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Author: wvchemteach Story: Harry Potter: Metamorphosis Rating: Teens Status: WIP Reviews: 10 Words: 43,991
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor do I profit from anything here within. Thanks to Jo Rowling who graciously permits us to tweak and play in HER world. Harry stood in the centre of a room surrounded by cloaked witches and wizards. They murmured back and forth as they circled him. Sweat dripped down his brow and his palms felt damp. As he turned to check behind him his muscles were stretched taut, the blood pounded in his ears and his heart thumped in his chest. Just need to focus on my shield . . . need to hold it as long as possible. "Defend yourself, Mr. Potter!" His breath coming in gasps, Harry spoke the incantation, "Protego." The magical energy swirled about him, caressing his skin. Spells thundered around the room. Harry braced himself, his eyes narrowed to slits as the spells slammed into his shield. His arms and legs began tingling with anticipation as he felt the shield weakening. Sweat was dripping from him as the air rippled with heated energy. The shield collapsed. Harry cursed under his breath as he dropped into a roll. Ears buzzing from all the noise, his stomach churned as he sprang to his feet. Suddenly he was a blur of motion, casting banishing and summoning spells about the room. The turmoil in his stomach calmed as he fell into a rhythm. He felt as if he had been dunked into a pool of hot water and his clothes clung to him. Still, he continued to dodge and cast rapidly. "Protego." This shield wasn't nearly as strong as the first. He continued ducking and dodging. His frustration was growing along with the pounding in his head. He felt the heat welling up within him. Anger surging up, he banished an opponent into the wall with a sickening crunch. He paused for a moment as he realized that he may have killed someone. The nauseating feeling in his stomach was interrupted as a powerful spell crashed into his shield causing him to lurch forward. Suddenly, his hesitation vanished and he moved almost as if performing an intricate dance. His shield hummed with energy as spells occasionally grazed it. In return he started flinging more powerful and complicated spells. Cutting hexes, bludgeoning spells, bolts of lightning, and bursts of flame struck out at his opponents. A smile twitched onto his sopping face as his confidence grew. The spells fired at him lessened. His foes were preoccupied with shielding against his attacks. Just a few more and I can make a break for it! Working his way steadily towards one of the exits to the chamber, his hopes were dashed as his shield suddenly collapsed. He dove to the side, but a bludgeoning spell slammed into his ribs with a stomach-churning crack. Pain like hot knives pierced his left side as another curse struck him. When he hit the floor, a failed attempt to roll coupled with a flash of pain in his side left him sprawled flat on his back. He turned to his side and was looking to regain his feet when a wand poked him in the back of the neck. Damn! He was beaten. His heart thumped against his ribs that throbbed in pain with each beat. A cold voice softly spoke and a shudder ran down Harry's spine. "Excellent, this is the first time you've been able to maintain a shield while casting other spells." Harry contemplated rolling onto his back and making an attempt at casting another shield when the same cold voice spoke, "Stupefy. . .stupefy." Darkness overwhelmed him. --*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--* Pale moonlight illuminated the columns decorated with demonic gargoyles lining the room. Harry felt a chill in his spine as he explored the room, seeking an exit. He flinched when his eyes locked onto something else. His first instinct was to turn the opposite direction and flee. . .he didn't want to see what secrets it held. Part of him was terrified of seeing the images held within; another fearful that it might show him something different this time. Finally, he controlled his breathing, stepped in front and gazed within. He gasped, then exhaled a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Two familiar images appeared in the reflective surface. It had been over four years since they had been in front of him, but they were the same as they always were. That was the one benefit to being dead . . . you never aged. Once again Harry Potter gazed upon the reflection of his parents in the Mirror of Erised. Just as they had four years ago, his parents placed their hands on his shoulders. The image was different though; he was now a head taller than his mother and nearly the same height as his father. His mother nodded at him and mouthed the words: I love you so much. His father simply wore a broad grin. The warmth of his smile reached his eyes in a way that Harry wasn't sure he could ever duplicate. His eyes burned and itched with tears straining for release. It hit him suddenly. I killed them! They loved me, and I killed them! Everyone he ever loved died. Mum, dad, Sirius! The pain he felt with every thud in his chest was becoming unbearable. What pierced him most of all was his parents comforting him. He collapsed to his knees, accepting the sharp pain of hitting the floor on his knees as his just reward. He watched with horrified fascination as his mum knelt down and gathered his head on her shoulder and began cooing in his ear. His father wrapped both of them in a protective embrace. Suddenly words burst unbidden from his raw throat. "I'm sorry you were murdered. I know you just wanted to protect me, but I'm not worth it. I'M NOT!" The love shining in their eyes mocked the misery of his heart. His sides ached with the pain of his wracking sobs. His face burned from the continuous rubbing away of tears. "Why did I have to live and you had to die?" A hand touched his shoulder and Harry instantly jerked away in fear. His pulse was racing. In a quick fluid movement he was on his feet, his wand drawn and pointed in the face of a person he never thought he would see again. Coldness swept through his body and his wand clattered onto the floor after falling from his nerveless hand. "But. . .y-you. . .you fell through the veil. R-Remus and D-Dumbledore said you were dead." His body began shaking uncontrollably and suddenly his head felt faint. He began swaying on his feet and the world began to tilt. Weakly he murmured, "Sirius?" Harry barely had time to process what was happening before two lean arms wrapped around him holding him up. The arms tightened around him in a crushing embrace. Harry stood there numbly, his mind in a fog as he tried to make sense of what was happening. "Sirius. . .is this really you?" Sirius held him out at arms length and stared back at him with the mournful grey eyes. He nodded an affirmative and swept Harry back into a tight embrace. "But you died? I saw you fall through the veil." His confusion was mounting. If Sirius was dead how could he be holding me right now? "Harry. . .I'm sorry, I did fall through the veil . . . and yes I'm dead now." There was no mistaking that voice. Harry stiffened as guilt coursed through him. His chest tightened around his hammering heart. His stomach seemed to be rolling around and the urge to throw up was strong. Sweat began to bead on his forehead and he could feel it running down his arms and back. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He tried to pull from Sirius's hold, but his godfather simply held him more firmly. "Let me go. . .please? I don't deserve to be held. I killed you!" He tried again to push away, but no matter how he struggled he couldn't escape. Sirius simply held him. "Shh. . .Harry. It's alright now." Finally, Harry gave up struggling and the grief and guilt he had been feeling began pouring out of him in sobs. He reached around and tightly gripped the back of Sirius's shirt and crushed his godfather in a hug. Harry's eyes were burning intensely from tears. His ribs and sides were tender from sobbing. His throat felt as if it had been scraped raw. His nose was dripping and his head began to throb with the faintest beginnings of a headache. Harry pushed back from Sirius, resting his hands on the taller man's shoulders and gazed once again into his eyes. What he saw stunned him beyond belief. Tear tracks ran down his godfather's face and his grey eyes glowed with an itchy red. Harry was dumbstruck, he never saw Sirius cry in the two years he had known him. He thought he was above such weakness. His ruminations were interrupted. "Harry . . . listen carefully . . . and mark my words. I love you more than life itself. There is only one thing you could do that would displease me or cause me to be disappointed in you in anyway." Here it comes, his muscles in his arms and legs tensed as he waited to hear Sirius condemn him for his stupidity in falling into Voldemort's trap. "If you blame yourself for my death then I know that I'll never be able to rest peacefully, neither will your mum and dad." Harry sucked in a gasp of breath. "But you all died because of me and that stupid prophecy. If it weren't for me you would all be alive and together and happy!" His words were coming out at such a rapid pace that he seemed to be babbling. The sickness inside of him continued to twist his guts. Why couldn't they see that everyone would have been better off if I had never been born? "Harry. . .do you know the three happiest times I ever saw your dad and mum?" Harry's racing mind came to a stop. He hadn't thought about his parents being happy in a long time, not since he had seen Snape's memory in the pensive last term. He slowly shook his head no. "The first time I saw them absolutely happy was they day they both finally admitted that they fancied one another and began going out." His eyes took on a distant faraway look as he stared over Harry's shoulder. "For James, it was his greatest dream, come true. After all those years of pining and pestering, Lily had come around and returned his feelings." He paused and took a deep breath. "For Lily, it was finally realizing that everything she had ever wanted had been there all along, right in front of her." "The second time I saw them absolutely happy was on their wedding day." Sirius closed his eyes and sighed. "They literally were floating on air as they danced at the reception." A tear trailed slowly down his face. "To be honest, I was quite envious of them that day. . .and the love they shared." Sirius looked into Harry's eyes and grinned. "The last time I saw them ready to fly over the moon was on July 31, 1980." Harry's breath hitched as he considered the implications. "Yes, the day you were born. I swear between the swelling of his heart with love and the swelling of his head with pride, I think James could have floated like a Muggle hot air balloon." He barked out a quick laugh at his remembrance. "Lily. . .she absolutely glowed. . .as if she was one of the mythological goddesses come to life. That day I made a decision. . .I was going to have what they had with someone and I wasn't going to put off having a life any longer. Unfortunately, it seemed I already had waited too long." With that statement Sirius's face had a pained look which he quickly covered. This entranced Harry. The thudding in his chest lessened. One thing was troubling him though, "Sirius, weren't they worried about Voldemort and the war? I mean what if something happened to one or the other?" Sirius shook his head sadly. "Harry, I know that this is hard for you to understand, but love isn't a weakness. Your mum and dad knew that there were no promises of tomorrow, but they decided that they weren't going to waste time waiting for a perfect time that might not ever come." He took a deep breath then continued, "Don't isolate yourself. The natural reaction for you to what has happened and the news of the prophecy is going to be to push your friends away. I know you want to isolate yourself in the hopes that Voldemort will leave everyone you love alone." Harry's eyes widened in amazement. Sirius knew exactly what he was thinking. He couldn't understand why it was the wrong thing to do though. If people like Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and the rest of the Weasleys weren't close to him, then Voldemort would just come after him and leave them alone. "What kind of person would you be if you didn't have your friends and family around you?" Harry frowned in puzzlement since he didn't have any family anymore. Before he could follow this thought Sirius spoke again. "If you go that path then it doesn't matter whether you kill Voldemort or not, you'll have become just like him." Harry momentarily bristled at the mere thought that he would become anything like Voldemort and opened up his mouth to retort when Sirius cut him off again. "Voldemort never had friends that truly cared about him and he killed his only family. Harry if you isolate yourself from everything that makes you happy and feel normal, you are going to find yourself caring less and less about the world around you. Eventually you are going to become so self-absorbed that you will become just like him." As he began wrapping his mind around Sirius's words, he realized that they were true. Harry had seen Tom Riddle at his current age. He knew how much like Tom Riddle he was and there was no denying what the result would be if he began pushing those he cared about away. Without people like Ron and Hermione in his life to ground him who knows what he might do. "Prongslet, listen to me. I can't give you any details, but I know that the key to unlocking your Power the Dark Lord knows not is one of your friends." Harry hitched his breath. How did he know about that? His mind was working his way through his friends trying to figure out how one of them could be the key to his power. "I don't understand. . .," and he really didn't. He furrowed his brow in concentration. How could Ron or Hermione unlock his power? He cared a great deal about them, and while they both were talented he didn't think that either would be able to wave their wand and suddenly make him powerful. Perhaps Hermione will find some spell or something in a book. That must be it. Sirius interrupted his thoughts when he spoke again. "Harry, please don't limit your friends to just Ron and Hermione. They are wonderful friends and they care about you a great deal, but they can't be everything for you." Harry was getting a bit nettled at Sirius for speaking in circles. His face turned down into a scowl and he bit out the words, "Couldn't you just quit beating around the bush and just tell me who holds this key?" Sirius simply snorted out a bit of laughter and replied, "I can't tell you who the key is . . . this unlocking of your power has to happen naturally. Trying to force it could possibly destroy any chance you have of succeeding." Sirius's eyes danced as a smile alighted upon his face. Harry was stuck by the thought that he rarely saw Sirius smile when he was alive. The Sirius he saw before him was reminiscent of the Sirius from Snape's memory and in photos taken of him before Azkaban. "The only hint I can really give you is that the key has been under your nose this whole time and you never noticed." With that statement he motioned with his head for Harry to look at the Mirror again. Harry glanced over and then did a double-take at what he saw. Instead of his parents like always, Harry was standing in the mirror surrounded by the friends who went with him to the Ministry to rescue Sirius. Harry was in the centre of the group. On is right Ron stood behind Hermione. Ron's left hand rested on Harry's shoulder while his right rested on Hermione's. Occasionally the two would glance at one another and look away blushing. On Harry's left stood Neville and Luna. Neville had his hand on Harry's other shoulder and was occasionally rubbing it reassuringly. Luna seemed bored in the image. Her wide eyes were constantly looking about for something interesting. Finally, standing right in front of Harry was Ginny. Harry goggled at her when he realized that her head barely came up to his chin. When did I get so tall? Harry stared at the mirror for a few minutes trying figure out what he knew about everyone in the image to see which one would be the key to unlocking his powers. He turned his head to ask Sirius another question to find that he was gone. Harry glanced back at the Mirror before everything went black. --*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--* The cheerful chirping of birds invaded the darkness of sleep. He fought the urge to wake, scrunching his eyes closed tighter. He couldn't resist the pull to wake so finally he opened his eyes. The sight of the morning sun creeping over the horizon framed by the window greeted him. Sitting up he stretched his arms back and rolled his neck. He felt oddly refreshed as if sleeping for days. He didn't know where this burst of energy came from, but decided he wouldn't question it. It had motivated him to finish his Transfiguration and Potions homework the night before. He turned and slid his feet into a pair of house shoes to protect them from the cold floors. He arched his back out in a stretch. The cool air of the dormitory tickled at his bare torso, but felt refreshing as well. Sitting there on the edge of the bed, the sight of his Firebolt propped against the wall brought his mind back to the dream of Sirius from the night before. He wondered if it was really Sirius or if his mind was simply playing tricks on him. Finally, he concluded that it didn't really matter because it was good advice and he was going to follow it. He wouldn't push his friends away. Slowly Harry stood, grabbed his dressing robe from the back of his desk chair and gathered it. He sloughed into the restroom, stripped the robe and his pyjama bottoms off and entered a steaming shower. The hot water caressed his skin and he felt the grunge of a nights' sleep wash away. He turned off the water, wrapped himself in one of the school's extra large fluffy towels and allowed it to absorb the moisture from his body. He made his way to the mirror and sink where his brush and toothbrush lay and began to fight the daily, losing battle with his hair. Wondering if he ever would be able to get his hair to lie flat, he contemplated the scar on his forehead. He thought back to when he considered it his best feature before coming to Hogwarts. Now he resented the scar and all it represented. His mood was souring at his thoughts and he sighed deeply. I wonder if any girl will ever see anything other than that scar? With another sigh he gathered his things and returned to his dorm. His mood now matching the dreariness of the empty dormitory, Harry forced himself to begin Professor Flitwick's essay on healing charms. After a few minutes, he found himself warming to the subject. He was even having trouble keeping up with his own thoughts about it. Before he knew it, he had completed two feet of parchment, a good six inches more than required, and was fighting the urge to write more. He was surprised at his progress. . .and wondered what Ron would think. . .but ultimately decided not to question it. For the first time since coming to Hogwarts, his homework was coming easily to him. Checking the time, he decided to head down to the Great Hall for breakfast. It felt strange to walk through the completely deserted common room, but he continued on and crawled through the portrait hole. Harry then made his way down the corridor to the staircases. As Harry approached the Grand Staircase he stumbled to his knees. He looked down in dismay and he picked up the broken shoelace he tripped over. He sighed as he knotted the broken piece back on and tied he shoe, wishing just for once he owned some clothing that Dudley hadn't worn out before. He rose to his feet and was suddenly entranced. The portrait before him was one he had walked by everyday on his way to the Great Hall for the past five years. Today, however, the portrait was different. The typical scene was a band of faeries revelling in the moonlight. This time the faeries were stripping garments off and flinging them away as they danced around a single faerie maiden in the centre. He felt the back of his neck warming and knew he shouldn't be watching this, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. The fiery hair of the maiden in the centre reminded him of dancing flames. The image was stirring his mind towards something that was just beyond his memory. . .something important. . . "Ahh, I remember when your dad and Sirius discovered what that portrait did at night when students weren't around. They couldn't wait to tell us so they woke Peter and I in the middle of the night to come down and watch it." Harry felt a jolt of shock shoot up his spine and he whirled around to see Remus Lupin with an amused smirk on his face. "Professor. . .I um. . .the portrait. . .it um. . .oh bollocks!" He was certain his face could match any Weasley blush. Lupin, for his part, just widened his smirk into a grin. "Harry, there is nothing to be ashamed of. It is perfectly natural for a sixteen-year-old wizard to be fascinated by the female form," he commented, winking. Harry coughed and looked down quickly, certain his face resembled a beet. Somewhat shrilly to his ears, Harry stammered out, "How can they have a portrait like that hanging around for eleven year olds to see?" "Actually, the portrait has an agreement with the headmaster to only hold those dances at night or during the holidays when students aren't likely to be out and about to see it. Your dad and Sirius discovered it one night during our fourth year while skulking about with your dad's cloak," he recalled fondly. If my dad and Sirius watched it when they were here it can't be that awful. It was times like these that Harry wished he had known his dad. Sirius was the next best thing, but unfortunately their time had been too short. Harry felt a pang in his chest and wished he had spent more time with Sirius while at Grimmauld last year. "Well, now that you know about this particular portrait, I'm sure you will become quite popular with your dorm mates," Remus teased. His grin softened to a smile and he continued, "Walk with me Harry. There are some things I need to give you." Remus led Harry down the shifting staircases past various babbling portraits to the Entrance Hall. Harry turned to continue to the Great Hall, but was seized by the arm and directed to the front gate. The air was crisp and cool upon Harry's face. This side of the castle was still cool as the sun had yet to rise above the battlements. They turned left towards the lake and began down the trail that would take them down to the shore of the lake. As they walked on Harry noticed the squid lazily sunning himself near the centre. Harry had his hands shoved deep in his pockets. Aside from the occasional glance at the squid in the lake, he kept his head down. Lupin seemed content with the silence so Harry never broke it. Harry felt the hair raise in hackles on his neck as the silence continued. Finally Lupin broke it. "Harry, how are you coping? It must be jarring to have this happen so soon after. . ." his voice choked and he cleared his throat. Harry glanced to see his expression pinched as if holding back emotion. Harry's eyes begin itching and he quickly rubbed them with his hands. As bad as he felt, he had only lost Sirius the one time. Professor Lupin had lost him twice. Harry shivered. At that moment he knew his greatest fear. It wasn't dying at the hands of Voldemort. It was surviving while Ron, Hermione, the Weasleys, and everyone he loved died. His head had fallen forward while he was thinking and suddenly he felt the weight of Professor Lupin's gaze. "I . . . I'm doing better," he responded. "I know that it was stupid of me to let Voldemort fool me. But . . . " He blew his breath out and jammed his hands into his pockets, "but . . . I guess it wasn't really my fault." Oddly enough, the heavy weight that usually settled in Harry's chest when he thought about Sirius wasn't present as it had been. "That's good, I'm glad to see that you are handling this so maturely." Professor Lupin smiled warmly at him and motioned for him to sit on a moss covered log that was lying nearby. Harry smiled faintly in response and seated himself. Some minutes passed with the only sound being the two of them breathing while they watched the morning sun sparkle off the lake. "Harry, what I have to tell you and what I have to give you might cause some of the hurt to return, so I want to warn you." Harry was puzzled. Even though he didn't like talking about Sirius much, he was positive he could handle it. Harry gazed at Lupin expectantly. After taking a deep breath Lupin began, "Sirius had readied two gifts to give you for your birthday this year. Actually, this first one is from both of us." As he said this he slipped what looked like a leather bound journal out from one of his inside pockets and held it out to him. "You know the password," he commented with a small smile. Harry stared at him with a puzzled look before it came to him. He held the book up and tapped it with his wand. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." Suddenly golden letters appeared spelling out: A Young Wizards Guide to Becoming a Man by Padfoot and Prongs. Harry turned the journal over puzzled. Lupin cleared his throat, "This was a project that Sirius and your father began during our fourth year at Hogwarts. Basically, both of them felt that it was their duty to make sure that future generations knew exactly how to become a wizard's wizard." He smiled ruefully, "You might find some of the earlier entries to be somewhat juvenile, but I think you will appreciate the changes in both of them as they aged, especially your dad." Lupin looked away at the lake with a sigh. "They had completed it by their seventh year, but then James decided to take it with him rather than leave it here for whomever to find. At that time he and your mum were about six months from being married. I think your dad had decided that this would be good a way for him to share things with his future children when they began attending Hogwarts." Stroking his chin gently he continued, "After you were born he began revising it and adding to it furiously. Looking back now, it seems that he had an inkling that something might happen to him and he took steps to share some of his wisdom with you." His eyes seemed to stare past Harry. "He entrusted it to Sirius before he and your mum went into hiding with you. Apparently the instructions were to give it to you when the right time arrived." The corners of his mouth twitched into a smile, "After hearing about your disaster on Valentine's Day, he decided that you needed it as soon as possible." Harry's stomach twisted. He was already embarrassed enough on that day. Bloody Hell, who else knows about that fiasco? He knew that his face had to be glowing like a tomato. He began flipping through the journal. After seeing a few headings he began to anticipate a chance to read some of the entries at his leisure. There seemed to be several interesting topics to choose from. Lupin cleared his throat and was rubbing his hands together nervously. "Harry, there are a couple of journal topics in particular I would like to discuss with you." Harry couldn't remember ever seeing his former professor so uncomfortable and twitchy, not even when he had witnessed him transform into a werewolf during his third year. "Umm. . .there are certain things a young wizard needs to know about young witches." He paused briefly and took a deep breath. "Sirius you old cur, I swear you went and got yourself killed on purpose because you knew I would have to give him this talk." Harry's eyes widened in surprise and he sat there in stunned silence. His first thought was to get upset at the seeming lack of respect to Sirius's memory. Then his thoughts turned to what Sirius would have told him if they had ever had this conversation. His lips began twitching into a smile. --*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--* One hour later Harry was sitting at the lone table in the Great Hall having breakfast. Occasionally, he would glance at his former professor to find him smirking. Harry wondered if the smirks were a result from their hour long conversation. "Harry, just because you're determined to not have relations with anyone doesn't mean you shouldn't take precautions to protect yourself." Harry swallowed nervously as he tried to fathom the point Lupin was trying to make. "What do you mean, Professor? Why would I need to protect myself if I abstain?" While the information given the past hour stirred an odd combination of embarrassment and curiosity, Harry was sure he wouldn't need any of this in the near future. His only experience with girls had been his disaster of a relationship with Cho the previous term. It wasn't like the girls were getting in line to be with him. Lupin's mouth curled into a thin smile. "I know this is hard for you to believe Harry, but you are considered one of the most eligible wizards in Britain." Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise and his first thought was to laugh. "I know what you are thinking. . .I'm just Harry, what in the world do I have to offer?" He stroked his chin briefly before continuing. "You are one of the most famous wizards in Britain. That alone will attract many witches. Furthermore, you do have a small fortune waiting on you when you come of age." This was news to Harry and he furled his brow in puzzlement. He knew about his vault at Gringotts which provided the money for his school supplies, materials, and necessities, but he didn't think it was all that much. "Professor, I know I have some money in my vault, but that isn't that much money is it? I mean I've been paying for my school supplies and everything from it for five years now. . ." With a sigh Lupin continued, "I see no one has bothered to explain your inheritance to you. Harry, the vault you've been spending from is a trust your parents set up to pay for your education expenses and to give you a bit of start up money in life." Harry just stared with a blank expression on his face. Inside his heart was thumping and his mind was racing. The question he wanted to ask: why no one ever saw fit to tell him these things when he was younger. "When you turn seventeen you will gain access to your parents' personal vault. I don't know the exact figures, but your father was wealthy enough that he and your mother never needed to work." Harry's mouth fell open at this. Lupin looked away from him. His manner seemed to indicate that he was uncomfortable continuing as he fidgeted with the hem of his threadbare robe He looked skyward for a moment, rubbed his hands through his hair and turned his gaze back to Harry. "In addition to what your parents bequeathed you there is the matter of the money willed to you by Sirius." "I don't want it!" The words flew out of his mouth before he even realized it. He felt his eyes itching and knew that if he didn't get control the tears would flow. He clinched his fists tightly and willed himself to reign in his emotions, "I don't deserve to benefit from his dying." Shaking his head sadly, "I know what you mean Harry; I didn't want what he left to me either. Unfortunately his will was very specific . . . if you and I refuse the money it is to be given to the Malfoys." Harry's emotional maelstrom suddenly stopped short, but then a different anger began. He would rather kiss Millicent Bulstrode than let the Malfoys have one knut of Sirius's money. His voice sounded harsh, "Fine, I'll take it, but I bloody well won't spend a knut of it!" With a smile and a chuckle, "Sirius knew exactly how we would react; there is a provision that requires us to spend a minimum of twenty-five galleons a month and at least 500 galleons annually for the next two years. Any money not spent is donated to the Fudge re-election campaign." Harry suddenly found himself overcome with the urge to laugh. Only Sirius would threaten that kind of punishment. He couldn't hold it and snorted once or twice before giving into a full belly laugh. He glanced at his former professor to see he was in the same situation. Finally he gasped out, "Leave it to Sirius to find a way to prank us from the grave." At his words he suddenly calmed down. He felt coldness in his stomach. He wasn't sure if he was being disrespectful by laughing at Sirius. He looked up to see Lupin watching him intently. "It's all right, Harry, to laugh about him. We both know he would rather us laugh than grieve." Harry thought about his words and while part of him didn't want to accept it, he knew he was right. Still chuckling a bit he spoke again, his voice a bit hoarse from laughter, "The formal reading is August 31. You don't have to worry about spending anything until then." His face finally returned to the serious state it had been for most of the conversation. "Anyway, getting back to the topic at hand. . .Harry, because of your fame and coming wealth it is highly possible that many enamoured witches may throw themselves at you." He gave Harry a sly look then, "It is up to you whether you catch any of them or not. If you do, we need to ensure that you can't be trapped by one of them." Once again Harry had no clue what Lupin was on about. He just stared stupidly until he went on. "It is very possible that various witches might try to conceive a child by you . . . If that were to happen, they would have a legal claim to a portion of your money." Now things seemed to be falling into place. "It is even possible that daughters of known and unknown Death Eaters might try to seduce you. They may go so far as to use a love potion, to gain an advantage." Harry's mind raced as he processed this information. He had never even considered that Voldemort might try to get to him in that way. He vowed then and there to be wary of any of the witches he didn't know very well. He almost missed Lupin's next statement, "That is why Albus and I thought it would be best for you to be put on a contraception potion." Harry sputtered, "A what?!!!" thinking for certain his ears weren't working properly. "A contraception potion, they are ancient recipes passed down in the older families. They were developed originally to ensure that young wizards of station didn't sire illegitimate children in their wild younger days." "Your father placed the Potter recipe in the journal," he grinned wickedly, "right before the section Sirius wrote about wizards and witches. Harry felt his ears and neck burn at the mention of THAT section. Harry pushed back from the table, his breakfast finished. He glanced around at the teachers, certain his face was glowing with a blush that would light up the Great Hall at night. Still, despite his embarrassment he found he enjoyed talking to Lupin. Between the journal and the stories Lupin told Harry felt he knew his parents and Sirius better. It had warmed his heart to hear the tales. Many were humorous, some were sad. Others brought warmth to his heart as they dispelled fears that somehow his father had forced his mother to marry him. He got up and made his way to the Entrance Hall with thoughts of packing up his stuff to prepare to leave for the Burrow later. A tap on his shoulder by Professor Lupin got his attention and Harry followed when the older man motion with his head towards the front gate. Harry was surprised upon exiting the courtyard to find his trunk and Firebolt sitting on the grounds by the door. He raised his eyebrows in a questioning look and searched Lupin's face for answers. Lupin, however, was glancing at a pocket watch he had pulled from within his cloak. He closed the watch and placed it back inside his cloak. He muttered, "Anytime now. . ." Harry was about to ask what he was talking about when he heard the buzzing. At first he thought there was an insect nearby, but the buzzing became louder by the second. Eventually the intensity of the buzz became more of a growl or a roar. He knew this sound, but couldn't place it. He shoulders were aching from his tension and he tried to force himself to relax. "What is that sound, Professor?" Professor Lupin had a full-fledged grin on his face. "That is your ride to the Burrow." He paused dramatically, "That is also another part of your birthday present." Harry ran his fingers of through his hair as he tried to understand what kind of present would be roaring like that if it hadn't been given to him by Hagrid. He was staring expectantly at the road leading up from Hogsmeade along with Lupin when a lone figure on a motorcycle raced around the bend. The roar was now deafening. Harry could feel the reverberations from the sound on his skin. The rider locked the brakes and skidded to a stop in front of the pair almost running into them. Harry gaped until the rider pulled the helmet off and shook out her short bubble-gum pink hair. "Tonks?" Harry's voice cracked out. "Wotcher, Harry," she greeted him smiling, her eyes twinkling. "You about ready to go?" Harry's skin literally tingled as gooseflesh rose up all over. I'm going to the Burrow on that, his mouthed twitched until a goofy grin. "So this is how we are getting to the Burrow? I'm riding with you on your motorcycle?" Professor Lupin cleared his throat. "Actually Harry, Tonks will be riding with you as you drive your motorcycle to the Burrow. "My m..m..motorcycle?" he said, mouth was hanging open, eyes wide, and butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Lupin continued. "There were a few other things that Sirius arranged for you to have for your birthday. The first is this 1978 Harley-Davidson FLH 1200 Electra Glide. It was something he bought for himself when he finished at Hogwarts." Harry was stunned. This belonged to Sirius? He felt a tightening in his chest and he stepped forward examining the machine. He ran his fingers over the sleek lines when suddenly an image jumped into his mind of him racing along the M with a certain red-headed witch clinging to him, her hair trailing like flames in the wind. He felt his ears and face heat up and wondered where that image came from. Professor Lupin clearing his throat broke him from daydream. He glanced to see both Lupin and Tonks looking at him expectantly. He grinned sheepishly and jammed his hands in his pockets. "Ummm. . .Professor. . .Tonks I don't know how to ride." Lupin chuckled, "No worry, Harry, it has been charmed to be perfectly safe for an inexperienced rider. It won't allow you to crash. Here let Tonks show you all the features." He beckoned with his hand for Tonks to show him. "First of all, Harry, there is the automatic shield/cushioning charm, "she pointed to a red switch in the console between the handlebars, "that will prevent you from running into anything while it is on. Good thing if you end up driving like I do." Harry toggled the switch, up was on, and down was off. Tonks then pointed to the blue one to the left of it. "That Harry is the flying feature." Harry's heart began to race at the thought of flying the motorcycle, even though it had ended badly, he had to admit flying in Mr. Weasley's Ford Anglia had been exciting. He toggled that switch up and down as well. Tonks pointed him to a white switch below the flight activator, "That is the invisibility booster. Sirius had Arthur Weasley charm it for him." Harry gulped; he hoped this booster worked better than the one in the Anglia. "And the black switch below the safety ride is the silencing charm so that no one will hear you as you fly over their house." She winked at him as she finished. Harry reached up and gripped the handle feeling powerful at the thought of racing through the sky on the machine. This definitely was the best present he had ever received. He stepped back for a moment and looked over the cycle again. . .there were a pair of storage compartments on either side of the rear above the wheel, but neither was large enough to hold much. He began frowning as he realized that the motorcycle would never be a means of long distance transportation. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Professor Lupin smiling at him. "Now to give the rest of Sirius's present to you." Harry's brow furrowed in puzzlement. "There's more?" "Oh yes. Tonks, get out the packages." Harry turned back to the bike and watched as Tonks opened the right storage compartment. First she pulled a helmet much like the one she wore earlier and laid it on the seat. She then reached in and pulled out a long package that was larger than the compartment itself. Harry's mouth fell open. "The compartments are charmed to hold up to twice the volume of your trunk each," Lupin muttered. Harry closed his mouth and grinned. He realized that this motorcycle was more than simple transportation, it was freedom. Then and there he decided that once the war was over, if he survived, he was going to spend a month or two riding the motorcycle cross-country and just living. He felt a warmth swell through his body at the thought. Tonks laid the first package across the motorcycle and then tugged a second smaller one out and placed it on top. After closing the compartment, she brought them to Harry and handed him the smaller of the two. "Open that one, Harry. I just know you are going to love it." Her pixie-like face was glowing with happiness and her hair was cycling between, neon green, bubble-gum pink, and a bright violet. Harry glanced at Lupin who just nodded. "These items belonged to your dad, although he never used them." Curiosity overcame him and he tore into the package. He lifted the lid to the box and inside was a pair of knee-length dragon-hide boots, much like the ones Tonks was wearing. He ran his fingers over the leathery material. He looked up to Lupin and Tonks expectantly. "Harry, your father bought those shortly before your first birthday in anticipation of being given an appointment as an Auror." Harry raised his eyebrows as the meaning hit him, his dad was an Auror. More than ever he knew that he wanted to be an Auror someday. Then he frowned. "Professor, why didn't anyone ever tell me my dad was an Auror?" "Truthfully, your dad never served as an actual Auror. He completed his training about two months before your first birthday. The ministry even then was sluggish about handing out assignments in the MLE. The typical wait was six months. Of course, your parents were forced to go into hiding before James ever received his appointment." Remus sighed, "When Sirius and I were informed by Minerva about your ambitions of becoming an Auror, we knew that James would want you to have these." "Try them on, Harry," Tonks urged. "They are magically charmed to fit, will allow you to walk in silence, and won't leave foot prints even in snow. They are also charmed to keep your feet and legs warm or cool depending on your needs." Harry quickly kicked off his ratty trainers. He pulled the boots on one at a time. He never felt anything so comfortable. The inside of the boots felt like velvet against his legs and feet. He experimentally took a few steps and noticed they were silent against the cobblestone walkway. Tonks forced the second package into his arms. "Open this one, Harry." Her face was beaming and Harry was reminded of Ron's expression on Christmas morning. He quickly opened the package and pulled out the folded coat inside. It fell out to its full length, rolling out and swinging from his hands. It looked like it should weigh more than the average garment, but it was feather light. The soft dragon hide felt and smelled like leather. Then Harry noticed that the inside was lined with what looked like black silk. He pulled the coat open to examine the inside. He felt the lining and realized there were several pockets inside. He held it out from himself again and realized that there were only two hip pockets on the outside. He pulled the coat around, slipped it over his shoulders and slid his arms into the sleeves. It fit perfectly. In a cheeky commentators voice Tonks began, "The dragon hide can provide some protection from hexes and curses." She moved her hands from the exterior of the coat and then pulled the lapels open. "The lining is charmed to keep you comfortably warm or cool as needed." She fingered one of the pockets. "The pockets inside are charmed to carry five pounds of material each." She then closed the coat and reached into the left pocket and pulled something out. "Here is a wand holster that is charmed to be invisible once you put it on to anyone but you. Any questions?" After a brief pause of silence she continued more seriously, "Harry, I don't need to tell you that this coat and these boots are not common and that very few other than ministry Aurors and Gringotts Curse-breakers generally have them." Harry nodded his understanding and his chest swelled with pride. Lupin cleared his throat. "Sirius felt that you should have these." He looked away and shook his head as he thought about something, "He pressured Professor Dumbledore, actually more like demanded in no uncertain terms after last Christmas that he collect these items from the Potter Vault at Gringotts to be given to you." He paused and sighed, "There are other things in there that you might find interesting once you turn 17." He stopped again and stroked his chin thoughtfully, "There is a chance you might persuade Albus into taking you to the vault when you go for the reading of Sirius's will on August 31." Harry was so overwhelmed that he nearly forgot to respond and just nodded stupidly. Tonks reached for the helmet sitting on the seat of the motorcycle and handed it to him. "Here you go Harry. As safe as this thing is, you really don't need a helmet, but it would be best if no one recognizes us." Harry took the helmet with the dark visor from her. He then held out a single key on a chain and Harry grasped it in his right hand. Tonks then turned and began levitating his stuff to the motorcycle compartments and began packing them in. "Hang onto that key at all times." Lupin said as he put his arm on his shoulder. "Not only is it the ignition for the motorcycle, but also by grasping it and saying Marauders Forever it acts as a homing Portkey for the bike. It will bring it to you from anywhere it might be." He grinned at Harry and winked. "Now, we just need to perform the charm to attune the key to you and only you." Remus pointed his wand at Harry's hand grasping the key and muttered an incantation under his breath. Harry felt a quick prick of pain, as if a needle had poked him, but then it was gone. Lupin patted him on the back. "There, now only you or someone of your blood can use the motorcycle. The incantation for allowing someone else to handle the key and the bike is in the book I gave you. You should know, however, if you are the one that puts the keys in the ignition and starts it, anyone can drive the bike." While they conversed, Tonks finished packing his belongings away. She placed her helmet on and fastened it, so Harry did likewise. It was cool to the touch, but once on, it felt a bit awkward the way it cut down his peripheral vision. "Wotcher, Harry. These helmets are a matched set that came with the bike. I can hear you and you can hear me." Harry grinned to himself, realizing just how fun his ride to The Burrow was going to be alongside Tonks. He climbed onto the bike and she crawled onto it behind him gripping him around the waist. "Just let me know if I squeeze too tight," she teased by flexing her arms around him a couple of times. Harry put the key into the ignition and turned the engine. It roared to life, vibrating beneath him like and animal growling. He racked his brains to try to remember how this was supposed to work. He let off the brake, throttled up, and eased out the clutch, the bike sputtered forward a bit. He fed it more gas and eased the clutch all the way out. The engine finally seemed to catch fully and they were off. Harry shifted to the next gear and soon he and Tonks were racing towards the village of Hogsmeade. Several hours later found Harry and Tonks racing up the winding roads outside of Ottery St. Catchpole. The motorcycle was a wonderful means of transportation, but Harry was convinced that for flying nothing would beat his Firebolt. On the ground, however, he found that riding the motorcycle to be every bit as exciting as flying. They had spent the last hour before turning towards the more rural roads dodging traffic and zooming down the M. His heart was still thumping from the exhilaration of weaving in and out of cars, racing at speeds in excess of 160 kilometres per hour. Even now, when the winding roads required him to stay at speeds of barely more than ninety, he found the ride to be breathtaking. If he hadn't wanted to ride the motorcycle cross-country before, he definitely would now. Finally, after many breakneck turns and soaring leaps from rises in the road, Harry saw the towering edifice of Stoatshead Hill to the north and knew they were nearly there. Tonks directed him to skirt around the town to the south and after a few more soaring leaps of 10 meters or more over the rising and falling roads, they turned into the dirt track that led to the closest thing Harry had ever know to a home, The Burrow. His heart was pounding now with excitement in seeing the look on the Weasleys face as he arrived. Finally they slid the cycle around the final bend and The Burrow was in view. Harry chuckled as the chickens all began flapping their wings to get to the far side of the whimsical house. As always, he marvelled at the construction of the house with all of its odd angles and additions that seemed to defy gravity. The newest addition from the last time was the appearance of what looked like white Christmas lights burning around the contours of the house. Even more amusing was the erratic way the lights seemed to flicker on and off with some lights blinking rapidly while others seemed to stay on constantly and still others seemed to blink off and stay off. Harry chuckled as he imagined the look on Mrs. Weasley's face when she realized what Mr. Weasley had done. As they approached, Harry felt eager to see Ron, Ginny, and the twins, but was a bit surprised to see both Bill and Charlie as well. He slid the cycle to a stop and killed the engine when he realized that the adults all had their wands trained on him. He pulled his helmet off and noted with relief that everyone lowered their wands, then grinned in amusement as all at once they gaped at him in surprise. He shifted and waved sheepishly. "Hello." He swung off the bike and hung his helmet from the handlebar just in time to be swarmed by Ron and the twins begging to go for a ride. Harry agreed to let all of them take it for a spin the next day and turned to the storage compartment to get his belongings out. Bill levitated his trunk while Ron grabbed his Firebolt and they scrambled back to the house with them. Harry placed his helmet into the storage compartment then added Tonks' helmet when she handed it to him. He turned around to see Charlie hustling Tonks off for a private conversation and to see the other Weasleys still waiting for him. He started to them when Fred and George stopped him. "Harry how good to see you," George began. "Been wondering when you would decide to show back up," countered Fred. "How's business guys? Any new products?" He already knew business was doing well for the twins and that they had many new products from his conversation with Ginny the day before. Still, it was obvious that their business was a favourite topic of theirs and they began describing several of the new products they just released. The conversation was interrupted as Harry had the air nearly squeezed out of him when Mrs. Weasley pulled him into a hug. He knew his face must be turning purple when he saw Ginny trying hard not to break into laughter. "Harry dear, it is so wonderful to have you here for the rest of the summer." Harry was certain that he was seeing dark spots before his eyes when Ginny interrupted. "Mum, are you just going to hug him all night or are we going to finally have supper?" Mrs. Weasley stepped back and grinned and a bit of a blush warmed her cheeks. Harry looked over to Mr. Weasley and noticed he was gazing that the motorcycle with undisguised awe. Harry made a note of his interest and filed it away in case he was ever at a loss as to what to get Mr. Weasley for Christmas. "Yes, you do look much healthier that you usually do when I get you," she paused thoughtfully," but you could still stand to be fattened up a bit." Harry just grinned in response knowing that more than likely he would gain a few pounds before school and would enjoy every bite of it. Harry glanced back to Mr. Weasley and realized he was now poking and prodding various parts of the motorcycle. Harry momentarily fought an irrational fear that he might find the bike disassembled in the morning. Mrs. Weasley eyed the bike disapprovingly, but Harry wasn't sure it was the bike itself or Mr. Weasley's fascination with it that she disapproved of. He glanced at Ginny and she simply had a look of awe and longing on her face as she watched her father examine the machine. Suddenly Harry remembered his resolve to make sure those around him knew what they meant to him and awkwardly did something he had never done before. He initiated a hug with Mrs. Weasley," Thank you for letting me stay here. It means a lot to me." He stepped back feeling a bit foolish at how is voice trembled. The look on Mrs. Weasley's face kept alternating between shock and blubbering. Finally she just crushed Harry into her arms again. "You dear boy, do you not know that I couldn't love you more if I had birthed you myself." Harry's eyes became moist and itchy and he was struggling to reign in his emotions. He didn't want to cry in front of everyone. The moment was interrupted with Bill and Ron returning and Ron blurting, "Harry, where did you get it? It's totally wicked." He wore a wide faced grin and Harry could literally see the wheels turning in Ron's head as the other boy's mind flashed through the possibilities. "It belonged to Sirius. He had meant to give it to me for my birthday this year," he replied, trying to hide the falter in his voice. The grin fell from his face and Harry could tell Ron was sorry he asked. Both Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were scowling at Ron whose ears burned red. Awkwardly, Harry gave Ginny a one-armed hug like he had the previous day. "Hey Ginny. . ." His mind raced for something to say and he blurted the first thing that came to mind," you want to go flying tomorrow?" Harry was nervous. He felt stupid when he asked the question, wondering what she thought about it. He suddenly had a crazy image of Ginny laughing at him and asking him what made him think she would want to fly with him. His heart suddenly started pounding and his palms began to sweat as he watched her. Ginny looked at him thoughtfully before responding. "Harry, I have to work at the twins' in the morning, but I'll be back for lunch at noon. If you want, we can go flying in the afternoon." She was looking at him expectantly the corner of her mouth twitching before she broke out into a full smile that made her eyes sparkle. Harry wondered why she smiled, but suddenly found that he didn't care as long as he was the one that made her smile. "C'mon mate," he jumped when Ron suddenly clapped him on the back. "Mum made stew." Glancing out of the corner of his eye he noticed the dark look Ron was shooting Ginny's way. He wondered what it was all about, but figured it was none of his business. He allowed Ron to lead him inside and he took a seat at the table that was brimming with food. Ron sat down on his left and glared at Ginny until she took a seat farther down the table from them. He hoped whatever was going on between them would be resolved soon. Regardless he hoped he wouldn't have to witness it if, whatever it was, did erupt into a full-blown row. Mrs. Weasley bustled around the kitchen, and beginning with Harry, ladled a healthy portion of a roast beef stew for everyone. Harry felt a very warm feeling in his heart as he observed the noisy dinner at the Burrow. Sometimes it seemed all the Weasleys were speaking at once. Harry tended to field the conversations that were directed to him and remained a silent listener otherwise. He watched Fred and George getting Mrs. Weasley's ire up as they talked about their latest pranks with Charlie. Ginny and Bill seemed to be having a quiet conversation between themselves. Mr. Weasley was grilling Tonks, who had stayed for dinner, for details about the motorcycle, while Ron was explaining in vivid detail the latest Cannon's game he had listened to on the Wireless. Through it all, Harry had a soft smile on his face and a tight feeling in his chest. He was home . . . he was with his family. --*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
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