Chapter 5
Daily Prophet Lead Article, July 31st, 1996
Sirius Black Offers New Inter-Species Protection Bill
With the fall of Minister Scrimgeour's administration, Minister Amelia Bones has set the tone for a more tolerant Ministry. In this new environment, Sirius Black, head of the Black family, has introduced a new bill calling for a more broad-minded, progressive approach to other species.
"It doesn't make sense to me to treat the other sentient species like subhumans. They think, they have souls, they deserve our respect, but we don't give it to them. The Muggles have a phrase which goes like this, 'Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you.'" Black said at the most recent Wizengamot meeting.
Political analysts are predicting a close vote on the new bill, which unsurprisingly has the backing of Gringotts and the Ministry. But there is a vocal minority in the Wizengamot who are vehemently opposed to this bill in any form.
Sirius Black represents a faction of the Wizengamot that supports the efforts of Minister Bones and her work to bring about a fairer Ministry for all magical species. Until recently, such efforts would have been in vain. Minister Scrimgeour's administration would not have allowed such a measure, but with the arrest and subsequent execution of Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary for Magic, the administration fell, paving the way for Minister Bones to take over.
Under the proposed legislation, Goblins and the major humanoid species will be afforded the same basic rights as wizards. Sirius Black says this bill will "not completely end the bias towards the other species, but it's a start. And for the first time there will be a mechanism in place which will enable house elves to lodge complaints about mistreatment."
When asked, Black said that the bill is a necessary first step towards recognizing the other species as equals. He noted that Britain is falling behind the rest of the wizarding world because of its antiquated ideas.
While many think this new legislation is worthwhile, not everyone agrees. Walden McNair is stepping to the forefront of the opposition. "This bill is a danger to us and our way of life. Do you think Harry Potter sacrificed his magic for house elves? Of course he didn't. And we should uphold his great sacrifice by sticking with our glorious traditions."
Quibbler Lead Article, July 31st, 1996...
American UFO Sightings Result of Tainted Butterbeer!
In an attempt to undermine the stability of the American Ministry, we've learned that our Ministry has been sending tainted Butterbeer to the Americas in the hope of causing mass drunkenness.
This plot was uncovered at the annual Labor Day celebration in Wisconsin. Each year in this backward state, thousands gather for the Kielbasa Art Festival, where they drink butterbeer by the barrel and eat massive amounts of sausage.
This year, they were honoring Milfred McFertile, aged 102, and mother to 67 children, 407 grandchildren and 1209 great-grandchildren. She was touted as the perfect person to honor this year, considering the number of times she's been in labor.
The tainted butterbeer resulted in hundreds of UFO sightings ranging in shapes from saucers to something one person said looked like a flying penis.
It's true we don't normally use the word "flying" in this publication, but we decided for this issue it was necessary.
The tainted Butterbeer was discovered as the cause and traced back to a distillery formerly owned by the Malfoy family and now owned by the Ministry. Ministry officials are denying they had anything to do with a flying penis, and further claim their butterbeer was not tainted until the Americans mixed it with something called Pepsi.
What Pepsi is, is a mystery, and we wonder what it has to do with a flying penis. Frankly, we're worried about the whole thing. We promise to keep you informed on this story.
Coming next week, Harry Potter single handedly defeats Germany's nude woman volleyball team. "He'sgot a magnificent spike," said Olga Broomhildegarde, team captain. "We all wanted to see what he could do with it."
Hermione's House, Oxford, England, Aug 1st, 1996...
Rita Skeeter had a nose for a story, and some of the rumors she had heard in Diagon Alley and elsewhere made her think that one family in particular might be more involved in the Potter disappearance than anyone suspected.
It made sense, in a way. After all, while the adults in the family were Muggles, their daughter was a witch who, by all accounts, was Harry Potter's best friend at Hogwarts.
It had cost her a small fortune in bribes and promises of favors in order to locate where the girl lived. But when it came to news, she had no scruples. She'd not let anyone get in her way of publishing a story, no matter who got hurt. Occasionally, the tables were turned and she found herself being used to help expose scandals or the wrongdoings of others. Minerva McGonagall had done so just a few months ago. But she didn't mind, really. She got the majority of lead stories in the Prophet and people knew they could trust her to bring them the unvarnished truth!
Now her nose was twitching, and that meant there was a story behind the disappearance of Harry Potter. A story that no one suspected.
She had spent the day prowling around the outside of the house, hoping to get inside when someone opened a door. The wards had been a problem, but she knew a technique for slipping through them that confused most security wards.
Rita Skeeter was an Animagus, and a unique one at that. Unlike most Animagi, who mastered control of the instinctive self of the animal, Skeeter gave her form free reign, commanding from a higher level. This allowed her to maintain her talent for remembering conversations verbatim. It was this instinctive independence which allowed her to fool most wards. The bug did the work of flying and moving, while she commanded from the back of the brain, an observer rather than an active participant.
She flew around to the back of the house, her frustration mounting. She had not heard nor seen anyone since her arrival. The cars were still at the house, so she reasoned that the family had to be close by.
By six that evening she was beginning to think she'd taken the wrong approach, though the idea had seemed good at the time.
She paused and listened. When a light turned on upstairs and a radio began to play, she froze and listened carefully. Unable to hear anyone speaking over the radio, she flew up to the window, but couldn't see anyone.
A light went on in the bathroom, only to be turned off a minute later.
Her anger and frustration climbing, she was about to fly down and change forms to confront these Muggles when the yard lights came on.
Now we're getting somewhere! she thought happily. Someone must be coming out of the house. She leaped from the windowsill, her little wings flapping like mad.
More automatic timer circuits kicked in, activating the large blue light bug zapper Dan had installed. The random lighting was merely part of a comprehensive anti-burglar system designed to make it appear as if the house was occupied when it wasn't.
Skeeter, in allowing the insect to control her movements, had only a few seconds to panic and try to wrest control from the primitive mind flying the beetle. The attempt was unsuccessful. She saw an intense flash of blue light, then felt pain like she'd never felt before.
She tumbled to the ground, more dead than alive. Her antennae had been vaporized, and the electricity had burned a swath of destruction across her face and thorax.
In intense pain, she took over an hour to revert back to human form. Blind in one eye and totally deaf, thanks to the loss of her ears, she stumbled out towards the street, where she collapsed, unconscious.
A neighbor of the Grangers, out walking his dog, spotted the injured woman and called 999, summoning an ambulance.
She was rushed to a hospital where she would spend the next three weeks recovering enough for her to Apparate to St. Mungos. Unfortunately by then, the damage was done. As Muggle medicine and her own body had healed what it could, magical healing could do nothing for her.
Waivunu, Fiji, Aug 6th 1996...
"Hang on, Harry!"
Sirius gunned the boat and Harry felt the slack being taken up in the rope. The parasail billowed out behind him and his feet let the ground. He continued running in midair for a moment, then laughed.
This was their 'down' week. Dan and Emma were with them and, with the exception of three hours studying around dinner time, they basically relaxed and had a real vacation. It was hard on Hermione at first; her fingers itched to open her books and reread them. But they managed to distract her.
The large Sheraton hotel in Nadi held dances every night and formal ball room dances on Saturday evenings, which they planned to attend. Harry was only a fair dancer, but Hermione enjoyed it and as long as she could put up with his need to fly, even if it was tethered to the back of a boat, he could dance with her.
Another change from last year was that in the days preceding their arrival in Fiji, Sirius had come to England and told Harry that he would be paying for everything. Remus helped Harry lay out the budget based on what he had available in his trust vault.
He was paying for a vacation for his family. He was in no danger of spending all his money, but Remus and Sirius wanted him to get used to the idea of managing the money in a real situation, rather than a classroom. Since most of his tutors had been prearranged and paid for by James and Lily, and Sirius picked up the cost of the few new ones they had to get, his trust fund was largely unused.
Dan played out the line below and Harry rose higher into the sky. Dan and Cindy had already had their turn and Sirius was driving the boat, although he claimed he'd get a chance another time. Emma, Hermione and Remus seemed reluctant to give parasailing a shot.
He grinned, seeing the boat looking so small below him. Looking out at the broad vista before him, his brow crinkled as he spotted something.
On the horizon were two specks. It looked like two people on brooms approaching fast. Without thinking, he morphed into Evan, then switched on the intercom that allowed him to talk to the boat.
"Sirius, I see two wizards on brooms coming up fast... Wait, they're splitting up. One looks to be heading for the boat, the other for me."
"Hang tight, Harry. We're reeling you in," came the tinny reply. He felt the tug on his harness as the electric winch began to reel him in. The winch wasn't all that fast; they'd never be able to get him into the boat in time. He wished he could Apparate, but he'd take the rope and harness with him and risk fouling the boat's propeller if he did.
Below on the boat, Harry could see Cindy, Dan and Emma going below deck. Hermione and Remus scanned the skies with their wands ready, while Sirius turned the boat around to head for shore.
The two riders came closer, one heading for the boat the other heading for Harry.
"Death Eaters!" Harry hissed.
A stunner lanced up from the boat and splashed against a shield. The Death Eater approaching Harry grinned broadly. As far as he could tell, Harry was unarmed. He had left his wand back at the beach house.
"Evan Black, cousin of the blood traitor, Sirius Black?"
Below them, the other Death Eater screamed and fell from his broom, most of his guts spilling out by a well placed cutting hex from Remus.
"Damnation," swore the Death Eater, seeing his companion fall into the water with a scream. He turned back to Harry. "This is what happens when you consort with blood traitors! Crucio!"
The curse caught Harry by surprise and flew right through the shield he had erected. It struck him in the chest, and he screamed as every nerve in his body sang with excruciating pain.
Sirius slewed the boat back and forth, trying to drag Harry out from under the curse. Finally, he turned the boat around. That caused the tether to go slack and Harry started to spiral down.
His vision graying, he gestured, snap conjuring a heavy stone above the Death Eater. It appeared and gravity kicked in. Plummeting down, it struck the Death Eater and the man fell nearly a hundred feet, his skull smashed.
Harry groaned and passed out in the harness. His last thought was a dim recognition of Hermione screaming his name when he went limp in the harness.
Sirius reversed direction again and Dan came back up on deck to work the winch. Between them they managed to get his fall under control and brought him aboard.
When he awoke he was in his bed and every nerve in his body ached. He moaned softly and tried to lift his head to look around. The effort exhausted him.
"Harry, lie still. Remus should be back any minute with an anti-Cruciatus potion," Hermione said, her expression filled with worry. She placed a cool cloth against his forehead; it was a futile gesture and they both knew it.
"Whe... W-w-where's S-S-Sirius?"
The after effects of the curse was making speech difficult. He was wracked with tremors. This was his first exposure to the dreaded torture curse, and he now understood why it had earned the name. Every nerve in his body jolted and flared as if he was being zapped with electricity and his muscles ached terribly.
"He's checking the wards on the house right now. Dad's with him. Mum and Cindy are in Mum's room. Mum was really shook up."
He blinked and tried to look at her, but he couldn't focus properly.
"Harry, can you switch back to Evan? We don't know if Remus will be alone or not when he returns with the potion. Because it's a controlled potion, he had to go to Britain and get some from the Ministry," she explained.
His features rippled and he groaned in pain. His body shuddered and he shook his head. He couldn't control the transformation in this condition. Hermione nodded and waved her hand, casting a glamor on him that approximated Evan.
The door opened and Cindy entered. "How is he?" she asked as she moved to stand next to Hermione.
"Hurtsss" he hissed through clenched teeth.
He reached out and grabbed Cindy's hand. "Tell S-S-Sirius, they w-w-weren't l-l-looking for m-me. They w-w-wanted him!"
Her eyes widened with understanding and she nodded, then she turned to Hermione. "Tell me again what that curse does?"
"It's an Unforgivable curse, banned by the Ministry. It causes overwhelming pain. I've never felt it, but it's driven people insane. They say it's like being stabbed hundreds of times all over your body."
"Bloody hurts, still," Harry moaned. He lay back and tried to control his shaking body.
The door opened allowing Remus and another person to enter the room. Remus stepped over to the bed holding a bottle.
"Evan, I've brought a dose of anti-Cruciatus potion. It will help alleviate the after effects from the curse. Since this is a British Ministry-controlled potion, and the attack was mostly on British citizens, I've brought Auror Tonks here to talk to us, you included."
He nodded and Remus motioned to Cindy, who propped him up so he could drink the potion. His hands trembled so much she had to hold the potion for him. While he was drinking, the door opened and Sirius entered the room with Dan and Emma. He looked surprised to see his cousin, but he nodded to her and turned his attention on Harry.
He finished the potion and sagged against Cindy in relief. She shook her head in amazement at how fast magical medications worked.
Harry cracked one eye open and focused on Sirius. "They were after you, Sirius. That's what the Death Eater told me," he said in an exhausted voice.
Sirius looked startled for a moment.
"Well, you don't have to worry about them, Evan. Remus got the one that came for us with a cutting hex; hit him in the belly and he went down fast, then yours. I don't think anyone will be able to find the bodies, either," Sirius said. "It's a shame, but we were too worried about you to bother finding what was left of them."
"They weren't Death Eaters," Tonks announced. "They're part of a new group calling themselves the Cult of Voldemort. Each member is a disciple." She turned to Harry. "And how do you know they were after Mr. Black?"
"Weren't you listening?" Harry asked, a bit annoyed. "The guy on the broom told me they were after Sirius. Just before he hit me with the Cruciatus, he said, 'this is what happens when you consort with blood traitors'."
Tonks nodded and peered closer at Harry frowning. "Why are you... Who are you?" she demanded. Being an expert in disguises, she was capable of easily spotting his glamor.
Almost instantly she had three wands pointed at her.
"Hermione!" shouted Emma. "Put that down."
Hermione shook her head stubbornly and held her wand firmly.
"Nymphadora, can we talk about this like adults? Or should we just Obliviate you?"
She looked at her older cousin. "Sirius, this is serious. I just gave a controlled potion to someone hiding behind a glamor. There's been an attack on a Wizengamot member. And just who is Evan Black, anyway? I thought I knew all of the family."
"Sirius, just tell her," Harry said tiredly. His exposure to the curse had taken a lot out of him. This was the first time he ever experienced anything so painful and the after-effects were nearly as bad as the original curse. He closed his eyes and slipped into an exhausted sleep.
"Damn," Sirius swore. "I'm going to do something I never thought I'd do."
He turned to Tonks. "Nymphadora Black-Tonks, as Head of your House, I am invoking Familiar Obligatora on you."
Tonks blinked and stared at him in shock. Remus gaped at him.
"Sire?" Tonks squeaked as the powerful family magics took hold. A glowing field seemed to engulf her, holding her fast.
"Hermione, is that your glamor?" Sirius asked.
Shocked beyond words, she nodded mutely. She had never seen Sirius like this. She had no idea what kind of magic he had just invoked, but its effect on Tonks was obvious.
"Would you dispel it, please?"
Hermione turned and canceled the spell on Harry.
"Sirius, what are you doing?" demanded Cindy, who was watching Tonks with mounting alarm. The young woman seemed to be struggling against massive forces, and losing.
"A moment and it will all be clear," Sirius said sadly.
He walked over to Tonks and turned her so she could see the figure on the bed. Her brow furrowed.
"In a little while, cousin, I will release you from the family magic, and hopefully you won't hate me for doing this to you. However, you are looking at the last hope of the wizarding world. He is all that stands between us and Voldemort returning. More importantly, he is like a son to me and I will not see him harmed. Not by you or anyone else."
Sirius moved to stand in front of Tonks and she looked at him. "Yes, that's Harry Potter. The real Harry Potter, with all the bindings removed from his magic, with all his magic intact. He is probably the most powerful wizard on the planet, except for Voldemort, and we know they have the same level of power.
"Dumbledore was playing dangerous games with Harry's life, so we pulled a hoax, making it seem like he had no magic. That had two effects. The first was that it got him out from under Dumbledore's thumb and the second is that all of Voldemort's supporters believe Voldemort to be powerless.
"As long as Harry and his abilities remain secret, he has time to train and time to live. When the time comes, a properly trained Harry Potter will kill Voldemort, then he will go on to live a long, happy life making lots of little Black-Potters.
"But for now, I need your promise to keep his secret. I don't want to force your cooperation, Tonks, but if it comes down to him or you, he wins. I will protect him."
"I'll willingly keep the secret, Sire," she whispered, still cowering under the powerful family magic.
Sirius stared at her for a moment then nodded. "Then I release you from Familiar Obligatora with no conditions or obligations."
Tonks staggered and nearly fell as the nimbus of energy surrounding her vanished, but Sirius steadied her.
"Cor! And here I thought Mum was putting one over on me. That's worse than an Imperius!"
"I'm sorry, Nymphadora..." Sirius trailed off at her glare.
"Not as sorry as you'll be if you call me Nymphadora again," she muttered darkly. "Call me Tonks."
She looked down at Harry and nodded to herself. "All right, I can see why you want to protect this secret. I just wish you hadn't used the family magic on me."
"I wish I hadn't either," Sirius said, his complexion had paled considerably. "Remus, take them to the dining room. Talk there and let Harry sleep."
Sirius trembled and then he bolted from the room. Cindy watched him, alarmed, as he vanished.
"Go to him, Cindy. He's probably in your bathroom throwing up," Remus said. Then he tried to put on a bright face. "Shall we let Harry sleep in peace?"
Remus led the thoroughly confused people from the bedroom. Cindy went towards the master bedroom where she and Sirius slept.
In the dinning room Remus conjured a tea service and poured himself a cup. He took a deep drink and shook his head sadly. "Ms. Tonks, Sirius didn't want to cast that on you. If I know him, he's an emotional wreck at the moment," he told her quietly.
Tonks looked at him, unsure whether to believe him or not.
"Why don't you first explain what just happened?" Dan asked him. It was obvious to him that something powerful had happened that affected Tonks and Sirius deeply, but he didn't understand it at all.
Remus sighed and nodded. "In the old pure-blood families, like the Potters and the Blacks, there are many types of magic which they keep secret. For example, when Harry turns seventeen he will be able to access the family grimoires and learn the secret spells of the Potter family. The Potters were well known healers and enchanters and their grimoires are rumored to be full of spells for those professions.
"A magical family is more than just people related by blood. There is a special form of magic that is reserved for the Head of the family alone. It allows the Head of the family to enforce his or her will on reluctant family members. Ms. Tonks' mother managed to escape her family and marry her Muggle-born husband before anyone could drag her before the Head of the Black family and force her to do their bidding.
"Sirius had that spell cast on him and he managed to break from the compulsion, but only at the cost of great emotional and physical pain to himself. When the Potters took him in, he vowed never to cast that on anyone. That should tell you how important Harry's life is to him. He broke his own vow and did something he hoped he'd never have to do."
"I would have listened without him casting that," Tonks said mulishly.
"Would you risk the life of someone you love on a maybe, Ms. Tonks?" Remus asked gently.
She shook her head. If she were in the same boat, she would have done the same thing.
"Remus, Harry will have this ability to compel members of the Potter family?" asked Hermione timidly.
Remus smiled understandingly. "The ability, yes. But the knowledge of how to do so? No. According to Harry's grandfather, the knowledge of how to invoke that magic was lost three centuries ago and no one was interested in trying to reclaim it."
She leaned back in her chair, relieved.
"I'd just as soon never tell him about it, but it's probably written down in one of the many journals his family has kept," Sirius said shakily from the doorway. "He'd never use it on anyone, Hermione, especially not you."
Tonks stood and stared at him. The man standing in the doorway was entirely different from the one who had commanded her obedience only a short while ago. His complexion was pasty and he looked haunted. It was Sirius, just recently escaped from Azkaban all over again.
Cindy stood next to him. She held one of his arms and was watching him carefully. Remus had been right. He had been violently ill for a few minutes, and his body was still wracked with tremors. She had never witnessed such a strong emotional reaction before, but she was coming to understand that the wizards were more tightly tied to their emotions than Muggles.
"Tonks," he began.
She walked over to him. "It's all right, Sirius," she said, embracing him gently. Her hair changed from the buttery blond to black and grew down to her waist. "I would do the same thing to protect someone I loved."
Hermione stared at Tonks and her hair. "You.. You..."
Tonks glanced over to her, looking amused. "Yes? Was there something?"
Sirius walked around her and took a chair next to Remus, then he pulled Cindy down into his lap, wrapping his arms around her. Remus grinned and slid a cup of tea over to him.
"You can do what Harry does!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Yeah, about that," Remus said, sounding embarrassed. "I had plans of getting Ms. Tonks out here at Christmas to help Harry. I guess we just let her in on the secret early."
Tonks looked between the two of them. "Harry can grow his hair?" she asked, as her hair shortened and turned bubble gum pink.
"Oh, I want that ability!" murmured Emma.
Tonks shot her a wide grin. As she did, her breasts grew noticeably larger.
"I wouldn't mind you having that ability, either," quipped Dan.
"Daddy!" exclaimed Hermione.
"Dan!" exclaimed Emma.
"Oh, bugger," exclaimed Dan, knowing he was in deep.
Remus looked away and Sirius broke down laughing.
Hermione turned back to Tonks. "Harry's got some sort of morphing ability. So far, he can change hair length and color. Eye color, too. You can do it faster than he can, though."
"Wait," Sirius said, holding up a hand. "There's a lot going on and we need to do this in order. Tonks, can you get a day or two off? I want to find out more about this Cult of Voldemort, and you'll be able to talk to Harry about his abilities. We have the space, you'd be welcome to stay here."
Tonks sat considering for a moment. She glanced out the window at the pristine white beach. It was winter in Fiji, so the temperature was a frigid eighty five degrees. "I think I might be talked into taking some vacation time if I can use that beach," she said with a grin.
Sirius smiled. "Deal!"
Waivunu, Fiji, Aug 7th 1996...
Harry slipped on a robe slowly and slid his feet into a pair of sandals. Every muscle in his body ached, but he felt a hundred percent better than yesterday.
Shuffling out of his bedroom, he went into the kitchen and found, to his surprise, a hot pot of tea sitting on the stove. Filling a cup, he walked slowly out of the kitchen. It was still early, dawn was just beginning to break and everyone was still asleep. He paused in the living room and spotted a figure out on the porch, drinking and looking out over the bay.
"Good morning," he said softly, stepping out onto the porch.
The figure turned and he could see it was a young woman he didn't recognize.
"Wha? Oh... Hi. We met yesterday, but you probably don't remember much of that. I'm Tonks. I won't tell you my first name. That way you can't use it," she said.
Harry smiled softly. "Nympha..."
"Don't say it! I'd hate to have to kill you. Besides, cleaning up and disposing of your body would cause too many questions," she growled.
He nodded and slowly lowered himself into a chair, then gave a sigh of relief. Tonks nodded knowingly.
"Feel like you've been beaten by Bludgers, eh?"
He nodded. "Over every square inch," he replied and then he peered up at her. "Since you're not making a fuss over who I am, can I assume they told you about me?"
Tonks nodded and sipped her tea.
Harry lifted his cup in salute. "Thanks for having tea ready, but why are you up so early?"
"Couldn't sleep. I'm still on England time."
"We stock some sleeping potions to help adjust. Ask Cindy and she'll let you have one."
The sun was just starting to peek over the mountain tops of the interior of the island. Tonks turned and glanced out at the bay. Local native fishermen were already up and working on repairing their nets for the coming day.
"It's beautiful," she murmured.
She turned to see Harry watching her. "Your girlfriend says you can change your hair and eye color?"
He nodded and closed his eyes. His hair lengthened and turned sandy-brown. About a minute later, he opened his eyes and she bent down to look at them. His eyes were an ice blue.
She nodded and hopped up on the railing. "Nice work," she said, then her hair turned, almost instantly to match his eye color.
He blinked at her in surprise. "Remus mentioned he knew someone that..."
"That would be me," she said, then her nose shifted to a pig's snout and back to normal again.
When he stared at her, she laughed. "I'm a Metamorphmagus, and so are you. The difference between you and me is that I've been doing this since I've was six years old."
"When I was six, my Aunt shaved my head. I was so angry and hurt by it, but the next morning my hair had grown back completely."
"And you didn't keep trying to change stuff like I did?"
"No, he wouldn't do that, not in that house," a voice from the doorway said.
Harry craned his neck around to see Remus standing in the doorway, holding a mug of tea.
"Oh? Why not?" asked Tonks.
Harry looked down, playing with the belt of his robes. This was an area he didn't feel comfortable talking about. He had just met Tonks and it wasn't a subject he wanted to share with strangers.
"Do you remember what kind of home life they said he had in the papers, Ms. Tonks?"
Tonks glanced over to Remus. "You mean they were right? Oh, and it's just Tonks."
"Mostly," Harry whispered.
She slid off the railing, walked over to him and crouched down by his side. "I'm sorry to hear that. But not to worry, I can help you. You're gonna be the younger brother my mum was too afraid to have. I guess I was so much of a shock that she swore off having kids after me." As she spoke her ears grew, flapped a few times, then returned to normal.
Remus choked on his tea and looked at the young Auror in alarm.
She jerked a thumb at Remus. "Is he always this stuffy?"
Harry grinned. "Only when he hasn't had his morning tea."
"You know, Mr. Potter, if you weren't still recovering, I'd levitate you into the bay," Remus commented dryly.
"Oh, a live one!" Tonks said, flashing him a grin. As she did, her hair changed to a bubblegum pink afro.
Remus chuckled and shook his head. Looking at Harry, his brow furrowed in concern. "Still hurts?" he asked softly.
Harry nodded. "Shouldn't the potion have fixed this?"
"'Fraid not, Harry," Tonks replied, her mood sobering. "The potion eliminates the after pain from the curse itself, but can't do anything for the pain caused by nerves being healed or repaired. But it should be gone in a day or so."
Harry closed his eyes and shuddered, thinking he had to go through another day of this.
Tonks grinned and took pity on him. "You can take a mild pain relief potion. It will help. If you had a Muggle hot tub, the jets would ease the ache also. It's one of the greatest Muggle inventions."
Remus patted his shoulder. "I'll get you a pain relief potion."
Tonks watched Remus go into the house with a thoughtful expression. "He seems quite attached to you, like Sirius."
"We're family. Pretty much all we have left is each other. They were best friends with my parents. Had it not been for Dumbledore's interference, I would have gone to Sirius right after my parents were killed. When they found out what was happening to me at my relatives, they rescued me and here we are," Harry said softly. "Remus is a quiet man, a real thinker and a whiz at teaching Defense and Charms." He smiled softly. "I suppose it's like having two dads, between him and Sirius."
Remus stepped back out onto the porch and handed him a small bottle.
He uncorked it and swallowed it down, making a face as he did. "Blah! Why can't they make a potion that tastes good?"
Remus chuckled.
Harry put the empty bottle on the table next to his chair and picked up his now lukewarm tea to wash the taste from his mouth. Once he had accomplished that and his mouth didn't taste like last year's ashtray, he turned to Tonks. "So just how much control do you have over your form? I noticed you changed your nose into a pig's nose. Can you change into a pig?"
"Only when I'm hungry," she replied with a mischievous smile and a wink. Remus coughed hard again, choking on his tea.
"But seriously, a Metamorphmagus can change pieces of themselves to animal parts, but not the whole package. And unlike an Animagus, who is that animal, I can only achieve a superficial change. For example, given enough time I could copy every square inch of you. But that would only be on the outside. I could look like you, sound like you, even pee like you, but inside all my squishy stuff is still female," she said.
When Harry glanced up at him, Remus sighed. He knew that look. Harry was about to pull one over on Tonks.
"I'm sure you could look like me, but I don't think you could pass all the male tests," he said, sounding serious.
Tonks frowned. "Well, no. The reproductive functions don't work, not to mention I don't bat that way. So even if everything did function, it's doubtful I could perform."
"Yeah, but can you write your name in the snow when you pee?" Harry asked innocently.
She blinked at him stupidly. "They don't teach that!" she exclaimed. Then her expression changed. "Do they?"
"Well, you know that witches have secrets we wizards never learn. Wizards have secrets too, you know," Harry said proudly. "But if you don't believe me, ask Sirius or Remus. I'm only telling you the secret because some day your life might depend on it."
When she glanced up at Remus, he looked at her innocently and nodded with a straight face.
"My instructors at the Auror Academy never mentioned this to me when I took stealth and disguises," she muttered.
"Maybe they never expected you to be able to pass yourself off as a guy?" offered Harry carefully.
She glanced at him suspiciously. "Are you sure they teach this stuff to wizards?"
"First year health lecture. You remember. When they split the classes down gender lines?" Remus replied for Harry. A good Marauder never passed up the chance to get in on a prank!
Tonks swore under her breath and stood. "Excuse me," she muttered and walked into the house. She hadn't been taught a necessary skill and that rankled.
Remus sat down next to Harry and started chuckling. After a few minutes they fell into a companionable silence that lasted until Hermione joined them nearly an hour later.
"Remus? Auror Tonks is wondering if we have a book on weather spells. For some reason she wants to make snow," Hermione said, confused.
Remus and Harry shared one long look and started laughing, only increasing Hermione's confusion.
Several hours later, everyone was gathered out on the porch when Tonks rejoined them after taking a small dose of sleeping potion to help her adjust. She could only stay for a few days, but would take more time around Christmas and would pop over on some weekends for day visits.
Sirius grinned at her. Remus had told him about the snow prank and he thought it was a wonderful joke. "Ah, Tonks, glad you could join us. Now that everyone is awake and present, how about you explain this Cult of Voldemort business?"
"Almost everyone," Hermione murmured. She was cuddling with Harry on the chair and he was dozing again.
"Let him sleep," Cindy said softly. "I don't fully understand the curse that he was hit with, but the after-effects are truly terrible. He'll sleep until his body tells him he doesn't need to anymore."
Tonks nodded and walked over to lean against the railing of the porch. "Let's see. The Cult is something new. They first showed up a couple months ago when they attacked a local primary school teacher for teaching pure-blood children that House Elves should be treated with respect.
"There have been several other attacks since then. The DMLE is keeping an eye out for them, but this is the first time they went after a Wizengamot member. That represents a big change in the way they operate."
"Sounds like Merlin's Coven," Remus said thoughtfully.
Tonks gave him a blank look.
"About two hundred years ago a group emerged that called themselves Merlin's Coven. They tried hard to force people to accept the old druid ways, despite the fact that we've forgotten most of the old druid customs. They thought they were doing Merlin's work, but the group was eventually stamped out."
"So, is this a fringe group of nuts or is it a real threat?" asked Sirius.
Tonks scowled. "We aren't sure, to be truthful. At first it seemed like a real fringe group, but the word on the street is that they've recently picked up some big backers with real money. We suspect a few members of the Wizengamot who are trying to block your equality bill may be bankrolling, or even controlling the Cult now."
"Great," Harry murmured sardonically. "Something else to make Britain the laughing-stock of the world."
Hermione turned to him. "You're awake!"
He nodded. "Long enough to know there's a new group of crazies out there." He looked over to Tonks. "So, what's the Ministry doing about it?"
"We're taking it very seriously, Harry, I promise you. But I can't go into specifics," she replied.
Harry watched her for a long moment, then nodded.
Tonks turned to Sirius. "When I reported this attack, Madam Bones was particularly concerned. I did report that a local citizen had been hit with an Unforgivable. I had to, in order to get a dose of the remedy. Madam Bones was considering sending you a bodyguard, Sirius. Fortunately, I managed to convince her to let me first check things out. Good thing I did," she said, glancing at Harry.
"I'll say," Harry muttered.
"The Grangers will be returning to England in two days. I'll return with them and check in with Amelia. Remus, will you double check the wards and see if I missed anything?" Sirius said.
Remus nodded. He'd planned on looking over the wards anyway. Sirius' idea of wards tended to be rather prankish in nature and this required a more adult approach.
"When do the tutors start arriving?" asked Cindy.
"Monday," Hermione replied.
"That's only three days away. Will Harry be up for classes then?" Cindy pressed.
"He'll be fine. It usually takes a day or two to recover after the anti-Cruciatus potion is administered," answered Tonks.
"I'm feeling better already," Harry murmured.
Tonks snorted. "Yeah, until you move. Right now what you're feeling is the pain relief potion."
He grimaced at her and sunk back into his chair. Hermione leaned back with him and picked up his book, handing it to him.
He took the book reluctantly. He'd been in the lounger most of the morning and every time he needed to move, his body reminded him it wasn't a good idea. With a sigh, he opened up the book on advanced Transfiguration and started reading again.
From the Journal of Hermione Jane Granger (Transmitted Entry), Sept 1st 1996, Hogwarts Exp...
Dear Harry,
September first and I'm writing this to you on the Express, speeding its way north to Hogwarts. My Prefect duties are taken care of and I'm sitting in a compartment with Ron, Neville and Ginny.
Apparently Ginny spoke to several others in August,and her experiences with Evan are all the talk of the gossip mill. Several girls have passed by the compartment and stared in at me. I suspect that, thanks to Ginny's gossip, your photo is going to be more popular than ever.
Ginny is suffering from a large dose of jealousy, but she has Neville and that's keeping her occupied. I'm not sure if I should feel sorry for Neville or not, but maybe she'll settle down and not be so tempted by what she sees.
It was all I could do to keep from laughing when she told me again that Evan is as cute as Harry Potter.
Now are you ready for this? Hold onto something. Ron is sitting across from me, reading his potions book! Apparently he met a witch named Hannah Abbott in August. I don't know if you remember Hannah. She's a Hufflepuff in our year. Medium height, blond hair, usually braided into a single plait? Anyway, she made it clear that she didn't date poor students. So, for her, he's been studying! Can you believe it? Who knew that all I had to do was offer to date you both to get you to study! (I'm KIDDING!).
Despite the rocky start to August, I can't believe how much we accomplished. I am trying very hard to resist the temptation to Apparate right now, and I couldn't believe that impromptu lecture Remus gave us on warding. Who would have thought we'd have the chance to really learn something about such advanced magic? I used the morning before we left for the train to add a few wards to my parent's house. Nothing major, just a fire alarm and suppression ward, but it felt good to be able to do that for them.
I packed away your gift. I wish you'd let me open it, but I'll abide by your wish and wait until my birthday. In the meantime, you'll just have to deal with me guessing. I know it's clothing of some sort, but it also makes a clinking sound, which confuses me. Care to give me any hints?
The best part of all was when we fell asleep on the beach and I woke up to feel you pressing against me. I didn't say anything at the time, but your arm around me and your obvious desire made my day. I never felt as safe and at peace as I did in your arms. It was worth the teasing from Tonks when she found us.
I know we've talked about this before but I can't help feel inadequate when compared to some girls like Ginny, or even Lavender. Both girls are very pretty, although I do have a bigger bust than Ginny does, but Lavender has me beat in that department. She's got enough up top for four girls.
I know this is a bad way to end an entry, and we've barely been apart 24 hours, but it would help if you could explain yourself better.
Love,
Hermione
In a nearby compartment...
"Did you see the bookworm?" exclaimed Parvati.
"Parv, that isn't nice," chided Padma. She didn't understand Parvati's animosity against Hermione, or Lavender's. Personally, she thought Hermione looked wonderful and if a guy was responsible for that, more power to her.
Parvati shot her a sour look and turned to Lavender. "Did you see her?"
"I saw her," Lavender said sourly. "It's hard to believe she's our bookworm."
Parvati crossed her arms and huffed in agreement.
"Well, what did you expect?" asked Padma. "According to Ginny, she spent the summer with her boyfriend. They split their time between swimming and studying. She's got a marvelous tan and she's lost weight. When the boys notice her this year, there will be fewer for you two to share."
Lavender glared at Padma, who shrugged. She wasn't intimidated by Lavender.
Parvati leaned back on her seat, thinking. Her sister was right. This Evan boy had turned the bookworm into a beautiful young woman. Hermione carried herself with confidence and grace and it annoyed her greatly.
To add insult to injury, Ginny had met this mysterious Evan, who she called a walking hotness. And the young man literally doted on the bookworm. He all but ignored Ginny, who was one of the prettiest girls in Gryffindor!
Lavender sat steaming. She was perfectly willing to allow Hermione to win at the academics game in school. After all, no one cared about that game but Hermione and a few Ravenclaws. However, when it came to boys, she was the acknowledged expert. She knew how to twist them around her little finger, obtaining favors and sweets without having to expend much effort.
Despite the whispers, Lavender was very much a virgin and she intended to remain that way until she met Mr. Right. In the meantime, she had developed a knack for leading the boys of the school on with gestures and small promises that she rarely kept.
To think that the shy, frumpish bookworm had managed to bag a hunk, and had done it without any help or advice from her, rankled. To think she kept him without some sort of enticement was unthinkable.
Her eyes narrowed. Perhaps she could do something to take away the smug grin Hermione wore now days?
It was a thought worth considering.
From the Journal of Harry Potter (Transmitted Entry), Sept 2nd1996, Waivunu, Fiji...
Dear Hermione,
Not pretty enough? Hermione, you're beautiful! I'm afraid that one of these days I'll start kissing you and I won't be able to stop and in doing so I'll ruin something special. I've held you close and touched you in ways I've only dreamt about.
I want you Hermione, you know that, you've seen and felt my desire. But I refuse to do anything that will scare you off. Maybe someday when I feel more comfortable with this sort of thing I'll be more assertive. For now, I know I lack the confidence in myself to move things forward. I mean, what if I do something wrong? Or worse, what if I don't please you? What if I don't meet your expectations?
Do you see where I'm coming from?
I promise I'll make it up to you and try hard not to be so reluctant from here on. But you need to promise you'll be quite specific about the limits, all right?
Next subject. Ginny, Lavender, Cho and all the rest of those girls aren't half as pretty as you are. I wish you'd stop putting yourself down and trust me on this. Trust me when I say I know what I like in a girl and you're exactly what I like. And if that doesn't convince you, I may get annoyed, and you wouldn't want me annoyed in bookspace. Believe me!
No, I'm not giving you any hints about your birthday gift. I knew I should have owled it, but international owl is such a pain. I think I'll buy your parents an owl for Christmas so they can use it to keep in touch with you.
You left Fiji just in time. Starting next week, King Kong is taking me on a month long run around the island. That's over 200km! It isn't all going to be physical exercise. We'll stop in the afternoons for classes. He wants to get this done by the end of the month, since we're coming up on the rainy season.
Of course I'll bring the journal with me, and I'll write as much as I can.
Ginny is becoming annoying. What does she mean, Evan is cuter than me? Oh man, if I were there, I'd show her! I'd kiss you senseless in front of her and leave her wishing she were you!
I'll let you go for now. I need to find my pack and start doing laundry so I go on this marathon with King Kong wearing clean boxers.
Love,
Harry
From the Journal of Hermione Jane Granger (Private Entry), Sept 20th 1996, Hogwarts...
Can I strangle that man? I opened his gift yesterday (my birthday) and I was surprised to find a fine silken winter cloak and jeweled neck chain/clasp. The notice that came with the cloak said it was made from Chinese Acromantula silk and was charmed to maintain a constant comfortable temperature, as well as being waterproof, stain-proof and fireproof!
Ginny goaded me into bringing it down to the Great Hall, since she and Neville had a gift for me as well. It was a small pile of presents, but it was nice. I only wish Harry had been there. My Mum must have known about the cloak, since the skirt and blouse she sent me matched it perfectly.
Lavender's eyes nearly popped from her skull when she saw my new cloak. The deep forest green seemed to shimmer with a light of its own.
Lavender has barely said ten words to me since the start of school. I think she's still mad at Evan's letter.
Speaking of Evan, I wonder how he's doing on his run. And I worry about it. I know Fiji doesn't have any poisonous snakes, but still, much of the area he'll be camping in is virgin jungle.
He surprised me last night. Really surprised me and I'm not sure what to do yet. We met in bookspace and he was a lot more assertive than he's been in the past.
I need to think. I love him, but after last night I need to think about this. I'll leave him a quick note. That should tide him over until I figure this out.
From the Journal of Harry Potter (Private Entry), Sept 24th1996, Waivunu, Fiji...
Hallelujah!
Someone up there likes me! No, someone up there LOVES me!
I was jogging about a hundred yards behind King Kong, roughly 161km into our 200km run. The day was misty and the sky overcast, with just a hint of rain in the air. It had rained heavily the night before and I had a good pace over the macadam road, despite the slippery conditions. We were in one of the few areas where a paved road between villages was available to run on.
My pack was nearly weightless, but Kong insisted I carry his, and the camp tent and cooking utensils, etc. Are you getting the picture yet?
Anyway Kong had just come to a washout in the road from a flood that happened the night before. It looked very fresh and unstable. I came up behind him and he was still trying to figure out how to cross. When I suggested we just Apparate over it, he told me to give him fifty pushups, while still wearing my pack and his!
I hate that man!
Anyway, while I'm kissing the road, he clambered down one side of the washout and started climbing up the other. Only he slipped and fell back into the ravine, breaking his leg so bad I had to stick him in stasis and tandem Apparate us back to Waivunu.
King Kong, according to Madam Salote, is out of action for at least two months. Even with bone knitting spells and potions, his torn ligaments will take a long time to heal.
And thus ends the marathon run around Fiji by the insane sensei. Now I know what a condemned man feels like when they get a stay of execution! I can't wait to sleep in my bed tonight. As it stands, I took a two hour bath. Cindy nearly broke down the door because she thought I'd fallen unconscious in the tub!
On another note, Hermione and I had trouble getting a time we could meet in bookspace. But we managed five days ago (her birthday) and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. I finally worked up my courage to be a little bolder than usual. She'd told me she wouldn't let me go past the limits and if I tried, she wouldn't be mad at me.
I took her at her word and showed her exactly what I love about her. I caught her by surprise, kissing her when she first arrived and I continued to kiss her while I touched her like she's been wanting me to. I kept my hands above her clothes, but there was something funny going on about that. The one time I tried to slip a hand under her clothes, I couldn't. It was like her shirt was sealed against her body.
Her reaction only makes me want to do that for real. I can't wait until the Yule Holidays. It was the hottest thing!
While this sounds all great and wonderful, I haven't heard from her since. It's been five days and, except for a simple note saying she isn't mad at me and that she's very busy, I haven't heard from her at all. I can't help but think I've really messed things up. It's gotten so I can't think straight.
I think I'll go write another entry. Maybe this time she'll reply. The silence is killing me. What if I've scared her off? Merlin, I hope that isn't the case. In the meantime, there's a cold lead ball in my belly and this bad feeling I can't shake.
From the Journal of Hermione Jane Granger (Private Entry), Sept 27th 1996, Hogwarts...
Oh God what have I done?
The last time Harry and I met in bookspace, he did exactly as I asked him to. He showed me a little more of his passionate side and, in the process, gave me the best orgasm I've ever had. And he did it without once taking my clothes off or sliding his hands under my clothing! Sweet Merlin, if he can do that to me fully clothed, he'll kill me when I'm naked.
And I've gone and ruined everything!
He did what I wanted him to do. What no one has ever done for me before and it scared me. For eight days I put the journal away and tried to pretend it was just an aberration, just a mistake, but it wasn't. It took me eight days to figure out he did what I wanted him to do. He did what I want him to spend the rest of his life doing. I need him and I want desperately to do the same for him.
But I ignored the book for eight days, except for one small message I sent him the day after we met inside the book. Now there are twelve entries from him, each more apologetic and more frantic than the last. He must hate me now.
I'm going to end this and leave a quick entry to Harry to meet me in bookspace tomorrow. Hopefully, he'll notice the book signaling a new entry and will check it.
Bookspace September 28th 1996...
Hermione whirled when she heard the distinctive whistling of Harry's arrival. She was beyond nervous.
"Harry," she said breathlessly and lunged at him, pulling him into her arms.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, kissing his face over and over again.
He blinked at her in confusion. "What?" This was not the reception he had expected, although to be honest he wasn't sure what to expect.
She backed away a little, still holding him. "Will you let me explain?"
He nodded.
She released him and sat down, then motioned for him to join her on the floor. She frowned when he sat opposite her.
She sat cross legged and fiddled with her hands for a moment. "When we met last time, you surprised me. And because of that surprise, I treated you badly. I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I love you."
When she looked at him, he saw the tears in her eyes. Reaching out, he pulled her into his lap and held her tightly. "It's all right, Hermione," he whispered, not realizing that his easy forgiveness was only making her feel worse.
"No, it's not. I'm always talking about how we should keep talking and not hold back, and then I'm the one holding back."
He sighed and leaned back, placing his hands on her shoulders. "All right, enough of that. Instead of kicking yourself, why don't you just tell me why you ignored every entry I wrote? A quick word, a twenty minute note could have eased the anxiety of the last few days."
She nodded and looked down again. Her hands played with the edge of her shirt. She was silent for nearly a minute and Harry watched her intently.
"Last time we were here, you... you did something for me, something wonderful," she said softly, then she glanced up to see he wasn't understanding.
She sighed. "All right, I'll be blunt," she said, her face flaming. "You made me orgasm harder than I ever managed to do for myself. That... that scared me... and excited me. I needed time to think about what had happened. I needed time to figure it out."
He frowned and looked at her warily. "And what did you figure out?" The lead ball in his belly came roaring back.
"That I want to spend the rest of my life doing that with you and doing the same for you," she whispered, then she looked up at his surprised expression. "Does that make me a scarlet woman?"
He slowly grinned at her as he processed her words and the lead ball finally dissolved. "Only if you continue blushing like that," he replied, then he leaned closer, his mood changing again. "You scared me terribly. I thought you hated me." He knew they had to get past this point. He wanted to take her into his arms and repeat what he did the last time they were in bookspace, but he couldn't. Not yet. Not until they had worked this out.
She nodded and sniffled. "I know. I didn't mean for it to happen like that, it just did."
He touched her hand, slipping his fingers between hers. "It's all right. Next time, just leave me a message. No one likes being left out in the cold like that. It was a terrible feeling. It was like the world suddenly turned gray."
She looked at him intently. "You didn't say anything about what I said I wanted."
He grinned. "I didn't. What can I say when the girl I love, wants the same thing that I want? Do you have any idea how sexy you looked or how many times I dreamed of doing that for you? I wish this wasn't my N.E.W.T. year or I'd be in bookspace at every possible moment."
"So do I," she said quietly.
He pulled her hand close and kissed her wrist, sending a shudder shooting through her. "I'm still not going to push you, Hermione. Not in Bookspace and especially not in the real world," he said, then he grinned slyly. "At least not until our wedding night."
She looked at him in shock. "You want to wait for that?" she exclaimed.
He shook his head and she looked at him in confusion. "Do I want to wait for that? No. But I think that maybe we should. That doesn't mean we can't do other things. My parents married young and had me less than three years from graduation. I want to have a family, but I don't want to be a father right away. I want time to enjoy life with you before we think of having kids. And I certainly don't want to start that family before either of us graduate. I owe you and your parents that much."
She nodded, shocked voiceless for once. Her own feelings for Harry swelled as he spoke. She would have easily given him everything she had to offer, but he was willing to wait. He wanted to wait. She realized that his waiting only put one restriction on them and she smiled at him, then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Tonight, their time in bookspace was limited, but she intended to see he returned to normal space with a happy smile on his face.
St. Pancras, London, October 25th 1996...
Remus stepped from the entrance of the British Museum and turned to head towards King's Cross. Thanks to Emma's help, he had been delving through the archive of papers from the mid sixties and he finally hit on a lead.
Several security guards were killed at the British Museum in early 1966, right around the time frame that they thought Voldemort would have used the brooch to make a Horcrux. At first, he ignored the lead when the article explained that nothing had been stolen. But Emma explained that the museum only displayed a small portion of what they owned.
Cross-referencing with another article revealed that the museum's feature attraction from that month included a rare cache of medieval artifacts from Scotland.
It's a long shot, he thought, but it's really beginning to look like something now. I have to hand it to Emma. Her idea sure looks like it's paying off. Good thing, too. I wasn't sure what to do next. Now to track down that Scottish collection and see if I can find an inventory of it, he mused.
So engrossed in his own thoughts he never noticed the figure that stepped in front of him until he walked right into her. He staggered backwards and fell on his rump, his papers scattering everywhere. He scrambled to gather all his materials together, then he glanced up at the person he bumped into.
"Terribly sorry," he said apologetically.
"You seemed rather distracted, Mr. Lupin," said a familiar voice.
He squinted and peered up at Tonks. "Well, I admit I wasn't looking where I was walking," he said sheepishly and Tonks chuckled.
"Normally, I'm the one accused of being clumsy," she replied with a rueful shake of her head, then she offered Remus a hand up. "What brings you back to sunny old England?" she asked.
Remus stood and glanced up at the overcast sky. "Sunny, eh? Well, I'm still working on that project for Evan."
They had explained to her why Harry was hiding and had explained that Voldemort had performed several rituals to ensure his immortality that they were working on unraveling. They hadn't explained the Horcruxes to her. An entry in Dumbledore's journal had mentioned a standing order of the Ministry that all Horcruxes were to be turned over to the Department of Mysteries for study, with no exceptions. They didn't want to risk their relationship with Tonks by putting her in violation of Ministry orders.
She nodded pleasantly. "I'm on my way to lunch. Would you like to join me?" She eyed him up and down with frank appreciation. He was dressed in a simple Muggle outfit, jeans and a shirt, but the physique of the werewolf was obvious.
He stared at her incredulously for a moment. "Lunch? I would be honored."
A short while later Remus found himself sitting across from Tonks in a cozy little Muggle pub. He watched the young woman with a bemused air. She was obviously hitting on him and it tickled his fancy. I can't allow this to continue, he thought sadly.
"I saw Sirius last week. He mentioned you were coming back to town and that you were trying to track something down," Tonks offered between bites of her fish and chips.
"Yes, but it's turning out to be devilishly difficult," he replied.
She watched him for a moment. "Hmm. So, what's the story with you three? I mean, there's Sirius, you and that Cindy. Is there some sort of kinky three way thing going on?"
Remus choked on his drink and grabbed for a napkin to clean up the mess. "No! Nothing like that. Cindy is Sirius' fiancée."
Tonks grinned. She'd already spoken to Cindy and knew of her relationship with Sirius, but it never hurt to double check. "So? There's no Mrs. Lupin wannabe out there for you?"
Remus looked at her hard and shook his head. "No. That isn't possible."
Tonks pulled her wand and cast a privacy charm. "Why not?" she asked bluntly. She eyed him with an open expression that disconcerted him.
He shifted uncomfortably on his chair. "You're rather pushy, aren't you?"
She shrugged. "Being blunt saves time. Do you have some sort of unspeakable disease or something?"
He paled tremendously and she immediately knew she had asked the wrong question. "I'm sorry," she blurted.
"There's no wife or the prospect of one," he said stiffly. "Here it would be illegal for a witch to marry me. In the Pacific, it would merely be dangerous and inconvenient."
She blinked and her eyes narrowed. The Ministry had few laws concerning personal relationships and only one that prohibited witches or wizards from marrying someone. It was illegal to marry someone who suffered from Lycanthropy, but that would mean...
He watched her, knowing that she was puzzling it out from the clues he gave her. Then she did something that shocked him to the core. She leaned across the table and took his hand.
"Not all of the laws here are right or make sense. The ones that aren't right should be ignored. Wasn't it a Muggle saint who said, 'An unjust law is no law'?"
"St. Augustine," he murmured, feeling suddenly exposed by the conversation. Even with Sirius and Harry they didn't talk about it very often. It just was, something always there, always present, always on the edge of things, nipping at his heels and taking his life in small bites. He was firmly convinced that he owed his very existence to Sirius and Harry, who had provided him with a stable family who cared about him and his condition. They gave him the support so many other werewolves lacked.
"So, when did it happen?"
He looked down and pushed his food around on his plate. He really didn't like talking about it, but something about this woman made him want to share. He looked at her hand holding his and made a decision.
"I was seven when I was bitten. My parents were shocked when I received my Hogwarts letter. At school I met Sirius and James and we became... well, a family of sorts. My parents died before I finished school. Sirius ran away from home. In the end, the Potters took us both in. When they were killed, we grieved as much as James did."
"And now you're helping Sirius raise Evan," she said softly.
"Evan is family," he said simply.
"And your problem?"
He shrugged. "We try to get Wolfsbane, but I lock myself up anyway. The quality of what we get isn't always the best. I had one batch that was a complete failure, something we brought in New Delhi. Cindy has been looking into make it for me. Her background as a Muggle doctor helps some. She's able to help ease some of the after effects of my transformations and I think she'll be able to brew the potion after a try or two."
She smiled at him. "I'd offer to make it, but I'm not good enough at potions. I did well enough to get into the Academy, but I'm no Master."
He stared at her with his mouth opening and closing.
She laughed. "You know, you're even cuter when you're flustered," she pointed out and he blushed heavily.
"Why are you doing this? I'm deadly every month," he protested.
She waved a hand at him, dismissing his complaint. "And I'm a bitch to be around for a week out of every month. We all have our little foibles. Besides, since I met you, you've treated me differently. It's hard to explain. You're interested in what I can do, but you're not interested in me turning into some actress or something. In fact, it's been just the opposite. You seem to want to get to know me, not what I can turn into."
He shook his head. "I'm not used to having women chase me," he murmured. "Until the problem with Harry and Sirius being exonerated, I couldn't even hold down a job. I wouldn't have one now, except that Sirius and Harry both insisted I accept a salary for all the running around I do."
She canceled the privacy charm around the table, then she stood and placed a few pound notes on the table, paying for her meal. "Get used to it, Mr. Remus Lupin. You interest me and your little problem doesn't scare me. Oh, I don't intend to jump you today, but someday soon..."
With a wink and a grin, she turned and walked out of the restaurant. All he could do was watch.
She's got a cute bum, he thought, bemused.
From the Journal of Harry Potter (Private Entry), Oct 28th1996, Waivunu Fiji...
You know, I had thought that having King Kong out of action would be a good thing and I'd be able to relax. But no! It seems that Master Kwang wants me to work on my reaction times since he can't run me around the bloody island.
So what does he do? He sits on the porch, sipping the tea that Cindy gives him, resting his leg and shooting stinging hexes at me while I dodge them! The man is evil and must be destroyed! I swear he's enjoying my pain. That man is one of the fastest casters I have ever run across!
I got an owl from Eton the other day. I'm glad I no longer have to take his lessons, but for all of his gruff and mean attitude, he was a good teacher. Unfortunately, I've learned all I can from him. Occlumency is an ongoing thing that I'll probably never stop learning because it's different for everyone. But Legilimency was straight forward. There are only two types and they both use the same spell.
Anyway, he exhorted me to continue with my Occlumency studies and then his letter turned into a dissertation on the use of Legilimency in a fight. While it's officially banned by the International Dueling Association, he pointed out that, in a fight to the death, nothing is banned.
Basically he wants me to be aware of the potential of using Legilimency to read my opponent's moves, and also using it to confuse my opponent by distracting him.
Professor Murphy is my Defense and Transfiguration instructor this year and he agrees with Eton that it's a worthwhile technique to use in combat. But in our classes it's really out of place. I don't think I like having Murphy as my Defense instructor. A Master of Transfiguration, he gave me webbed feet last week in a middle of a duel and wouldn't change them back until the next day. I tried to correct the condition with my metamorph skills and I ended up with twelve toes! I really need to talk more with Tonks.
Sirius thought that was amusing, until I charmed his bunny slippers to bite him. I really cringe when Remus and Cindy are away. It leaves me to deal with Sirius, the big brother and prankster, without any backup.
Don't get me wrong. I love the man and I'd do anything for him. But sometimes I wonder which one of us is the adult and which one is the kid.
Hermione is... hot? Wonderful? Amazing? Merlin, I don't have the words for it. She's sort of agreed to my idea of taking things slowly, but at the same time, we've done some things in bookspace that have shocked me totally!
We discovered something interesting about bookspace. I cannot slip my hands under her clothes, nor can she slip hers under mine. But we have no problem slipping our hands under our own clothes. She's going to research it and see what she can find out. But it's really strange. It's like the books themselves are preventing things from getting out of hand.
I remember listening to guys like the Weasley twins talk about girls and what they do and I recall thinking how great it all sounded. I guess I'm just surprised that Hermione wants to do that sort of stuff. I mean, we haven't done more than just some serious touching through clothing, but I never imagined her wanting to do that, no matter what I'd dream.
It makes her... more real? I don't know. I just know that I've always been in a little awe of her. She's so smart and, well, perfect, in so many ways. And then I discover that she wants me, that she can be as horny as I can be? It's weird, but it makes me feel better about our relationship. I know she's a perfectionist, but she's not without her flaws.
Speaking of flaws, is this a girl thing? I mean, do we really need to talk about our feelings?
She got serious on me the last time we were in bookspace and she asked what my fantasies were. I don't think I've ever been so embarrassed before so I blurted out the tamest one I could think of and she stared at me in shock. I mean, I didn't know it would end up with us talking about my time at the Dursleys. Honestly, I thought the idea of us sleeping together and just holding each other was a great idea.
I finally admitted I had racier ideas, but that one was really high up on my list. She smiled at me with that soft, special smile of hers that makes my knees tremble and she promised she'd help me make that fantasy a reality soon.
I am not going to tell her about my fantasy of doing it under the teacher's table at Hogwarts in the middle of a feast, with only my invisibility cloak to conceal us. I mean, a guy has to keep some things to himself, right?
Our conversation about the Dursleys helped me a lot. It's hard for me to talk about them without getting really angry and frustrated. I've tried talking to Sirius and Remus about them, but they don't understand the frustration. They can't comprehend how hard I tried to make my Aunt and Uncle love me, or how painful it was every time they rejected me.
I told her about my scurrying around the house in Privet Drive, cleaning and cooking and gardening and doing things without being told. I told her about the pictures I drew of Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon when I was very little and how I wanted them to love me. And later, when that didn't work, how I would have settled for them just liking me. Ultimately, I just wanted them to not hate me anymore. In the end, no matter what I did, it wasn't good enough. I wasn't good enough!
Hermione didn't understand at first, but she does now. It's part of the reason why I still have trouble accepting love from others. I've gotten better, but it still surprises me and she can see that. She told me that I'll never be truly free from what the Dursleys did, but with time and help from people like her, the effects will lessen until they are barely visible to anyone, including me. I hope so.
N.E.W.T.s are insane. I don't know why Sirius agreed to King Kong's demand for that run. Since it was canceled, I've been doing two hours of homework a night and another three hours studying. I'm spending most of my weekends studying for them. I just hope I don't burn out like last year.
Daily Prophet Headline, Oct 31st 1996...
British Ministry Refutes Researcher's Claim
Olig Grossman, a researcher for the Munich Magical Academy, published a paper in Prophecy Quarterly in which he claims that the British Ministry had misinterpreted the events surrounding the Triwizard Tournament held at Hogwarts two years ago.
Grossman, age 47, a well known psychic and spoon bender, claimed that the Prophecy governing Harry Potter and Lord You-Know-Who would take precedence over a man-made, and invoked, magical contract.
Dr. Grossman, who moonlights running a Muggle psychic hotline, states, "Nonsense! A magical contract cannot interfere with destiny. It simply wouldn't be allowed."
Ministry spokesman Perky Weatherbee replied. "Our experts have examined the situation from every possible angle and have concluded that neither Harry Potter nor Lord Thingie have any magic left in them at all. This German nutcase hasn't a clue what he's talking about. I will remind your readers that Dr. Grossman is personally responsible for the great Muggle Spoon Bending incident of 1973 and served four years in Stuttgart Prison for his crime.
"No, Harry Potter is less than a Squib. That is certain. It's a shame it happened to such a fine upstanding wizard, but he made a great sacrifice for us and we will not listen to some foreigner making up stories about our heroes."
In all fairness, it must be pointed out to our readers that the Munich Magical Academy has been experiencing a drop in attendance over the years and this year they received only six new students.
Quibbler Headline, Oct 31st 1996...
Harry Potter to star in Voldemort, the Musical!
The Quibbler has learned that Harry Potter, fresh from his acting debut at the Cannes Film Festival, has signed on to the production of Voldemort, the Musical. In a move designed to highlight his acting ability, he signed on to play the pivotal part of Rubeus Hagrid.
When questioned about his part, and the fact that he is a mere four foot nine inches tall and the real Rubeus Hagrid stands at over twelve feet, Potter, age 16, is quoted as saying "Size doesn't matter. Hagrid had a big heart and I intend to portray that to the world. Would you like to pet my dragon?"
Professor Hagrid is famous for rescuing Mr. Potter from the Dursleys in his first year and for his efforts to bring enlightened Magical Animal Care to the students. He introduced students to the much maligned Blast-Ended Skrewts and they still talk about how so many students survived the class with the hungry Roc.
Renowned wizarding director, Armando, who brought us such classics as "I married a Snorkack" and "Lockheart, the Man", claims that the song and dance routine performed by Hagrid in the play will highlight Mr. Potter's acting talent like never before. After all, says Armando, "How many other times have you seen someone tap dance while juggling two hippogriffs and singing the Hogwarts song?"
Hogwarts Library, Oct 31st 1996...
"Aren't you going to the feast, Miss Granger?"
Hermione glanced up from her book to see Professor McGonagall standing next to the table where she sat. It was obvious from the pile of books and the neatly wrapped sandwich that she hadn't planned on joining the celebration.
"No, Professor. I have some studying to do, then I thought I would turn in early tonight."
McGonagall's lips compressed tightly and she motioned to one of the extra chairs at the table. "May I?"
"Please."
She sat stiffly in her chair. "I take it you keep in touch with your friend in the Pacific?"
"As much as I can, Professor. This is his N.E.W.T. year, so we rely mostly on letters."
McGonagall leaned a little closer and dropped her voice. "But you'll meet up with him tonight?"
Hermione nodded, surprised by her question.
"I'm not stupid, Miss Granger. I know how this holiday affects him and what it means to both of you. I should like you to pass my regards to him and my hope that he's doing well," she said, then she sighed. "I do confess that lad brought an element of excitement to the school that I now miss."
"I will tell him what you said, Professor," she said softly.
McGonagall nodded and stood. "Very well, Miss Granger. And do make sure you give him an extra hug. As happy as he seemed, I think he misses you most of all."
Hermione nodded numbly. McGonagall's attitude was very different from what she was used to.