HERE WE GO AGAIN (Patreon)

Hey guys....I won't take much of your time. One of you pointed out that the plot won't move forward and would be stagnant and you are right. For that, I am merging Harry's Hogwarts years to progress the story line. With that, I will be adding the plot in between to keep the balance equal. I just wanted to put it out

Apart from that, I have made a small change to the Weasley tier. You will not be able to recieve the chapters in the same way as the other tiers. The chapters henceforth, you will be recieving them after two weeks at the most. I publish the chapter on the first of the month, you will recieve it on the fifteenth. The rest would recieve six chapters for example and you would recieve three. Sorry that I changed it, but providing the same privilege for the other tiers and Weasley tier is not justifiable.

 With that aside....Enjoy and get back to me with your comments.......

Chapter 8- Down the Memory Lane- III

James Potter was nervous as he sat down for breakfast. He needed his energy today and he needed to calm his nerves. He should have not been afraid of a quidditch match. He had been playing on the team for almost three years now and he should be used to it, but playing Slytherin was different. The stakes were high and it was an issue of prestige.

He had never lost against Slytherin. Not since he had got into the house team. He wanted to keep the record straight. He had kept his head down, like Harry had asked this year. He concentrated on his studies, kept all his pranks bundled up. Not once did he and his gang engage in their shenanigans much to the shock of the others. They were used to their mischiefs usually and those who were looking forward to it kept waiting.

James was the one who decided to stay away from pranks. At least for the rest of the year. He steeled his nerves and loaded his plate lightly. He was joined by the rest of the Gryffindors who began trooping in to have their breakfast. Just as he predicted, the excitement was high.

“Ready to put them down again?” Sirius slid into the seat next to his. He swiped a piece of toast from James’s plate and munched on it.

“I am.” James whispered glaring at the boy for having his breakfast snatched from him.

“Where are the others?” He questioned looking around for Remus and Peter.

“On the way.” Sirius answered and got back to his food.

“One win and we will be playing Ravenclaw in the finals.” Ravenclaw had a very strong side and if anybody could fight them off, it is Gryffindor. The last match between them had ended up in a draw and James couldn’t wait to fight for the title against them.

Slytherin was not bad, but not too good either. They had physical players who were brutal during a face off. That gave them the edge against all the teams. James looked up as mail was delivered and their family owl was flying towards him with a large parcel in its claws.

The owl dropped the parcel into his hand and flew away. He studied the package seriously. It was a big parcel and he slowly opened the wrapper.

“Bloody hell!” James exclaimed as he uncovered a broomstick from inside. He placed the new broom on the table. By now, he had gathered the attention of the entire Gryffindor table and even beyond, if he was being frank.

“Is that…?” Sirius goggled, still in shock and James nodded. “The Nimbus 1500.” James exclaimed, picking it up once again, staring at it with awe. “Wasn’t that the new company of broom makers that was being advertised?” Sirius questioned.

“Yeah.” He stroked the handle of the broom. “Is it any good?” Sirius questioned, holding the broom taking it from his hand. James picked up a letter that was placed inside the parcel.

James,

I know that you are playing Slytherin today. I have a small gift for you and I know that you will like it. Let me tell you, there will be no competition to you on the grounds today. Good luck brother.

Harry

James smiled as he placed the letter down.”Oh it is good.” James smirked as he picked his broom up. “It is very good.” He rushed out of the Great Hall with the broom in his hand.

James reached the Quidditch pitch and he knew that none were around. He rushed inside and mounted the broom. He kicked off the ground and he knew instantly that this broom was very good.

His moves were smooth and quicker than ever. Smooth and fast. He tried to maneuver in different directions and he was sure that his movements were quicker by at least two seconds. That is a huge advantage in Quidditch.

James landed down, thrilled that today would be wonderful. He was pretty sure that he would win it with his old broom. Now, he would win it for them for sure.

—-&&&-----

Regulus Black had seen James Potter open up the package and was more than surprised to see the new Nimbus that James had been sent. He was excited for the new broom to come out. He had been following the release of the brand very closely. He had learnt that this broom was very good for seekers. He had been playing seeker for Slytherin for two years now and every time, he had caught the snitch. Every time. The only reason they had lost was because of the poor jobs the chasers did. Especially Malfoy. He was not a bad chaser by any shot. He was decent enough, but he was more talk than play. A braggart.

Regulus loved quidditch. He had loved the game since he stepped into Hogwarts. It might have gone unnoticed by his family. Everything goes unnoticed by his family. His mother had dreams for him. Dreams he had no intention of fulfilling. His father didn't care. At least he was better than his mother. He loved his mother very much, but the woman was just too much to bear with at times.

His brother. Regulus looked up to Sirius. Sirius was everything he hoped he could have been. He was strong headed. He was powerful. A model student. More than that, he was not afraid to speak his mind. Sirius feared none. Not his father. Not his mother. And not his Grandfather. The wizarding world feared Arcturus Black, but not his brother.

He had always wanted to be like Sirius. He tried to, but he could not be like him. He feared his mother. She had decided how her children should be. In fact, she had decided how each member of her family should be. Him, Sirius, Bella, Andi and Narcissa. She had decided that his cousins needed to marry into a pureblood family.

After he had his fill of breakfast, he got up and walked out of the Great Hall. He walked towards the quidditch stadium and he could see James Potter flying around on his new broom. He sighed wistfully as he stared as the boy went around on his broom and he could see by mere glance that it was very good. It was faster than the cleansweeps by a mile.

He wanted so badly to write a letter back home. He shook his head. That just won’t work. His mother wouldn’t even bother.

“Why so sad?” He jumped slightly, but he knew the voice. “Please don’t scare me Narcissa.” He glared at the smirking girl. “What do you want?” He sighed.

Narcissa followed his eyes and could see James flying around the pitch. “It seems like little Potter will be taking this match quickly.” Regulus shrugged. “He has a fast broom. He is a very good flier. The best I have seen in my life. He will beat us black and blue.” Regulus pointed out.

“Fair. But you are the best seeker in Hogwarts currently. Surely you can catch the snitch as fast as you can.” Narcissa pointed out. She was truthful. Regulus was a very good seeker. The best in Hogwarts in her seven years at Hogwarts. The rest of the team was adequate, but Regulus stood out. He was very good and he was in his third year. She was sure that he would go very far by the time he graduated Hogwarts.

“True. I am confident that I will catch the snitch, but he would have outscored us by a lot.” Regulus pointed out. Narcissa reached into her robe and pulled out something, before using her wand on her hand. She enlarged a parcel before handing it to Regulus.

“A small present for you, Regulus.” The young boy received the parcel from the girl and opened it, a frown marring his features.

“Harry sends his regards.” Narcissa smiled as Regulus picked up a Nimbus from his package.

Regulus’s jaw had dropped comically, his eyes wide. He couldn’t speak for a few seconds, not believing that he had received a new broom. “This is mine?” He questioned softly.

Narcissa smiled as she nodded.

“Harry would have sent it just like he did for James, but he had to write a letter to me and he decided that he would send it privately to me.”

Regulus ran his fingers on the smooth wooden handle. He looked back towards the pitch and James was still zooming around on his broom. “Go.” Narcissa urged. “Go and try out.’ The young Black smiled, his eyes positively shining with delight. He rushed forward and captured the girl in a tight hug. He stepped back quickly. “Thank you.” He whispered and rushed away eager to start flying on his new broom.

Narcissa’s smile didn’t dim for a moment as she watched her youngest cousin rush to the stadium. Harry never forgets anybody or anything. He had written to her and she hadn’t expected a gift from him to the young boy. With every passing day, Harry just went on to prove that he was a perfect man, unlike any she had seen. Perfection.

—--&&&----

Harry and Arcturus had no intention of being here till this morning. It was an impulsive decision. One that Arcturus was unwillingly dragged into. He grumbled quietly, his face set into a serious expression. “Would it take something for you to smile?” Harry questioned, looking around the stadium.

“Shut up.” Arcturus growled. “You had to bring me to a quidditch match of all things?”

“Your grandson and nephew are playing, Arcturus. There is nothing wrong in coming here and watching it and showing your support.”

“My grandson is Slytherin and my nephew is a Gryffindor. I support neither of them.” Arcturus explained, his tone taking one of finality.

“Grandfather is a slytherin.” Harry and Arcturus turned around to face the speaker. “He should support Slytherin by default.” Harry smiled as he took in Narcissa who was staring at her Grandfather to see if he would come up with a response.

“Narcissa.” Harry smiled, stood up and extended his hand, asking for hers. The girl smiled as Harry placed a kiss on her cheek. “Come.” He led her to her seat, next to his and sat down.

“You didn’t answer me, Grandfather.”

“I won’t be answering that question, my dear. It feels like a trick question.” He chuckled, gazing at the girl fondly. “Where are the other two?” The other two Black sisters chose that moment to arrive. Little Bella’s eyes lit up happily when she caught Harry next to their elder sister.

She was up and running towards him in a flash.

“What are you doing here?” She asked with a big smile. “Regulus and James are playing today. I wanted to see how good they were. And from what I know, Gryffindor and Slytherin matches are very exciting.” The young girl gave her Grandfather a quick hug and climbed up into his seat. The elder man shook his head in amusement before moving next to Narcissa.

“Andromeda. How are you?” Harry smiled at the middle Slytherin sister. “I am fine, Harry. How are you?” Harry placed a kiss on her cheek and smiled. “I am doing well. Come. The match is about to start.” The girls took their seats waiting for the match to begin.

“Where is Sirius?” Harry questioned, looking towards the Gryffindor stands.

“There.” Bellatrix pointed out and Harry saw him sitting with his friends. Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. For a second there, Harry lost control. He felt his temper begin to rise, but then he remembered that he was among students. He took a deep calming breath and right on time, the announcer began to announce the teams on to the pitch.

Surprise was visible among the Slytherins when Regulus flew in with his Nimbus. Everybody had seen James receive one, but none had seen Regulus Black get one. “When did Regulus get that new broom?” Bellatrix questioned her sister.

She then turned to Harry.”You got that broom, didn’t you?” Harry chuckled. "Guilty.”

“I just made an investment in the Nimbus company and the owner was kind enough to give two brooms to me as a present. I had them sent to Regulus and James.”

It was not as simple as he put it out. Arcturus had informed about this investment opportunity and Harry had instantly asked Charlus and had decided to meet with the man. Mr Potts had been shocked at first as Harry had explained how much he would be investing in the company. He had not expected so much support from Lord Potter Black, but Harry could see the man bouncing on his feet as he agreed to everything he said. He had immediately begun to draw up a contract to legalize the transaction and had put in half of the company to his name when Harry had stopped him and told the man to keep the majority shares and the ownership.

He had his way, in the end. He had got the man to offer him forty nine percent to the Potter and Black family and to keep the remaining with himself. He had offered Harry a broom, but Harry had asked for two. He had made sure that they were ready for use and he had brought them back home. He sent one to James and the other to Regulus through Narcissa. Regulus was a shy boy and he would not be comfortable with all the attention if he had received the broom like James. He sent it to Narcissa writing the same.

“Did he like it?” Harry questioned Narcissa. “Yes. He was very happy.” Narcissa said with a smile. “He even gave me a hug.” Harry smiled, turning back to watch the match that was to begin.

As soon as the match began, Harry knew instantly how this would go. The Gryffindor chasers were very good. Too good, if compared to their opposite number. They were severely outclassed. The Gryffindor chasers were quick, and worked very well. They were able to pre meditate the next move of their teammates. They worked well as a unit.

On the opposite end, the Slytherin chasers could not match the grace of the Gryffindor chasers. They lacked the same elegance that their opponents possessed. They were not bad. No. They were good players, but their intensity just didn’t match that of the Gryffs.

What the Slytherins lacked in grace, they more than made up in their brute strength. They were in better physical shape than the players in Gryffindor. Their beaters were heavily muscled players and they hit the bludgers hard.

Two players stole the show. James Potter. Regulus Black. The two of them were easily the best players on the pitch. With the new brooms, the two of them stole the show. James was too good. He was everywhere on the pitch. The broom did give an edge to his performance, but the broom just helped better his performance. He was very good and with the Nimbus, he just became better. Quick passes and interceptions and he scored a lot. James kept the scoreboard ticking. He took the game far away. Gryffindors had scored a hundred and eighty and the Slytherin had just thirty points. It was a one sided game, if not for Regulus Black.

The young man was so good on the broom. The Gryffindors had a strong team, their seeker was not up to the mark. Regulus gobbled him up and spat him out easily, game wise.

Harry couldn’t help but wonder what Regulus would have gone on to become if not for Walburga. He had all the makings of a great Quidditch player. And if he was recruited by the Dark Lord and gained his status as an inner circle member, he would be no slouch with the wand.

But he was the one that kept Slytherin in the hunt. He was scanning the pitch from the top and he watched as Slytherin scored a difficult goal. It was forty to one eighty. Right at that moment, he caught sight of the snitch. Regulus couldn’t believe his luck. The snitch was in his sights. He lowered the nose of the broom and dived.

He gained speed and this broom made it effortless. He put everything out of his mind and the snitch was all he could visualize. He swirled around a bludger that zoomed towards him and he stretched his hand to catch the snitch. He felt his fingers encircle the snitch and when he was sure he had the snitch in his hand, he pulled his broom back and came to a stop just a few feet above the ground. He looked back up in the air and it was then he noticed the scoreboard.

It was a hundred and ninety apiece.

He felt somebody’s gaze on him and he looked at James Potter who was grinning happily. He had scored. Loud cheers rang around the stadium at the fabulous display of Quidditch. Suffice to say, this will go down as one of the most exciting matches in Hogwarts history.

James flew down towards Regulus. The older boy smirked confidently. “Told I wouldn’t let you guys win easily, didn’t I?” Regulus chuckled. After receiving the broom from Narcissa, he had rushed into the stadium and had mounted his broom and began flying around, testing the broom. He had come face to face with James during that and the two of them had gotten down into a bout of friendly bantering.

“Well I did promise that I would be the one that catches the snitch, didn’t I?” James nodded as the boys shook hands. “That was wonderful Regulus. You were the best flier out there.” James pointed out, causing Regulus to snort. “You are joking right? You were better than me by a mile. Don’t bother denying it.” James relented.

“You are by far the best seeker I have seen around here. By the time you finish Hogwarts, you will be a legend around here.” James explained. Regulus could do nothing but shrug awkwardly.

“Come. Harry is here. Let us go speak to him.” The two dismounted and walked back to their dressing rooms.

—--&&&------

“That was brilliant.” Arcturus muttered, a small smile decorating his face. “They were brilliant and the match was one of the best I had seen.” Harry nodded.

“Regulus carried the Slytherin team on his back. He was by far their best player.” He agreed.

“Which team did you think would win?” Bellatrix piped up from next to him. The little girl watched the entire match excitedly, cheering for her house enthusiastically.

Harry turned back to the young girl. “Why do you want to know?” He questioned.

“I want to know if it was Gryffindor or Slytherin. James is a Gryff and Regulus is a Slytheirn. You said that you support both of them equally, but which team did you secretly want to win?”

Harry chuckled nervously. This girl was far too intelligent for her own good.

He had to evade the question. “I supported both of them. Both of them are my family." Harry's answer could not be more neutral.

Bellatrix narrowed her eyes at Harry.

"You spend a lot of time with Grandfather. He answers questions like that all the time."

The older man's glare was met with a cheeky grin of Bellatrix. "You don't look so, but you are troublesome Bellatrix." Harry pointed out. He grinned slightly.

"I can't wait to teach you dueling. It will be fun to trouble you in the name of teaching." The smirk disappeared quickly from her face and she started horrified at Harry.

Before she could reply, James and Regulus joined them, their brooms still in their hands.

"The two of you were brilliant, boys. I enjoyed the game. It was the best match I have seen in my life." The two young men ducked under his praise.

"The new brooms did come in handy didn't they?" Harry questioned. “Thank you, Lord Black.” Regulus spoke up immediately. “I liked the broom very much and it helped me in the match.”

“I am glad you enjoyed it, Regulus. You love quidditch. I got the brooms so that you can continue playing well.” Harry explained. “You and James are by far the best players on that pitch, Regulus. I want you guys to continue playing the way you have and I want you guys to improve as much as you can. I can see you boys playing for England the way you are going.”

Regulus grinned. “Sure, Lord Black.” Harry shook his head. “Call me Harry, Regulus. Lord Black is too formal among us.” The boy nodded.

“And you…” Harry turned back to James. “That was brilliant.” He received a grin. “You were better against an opposition than you were back home. It seems that you thrive in match situations more than in practice.” James nodded, listening intently.

“Good job.” Harry smiled once again. “Tell Sirius I asked for him. He seems to be carried away in the celebrations. I will see you guys soon.” Harry and Arcturus nodded at each other. The older man wished all his grandchildren and nephew goodbye, before leaving Harry and Narcissa alone and the rest of the kids did the same.

“Hey.” Harry and Narcissa shared a smile. “I guess I will see you soon.” The young woman nodded. “Did Lucius trouble you again?” Harry’s jaw tightened considerably. She shook her head. “I would have liked to see him try.” Narcissa smirked and received one in return.

“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask me, Narcissa. I insist on that.” Narcissa’s smirk didn’t waver. “Oh you need not worry about that, Harry. I am not shy to ask anything from you.” She stood on her toes and placed a chaste kiss but this time right next to his lips.

“I will see you, my lord.” The sultry tone she took to tease him went straight to his head and the various nights he had spent with the older Narcissa came to the forefront of his mind. His breathing quickened and his face flushed slightly.

She turned around and began walking back towards the castle, an extra sway to her hips. She shot him one last smirk before disappearing into the castle.

“Cheeky minx.” Harry growled, his tone full of arousal.

It was then that he heard a small cough, shaking him from his thoughts. He groaned softly. He had forgotten that Arcturus was standing behind him and he would have seen the interaction. Yep. He noticed the man staring at him, his eyes dancing with mirth.

“Let’s go.” Harry began walking, not waiting for the man to say anything.

—--&&&------

He had not spoken much about the memories they had witnessed and they understood not to push it too much. He would have spoken if he had desired. Today, they had been back to watch the next set of memories.

The second year began just like how the first one ended. Witnessing cat flaps on his door and barred windows was one thing, but seeing his condition being starved and underfed was just bad. They had run out of things to use on the Dursleys. Once again, the Weasley twins had to come and rescue Harry along with his friend Ron.

Harry had the time of his life at the Weasley house. He was quiet like he always was, but the freedom he received at another’s place just told them how much he loved his house. Just sleeping normally, like any teenager would, eating normally and playing normally did wonders for the boy. He slowly began coming out of his shell.

The Weasley boy’s idea of flying to Hogwarts was not something that any sane person would have done. Although it was a source of amusement for Charlus, the same could not be said for Euphemia, Dorea and Daphne. It seemed to be a normal year, until the incident of the Chamber of Secrets. That was when everything began to move downhill to Harry.

The first thing was the petrification incident of Filch’s cat. The chamber of secrets was associated with Salazar Slytherin and Voldemort. And then came the incident of the Dueling club. When people found out that he was a parselmouth, Harry was suddenly the villain of Hogwarts.

Kids were afraid of a twelve year old boy, just because he spoke Parseltongue. Watching Harry being pushed into loneliness was painful. Although his friends stayed with him, they were wary of him. The Potters didn’t hold that against them. Any twelve year old would be fearful of somebody who possessed something that terrorized the entire wizarding world for years.

“It caused quite a stir at Hogwarts. Draco had no idea why he summoned a snake in a school dueling practice, but he was not smug after hearing Harry speak Parseltongue. The Slytherin house was in an uproar after that. Many believed that he was another incarnation of the Dark Lord. It was stupid to hear the theories that they used to come up with.” Daphne had to stop herself from smiling, reminiscing the different theories her housemates had come up with.

And then the petrifications increased and this time, the students were affected. Muggleborns were targeted and just like that, it all came back to Harry. What irked them was that none of the students seemed to remember that Harry’s mother was a muggleborn.

The three friends decided to brew a polyjuice so that they could get into Slytherin house and get some information regarding this mess out of Draco Malfoy. It was a stupid plan. There seemed to be a trend to get such ideas for the trio. Their ideas were to jump headfirst and not think about any consequences.

The memory then showed them the diary from Myrtle’s bathroom. What they were going to do with that Diary, they didn’t know. It was puzzling. What was that diary doing in the bathroom, they didn’t know, but they could sense that it was something important.

They were proved right. The diary spoke back to Harry on his own and that sent alarm bells to them. They were taught to never communicate with things that can think on their own. The diary belongs to someone called Tom Marvolo Riddle.

“It’s Voldemort’s diary.” Daphne frowned. She had come beyond calling him the Dark Lord. She always called him by his name these days. “What does a Dark Lord have a diary for?”

Her question was answered when Harry was dragged inside the book which then went onto show the time when the Dark Lord was a boy. They watched how somebody was killed by the monster in the chamber and Tom Riddle caught Hagrid, blaming him for opening the chamber, leading to his expulsion.

The trio were led astray once again they didn’t know it. Once again, they were sent on a wild goose chase and in that time, Hermione was petrified. The school turned a complete one eighty after Harry Potter’s friend got petrified. Then they realized that it might not be Harry Potter who was causing all of this because he would never harm his friend. They were very close.

Once again, Harry’s feelings plummeted down to the ground. His best friend was injured and they were talking about the school being closed. For him, Hogwarts was more of a home than the hell hole he lived in during the summers. He was sitting  by his friend’s bed and it was then that he identified the parchment clutched in her hand. Pipes. He still wondered what that was about, until they connected Moaning Myrtle’s death with the death in the memory.

The Monster of Slytherin in question turned out to be a Basilisk!

“A basilisk!?” The elder Potter women gasped in worry. Basilisks had gone extinct centuries ago and none were heard of for a while. There was no information of any that existed. Now, a Basilisk runs under the school and nothing is being done about it.

“My son goes to that school and there is a Merlin forbidden Basilisk over there?” Dorea raged, fear clouding her words. It took some time to placate the woman and they got back to viewing the memories.

The two boys rushed to the second floor girl’s bathroom to question the ghost and they ran into Professor Mcgonagall and the message on the wall she stood in front of. When they learnt that Ginny Weasly was taken into the chamber, Ron became hysterical. They made the decision to get Lockhart and go into the chambers.

The altercation between the students and the Defence professor was funny. At that moment, Harry and Weasley seemed scarier than Lockhart and the boys were just twelve. They paraded him to the bathroom to speak with Myrtle and then pushing the man down the tunnel they discovered was hilarious.

“Stupid Defence professor.” Dorea’s nose wrinkled in disgust at the man. “He was bested by two twelve year olds. It is humiliating.”

“Wait till you see our fifth year.” Daphne replied. She knew that they would not take kindly to Umbridge. The scene continued to play out and Harry was separated from Ron after a cave in. He soldiered on, and the others got a good look at Slytherin’s chamber of Secrets.

“Guess it isn’t a myth afterall.” Charlus whispered, in awe of the sculpture of the man on the roof of the tunnel. The young red head was lying on the ground and Harry rushed up to her, trying to wake her up but to no avail.

The entry of Tom Riddle, all but confirmed the theory that the Diary contained some form of soul magic. Tom went on to explain the reason Ginny Weasley seemed to be dying and he went on to reveal that he himself was Lord Voldemort.

Things went worse as Harry was then faced with the Basilisk. One look at the huge beast was enough to send the viewers into hysterical fits again. What was a twelve year old supposed to do with a Basilisk that is sixty feet tall. It was a miracle that he was still alive. He should have been dead. He would have been dead. Miraculously, he lived and the basilisk lay dead at his feet and the diary destroyed.

“It was a horcrux.” Dorea pointed out instantly. Compared to some of the magics that she had learnt, the concept of a Horcrux was light magic. Many would have failed to recognise the field of magic that was at play, but not the Blacks. They could recognize magics like this in their sleep.

As soon as an ear splitting screech was heard from the diary, and the black mass that escaped from the diary proved Dorea’s theory. Charlus was disgusted to hear about that. He was no stranger to dark magics and he knew what Dorea mentioned. He went about explaining the same to Daphne and Euphemia. They got to witness a lot of things. Dumbledore’s phoenix crying on Harry’s wound, which was not a small matter. Phoenixes rarely part with their tears which is one of the most powerful components in the magical world. They witnessed the mystical sword of Gryffindor that no one had ever seen, not even in pictures. And finally, they witnessed the defeat of the most dangerous beast known to man by a twelve year old.

“So that is how he ended up with so many points and special services award.” Daphne mused, remembering the announcement from Dumbledore all those years ago. They had to digest everything they had seen for a while now. Things were not as simple as they had thought. His life was a complicated mess. A very complicated mess.

When Marge Dursley was said to arrive, Harry was worried. They could feel his anxiety through the memory. The woman was the female version of Vernon Dursley. And her behavior was exactly like her brother. She was not a good woman by any chance in hell. Come to think of it, none of the Dursleys were any good as they would like to believe. They were cruel. That is the truth.

The disdain in her voice as she addressed Harry did not sit right with the Potters, but when they spoke ill of James and Harry's mother, it only led to their already frayed temper to return ten fold.

To see Harry fight back was satisfying. It was strange. Kids were not supposed to speak that way. Kids were not supposed to threaten their own families. But in Harry's case, nothing was normal. Normal just didn't apply to him.

Dorea would never allow James to talk back like that. It was rude and not forthcoming of somebody of his status. The heir of a legendary family. Yes, men should be headstrong, but being rude is a whole different notion.

Euphemia had similar thoughts. She lost Fleamont at a young age. Charlus was four when his father left him, and Euphemia had done her best and brought him up. Charlus should have been manipulated and taken advantage of, being the Lord of a fortune as big as the Potters, but he grew up stronger than she could fathom. A lord that was a role model to every pureblood. Although she expected Charlus to be strong, she had never allowed him to speak back. Never allowed him to disrespect another.

Regarding young Harry though, she hoped that he would be so. She wanted him to talk back. She wanted him to be rude. She wanted him to threaten the Dursleys. It was conflicting.

When riding the Knight Bus, Harry learnt about Sirius Black. That caught the attention of the family.

"Sirius?" Dorea questioned. Daphne nodded.

"At the end of the first war, Sirius Black was arrested by the Aurors, and the reason was that he betrayed the Potters. Harry's parents."

Dorea was affronted. Not Sirius. No. She knew the boy better than the woman who called herself his mother and she knew that this was not right. Sirius would never let harm befall his loved ones. He would die before he let anything happen to his family. He might not agree to everything his family preaches, but he is not somebody who betrays family.

"Not Sirius. I am sorry, Daphne but Sirius is just not like that. He would never betray his family, let alone James." Dorea protested.

Daphne nodded.

"You are right, Dorea. Sirius never betrayed the Potters. I guess we will know how, but Harry assured me that Sirius is innocent."

When Charlus learnt that Fudge was the minister of magic, he snorted. "That buffoon went on to be the minister? That man does not know the first thing about management and our people gave the reins into his hands?" He could not believe that Cornelius, who was just a ministry clerk, rose to that level. He could hazard a guess as to what happened over there.

People like Fudge had one way to the top. Being in the pockets of influential rich politicians. He would be a staunch supporter of a Lord who would be influential. Charlus placed an arm around his stewing wife who was still angry about the whole Sirius issue. Charlus’s notions about the administration of Fudge went on to be right.

The Howarts express stops mid way and to their horror, dementors enter the compartment. The next thing they saw was heartbreaking. A young woman with vibrant red hair and green eyes, held a small baby in her arms. She clutched the baby to her chest as her eyes shone with tears.

“Please….please not Harry.” The woman begged. A cruel, maniacal laughter was heard and a raspy voice spoke. “Step aside, silly girl.” The woman stood her ground, pleading with the devil to take her instead of her son. They watched as the man trained his wand on her and a green flash later, she fell down dead.

“Oh god!” The women sobbed as they had a revelation about what they saw, the seriousness of the situation, striking them hard. He remembered the death of his mother. He had to see his mother begging for his life and being killed right in front of him.

“He remembers that?” Daphne questioned weakly as she failed to control her tears.

It was a horrifying revelation, one that hit Charlus and Dorea hard. Their son and daughter in law, being killed and their grandson being left an orphan. Hearing about it is one thing, but seeing it is an entirely different issue.

He was shaken when he came to from the effects of the dementor. His eyes seemed haunted, his skin pale and he was sweaty. They got a look at the Defense professor for their third year.

“Is..is that James’s friend? The werewolf boy?” Daphne nodded. She knew next to nothing about the man, but she respected the job he did at Hogwarts. He was truly the best defense professor that they had ever had.

They continued to watch the memory as the year passed on. There was nothing special this year, but Harry had to divide his attention between the two of his friends who seemed to be at each other's heads. He had to balance the relationship between Ron and Hermione who seemed to be fighting regarding their pets.

The year passed on and it seemed normal until he learnt that Sirius was his godfather. That leads to a whole lot of emotions. Harry just couldn’t believe that his parents' friend had betrayed him. His sadness turned to anger and anger to burning rage. Harry swore revenge on the man.

Sirius Black was sighted by Ron who seemed to be liking the attention of the mass murderer trying to kill him. Harry who was stewing for his revenge had to deal with the added issue of all the old memories coming back to the forefront of his mind.

Harry had dedicated his time to learn the Patronus and he and Lupin spent a lot of time learning it after Harry’s boggart turned out to be a dementor. The year was frustrating with the constant bad memories and his friends fighting regarding the issue of Ron’s rat and Hermione’s cat and then there was the Firebolt incident. It was just too much.

At the end of the year, they stopped Buckbeak from being executed and Harry and his friends could not do anything about it. It was the incident after that, which was crazy. A big shaggy black dog pounced upon Ron and dragged him away. Hermione and Harry had to go through hell to gain access from the whomping willow and to the shrieking shack. When Harry found Sirius Black standing in there waiting for him, his anger peaked. Harry’s rage could be felt by the others who were watching the memory.

After the exchange of words with Remus entering the fray, Sirius went on to explain about what took place when James and Lily died and how Ron’s rat Scabbers was Peter in his animagus form. When Peter reverted back to his form, he went on to reveal how he had let the secret out to the Dark Lord.

Harry, though he was angry, decided that he should be given to the Dementors and Sirius should be free. It all went wrong again. The full moon that day caused Remus to turn into a werewolf and Peter escaped choosing the moment. Sirius had to fight off Remus in his animagus and when the dementors came crawling, sensing Sirius, he got caught. His soul was being sucked out and Harry rushed in, trying to cast his patronus but to no avail as he lost his senses.

The memory then showed Fudge telling Snape that Sirius will be given the Dementors kiss. To the growing shock of the family, that seemed to be happening a lot, Hermione picked up a time turner and on Dumbledore’s urging, they went back in time and this time, Harry casted his patronus. A stag. A stag that he had seen before falling unconscious, which he was convinced was his father who was a stag animagus according to Sirius.

The Potters beamed in pride at what Harry just achieved. A corporeal patronus at thirteen was a huge accomplishment. An accomplishment that none could speak with pride. Something that is not easy at all. Here was Harry, just casually casting a patronus.

Harry had to send Sirius away. He could not risk his godfather being caught again. The man had enough of Azkaban. He sent Sirius away on Buckbeak the hippogriff. Once again, Harry’s wish of finding a home with someone he could love remains a dream.

TBC—-------