thankful none of their dorm-mates had stayed behind: around six in the morning Harry was already awake, he was practising wandless magic trying to balance the amount of magic he should put in each spell when it happened. 

Ron sat up straight from an apparently calm sleep and looked into Harry’s eyes. He promptly turned on his side and puked.
“Oh Merlin, I’m right here,” said Harry running up and going to Ron’s bed
“Come on, calm down it’s all good,” he said, rubbing his lower back in what he hoped were soothing circles.
at some point, Ron stopped gagging and he turned to Harry
“I’m back.” he said like he couldn’t believe in this himself “I’m back” he repeated almost in a daze.
“Told you it was a matter of time,” Harry said, smirking. Ron nodded
“How can you not hate me?” he asked, a broken expression on his face. Harry was thoroughly confused  “Wait what?”
“yeah, I… I abandoned you in all the moments you needed me the most in and I...I fucked up so bad in fourth year and in the forest, how could you...why did you forgive me I…”

and Ron reeked of vomit and sweat but he was almost crying over such bullshit reason that Harry hugged him immediately
“You’re an idiot,” he said with affection.
“no I’m serious,” he said again trying to break the hug “I left you! I said horrible things,  I… I didn’t believe you when it was obvious you didn’t want to be in the tournament…” Harry kept holding him
“but you stayed by my side in fifth year, you forced me to wait for you and Hermione to go Horcrux hunting. Ron, you were my first friend but you have been and you are my best friend. I know I can count on you in any circumstance because even if we argue or if we fuck stuff up...I know we will always come back to each other”

At this Ron was full-on crying. They hugged again and Ron cried a little more. 

once he calmed down he yelped
“Oh, Merlin Fred! Fred is still alive!” he said, surprising himself. Harry nodded
“and Percy never left us! we can make sure that when he goes to work for the Ministry it’s a decent Ministry so we won’t argue and…”
“I think it’s a little deeper than that you know?” said Harry unconvinced
“What do you mean?”
“in Percy’s perspective, you guys have belittled him for years. working in the Ministry is his dream and you all keep telling him it’s shit. so sure making the Ministry better is a good thing but Percy will always feel a little...off. in all honesty, you all have a lot of issues” said Harry
“From what altar” muttered Ron
“I’m not taking myself out but...Percy feels ridiculed by the rest of you sibling, Fred and George by your mum, you always feel in the shade of your brothers even though you really are not, Ginny has been doted on, sure, but I’d like to remind you that she has been possessed by Voldemort so that’s traumatic in itself. Bill and Charlie, I can’t know for sure but the fact that they left immediately after graduating says a lot I think…” Harry explained, not caring about overstepping boundaries. if they wanted to make everything better, they would make EVERYTHING better. 

Ron nodded, absorbing the information. 

“I think that this is a problem for another moment. we really need to talk about the Horcruxes and you said you fixed the one in your head right? I swear if you died again…”
“nono I’m fine, andromeda fixed it right up”
“I need to remember to get a present to that woman” Ron muttered
“But we still have the other Horcruxes. Thankfully the bloody Snake hasn’t been created yet. we have the Ravenclaw diadem in the Come and Go Room, the Diary you destroyed last year, the Gaunt Ring we need to talk about, and so we need to talk about the Cup. blimey, I don’t want to rob Gringotts again. then the Locket at Grimmauld Place...What?” He stopped noticing just now that Harry was looking at him weirdly
“nothing. I just missed you so much” He said
“sap” answered Ron, shoving him. despite his tone, his ears were burning red
“We need to go to Little Hampleton if we want the Ring, the Diadem and the Locket are not a problem to retrieve and destroy. oh by the way can we pop down the Chamber? we need some basilisk fangs”
“Sure it’s as slimy as ever so…”
“wait did you go down there again?” Ron looked at him pointedly
“yeeees...but I promised I wouldn’t tell you specifically so I’m not” Harry grinned sheepishly
“What did you do?”
“In my defence, we didn’t go further than the antechamber,” he said raising his hands
“Fine don’t tell me. but don’t do anything stupid.” Harry grinned and nodded.
“What else? oh yeah the Cup…” he stopped to think
“It’s in Bellatrix Lestrange’s Vault and we have decided NOT to rob the place again thank you very much uhm...Do you think Andromeda will be able to access it?” He asked
Harry looked at him with wide eyes “you’re a genius!” he exclaimed
“We can talk to her in about a week, she and Sirius are coming to Hogsmeade and we can go talk to them. We can also ask Sirius to make Kreacher obey my orders and we can get the Locket.” they stopped in silence for a few minutes
“I hate that we made more progress in a night than in almost a year,” Harry laughed at his best friend.
“I need to tell you about all the stuff I did differently by the way and also we need to talk about Pettigrew”

so they talked well into the morning. They even skipped breakfast so they went straight to the kitchens to grab a bite. 

they wrote to Hermione telling her about Ron coming back and about their plans. 

Harry didn’t want to admit it but with Ron by his side he felt almost like a piece of him was back. he felt like he was complete. He had missed his best friend so much.

Chapter Text

On Christmas morning Ron and Harry happily opened their gifts and ate dessert for breakfast. 

they spent most of their day goofing around and playing chess. only at night, the real work began. 

They sneaked out of Gryffindor common room and, under the cloak, made their way to the second floor. Hermione had sent them a letter telling them that their plan was good and not to wait for her to kill the Diadem, but she had declined the trip to the Chamber, she wasn’t so keen on going in again. 

so the two boys arrived at the girl’s bathroom and were interrupted by a moaning voice
“You bring yet another red-head down there Harry?”
“Hi, Myrtle. how are you?”
“Gloomy, as usual.” he nodded
“We’ll be going. bye!” said Ron, in a hurry
“Actually...Myrtle, I have a very important job for you” he said
“Oh?”
“Can you guard the entrance and make sure no one comes in?” Harry asked. Ron looked at him weirdly
“Yes of course! You go down and do what you have to do, I’ll protect this stand with my life!” no one bothered to correct her that she had no life. and the two went down (Myrtle actually forgot that he was supposed to guard the entrance after a few minutes….)

“What other redhead?” asked Ron after they had walked past the skin shred
“what?”
“What other redhead did you bring down here?” he asked. Harry hesitated
“I can’t tell you. I promised I wouldn’t” he said. Ron scoffed but relented
“Whatever” 

The rest of the trip was not eventful. They went into the chamber and levitated some of the teeth out of the basilisk‘s corpse.
“This thing must be valuable” pitched in Ron
“You think?”
“Yeah! this thing is like… so rare you wouldn’t believe. The only places you can find Basilisk anything is in India. there’s a lot of parseltongues there.” Harry groaned
“I should really learn about my family” Ron laughed
“I can do that with you. We never really learned anything about our family because Aunt Muriel is really annoying. I like my uncles though. I know them from their portraits but they’re nice, they’re like I always imagined Fred and George would become” he said, becoming sad at the end of his speech
“They will become adults, Ron. they’ll grow old, we’ll make sure of it” he said reassuringly
“Yeah” Ron smiled at his friend and they started to track back. The whole time Ron had a far away look in his eyes...

“Why do we have to go all this way? couldn’t we go straight to Gryffindor?” complained Harry for the thousandth time
“Don’t ask me”
“And who am I supposed to ask, there is no one here”
“Ask the bloody chamber” Ron meant this as a joke. Harry, just jokingly asked, “ Can the stairs bring us to the Gryffindor common room please? ” What none of them expected was to hear a rumble and to see the stairs change direction.
They looked at each other and took out their wands. Basilisk fangs safe in their pockets, they went up the stairs. 

they were shocked to arrive at a door after only two flights of stairs
“Do we open?”
“Yeah Mione knows where we are and there is someone else who can open the Chamber if anything goes wrong”
“What? who?”
“Still can’t tell you. let’s go”
They opened the door, ready to fight whatever was there. but they opened a portrait inside one of the Gryffindor common room walls.
“WHAT THE FUCK?” they said together.
Hermione will help them figure out this particular mystery. 

the next morning the Chamber’s entrance had gone back to its original spot.
the two boys though had other problems to worry about as they descended the stairs to get to the ROR
“are we sure we don’t want to wait for Hermione?”
“There are three other Horcruxes, we can destroy one without her” 

once they arrived...it was anticlimactic really: they went in and found the Horcrux exactly where they remembered it was. Then they went outside (not without looking at all the other weird objects and promising themselves to come back sooner or later) and waited for the room to "disappear". After a few seconds of wait and they reopened the RoR to a big, protected room where they could kill the Horcrux. 

And they did. Harry stuck it with the mortal blow. 

That's it really. Like I said, really anticlimactic. 

Chapter Text

When Hermione came back to Hogwarts she hugged Ron like they hadn't seen each other in centuries. 

After the war, they had tried to make their relationship work but it really didn't. They broke up of common accord and stayed best of friends through the following years of research and troubles. 

"You're back!" Said Hermione with tears in her eyes
"Yeah"
"I missed you," she said. Ron just nodded and hugged her more. 
"The golden trio is back together," said Harry, smiling. Hermione wiped her eyes and grinned at him
"Yes. And we have work to do. What did you do without me?" she asked matter of factly
"Took the fangs and killed the Diadem but that's it."  Answered Ron
"Okay," she said, starting to walk back toward the castle, "What's the plan?" She asked
"We can probably take a two for one talking with Sirius and Andromeda. The problem is that we can't ask them to help us if we don't tell them the whole...you know" said Ron and the other two nodded
"I was thinking we could just...tell them. What do you think?" Said, Harry. Ron and Hermione looked at each other than at Harry's hopeful face
"It might be our only chance but we can't mess this up. They might not believe us" said Ron, trying not to break his best friend's spirit. After the war, he had been in such a bad place after the whole betrayals and deaths. Seeing him smile again was stunning. But they also had to look at the truth.
"So we only need...a bit of luck," Harry said, winking.
"You're suggesting Felix Felicis," said Hermione, deadpan.
"Yup. We can brew it without difficulties and you know it" he insisted.
"Also it's been years since we've brewed an illegal potion at school" The others just shook their heads fondly. 

After the war Harry had proved himself to be quite the pioneer: without Snape breathing on his neck or constant death threats, he proved to have inherited his mother and grandfather's prowess at potion-making. With Hermione - I brewed Polyjuice at twelve - Granger, The Felix Felicis would be a breeze. 

"I think it could work…." said Hermione.
"You're both absolutely mental. Let's do it" agreed on Ron. 

They dropped Hermione to Gryffindor and went straight to the potion classroom, Invisibility cloak on, to take all the necessary ingredients and potions.
Among the sixth yearbook, they laughed once again at "Roonil Wazlib", whose name had become an inside joke and at some point a war password "what's Harry potter's pioneer nickname" (after the war Neville had become a little shit)

Once they found the Half-Blood Prince's...they took it. They knew not to test any more spells on it but the instructions were precious.
They met up with Hermione in Gryffindor.
"We aren't brewing in the girl's bathroom this time" she joked
"Let's go to the Chamber directly," said Harry
"Yeah we have something to show you," said Ron opening the portrait…only to find nothing.
"What would this be?" Hermione joked. The boys looked at each other
"Ask nicely?" Suggested Ron.
" can we go to the chamber from here please ?" Said Harry hesitantly.
The Door materialized in front of them and the three looked at each other
Hermione sighed "let's get brewing then" and opened the door. Harry huffed a laugh and followed Hermione through the door
"When have I become the sane one in this group" sighed Ron, almost facepalming. And he too went down the stairs with them. 

As they had predicted Hermione spent the whole way down and through the Chamber making hypothesis. And they knew she would also find the answer soon. 

Once in the main chamber, they took one of the nooks and cleaned it with magic.
As Harry and Hermione started brewing Ron was musing "Do you think we could try and harvest some potion ingredients from the huge basilisk corpse?"
"We could try," said Hermione adding clover " we should research how to do it before we try. And just to be sure Harry should be the one doing it and I don't know if he's okay with it"
"I'd be okay with it sure just….I kinda don't want to die again you know?" The other two laughed
"We'll research it then," said Ron, while an idea formed into his mind. Even though the two pioneers were busy, they recognized Ron's 'thinking face' and kept brewing. 

About two hours later Ron had a fully formed plan and Hermione and Harry had a perfectly brewed Felix Felicis.
"Tomorrow Andromeda said she'd be visiting Hogsmeade to show me her new dog. We have a reserved room at the three broomsticks. We can drink it before and then go there"
The other two agreed and started dismounting the whole potion station.
"We should clean the chamber," said Ron. "We could use it you know? Make it decent"
"Sure...I'm not going anywhere near the basilisk until we know how to harvest it" said Harry. He saw Ron take a relieved breath. Even after all these years, Ron was still so unsure of himself...he had done giant steps but he was still so unsure. maybe it's something that'll never change…
As the three made their way back to Gryffindor they chatted about Ron's ideas for the Chamber. 

They spent the night by the fire for what felt like the first time. It wasn't obvious but it had been years after their sixth year and that had been a year filled with dread and anticipation of a bloody war. They had been so young and naive back then….but sleeping together in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room….they felt at home with hope for the future and a sense of happiness that lies ahead. 

Chapter Text

The next day the Golden trio gathered up at breakfast. The great hall was mostly empty as it was not even the new year. They each nursed their breakfast until Harry took a vial from his robe and poured some in his drink. Then he passed it to Ron who did the same and so did Hermione.
“Are we sure?” asked Hermione. the other two nodded.
“alright. Cheers then” and the three swallowed their drinks in one sip. 

The Felix Felicis started its effects immediately. the three felt giddy and content like nothing could go wrong.
They made their way to the secret passage in Honeydukes and passed through, joking and playing with each other. Once they reached the other side they suddenly stopped in unison. From an outside perspective, they would have seemed crazy, but they were acting under the effect of the Felix. had they moved faster they would have been seen by one of the employees working in the cellar under the store. 

Once the Felix ‘allowed’ them, they moved together towards the exit. Harry put on his Invisibility Cloak and Ron went to buy some sugar quills. They made their way to the three broomsticks where Andromeda was waiting outside with a big black dog.
“Madam Tonks, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” said Ron, bowing to the traditional Pureblood stance when meeting an older and more powerful woman. Andromeda obviously recognized the stance and became pink, more from embarrassment rather than the cold
“There is no need, really...you’re one of the Weasleys right?” Ron stood from his bow and took her arm
“Correct ma’am. I am Ronald Bilius Weasley and this is my best friend Hermione Jean Granger” Hermione dropped in a curtsy, even though she barely knew what she was doing.
“Our common friend is coming in a few. He is technically not allowed to Hogsmeade because his uncle didn’t sign the slip. Family, am I right?” he said accompanying her to the Three Broomsticks’ entrance. Before Andromeda could say anything Hermione had taken Padfoot’s collar and brought him inside. In a few seconds Rosmerta brought them all into their private room upstairs. there Sirius shifted and anxiously asked
“Where is Harry?” he looked a lot better: he had more meat on his bones and judging by the lack of bags under his eyes he must not be suffering too much from nightmares
“Hey,” said Harry softly, taking off his cloak. Andromeda gasped but Sirius just grinned and went to hug his godson. he seemed to hesitate at the last second but Harry closed the space between them and hugged his godfather fiercely
“I missed you so much,” he said. Sirius squeezed him tighter. 
“A reunion between outlaws,” said Hermione amused. Andromeda was looking at her favourite cousin and at Harry, smiling.
Ron broke the spell “Sorry to interrupt but we have a lot to talk about. Let’s have a seat,” he  said, helping Andromeda to her chair
“Such a gentleman. your brother Charlie wasn’t so…” she struggled to find her words
“Charlie has always been better with dragons than with people. I understand” he smiled tightly. The others had taken a seat as well
“What we are going to tell you will sound crazy but each and every word is the truth” started Harry”
“We could swear an oath if you wanted” “But we need you two not to tell this to anyone,” said Hermione and Ron respectively.
The two Blacks looked at each other and nodded. 

and so they explained. The story was long and hard to listen to. but they did, and they believed them. Andromeda was in tears
“So you didn’t really have a vision of Lily, didn’t you?” asked Sirius, looking broken-hearted
“No. but would you have trusted me if I didn’t give you something to believe me?” Sirius’ silence was worth more than words
“How...how do we stop this?” asked Andromeda. emotions of grief clear on her face, something her mother would probably have grounded her for.
“This is where you two come in,” said Hermione
“One of the Horcruxes is in Bellatrix’s vault at Gringotts” the soft “what” let out by Andromeda was ignored. “You have a blood relationship, so you should be able to access it. you won’t take anything from there but the cup, we can tell you exactly where it is,” explained Ron
“You also shouldn’t under any circumstance touch anything else. there is a curse on the gold” added Hermione, an unconscious shiver being visible by all the room occupants.
“The other Horcrux was kept in a cave but someone got there first,” said Harry in a grave voice “R.A.B. Regulus Arcturus Black,” he said. Sirius shook his head, in denial. Harry kept talking “He gave the Horcrux to the only person he thought he could trust...Kreatcher, your house elf. If we could get him to give it to us we could…”
“KREATCHER” yelled Sirius
with a pop, the house-elf appeared “Does the ungrateful  master call for Kreacher?” Ron was quick to silence and bind Sirius as Harry took the reins
“Hello Kreacher, you may not know me but I am your master’s godson,” he said “I know of a powerful artefact your previous master asked you to destroy” the poor house elf started to shake his head and tremble “You don’t have to confirm it. I already know.” the poor elf bleached, his complex looking even worse than usual “Could you please bring it here? we can destroy it with this.” he showed the fang “ it’ll take a few moments and your duty to obey the order given by your master will be fulfilled” Hermione looked like she was ready to riot but the Felix stopped her. The poor elf nodded and in two pops the Slytherin Locket stood in front of them in its full glory.
“Mione? Do you want the honours? you didn’t get to kill the Diadem, you can get the locket if you want,” the girl grinned and nodded
“Ready?” asked Ron, keeping the other occupants of the room away from the Horcrux. as Hermione nodded Harry whispered open and Hermione barely let the Horcrux open before she stabbed it. what was left was some burned and maimed metal. 

“And that’s two in two days,” smirked Harry. Kreacher cried his thanks and once Harry proposed he keep the locked, as property of the house of Black, of course, the old elf cried and thanked him profusely. 

They ordered some butterbeer to calm themselves down.
“What now?” asked Andromeda, shaking.
“Now you need to go to Gringotts and get the Cup, you can send it over with Kreacher or I can let you borrow one of my house elf” said Harry before realizing his mistake. the Felix must have worn down
“YOU. HAVE. HOUSE. ELVES?” asked an enraged Hermione
“Mione, they need magic to survive. one of my parents’ elves had already died. two of them had a kid, was I supposed to let them die? we can argue about this later on what do you say?” she looked ready to retort when Harry said “Do you think I don’t know what it’s like to serve someone? without thanks or compensation? We can talk about this later, Mione, but I’m no Lucius Malfoy.” she didn’t seem very convinced but she relented.
“After we’re done with that we also need to get to the Gaunt shack for the ring,” said Ron, trying to change the topic.
“What about Wormtail?” asked Sirius. the three of them turned to look at him, their eyes almost feral
“We have a plan”
“The motherfucker came into the girls' dorm while we were changing”
“We’ll make him regret every second of his existence” there was a pause before Sirius asked “Do I want to know?” when the three answered in chorus “No” he just said
“Fair enough, still tell me what’s your plan”

At that moment Madam Rosmerta came to warn them that their time was up.
Sirius hurriedly unshrank a very familiar package “I know it doesn’t make up for the time we lost, or my failures in both this and the other timeline but…” Harry hugged his godfather and thanked him for the Firebolt (even though his Nimbus hadn’t been destroyed he was glad to have his firebolt back)
They said their goodbyes, promising each other to write soon (mainly Harry and Sirius), paid Rosmerta and went their separate ways. 

It went well after all

Chapter Text

They were still on their way back from Hogsmeade when Harry, under his cloak stopped dead in his tracks, making his two friends stumble.
“Guys I have an Idea,” he said, the Cloak was showing his face and he had his wicked grin plastered on. Both Ron and Hermione muttered an ‘oh no'
Harry just called “Click!” and in a moment a middle-aged house-elf was in front of him
“Yes Master Harry,” he said excitedly
“I need to ask you something, but you need to promise me you will be very very careful, do you hear me?” the elf managed to take him seriously even though only his face was visible. 

Thus Harry explained to Click where the Gaunt Shack was, the protections placed around it and the ring. He specifically ordered not to endanger himself needlessly and that, should he be able to get the ring he should not under any circumstance put it on. The elf nodded and popped away. Ron went to ask “Are you sure this is a good idea?” but before he could finish the sentence Click popped back with a Ring in their hands “Here, Master Harry” he smiled. Harry took the ring immediately and turned to Click who  was shivering
“Are you sure everything is alright?” the poor thing nodded “Just...Black magic Master Harry. I don’t like it” he said. and Harry nodded
“You won’t have to be near it ever again, don’t worry. and if you need anything don’t hesitate to call me” he said, smiling. Click apparated away and the trio was left alone on the Hogsmeade street.
“What do we do? Do we bring it in the castle?” asked Hermione, postponing her rant about house-elves.
Harry shook his head “There are wards against dark objects. We could just...kill it here” said Harry. Hermione looked like she wanted to object. But Ron was faster
“You’re right. give it here” he said, conjuring a stone to stab the ring to.
as Harry placed the ring on the improvised table Ron stabbed it without hesitation. the Resurrection stone on the ring just popped away while the metal coiled on itself.
“We are so good at this.” joked Ron. 

They went back to the castle and played exploding snap until it was time to go to bed. checking that Wormtail was still asleep under the effect of the poisoned food, they went to sleep. 

Then the next day they woke up late to a very pleasant surprise: a parcel was sitting on Harry’s closed trunk. the only note on it was “Destroy it” in perfect handwriting. Harry hurried to wake up Ron and Hermione (the latter was a bit of a challenge, but nothing that couldn’t be overcome with a little aguamenti). Soon the three of them were back in the Chamber of Secrets where they destroyed the last remaining Horcrux. 

“Well this was fun,” said Hermione sarcastically “I want to go back to bed and never come back here again,” she said.
“Actually… I was thinking” said Ron looking at the Basilisk. he turned back to Harry
“You should breed Basilisks”
for a couple of seconds, the only thing you could hear was the water dripping.
“Excuse me what?” he asked
“Think about it! they’re valuable and almost extinct. you can literally talk to them and I’m sure you don’t really want to be an Auror anymore, you told me this.  And…”
“Actually it’s not a really bad idea,” said Hermione. they both were looking at Harry
“You know what? it’s not a bad idea at all…” he trailed off “It’s something to think about later on. The order of business right now is to send Wormtail to Azkaban and free Sirius. then we need to expose Dumbledore and send him to jail. possibly we should really start thinking about getting allies for when we will grow up. I’ll have a seat in the Wizengamot, possibly two because I’ve conquered Voldy when I was a kid. we can work to change the wizarding world from the inside out and to do that we will need your strategy” he said to Ron “And your knowledge” he said to Hermione “We can make the whole world better. but honestly? I can totally get behind changing the world behind a Basilisk farm” he said smiling. 

Ron put one arm around Harry and the other around Hermione.
“We can change it all. for now, let’s celebrate that we killed Voldemort in less than three days. we can talk about the future another day.”

After a couple of days, everyone came back from their vacations. Ron had tried to hide in his room for a few minutes until Percy dropped by to say hi.
“Ron you can’t hide from him forever,” said Harry, looking at a clumsy Neville trying to put his stuff back in the dresser beside his bed.
“Fine but if I do something stupid I blame you”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Harry smiling. the two separated: Harry to help Neville and Ron to the upper years' dorm. He went straight for the twins’ room.
“Hey,” he said leaning against the doorframe.
“Oh hi Ronniekins!” said George
“Where’s Lee?”
“You don’t even care about your dearest brothers?” joked Fred. And Ron couldn’t handle it: the moment he had seen George look happy was hard enough but Fred, Fred was alive and breathing and why, why, why didn’t he See what was going to happen? He could usually foresee the most trivial of things! A wall falling should have been a piece of cake!
But that was in the past. Right now both the twins (BOTH) were looking at Ron worriedly
“Are you okay
Ronniekins?”
“I just want a hug from Fred and I’ll leave,” he said. George promptly opened his arms: his bed was closer to the door, you see. But Ron dodged him and went straight for Fred.
they were the same height, Ron was maybe a little taller, so he hugged him with his arms above Fred’s shoulders and his head hidden between his arm and his brother’s neck
“How…?” was asking George, but Ron started to sob.
They stayed like that for a while and when they heard Lee’s voice George shut the door and locked it.
Once Ron stopped crying he raised his head slightly and said
“When I walk out the door we can pretend this never happened okay? I will fall into it every time you pretend to be each other, hell I will gladly fall into every prank and I’ll pretend to get mad, just” he shed some more tears. Fred was now hugging him close.
“I’ll go now okay?” he said, leaving his brother and drying his tears.
Then he thought about what Harry had said when he came back “Actually no. I expect No more pranks on Percy, alright? You two are driving him away! I’ll talk to Ginny too, and if I hear any of you talking shit about Percy’s dreams you will know just how badly I can hurt you lot am I understood?” the twins seemed surprised at the change of attitude, but they recovered quickly
“Can we start from tomorrow?” asked George cheekily. Ron rolled his eyes and went out the door yelling “PERCY DON’T OPEN YOUR TRUNK!”
The twins looked at each other
“What was that?
How did he know we put a dung bomb in Percy’s trunk?”

That night their year mates found a party in the common room ready and waiting for them, with butterbeer and snacks. It wasn’t there before and no one asked why but they still partied happily. 

They didn't know they were celebrating the Dark Lord's ultimate demise. 

they also didn’t know that in that exact same moment, each and every single death eater was marvelling at their Marks, becoming greyer and greyer by the second. 

Chapter Text

"the next day." Harry mused reading the letter for what felt like the thousandth time. They had killed Voldemort officially the day before. Apparently one single day is enough for the Gringotts bureaucracy to find out and send him a letter about it. 

Harry sighed, burying himself deeper  in the common room armchair. Ron and Hermione were deep in a debate about something or the other, so Harry took a deep breath and opened the letter

Dearest Lord Potter 

May your gold ever flow and your enemies perish to your venoms. 

We at Gringotts have recently found out of your eligibility for the Gaunt-Slytherin fortune, per right of conquest 

We ask you to come to the bank as soon as possible to fix the situation

Etarius Bless ( A/N *this was taken from someone else’s story that I loved, I’ll leave the link in the notes)

Ironclaw

Inside the actual letter there was also a note 

Lord Potter, I am aware of your lack of knowledge of the wizarding world thus I am informing you about many of the contents of our next meeting ahead of time: Lord Gaunt’s vow, sworn by his Death Eater as they took the Dark Mark, actually bestowed upon him all their possessions including Vaults, Properties, Wives and Children. as gruesome and morally horrifying as it is, you are the owner of those things and of those people and not in a normal Feudatarian Oath, but a Ownership Oath, much similar to the House Elf bonding rituals. No one will be notified of this until you reclaim the Right of Conquest, so I suggest you don’t. I shall wait for you as soon as you’ll have Vacations,  Lord Potter, May your Gold ever flow.  Ironclaw

Harry read the paper once, then twice, then thrice. Then he handed it to Ron and Hermione to read. 

as they did he stood up and went to sit next to Neville, who was happily talking with Ginny Weasley about some plant he liked.
“Harry are you okay?” He was looking rather green in Neville’s opinion. something was wrong. this Idea was fully cemented when he asked
“What’s the Right of Conquest and how do I NOT claim it?” he asked in a shaky voice. 

Ginny and Neville looked at each other “Oh boy” murmured Neville. he was about to start explaining when Ron, from the couch, went “WHAT?” he turned around to stare at Harry. he got up really fast and took his friend by the arm
“Do you have any idea what this means?” he asked, almost trembling
“No, that’s why I was asking Neville. but i really don’t like the sound of it!” Ron shook his head, looking white. he wanted to communicate something specific without anyone knowing. He settled for a charade: he pointed to a word. then he pointed discreetly at Ginny.
Then he said in a grave voice “There is a reason why they call it possession”

Harry’s skin, usually a light coffee colour, seemed to ashen. He gagged once, then twice. After a few minutes he managed to gather himself, then he turned to Neville again
“How do I not claim the Right of Conquest?”

Right then and there Neville became the first Wizarding Studies teacher: He had to explain the Right of Conquest, of Honour and of Defeat; he explained the Lordships and heirships; he explained the semi-feudal system still in place in Wizarding England.
“So a Lord has control over certain territories, the magical community in those places are their responsibility. of course they can’t do everything themselves and they have subordinates working for them, chosen by them and they are also his responsibility and priority” he explained.
“I really need to get started on those family books don’t I” muttered Harry. Hermione rubbed his arm “I’ll help you as much as I can” she said, smiling at him. and he nodded. 

That same night he called for Click and asked him to copy all the books in the family section of the library at Potter Manor and bring them to him with an inventory and shrunken down. Click delivered a box the size of a Matchbox, filled to the brim with books and diaries. Harry sighed and left them in his trunk, thinking that Hermione and Ron would help him the next day. Also...Neville was about to teach him a whole bunch about being a Lord. 

Chapter Text

During the first week back from classes, Harry didn’t manage to read a single page from his family’s books. But he did accomplish something else. 

At the beginning of the week they had their first transfiguration lesson of the new year. Ron brought Scabbers and Hermione promptly sat at a big distance from them. They struggled to focus the whole lesson, but eventually the two hours passed.
“Professor, may we talk to you for a second please?” asked Harry after the bell rang.
“Certainly Mr Potter.. come into my office.” Harry Ron and Hermione followed her through the door on the left side. 

“Well, what is this about?” she asked in her usual no-nonsense tone
“we wanted to ask you about Animaguses” Harry saw her face take on a red colour and hastily added “Ma’am”
Professor McGonagall seemed to be trying her best to keep her cool “And whatever for, Potter?”she asked, probably thinking about a time when another Potter and his friends were asking the same question
“You can cast the spell to force an Animagus to return back to their original form right?” asked instead Hermione
“Of course Miss Granger. as an animagus myself I am well aware of the spell and well practiced in casting it” she said surprised
“Would you cast it on this frog please?” asked Harry, taking out Trevor, who had been borrowed from Neville.
“This is really not what I was expecting but Humano Reverto ” nothing happened to the frog
“I don’t know what you were hoping for but…” Ron interrupted the professor
“Could you do this on him?” he said pointing at Scabbers, who had started to grow agitated. McGonagall sighed “I will humour you once Mr Weasley but if this is a joke of some kind” she threatened
“I promise it’s not ma’am” Scabbers was then stuck to the table
“ Humano Reverto ”

surprise surprise, Scabbers became Peter Pettigrew and...do forgive me my dear readers but I am not comfortable transcribing what happened next: satisfy you to know that as McGonagall chewed out Pettigrew, Harry sent a patronus to Kingsley Shacklebolt (who may or may not almost have had a heart attack seeing James Potter’s Patronus appear) and called him to the school to ‘capture the man who betrayed his parents’. 

no one, not even the boldest of the aurors, dared to enter the room where McGonagall was yelling, using words no one ever dared to repeat. 

I write some cursing, but McGonagall’s...they give me the shivers just thinking about them

stories of this moment would be passed down through years of Headmistress McGonagall’s time managing the school, but for the time being Peter Pettigrew was brought in a holding cell at the ministry, safeguarded against Animagus’ transformations. He was interrogated the next day and found guilty of betraying the Potters. he was brought in an Animagus resistant cell two days after. 

Sirius’ trial was a week after these events: he was in optimal physical and mental conditions and, due to the slight he received, was awarded a very big amount of galleons as compensation. 

when he asked for the custody of his Godson it was granted without so much as a blink. (which would have been concerning if they didn’t already know each other)

all was well...for now

Chapter Text

Ronald Bilius Weasley wasn’t born with an inferiority complex. He was the youngest boy in a big family, that much is true. without outside influences he would have felt inferior sometimes anyway, this much is true as well

this feeling however would have pushed him to better himself, not shrink down and doubt himself. 

Before Molly decided that her children in fact did NOT need Muriel’s influence, the old bitter woman had babysat the Weasley siblings for some time.
She did her best to transmit the pureblood knowledge that would have disappeared from the Prewett line unless she did it. This meant that while Molly and Arthur were busy she taught the kids all she could. This is why Bill is so well versed in Politics but Ginny barely knows the difference between a bow and a curtsy. 

Aunt Muriel tried to instil in each of her nephews the Prewett beliefs. and one of these would stick with Ron forever. 

You see, in the Prewett line there had always been many twins, so you can see how being identified with another person might do a lot of damage in the long run. So each member had something to be identified with, may it be a particular trait in the body or in character, may it be a particular skill or their job, never ever this was supposed to be their relation to someone else. Aunt Muriel didn’t try to force the children to identify the trait immediately, that would be barbaric. She tried instead to teach them. 

Ron had been a child, barely four, when he thought (being right) that he had found his distinctive trait. So when it was time for their nap, and Bill and Charlie were playing in the garden, Ron made his way to his great aunt and told her the great news. He explained to her that he saw Ginny splattering food in Dad’s face before she did it! He then called for his dada and the food fell on the wall behind him. 

he thought Aunt Muriel would have been ecstatic. she wasn’t. she quickly ushered him inside and left a house-elf to check on the older kids. she knelt down in front of Ron in the living room. Who knows why in important situations one remembers the weirdest things? For Ron, it was the dust that was settled in each and every corner of the living room, specifically on the photo of Muriel’s children, who had died during the First War. 

Aunt Muriel talked to him seriously, ensuring that her words would be heard
“You must never, ever tell this to anyone” Ron had tried to protest: this was his trait! if he couldn’t talk about it he would be a nobody! always second to everyone. she shushed him “You, my child, are a Seer. People will try to use you for your gift in the best case. the worst is that word of you being a seer arrives at the Unspeakables. if they find out about you they will take you and experiment on you because your magical core is projected into the future.” she shook him “Promise me you won’t tell anyone” she said gravely.
Ron was now terrified. He said in a small voice “I promise” Aunt Muriel gave him cookies and sent him to bed. That day Ron’s life would be changed forever

In the first timeline, Ron’s predictions had always been confused. He saw double visions of the same events telling him different stories. There was always one constant though: Harry and Hermione. they were always there by his side in almost any situation. 

The first day on the train, when Ron had shaken Harry’s hand, visions of the future presented bright in his mind: them together holding a baby with blue hair, then one with red and one with dark hair. them tending to some big slithering animal in what looked like a farm. them and another girl he didn’t know yet hugging at someone’s departure for Hogwarts. the girl from before and him and this guy in front of him whose name he didn’t even know looking at a big spacey room, the girl smiling and gesturing to the room, he and the guy exchanging fond glances. He saw the happy moments and the domestic moments and he was sold.
“I am Ron, Ron Weasley” 

then the bad omens started: he saw many things before they happened but none of those important enough to stop them from happening (Ginny’s possession hit him incredibly hard: his trait was being a seer, couldn’t he do even that right?) (Remus being a werewolf? that was news to him) 

When he didn’t see Harry putting his name in the Goblet of Fire he had been furious: why would he do that without him? Why hadn’t he seen him? his whole future happiness was in jeopardy and the idiot did that on purpose! on another note, what was it with dreaming about Moody and the reflection of some crazy looking lunatic?

He didn’t dream of his father, Harry did instead. That’s when he started to suspect: How could he not see anything? When he was a child he could see into the future at will, granted he hadn’t tried it in a while but he found that he couldn't. He tried again at Grimmauld Place. He did see something but convinced himself that Harry’s limp body in Hagrid’s arms was something he had imagined. it must have been the adrenaline. 

then he went back to Hogwarts. and he stopped. he couldn’t see in the future, even his Divination homework was wrong (and they never were)

Fast forward to the Horcrux hunting. He did his best to see where they were, but something always stopped him. 

years later he saw an inscription in the deluminator and pucked. by that time he knew enough runes to understand “BLOCK NATURAL GIFT OF CLAIRVOYANCE AND FUTURE SEEING”

Dumbledore had known. if not of him specifically he had a device to stop Seers in the school and by the time they left they didn’t even remember having the gift.

They went back to the past and everything made sense: he saw double visions because he lived through the events twice. He wasn’t a bad seer. now the only thing left was to disable whatever spell Dumbledore had to stop Seers. It must have been something that worked only in the castle because he had predicted Harry's death in Grimmauld Place. So he started planning for the holidays. 
He wasn’t expecting to have time in the Chamber: the place didn’t exist on all records, so Dumbledore didn’t place any type of block there! He saw the basilisk and flashed back to the visions he had in his first year. Then he got to work. He would get that future, even if he had to burn Hogwarts to the ground to get it. 

The first thing he looked up was how to destroy whatever block Dumbledore had placed on him. Without blocks, he never failed. He looked at himself destroying a glowing orb with a crowbar. So he did it.

That very night he borrowed Harry’s cloak and a crowbar from the twins’ room which he had seen in his prediction (Why did they have a crowbar? better not to ask that question) and made his way to the room he saw. it was exactly at the centre of the castle and it had several other things, including a warding circle that he Knew looked off somehow, but didn’t know-how.
He got back to his task and cast a Geminio on the orb so that a copy would take its place, and he smashed the original.

“Thank you for doing that. Nargles were starting to give me a headache” said an airy voice from the entrance
“Hi, Luna. Want me to accompany you back to Ravenclaw?” she looked at the smashed orb, at the cloak in his hand and at him
“I’d like that,” she said.
On their way, Luna looked at him
"We need to know what all those other things were, and we need to disable the ones that are dangerous to everyone"
The blonde girl nodded "Absolutely, I reckon many things will change now"
They didn't speak for a while "We can't tell this to anyone, Luna" Ron said seriously 
"I've seen the futures in which we are found," said Luna with a shiver "I don't like them" s
She paused but continued “My mother had this necklace that stopped her from seeing those things she wasn’t meant to see, like her siblings’ secrets or other important things. It also made sure no one would find her if she ever was suspected. I thought we could exchange them, each to stop the other from foreseeing stuff we shouldn’t see and to have a little protection”
Ron thought about it “Why not”
They exchanged blood and hair, encapturing them in two necklaces that they would wear forever.
And they went back to their dorm and bid each other good night. 

The old fool wouldn’t know what hit him. Ron would destroy him as he did with the orb and feel no remorse about it. 

his grades in Divination also drastically improved. who knew. (Spoiler, Ron did)

Chapter Text

But let us get back to the story in a linear fashion, shall we? 

We left our heroes about a week after the Christmas holidays when they had gotten Wormtail captured. News of the event would only come out another week later, though the Hogwarts rumor mill never fails to find the most absurd theories: for instance Colin Creevy heard Janet Karleigh say that she heard from Beatrice Hayworth (a seventh year) that  the trio had single handedly killed a dementor, no, not drove away but killed a Dementor, a feat never heard of before. 

Of course the teaching staff has never been immune to the rumors and the theories. usually they know the whole story already but this time no one except Dumbledore, McGonagall and the trio knew what really happened, so the wildest theories raged among the staff as well.
The trio, completely unbothered by the Mill, were going on about their lives, if not a bit more happily and a lot lighter than they used to be. Harry especially seemed to have a new air around himself: for the first time in both his lifetimes Voldemort was not a threat and things were looking up. sure he had many things to do still but hard work never scared him; with his friends by his side and his godfather on his back everything was possible. 

his new mood didn’t go unnoticed (further fueling the mill) especially by our favourite dungeon bat.
Professor Snape started his practical lesson on Wednesday in his usual fashion: telling the deranged dunderheads to read the instructions on the board and to do the potion. Potter didn’t even read the first line and he started to work. to the professor’s surprise he got all the right ingredients and prepared them properly and he and his dumb red friend started their potion perfectly. of course something wasn’t right. 

so Snape set on investigating “Mr Potter, would you tell me exactly what do you think you are doing?” the brat didn’t jump, nor did he scare (unlike Longbottom) but he calmly turned around, after exchanging a glance with his friend, and simply said “My assigned potion?”
“And how would you be able to make said potion if you haven’t properly read the board nor glanced at it since we started the lesson?” This seemed to make the boy freeze.
“I already..know...how to brew this potion?” he said more as a question then a proper answer
Snape let a vindictive smile show on his usually frowning face: “And when exactly would you have had the chance to brew a doxicide?” he asked. Potter seemed to stammer upon an answer before Weasley saved him
“Last summer we had a Doxy infestation in the attic, so we helped dad and the twins to brew it”. Snape snorted
“I am surprised your house hasn’t blown up, Weasley. with your disposition for potions, added to Potter’s and your brothers’ I fear what could have happened” he said smirking. some Slytherins laughed but Ron instead of getting angry smirked himself.
“Why, sir, i thought you knew: manumission of potions is one of the finer ways to show the understanding of the subject and if I am not mistaken my brothers haven’t gone or sent someone to the hospital since their first year” he said, shaking in one sentence Severus’ whole worldview “but of course I might be wrong.” he said and turned back to work on their potion, having significantly improved manuality, comparing it to the start of term. 

Severus, noticing the silence of the class turned towards them and snapped “What are you looking at? keep brewing” and everyone turned back to their work. 

the rest of the lesson passed, until over twenty minutes before the end of class Potter came to give his sample of the potion.
“I do not know what makes you feel so smug, Mr Potter, but I assure you…” he said keeping his voice low
“That I have no right to be such self assured, arrogant toerag, just like my father was” he said with certainty. Snape’s brain was short-circuiting, so much so that he almost missed when he continued “I can’t apologize for what my father did to you when you were in school, sir. as I was not even born yet. I know you see much of my father in me but I can guarantee that I never have been and never will be a bully like he was when he was young” Potter said, in a low voice but confidently  “I can also guarantee that if you had the chance to offer it, Zephirus’ flower would have been accepted” he smirked and said sadly “After all Lilies and Hyacinths grow well together. Have a good day sir” he turned on his heel and left, leaving Severus speechless once more. 

Chapter Text

Yet a few days later Hermione found herself in the library. to be precise going to the library. Ron and Harry were outside playing a mock game of Quidditch but she wanted to study. they told her to knock herself out so that’s what she was going to do.
Arriving at the library she saw that almost no table was occupied (it was a Saturday and a sunny one at that. who in their right mind would stay inside studying, oh right Hermione would)
So she surprised everyone, including herself, by sitting at the table where Cindy Moon, Millicent Bulstrode, Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson were studying.
“Hi, would you terribly mind if I joined?” she asked
Cindy looked up and smiled “Not at all, please sit” she said. some time had passed after the whole werewolf incident with Snape's substitute lesson and Cindy was a lot more confident that her secret wouldn’t be outed. Hermione sat near her and took out some books
“Say, Granger, why are you all alone? your friends left you for someone better?” Said Parkinson with venom, clearly uncomfortable with having her sit at their table and trying to get a raise out of her. Cindy looked at her shocked so did Millicent and Daphne, but Hermione just snorted
“They couldn’t if they tried. And I was the one who left them. they went flying! why would anyone do that for fun I have no idea. I’d much rather stay with my feet steady on the ground, thank you very much”  she said, her eyes barely leaving her book
“There are a million witches better than you in Hogwarts alone…” Pansy tried again
Hermione interrupted her
“Even more in Beauxbaton or Durmstrang, oh think of Castelobruxo or Torrebruma. I’m not saying I’m better in absolute, I’m saying no one could substitute me with them, trust me. We’ve been through too much together to be separated by a weekend with each one of us doing our thing” She then smirked and looked at the other witch who was looking at her stunned “If I have answered all of your concerns regarding my friendships I’d love to finish studying my book, thank you Parkinson'' 

Silence reigned on the table. Hermione was well aware that the Slytherin girls were communicating among themselves but she couldn’t care less: she was trying to reach out more, but if those girls didn’t want her she would just go back to square one and try again. maybe the Ravenclaws would be nicer, she mused.
After a while Daphne asked “What are you reading Granger?” Hermione looked up, giving the other girl her full attention
“It’s one of the corollary books for Runes, it’s Ancient Runes Applied. I think I like it so far but the author keeps mentioning using creatures' blood to paint the runes and I’m not really comfortable with that. also you can call me Hermione if you like”
“It’s Daphne then”
“Why do you not like the use of blood? It’s an extremely useful ingredient and a magical catalyst” asked Millicent
Hermione immediately answered “I never said I’m not comfortable with blood. freely given that is. The problem here is that it’s creature blood, the use of which binds the creature who has given the blood to whatever the caster made the runes for. I’m not saying Creatures’ blood shouldn’t be used, I’m saying it should be used either by the Creature themselves or with explicit permission and comprehension of what the rune sequence would entail. I know I probably will never use creature blood, mostly because I’m not a creature. I’m a witch, meaning my own blood can do way more than what I would actually need in any circumstance. Also the ‘blood of creatures’ what is that supposed to mean? House elves? Vampires? Werewolves? Goblins? this guy really needs to be more specific” 
“Is..there a difference?” asked Cindy, surpassing her classmates’ shock
“I mean sure. If you were to use Werewolf blood the runes would have different levels of strength depending on the phase of the moon, Vampires’ blood only works at night, and thousand and thousand other variables, for example, should one use merfolk blood to cast a runes circle would it be stronger near water? and if so near any body of water or just near the ones similar to the habitat of the creature of origin? even more, in Nymphs cases should it be near the body of water of origin? Like I said, this guy really needs to be more specific” she ranted. she then realized that all the girls were looking at her like she came from another planet. she became self conscious all of a sudden and started to turn back to her book saying “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…” but she couldn’t even finish the sentence
“No actually that’s genius!” said Pansy. Hermione looked up in surprise
“Oh… thank you, I thought I went overboard with information” Cindy laughed
“she’s not here but you should see Tracy infodump on us about the weirdest topics, honestly it’s fine” “But also really interesting” chimed in Millicent
Daphne scoffed and said “Well I am not studying arithmancy anymore. I have an Idea. does the witch’s blood affect a spell that you would use it for? like what if we used mine and yours for the same thing, would it have different results?” Hermione turned to her wide eyed
“You mean because of parentage? because the actual composition of blood can vary from what you eat or how stressed you are” after she said this she was bombed with
“really?” and “How do you know this?” thus she had to explain what she had learned in primary about blood and what not. 

the five girls kept discussing the variables that could influence the spell result, what spell could be tried for a long time. the sun had started to come down when someone came in the library.
the two figures spotted the girls and went directly to them
“Hey Mione, good evening ladies” said Harry Potter, hair all messy from the wind and uniform that looked like it was put on in a haste. Ronald Weasley, in a similar state, gave a mock bow “We’re sorry to interrupt” he said. they didn't realize the girls had tensed, thinking they would not see kindly to them being with their friend, instead what they actually did surprised them all
“Say Mione… have we ever mentioned how much we love you?” Harry said with a shit eating grin. Hermione who was still facing towards the others turned to look at him with an accusatory glance
“What have you done?” she asked
Harry raised his hands in the universal peace gesture “Nothing” he said Ron muttered a "yet" under his breath
“Then what do you need?” she retorted. at this Harry smiled, “Soooo… you remember how I had to read those books?” he said
She glared at him “Yes”
“And how I can’t be found doing so?” He said again, dragging out the conversation
“Get on with it, Potter” snapped Hermione
“Can we borrow your necklace?” interjected Ron, already tired of the entire thing. Hermione looked at both of them
“You do realize that…” she started: that was a powerful artifact, and they should be really careful not to see themselves. but both of them answered together with “Yes” she scoffed and reached for her bag
“Don’t fuck this up, you hear me?” she said, giving them a red satchel. Harry took it carefully and smiled.
“Thanks Mione, I’ll give it back tomorrow morning,” he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek, while Ron kissed her other cheek, with a sounding SMACK.  Hermione just rolled her eyes
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t break it” the two started walking away
“AND TELL ME WHAT THE BOOKS WERE ABOUT” Ron, from the entrance of the library gave her the thumbs up.  Madam Pince flashed her a death glare but she just she scoffed again and said “Boys” then she turned to her companions
“So where were we?” the girls were looking at her with wide eyes
“Just like that?” Cindy asked and Hermione shrugged “You didn’t even ask what they needed whatever it is, is for” said Daphne, looking shocked
“I mean...there’s not much they can do with it but I know my boys, they’re idiots but I trust them” Pansy spluttered
“You just said that the Boy who lived is an idiot!”
Hermione scoffed again “because he is.  He’s like...the brother I never had and I love both him and Ron. they’re my best friends. but sometimes, just sometimes they can be so damn dumb” she stopped for a second and said “But if I hear anyone else but me saying that I Will throw a throat punch” the girls nodded, they all knew she MEANT it. 

And soon they went back to their discussion. there would be many more like that in the near future

Chapter Text

The Slytherin Girls really didn’t know what to think. their afternoon with Hermione was not what they expected (not that they expected to have one in the first place) 

they sat in the Slytherin common room in their year’s corner and talked about it
“I thought she was more….” Millie hesitated
“Of a stuck up goody two shoes, with a broom up her…” “Pansy!”
“You know that’s exactly what we all thought Cindy”  they were interrupted by Draco Blaise and their favourite muscular duo
“Who are you talking about tondai?” Blaise asked with his usual flare
“Granger,” said Daphne. this seemed to spark the dark boy’s interest
“Usually it’s Draco the one bitching about the glorious Golden trio, what did the poor girl do to you now and how will you get revenge?” he asked smirking
“She didn’t do anything” Cindy metaphorically jumped to defend her “She sat with us in the library but she wasn’t what we were expecting” she said
“Oh?” was Blaise’s only comment.
The girls then explained how Granger, well ...Hermione, had taken the initiative herself, showing that she didn’t fear nor hate them, like they had previously thought; she also didn’t shy away from older magicks (read Darke) and her only concern about those was that of consent; she wasn’t a goody two shoes at all: they were planning to do an experiment using two girls’ blood on an easy protection spell to see if the whole blood supremacy thing had any scientific grounds. 

the more the girls talked the more Draco fell back into the state he had been in for the past few months: questioning his entire existence.
“So our Light side Golden girl is not all what it seems uh?” mused Blaise
“I think none of them are,” Draco almost whispered. This was surprising for one main reason: Draco this year had gone from talking about how Potter and his friends were the worst of the worst, the scum under his shoe, to ignoring their whole existence. He had stopped annoying them, talking about them. Everyone knew he hadn’t stopped observing them but he wouldn’t talk about them. it seemed his Identity crisis had actually borne fruits.
“I think nothing is actually as it seems” he muttered again. Blaise, sensing an Important Talk coming motioned Theo and Tracy towards them and then he cast a privacy spell
“What do you think?” Greg asked
“Our parentes...didn’t have it right, but neither did the Light side.” he paused, seemingly thinking on how to say it “We were taught to hate mudbloods because of their origins….but that’s the same thing muggles do to people whose skin is darker. I don’t know why but they do. I 've read books...that father would probably punish me for reading but it’s true. Muggles imprisoned them, treated them like house elves without anything in return, not even magic, nothing. and how could mudbloods steal magic if they don’t know we exist? they can’t long for something they don’t know exists that’s the whole point of the statue of secrecy. and why do we hate mudbloods for stealing our traditions? no one taught them about it! would we hate a pureblood who lived with muggles until eleven? Potter is the same! He didn't know anything about our culture but I think he’s learning. He apologized to me! formal apology and everything I don’t…” he stopped again, took a deep breath and said “The dark side started out well, but then they started to murder people for nothing, and I don’t think I agree with the hate against mudbloods anymore so that’s out...I think… I think that the Light is too much on the opposite side, and they’re wrong as well. the Creature Registry is absurd and so is the fact that we can’t celebrate Magickal holidays...I think they’re all wrong” Draco finished talking in a meek voice
“Then what do you suggest we do?” asked Theo “Rebel? Start a new movement?”
“I don’t know” snapped Draco
“Well there is no third option!” Snapped Theo back “And even if we created one they would think it’s only made of Dark aligned people” added Pansy. 

the conversation ended there...they didn’t know that a third option was on its way to be created at that very moment, in a chamber right under their noses...

Chapter Text

Ron and Harry had spent most of their day playing Quidditch together: the weather was nice, especially with their homework done the night before at Hermione’s insistence. when the girl proposed to go to the library they decided to pass and went to play outside. 

Harry insisted on grabbing something to eat and stay by the lake: there they splashed around in the water for a bit before drying themselves off.
“Well that was fun,” said Ron, grinning. they laid in the grass looking towards the sun: in the sky other kids were flying and enjoying the nice weather, despite it being January
“What now?” asked Harry. Ron understood immediately what he meant
“Well we need to amass a power base if we actually want to change the world, especially if you don’t want the right of conquest” Harry by him shuddered “And to do so we need to not make fools of ourselves in high society” Harry groaned
“We can’t do that! I need to study for school. It'll be absurd! it’s like studying for double the...time…” Harry suddenly sat up with a wicked grin
“No” Ron muttered “Whatever you’re thinking….”
“Let’s ask Hermione for her time turner” he stopped to see Irons reaction but when he didn’t say anything Harry continued “We could study the whole night. the whole day and sleep as well! what do you say?” Ron looked at him then though “Whatever”
“I need my family’s books, I can’t get them on short notice. and neither can you” he said
“We can ask one of my elves to get them, yours I mean I already have mine, but like..making a copy, so no one realizes we took them and we can’t ruin the originals ta daa! problem solved” Ron sighed and agreed
“If this explodes in our faces it’s all your fault. also we need to schedule time to sleep and eat, Hermione’s experience should be enough don’t you think?” Harry nodded and then challenged him to a race to the castle. 

they  went straight to the Library. there they saw Hermione talking with some of their Slytherin classmates and got the Time Turner.
They went to the second floor bathroom and went down the drain in the chamber of secrets. Thankfully they had the memories of two full grown wizards who had also participated in a wedding: they made the room a bit more homey and cozy? as cozy as it could be with a basilisk corpse behind them anyway.
True to his word Harry called Click and asked him to bring him copies of both families’ books. with Ron’s consent Click brought them all the necessary books . 

they studied and called for Dobby for dinner and pepper up. They also slept in the chamber from 5 am to midday. when they woke up they packed up and relocated: at the entrance of the chamber they went back in time to four in the morning and went to the Room of Requirement. There they studied again until lunch when they went into the great hall, full of new knowledge. 

What would this knowledge be, you may ask? I can’t really be specific because, you know, Family Secrets and stuff: Harry couldn’t read Ron’s books and vice versa. I can give you the topics:
Harry learned

• A Lord’s duties towards his Territory and Its People. 
• How to do said duties 
• a lot of terminology and Rights 
• The workings of the Wizengamot 
• His assets and how to manage them (with the help of the goblins dum)
• Inter-lord relationships and Lord-Heirs relationships
• One of his ancestors was a muggleborn and she wrote a guide to Pureblood manners for someone who knew nothing about it (Harry Loved the woman)

Ron on the other hand 

• Learned that his family head was a Duke for the Malfoy Lords 
• That his family head was actually Bill, not his father (why? did Bill know about this?)
• he also learned of finances and how to deal with them 
• brushed up on pureblood etiquette 
• the workings of the Wizengamot 
• and a Lot more stuff

When the boys arrived at breakfast they were met with a relaxed Hermione who was joking with Ginny and Neville. they gave her back the Time Turner before even saying good morning
“Hello boys, how did it go?” she asked
Ron grunted and Harry answered “Well, I think I know enough of the basics now, but I could really use some help.” he dug into his plate “Also I found out last night that our families were allied Nev” the other boy seemed surprised
“You didn’t know?” Harry shook his head “But now I know. I don’t think we need to renew it? like the alliance still exists, right?” He asked
“For now sure, we’ll have to renew it once we both become Lords of our houses” Neville answered “Hey! could you help me out? I’m out of my dept here and you really know what you’re talking about”  Harry asked and Neville and the boy seemed surprised, again
“I would love to” he said smiling, then groaned “But today I promised Susan and Hannah to help them out in the greenhouses” he seemed sad but Harry didn’t let himself be disappointed
“If I don’t disturb you, I could help you out. I know how to treat plants, I don’t necessarily like it but I can, so if you need a hand” 
“And I can help you out with Lordship stuff, sure thing” Neville said, happy. 

“What about you Ron?” Hermione asked
Ron scrolled his shoulders “Turns out my family has a dukedom, or used to anyway. The duke is Bill but there is something that’s not quite right about the whole thing. I’ll need to ask mum and dad, and probably Aunt Muriel” he said
“Well you’re on your own” she said
“Oh come on Mione!” she shook her head sharply “I have an experiment to prepare, but I have something for you” she said, discreetly accioing a paper from her bag (Neville saw her but kept his mouth shut). Hermione handed it over to Ron who read it
“A chess club?” he asked skeptical
“Yeah, you’re the best player I’ve ever met and I’m sure me and Harry are really no challenge for you. also I’m pretty sure they’re scouting for the Sphinx club” Neville gasped
“You know about the clubs?” he asked, astonished. Hermione just gave him a Look
“And how would I fit in the Sphinx? I’m more of a Hippogriff guy myself” Ron countered
“Why?” Hermione asked skeptical
“Divination and care” he answered immediately. Hermione was about to say something when she suddenly was rubbing her leg, giving Harry a death glare. Harry seemed to know exactly what Ron needed because he said
“If you want to try out for Hippogriff go ahead Ron, but the chess club could be nice, even if you don’t end up with the Sphinxes”. Ron nodded but didn’t say anything. 

Lunch continued in its usual fashion: chatting, eating and joking. 

Chapter Text

so that afternoon Harry and Neville left towards the greenhouses. they chatted amicably about everything and nothing, like friends tend to do. 

When they arrived Susan and Hannah were already there, chatting among themselves. they stopped as soon as they spotted Harry.
“hey Neville” tried Hannah but her best friend wasn’t having it
“What’s he doing here?” she asked pointedly. neville didn’t recognize the warning tone in her voice and said
“He needs help with something but I had already promised I’d help you out, so he offered to help you and in turn I’ll help him” the blond said while taking his dragonhide gloves
“but if it’s a problem I can always talk to Neville later” Harry said, noting how Susan seemed to throw daggers at him
“Of course not, a helping hand is always welcome. the gloves are over there” said Hannah, after stepping on Susan’s foot. the girl glared but didn’t say anything. 

Harry took the gloves and listened to the tasks they had to do. He gladly found himself falling into the routing of pruning plants, without thinking too much about hurting his hands like he usually did in the summer at the Dursleys. They worked in silence for some time until Susan purposefully shoved him as she was passing by. Harry decided he really didn’t want to make another enemy and a Hufflepuff at that (they were Scary). so he took whatever Gryffindor courage he had and said
“Did I do something wrong?” he asked “Have I offended you some way? Because if I did I really didn’t mean it” Susan, who was carrying some pots turned on the spot
“You do not even know how you Insulted me?” she shrieked. between the gardening and the shrieking Harry was having a really hard time fighting back a panic attack. he raised his shaking hands and said
“No, I really don’t and could you please lower your voice?” Susan seemed to soften seeing him that shaken up, she put the vases down
“Fine. Why didn’t you ask to renew our house alliance?” she asked, still obviously mad.
Harry hesitated then swore “Shit” he facepalmed and took a breath in a rapid sequence
“I was supposed to?” he sounded so defeated and his hands were still shaking from the panic attack that never was.
“Yes! And you know you should have” she said
“Except I really didn’t!” for the first time he raised his voice slightly and the desperation was evident “Look, I don’t know what you think my childhood was because there are a thousand versions, someone last week asked me if I was raised by Goblins” he said exasperated  The other three looked at each other and Hannah went
“Well...were you?”
“No!” he said like it was obvious “Look the truth is that I was raised by my muggle aunt who is a fucking bitch” he took another breath and run his hand through his hair, everyone noticed how it shaked 
“She never even told me I was a wizard and I don’t think she even knew that my father was a Lord. I lived my whole life in Surrey of all places” he started fidgeting with a loose strand from his jumper. it was new but he always had the tendency to ruin the hem.
“This is actually what I was going to ask Neville. I have been learning about all the stuff I was supposed to be taught as a kid from my family’s books. I have the theory in etiquette, financial regulation and Lord duties but those are all outdated! over twenty years because apparently my father never took over after my grandfather died, because there was a war going on, so all I have is my grandfather’s notes and I can guarantee you if I have a bad handwriting you should see my grandfather’s it’s illegible” he took another deep breath to calm down  “I am deeply sorry for not renewing our Houses alliance and I hope you can find the kindness to forgive me and renew it” he said, adopting a more formal tone. 

He was surprised when Susan hugged him. He hugged her back even if it felt weird touching and being touched by someone else other than the Weasleys and Hermione, it was nice tho.
“I shouldn’t have gotten mad, I’m sorry” she murmured
“It’s okay,” he said. she released him and said “Now we know and we can fix it. so do we renew the alliance made by our ancestors as it was in the past so shall be now?” she said extending her hand
“As it was so shall be, the alliance is restored and renewed by agreement of both” he answered shaking her hand. Golden ribbons appeared out of thin air and connected their hands in a loose knot.
“There. Now I can finally stop being bothered by Malfoy” Harry facepalmed
“Yeah. I found out I broke our family’s peace agreement in our first year, we redinkled it in September. I thought he wouldn’t go advertising it. I wanted some more time to figure out what happened to my House alliances and which ones need attention” He said
“Well I can help with that. the house of Potter for sure is allied to all the houses the house of Bones is. Your family are traders so I’m pretty sure you have many treaties with Dark and Grey houses” Harry nodded
“I know, the problem is I really don’t know who my father fought during the war, because whoever he fought he broke a treaty with. I would ask…” he stopped himself just before saying Sirius “It doesn’t matter. I would ask every family to create new treaties if the previous ones were broken but I would appear as weak and without preparation. which I am, mind you , I just don’t want to appear that way” Susan laughed
“We’ll help you out, don’t worry” she said. 

Herbology work forgotten, the four got to know each other better and helped Harry learn all about high society stuff, Susan promising to introduce him when the time was right.  Neville helped by repeating his tutors’ lesson by memory
“I never understood any of this stuff….I’m not good at it but my gran says I will have to deal with it”
“I know I’m the last person to be able to say anything about family but man, that sucks” Neville just scrolled his shoulders. He was happy when he could do his Herbology in peace, but had difficulty doing most of the other stuff, especially social interactions. He said as much but didn’t notice the looks Hannah and Susan exchanged. 

And Harry started planning

Chapter Text

Ron instead went to the Owlery that afternoon. He sent his letters to his parents, asking about the dukedom and many other queries that he had. Then he wrote to his Aunt Muriel in formal writing, asking her to help him understand better their family’s duties. the last one went to Bill (he used Hedwig for that one, Harry wouldn’t be mad) asking him if he knew he was not Mr Weasley but Duke Weasley, he suspected what the answer would be so he wrote at the top not to open it at work. 

he would recieve no answer to any of those letters, he wouldn't even remember sending them.

Once he sent all the letters he made his way to the charms classroom. He knew he had said they should reach out and make connections. He KNEW that. He also knew he hated meeting people. Or better said, he hated getting to know people who he saw everyday in class for the past three (or ten if you count the other lifetime)  years but never spoke to because… he just didn’t. 

so he was really nervous when he knocked at the door. he opened and heard Professor Flitwick
“Ah! Mr Weasley! Come in! Come in!” He entered, not really looking at anybody but he went straight to the teacher
“Was there anything you needed?” asked the professor
Ron stammered “I...learned recently that there is the chess club, I wanted to know if I could…” Flitwick’s smile was contagious
“Why yes of course! I would usually place you in the beginner’s section, but we both know you are above that level” the half goblin winked and Ron felt himself go red. He heard some snickers from behind but didn’t turn to look. 
“Well, you could play some games for today and if you decide to come back next week we’ll enter you into the tournament” Ron could only nod as the professor shoved him towards one of the open tables. Ron recognized the person in front of him
“Hi, Boot,” he said sitting down. the other boy apparently wasn’t expecting anyone to play with him because he was startled from the magazine he was reading. he looked at Ron and asked with curiosity
“Weasley, what are you doing here?” Ron raised an eyebrow
“This is a chess club” Terry still looked at him “I want to play chess” he finished. Someone snickered and Terry shook himself from his stupor
“I didn’t know you played” he said, making the first move as he had the white.  Ron observed the board but as he was about to make his move someone who was playing on the other side said
“You joking man? Ron’s the best chess player in Gryffindor” Ron’s ears were still red from earlier now became the same color as his hair
“Shut up man” he said trying to sound playful. he apparently succeeded because the guy continued
“Are you kidding? no one ever wants to play with him because he’s so good that he’ll annihilate everyone in a few moves” Ron finally turned to him: he recognized him as one of Percy’s classmates, his name was Jake or something, a pretty awful player
“Not really Jake” Ron said moving one of his pawns “It’s just that you are really predictable and I’ve played enough with everyone else, so I can predict their moves too” He turned to look at him “Don’t destroy my possibility of a good game with actual smart people would you” he said. Jake laughed out loud “Wow, you’re worse than your brother” he commented ass Terry moved another time
“Which one, I'm gonna need you to be more specific” Jake laughed again
“Percy. you have the same biting humor and or insults” Ron rolled his eyes and left it at that. after some moves made in silence Ron took Terry’s bishop
“Well Jake was right then, you really know your chess don’t you” he smirked. Ron thought he would just want to leave but looking more closely he saw the fire of competition
“We’ll just have to make it good, shan’t we?” he said. 

after that Ron played (and beat) most of the older and more experienced chess players in the club. He thought he wouldn’t be welcome but everyone congratulated him and invited him back the next week.
Terry, who had stuck by to see his other games, suggested getting a butterbeer together from the kitchens before dinner. Ron accepted because, why the hell not. 

When they arrived they found many other students who had the same idea and Ron ended up discussing the merits of a Queens gambit against a Kings gambit (a/n I know nothing of chess despite the fact that my grandpa tried his best to teach me, I apologize) with Terry Boot, Theo (call me Theo) Nott and another Ravenclaw in their year called Lisa Turpin
“You’re really not that bad Weasley” commented Theo after a while.
Ron took a sip of his butterbeer “Were you expecting anything different?”
“I didn’t think you would even want to talk to me” Ron sighed. they both knew Theo was referring to his father being a death eater, but Ron had seen the future that wouldn’t be anymore. Theo had nothing on real death eaters.
“I know I did wrong in the past but...I realized fairly recently that I can’t judge people from their parents” he paused “Or their parent’s political stance” Theo seemed both satisfied and surprised at the same time
He settled on something else entirely “To overcoming false beliefs and making new friendships” he said raising his cup. Ron smirked “Cheers” 

their cups clinked and Ron had a vision: he saw them doing the exact same thing at some event, both of them older, Theo with a little boy on his hip, all those in the room were happy and the headline on the Daily Prophet said “EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE FIRST BASILISK FARM OWNER IN GREAT BRITAIN!”

he came back in the present in less then half a second. he smiled both at theo and at the vision and drank his butterbeer.

Chapter Text

It had been over a week after the events that CASUALLY led to Peter Pettigrew’s imprisonment and Sirius Black’s trial had been the day before. Of course the men was found innocent and the news had mysteriously (Thank you Nymphadora) leaked to the Daily Prophet. 

so that Monday morning the trio received the good news from Sirius’ own letter and made their way to the great hall. 

in a happy and confident mood the three weren’t affected in the slightest by the comments and the side eyes. Upon their entrance in the Great Hall all chatting stopped. Literally everyone was looking at them. The twins rose from their seats and accompanied them to the table. Professor Lupin was looking sick and scared and sad. 

Harry smirked and Ron and Hermione knew that trouble was coming. The twins looked at each other with a confused look when Harry began. 

he made a show out of taking the paper that was on the table and, looking at it for about a second, not nearly enough time to read it thoroughly he said loudly and in an exaggerated tone
“Oh my Merlin! I cannot believe this absolutely unpredictable plot twist! I mean wow! Just wow! who would have thought, This is so shocking” proceeded to put the paper on the table and drank his morning tea Hermione snorted and Ron deadpanned “Harry”
“Yes?” the little shit had the nerve to answer, with a wide smile
“We really need to teach you how to act” Ron deadpanned, his best friend raised his hand to his chest in mock offense
“Me? I reckon I’m perfectly believable, unlike the people who straight up stopped talking when we walked in because they wanted something to gossip about” 

the rest of the hall then started to talk again and Harry smirked.
The twins looked at Harry “Hey if you don’t want him to have your custody we could….”
Harry let out a bitter laugh “ We both know my opinion doesn’t matter. and honestly, Sirius is a nice guy, don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” they didn’t seem to believe him but then they realized something
“Wait
when did you
meet him?” as soon as they asked, their conversation was interrupted by McGonagall who called Harry to her office. Harry, the unbelievable asshole, just left his friends to explain to the overprotective twins how they knew Sirius, not only without any visible regret or apology, but giving them the salute and trailing after the Professor. 

McGonagall explained the situation and told him that he would meet his new guardian that weekend in ‘neutral grounds’. she meant Hogsmeade but Harry saw just how sad she looked for him. it should have made him feel better, but it really didn’t: why did she do nothing while he stayed at the Dursleys? he had been on his knees and he had begged. nothing ever changed. Despite the malnourishment, the bruises, the baggy clothes. the list went on and on.
he kept his temper in check
“Thank you ma’am” he only said
“I’m sorry for this Potter, I wish I could do something…” she trailed off.  Harry who was already at the door turned around sharply. he didn’t look at her in the eyes when he said
“But you shouldn’t be. not this time.” he paused to gather his thoughts “If Sirius hadn’t done what he did I would have gone back to the Dursleys.” he finally looked at her “The fact that I would rate live with an ex convict that I barely know then my blood relatives means nothing to you?” he asked. Harry then left, while McGonagall just looked at the spot left vacant by him. 

good mood ruined Harry was making his way towards the Arithmancy classroom not really thinking of his surroundings. he thought of how many kids’ life was bad, just like his used to be. he thought of how much he would have wanted someone to help. he thought of Draco, who in his first lifetime didn’t think he had a way out and ended up being a death eater. he thought they should really do something about it.
Suddenly two little bodies collided against his own when he turned a sharp corner.
one of them gasped, the other inhaled loudly
“We’re sorry Heir Potter” then they literally ran away. Harry confusedly looked after them but soon any thoughts of them left his mind. 

Once he arrived at Arithmancy Hermione tried to ask him what was wrong, but he told her a dismissive “later” they were going to study in the library anyway, he would tell her everything then

Chapter Text

Harry left to pick up Ron by the Divination Tower, Hermione always refused to go anywhere near it. Ron, upon looking at him seemed put out for a second but recovered
“What happened?” he asked, little did Harry know that the most probable future had just changed dramatically, though the Basilisk Farm was always in the picture.
“I’ll tell you when we’re with Hermione, I won’t want to repeat myself,” he said,  gloomily. 

Once they arrived at the Library they found Hermione at the Slytherin table, not only with the girls but also with Nott and Malfoy. the two Gryffindors looked at each other and decided ‘fuck it, we were supposed to reach out anyway’

“Hello, do you mind if we sit?” asked Ron. the Slytherins looked at each other, but Cindy Moon won their staring match apparently
“Of course, any friend of Hermione is a friend of mine” she said smiling
“Thank you,” said Harry, giving a half head bow. Ron instead was trying to get them seats
“Mione move your stuff please” he whined “Why should I?” she asked without looking away from her book
“I’ll set the twins on you. again.” Hermione gave a whoosh of her wand and her stuff moved
“Aw! thanks” Ron said sarcastically. Hermione glared at him but he just smirked.
“Nott” he said, greeting the other guy.  “Weasley,” he answered, but kept studying.
Malfoy looked between the two of them with wide eyes. then he must have realized that he would probably know later and went back to his book. 

About half an hour of studying later Hermione gasped
“Harry I forgot, what happened with McGonagall?” Hermione asked, breaking the somewhat tense silence on the table. Harry looked up from his Herbology essay, thoroughly marked with ASK NEVILLE, and simply said
“She felt sorry for me” the Slytherins on the table were very confused but Ron’s quill fell on the ground in shock
“Are you joking? please tell me you’re joking”
Harry snorted “I fucking wish I was.”
“But what about the Dursleys?! Why would she never…” started Hermione
“Look I don’t know okay?” snapped Harry “I’m a lot more angered then you, trust me”
“Oh I can tell” answered Hermione, knowingly. Harry looked at her now, but Ron just pointed at the chair that Harry was sitting in: it was covered in Ice webs, as it usually happened when he got too mad
“Shit” cursed Harry, while waving his hand to dissolve them. All the Slytherins looked at Harry like he was a completely absurd phenomenon, but Ron just laughed “That was funny, but about McGonagall...we don’t need her anyway. we never really did I guess. we’ll do everything we decided to do  ourselves and screw it” said Ron
“Speaking of we need to add to the list some sort of organization to check on other abused kids. it’s absurd that there is none in the Magical Government” said Harry with finalty. 

Hermione then took a journal where they had started to write down everything they needed to change. while she was writing down Harry’s suggestion Malfoy’s curiosity took the better of him
“What is going on and what are you talking about?!” he asked exasperated. The trio looked at each other 

Ron decided to explain
“Sirius has got custody of Harry and that is a bloody relief for everyone involved. The problem is that McGonagall misread the whole situation and feels sorry for Harry but she should have at LEAST felt sorry for him while he was still with…” he hesitated
“Those dumb ass bitches of my relatives, you can say it Ron.” scoffed Harry.
Draco seemed about to ask something that was probably really stupid or unsensitive but Theo got there first
“I get the feeling,” he said looking at Draco. it seemed like a switch flipped and he stopped talking: Draco was well aware of Theo’s home life, and if he understood then…
“Alright then what’s with the ice?” asked Pansy. just because the girl had accepted Hermione doesn’t mean she would just accept every Gryffindor who came her way.
“He just does that sometimes” shrugged Hermione. Now they may have not known each other for a long time but Pansy was sure that Hermione would never leave something undiscovered. That meant that they knew exactly why Potter’s magic created the ice and how it was strong enough to do so and that they didn’t want to tell them. Understandable because they were children of death eaters, it was already a wonder that they wanted to talk to them.
Weasley took a good look at her, his eyes slightly glossy like he was thinking really hard, and just went “you’re wrong”
Pansy, who didn’t know him at all, took it the wrong way “Excuse me?” Weasley just sighed
“I told this to Nott already:  thinking that we don’t want to be your friends or that we don’t trust you because your parents are Death Eaters is complete and utter bullshit” Almost the whole rest of the table gasped
“Besides, there is really not that much you can do to make us hate you.” Potter seemed to hesitate “Maybe don’t force me into a blood ritual that I don’t want to partake in.”
“Again,” said Weasley. that was supposed to be a joke, but no one on the table managed the smile that somehow Potter was wearing as he shoved his best friend
“Sod off. and how do you and Nott know each other anyway?” asked Potter
“Chess club” at that Potter just nodded and went back to his schoolwork like they didn’t just mention him being in a blood ritual unwillingly. 

They started studying again (in the Slytherin’s case wondering just what the actual fuck had that guy gone through) while the library became more and more full. 

Neville Longbottom and a couple of his hufflepuff friends came in after a while and found the table where the trio usually sat full of other people. He found them at the same table with the Slytherins but before he could tell his companions to go sit somewhere else, Harry waved them closer.
“Hey man, Ladies” greeted Harry. Susan just nodded and Hannah waved
“Are you looking for a place to sit?” asked suddenly Millicent.
“Yeah, but I’m sure it’s fine, we’ll find another table” answered Hannah
“Nonsense, there’s three seats free. please sit down” Nott said in a no-nonsense voice.  The three looked at each other and Neville took the courage to sit down first.
“Don’t worry, we don’t bite” said Pansy, smiling in a way that conveyed the exact opposite.
“So Daphne how are you?” asked Susan. The two girls who were sitting next to each other started quietly chatting while everyone else did their work. Harry at some point asked Neville to correct his homework
“Fine. but” he said pointing his finger towards his friend “I want all the details about the whole change of guardianship.” he took the sheet when Harry scoffed and nodded.
Then he deadass took a look and said “And a butterbeer” the whole table laughed. Harry looked at them in mock offense
“Excuse you I’ll have you know I’m great” he said joking
“In DADA, arithmancy and Quidditch, sure. the rest...eh” Joked Ron. Harry shoved him again. 

the Slytherins were looking at them like they came from a different planet: a nice planet where politics didn’t mold your whole life and friendships were just that, friendships.
It was a far away dream for all of them. but, they couldn’t help but think, it might be closer than they had thought.

Chapter Text

Remus Lupin had read the article. And couldn’t believe it. he really didn’t want to. 

but he realized that there were no other possibilities other than that. 

what made him really mad was that he had told everyone: Dumbledore, the rest of the order, he had even tried with the Ministry. 

Tha day of the article he went through the motions, simply doing his best to process just what happened: his best friend (ex lover) had been in Azkaban for 12 years. And he had been convinced after a while that he was really guilty. He hadn’t even visited once. 

After the lessons he had (thankfully he finished around three) he went into his chambers and cried his heart out. 

then, after he pobably got dehydrated, he realized a really big inconsistency in what happened: one day he knew for sure that Sirius was innocent, the next he cried because he was a traitor. 

just what had happened? He went to the Room of Requirement and asked for a Pevensie. there he rewatched his memories.
What he saw made his blood boil so much so that Moony wanted to skin the man alive. He also knew he couldn’t. but what was enough was enough. 

He went to the Headmaster’s office as soon as he was done. he slammed the door open and found Severus and Dumbledore talking in hushed and worried tones
“how could you.” he said more than asked
“My boy I have no idea what you’re talking about” the Headmaster answered
“Don’t you dare play dumb with me” he said, his eyes glowing amber “I told you he was innocent. I’ve done everything I could to get him a trial and as soon as I was almost successful you ENCHANTED ME!” Dumbledore’s eyes betrayed his surprise
“My boy I would never do something like that! And even if I did you wouldn’t remember”
“I am a Werewolf, Dumbledore. my mind is more resistant than that of the average wizards. despite this I didn’t realize until I actually went looking for the enchantment. HE WAS INNOCENT”
Severus looked slightly sickened, by him or Dumbledore he didn’t know. “Calm yourself Lupin”  he said
“No.” he told the Potion Master. he then turned to the other man “You betrayed my trust. You enchanted me not to be a problem. You’ve used me until you didn’t need me then you threw me away like I was nothing.” he said.

there were a few moments of silence where no one said anything
“I quit.” the werewolf said with finality. Snape tried to say something but Remus kept going “I’ll stay until the end of the year then I will leave” he turned on his heel.
Once he was at the door he turned towards the other two and said
“Also that essay to the third, fourth and sixth years on how to murder a werewolf were in dreadful taste Severus.”  his eyes zoned in on the man “I don’t care that you still hate me because of something that happened fifteen years ago and wasn’t even my fault. But if you out me, Severus I will finish what I didn’t in our fifth year, am I clear?”
The Potion Master’s face, usually already pale, was ashen looking
“Crystal” he said, his tone not betraying any emotions. which meant that he was hiding his fear under his Occlumency shield. he had received the message
“Good” 

he closed the door behind him, but didn’t go down the stairs
“I already didn’t want to denounce him as a werewolf. now, headmaster you can’t force me to”
“My boy…” Remus left before hearing what the Headmaster had to say. He did what he had to do.

 Once Remus had left the office he went towards his quarters. thinking about what he had just done. When he saw some students going walking. He obviously instantly recognized Harry’s mop of hair
“Mr Potter” he called, the words feeling foreign on his tongue
“Would you mind coming to the office with me for a minute?” he said. The trio shared a look, as if deciding whether he should. the young Longbottom looked almost scared for some reason.
“Yes sir” he answered. Longbottom looked like he wanted to protest but Weasley stopped him. 

so he and Harry went towards his office. they were silent all the way until they arrived.
“Please sit” he said magiking a kettle on the stove
“Is there any problem with my work sir?” Harry asked. had it been anyone else he probably would have fooled him, but he looked too much like James. he knew exactly why he was there and was playing dumb. how he knew eluded him but then again Lily always seemed to know everything.
“I believe you know your work in my class is excellent. you are the youngest wizard to produce a full patronus I believe”
“I’m pretty sure Luna is younger than me sir”
“Miss Lovegood can produce a patronus?” he asked surprised
“Yeah I taught all my friends when we realized that the dementors were affecting them a little too much” he shrugged. Typical, he didn’t realize what a feat this is.
“Well, we’re going to have to talk about this more, but there is something else I need to talk to you about”
“oh?”
“It’s about Sirius...Black” he almost forgot to use his full name
“Oh” he seemed almost disappointed
“I never told you, because I didn’t want you to see me as anything other than your teacher but...we were friends in school. Me Sirius, a man called Peter Pettigrew and your father.” Harry just nodded
“You don’t seem surprised” Remus stated
“Because I am not”
“You aren’t?”
“Not really. I was the one who brought Pettigrew to justice.” he said
“How did you know?” Remus was baffled
“I don’t think I should talk about it sir, especially here.”
“What...Why not here?”
“Hogwarts is a really dangerous place sir. and there are always people or things listening. I wouldn’t trust even the walls here, sir” Remus was astonished, but he didn’t say anything.
“And if you brought me here to tell me how sad you are for me to be in Sirius’s care I’ll have you know that McGonagall has beaten you there sir”
“What do you mean?” This conversation wasn’t going the way Remus had expected.
When Harry finished explaining, he realized he had another old teacher to yell at. 

the kettle whistled and he poured the hot water in their cups after placing the tea in it. it gave him time to calm his nerves, trying his best to convey that he was calm and collected. calm and collected.

“Well Sirius is really not that bad. a bit of a drama queen maybe” Harry snickered
“Yeah. we noticed” Remus smiled.

they talked more about the Marauders and Remus said that if he could he would want to talk to Sirius and hopefully be a part of their lives. 

They both left the meeting happier. 

but Remus had a cat to yell at and it wasn’t going to be pretty.

Chapter Text

Harry made his way to the common room after talking to Remus. it didn’t go as he wanted to really, but no matter. He knew the professor would slowly become part of his life, whether tell him all the details was a whole other matter. 

When Harry got inside, Neville was pacing the room with big steps, while Ron was telling him that he was exaggerating.
“What’s wrong here?” asked Harry sitting down at the table. Neville spun around and breathed a sign of relief
“See? You were exaggerating” said Ron in his I-told-you-so tone.
“You couldn’t have known that” answered Neville. And Harry had to say, it was nice starting to see the brave, courageous Neville he had known during the years of the war.
“Couldn’t have known what?” he asked instead of telling his god brother just how proud he was of him.
“That professor Lupin wasn’t going to kill you” interjected Hermione before the two other boys could say anything.
Harry was surprised to say the least

“Nev…” he started.
“No just…” Neville took a breath “Quirrel ended up being Voldemort and Lockheart almost got you two killed because he wanted your own fame you...I got worried ok? I don’t trust DADA teachers” he said. And had Harry been younger he would have though him either smart or paranoid. As it was Harry just found Neville’s worry so damn cute. He hugged him.
“Thanks man” he said, as Hermione looked at him and awed sarcastically. Ron snickered
“But no worries” he said as they let go “I know how to take care of myself”
The fact that both Hermione and Ron said “Most of the time” and Neville raised his eyebrow in disbelief said nothing on him. 

Hermione’s wand gave a chime
“Well I’m going to go” she said standing up
“Where?” asked Ron, even as his eyes became glassy against his will
“Me and some friends are doing an experiment” she said
“Does that have anything to do with the fact that both you and Daphne Greengrass have been measuring your food for three days?” asked Neville. Hermione seemed surprised
“Yes actually, we’re doing a blood protection spell and we want to know what differences there are with...a long list of parameters. Me and Daphne are the only ones with the same blood type” said Hermione with a shrug.
“Well, have fun” said Ron, while Harry commented “No glitter” Hermione, who was already halfway to the door, turned around and flipped him off. Harry laughed. 

Then Hermione’s voice came from the portrait “RON! LUNA’S HERE. ooOOP NEVERMIND” and then she left. 

Luna Lovegood instead came in through the portrait
“Hello” she said with her airy voice
“Hi Luna” greeted Ron, while Harry side-hugged her.
“How are you?” he asked
“Much better now that Ginny’s Wacksprouts are gone. Mine are also gone and I couldn’t remember having them. They must have been a particularly nasty kind” she said looking into nothing.
She suddenly focused on Neville “You’re Neville Longbottom” the poor boy just nodded, feeling spooked out
“Neville, this is Luna Lovegood. She’s our friend” said Ron smiling, he remembered their relationship, and he could feel Luna remembering it too
“Hi” he said, almost stuttering.
“I need to talk to Ron about the cool necklace I gave him” she said, without taking her eyes off of Neville
“Sure” Ron said standing up, “Want to go outside?” he asked.
“Yeah” she answered sounding more distracted than usual and still looking at Neville. Ron sighed and took her arm
“This will take a while” he told Harry. The other boy nodded, and started making conversation with Neville 

As soon as Luna and Ron were out of the portrait hole, Luna looked at Ron
“He’s going to be my boyfriend” she said with wide and excited eyes. Ron laughed
“Yeah, you’ll be happy with him” he said, careful not to spoil anything. Luna made another prediction, but decided not to tell him. Ron knew she had seen herself with his sister, but he made no comment on it. He always hated knowing about his sister’s love life, which is why they had made the necklaces 
“What did you want to talk about?” Ron asked, once again going back on the topic. Luna just started walking and said
“Do you like crystal spheres?” she asked, referring to the horrible device that Ron had smashed almost a month ago now.
“Not really” he grumbled
“Spheres can be cubes, you know?” she said in her daydreaming tone. And Ron had to use all his willpower to act like what she said meant nothing: a sphere controlled the divination powers, a cube might control someone else’s magical inclinations
“And what do you suggest we do then?” he asked trying not to shake in anger
“Well...spheres fall on the ground all the time, and they break. Cubes do too if you give them a little shove.” Ron nodded and the two walked more purposefully. The room full of devices: those were homologating the student body, and by proxy the magical world. No wander magical britain was the most boring of all the magical countries: the majority was conditioned their whole school years to be something they’re not.  

‘Those things will burn to the ground’ Ron swore to himself. And his red hair shone a little brighter, not unlike a flame

Hermione on the other hand made her way to her new Slytherin friends
“Hello ladies” she said as soon as she entered the designated room: they had warded it so that no one would want to enter it
“Hello Mione” said Cindy with a smile
“Are you ready?” asked Pansy in a no-nonsense tone
“Good morning to you too, Pansy”  Hermione said sarcastically
“Yes, yes. Daphne ate as she should have, did you?” she asked, her black hair all over her face
“Yes, I know how to follow a diet” said Hermione with a scoff
“Good then get on with it” the other girl said. 

Hermione scoffed again but took her place on her carpet
“Someone’s eager” she told Daphne, indicating Pansy with her head. Daphne snickered
“She’s been like this the whole morning”
“And we’re all tired of it so let’s go” said Millicent.
“I’m ready to record everything that happens, and remember ladies: you should think of something that you love and that you want to protect, it should be as precise as possible. Then pour in your magic and recite the words of the spell. Cut a little on your left arm and use the blood to write the runes with your right, the size should be the standard one, and if you’re ready…”
“Tracy!” exclaimed Cindy “We. Know” she said again. Tracy looked like she would be okay with being swallowed whole by the floor.
“Let’s go” Cindy said in a much calmer tone
Hermione and Daphne looked at each other and began. 

they had talked about it and they had decided to think about their mothers: they both loved them and they found out that they had a pretty similar situation, as their mothers were often busy with work. 

The words were spoken, the cuts were made and slowly but surely the runes were written.
The two identical carpets both glowed the same light and with the same intensity. 

Hermione and Daphne, both panting high fived.
“What’s our first attack?” she asked.
They had decided to protect the two carpets and attack them until one or both would break. 

Millicent started with Filipendio on both the carpets, Tracy cast a Diffindo and an Abscindere, Cindy used a spell reserved to werewolves (and Hermione didn’t know those even existed), Pansy tried her hand at a Fiendfyre, but Hermione stopped her
“Do. Not. EVER use that spell, am I clear?” she demanded. Pansy only nodded, but only because the protection spell on Hermione’s carpet was glowing: Hermione had only wanted to protect her and everyone thought that there must have been a story there as she was still shaking 10 minutes later. 

In the end both carpets were deemed of equal force.
“Well that was interesting” said Hermione
“Yeah it was…”murmured Pansy, trying to think how to tell her other friends and her parents that there was now scientifically proven evidence that Muggleborns and Purebloods are perfectly alike under the same circumstances.
“So I guess I’ll see you girls at the library” commented reluctantly Hermione
“If you want we’re going to the kitchen, I don’t know about you but I’m starving!” said Tracy. 

Hermione nodded and joined in. They laughed the afternoon aways, the cut on her arm didn’t sting at all by the end of the day.

Chapter Text

Once again Harry Ron and Hermione were at the library to study. this time, and this was a pretty new occurrence, they were in the back, where the big tables were positioned. there a huge mix and match of people were studying together : Cindy, Daphne Millicent Pansy Tracy Theo Draco and Blaise for Slytherin, the Golden Trio, Neville, Padma and Lavender for Gryffindor, Sally-Anne Perks,  Susan and Hannah for Hufflepuff and Terry Boot, Parvati  and Lisa Turpin from Ravenclaw. 

one would expect conflict to come from the table. Instead conversations flowed nicely, homeworks exchanged and corrected. this fine week of February seemed to be perfect. 

At some point in the late afternoon two little girls came to their table and gave something to Theo, a note from Severus Snape.
the two went to leave when Harry said hello to them
Malfoy seemed surprised “You know the Carrow twins?”
“Yeah” he smiled “They bumped into me the other day” he said
“We apologize again, Heir Potter for our slight, we didn’t mean to offend you” said one of them giving almost a full bow. Harry went to tell them that it was nothing but Neville cleared his throat loudly next to him. Harry looked at him and he made a weird motion with his head and hand. Harry realized what he meant and said
“I accept your apology with harm to none and debt forgone” the twins looked relieved, but Harry turned to Neville
“Did I say that right?” Susan interjected “Needs some work on the delivery and the form ,but it’s not bad” then she went back to talk with Terry Boot about something or the other. 

“They’re actually your cousins you know?” Harry turned back to Malfoy
“Say what again?” then Malfoy was starting to get a very familiar expression, the how-in-Merlin’s-name-do-you-not-know-this
“Actually, don’t say anything, if I was supposed to know it, it’s something else I need to research, can you give me the rundown of what I was supposed to know without the whole being surprised thing?” he said. Millicent intervened
“Your grandmother was a Carrow, the eldest one at that, so technically if their father is cast out by the Carrow family magics you are the next in line to the Lordships, meaning they are to show you respect because you could strip their father out of the family tree. as you didn’t introduce yourself to them they can’t do that themselves as it would be seen as rude. they don’t know how to act around you, that’s the main problem”
Harry breathed a sigh of relief “Thanks Milly, I owe you a chocolate frog”
“You better deliver” was her answer. Harry then turned towards the little Slytherin
“Hi, I’m Harry Potter, and apparently I am your second cousin. Of which I had no idea until now, so I’m sorry if this is all out of protocol” he said smiling. He offered them his hand to shake. Both of them did, though the one on the left with a little difficulty.
“What are your names?” he asked
“Alice and Anne” said the one on the right.
Harry, trying not to be intimidating, asked “Which is which?”
they seemed surprised and the one on the right said, pointing to herself “Anne” and she pointed to her sister “Alice”
“It’s nice to meet you then” he said. they both smiled “You know I won’t bite if you say more then two words at the time right” Alice snorted at that but immediately went into a coughing fit, clutching at her ribs. Harry’s eyes focused on her, his whole demeanour changed. Anne seemed to move ever so slightly to protect her sister
“Say Neville, would I as a Lord have any responsibility or rights towards my second cousins?”
“Well, technically no. As a wixen in higher standing in the family dynamics you would only have a role in case their parents or guardian is unsuitable or unavailable. You have the right to decide if the guardian is unsuitable” he said “Why?”
“I’m deeming whoever is in charge of you two an unsuitable guardian then” he said seriously, his eyes never leaving Alice’s frail body
“And how would you be able to tell that?” asked Malfoy rolling his eyes
“No decent guardian lets their charge go to school with broken ribs” as soon as he said that, Anne took her sister’s hand and started running. 

Harry was a seeker, and older. So he simply took both of their arms barely standing up from his chair
“Are you two crazy? no wonder those haven’t healed.” he forced them both to still, squeezing their arms and said marking every word “You. can’t. go. running. with. broken. ribs” now the whole table was looking at them
“Now come here, let me see.” he told Alice as he brought her closer. He lightly pressed a finger in her ribcage and she flinched, hard  “Let her go!” said Anne, not making any actual move to physically separate Harry and Alice
“I’m not trying to hurt her, I need to see how many ribs are broken”
“three” said Alice herself, speaking for the first time since he saw her, her voice was low and she spoke in a way that made evident she was in pain.
“Liar. it’s at least four. don’t try to play me on this” he said to her, still holding her by the arm
“How did you know?” asked Neville
“Not talking, ragged breath and hunching your shoulder. that usually wouldn’t have worried me, she may have only been shy but she laughed and started coughing, it’s not normal, not that way. I would know” he smiled sadly at his friend. 

Anne meanwhile had found her courage, or rather had decided that there was no alternative. she started trying to pry her sister from Harry’s hands.
“You’re NOT GOING TO HURT HER!” she yelled. Harry thanked god (Hermione) for putting up privacy spells. he easily took her with his other arm
“I’M NOT GOING TO!” he yelled back. she flinched but retreated. Harry took a deep breath
“Now why on earth would you think…” Then he looked at them both again. they were hunching, trying to disappear in themselves, they didn’t say a word, they were trying to act … as if they didn’t exist. he realized.
“Well now I officially deem whoever raised you an abusive piece of shit” he said angrily.
He let Alice go and sat cross legged on the floor, he raised his hands as if to say “i won’t harm”
“I understand how you feel,” he said. both girls looked doubtful, but no one had ever talked to them like that “I know that it isn’t the first time it happened” they both flinched “It’s not your fault, you’re actually pretty smart” he leaned in mock conspiratorially “I understood what I had to do after the fourth time my relatives broke my ribs” he said. someone gasped behind them but he continued “I also know that probably whoever offered to help you probably hurt you instead.” the sisters looked at each other “Judging by the way you have food in your robes pocket I’m pretty sure you were withheld food and water. I know, I’ve been there. going to sleep at four pm because your stomach hurts so much because of hunger pains, I understand” he said, someone behind gasped “But broken ribs hurt like a bitch if they don't heal properly, another lesson I learned the hard way that you should not have to. So how about we go to Madam Pomphrey..” they both shook their heads frantically, Alice getting back in a coughing fit  “Okay, okay never mind Madam Pomphrey, I can heal your ribs if you want” Someone tried to say something but Ron or Hermione probably silenced them. the twins looked at each other, almost communicating. “I know you have no reason to trust me, or to even like me. but do you remember the feeling of breathing without worrying about getting hurt? Do you remember how it feels to fall asleep without pain?” he asked Alice. a tear fell down her face as she shook her head “I can help you, and I will do my best so that it doesn’t hurt too much” he raised his eyebrows and waited.
As Alice was about to say yes Anne interrupter
“What if he does like father?” her sister moved her hand in a weird motion, some kind of secret communication code, then said to Harry “Yes” 

Harry nodded. he secretly thanked his future self, for explaining throughoutly his (albeit limited) medical training. “I’m going to scoot closer to you, okay? then what we will do is this: I need to place both my hands on your ribcage and you should feel a tingling sensation. if your ribs are misplaced you will feel them getting back in their place and that might hurt, but it would hurt more if we didn’t do this. Are you okay with this?” she nodded haphazardly Harry scooted closer, but she flinched
“You can say no, you know? I won’t be mad, we’ll find another solution” her eyes shined with tears
“Promise me you won’t hurt me” she whispered
“I promise I’ll do my best, it will hurt if your ribs are misplaced, I’m sorry, but I don’t want to lie to you” she nodded. Harry raised his hands slowly and lightly touched her ribs
“Neville, hold Anne please” he said. Then he poured his magic on Alice, replicating the feeling he had felt every time his bones mended themselves after Dudley or Vernon broke them.  Alice gulped but didn’t scream. Harry didn’t know but his hands were glowing for a few seconds.
Once he thought he had finished he said “Done” he smiled “Try breathing harder” Alice did. once, then twice, then she looked at him in wonder. “I…” she touched her chest, poked and probed at her ribs. Anne managed to leave Neville’s hold because the boy was so astonished
“How does it feel?” asked Harry, after Anne went to her sister and hugged her
“I’m..fine…” Alice seemed at loss for words, still not speaking loudly
“Thank you Heir Potter, we are in your debt” said Anne
“No you aren’t.” Harry answered “No one should have done that to her, it’s not your fault and someone surely should have noticed she was hurt. you’re not in my debt, don’t worry” he smiled again “If you ever need anything again I want you both to call me okay? whatever you need. if it is something stupid like a boy or a girl who you like or who’s bothering you to another broken bone okay? promise me” they both nodded
“We promise,” said Alice who smiled as well. Anne still distrusted him apparently, but they would work it out.
“We should probably go…” said Anne. Harry nodded “Again, whatever you need…” they both nodded and left in a hurry, Alice still probing her ribs and marveling at how they were healed.  

Harry watched them leaving, then he took a deep breath and rose. as he dusted himself off he went back to sit down
“If you could be so kind as to not tell this to half the castle it would be highly appreciated” he said in a cold tone, a stark opposite to the kindness he had shown to the little girls. 

Harry gave the rest of the table time to process as he called Click whispering, asking him to put in his bag copies of genealogies of his House and Law books regarding child custody.
He heard the tell-tale pop and thanked his house elf as he unshrinked his book

in the general silence he turned to Hermione and threw her the books about child custody
“Hey Mione, guess what. we have a new project”
Hermione’s voice was shaken when she answered “What project involves ‘the grey areas in magical britain’s law system’?”
“Why I thought you’d never ask! It’s two possibilities here, either child adoption or child abduction”  she snorted. 

“Okay hold up, What the actual FUCK POTTER?” asked Lavender. Harry sighed “My home life sucks, and apparently my cousins’ too” he said simply
“How did you know how to heal her?” asked Terry, ever the Ravenclaw
“It was my most consistent and one of my first bits of accidental magic. whenever i’d break a bone for one reason or another, my magic would heal it. I simply transferred the feeling from me to her. it’s not the first time i’ve done it to someone else” he said, skipping through the genealogy introduction book
“Was it true? did your guardians not feed you?” asked Susan, sadness and disbelief rippling off her
Harry snorted “I wish that was the only thing they did.” He put his book down and looked at her in the eyes “Have you ever wondered why I dislike herbology so much yet I'm so good at the practical side?” she tried to answer “It was a rhetorical question. My aunt made me do all the outside jobs in every season without any kind of protection other than my clothes because, why waste money one some useless protection that I’d outgrow in a few months” he laughed bitterly “I’m lucky my skin tone is so dark or I would have had sunburns all over in the summer, less nice was working in winter and coming back inside with frostbites” he took back his book, not noticing Susans’ teary eyes.
“So you didn’t grow up trained by goblins” mused Cindy
“Fuck no. but if you consider my whale of a cousin you can still say I grew up in a fucking zoo” he said, and Ron snorted
“You didn’t fight Dragons on the weekends either I guess” Harry turned at Draco
“Not really. During the weekends I laid in my ‘room’ crying myself to sleep because of how much I hurt. My life until Hogwarts wasn’t the best really”
“Why your life at Hogwarts has been much better”  said Ron sarcastically
Harry had to agree on that one “Well at least I eat. and I don’t have bloody bars on my windows, so”  he shrugged 

“Back to the project now, any Ideas?” said Harry
“Oh no” muttered Neville
“What?” asked Ron
“You’re actually going through with this! I don’t like it when you guys have a project” he said, sounding more than distressed at the mere idea
Hermione snorted “We’re actually pausing another one in favour of child abduction apparently and let’s be fair the other is the one you should actually be scared about” she said without taking her eyes off her book
“How bad is it from a scale of getting a dragon out of school undetected to bringing a mass murderer to justice” Neville asked, his face only showing resignation. while the rest of the table looked at them astonished the Golden trio turned sharply to Neville
“How do you know that?” asked Harry
Neville’s expression was one of mockery “Oh please, you really think you’re that subtle do you? I noticed the weird reactions you three had to Scabbers. Then Pettigrew is found to be an illegal animagus at the same time Ron says his pet died and doesn’t even mourn him?” Neville said raising an eyebrow
“I don’t really know who said that you’re not smart but I’m really fucking sorry for them” muttered Ron
“Thanks, I guess. anyway want to tell me what the other project is or should I find out on my own?” The trio looked at each other
“Would you believe me if I told you that it only involves a dead basilisk?” said Harry, but Neville snorted
“No” at the same time Lisa said “Only a dead basilisk?”
“We can’t talk about it here. At best we’ll have to bring you Downstairs if you want to hear half a word about it and you need to have a decent occlumency. Also we need to focus on This project.” said Hermione “I will NOT. have our main one be delayed too much because Harry has got too much unprocessed trauma”
“Gee. thanks Mione” said Harry sarcastically
“You’re welcome” 

“We could help, I think,” said Theo. the four Gryffindors looked up, almost surprised to see the others still here. Theo, in a rare case of nervousness, was fidgeting with something in his hands.
“I’m all ears” said Ron, trying to convey some sort of comfort, only going by his demeanor.
“I want something in exchange.” he said. it was what raised the first red flag in Harry’s opinion, the next sentence raised a thousand ones
“You name the price, we’ll see how we can help” answered Hermione
“You have to get me out too,” he said in a whisper. 

the air seemed to still once again with what was a horrifying revelation
“The Carrows came to give me Snape’s answer on something I’ve tried. I applied to the Ministry’s program for abused children.” He snorted bitterly “Didn’t get in, which means my old man will know I tried to get away, which means that as soon as I step back into my house I’ll get the beating of my life, if I survive at all” he said seriously.
“I take it you have another plan then” said Ron
Theo looked at the redhead “In all honesty when I did it, i didn’t have a plan. but I think we can do something now.” He turned to Harry “You said Black is a decent guy and from what I understand he loves you and would do something if you asked nicely” he asked
“I mean...sure. He probably would, why?”
“Because he’s the most prominent member, as in the only alive one, of a Most Ancient and Most Noble house. That means that per his request he can take care of children of other Houses, lower standing than his own. Meaning Nott and Carrow both fall under the category. He could ask our head of houses to keep us with him; it would be considered a great honour. I suggest lying and saying it is to train us. He should probably say some shit very vague like bring us on the Right path, that my father and Carrow will misread. He could take us in with our parents even paying him to do so…” he trailed off. “That would be the only thing I can think of.” his hands were shaking.
“Well” started Harry, seeing the other boy so terrified “It’s the best plan we have I’d say. it’s legal so we won’t be sentenced to Azkaban and it’s a permanent solution” he said
“We should probably ask Sirius before we do anything” wagered Ron
“Good call” answered Harry as he rummaged through his bag “Where is it?”
“If you’re looking for letter parchment it’s on the table in front of you” pitched in Padma
“He’s not looking for parchment” said Hermione
“Ha ha!” esulted Harry taking a mirror
“Not the time to watch yourself Potter” said Blaise, his best friend’s safety was at stake and Potter was going to admire himself in the bloody mirror?
“OH ye of little faith” said Harry, amused “Sirius” the mirror went black. he raised his eyebrow and repeated
“Sirius” muffled curses and rummaging was heard from the other side and the mirror started showing the coat of a man, then a cozy room and then a very familiar face
“Hey pup! how’s it going?” said the cheery voice of one ex con Sirius Black
“I’m good, thanks padfoot. listen I have….something I need to ask you” Harry said.
“Hey! If you’re having trouble with girls you can always talk to me” Harry facepalmed while Ron on the other side of the table laughed
“Not the time for the Talk Siri, we have another big problem” Harry explained to him briefly what happened
“Well, who better than a fellow survivor of child abuse to help other abused kids.” he mused
“So you’ll do it?”
Sirius shrugged “Sure, I’ll play them well and good. say that I want to raise another generation of Death Fuckers and I’ve chosen the best of the best. that ought to convince them”
“Do the Nott one but wait to to the Carrows, I’d like to earn their trust first” Sirius nodded
“You might want to mention how your non existent dark mark has faded” Pointed out Hermione. Several voices expressed different versions of “What the fuck?”
“Oh! yeah! so after Voldy died the marks should be fading, we heard Snape talking about it!” said Harry like it was something normal to talk about
“Well alright, I’ll do my best. I’ll get back to you as soon as I’m done kiddo”
“Alright thanks Sirius, I’ll call you later”
“Bye” and the call was cut

silence once again overtook the table
“Well. I’ll read the section about this whole operation tonight before bed. Now that this is solved can we go back to our other project?” asked Hermione impatiently
“We’re going to sneak out next week, Hermione chill!” answered an exasperated Ron
“He’s right, there’s nothing we can do from Hogwarts anyway. We’re using the Willow to get out or do you think…”started Harry
“Honeydukes is still a working passage” Pitched in Ron
“This was not the kind of thing I expected when I came to study with you lot, how do you always do this?” said Draco rubbing his temples
“I don’t know really” went Ron
“It just happens” this was Harry
“Harry has a saving people thing” said Hermione instead
“Hermione that was rude” she only stuck her tongue back at him

Theo’s voice and hands were shaky as he spoke “So he’ll help?”
“Yeah he will. it’ll be okay Nott, don’t worry” said Harry, smiling at him
“Is he…” he hesitated
“No. he’s not really a death eater, never was. I wouldn’t be so calm about the whole thing otherwise don’t you think? he’s kind of like...the cool wine uncle”
Theo let out a shaky laugh “He is?” Harry confirmed
“Thanks Potter”
“You’re welcome. also you can call me Harry, really.”
“Theo then”
“I think I need to tell you all something” said Blaise looking threatening “Should any of you tell anyone anything that happened here, you will find yourselves in saint mugos, with so many injuries you’ll be of age when you get out. Am I clear?” he asked looking at each one of the table occupants. everyone nodded, Lavender even said “Crystal” 

“I think I’m going to go though. this was fun and all, but I need time to process everything and I don’t think I can handle yet another dramatic revelation” said Daphne
“Yeah you’re right” agreed Lisa
“It’s been a long afternoon” muttered Neville
“So...same time next week?” asked Padma. it may have been the emotional roller coaster, but the whole table was laughing hysterically. 

they did meet up the next week, and the one after. it became sort of a tradition, a tradition that Ron knew, would change the course of history.

Chapter Text

Soooooo Things were looking good. 

The study group kept meeting and not really doing any studying: they mostly talked with each other and got to know each other better. 

Neville luckily let go of the topic of the Golden Trio’s main project (to take out Dumbledore), it would have been troublesome to tell him about it. Still they slowly became friends with more and more people: the Chess club, various study groups and the Official Mock Quidditch Tournament that Harry and Draco were organizing: apparently many people were pissed about the fact that there were only four teams at school and when Draco pitched the idea Harry was more than happy to help. 

In arithmancy professor Vector assigned to Harry some extremely difficult work and told him to ask some older students. It turned out that none other than Percy Weasley was willing to tutor him, so the two had started a weird sort of friendship (Ron bemoaning the fact that he was friends with his siblings more than him). Hermione was using her time turner to read all the books her future self had suggested she read. Ron and Luna were getting a lot closer because of their newfound Seer abilities. 

The Trio had also taken to sneaking out at  night, asking Neville and Lavender to cover for them. Over the course of February March April and June they visited a few people including Bathilda Bagshot, Elphias Doge and none other than Gellert Grindelwald. and they went to the Ministry, copying datas from Wizengamot meetings and the ICW meeting. They did their best to gather and organize (the latter was mostly Hermione) all their new blackmail  material.  They also interviewed many people among the general Wizarding population and found many of them to be under spells or under compulsions or even potions. 

those were very productive few months to be honest

The first of March brought a very important day that Harry made sure not to forget. He had asked Theo to keep Ron busy a few days earlier and he went to the Owlery to make an order. and it finally arrived.
At the Gryffindor table Ron was sitting with his face completely splattered in cake, a nice birthday present from Fred and George who, after singing Happy Birthday loudly and obnoxiously, had splattered it in his face. Percy had gifted him a book on chess strategy, first edition (Ron had read it in his other lifetime of course, but Percy hadn’t gifted it to him at the time, so it meant a lot). Hermione gave him unrestricted access to her time turner for twenty four hours. But Harry’s gift came with the post.
Everyone had wished him a happy birthday when Hedwig came flying down with a shriek.
She landed just by Harry handing him the little package tied on her leg. Harry took it, wrote a little note at the moment and handed it to Ron

“Happy birthday, mate,” he said, smiling. Ron stilled, recognizing the package

“Are these what I think they are?” he asked surprised

“Well yes” said Harry. he was suddenly feeling subconscious about his gift so he rubbed his neck and said

“If you don’t want them I can get you something else…”  While he was saying it Ron had taken the package and was opening it hastily.

“Are you joking? I’ve been meaning to get them for months!” he said smiling.
He ripped off the paper and, with everyone looking, he opened a case from Eeylops Emporium, to take out semi-rimless glasses. He put them on immediately and jumped over the table to where Harry was seated and gave him an obnoxious kiss on the cheek, smearing him with the cake that he still had on his face

“You have got NO idea how badly i needed these, thank you so much!” Harry just smiled and cleaned his cheek “It’s nothing”

“Hold up
since
when does
Ronniekins
Need glasses?” asked the Twins

“Since always?” said Ron with a ‘duh’ expression on his face.

“But you never said anything” said Percy who was clearly bothered by this face, considering the glasses that at this very moment rested on his face

“Well I don’t Need them per se” he shrugged “I’m dyslexic so it’s kinda hard to read but not impossible, and these don’t even completely correct my vision, they just make it a little easier for me to read that’s all. no need to spend money on it honestly” he said

“You bloody idiot, why do you say it like it’s no big deal!”

“Because it’s not Gin, calm down! Seriously, it’s fine.” The other Weasley siblings felt pretty guilty, never having noticed. but they put on a facade and enjoyed Ron’s birthday breakfast. they would each write to their parents and older brothers. something needed to be done.
But watching Harry and Ron and Hermione be so happy, Ron’s new glasses already askew and smeared with cake, they all thought each one in their own way, that their brother had found friends to die for.

The Golden Trio also kept going out of their way to befriend people, so the group from the library soon added many other people from all houses. It was astounding how in a few months (and a slightly traumatic event as Hermione likes to remind them) the house rivalry was completely obliterated.
Slowly other years started doing it too: the second years were breaking out of their self imposed shells and by april they were all openly hanging out together. The first years got there by the beginning of March.
Older years seemed to be more reluctant but some groups of people could be seen together publically whereas usually they would have hung out privately. It was slow going but noticeable: at some point Headmaster Dumbledore tried to do a speech reminding the school that “the houses existed for a reason” and “it is important to cultivate yourselves away from bad influences” said, in many more words, directly to the Slytherin table. The next day no one sat at their assigned tables but mixed and matched at various tables, many making a point of loudly calling Slytherins to come sit with them (when Seamus called for Blaise was a surprise to everyone, a good one sure but a surprise nonetheless). apparently some Ravenclaws had * casually * mentioned to a few of the most well known gossiping people (who spread rumors a lot), that sitting at other tables was not against the rules and teachers couldn’t possibly think of taking points from them.
Dumbledore’s face seeing Harry sitting by Pansy, Theo and the Carrow twins was priceless. 

Speaking of the Carrows Harry slowly got to know them and they got to know him. He started helping them with their homeworks and giving them suggestions on how to manage both their school time and social time. of course with a lot of help from Hermione and Ron. Anne started, sometime around April, to start sentences and stop herself just before talking. Harry reassured her
“Whatever you want to tell me I’m here. Whenever you’re ready”  she started crying.  Alice shook her head

“I told N to tell you but the bloody idiot won’t” she said rolling her eyes.

“Don’t force her. When and If she wants to tell me she will.” 

It was only in May when Harry breached the topic of them coming to live with him and Sirius that Anne cracked.
Alice was extremely happy and immediately said yes. Anne looked conflicted

“If we do...I need to tell you something” she said, looking down. Harry discreetly cast some protection charms

“I’m right here, and I am listening” he said

“Promise you won’t be mad” she said, looking terrified. He swore. Anne seemed to gather her courage

“The first night, when we went to the Slytherin common room…” she hesitated. Harry didn’t interrupt her and let her take her own time. “I tried to go with Alice in her dorm but...the protections on the door activated” she finally said, her voice breaking.

“So you’re not a girl,” he said, looking at them. Anne nodded and started sobbing “Please don’t hate me” Harry immediately hugged her. she stiffened but relaxed soon after.

“I could never hate you. You’re my cousin and I will love you whether you’re a girl, a boy, or anything in between” Anne cried a little more on his shoulder. Alice (who had turned out the more talkative of the two, like seriously the little girl could talk for hours on end and never get tired!) explained that he had been terrified of rejection and that their father would find out.

“Well” Harry said when Anne stopped crying “Do you still want me to call you Anne? Or would you like another name?” he asked

“Actually it’s still Anne, but not the name, the letter N. It stands for Nathan,” she said, her hands still trembling.

“I think it’s a beautiful name Nathan” he said smiling “Also this was a very clever idea, I’ll tell you that. Slytherin should be proud of you” they both giggled.
then Harry got on a more serious note

“Listen Nathan, I need you to know that you are not alone, okay? you are not weird, or unnatural or a freak. some dumb people could probably say that, but they’re wrong. You are amazing. and if you don’t believe me, just think of Luna! They’re usually a girl, but sometimes they’re neither a girl nor a boy. She said we can use all pronouns when talking about her, so that’s what we do. because they like it so it’s fine” he raised his eyebrows a little “Do you understand?” Nathan nodded.

“Alright. Sirius will be happy to know he can ‘teach you fashion’ too, but if you want my opinion you should never, ever listen to a single word he says about clothes” the twins giggled, and Harry was satisfied with himself for how he handled it. 

Before long the Summer vacations arrived. The Trio was surprised to know that Lupin wouldn’t be the DADA teacher anymore, but they would ask him about it soon enough.
When they left the castle their compartment was enlarged to fit more people and many decided to come sit with them, and the ride was enjoyable for all.
At the station Harry waved goodbye to Hermione as she went with her parents, he took Theo, Alice and Nathan and went towards his godfather. Ron and the Weasleys went with him and they saw Mrs Weasley standing by Sirius glaring daggers at him

“Hey kiddo!” said Sirius side hugging him

“Hey Pads, these are Theodore Nott, N and Alice Carrow. Guys this is my dumb godfather, Sirius Black”

A chorus of “Merry day, Sir” came from the Slytherin students

“Oh don’t go calling me that now! I’m Sirius, and as you will be living with me you can call me that. so, I will need a drop of blood to let you into the Black Manor” there was a collective gasp

“I know you’ve heard the stories but it’s not nearly as bad as you might think. We can pretend, though” he said, winking. As the new inhabitants of the Black Manor lined up to give their blood Mrs Weasley took Harry to the side

“You could still come with us, Harry, It would be no bother really”Harry struggled to keep his cool

“Mrs Weasley, don’t worry about me, Sirius is fine. The Dursleys were a lot worse”

“But you will be living with Slytherins…”

“One of whom is a dear friend of mine” Ron interrupted his mother “The others are his cousins. He’ll be fine mum. They could come visit. I will need someone to play chess with” He said smirking towards Theo who looked at him wide  eyed, apparently he didn’t expect Ron to stand up for him.

“Well, we’re done here. get into the floo and say Black Manor”
One by one they went in, Harry second to last as he hugged goodbye to all the Weasleys, and with the call of “Black Manor” in he went, towards the best summer of both his lifetimes.