Chapter 15: Eye Of The Hurricane
Making himself as comfortable as he could in the small cave, Harry watched as Sirius stoked the fire, before he sat down with his godson, Hermione on his other side.
"As you may have heard," Sirius explained, "I was tried and sent to Azkaban for seemingly murdering thirteen Muggles and a fellow wizard named Peter Pettigrew, but this is a lie. Harry, you may also have heard that I have escaped to harm you, but, like I told you when last we met, I would never harm a hair on your head; I swear it."
"I know you won't," Harry answered him, "You could have done while you were Padfoot, but you didn't: so, if you didn't escape to kill me, then just why did you and what does this have to do with thirteen years ago?"
"I'll take it from the top," Sirius explained, looking to Harry as he began speaking, "I went to Hogwarts and was the first of my family to be a Gryffindor: my elder brother Regulus was named heir as the firstborn son and a Slytherin; he was the prodigy in the eyes of my parents. Me, I was the traitorous spawn who should have been drowned at birth: so, to escape my prison of a home, I managed to find friends in three gifted wizards: Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew and James Potter."
"My Dad's best friend," Harry nodded, "So trusted by him that he and Mum named you my godfather and entrusted you with my life in the event of their deaths."
"That's pretty much it," Sirius nodded, "How did you…"
"Gringotts," Harry explained, "There was a letter in my vault from Mum and Dad that I didn't really look into until just before I started at Hogwarts for my third year. It tells me all about you and how you would sooner take your own life than even consider causing any form of harm towards me."
"I see," Sirius whispered, before he cleared his throat and continued, "Anyway, your Dad and I were the unofficial leaders of our little gathering, which, in time, we came to know ourselves as the Marauders."
"The inventors of the map," Harry nodded, "I might have guessed given that Messer Padfoot was one of them, but Sirius, you're meant to be telling me about what happened on this night twelve years ago, aren't you?"
"I am," Sirius explained, "I just wanted you to see that I could never mean any harm to anyone with the name Potter, past or present: I was always welcome at James' place and, when he announced that he and Lily were engaged to be married, I felt so happy. So you can probably imagine how I felt when James revealed the Family Secret: that he and his Father were descendants of this clan of warriors."
"The Holy Knights," Harry nodded, Hermione watching him warily as she saw Harry reveal Excalibur, "I know this bit: I'm the Last Pure Knight: the Holy Knight of Thunder and my parents weren't the parents of a half-blood, but a powerful pureblood Knight."
"So I guess I can skip that little secret then," Sirius laughed, looking into the campfire as he spoke, "But yeah, James shared the big secret with me and then explained that he and Lily were trying for a baby; when it came back positive and you were born, I'll never forget the look in your Dad's eyes, though he was actually scared."
"Scared?" asked Harry, "Why?"
"Harry," Sirius answered, "You're only 13, so this will be a little bit difficult to grasp, but…do you know just how powerful a Holy Knight really is and I mean really?"
"I should," Harry answered him, "Hermione and I underwent the Ritual of Release and gained our full abilities as well as cemented our bond of love and respect towards one another."
"Then you may understand this," Sirius told him, "But a Holy Knight's power is not only respected by certain members of the wizarding society; they are also sought…coveted, you could say and, as the son of a Holy Knight, or even the grandson of a Pure Knight, James was worried as for who would be after your powers…namely…"
"Dumbledore," Harry nodded, running the edge of his robe over the blade of Excalibur, as if to distract himself from what was obviously coming, "So how did you allegedly betray them and what does all this have to do with me?"
"Dumbledore manipulated them," Sirius explained, "He manipulated their fears around a certain prophecy and forced them into hiding: have you…"
"I know the prophecy," Harry answered him, "I also know it's a big LIE! You probably won't believe me, Sirius, but Voldemort…sorry, Tom Riddle doesn't want to destroy me: in fact, he wants, or has wanted to join me: he's a Knight as well."
"Really?" asked Sirius, "That is interesting; still, it would explain why Albus manipulated your parents' fears: when he did, Lily, James and you, Harry, all went into hiding and Dumbledore placed them under the Fidelius Charm, a complex ward that allows only one person, a Secret Keeper, to know the location or deepest secret of the caster or subject. In this case, Dumbledore cast it on your parents and made me their Secret Keeper; in this time, Lily and James wrote their letter to you about how I could not harm you and how you would be able to trust me. Then, one year after you were born, James and I…we had a falling out."
"How?" asked Harry, now aware of Hermione moving behind him as if to keep her betrothed calm.
"Take a wild guess," Sirius answered, "Albus made James believe that, just because my name was Black, I had to have dark intentions in being entrusted with the safety of a Light Family. Confronting me about this, James actually accused me of being someone who was out for your powers; I tried to make him see sense and told him that I valued our friendship, our near-brotherhood too much to risk a single hair on your head. However, I failed to realise that I was dealing with a Master Manipulator here: James threw me from his home and, two days later, I couldn't find them anywhere: they had switched Secret Keepers."
"Who was the new Secret Keeper?" asked Harry.
"Peter," answered Sirius, his voice suddenly taking a rather deep growl to it's tone as he said the word, "Wormtail: how appropriate: I tried and tried to get Albus to confide in me, but he kept telling me that it was all for the Greater Good and that Peter was trustworthy…then…Halloween happened."
"I can guess what you mean by that," Harry hissed, Hermione's soft touch doing its job as she held onto him.
"Yes," Sirius answered, "Through sheer determination and my will to protect you, I managed to make it to Gringotts and enact my will as Lord Black to discover your parents address; Godric's Hollow. I took my motorbike there, but, by the time I arrived, the house was up in flames and all I could hear was you…crying: I ran into the inferno and found your body with that damned scar on your forehead. I knew, in one single solitary moment, what had happened: Peter had betrayed Lily and James. Harry, you have to believe me: I would never do anything to harm Lily or James and, once I have done what I started to do twelve years ago, I'll do everything I can to give you your life back."
"Sirius," Harry cut in, "What did you do twelve years ago?"
"I was the one to give you to Hagrid," Sirius admitted, his eyes filled with pain as he lowered his head, a sense of shame in his gaze, "He said that he was taking you somewhere safe and that he would come and get me when the time was right: I should have kept hold of you; I should have done something, anything! But, I didn't: I handed you to Hagrid and then, seeing the house come close to falling around us, I did the only other thing I could think of."
"You went hunting for Pettigrew," Hermione spoke up, her voice holding the pain that was being felt by her betrothed, "Then what?"
"I chased him all night," Sirius explained, "Finally cornering him in a Muggle village; the dirty coward then had the gall to cry out, asking how I could betray them to…to…Voldemort: me! I went for my wand, hoping to immobilise him and then come after you, pup, but the dirty coward blasted the whole street apart: he always was a shit duellist. When the debris faded, Peter had cut off his finger, faking his own death and leaving me to the Aurors. Harry, I escaped from Azkaban simply for the reason to clear my name and to prove that Mr Order of Merlin – which is what he got in his memory – is still alive and the real traitor…and that's my story."
Silence filled the cave for a spare moment, Harry's breath showing only calmness and a deep root of thought that came from somewhere deep inside him: something about the way Pettigrew had faked his death…and the timing of Sirius' escape – something was trying to piece itself together.
Finally, it was Hermione who broke the silence, "Sirius: how did you manage to escape from Azkaban anyway?"
"Well," Sirius laughed, rubbing the back of his head as if amused and suddenly realising the piece of the puzzle that he himself hadn't thought of, "That is a good question there Miss Granger…Hermione," he corrected himself, having seen the way that she and his godson were linked. Earning Hermione's respect would make Sirius prove himself to Harry…somehow. "I don't know how I did it," he said slowly. "I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the Dementors couldn't suck it out of me...but it kept me sane and knowing who I am...helped me keep my powers...so when it all became...too much...I could transform in my cell...become a dog. Dementors can't see, you know..." He swallowed. "They feel their way toward people by feeding off their emotions...They could tell that my feelings were less - less human, less complex when I was a dog...but they thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everyone else in there, so it didn't trouble them. But I was weak, very weak, and I had no hope of driving them away from me without a wand. But then I saw Peter in that picture...I realized he was at Hogwarts with Harry, perfectly positioned to act, if one hint reached his ears that the Dark Side was gathering strength again."
"Picture?" asked Harry, and suddenly, Hermione gave a gasp of realisation.
"Harry," she exclaimed, "Don't you remember your birthday? Padfoot…I mean Sirius tore the part of the picture with Ron on it; we thought it was because we didn't trust him…but what if…"
"Ron is Wormtail?" asked Harry, "Come off it Hermione; I would have known something…"
"Not Ron dummy," Hermione laughed, "Scabbers!"
'Ah,' thought Harry, watching as a smile of pure agreement crossed Sirius' face, 'That makes much more sense.'
"But," he then added, "Didn't you escape before that picture was in the paper?"
"Yes," Sirius answered, "The day before: someone, and I have my own suspicions as to whom, sent me an advanced copy and seemed to stir old feelings in me. Harry, I'm sorry, but this is something I need to do: can you understand how I feel about all this?"
"Yes," Harry nodded, "But I can't let you go through with it Sirius: if, and I say if you're right about Pettigrew, then you had better leave it to me to do this: we can't have you falling into the trap that your mysterious benefactor decided to unleash on you. In the meantime, I suggest only this: that you return to Mum and Dad's place and wait until Christmas; then…and only then can we sort this mess out."
"Your Mum and Dad?" asked Sirius.
"He means my Mum and Dad," Hermione explained, "They sort of unofficially adopted him in the magical world and, when we became bonded, they became his guardians: but it's a good idea. We were planning on going home this Christmas anyway and, with Harry's Vassal, it'll be even easier to deal with all this trouble."
"Why?" asked Sirius, "Who's Harry's Vassal?"
"Amelia Bones," Harry answered, "Head of the DMLE and the reason that I'm the athletically-strong wizard you have sitting next to you. Now, in the meantime, if you're right about this, I'll find a way to get a hold of Pettigrew and hand him over to Amelia: we'll have justice done, but please Sirius…I'm begging you now: don't become a murderer. I need you."
"I know you do pup," Sirius sighed, his face twisted into a sad smile, "And that's why I'll do as you say: all right: until Christmas, I'll keep a low profile, but what about your Mum and Dad? Can they…"
"I'll send an owl," Harry explained, "Or failing that: I'll ask Dobby to help explain things."
Sirius could only nod, before Hermione actually pushed Harry forwards, godfather and godson finally sharing a long overdue hug of respect, comfort and alliance to one another.
Hermione could only smile…
HPHG
The only way that Harry knew he would be able to get a hold of Scabbers was by going into Gryffindor Tower, which was actually what he intended to do as there were a few home truths he needed to learn about himself and, given that Harry was Lord of Gryffindor, he'd be able to find them with ease, even in the most secret of places within the Tower.
However, as he and Hermione returned to the Tower, flanked by the Order and Neville, the Holy Knight of Thunder's plans went down the drain as trouble was looming ahead of them.
"What's going on?" said Ginny, who had just arrived.
A moment later, Professor Dumbledore was there, sweeping toward the portrait; the Gryffindors squeezed together to let him through, and Harry, Neville, and Hermione moved closer to see what the trouble was.
"Oh, my -" Hermione grabbed Harry's arm.
The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor; great chunks of it had been torn away completely. Dumbledore took one quick look at the ruined painting and turned, his eyes somber, to see Professors McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape hurrying toward him.
"We need to find her," said Dumbledore. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."
"You'll be lucky!" said a cackling voice.
It was Peeves the Poltergeist, bobbing over the crowd and looking delighted, as he always did, at the sight of wreckage or worry.
"What do you mean, Peeves?" said Dumbledore calmly, and Peeves's grin faded a little.
He didn't dare taunt Dumbledore. Instead he adopted an oily voice that was no better than his cackle. "Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful," he said happily. "Poor thing." he added unconvincingly.
"Did she say who did it?" said Dumbledore quietly.
"Oh yes, Professorhead," said Peeves, with the air of one cradling a large bombshell in his arms. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."
That had Harry on full alert: Sirius? Sirius had attacked the Fat Lady?
'No,' Hermione commented over their bond, following Harry as they left the stairway, moving towards Godric's Wing, 'Sirius would never lie to you Harry: it can't have been him.'
"It wasn't," Harry answered out loud, opening the Wing and making his way inside, where he reached the main hall before he finally let go, "It was that fucking manipulative old bastard: I'd bet Excalibur on it!"
"Well there's one way to find out," Hermione suggested, before she led Harry into the library of Godric's Wing, the Holy Knight of Thunder watching as his betrothed led him to a rotunda with a stone pillar in the centre, a familiar red-robed, golden-sword bearing wizard was hung in a well-framed portrait.
"Godric Gryffindor," Harry gasped, "How did you…"
"Found his portrait in a musty cupboard in the Tower shortly before the end of September," Hermione explained, before she stepped forwards and addressed the portrait, "Beg your pardon Godric, but could you answer a question for us?"
"For my Heir and Heiress, of course," replied the original Gryffindor, "How can I help?"
"Well," Hermione answered, "We know that Hogwarts is tied to the four Founders and that their portraits, like this one, are kept in their Chambers; so, we were wondering if you could answer the question for us: who attacked the Fat Lady?"
"Ah," sighed Godric, "Poor Selene: yes I can, if only to avenge the honesty of my House and this institution: she was attacked, or rather vandalised by the actions of Albus Dumbledore, but by the hand of one Ronald Weasley and Percy Weasley."
An ominous rumble of thunder suddenly filled the air, Hermione rounding quickly as she saw Harry glowing again, his silver eye shining brightly as he looked to the portrait, "Are you sure about that Master Godric?"
"Indeed I am, little Knight," answered Godric, "No doubt, they did it to get this reaction out of you."
"Well they have it," Harry snarled, a strong, icy wind blowing around him as he shook his head slowly, "It's time I stop pretending: how dare that conniving old coot think he can take Sirius away from me! If it's the last thing I do, I will see Dumbledore fall from grace, before he falls by Excalibur's blade!"
Hermione could only watch with shock and a sense of equal determination as Harry pulled the power of his storm into himself, his silver eye now seemingly on permanent shine as a bolt of white lightning crossed the silver-coloured appendage, the storm's power echoing all around Hogwarts.
'Ladies and gentlemen,' Hermione thought, striding across the room and holding Harry in her arms, if only to calm him down, 'Welcome to the eye of the Hurricane.'
A short Chapter 15, but enough for Harry to get himself back on track: so, the Hurricane within him has been unleashed once more, but who will ride out the storm and who will get struck by lightning?
Also, can Harry convince Amelia to give Sirius a chance and will he manage to get a hold of Scabbers?
Keep Reading to Find Out;
Next Chapter: Christmas is in the air and Remus would like to join Harry and Hermione; the Holy Knight of Thunder brings the power of the storm to Gryffindor when Hermione goes missing before the holidays and, when they are reunited, the Gryffindor Princess has a little gift for Harry in the form of a rat: can Harry keep his own cool or will he do what Sirius couldn't?
Chapter 16: Only Human
After the attack on the Fat Lady, though Harry, the Order, Neville and Tonks knew the truth, the dual-Founder's heir instructed them to leave things as they were for now. If he revealed what he knew too soon, then Dumbledore would be on his case and Harry would never be able to put his plan into action; when Tonks asked him if there was anything that she could do to help, Harry gave her an appreciative nod before he told her to make sure her boss, his Vassal, cleared her Christmas schedule and that she would meet Harry on Christmas Eve at the house.
That just left one question in Harry's mind: how was he supposed to get a hold of Pettigrew now that the Tower was being watched by a rather idiotic portrait named Sir Cadogan? The inhabitant of the portrait had about as many brains as Weasley had balls and he wouldn't hesitate to spill the beans on Harry being there, which would give Dumbledore a reason to keep Harry there.
Not that the old man didn't try: when Harry met with Professor McGonagall before the end of November, telling her that he was going home for Christmas, Harry found out that the Headmaster had requested him to stay for safety reasons concerning the recent attack. Harry sunk that idea like the Titanic, his authority as Holy Knight coming in very handy as he explained – seemingly for the 1000th time – that he was going back to Mr and Mrs Granger, his legal guardians; that he was being protected by an Auror and the Order and that he would have his weapon at his side…as always.
Once again, Dumbledore was defeated and Harry was looking forwards to a Christmas away from Hogwarts, his seemingly hurricane-preceding attitude vanishing with each day…at least until the last week of term.
Returning from one of his usual meetings with Hagrid concerning his familiar, Harry walked towards Godric's Wing when a cold feeling passed through his body, the whole school seemingly sharing that feeling as an icy front blew through the corridors, startling even Severus Snape who was working on some private work.
Turning on his heel, Harry made his way down to Gryffindor Tower, his face set in a stern expression as he hissed, "Listen you useless portrait, open this entrance now!"
"Ah," Sir Cadogan laughed, "A challenge: very well fiend: I accept!"
Harry sighed, before he drew Excalibur from its sheath, his eyes both flashing with raw magic as he hissed, "You challenge me? You must have a death wish; now open this entrance before I make you experience what the Fat Lady went through."
The entrance opened and Harry walked in, his eyes scanning the Common Room, his presence startling the few Gryffindors nearby as he asked, "Is anything amiss here?"
"No Harry," answered Lavender Brown, "Oh, but Hermione did come in earlier; then she got a letter."
"A letter?" asked Harry, "From whom?"
"Well…you," Lavender answered, "Didn't you ask her to meet you in the place where you first became friends for a private discussion…"
She didn't get a chance to finish; Harry had turned on his heel and raced down the stairs, moving towards the girls bathroom where he had first made friends with his brown-haired betrothed, Excalibur's blade suddenly glowing as it sensed magic at work here.
Harry didn't bother with subtlety this time: a familiar feeling of protectiveness rose within him, seemingly summoning the four winds from all around him as he stood before the door, Excalibur shining brighter than ever. Using only his will to protect his girl, Harry summoned the power of the wind and coalesced its energy into a single, powerful tornado that sent the door flying off its hinges, just as a familiar cry came from within.
"Hermione!" Harry roared, moving like lightning, his eyes narrowed dangerously, his silver eye suddenly looking more like a fog barrier than its usual shining lightning appearance as he saw just what was going on.
Crabbe and Goyle, hearing Harry's cry, had turned to intercept the threat, but not before Harry had called on the power of his Storm side and used the time of year as an inspiration. Sweeping Excalibur forwards, Harry sealed Crabbe and Goyle in place, a veil seemingly made from ice and snow freezing the two gorillas where they stood, the sound of a cubicle opening and, before he knew what was going on, Harry found himself under attack from a brown-haired missile.
'Kitten?' asked Harry, suddenly discovering his bond to be stronger than before.
'Sparky?' asked Hermione, 'It is you: I'm sorry; I was only trying to help: he tricked me.'
'Hush Kitten,' Harry replied, running his hand through her brown hair, looking over her shoulder as he told her, 'I'm here now.'
Gently nudging her aside, Harry stood tall and proud as he declared, "There's only one person in this school those two thugs would listen to: show yourself Malfoy!"
Malfoy appeared from the same cubicle that Hermione had been in, but he wasn't alone: Ron Weasley accompanied him, his trousers almost undone, his face showing a look of rage and a shiner that would be there for some time.
"You…sick…bastards," Harry snarled, "What the fuck were you thinking of doing to her?"
"Teaching filth like her a lesson she won't forget," Ron laughed, "She took away our friendship Harry; she needed to be punished. After all, I'm the only one who could ever truly love her: what could you love about someone like her?"
"Oh I don't know Ron," Harry replied, the hurricane that had been building up now blowing through the bathroom, Ron and Draco being pushed against the wall where they hung like ornaments, Ron's trousers now falling to the floor with the impact of the wind. Harry, keeping a very close eye on his Hermione, continued, "Maybe it's her kind heart, her willingness to forgive and forget, her honesty, her sheer raw magical presence or maybe, just maybe, I love her for being her."
"What?" asked Draco, "A sick, bookworm of a Mudblood who thinks she's good enough to share the same breathing space as purebloods like us?"
"Malfoy," Harry growled, "Wrong question!"
Excalibur's blade began to crackle and spark, Harry's silver eye now glowing with the full power of the elements at his command as he pushed his sword outwards, the blade unleashing a torrent of white lightning that struck Malfoy, Harry's voice cutting into him. "That's for calling her a Mudblood!"
He then turned his lightning on Ron, the red-headed asshole screaming as the full power of the storm coursed through him, "That's for doing what I sincerely hope you weren't trying to do."
Lowering Excalibur, Harry then sheathed his sword, placed his hands together, a torrent of ice, snow, fire and lightning all coming together as he looked to the two guilty party, his voice now like thunder as he boomed, "And this is for trying to think that you could harm my Hermione and get away with it!"
Thrusting his hands out, Harry watched as the four elemental powers coalesced and struck the two still hanging wizards, Malfoy suddenly becoming a mix of ice and fire that formed hard crystal, sealing him in place while Ron was less lucky; the snow and rain from Harry's summoned storm enveloped him before the lightning appeared to burnish the collection of elements, freezing him in place, both of them looking more like Christmas Tree decorations than proud wizards.
Lowering his hands, Harry stepped back, the winds dying down, Hermione moving slowly to his side as she asked, "How…how did you…"
"You'd be surprised what I can do when my girl is in danger," Harry remarked, before he put his arm around her and kissed her on the lips, Hermione melting into his embrace, Harry then aware of her hand going to his pocket as they parted.
"Why didn't you confirm that letter with the bond?" asked Harry, placing his forehead against Hermione's, "I would never deceive you Kitten; you know that."
"I do," Hermione replied, "I'm sorry Sparky: I did consider confirming it, but then something appeared to call me here; I think the parchment was laced with charms."
"Did," Harry asked, a growl to his voice as he held Hermione, "Did…they do anything to you?"
"They tried," Hermione replied, "Malfoy said he wasn't going to soil himself with me, so Ron told me that he was going to make sure I was his: Harry, I was so scared."
"Hush Kitten," Harry replied, running a soft hand through her hair, "I'm here now: they'll never touch you again."
As they walked out of the bathroom, Harry drawing all of the power of the Storm into himself as he tried to return to his normal attitude, he heard Hermione then ask him, "Aren't you going to see what I put in your pocket?"
Looking at her, Harry reached down with his hand and his eyes widened when he felt fur and what seemed like buck teeth on his fingers; clasping the object, Harry pulled his hand out and revealed the toe-less form of Peter Pettigrew.
'Wormtail,' Harry thought, 'You traitor: if I didn't need you now, I'd skin you alive!'
Replacing the rat in his pocket, Harry asked, "How did you do it?"
"Easy," Hermione answered, "After Sirius told us about him, I had Dobby keep an eye on things: the little guy told me that the rat was in the Tower and he froze him for us."
"Did he?" asked Harry, smiling with a sad expression as he held onto his betrothed, "Remind me to thank him, would you Hermione?"
HPHG
There were only a few hours to go and then Harry would be free to leave Hogwarts and be with his family: thanks to his little additions to the punishment against those slimy Slytherins and that cloth-brained tomato, no-one would even find them until the first day back and, judging from the amount of power that Harry had displayed, the Holy Knight of Thunder found it hard not to laugh as he pictured Ickle Ronniekins wrapped in a blankie while Mummy fed him soup, Draco shivering through his teeth. Even now, Harry could imagine what Draco would say as soon as they were found: w-w-when m-my F-F-Father hears a-a-about this.
'Bring him on,' thought Harry, looking out of the window that he held within Godric's Wing, 'In fact, bring on the whole bloody Ministry if he needs to. No-one harms my Hermione and gets away with it and I highly doubt that Fudge would last very long when the papers find out that it was a Holy Knight who was attacked. Sometimes,' he laughed as he withdrew Excalibur from his belt, his eyes on the sword as it shone in the late afternoon sunlight, 'I look back and I find myself loving the day that I gained this weapon all over again.'
"Harry? Can I come in?"
Turning his head, Harry was slightly surprised as to the owner of the voice, let alone that they had used his name, before he nodded and answered, "Come in Tyler; I'm alone."
The door opened and the dark-eyed warrior stepped inside, his silver-streaked hair the only other thing that stood out among the wintry scene; seeing Harry there, his back to him, Tyler cleared his throat before he spoke up, "Sebastian wanted to know whether or not you'd like us to stay here over the summer or…"
"Come with me," Harry replied, "Mum and Dad would like it and, besides, you guys have sort of become like an extended family to me; so, come with me. Also, nice work there Ty."
"Ty?" asked the warrior, looking to his charge as he waited for a response.
"Sure," Harry answered, "Short for Tyler; well, why not? Sebastian is known as Seba to Remus and I; why shouldn't I have nicknames for the rest of you? Also, as to why I said nice work: you were finally able to use my name without falling over yourself to respect me."
"I…I have had help," Tyler admitted, "Tonks; she's quite a big help because of what she said to me."
"Oh?" asked Harry, a smile crossing his face as he asked, "What was that?"
"She said that we should see you less as our lord and more as a friend," Tyler explained, "Only seeing you as our lord when it was appropriate: Dante and Felicia agree with her, but Sebastian still sees you as his superior, using your informal title as and when it's necessary."
"Ah-ha," Harry nodded, before he noted one missing as he asked, "And what about Elora?"
"She's…still making her mind up," Tyler admitted, "She's been kind of distracted lately: ever since Sirius came to Hogwarts and…oh," he added, quickly changing his tone as Harry gripped the hilt of Excalibur rather tightly, "I'm sorry Harry, I mean ever since they made it appear like he came to Hogwarts. You know, between you and me; I think she has a thing for him."
"Wouldn't surprise me," Harry laughed, "From what I learned from Professor Lupin; Sirius was quite the ladies man back in the day."
"Oh," added Tyler, "That's the other thing: Professor Lupin…I mean Remus called just now and asked if I could pass on a message?"
"And what was the message?"
"He wants to know if you'd like some friendly company over the holidays," Tyler explained, "I told him I'd get the answer as soon as humanly possible: so, what do you say?"
'Hermione?' asked Harry, using the bond to seek out his betrothed.
'Here Harry,' came the reply, 'Downstairs with Luna and Neville and, to answer what you're going to ask: I don't see the problem…well, except one.'
'Sirius,' Harry agreed, 'It's going to be hard enough convincing Amelia to leave him be: those two are old friends, so it'll only make it harder.'
'Then say yes,' Hermione offered, 'If need be, he can request sanctuary under your House or under the Holy Knights; and, with THREE of those there, Amelia won't be able to argue against it.'
'Thanks love,' Harry agreed, before he closed the link and, turning to Tyler, replied, "It's a yes."
HPHG
On their last night in Hogwarts, Harry, Hermione, Neville and Luna all met up in the Godric's Wing Common Room, four warm mugs of hot chocolate between them, a roaring fire – no pun intended – filling the lion-shaped fireplace, Hermione nestled comfortably in Harry's lap while Neville and Luna appeared to be sharing the same space, Luna seated on the floor between Neville's legs while Neville sat comfortably on a large leather chair.
"Well," Harry sighed, "This Christmas is going to be interesting: Neville, are you sure that you and Luna are ready for this?"
"I am Harry," Neville answered, looking to his blood-brother as he spoke, "I've already sent the owl to Gran saying that I'll be with you this Christmas: she only asks that she can come to the Hollow with us."
"She can," Harry replied, "But this time, I'll protect it personally: I've been looking into ways I can use Excalibur and, it turns out that, if I place it into the floor of a particular building that I own, I can ward that building with Excalibur. Then, with a drop of blood from any and all that I trust, I can personally decide who can come and go as they please and who can't."
"Sounds like an interesting power," Luna commented, Harry smiling as he saw her toying with one of Neville's shoelaces like a cat, "When do you need the blood?"
"I'll be doing it on our first night," Harry explained, "We'll have the weekend at Mum and Dad's and then move onto the Hollow: also, there's something I'd like to say to you two."
"What's that?" asked Neville, gesturing his fingers to the flames, the warm fire now rising and changing colour, a warm red fire burning in the hearth.
"Someone's been practicing," Hermione smiled, Harry nodding in agreement.
"I'd like you two to stop beating about the bush," he explained, looking to Neville, "You're my brother Neville and I've seen how you and Luna get on: so, get on with it and ask her already. Hell, if you want to, just say the word and I'll see about Knighting her as one of us so that the two of you can be closer than a normal couple."
"You'd…you'd do that?" asked Neville, "For me?"
"For all of us," Harry answered, "All you have to do is ask; I don't need your answer now Neville, but promise me that you'll stop beating about the bush."
"I promise," Neville replied, before he reached down and, taking one of Luna's hands, went straight for the bulls-eye as he asked, "Luna Lovegood, would you allow me the honour and pleasure of calling you my girlfriend?"
Luna. In complete contrast to her usual dreamy behaviour, leaped from her seat and turned, before, in the presence of the two other Holy Knights, she planted a kiss on Neville's lips, Harry and Hermione both aware of a light glow that enveloped the two friends as she whispered, "Yes Neville Longbottom, I will."
'Are you thinking what I'm thinking?' asked Hermione, watching as the glow faded.
'Oh yeah,' Harry replied, 'But it surprises me: Ragnok told me that I was the last of them.'
'We'll have to wait and see,' Hermione replied, 'For now, we can be happy for them, which reminds me you: where's my kiss?'
"Right here Kitten," Harry replied out loud, before he banished his mug and proceeded to give his girlfriend an early Christmas kiss, the four friends just knowing that Harry's prediction would be proven right;
This was going to be an interesting Christmas…
HPHG
As the Hogwarts Express reached King's Cross, Neville and Luna both promised that they would meet Harry and Hermione at the Grangers on Monday, before Harry found himself being pulled by Hermione towards the barrier, Sebastian and the Order bringing up the rear with their trunks and the pets' cages. No sooner were they through the barrier before Harry had a feeling of déjà vu as he saw Hermione rush into her parents' arms, Emma hugging her daughter while Dan smiled and inclined his head to Harry.
"You don't know how glad I am to see you alive and well Harry," Dan explained, holding out his hand, almost expecting Harry to shake it; instead, the Holy Knight of Thunder surprised them both when he ran into Dan's arms, the male Granger putting his arm around Harry's shoulders like any Father.
"You don't know how happy I am to see you again…Dad," Harry replied, watching as Emma and Hermione looked to him, the Holy Knight of Ocean smiling as she saw Harry as a kid again.
"He's missed us," Emma whispered, Hermione hearing the sadness in her Mother's voice.
"Can you blame him?" she asked, "After the term we've had: Dumbledore sticking his nose in, Harry discovering a few home truths; oh…and then there's the Boggart."
"The what?" asked Dan, watching as he released Harry, who then found himself being welcomed by Emma, the elder female placing a motherly kiss on his forehead.
"Later," Hermione replied, following her parents out of the train station where she was surprised to find Sebastian and the Order already packed, all of them waiting on Harry.
"Have they managed to lose some of their…nobility?" laughed Dan, watching as Emma helped Harry into the back seat of their car.
"Most of them," Hermione explained, her eyes then noticing that their things had been shrunken down slightly so that they fit; shaking her head, she continued, "Tyler's more like a close friend to Harry; Dante seems to remind him of you Daddy and Felicia is more big sister material than noble warrior. Sadly, old habits die hard as Sebastian proves and Elora's been in a world of her own, but we manage okay."
"Would you like one of us to come with you Harry?" asked Tyler suddenly, watching as Harry wiped his eye and looked to his warriors.
"You can Ty," Harry answered, "The rest of you Apparate to the Grangers; Hermione and I will join you shortly: oh, and Sebastian?"
"Yes Harry?" asked the commander, moving to the window.
"When you get there, you'll find a certain large black dog waiting: give him this message from me: tell him that his pup and his brother in all but blood are spending the holiday together and that I'll talk to him when we get there."
"As you command," Sebastian then turned on his heel and the Grangers gasped as they witnessed Apparition for the first time, Tyler taking the seat behind Dan while Harry and Hermione sat behind Emma, their car pulling out of the station as they made their way back to the Grangers home in Crawley.
As they travelled, Dan decided to go back to what he'd said in the station, "So, what's a Boggart and how has it affected your term?"
"Dad," Hermione gasped, but she was cut off when Harry placed his hand on hers, his heterochromic eyes on Dan as he spoke.
"It's a long story Dad; but the heads and tails of it is that it was a ploy set up by Dumbledore to force me to lose confidence in Hermione. A Boggart," he continued, seeing Dan's face take on an almost angered look, "Is a creature that takes the shape of a person's worst fears, such as our ex-friend Ron and spiders or me and what I originally thought to be Dementors."
"Those things that attacked you on the train?" asked Emma.
"That's them," Hermione answered, "But Harry has an advantage over them that most wizards don't…namely Excalibur: when the Dementor came close, his magic reacted and what we now know to be called a Patronus came from the sword and helped keep the Dementor away. A Boggart has a similar effect and, because of how it made him feel, Harry thought his Boggart would become a Dementor…"
"But it didn't," Harry replied and Emma suddenly shivered as she heard a cold tone to his voice: was the blackness that she had worked so hard to release him from returning?
Keeping her voice calm, Emma asked, "What…what did it become?"
"Hermione," Harry answered, "And…the things she said…I…I still have nightmares."
"Then that definitely sounds like Dumbledore's work," Dan commented, pulling away from London and on the road towards Crawley, "He'd do anything to separate you two."
"So we know," Harry remarked, before he lowered his voice and muttered, "Such as an attempted rape on my…"
He didn't get a chance to finish: Dan swerved and slammed his foot on the brakes so hard that Harry wouldn't have been surprised if the man had penetrated the base of the car; pulling into a turn-off along the road, Dan stopped the car, climbed out, walked round the car and opened Harry's door.
"Out," he whispered, "Now."
"Dad," Hermione pleaded, "Please…don't do anything…please."
"Harry," Dan hissed, "Out."
Harry unbuckled his belt and stepped out of the car, Dan looking around as he then spotted a small alleyway; pointing to it, he said, "There; follow me: Emma, perhaps you should drive on."
"No," Hermione pleaded, "Please Daddy…please!"
"It's okay Kitten," Harry remarked, earning a sad smile from Emma as he spoke to Hermione, "I half expected this: wait here; this won't take long."
Following Dan into the alleyway, Harry waited five seconds before he practically felt it coming, but he didn't move as Dan's hand impacted with the side of his face, a familiar feeling of uselessness creeping up on him as Dan spoke. "You promised me Harry Potter: you swore that you would look after her."
"I…I'm sorry," Harry gasped, rubbing his cheek where Dan had struck him, "I didn't know about it until the last second, but rest assured that I made sure the guilty party got what they deserved."
"Some asshole tried to rape her?" asked Dan, now grabbing Harry's collar and lifting the Holy Knight off the ground.
'Merlin, he's strong,' Harry thought, the same feeling of fear and uselessness in front of him as he just nodded, Dan's fist now impacting with Harry's chest.
"I…I tried," Harry coughed, "I…got there…before anything could…happen; Dan…I would…never leave her…"
"Harry," Dan gasped, his nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed, "She's my daughter; my only child and you let her be fooled: you're her betrothed for God's sake!"
"I know!" yelled Harry, looking up, a bolt of lightning striking the wall just inches from Dan's head; staggering to his feet, Harry coughed once as he whispered, "I…I know; I may be all-powerful and a highly-respected member of the wizarding world, but I'm not fucking Superman: don't you think I was scared when I realised I'd failed her? Failed you? Failed Emma? How do you think I felt Daniel Granger? Like I was on top of the fucking world?"
Dan saw the redness that Harry had gained from his attack, his own eyes suddenly wide as he realised what he had done: he had hurt Harry; beaten him: him! The same boy who, not five months ago had risked life and limb to protect him from the monsters he had called his relatives. Looking to Harry's chest, Dan gulped hard before he tried to speak, "Harry…I…I didn't…I'm…"
"I felt exactly what I felt against that Boggart," Harry replied, his silver eye now sharing the tears that were forming in his emerald eye, "When I faced it, it told me that I had killed Hermione, I had failed her; that I was no Knight, but a Demon. And that was how I felt when I realised just how close Hermione had come to permanent damage, the kind that not even my powers could repair: I didn't feel like the Big Holy Knight of Thunder; I felt like I was the boy you saw lying in your living room over the summer; weak and broken. I'd do anything Dan to go back and change what happened, but I know that if I did, then they'd just find another way to get to me. I'm sorry I failed you, failed Hermione, but I am only mortal and I will never again risk anything save my own mortality to keep her safe."
Dan felt an iron weight of guilt in his heart as he watched Harry check over himself, the red mark clear on his cheek as he turned his head away, clearly not wanting to let Dan see him cry. Once again, Dan recalled the conversation he'd had with Emma about Harry as a warrior and about his blackness: if he didn't do something, then there was the chance that blackness would come back.
Walking towards Harry, Dan actually tensed up when he saw Harry flinch away, his eyes closed as if he was preparing for another strike, but instead, Dan put his arms around Harry and held him close, his hands moving through Harry's hair as he spoke. "I'm sorry son; I really am: I didn't think about it from your side, but she's my daughter; my family. You both are and for anything like that to happen…to either of you would make me feel like I had lost everything. I didn't mean to hurt you Harry; I just saw red; I vow never to lay a finger on you or Hermione ever again, okay?"
"Dan…" Harry began, but stopped when he found the man's arms around him, offering him the one thing that the Dursleys would never have done after a beating: warmth, comfort and a second chance. Returning the embrace, Harry whispered, "Dad; I'll try harder…I swear it."
"You don't need to swear it," Dan told him, running a gentle hand against the red mark on Harry's cheek, "I know that hell would sooner freeze over before you willingly let Hermione get hurt; come on son…let's go home."
Back in the car, Dan switched sides with Emma while Hermione lay Harry's head in her lap, the Holy Knight of Ocean in tears herself as she saw the damage done to her boyfriend.
'Don't worry Kitten,' Harry remarked, his pains passing as he told her, 'I've felt worse: he was just being a Father.'
'I know that Sparky,' Hermione replied, placing a soft kiss on Harry's lips as she looked to her Father, an apologetic look in his eyes as he looked to his daughter.
"I'll never harm him again," Dan told her, Harry sighing with contentment as Hermione's hands did their job again, "Either of you; I'm sorry Princess."
"Don't be Dad," Harry replied, looking towards Dan as their journey continued, "Let me be sorry for both of us."
"Of course son," Dan replied, Hermione growing happier by the second at this family moment, her eyes catching sight of Emma as she drove them home.
She, like Hermione, was crying tears of joy…
Chapter 16 and Harry has learned that every action has a reaction, but can he be redeemed in Dan's eyes and vice versa or will the blackness that Emma fears return?
Also, how will old friends react to seeing one another when Sirius meets Remus at Godric's Hollow?
Keep Reading to Find Out;
Next Chapter: As the holidays get underway, Harry clears the air with Sirius about what happened on Halloween and Amelia arrives: will Sirius be forced to run? Also, Godric's Hollow reveals a few new gifts for Harry and Hermione and a surprise concerning the glow that surrounded Neville and Luna; and, to top it all off, Christmas is here and the Family enjoy their time together with Dan and Emma having a private talk with Sirius and Harry…