The Adventures of Harry Krinkle:Harry Gets Rescued

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As he lay on the couch, his mind drifted back to Sirius. One thing about being at the Burrow, was that he was distracted from thoughts about the dark world around him. If he was playing Quidditch with his friends, he wasn't thinking about Voldemort trying to kill him, and having Sirius's murder or repeat in his mind. Lupin's arrival wasn't out of the ordinary. One thing Harry had noticed since he'd been staying at the Burrow was that it was a lot like Number Twelve Grimmuald Place in terms of the flow of members of the Order of the Phoenix.

Although the Burrow wasn't the new official Headquarters for the Order, it sure felt like it. Most of the time, Harry and the Weasley's would have a couple of Order members joining them for dinner, or Harry would come down stairs to one or more of them hanging around the house. He pulled out a large tin and handed it to Harry. Harry opened the lid, revealing a pile of enchanted photographs.

In all of them, the occupants were moving, usually smiling, and occasionally waving back at him. He picked up the photo on the top to see his father, James, and Sirius hanging upside down from their brooms, while laughing. He smiled and picked up another. This one was of the four marauders, all in their animal form. Harry laughed as Sirius's tail swept Peter off Lupin's back and onto the grass.

I found him pulling them out on more than one occasion last year when I was staying with him. Harry gave Lupin a weak smile before proceeding to rummage through the photographs. He saw several taken from his parents wedding. The picture Hagrid had given him his first year was also in the tin, accompanied by a similar one, including a fourth person — a blonde woman, no older than his parents.

She stood in-between his mother and Sirius. Her pale blue dress matched the color of her nails, and her long blonde hair fell in ringlets down her back. Her silvery-grey eyes, Harry thought, felt vaguely familiar. As Harry continued to look through the pictures, he continued to see images of his parents, accompanied by Sirius, Lupin, and Wormtail. Most of the pictures were taken at Hogwarts, in their school uniforms, or their Gryffindor Quidditch robes.

Others were of their time after Hogwarts. Towards the bottom of the tin, he found pictures including himself. As a newborn, and what he believed to be about a year old. He found pictures of his parents holding him, putting him on small broom that hovered a foot about the carpet, and one of what he was sure was him as a one-year-old riding on Sirius' back while he was in his dog from. However, as Harry flipped through the pictures, he couldn't help but notice the same woman, with the familiar grey eyes from the picture before. She was in almost every other picture.

Usually with his mother or Sirius. He paused when he picked up a photo of Sirius, himself, and the blonde stranger. Her hair was cut short compared to the picture from his parents wedding day, but Sirius looked the same. The blonde woman was holding him in her arms, rocking him back and forth. She leaned in to kiss his forehead before looking back up at Sirius. Sirius gazed down upon her lovingly, before giving a smile and a wink to the camera.

Harry felt this strange connection to the woman. He had never seen her before, but he could tell she, whoever she was, truly cared from him. Or, at least that version of him. He turned the photograph over. On the back, written in black ink wrote:. Lupin stared back at Harry with a look of surprise, then his face fell. The full moon was still weeks away, but Harry could tell that he was looking more ill than he'd ever seen him. His hair had more touches of gray, and he seemed paler, and skinnier than normal. He was surprised Mrs. Weasley wasn't over there offering him sandwiches to put some more meat on his bones.

This illness, Harry believed was caused by sadness rather than the effects of turning into a werewolf. Hermione followed behind him, sitting next to Professor Lupin. Harry handed Ron the photograph, pointing to Tawny. Tawny was Luna's aunt, and Xenophilius Lovegood's sister. Tawny was her name. She was Luna's aunt. That couldn't be good. Harry didn't think he could look any more depressed.

But, the moment he said yes, it was if a dementor has swept into the room and sucked all the happiness out of Lupin. She was our friend, your mother's best friend to be exact. He glanced back at the wedding photo of the four of them. If Sirius was the best man, Tawny must have been his mother's maid of honor. To Sirius, she was the love of his life. No wonder Lupin was surprised Sirius never said anything about Tawny. How could he have never mentioned someone so important to him before?

Harry was about to stop Lupin and ask, but the next thing Lupin brought a new wave of shock over him. Hermione let in a small gasp, as she cupped her hands over her face. Ron, on the other hand looked just as Harry. Jaw to the floor, and frozen at hearing this new revelation. Three years ago, Harry had been surprised when he learned Sirius was his godfather. Now, the shock of that moment didn't compare to this one. How could Harry have gone all these years without the slightest mention of his godmother?

From what Lupin was saying, Harry believed Tawny to practically be a Marauder, just like his mother. In his third year, Harry could see no one telling him about Sirius. Maybe the world didn't want him to know about his so-called murderous godfather that played a role in getting his parents killed. But Tawny… what could she have done to keep people from mentioning her?

Why didn't I know about her? When did she die? I know when my parents died I couldn't live with Sirius because, well you know why, but her? Harry took the photo back from Ron and began examining it once more. He watched as Tawny kissed him on the head, pulling him closer as she did so. The longer Harry watched her, he felt as though he could feel her arms embracing him now. The edges of the photo were worn. He was sure Sirius had rubbed at the edges of the photo many times. The writing on the back was slightly smudged, and the corners had water stains on them. Someone, most likely Sirius, had cried onto the photo, causing the right corner to crinkle and fade.

Both people he loved the most in the world in one picture. Like my dad did my mum? But… they look so happy here. Of course, Sirius had started it. About halfway to the castle, Sirius and James started talking about magic, and spells they could do. Sirius bragged that he could make someone's hair stand up straight on top of their heads. Your father, didn't believe him, and told him to, 'prove it'. So, Sirius chose, at random, an unsuspecting victim for his spell, and that person just happened to be Tawny.

Tawny's hair shot straight up in their hair for three days. When she was sorted, the sorting hat was stretched to the max to fit under all her hair. To get back at him, she entrusted the help your mum, who'd she'd met on the train, and a sixth year from her house, Ravenclaw. Together, the bewitched all of Sirius's quills to write only in pink ink. In addition, every time he dotted an 'I' the dot would transform into a heart shape. Harry wished Fred and George were here to hear the story.

He knew they would approve of his godmother's revenge. Your father, Peter, and I made sure to make fun every time he had to write for those three weeks. His brother had sent him an owl the first week of classes, and Sirius refused to answer until the charm wore off two weeks later. For five years, they would prank one another. The whole school was in on the war. Each of them would get help from anyone they could to pull off pranks against each other.

The older they got, the worse the pranks. Usually, they involved earning the other person detention, loss of house points, and on rare occasions, hospitalization. However, in our third year, Sirius left Tawny a box of chocolates from her, "secret admirer,' that caused her to puke slugs for three days. However, that only lasted a few hours. He couldn't imagine three days of endless slugs regurgitating from his mouth. Oh, and your mother, she was furious. Lovegood wasn't in Transfiguration this morning. The foursome was on their way down to the Quidditch pitch for Sirius and James to get some practice in during their free time.

Apparently, Madam Pomfrey had to put and extension charm on it because it kept filling up too quickly for her to empty it. He eyed it, ready to catch it the moment it was close enough for him to grasp. Her last prank had me cleaning bathrooms with Filch every night for a week! Dropping his bags on the ground, he took his broom off his shoulder, stepped over it, and pushed off from the ground. I want to practice before doing that stupid potions essay for Slughorn. James shoved the snitch into his pocket before mounting his own broom and joining Sirius. Remus and Peter remained on the ground.

Peter laid back, resting his head on his bag, while Remus was making notes in his transfiguration textbook. A few other books on transfiguration peeked out of his school bag, including one from the restricted section of the library. He noticed it showing and shoved it back into his bag. If a teacher or a prefect happened by and saw it, he was sure to end up in detention for having a stolen book from the restricted section on him.

Above Remus, James and Sirius were taking turns as keeper and chaser, trying to score on, and block one another. Both were still in their school uniforms, but they had ditched their black robes on the ground. James had pushed up his sleeves and loosened his tie around his neck. Sirius on the other hand has completely disregarded his tie, and had his button down completely unbuttoned, exposing his white undershirt.

James dove after the quaffle, catching it before his hit the ground. He was on his way back up to Sirius when he heard his name being shouted from below. Why don't you go check on Lovegood. I'm sure she'd like someone to increase the extension charm on her bucket! She's put me in the hospital wing before. Do you not remember when she convinced Fang to attack me last month? She's been in there for two days, Sirius! The charm will wear off in another twenty-four hours.

She'll be good as new. If you think she needs some company there, maybe you should join her. Are you trying to kill us? Sirius dove to get away from the first bludger, flying straight through the center hoop on their side of the pitch. James performed a similar tactic as Sirius, and managed to get away from his bludger. On the ground, Remus was trying to hide his smile, while Peter was inching behind Remus, hoping he'd be a shield if the bludgers came his way, or Lily chose to enact revenge on them as well.

Lily stood smirking, watching both Sirius and James flying every which way to avoid the bludgers. Sirius dove once again to avoid one bludger, and stopped a few feet above the ground, thinking he'd escaped. To his surprise, the second bludger flew in behind him, crashing into his left arm, knocking him off his broom. Diving down to the ground, and hopping off his broom. As James tended to Sirius, Lily summoned the bludgers back into their restraints into the quidditch box. Lily stormed over to the two of them, hovering over them.

Before they could muster a word, she had her wand pointed at them, ready to fire. Hearing that his mother single handedly kicked both Sirius and his father's arses was quite impressive. Releasing the bludgers… he thought he'd have to try that next time Malfoy made another snide comment about Hermione's blood or Ron's family. Your father and Sirius got off lucky, I'd say. She could have easily put them both in the hospital wing. But, she held back. Harry thought the same thing. How on earth could two people that hated one another end up as happy and in love as they looked in the pictures that sat spread out on the Weasley's coffee table.

Potions was not his best class by far. Transfiguration, and Defense Against the Dark Arts were his top subjects, and his potions grade failed in comparison. But, he had lucked out on his O. The problem was, he was showing subpar work at most, and Professor Slughorn thought that if he continued at the rate he was going, he was going to fail his N.

Someone that could work with him in the evenings to help him bring up his performance. Lupin does exceptionally well in my class. However, I think that someone outside of your friend group would be better suited to teach you. His eyes widened, and his lips curled up into a smile when he noticed another student had hung back. Tawny looked up from her parchment.

She had been hastily writing down notes about her potion and it's uses. Lovegood, I would like you to tutor Mr. Black a couple of nights a week until his performance starts improving. Sirius shot her a glare, silently telling her to decline. I am rather busy —". Well, I could make it worth your while Ms. How about extra credit in my class? Black does, the more credit you will receive! How does that sound? If there was one thing that Tawny Lovegood could not refuse, it was extra credit. Regardless of Sirius's efforts to sabotage the lesson in hopes of getting Tawny to resign, and allow Slughorn to assign him a new tutor, he was progressing.

However, the full moon also occurred that night as well. Sirius told us that he would study with Tawny for an hour, make up and excuse to leave, and meet us in the Shrieking Shack before eight o'clock that evening. Unfortunately, Sirius lost track of time. While she was tutoring Sirius, she was working on her Ancient Runes translations.

Every few minutes she would look up at Sirius to check his progress, and make sure he hadn't set the room on fire. Tonight's lesson was more relaxed that Sirius and Tawny's usual lessons. Instead of arguing, Tawny's focus on other work had allowed for a peaceful silence to fill the room.

The Adventures of Harry Krinkle - Harry Gets Rescued (Electronic book text)

The only things the two heard were the scratching of quills against parchment, and the sound of Sirius's ladle occasionally scraping the sides of his cauldron. Due to the silence, Sirius could easily say this was his most productive lesson to date. She dropped a leaf into Sirius' cauldron, watching it burn and shrivel into ash.

Surprisingly, you have successfully made draught of living death. Normally, an hour in a lesson with Tawny felt like four to Sirius. However, when he checked his watch, he quickly realized it was almost nine, and he hadn't left to meet his friends in the Shrieking Shack as promised. I have to go. With a flick of his wand he vanished the draught in his cauldron, and scooped his textbook and ingredients into it.

His tie was undone, hanging around his neck like a scarf, and most of the buttons of his shirt were open, showing off his undershirt. Sirius felt his uniform constrained him. Every chance he had, he'd unbutton his shirt, and loosen his tie, if he hadn't already abandoned it completely.

Tawny on the other hand, always dressed with purpose. While she did remove her black robes, her uniform was always in shape. However, she dressed it up with rings and bracelets. Instead of flats, like recommended, she wore ankle booties, with a slight heel to them. Whenever she stood up to Sirius, she needed the extra height the booties gave her. He was much taller than her, a least without the heels. Our lesson is supposed to last another hour. I'm not carving all this time out of my week for you to just up and leave whenever you feel like it. We can argue about his later.

He'd always grudged through their lessons before. She took his leaving as a sign he was up to something. So, she followed him. Hermione was right to yelp. Harry knew that could only end poorly. He remembered the story that Lupin had told him his third year where Snape wondered into the Shrieking Shack because of Sirius. If his father hadn't stepped in, Snape would have ended up dead, or turned into a werewolf himself. Tawny followed Sirius at a distance, careful not to make too much noise. After a few minutes, she saw him climb up the stairs to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

He slipped inside, allowing for Tawny to breathe normally. Probably meeting up with James. They're probably planning their next massive prank on me. Godric knows it's been a while since Sirius has pulled one on me. She brushed it aside as Sirius being too busy with his lessons and other school work to focus on pranks.

She had been keeping him busy two nights a week that he ordinarily could have used to plan her next trip to detention, or the loss of fifty house points. She was just about to head back to the dungeon to collect her things when she noticed the Fat Lady's portrait open. She ducked behind a suit of armor just in time to see Sirius stepping out of it. He'd ditched his robes and his tie behind, and was heading down the stairs. Tawny took pursuit and followed behind him.

Sirius was looking around in all directions, hoping not to see Filch or Mrs. Norris, as he crept down the hallway towards the front doors of the castle. Tawny followed him across the grounds. Sirius looked back as though he had heard her, then turned around once more and headed for the Whomping Willow. Tawny had heard the stories of the willow, and knew that Sirius was walking into dangerous territory. Right as she was about to call out and warn him, she stopped.

Right in front of her eyes, she saw Sirius tap his head with his wand and disappear. In his place, was a shaggy black dog. The dog took off toward the tree, jumping over one of the swinging branches and vanishing through an opening at the base of the willow's trunk. Sirius, James, Peter, and I had agreed to stay in the shack that night. We knew with it being Halloween, students were bound to attempt to sneak out of the castle.

I wasn't a threat to my friends while they were animagi. But Tawny… she was human. The moment I sensed her I could feel my mind slipping away. I chased out into the hall, finding her looking through the banisters on the steps. A moment later I had her pinned up against the wall. I would've hurt her or worse but…". Lupin nodded, and continued. Sirius checked on me momentarily, and left James and Wormtail to watch after me while he ran after Tawny. I expected him to beg her not to say anything about him or me, but… he skipped the begging and went straight to the yelling.

He's… he's a werewolf! You're harboring a werewolf in the Shrieking Shack! Does Dumbledore know about him? Who am I kidding, of course he does. You couldn't keep that quiet. And you… you, James, and Peter… you're all animagi. What were you thinking following me? You could've gotten yourself killed!

If you hadn't been so damn nosy I'd be with my friends instead of out here with you! No wonder you're failing potions. I'm surprised you're passing anything seeing as you spend your free time plotting revenge on me, and spending full moons with a monster. If Dumbledore finds out about what you're doing you could get expelled, and the ministry… the ministry can send you to Azkaban for being an illegal animagus! Sirius crossed over to get right in front of her face. Through gritted teeth he said, "I don't give a damn if I fail potions.

Dumbledore can expel me if he wants, and the ministry can throw me in Azkaban for all I care. But I will not, let my friend spend one more full moon alone! What was he thinking? That should've been the first thing out of his mouth! Looking down, he saw a picture of Tawny with her arms around a black dog, obviously, Sirius. He was licking her face while she smiled and giggled. At this point in Lupin's story, Harry couldn't see how Sirius and Tawny could've gone from fighting on the Hogwarts front lawn to that picture at the top of the pile.

It didn't make sense. Where are James and his gang of misfits this morning? I wouldn't surprise me if James, Sirius, and Peter were all with him. They weren't in herbology this morning either. All through lunch Tawny remained quiet. Lily went on and on about how James had been surprisingly nice to her lately, although she didn't believe it. Lily was convinced it was some sort of trick James was playing. Tawny's mind was too occupied to notice. She kept thinking of Remus lying in the hospital wing, a giant dog bite in his side.

He wouldn't be injured if Tawny had minded her own business and followed Sirius last night. On the other hand, she had every right to follow him. He was acting suspicious, and she was a prefect! She had to make sure that Sirius wasn't up to no good, which he was. The events of last night kept running through her head. Discovering the marauders in the Shrieking Shack and her fight with Sirius just out of reach of the Whomping Willow.

The Adventures of Harry Krinkle: Harry Gets Rescued

Everything had happened so fast. In the course of a night she realized more about Sirius than she'd ever expected too. His speech about Remus… him saying he'd rather go to Azkaban than let Remus spend another full moon without him… that was… caring. Up until nine thirty last night, if you had asked Tawny if Sirius was capable of such a thing she would have denied it.

Now however, she'd saw that there was a caring side to Sirius she'd never seen before. Maybe he wasn't the worst person on the planet… just one of the worst. I've got to go. I'll see you later. She didn't know what she was going to say when she got there, but all she knew was that she needed to talk to someone about what happened last night. The only people she could discuss that with were in the hospital wing.

When she reached the hospital wing, she was met with Madam Pomfrey. Tawny made up an excuse involving delivering Transfiguration homework to Remus and the others to get past her. Sighing, Madam Pomfrey reluctantly let her in. Walking up to Lupin's hospital bed, she saw he was sitting up, reading a book. He seemed oblivious to his friends around him. Beside him, Sirius was leaning back, sleeping in a chair, his feet propped up on Remus's bed.

His arms were folded and his head rested on his right shoulder. He slept as if he was trying to look cool to anyone visiting Remus. On the other side of the bed, James was sleeping in another chair, using the bedside table as a pillow. His glasses were slipping off the bridge of his nose. At any moment, Tawny was sure they'd fall off onto the stone floor. At the foot of the bed, Wormtail was almost completely on top of the bed, sound asleep.

Sirius let out a soft snore, still causing Remus to jump slightly. He looked over at Sirius, checking to see if he was still asleep.

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He smiled softly noticing he was, and turned back to his book. A moment later, as if he had sensed her presence, he glanced up, noticing Tawny in front of him. I was out of my mind. I promise, I'd never hurt you. I'd never hurt anyone if I could help it! He rested his book on his lap, hanging on every word Tawny spoke. The four of you have worked out a plan to keep all of you safe. I ruined it by crashing your little Halloween party, and you got hurt.

If I didn't follow Sirius I would've have needed saving, and he wouldn't have had to bite you. Remus sat with his mouth hanging slightly open, speechless. He didn't know how to answer that. The last thing he expected to happen that day was for Tawny Lovegood to be apologizing to him for his attempt on her life. He ought to wake up James, Sirius, and Peter. He knew they'd never believe him. He barely believed what was happening. Tawny checked her watch, seeing she only had a few minutes until her Ancient Runes class.

The runes aren't going to translate themselves. Tawny turned to leave, but stopped. Will you tell Sirius that I'm still on for our lesson on Thursday? Same time, same place. As she was leaving, Remus spoke up once more. I won't tell a soul. He was very convinced I had made the whole thing up. It wasn't until he had made it through the next day of classes without being expelled that he realized that maybe I hadn't dreamt it.

Tawny waltzed into the dungeon at five minutes after seven on Thursday evening. She assumed that Sirius, if he was even coming at all, would be fashionably late, as usual. So, she didn't see the problem getting there a few minutes late herself. However, when she entered the dungeon, she found it was not empty. Instead, Sirius sat at a table, his cauldron ready and his textbook open to the instructions for the potion he was supposed to work on Tuesday night. How was I supposed to know today was the day you'd actually arrive on time?

To her surprise, Sirius didn't have a snappy comeback. I noticed in class earlier this week you were close to getting it right. Her help so far had improved his performance slightly. However, in class, when he tested his potion on a rat, the rat appeared to look like Nearly Headless Nick's dead pet rather than disappearing.

Just like Tuesday night, the pair worked silently. Tawny continued to work on Ancient Runes translations, while occasionally checking up on Sirius. Every once in a while, he'd ask a question such as, "Does powdered rabbits foot work the same as a whole one? Would it give me luck?

After a about thirty minutes of pure silence, it was Tawny's turn to ask the questions. I did what you told me last time. I crushed it with the blade of my knife. We asked Professor McGonagall as many hypothetical questions that we could muster without drawing alarm. Plus, we spent quite a few nights going through the restricted section of the library. We spent hours upon hours in there, and in abandoned classrooms practicing. It took us a couple of years to get it right. So, it didn't matter how long it took to get it right, as long as we did. Tawny thought about how long they three of them spent trying to figure out how to become animagi.

It wasn't just dedication to become an animal to have fun and sneak around the castle. They were dedicated to helping their friend. Tawny thought what she would've done if she was in his shoes. If Lily was a werewolf, would she spend years researching how to help her during her transformations? Tawny realized that if there was one thing she learned about Sirius over her time working with him so far, it was that he was incredibly loyal when it came to his friends.

I'm going to after I finish my translations though. It's bound to take a while. There aren't that many uses for them. How are we supposed to fill twelve inches of parchment on that? We could work on it together if you like. I'm sure between the two of us we can figure out something to fill up the parchment. Two hours later, their longest, and most civil, tutoring session finally ended. Sirius had been right, and their two minds had come up with the best solution to filling up the parchment. Tawny was sure her essay would land her an 'Outstanding,' while Sirius was banking on his giving him at least and 'Acceptable.

They walked together in silence up the stairs to the main floor. Right before they were about to go their separate directions to their respected common rooms, Tawny stopped them. At least on the massive try-to-get-each-other-detention-or-worse pranks? If I want to dye your hair blue or you want to fill my dormitory with owls that's fine. But if we're going to work together, I think it's best we try to get along and not plot ways to get each other expelled. I'm definitely going to use that! That did wonders for their relationship. Their hatred of one another started with the prank war. When they called it off, for the first time in five years they were civil.

Actually, they started to become friends. Not that either of them would admit that to anyone. Do we really think anyone off the list McGonagall gave me is going to be any good? A moment later he had recaptured it, and released it again, ready to repeat. Maybe there's a few Gryffindors with secret, mad Quidditch skills.

The team has to be good. I don't think I could take it if we lost to Slytherin this year. I swear you spend every waking moment with Lovegood. You've practically been spending all of your free nights with her? Just wait until Quidditch practice starts. The only time we'll see you is at meals. Just like he punched Remus, he did the same to James, except harder. Here to steal Sirius away for a 'study session'? So, instead of meeting at Slughorn's, meet me in the Transfiguration classroom at seven. Lily wanted me to deliver a message. Watch you're back tomorrow during tryouts.

You'll be down a beater. She wouldn't want you to fall off your broom after you've been hit by a bludger. James reached across Sirius to punch Remus in the arm, but Sirius didn't notice. He was too busy watching Tawny walk away. A part of him hoped she'd turn back and flash him a smile, but she kept straight for the castle.

On Saturday, a few minutes before seven, Sirius gathered his bag and his cauldron and headed from his dormitory to the Transfiguration classroom.

He rubbed his arm soothingly as he stepped out of the portrait hole. Instead of James getting hit by a bludger like Lily wanted, Sirius had had the unfortunate fate of getting hit by one after a third year aimed directly at him. When asked what they thought of the students who tried out, Sirius was first to say the third year boy had to go.

When he reached the Transfiguration classroom, he wasn't surprised to see Tawny had already arrived. Since it was Saturday she wasn't in her uniforms. Instead, she wore a white turtle neck, with a short, high-waisted skirt and a pair of brown booties, almost identical to the ones she normally wore with her uniform. Draped on the back of her chair, she had a button-up leather jacket, with her wand sticking out of the pocket.

Sirius waited in the doorway for a minute, watching her scribble down notes in the margins of her charms textbook. He wasn't sure why, but he seemed to like watching her work. A moment later she closed her book and looked up to see Sirius standing in the doorway. Why the change of venue? Tired of the jars of eyes watching you from across the room? The potion you'll be making tonight requires high ceilings. The dungeons weren't going to cut it.

I've been teaching you all this time. I thought, maybe you could teach me something too. Sirius nearly dropped his jar of spider eyes on the charms floor out of surprise. What could he teach her that she didn't already know? I know it's seventh year stuff, but I figured why not? While Sirius worked on his potion, he and Tawny talked about their weekends.

She told him she had spent most of it with Lily and Remus doing homework and patrolling the halls on their prefect duties. He was surprised to hear she'd been spending time with Remus. He hadn't said anything to him about it. Then again, since Halloween she'd been getting along with Remus pretty well. However, he was even more surprised to realize it bugged him she'd been spending time with him.

It made him feel better knowing Lily was there too. Then Sirius told him about Quidditch tryouts, and about the third year with as much quidditch talent as a sack of rocks hitting him with the bludger. The conversation flowed smoothly. Occasionally, she'd correct him on his potion, or have him switch ingredients, but for the most part there weren't any interruptions. A levitation potion doesn't. Using the potion gives five minutes of continuous levitation.

Moments later the book began to shake and the rise in the air. You'll be able to fly for five minutes! It smelled like grape flavored medicine mixed with acid. Following Tawny's instructions, he held his nose and downed the potion on one gulp. Once he sat the mug own he began to shake and hover in the air just like the textbook was.

He rose higher and higher until he was high enough to touch the candle chandeliers. Tawny, you have to try this! Tawny laughed, yelling, 'watch out for the chandelier you idiot! For the next few minutes the duo did their best to soar around the room, do as many flips and tricks and possible while in the air.

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They were having so much fun, the only that stopped them was a quick BANG! They stopped laughing and looked around the room trying to figure out what just happened. They pondered what was going on for a minute before realizing the noise was made by Sirius's transfiguration book dropping down and hitting the desk. The noise was so loud he was sure that if Filch was on this side of the castle, he'd be running in at any moment. Above him, Tawny was giggling, making fun of him for not being prepared to fall.

She spoke too soon. As if someone had popped the bubble holding her up in the air, Tawny felt gravity pressing back on her. She let out a yelp, and began falling to the floor. Luckily, Sirius was standing right beneath her. She fell right into his arms. There was a long silence as they were face to face, barely inches from one another. Falling to my death? You fell and you were fine!

The worse you saved me from was falling and busting my arse. They bottled up two vials of the levitation potion and then vanished the rest away. After cleaning up, they were ready to start the Patronus charm. Sirius waved his wand and the desks moved to the sides of the room, leaving a clear path for them to practice the spell. You have to think of a happy memory. The happiest memory you can think of.

Concentrate solely on that memory. Tawny nodded, closing her eyes and trying to focus on her memory. Taking a deep breath, she raised her wand. For the next hour, she continued to try to the spell. Each time, the mist appeared for only a maximum of ten seconds, and then fizzled out. In front of them, a silvery white dog ran ahead and then circled them. She followed it with her eyes as it ran around the room, jumping from the desk tops and into the air before vanishing.

Hold out your wand. Sirius stepped to her side, placing one hand on her waist, and the other on her right wrist to guide her. Tawny swallowed hard, and felt her heart rate jump at his touch. Sirius practiced with her for a minute, guiding her how to correctly flourish her wand. To her surprise, her patronus lasted almost fifteen seconds this time and was larger and stronger than it had been before. The longer she tried, the stronger it became, but it never took a form as Sirius's did. Sirius's took the mug Tawny had transfigured earlier, and filled it with water, "Agumenti.

Once he had taken the glass, she laid down on the stone floor, crossing her ankles and resting her hands on her stomach. Sirius laid down beside her, resting his hands behind his head. I'm sure she could do it. You know, when you do your patronus. What memory do you choose? I was just curious. That on top that I'm not a Slytherin like every other member of family sets her over the edge. Every time I'm home I get shit for not being like the family, for not following in their footsteps. I just couldn't take it anymore. Walking out that door, dragging my trunk and my broom behind me was a pretty great moment though.

Mum was outraged, and threatened to burn my face off the family tree, which I'm sure she did. But, my memory is where I went, not leaving home. The moment I landed on their doorstep the Potters welcomed me in. They didn't ask how long I was staying, or why. They just accepted me, gave me their spare bedroom upstairs and told me join them for dinner. The Potters… they feel more like my parents than Walburga or Orion ever have. For Regulus, you know? He doesn't need the whole school knowing his brother has been unofficially kicked out of the family. Although, I'm sure burning the tapestry made it official.

He didn't do anything. She couldn't help but picture Sirius running out of his house, with his mother screaming at him, shaking her wand, and calling him a 'disgrace to the family' while his Regulus watched from the foot of the stairs. He didn't deserve that. Xen and I would run around, and every time we would get close to catching he hare, we'd jump and before we could grab it mum would transfigure it back into cushion. When I was seven, one afternoon we decided to team up. We were going to pretend to go after different hares, but at the last moment we'd both jump to converge on one.

Mum would be busy transfiguring the other cushion to catch ours. You should've seen mums face when we held up the hare. She was so proud of us. I just know that magic couldn't cure her. We talk of course, but not about anything important. Dad… I don't think he's ever fully recovered from her loss. He does his best though. Sirius reached up, brushing away a tear from her cheek with the back of his knuckle. Your patronus I mean. Focus solely on your mum. Tawny nodded, wiping away a few more of her tears before taking his hand.

Tawny raised her wand once more, focusing all her attention on her mum. Lavender and Parvati were okay people, but they had always been a little too flighty for the kinds of trouble Harry's friends tended to get into. Next year might help the gender balance, but that would be a while off. There were other ways to support her as well. Hermione was a born overachiever, and Harry was doing well in his classes for other reasons. When they had to pair off for class work, Harry tended to grab Neville, or 'Nev'. Harry's accidentally applied nickname had started to stick, but Longbottom didn't seem to mind.

He intentionally left Ron to work with Hermione, all in accord with Harry's 'cunning plan'. While they still bickered about schoolwork, Harry was a little more supporting of Hermione's scholastic agenda, especially in areas where he could see some practical applications. He knew what they might be facing in the future, and he wanted them as ready as possible. Harry insisted that they all go down to the Halloween Feast as a group. Ron and Neville looked at him a little oddly.

When they'd asked him that morning why he was so on edge, Harry used the only thing he could think of. Both boys knew of his nightmares. Even with the silencing charms, they would sometimes wake as he left the dormitory at two or three in the morning. The occasional cramming student pulling an all-nighter would see him in the common room as well.

It was common knowledge in Gryffindor that Harry Potter was an insomniac who only got one or two good nights sleep per week. So he claimed he'd had a nightmare about something awful happening during Halloween. He said it a little sheepishly, and the blush on his face wasn't entirely feigned. They'd seen through him like a pane of glass, and his excuse was lame at best; his only consolation that it was a little less unlikely than the actual truth. It was gratifying that they chose to humour him, rather than question him too closely about the dream.

In Professor Flitwick's class, when they were studying the Levitation Charm, Harry's feather shot into the air and hovered, quivering, six feet off the ground… despite their best efforts to get it back down again. Ron, who despite Hermione's coaching couldn't even get his feather off the desk, rolled his eyes at Harry. As omens go, it was less than favourable. When they came down the stairwell into the entry hall, Harry held them back and let a pack of Slytherins who'd just ascended from the dungeons pass in front of them.

He'd feel far more comfortable with them in front than behind. As they slipped behind the students heading for the Great Hall, they could hear some of them talking. She probably spreads her legs for all of them and then does their homework too. The robes in front of them rippled with crude laughter as Harry's pulse began to pound in his ears.

He was reaching for his wand when he heard a gasp and footsteps receding behind him. He turned and saw Hermione half-way up the stairs. All three of them followed her to the second floor, where she dove into the girl's bathroom. They followed and knocked on the door, but she wouldn't answer. Faint sobs could be heard coming from the crack under the door.

Harry was almost frantic. History was trying to repeat itself again. Harry spun to see his least favourite professor stalking towards them. To their credit, Ron and Neville didn't immediately leave. They looked at Harry, which infuriated Snape even more. Harry had never felt more helpless since he'd returned to the past. Potter, what are you and Mr. Professor McGonagall looked from her house members to her colleague and back again. She pursed her lips in annoyance. If she has not rejoined us in half an hour I will come up here myself and talk to her. Harry opened his mouth to protest, but then shut it.

There really wasn't anything he could say, except "Thank you, Professor. Harry led his friends back down to the Great Hall. When they entered, Harry ignored the live bats and the intricately carved pumpkins. He did, however notice many of the Slytherins looking up at them and laughing. They sat down at the Gryffindor table, and his friends waited for the feast to start. Harry was waiting for something else. No sooner had the plates filled than Quirrell stumbled in. As soon as the word 'Troll' left his lips, Harry was out of his seat.

Ron and Neville, perhaps primed by Harry's admission that he had a bad feeling about the day, were only half a step behind him when they hit the doors. They distantly heard Dumbledore calling for the prefects as they pelted up the stairs. The circumstances are a little different; he thought desperately, we might not have as much time as before. Thankfully the daily running had paid off, because as they topped the stairs, a very familiar voice screamed.

As they turned down the corridor, they saw the backside of a very large troll forcing his way into the girl's bathroom. Harry had his wand out in an instant, screaming " Reducto! An angry roar echoed from within the bathroom as it backed through the narrow doorway and back into the hall. The gigantic club in its left hand would soon be clear of the doorway. Either my magic is weaker than I thought or that thing is magic resistant! Harry thought, his mind racing, trying to remember a curse he could use. When it finally got clear and turned toward them, Harry's heart stopped.

Its right hand was dragging Hermione, the great dirty fingers tangled in the hem of her robes. She scrambled on her hands and knees, trying to find something to hold onto, but the troll's strength was not to be denied. Harry willed his arms to move, bringing his wand up again, both hands on the smooth wood. He took careful aim, and called out " Conjunctus! The troll roared and rubbed at its eyes with its hairy left forearm.

Harry sighed in relief. If the Conjunctivitis Curse will work on dragons, I guess it almost had to work on a troll. Neville was trying to disarm the troll, but his " Expelliarmus!

Ron was edging toward Hermione, nervously eying the blinded troll. Harry was gathering himself for another curse when the troll let out a roar and whipped its right hand up with surprising speed and hurled Hermione at him. Harry spread his arms and tried to brace himself, but she was moving like she'd been shot out of a cannon. Harry closed his eyes and prepared for a bone-crushing impact when he realized someone was shouting.

As she opened her eyes again, which she'd screwed shut when was being thrown, she began to rock from side to side as she drifted back toward Ron. Harry was breathing a sigh of relief when the world suddenly tilted and the wall decided to slam into him. He heard a loud snap at the same time and his right arm went numb. He was gasping for breath, the wind knocked clean out of him, as he felt his wand slide out of his fingers.

The massive wooden club that was holding him up against the wall was suddenly withdrawn and Harry sunk to his knees. He felt ill as blood poured down his arm. A sharp point of bone was sticking through the sleeve of his robe. The troll, which had been drawing back for another blind swing, stopped dead in its tracks. Its mouth hung open and it began to make a peculiar moaning sound as the tickling charm took hold and made it laugh. Harry, on his knees, eyes fixed on the troll, felt around on the floor with the fingers of his left hand until they closed on his wand.

He raised it slowly, even as the tickling charm faded, sighting in on the monstrous creature's mouth. Neville saw what Harry was doing and screamed "Rictusempra! The troll began laughing again. Suddenly, there were a lot more people in the corridor. Harry realized Neville was crouched next to him. The boy had his robe wadded up in his hand and was pressing it firmly against Harry's upper right arm. Ron and Hermione were in front of him. Hermione's face was filthy, smeared with dirt from being dragged, and tracked with tears; he didn't think she'd ever looked quite so beautiful before.

Ron stood next to her, his face pale and serious. Harry held out his left hand realized he still had his wand in it. Ron seemed to read his mind, because he reached down and gripped Harry's forearm, helping him to his feet. That was Ron, always helping people pick themselves up again; he was such a Weasley. That was when Harry's ears seemed to turn back on and he realized that people were shouting all around him. Can't settle for just killing the headmaster in a few years, he's, got to make everyone else miserable as hell first.

The sudden silence was blissful. Snape limped a little as he turned toward Harry. Then those furious black eyes were boring into his, trying to tear through defences weakened by shock and pain. Harry glared back, his defences slowly eroding. Then he brought his wand up and he heard Hermione gasp. The glowing shield appeared again and the battering stopped. He saw bits and pieces of other peoples' memories, probably Snape's, but he was too weak and unfocused to make any sense of them.

Knew you were doing something to me. Perhaps Potter should be escorted to the infirmary while we discuss the appropriate disciplinary action," Snape drawled as he turned a gimlet eye on a furious McGonagall. Harry felt a pulling on his right arm and realized that Neville had secured the wadded up cloth to his wound using his own belt. It was a crude, but effective pressure bandage. He let the shield drop as he smiled blearily at Neville. Then Harry turned toward McGonagall and Dumbledore, taking a deep breath.

Any later and who knows what could have happened. When it comes to my friends, I prefer not to take any chances. Your emotional outburst nearly killed yourself and three other students; do you have anything to say for yourself? Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see Hermione's face go white, like it had been slapped.

She shook Ron's hand off her arm and started to leave. Unfortunately, her path took her past a smirking Draco Malfoy. He whispered something to her as she passed and she stopped dead in her tracks. She spun on her heel and slapped Draco across the face. She evidently got her whole body into it because Draco's head, neck, and shoulders were all displaced by the impact and he fell to one knee.

Harry would have laughed as she marched off, but his eyes were getting heavy again. He turned and nodded thoughtfully to McGonagall. You were obviously in shock, a compound fracture sticking out of your arm , bruises all up and down the other side. Do they take you to the infirmary? No, let's hold an inquisition on the spot. Don't mind the people bleeding on the floor," Madam Pomfrey grumbled in an all too familiar way. Harry opened his eyes. The healer was rubbing a foul-smelling liniment on his left arm — the good arm—which was also covered with bruises he'd received from smashing into the stone wall of the second floor corridor.

It hurt a bit, but the warmth starting to spread there melted the pain away. She wiped off the excess and jumped when she realized her patient's eyes were open. I didn't realize you were awake. The school nurse had the good grace to blush a little. Though I do wonder what possessed you boys to take on a full grown mountain troll.

Harry caught himself before he made the mistake of shrugging. Neville was really the clever lad. He figured out a way for me to get past that ruddy thick hide. Not often you find someone who can think on their feet that quickly. He probably saved your arm, you know. I also made sure the Headmaster was made aware of that. Harry looked confused for a moment, and then began to blush. I didn't just call him… oh bloody hell. Your colour is improving so the blood restoratives must be working.

The break was bad, but clean, and it's already knitting. I will allow you to return to classes tomorrow, but you are to stay here for the night. Professor Snape even supplied me with a sleeping draught so you can be assured of a good rest after your ordeal," She said as she brought over a vial containing a thick purplish liquid.

He did not want to drink anything the man had brewed especially for him. He knew some sleeping potions had the side effect of lowering one's mental resistance, and were thus useful for Wizarding con-artists and swindlers. He wouldn't put it past Snape to slip him one to get his Occlumency barriers down. Madam Pomfrey bristled slightly. Potter, while you are in my ward, I am the one responsible for your care. Pretty bad ones too. It's okay if I wake up, but a couple of times I wasn't able to and, well, bad things happened," Harry said quietly, hoping he could leave it at that, hoping she wouldn't press for details.

He didn't like lying to the woman who'd cared for generations of Hogwarts students, including himself. Have you had these nightmares for very long? Chronic nightmares are not a normal condition in someone your age, and excessive fatigue can affect your magic as well. On that note, I will let you get some rest. Harry laid his head back as the lights dimmed. His body was still a little sore as he did his Occlumency exercises, and weariness rolled over him like a warm blanket.

Harry missed his run the next morning, but made it down to the Great Hall for breakfast. He was so relieved that everyone survived that he was practically skipping down the halls. He stumbled as he entered the Great Hall, realizing that everyone was staring at him. The faces around the Gryffindor table were particularly unhappy. His friends wouldn't even look up at him, and the older students were quiet.

Harry plopped down in his seat looking thoughtful. The twins looked at each other for a moment and then began laughing. It looked like that particular nickname would dog him forever. Ron and Neville had at least stopped staring at their plates, though they wouldn't meet his eyes. Hermione still had her chin tucked into her chest, looking down.

He had a pretty good idea why they were being so quiet. Best to deal with it now. Oh yeah, you two didn't do anything. Hermione let out a loud sniff, but it wasn't her usual 'I'm being bossy' sniff, but more of an 'I'm about to cry' sniff. Malfoy said some fairly offensive things and it's perfectly natural to want to get your composure back before the feast. Does she know something? When she came back out she said, she told the headmaster you almost died," Neville said in a sick voice. Oh hell, they shouldn't have heard that. No wonder they're so upset. Looking back, the fight with the mountain troll was an event that solidified his friendship with Ron and Hermione.

No one had been hurt, but they proved something, to themselves and each other. Maybe it would be easier to try and work with fate than against it this time? It was hard not to crack a smile when they all jumped and looked up at him. That's not a pleasant thought either. But I led you up those stairs knowing there was a Troll running around, and I wanted to fight it without waiting for the teachers.

If anyone is at fault, it's me. And I'm not mad at myself. Well, except for that whole 'not ducking' thing. I know you three will stand by me, and I'm not going to forget that any time soon. All three of you proved why you were sorted into Gryffindor," he said, but Hermione was still shaking her head, eyes getting red, "and that includes you Granger.

You stood up to Malfoy in front of everyone, even the Professors. The twins said that too when Percy started in on her," Ron added. Hermione flashed him a shy smile, but Harry didn't think he noticed. He speared a couple of sausages off the platter while Hermione passed him the fried potatoes. The next morning dawned very cold and blustery.

When Harry led Ron and Neville down the stairs for their morning run, they'd bundled up as best they could. They stopped when they saw Hermione sitting in the common room, wearing sweatpants and a bulky sweatshirt, waiting for them. She stood up as they approached. Hogwarts isn't completely safe. Do you mind if I join you, or is this for boys only? Ron and Neville both nodded groggily.

Harry's nightmares guaranteed he was usually up before the alarm, but they were still half-asleep. It was quite dark as they went outside, so Harry just led them in a slow run around the grounds near the castle. Hermione was red-faced and puffing by the end, but all of them were reddened from the cold and glad to be back inside. It's getting too ruddy cold to do this outside.

I wonder if I should accidentally stumble over the Room of Requirement. How can I make that look like an accident though? After a while he sighed and pulled out his latest letter to Ginny. He'd been debating with himself about how much to tell her regarding the incident with the mountain troll.

His first impulse was to minimize the whole thing, both to avoid alarming her, or worse, Mrs. On the other hand, there were so many things he couldn't tell her that he wondered if he was destroying any chance he might have with her. I have to be as honest as I can be, he thought miserably, or she'll never forgive me when she does find out.

Is it fair to ask her to trust me if I don't do the same for her? When the voice of his conscience put it like that, he didn't really have any choice. I'll tell you what happened, but I want you to be careful what you say to your Mum, especially until Ron has a chance to owl her. Everyone is okay, but we just had a close call. It all started as we were heading down to the Great Hall for the Halloween Feast…. After Harry reassured him that his arm was one hundred percent recovered, Oliver really stepped up the practice schedule. This time around, Harry was too happy to be playing again to complain about the pace.

Truth be told, he even missed his captain's fanatical rants about his beloved game. Being the captain his sixth year and feeling that load of responsibility also gave him a lot more sympathy for the fifth-year boy. Maybe he won't have to wait for his seventh year to see his name on that ruddy cup , Harry thought as he practiced a Sloth Grip Roll. It was hard to make sure you slung your body off the broom with enough force to swing up the other side… mainly because if you slung yourself too hard, you might lose your grip on your broom.

Harry knew he could catch the Snitch. Bludgers, on the other hand, had given him issues over the years. After a few practices he'd taken to playfully taunting Fred and George, trying to get them to knock him off his broomstick. At first, they were a little leery of damaging their Seeker and invoking the wrath of Wood. After a while they realized Harry would not be an easy mark and really got into it.

Soon dodging their Bludger work became a full time job. The first time his friends came to watch a practice; Harry had to stop Ron from telling off his brothers for trying to kill Harry. After that, Harry noticed that at least one of his friends was sitting in the stands every time they had a practice. Harry finally cornered Hermione in the library and asked her what that was all about.

He, well, we agreed that one of us should be there, just in case - with our wands. You know, just in case…". Having someone watching out for him was something he'd learned to do without for well over a year, ever since Ron died. Hermione looked up sharply when it seemed to sink in that he wasn't going to get mad. Her eyes bored into him again. It… it feels sort of odd to know you guys are looking out for me. I know that sounds weird, but…". How did you know that? Harry looked up at her and his stomach contracted into a small, hard ball.

He fervently wished he'd approached Neville, or Ron, about the practices. I don't want to pry, but I can tell it's bothering you. It's bothering you a lot. Sometimes you look at us and you seem so… old and lost, I guess. I'd like to help," she finished in a small voice. He should have remembered how smart she was and realized it was only a matter of time before she caught on.

It's just too big. Harry's pulse pounded in his ears as he left the library. He hoped he'd done the right thing. It wasn't surprising that Hermione figured out something was going on. He just wished it hadn't been that quick. I supposed I'm not quite as subtle as I thought I was , he thought ruefully.

At least I know Hermione understands the need for discretion. He chuckled as he remembered the cursed sign-up sheet she'd created for the Defence Association. He had to admit it had also been lonely in some ways as well. He hadn't had anyone to talk to about changing fate and the future, not since he'd left Albus' portrait.

He chuckled a little at the imagined look on her face when she realized exactly how many rules he'd broken. Harry chose to avoid the still-limping Snape, since he had no interest in the man's activities this time around. Since Halloween night, his behaviour toward Harry had gone from hateful to downright chilling. Potions was proving to be an ordeal, and Harry was growing used to feeling random attacks on his defences as he tried to chop ingredients or stir his cauldron.

At least while the man was obsessed with discovering Harry's secrets he would leave the others alone. Of course, the reasons for his increased hatred were no mystery. After enduring a seemingly endless lecture from Percy regarding proper student behaviour, the prefect gave Harry the details of what happened after he was hauled off to the hospital wing. Professor Snape wanted them each docked fifty points and all four expelled. Professor McGonagall wouldn't hear of it, and once they learned of Draco's role in the whole mess, she said that if anyone should be expelled, he was the one that had committed a deliberate offence.

In the end, given that Harry's words were uttered while in deep shock, the headmaster decided they should just ignore the entire incident as far as punishments went. He said that Harry's injuries were more than sufficient to chastise both himself and his friends. Professor Snape went livid at that and began shouting, at which point Professor Dumbledore led them to his office for 'further discussions'… some of which reportedly had the gargoyles wincing.

After promising Percy one more time that he would try to stay out of trouble, Harry went back to his dormitory considering the story he heard to have been worth the lecture. At least seeing the potions teacher limping implied that he had tested the defences surrounding the stone… so that was still on track.

Harry didn't get a lot of sleep the night before his first match, but it wasn't pre-game nerves this time. He jerked awake after enduring a vision of the ruins of Diagon Alley, and the massive crater that had once been the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes shop. Panting, he stared up at the canopy over his silenced bed and waited for his pulse to stop racing. He wearily dragged himself down to the common room and worked on his latest letter to Ginny.

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