Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Author's Note: I want to thank Cara Hicks and Ama for their beta reading on this chapter. I'd also like to mention that due to Ama's love for Nadine, I found myself writing more scenes with her. Enjoy!
Rating: R - For adult themes and sexual intimacy.
Chapter Four - Matters of the Heart
That night Harry stood in his bedroom gazing out the window at the night sky he saw two owls carrying parcels swooping down to meet him. Harry looked at the clock and saw that it was now officially his fifteenth birthday. Hedwig and Athena had returned.
"Hey, Hedwig," Harry said as he stroked her head. "Glad to see you again." He handed her an owl treat and she hooted appreciatively to him. He untied a letter and package from Ron.
Happy Birthday Harry,
Thanks for sending Hedwig to me. If Pig had brought back any letters, I would planned to break you out of the Dursley household again.
Things are strange here this summer. It's a daily row between my folks and Percy. The investigation at the Ministry cleared him of any wrongdoing. Fudge was so impressed that Percy was able to manage a department with little direction that he decided to make Percy his personal assistant. That's what's causing the problems at home. If you thought he went on a lot about Crouch last year - you should hear him prattle on and on about Fudge! I never saw Mum yell at him before this summer. I thought he could do no wrong in her eyes. Now I wish Percy would just find his own place to live so I wouldn't have to hear them fight all the time.
Remember Winky? Well, after the third task, she totally lost it and cried all the time. This bothered the other house-elves at Hogwarts. They started complaining to Dumbledore and said they couldn't work with her anymore. So he decided that she needed to look after a family again and asked my mum if she'd take Winky in. Percy objected about having the house-elf that his beloved Mr. Crouch sacked. He soon changed his tune after Winky went on and on about how Mr. Crouch spoke highly of him and had depended on him. I'll have to remember that Percy falls for flattery every time.
Winky loves doing Ginny's hair. She spends hours braiding and fussing with it. Mum couldn't be happier with the help and the companionship in the kitchen.
I haven't told Hermione about Winky yet, so please don't tell her. I'm sure she'll be upset, especially after all that SPEW stuff last year, but we are treating Winky very well. She's still wearing clothes, but my mum makes sure they're washed and ironed along with ours. We're not paying her, but she refuses that anyway. So I don't know what else Hermione would expect, but I don't feel like getting any Howlers right now.
Fred and George are talking seriously about starting a joke shop after they finish school this year. For a change Mum isn't giving them grief about it. Maybe we needed Winky all along.
My folks won't tell me anything about what's going on. They say I should leave it to them and Dumbledore to worry about. And now Mum says that she doesn't think you can come and stay with us at all this summer. I'll keep working on this because I know how you hate it with your relatives. Especially that stupid git of a cousin.
Ron
Harry opened the package from Ron and it was a book about last summer's Quidditch World Cup with glorious moving pictures of all the players and the incredible moves. Harry watched Viktor Krum do his famous Wronski Feint over and over again while Lynch slammed into the ground. It was like watching a continuous loop of instant replay on the television. Harry smiled as he turned the pages and thought that maybe Ron had gotten over some of the hard feelings he seemed to have about Viktor Krum.
Then Harry remembered that Athena was waiting patiently carrying a letter and package from Hermione.
Harry,
I wanted to let you know that I've been chosen to be a prefect as has Seamus Finnigan. I will still try to ride at least partway on the Hogwarts Express with you and Ron, except that we'll be having a prefects meeting in one of the front cars for a portion of the ride. I had hoped that either you or Ron would have been a prefect with me, but you don't get everything you wish for.
I'm leaving tomorrow for a two-week holiday with my parents. We've got Eurail passes and will travel around Eastern Europe. I haven't told Ron about my travel plans, because I think he'd get mad at me again. So let's just keep this between us for a while.
I bought this gift for you because I knew you needed one after the Second Task. Hopefully it'll stand up to any challenges that this coming year will have in store for you.
Remember not to let things worry you when they are outside of your control. Here's hoping you have a nice birthday and rest of your summer. I'm looking forward to seeing you on September 1st.
Happy Birthday,
With love,
Hermione
Harry opened her package and found a waterproof and shock resistant watch. He smiled and slipped it on his bare wrist. He then thought about Hermione visiting Eastern Europe, he knew that meant she was going to Bulgaria to visit Viktor Krum. And she thought that news might make Ron upset. This is wonderful, Harry thought. Now I'm keeping secrets from my two closest friends from each other. He shook his head and then thought about Hermione being made a prefect. He would have expected nothing less, but he felt disappointed that he hadn't been made one, too. He had secretly hoped that he would follow in his parents' footsteps and possibly become Head Boy some day. He then thought about the hexing incident with Malfoy and his goons. He supposed that Professor McGonagall would have a hard time overlooking that, especially if the Malfoys were lodging formal complaints.
Harry then thought about Hagrid. He had expected to get a birthday present from that gentle half-giant, but figured that he was probably on the mission for Dumbledore and might not have had time to go shopping or find a post owl. He paused and said a silent prayer to hope that Hagrid was safe on that mission as he turned out his light and went to sleep.
Harry woke up the next morning and followed his regular routine. He knew better than to expect any acknowledgement of his birthday from the Dursleys. He was looking forward instead on spending the day with his godfather and Professor Figg. After lunch she brought out a cake with fifteen candles on it. She waved her wand, "Incendium!" and all the candles were instantly lit.
"Happy Birthday, Harry."
He blew out the candles.
Sirius handed Harry a box. "This is from me."
As he opened the box he saw a beautiful cloisonné pin of a Gryffindor coat of arms. Harry beamed with happiness.
"It's a robe clasp. I thought you might like it."
"Thank you, Sirius. I love it."
Harry stood up and gave his godfather a hug. Harry noticed when he hugged him that Sirius had seemed to have gained some healthy weight in the last month. Harry could no longer feel the bones on Sirius's back. He knew that it was due to Professor Figg's hospitality.
Then, Professor Figg placed a small wrapped box in front of Harry.
"This is for you Harry. It used to belong to your mother."
Harry felt an enormous knot in his throat. Something from his mother. All he had was an album of photographs of his parents that Hagrid had collected and his father's Invisibility Cloak. Now he was going to have something that had belonged to his mother. His fingers nervously worked to unwrap the black box and gently he opened it. Inside he saw a blood red stone on a long golden chain. Harry lifted it carefully out of the box and held it gingerly while he examined it. Harry knew instinctively that it wasn't any ordinary necklace. It had to be magical. He looked up at Professor Figg.
"Does it have any powers?"
She nodded slowly.
"Yes, Harry. It is not a normal stone and this is something that you must keep as a secret. Wear it always and let no one see it or know about it, not even Ron and Hermione. This stone was created by Albus Dumbledore and his late partner Nicholas Flamel."
"Is it a philosopher's stone?" Harry asked worriedly.
"No. Mr. Flamel was interested in more than just alchemy. This stone is connected in spirit to only a few others and serves as a warning when one member is in mortal peril. Should you find yourself in a situation similar to the one a month ago, you should hold the stone in your hand and say or think the words, 'Fawkes, help me.' That will make the other stones warm up and they will respond to you."
"You said only a few others had these stones. Can you tell me who?"
She and Sirius exchanged glances and then turned to Harry.
"Yes, there are seven stones. The other six are worn by myself, Sirius, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, Remus Lupin and Mundungus Fletcher."
"Who is Mundungus Fletcher? I've heard his name before, but I know nothing about him."
Sirius answered, "He's an old ally of Dumbledore's. Fletcher helped him in the defeat of the dark wizard Grindlewald. He may be very cranky, but Dumbledore knows and trusts him."
Harry knew better than to bring up any questions regarding Snape being trusted with one of the necklaces. Sirius and Snape loathed each other and if Harry brought up any doubts, it would only darken Sirius's spirits. Harry wanted to enjoy his birthday and not cause his godfather any pain.
Professor Figg cut the cake and set a piece in front of Harry. He took a tentative taste and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was delicious. The last time he had cake in her house it was dry and tasted like it was several years old. This time it was moist and flavorful.
"Professor Figg? The last time I had some cake from you, back when I was ten years old. It tasted really funny. How come?" he asked.
"Well," she said giving a small smile, "I actually was trying to give you some help pre-Hogwarts and used a little potion in the mix. Just something to boost your confidence a little since the Dursleys had done everything in their power to beat you into submission for years. However, that was the first time I tried putting a potion into food. I must admit that it didn't turn out as well as I hoped. It was a failed experiment."
Harry then thought of something else that had been nagging him. "When you broke your leg, how come you didn't get it fixed with magic?"
Professor Figg gave a small laugh, "Well, Harry, the problem was that I broke my leg in front of a couple of my Muggle neighbours. Someone had distracted me and I tripped over one of my sentries who had come to give me a report. Being an elderly widow that lives alone, I couldn't very well turn down the offers from my neighbours to take me to the nearest hospital. I couldn't use the Floo Network and fly through that tumbling system with a newly broken leg. I also couldn't walk the several blocks away to Disapparate, so Madam Pomfrey made a rare house call. She mended my leg so I didn't have to wait for it to heal in the normal fashion. The problem was that I had to hobble around in public with a cast on my leg for weeks just so the neighbours didn't get suspicious. The day I was supposed to look after you happened to be the day Madam Pomfrey came to call."
*
A few days later Sirius and Harry were in the Professor Figg's front yard harvesting lavender. They had large buckets that they placed the fragrant stems in after cutting them with gardening sheers. Sirius had taken the CD player outside and was blasting Steve Winwood's "Higher Love." He carefully used his wand over some of the lawn ornaments in front of the house.
"Harry, I just put a charm on the lawn gnomes so our voices will not be heard past them. All the neighbours will hear is this music. That way we can talk without worry, so it's okay to speak freely. You can ask me anything."
"Okay, thanks."
"So Harry, tell me about the girl you're interested in," Sirius asked in a casual tone.
Harry swallowed hard, he'd never talked to anyone about his feelings for Cho. Not even Ron. "Umm, she's a year older than I am. She's in Ravenclaw and - er - she's also a Seeker."
"What's her name?"
"Cho. Cho Chang," Harry replied.
"So, what do you know about Cho?"
Harry shook his head, "Umm, not much. She's really cute, but she's always surrounded by other girls. She seems nice though."
"Have you tried to ask her out?" Sirius asked kindly.
"Yeah," Harry said glumly. "I asked her to the Yule Ball, but she was already going with Cedric."
"Cedric Diggory?"
Harry nodded.
"That's rough," Sirius sighed. "And now he's dead and you probably feel guilty."
"Yeah, I mean I know I didn't kill him and all, but…I still feel responsible in a way."
"I know. That's because you're a decent human being. Harry, have you ever really talked with Cho?"
"Umm, not really. Just a few times in passing."
"Harry, I've got to let you know that when it comes to women, I made many mistakes in my youth. I'd like to help you to avoid some of them. First of all, you should know that being attracted to someone is important, but it is only one part. You need to like them for who they are and not just like how they look on the outside."
Harry started thinking of Fleur and how beautiful but haughty she was. He definitely didn't like who she was on the inside even though he barely knew her.
"You want to be with someone who likes you for who you are and not who they think you are," Sirius continued. "You'll have that problem more than most guys given your fame. I'm sure that many girls are interested in you just because of that and don't even know how kind and decent you really are."
Harry thought about the Yule Ball and how many girls had fallen over themselves to ask him out. Girls he had never even noticed before.
"Harry, I was afraid of falling in love," Sirius continued. "I just didn't want to take the risk of letting someone get close to me and then reject me. I dated a lot of women. A lot of women. When I think back, I was a total jerk to them. At least I used protection and didn't get anyone pregnant or spread any diseases, but I was a real jerk. I regret that part of my youth and I don't want to see you treat women that way. You'd be much better off trying to follow in your father's footsteps."
"What was he like? When did he meet my mum?" Harry asked anxiously.
"James was smooth," Sirius smiled as he was remembering. "He saw your mother and instinctively knew that she was the one for him. He liked red heads and saw her standing at King's Cross Station with her trunk and cat. He figured she was a Hogwarts student, but she looked a little lost and didn't know how to cross the barrier."
Harry remembered the panic he had felt that first day and how relieved he was when Mrs. Weasley helped him out.
"Your mother was a year younger than us at school and James used that to his advantage. He went up to her and said something like, 'Hey Red, you look a little lost. Are you by any chance looking for Platform 9 ¾?' She was so relieved that someone had come to help her. James then took it upon himself to try and single-handedly introduce her to the Wizarding World. He knew that she came from a Muggle family and if anything it made her more appealing because she wouldn't know the first thing about Hogwarts. He spent the whole train ride introducing her to people and telling her all about what to expect."
Harry nodded as he thought about how grateful he was to have befriended Ron on his first train ride and have the "heads-up" about things before getting to Hogwarts.
"Well, by the time we arrived at school, she was eager to tell the Sorting Hat that whatever house James Potter was in was the house for her. James was so confident that she would become a Gryffindor that he sat at the very end of our year and saved a seat for her. That really hacked off Bartholomew Bell when he was the first sorted and tried to sit down next to James.
"Later that night when we got back to our dorm room, Remus and I were ready to just totally rag on James. But James turned to us and said in a deadly serious voice that Lily was 'The One' for him and whatever we were thinking of saying that we should keep it in mind that he considered her to be his future wife. I was so tempted to just hound him, but the look in his eye and the tone of his voice…I couldn't believe this was the same guy that just two months earlier wasn't interested in girls at all. Now, he was smitten. I mean we couldn't see it, because all we saw was a skinny little flat-chested girl with big red hair. James knew though. Your mother grew into a beautiful woman. She was smart, funny and kind. Everything you should look for in a woman and James honed in on that from the moment he met her."
"So it was Love At First Sight?" Harry asked.
"Well, he was attracted to her beauty, but if Lily had been vain, petty and cruel - he wouldn't have spent any time on getting to know her. No, by the time she had grown into a beauty that turned all the guys' heads, James had been her best friend for at least four or five years. No other guy ever stood a chance in winning her heart. And believe me, there were a lot of guys that would have gone after her if your father hadn't stood in their way."
"Did you ever try to…?" Harry began.
"Are you kidding?" Sirius replied. "James would have taken my head off if I had ever said anything off-colour about Lily. He made that clear the first day he met her. If I had made any moves towards her, our friendship would have been over. You don't mess around with even thinking about betraying your best friend. No, I did become protective of her though. Several guys in other houses tried to get your father in trouble. They thought she might break up with him then."
"Is that what Snape did?"
"Yeah," Sirius said darkly. "He and James never got along, but Snape and I - we hated each other. Your mother was far nicer than I ever was. She stood up for Snape when I played some harmless jokes on him. Not many girls paid any attention to him - not even in his own house. So when Lily openly criticized me for my treatment of him - well I think he fell in love with her. The only thing was, he couldn't get near her with James around. So Snape started trying to get James expelled. After awhile, I just had it with him and that's what led me to risk his life. It was stupid and reckless and…"
"My dad saved him?"
"Yeah, I was almost expelled over it, too. Thankfully, Dumbledore gave me a second chance. That infuriated Snape to no end though. I think that may be why he became a Death Eater. He got hacked off at Dumbledore, so he joined with his friends. It wouldn't have been a big journey for him though. He was always into the Dark Arts."
"Sirius," Harry said softly. "Are you and Professor Figg in love?"
Sirius avoided Harry's eyes and continued cutting lavender.
"We're old friends who have been through a lot together."
"Oh sure, Harry go ahead, feel free to ask me anything," Harry said bitterly. "But I won't answer you unless it's a question I want to answer."
Sirius turned to him and gave him a low smile.
"You're right. I don't know why we even thought we could keep it from you. Yes, we are in love. It's the first time in my life that I've ever felt this way."
"When did you know that you were in love?" asked Harry.
"It's kind of hard to explain, but you'll know when the time comes. Your father just knew - I still don't quite know how he did, but he knew. For me, I started falling in love when I helped a good friend through a very rough time. Arabella was very vulnerable and very open with her emotions. I had never known any woman in that way. It was a very humbling experience and she was depending on my strength. I saw her as a full person who was incredibly strong and vulnerable at the same time. I had always admired and respected her, but now it was so much more."
"How did you tell her that you loved her?"
"Oh I didn't just then," Sirius said shaking his head. "She wouldn't have been able to handle it at that time. She needed a friend, so that's what I was for her even though my feelings for her were growing much deeper. Sometimes you need to recognize timing when it comes to affairs of the heart. We grew very close at that time and she was devastated when she heard about my arrest. She couldn't believe it because of how close we had grown. Now, our love for each other is based on that friendship, respect and trust. Harry, there is no magic stronger than the power of love. I've never felt so happy or complete than being in love and having someone love me in return."
The sound of a small child running and screaming broke through the sound of the music blaring. Nadine was slowly walking behind her daughter who had run past. The buxom woman smiled and waved at Sirius. He shook his head and muttered under his breath as he returned his focus on cutting more lavender.
"That, Harry, is something you'll have to watch out for," he said quietly. "There are many women out there that will want to offer themselves to you. Some are like her and will wear a neon sign announcing that they're available. But you need to be very careful. Because when you get close to someone physically, your own security could be at risk."
Harry nodded grimly. Again with the worries about death threats. It's not like I've even kissed any girls yet and now Sirius is talking about women wanting to get me into bed so they can kill me, he thought glumly.
Professor Figg walked out with some glasses of lemonade for them. As she handed one to Harry he looked up in surprise to see her looking like an old lady again.
"How come you came outside?" he asked.
"Well, I need to make an appearance outside once and awhile. Your aunt's question about not having seen me made me worry a little. I don't want anyone thinking that my nephew bumped me off. I do have to get back inside though, this is only a little disillusionment charm and the more you have to alter - the harder it is to keep for any length of time," she answered.
"Arabella, do you think we should have Harry's Animagus lesson outside tomorrow? Maybe let him slither around the garden. We could time it for the daily Nadine waltz by?" Sirius asked with a conspiratorial tone in his voice.
"Hmm, let me think about that," she mused as she walked back inside.
Sirius and Harry downed the lemonade and started to rest on the porch.
"Arabella wanted to make sure that Nadine saw her. That woman is one of the biggest gossips in the neighbourhood and so it'll be broadcast tonight that Mrs. Figg is still around." Sirius said. "Arabella knows she doesn't have to worry about me. It's Nadine she's worried about, because we're not quite sure what she'll resort to. There are lots of tricks that women will play to get close to guys. She walked on this side of the street even though she lives on the other side. And now ---ugh --- I can't believe she's staging this…"
Harry looked at the house a few doors down across the street. Nadine had just changed into a two-piece bathing suit and was smoothing out her towel on the lawn. Her daughter was running through a sprinkler a few feet away. Then Nadine was settling down on the towel and untying the straps to her bikini top while she lay on her stomach.
"Turn away Harry and don't look back," Sirius said as he immediately began cutting lavender again with his back to the street. "If she really wanted to sun herself she'd be using her backyard, which allows much more privacy and at this time of the day, plenty more sun. Nope, this is all a show for our benefit. Her daughter will soon get her wet and she'll…"
"EM-I-LEEE!"
Sirius deliberately cut more lavender and it landed in the bucket with a thud.
"And yes, that would be the sound of her jumping up when the water hit her backside. This of course allowed her to flash the neighbourhood and give everyone around a generous eyeful," he said as he shook his head. "She's the type of woman that hopes that if she keeps trying maybe someday she'll find someone who will stick around. I'm sure that there's been a parade of men in her life. It's a very lonely and sad existence. I recognize it, because that is what mine was like many years ago. That lifestyle robbed me of my own self-worth. I had momentary pleasures but no long-term prospects. It was shallow and very dangerous. You never know where your temporary partner is coming from and what they are expecting from you."
More screeches came from across the street. Harry bent his head down and forced himself to not give in to temptation and glance behind him.
"Umm, Sirius? How can Professor Figg know that she can trust you when you were so…"
"Promiscuous in my youth?"
"Uh, yeah."
"That was a lifetime ago, Harry. That was when I was afraid of falling in love. I was afraid of how it would change me. And now, there is nothing I would do that might jeopardize my relationship with Arabella. She knows that. I certainly wouldn't risk everything so I could spend some time with the likes of Nadine."
"Sirius, you said that she did that for our benefit. Do you think she is interested in me?" asked Harry.
"Well, I am her main target. I wouldn't doubt that she'd view you as a tasty afternoon snack. You know, just something to take the edge off. Believe me," Sirius continued, "there will be women that will come into your life that will be willing to service you in many ways. You must learn how to control your responses. Harry, it's of special importance when it comes to you -- because if you trust yourself to the wrong person, it could be deadly."
Sirius stood up and brushed off the small bits of lavender clinging to his pants.
"Come on Harry, let's go inside and get cleaned up for dinner."
Harry followed his example and as they carried the heavy buckets brimming with lavender he was thinking about all that Sirius had told him. Maybe he was being stupid for dreaming about Cho, a girl he knew so little about. Then again, maybe if he got to know her like his father did with his mother…maybe she was The One for him. Or maybe he should find someone who was a good friend, who liked him for who he was and then follow his heart. And then there was the thought of girls or women trying to kill him by trying to sleep with him. His head was spinning.
*
The rest of the summer seemed to go by in a daze. Harry felt he was more prepared for the coming year than he had ever been. He had read all the material given them regarding what to expect from the O.W.L.s. He had finished all the essays that were assigned to him from his professors and had read several chapters in all his textbooks. He also made good progress with his Animagus training, but he was disappointed that he couldn't manage much more than a forked tongue and some scales covering parts of his body. His garden forays after being transfigured did help eliminate Nadine's daily strolls looking for Sirius. Instead she now kept to her side of the street fearing for her own safety (and hopefully her daughter's also.)
After Sirius told Professor Figg that Harry knew about their being a couple, they no longer tried to hide their affection towards one another. Harry had never seen two adults in a loving relationship before. His aunt and uncle never seemed to express affection towards each other beyond a compulsory peck on the cheek goodbye. Now he saw what he had hoped was what his parents' relationship was like.
The day before he left for Hogwarts, Harry spent the day clothes shopping with Sirius. He bought some new underwear, socks and other assorted clothes. He took the opportunity to do a little gift shopping also. He picked up another pair of socks for Dobby the house-elf and a nice pair of ragg wool socks for Dumbledore for Christmas. He thought maybe Dumbledore might appreciate that after the comment he made about his image in the Mirror of Erised.
Harry also wanted to find a nice birthday present for Hermione since it was doubtful that there would be a Hogsmeade weekend before her birthday. His gifts for her in the past year always seemed a bit lame. He had been pleased with the broomstick servicing kit and the watch that she had given him. He wanted to be sure to get her something that she'd really like this time. He didn't know where to start and Sirius said one word, "jewelry."
When they were looking in the jewelry department Harry was a bit overwhelmed by everything and the outrageous prices. He wanted something small and simple. Sirius told him that rings were out, because those were too intimate of a gift. Rings could only come from those who were romantically involved. Harry settled on a nice gold locket. It seemed like something she'd fancy without being too personal in nature.
Harry had been a little concerned at first about how to pay for these things since he didn't have any Muggle money and all his gold was in Gringotts. Sirius told him that Dumbledore had made arrangements in regards to the expenses for Mrs. Figg for years using a credit card. Somehow or another the bills always got taken care of and they never appeared in her mail. As long as they weren't extravagant, it should all be taken care of by Dumbledore's usual arrangements.
Professor Figg had also given both Harry and Sirius haircuts on the last day of August. She had offered to quietly and privately cut Harry's hair at school so that he wouldn't have to worry about his hair landing in the wrong hands. Sirius on the other hand would have to allow his to grow until she would have a chance to return to the Zone.
As Harry was leaving that night carrying all his purchases back to Privet Drive, Sirius pulled him to the side.
"I've got something else for you Harry," Sirius said quietly as he slipped him a package of condoms. "This is just in case you fall in love and decide to...I want you to be prepared, understand?"
Harry immediately turned red at the sight of the box, but nodded and slipped it into one of his shopping bags.
"Now Harry, I don't want you doing anything spontaneous. That's 'cause I worry about you. If you find yourself getting serious with someone, I want you to talk to me first. Got it?"
"Yeah," he said in a soft voice.
"Now, since Arabella doesn't believe in owl post here - we won't be able to send letters to each other this year. If you need to talk to me, let her know and she can call me through her fire for you. Don't try doing it from the Gryffindor common room, it's too risky."
"Hey Sirius, I've been meaning to ask you. What ever happened to Buckbeak?"
"I left him in the Forbidden Forest. That's where all the misfit creatures wind up. Don't go looking for him or anything else in there."
Harry started thinking of the Acromantulas he met in his second year.
"No, I won't be going in there unless I have to. I've met some of the creatures in there and it's pretty spooky."
Sirius then ruffled Harry's hair and wound up giving him a bear hug. "I'm going to miss you kid. Your parents would have been very proud of you."
"I'm going to miss you too, Sirius," he said with his voice cracking.
"Okay, it's off with you now! And behave yourself," Sirius said with a wink.
Professor Figg stepped towards them and gave Harry a large smile.
"I'll see you tomorrow on the train. The hard part starts tomorrow when I have to pretend that I've never met you. I just wanted you to know that I've really enjoyed working with you this summer. It'll be hard to not play favourites with you at school, but know that if I appear harsh with you - it may just be for other people's benefit. That is unless you give me something to be mad at you about…," she said with a sly smile.
"I'll try not to disappoint you. And thanks again for everything Professor Figg. This has been the best summer of my life," he said as she gave him a hug goodbye.
Harry left the house and looked forward to waking up the next morning to go back to Hogwarts. No more Dursleys for ten months! Then he thought about Sirius and Professor Figg. They had just become a couple two months ago and now they were going to be apart for almost a year. He knew that the separation would be hard on them. Then he thought about this being their last night together and he started getting images in his mind that were hard to get rid of. It was going to be difficult having her as an instructor if he thought of her in that way.
The next day his Uncle Vernon grumbled and complained all the way to London. Harry thought that his uncle ought to be grateful that it was only the second time that he had to ferry his nephew to the train station. The other years Harry had wound up having the Weasleys see him off to school. Nothing was going to dampen his spirits today. He was going back to school and wanted this year to be special.
Harry smiled as he pushed his trunk with Hedwig's cage resting on top through King's Cross station. He saw Ron and Hermione waving to him as soon as he passed through the barrier at Platform 9 ¾.
"Harry! There you are. Let's grab a compartment before they're all full," Ron said anxiously.
"Hey Harry, it's great to see you!" Hermione said as she gave him a quick hug. "I just want to stow my trunk in your compartment. I have to go to that prefects' meeting for the beginning of the trip, but I'll come back later."
They started making their way onto the train when another voice came through the air.
"Harry!"
He turned to see that it was Cho that had called.
"Oh, hi," he stammered as he felt his heart leap into his throat.
"Harry, could I talk with you? Alone?" she asked.
"Ah, sure. Just let us get our stuff put away."
Ron gave Harry a wink and a quick nudge in the ribs. Harry glowered at him in return. After their trunks were put away Ron left saying he was going to visit with Fred and George for a while. Cho walked awkwardly into the compartment. Harry pointed to a seat and gave her a small smile.
"Harry, can you tell me what happened to Cedric?" she asked. "I've been waiting all summer to ask you. I tried writing you, but my owl returned my letter."
"Sorry about that. I was getting hate mail, so I stopped taking letters for awhile."
Then Harry turned and went to close the compartment door. He pulled his wand out and muttered a few words under his breath.
"I just put a charm on the door so our voices wouldn't carry. This may sound weird, but before I tell you anything, I need to make sure that you truly are Cho Chang and not someone who is impersonating you. Tell me something that only Cho would know."
She looked at him with a furrowed brow.
"Umm, how about…I saw you at the Quidditch World Cup last summer and you wound up spilling a bunch of water down your front?"
He smiled sheepishly as he remembered that embarrassing incident.
"That'll work. Cho, I'm going to tell you a few things that aren't widely known. Please try to keep them to yourself as I'm not sure how much Headmaster Dumbledore wants known. Also there will be some things that I can't tell you."
He sat down across from her and noticed that her eyes had grown wide with fear.
"Okay, umm, where to begin? Well you know that Voldemort killed my parents and tried to kill me when I was a baby?"
She nodded and flinched when Harry had said Voldemort's name.
"Voldemort wasn't killed that night, because he had done so many evil things that he wasn't quite human
anymore. So he wound up just existing in some weird evil vaporish form all these years. Anyway, a year ago one of
Voldemort's old servants was flushed out of his hiding place for twelve years. He made his way to Albania where he
found Voldemort's essence. This servant was able to help nurse his master back to a small state of health again. He
also met up with Bertha Jorkins the Ministry of Magic employee that went missing last year. Voldemort tortured her for
information before he killed her. It was her information that led him to devise a plan to enter me into the Triwizard
Tournament so that he could get to me and return to a full human body."
"Harry, why do you of all people use his name?"
"Professor Dumbledore says his name and requested that I do the same. He says that fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself. I have chosen to follow his advice and so I say Voldemort's name. I know he wants me dead, but I also know that living in fear is not really living," he said simply.
Cho started to look at Harry with a look of awe in her eyes.
"So what was the plan that V-V-Vol…" she gulped.
Harry took a deep breath and then told her of Crouch, Jr. having been sentenced to life in Azkaban for being a Death Eater. (He did not tell her about the Longbottoms.) And how Crouch, Sr. had devised a scheme to break his son out of Azkaban using his dying wife and Polyjuice Potion and had kept his son under the Imperius curse at home for years. Then how the tables were turned as Crouch, Sr. was put under the Imperius curse by Voldemort. This led to Crouch, Jr. and another Death Eater overpowering Moody and holding him hostage while Crouch, Jr. impersonated Moody all year long. Cho gasped when she heard that last year's Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor had been a Death Eater in disguise. Harry then told her that it was Crouch, Jr. that had entered his name into the Goblet of Fire. The plan was for Crouch, Jr. to assure Harry's victory by any means possible. That during the third task, Crouch, Jr. had stunned Fleur and put Krum under the Imperius curse which forced him to put Cedric under the Cruciatus curse.
"No!" she said horrified.
"I heard that curse in the maze and I couldn't believe it. I stopped and burst my way through the hedges to get to them. I stunned Krum to stop Cedric's torture. So The Daily Prophet was right in that I did stun one of my competitors, but it wasn't so I could get ahead. It was to stop someone else from being tortured."
Harry then told her about his warning Cedric just as an Acromantula was about to attack him. And how Harry wound up being attacked by the giant spider and that it took both he and Cedric working together to stun the monster. Then their disagreement as to who should take the cup and how in the end they decided to call it a tie and they grabbed the cup at the same time.
Cho smiled at that thought, but her smile disappeared as soon as Harry told her that the cup had been made into a Portkey and that it took them to a remote cemetery.
"If I hadn't insisted on Cedric sharing the cup with me, he'd be alive today…"
"What happened?"
"As soon as we landed in the cemetery, I heard Voldemort's voice. He said…," Harry paused as he took a large swallow. "Kill the spare. As if Cedric didn't even matter."
A single tear fell down Cho's face.
"Then I was tied up to a tombstone and the servant did a ceremony that was gruesome and helped to create a new body for Voldemort."
"Why did they need you there?" she asked with a tremor in her voice.
"Voldemort wanted my blood." Harry raised the sleeve of his shirt and Cho gasped as he showed the scar on his right forearm. "He wanted blood from his greatest foe. And since I am the only one who has ever survived when he's tried to kill them, that's how he thinks of me."
Cho shook her head slowly as if she couldn't understand what was being said.
"What happened then?"
"He summoned the Death Eaters, they Apparated in a large circle. He gave them all a speech, greeting them and gloating over them. Then he had me untied because he wanted to duel with me."
"You duelled with him?" she asked with her mouth agape.
"Yeah. I don't know how I survived it, but something really weird happened and some ghosts of the people Voldemort killed appeared. I saw Cedric's and he asked me to bring his body back to his parents. I also saw the ghosts of my parents," he said with his voice thick with emotion.
"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry," she said shaking her head.
"Yeah, well, somehow they protected me and I ran back to where Cedric's body was lying and I summoned the cup just before Voldemort tried to curse me again. I returned to Hogwarts. It was later that night that I found out all about Crouch, Jr. and how they plotted it all. Crouch had taken me from the maze against Dumbledore's orders and he almost killed me when Dumbledore stunned him. Later Crouch was interrogated under the influence of Veritaserum, that's how we know what happened," he said with a deadened voice.
"How come Minister Fudge said that there was no evidence to support your story?"
"Because Fudge summoned a Dementor to accompany him to meet with Crouch. As soon as he entered the room it descended upon him and gave him the Dementor's Kiss. That destroyed the evidence," Harry said bitterly.
Cho put her hand over her mouth and looked like she was going to be ill. After a few minutes of silence she looked at straight at Harry.
"Why does he want to kill you?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I don't know why he wanted to kill me when I was a baby, but now I think Voldemort feels that he has to kill me now in order to prove to everyone that no one is safe from him. But for some reason I continue to stump him."
"Oh Harry, you are so brave. I don't know how you do it. I knew this summer that there had to be more to the story than what I was reading in the paper. It didn't make any sense. I mean I don't really know you, but you just don't seem like the evil type."
He gave her a wan smile, "Thanks."
"I know that sounds bad, but…" then she hid her face in her hands. "I don't know what to think anymore. Things are so crazy and I just feel so torn up inside."
"Did you love Cedric?" he asked quietly.
She looked up at him. "I think so. Or at least I think I was falling in love with him. And now, I'm so afraid to even think about guys."
"Cho, there's something else I have to talk with you about. I really don't want to, but it's for your own safety."
"What?"
"Umm, you might become a target for attack."
"Why?" she asked.
"Because," Harry blushed, "You remember when I asked you to the Yule Ball? Well, I don't know how many people found out about that, but there were a couple people in the Gryffindor Tower that heard about it and…you know, because I think you're cute - you might become a target by Death Eaters just in order to get to me."
"Oh," she said looking at him with terror in her eyes.
"So umm, in regards to your security…you need to do a few things. Like save all your hair. You need to use a wand every morning on your bedsheets, your comb and brush and the bathroom drain to collect and then destroy your hair. That way it can never be used against you. We also have to come up with a signal for when we see or talk to each other. That's so we know that we're talking to each other and not a Death Eater in disguise."
"Harry, I know you said you think I'm cute, but…I have to tell you that I'm…that I'm not ready to date anyone right now. And although you seem really nice and all, I don't know that I could ever be interested in you. It's just that…I'm not brave like you. I felt bad enough worrying about Cedric last year during the tournament, but I never ever thought he'd get killed. I can't allow myself to think about getting involved and caring for someone who…" and she started sobbing.
"Who could get killed or get you killed," Harry finished her thought.
She nodded her head.
Harry fished in his pocket and found a handkerchief and handed it to her.
"Thanks," she croaked.
"I'm really sorry Cho. I never asked for this kind of attention and I'd do anything to be rid of it, but that's not going to happen. For some reason, I'm Voldemort's Achilles Heel and now he's back and no one knows what's going to happen. I don't want to see anything happen to you or anyone else. I know that last year I couldn't leave any of the hostages under water. That's because I couldn't live with myself if anyone had died if I could have done something to avoid it. I know I couldn't have saved all four of you, but I couldn't just leave with Ron until I knew everyone was going to be safe. That's why I need to set up a signal with you. If a Death Eater tries to set up a trap and uses you as bait, I want to make sure it's you and not someone disguised as you who's just waiting there to kill me. So, maybe you could just toss your hair and say 'Hey' when you see me. And I could blink and then say, "Umm, Hi.' It's something simple that no one will notice, but if we don't do that at the beginning - both of us will know that the other is an imposter."
"Okay," she sighed. "I'll try."
"Since I know there's no hope for anything to happen between us, I'll do my best to stop thinking of you in that way. I'll try to just leave you alone."
"I didn't mean that I wouldn't talk with you Harry."
"That's okay, don't worry about me and please don't tell anyone about this discussion. I also have to come up with signals for Ron and Hermione. They're probably bigger targets than you are, so maybe in some small sense that'll make you feel a little safer. I feel awful that anyone has to worry about their safety because of me."
"It's not because of you, Harry," she said firmly. "It's because of an evil wizard who hates you. I never understood why my parents avoided talking about what happened to my grandparents, but this summer they told me that they had been murdered by Death Eaters five years before I was born. It's not your fault, so stop blaming yourself. We all have to come to grips with this new reality."
"Thanks," Harry said brightening a little.
The door on the compartment slid open and then the last person Harry would have wanted to see walked in.
"What do we have here?" drawled Draco Malfoy. "Potter is already trying to make a move on Cedric's girlfriend? His body is just barely cold."
"Sod off, Malfoy!" Harry snapped.
"Are you going to attack me again Potter? Of course, this time you'll be attacking a prefect and maybe Dumbledore will be forced to punish you," he said menacingly. Harry then noticed the bright shiny badge pinned on Malfoy's robes.
"Please leave, Draco. Harry and I were having a private conversation," Cho said with a tinge of anger.
"I'd watch him if I were you Cho. He's not above trying to take out his opponents to get to what he wants."
"Really? I thought that description covered you in our last Quidditch match," she said bitterly.
Draco gave a snort and just then Professor Figg stood towering behind him.
"Is there a problem here?"
"No, he was just leaving," Harry said.
"Hmmm, I see you're a prefect. I believe there's still a prefect's meeting going on at the front of the train. Why aren't you there?" she asked.
"I had to visit the loo."
"Well, now that you've relieved yourself, I think you should get back to your meeting," she said firmly.
"And who are you?" Draco asked.
"I'm Professor Figg, your new Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor. Your name is…"
"Draco Malfoy."
"Of course. You look exactly like your father. I'm looking forward to seeing how well you perform in my class. Please, give my regards to your father," she said coolly as she ushered him out the door. She then turned and looked at Harry and tugged at an earlobe.
"So, you must be Harry Potter. It's good to finally meet you."
Harry ran a hand over his forehead, pushed his glasses up and nodded. Then he stood and extended his hand to her.
"Umm, it's good to meet you also, Professor."
"And you are?" she asked.
"Cho Chang."
"It's nice to meet you both and I'll be looking forward to seeing you in class. If you don't mind, I think I'll get back to my compartment."
Harry gave a sigh of relief and looked at Cho. She was looking at him with a strange expression on her face.
"Thank you for talking with me, Harry. I really appreciate it and I appreciate your candor. I wish things were different, but…well, good luck this year. And I'll see you on the Quidditch pitch," she said as she left the compartment.
Harry sat dazed and alone in his thoughts for a few minutes before Ron knocked on the wall.
"Hey, Harry. You okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Come on in."
"What did Cho want to talk to you about?"
Harry moved to close the compartment door.
"She wanted to know what happened to Cedric."
"What did you tell her?"
Harry sighed. "As much as I thought I could tell her. I left certain things out, but told her enough that she knows that I didn't just kill him so I could try to date her."
"Why would she think that?" asked Ron.
"Malfoy implied that. He stopped by here just to annoy the hell out of me."
"I'm glad we hexed him last time when we got the chance," Ron said bitterly.
"Yeah, well I don't know how smart that was, but he certainly deserved it."
The trolley witch came by and knocked on the glass door. Harry opened it and made some purchases for them as well as saving some for Hermione.
"I hope that meeting breaks up soon," Harry said.
"Oh, I've got to tell you this. Hermione stayed with us at the Burrow for the last three days. Her parents were at a dentist's convention and couldn't see her off to school. Anyway, I was afraid she'd be mad at me because of Winky. As it turned out, Hermione seemed totally cool with it. She talked with Winky almost non-stop the whole time. Then yesterday she told us that we needed to leave an extra hour early today because she needed to stop at a Muggle bookstore on the way. She used this strange machine which spit out Muggle paper money and she came out with a big bag of books," said Ron as he rolled his eyes. "Just what she needed more books! I can't believe she can even move that trunk of hers."
Hermione slid open the compartment door and smiled brightly at them.
"You seem awfully quiet. You weren't talking about me were you?"
"Ah, maybe just a little. Please sit down, there's some cauldron cakes over there that we saved for you," Harry said as he went to close the door again.
"It's hot in here, Harry. Can't we leave the door open or open a window?" Ron complained.
"Not yet, I have to talk to you two about something and I need to make sure no one overhears. I put a silencing charm on the door earlier."
"What's up?" Hermione asked.
"First of all, I need both of you to prove to me that you are really Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Tell me something that only you would know."
"Okay, we made a Polyjuice Potion in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," said Hermione.
"Wormtail slept in my bed for three years," said Ron with disgust.
"Fred gave my cousin Dudley magical toffee last summer," said Harry. "I think that should satisfy everyone. Okay, now that I know both of you are who I thought you were, we're going to have to come up with a signal and some passwords. We need to be sure that when we first meet each other that we aren't talking to someone who's been Polyjuiced to look like us. The signal can be something simple. For instance Ron you could sniff and say 'umm' and Hermione maybe you could lick your lips and say, 'well' before you say anything else."
"That doesn't seem like much of a signal," said Hermione sceptically.
"We don't want it be noticeable to others. Something small and simple that no one else will pay any attention to. I can blink slowly and say, 'er' before I say anything else. If either one of you can think of better signals to use, I'm open to some suggestions. We also need a password to use in case we are ever in doubt and the signals aren't working. I think the password should be Moony, Padfoot and Prongs."
Ron and Hermione nodded at that. Harry then told them the importance of saving their hair and nail clippings.
"Where did you get all these ideas?" Ron asked.
"Sirius," Harry lied.
"Okay, is there anything else you need to tell us in confidence? Because I'm roasting and need some air," complained Hermione.
Harry smiled and opened the door and windows. They played Exploding Snap the rest of the way to Hogwarts and tried not to talk about anything of importance. As they exited from the train Harry saw the familiar sight of Hagrid directing the first year students into the boats across the lake. They exchanged a quick friendly wave.
After the horseless carriages brought them to the castle and they were standing waiting for the massive doors to open, Harry was feeling a bit anxious looking around the crowd. The other students seemed to looking at him out of the corner of their eyes. It wasn't outright hostility, but he sensed many suspicious glances in his direction. He tried to ignore the looks and remind himself that during his second and fourth years that he had experienced similar treatment by the student body. This too shall pass, he tried to remind himself.
After Professor McGonagall welcomed all the returning students into the Great Hall, she walked up to Harry and touched him on the shoulder.
"Come with me," she said curtly.
**
End notes: I'd like to thank those who are following along with my story and especially those who have taken the time to review. Alez Burrow wanted to see more humour, I hope the scene with Nadine fit that bill for you. Yurimionepotter wanted to know when the ship was going to set sail. Well, umm, Harry is only now getting directions as to where to find the coastline. It'll be a bit before he even finds the pier, let alone the ship. This is a novel length story and not just a vignette. These things do take time in order for them to be seen as believable and not rushed. You'll soon start seeing hints of attraction between the two in the next few chapters. Lilyflower017 and kinicky 21 I'd like to thank you for your kind words. My eye for detail is something that I pride myself on. I'm glad you appreciate all the detail that I put into the story. And Thelyvyn, I'd like to send out a special thanks to you. Because of your recommendation for my story on the Soap Free H/Hr board, I was contacted by NAPPA and that's when I learned about this website. I hope you enjoy reading this story as much a second time through and maybe you'll pick up on some clues that you might have missed the first time through. Especially with the "Christmas at the Burrow" chapter, which was one of my favourites to write.
Up next: Chapter Five: Harry's Punishment. This is where we will see how the hexing incident on the train plays out and where Malfoy is finally put in his place by a professor. Yesss.