The Scar
Everyone stayed seated as they waited for the next chapter to begin.
Harry lay flat on his back... pressed a white-hot wire to his skin.
"That can't be comfortable," Severus muttered.
Harry almost laughed. No. His scare had never been confortable. And it had only gotten worse after old Mouldy Shorts returned.
He sat up... It looked normal, but it was still stinging.
"Were you expecting it to look different?" young Harry asked.
"Dunno. Maybe," Harry said. Honestly, he’d been surprised it hadn’t ripped open with how painful it had been. But he didn’t want to tell young Harry that. This was one of the few things his younger self would hopefully never have to experience.
Harry tried to recall... It had seemed so real...
"Seeing into the beyond," Madam Trelawney said knowingly.
Minerva rolled her eyes.
There had been two people... or had that been the pain in his scar?
The unspeakables were leaning forward eagerly. They were fascinated by Potter's scar. It wasn't every day you came across a living horcrux.
They’d love to study him. Although the opportunity had been lost. It was almost a shame. Not that it would have been particularly humane to keep him as a human horcrux just for their academic intrigue.
And who had the old man been?... kill someone else. . . him!
The aurors sighed. He was forgetting the details. Not that it really mattered. Not in their new future. This only mattered in as much as they needed to understand their mistakes. Riddle was no longer Voldemort. His sanity was returned, the horcruxes gone. But still, every detail counted.
Harry took his face out of his hands... throwing a red ball to one another.
"Not really unusual, mate," Ron said.
"It is in a muggle home," Harry said with a sigh. Sometimes he thought Ron would never understand.
Harry walked over to the book... not even a cat.
"That's a shame. I'd quite liked to have seen Minnie," Sirius said, smirking at the professor in question.
Minerva glared at him. She really would rather he didn’t encourage a new generation of troublemakers to use that particular nickname.
And yet... attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Poppy huffed. That should not be true. School was supposed to be a safe place.
Unfortunately, it had never been a safe place for Potter.
and had a knack for attracting a lot of trouble.
Minerva sighed at that. Yes. Hogwarts was dangerous for Harry.
No, the thing that was bothering Harry ... absurd, impossible. . .
"Never rely on something seeming impossible," Moody growled. “That’s a sure way to fail.”
Harry listened closely... grunting snore from the next room.
Several people jumped with book Harry.
Harry shook himself mentally... their dreams untroubled and painless.
"Lucky for them," Harry muttered. He couldn’t remember when he’d last had a good night’s sleep. Even here in the chamber he was plagued by nightmares.
Asleep was the way Harry liked the Dursleys best... anything that went wrong about the house.
Sirius and Remus both growled. They were both silently wondering if they could beat Madam Bones to the Dursley’s house when they returned to their own time.
Harry had never... Harry would still have had parents...
Harry pointedly looked at the fire. He could almost feel the pitiful looks they were all giving him.
It set him on edge. He absolutely loathed being the centre of attention. Especially when it was because he was an orphan. And people felt sorry for him.
Harry had been a year old... Harry Potter had become famous.
Harry rolled his eyes at that. He'd give anything not to be famous. Anything to have his parents with him instead.
It had been enough of a shock... Harry wrote to them and told them about his scar hurting?
Hermione and Ron both wore considering looks. What sort of advice would they have given him?
Hermione mentally listed books that might be helpful while Ron scratched his head. He didn’t know the first thing about cursed scars.
At once, Hermione Granger's voice... something in there about curse scars. . . . "
Several people laughed. That was exactly how Granger would have reacted.
Yes, that would be Hermione's advice... a book could help him now.
Both Hermiones looked highly offended.
As far as he knew... Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions.
"You're not wrong about that," Poppy said with a sigh. "You could have written to me though. I would have given you some advice, perhaps encouraged a trip to the goblins."
Harry smiled at her. Poppy was always on his side.
As for informing the headmaster... lotion onto his long crooked nose.
"I do enjoy visiting the seaside from time to time," Albus said with twinkling eyes. "Fawkes is especially happy when we visit the Galapagos."
Wherever Dumbledore was... Even inside his head the words sounded stupid.
"You could have written," Albus said. "I'd have appreciated the letter."
Being headmaster could be very lonely.
And so he tried... I'll ask Dad. . . "
The Weasleys all laughed at just how accurately that sounded like Ron.
Mr. Weasley was a fully qualified wizard... matter of curses, as far as Harry knew.
"Unfortunately, no I don't, Arthur said. "We could have asked Bill though."
Harry grinned at that. He hadn’t even thought of Bill.
In any case... jumpy about a few moments' pain.
Sirius frowned at that. "You don't always have to be brave, you know."
Harry shrugged. He’d grown up believing he only had himself to rely on. Of course, he always had to be brave.
Mrs. Weasley would fuss worse than Hermione,
Mrs Weasley grimaced. She thought the boy deserved a little fussing.
and Fred and George... might think Harry was losing his nerve.
George looked offended. "No. We wouldn't. You're our honorary brother."
Harry grinned at him. It had taken him a while to realise how much the twins cared for him.
The Weasleys were Harry's favorite family... anxious inquiries about his scar.
That led to almost all the adults in the chamber sighing. What this boy needed was a parent. Several people looked at Sirius. At least, he'd have that now.
Harry kneaded his forehead... someone like a parent:
The mothers in the chamber all sighed.
an adult wizard... Sirius.
Sirius grinned. He was glad to hear they were still in touch. It wasn’t much but it was better than nothing.
Harry leapt up from the bed... only Professor Dumbledore had believed their story.
"Not that he did anything to help," Tonks said bitterly. She was seriously put out that they still hadn't shouted at Dumbledore for that. She'd suggested putting it off, not forgetting about it entirely.
For one glorious hour... nearly escaped them forever.
"It's almost like Dumbles didn't want Sirius to actually get free," Tonks said quietly to Kingsley.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, this way he's still Harry's magical guardian," Tonks said. "He can still keep Harry with his relatives."
Kingsley grimaced. Was the old man really that manipulative? He had a sinking feeling that he might well be.
His mind went back to the summer before Harry’s fifth year when the order had practically been stalking him. Yes. Dumbledore could be exactly that manipulative.
Nevertheless, Sirius had been of some help to Harry... forgotten to tell them that Sirius was innocent.
"So you could finally do your homework?" Hermione asked excitably.
Harry just rolled his eyes. Homework was all that Hermione seemed to think about.
Harry had received two letters... large, brightly colored tropical birds.
"Not suspicious at all," Amelia said, rolling her eyes.
Hedwig had not approved... Sirius had gone South.
"Sunlight is a good remedy for the dementors," Poppy said with a nod.
Sirius's letters... Well, he needed to right now, all right...
"I'll always be here if you need me," Sirius murmured.
"I know, dad," Harry said, cuddling into his side.
Harry's lamp seemed to grow dimmer... reread his finished letter.
"How long did it take to write the letter?" Draco asked with a sigh. He never made that much effort when writing to his parents.
Dear Sirius... it could hardly get through my window.
The aurors were all muttering about the statute of secrecy.
Things are the same as usual here... take his mind off things.
"They put him on a diet?" Poppy asked, eager to hear more about that. The boy clearly needed it.
The parents in the room all glared at the book at the mention of Dudley's terrible behaviour.
The sooner the Dursleys were arrested, the better for both boys.
I'm okay... them all into bats if I ask you to.
"I would have too," Sirius said, smirking evilly as he considered all the different things he'd love to do to the Dursleys.
A weird thing happened this morning... anywhere near me now, can he?
"It is strange," young Rookwood said. The unspeakables were all muttering among themselves.
"Was it linked to the dream?" Bode questioned.
Do you know if curse scars sometimes hurt... Harry
"Cursed scars often hurt," Rookwood said. "But usually its pretty constant. It's not normal for them to hurt seemingly randomly or to give some sort of warning, the way yours does."
Yes, thought Harry... he was too worried.
"You should have added the dream," Amelia said with a sigh. That dream had been important.
He folded up the parchment... going down to breakfast.
"So, this diet," Poppy said. "You weren't on it too, were you?"
Harry grimaced. Poppy was going to be horrified when she learned what he'd eaten that summer.
Remus spoke up before they could continue reading. "Right, why don't the youngsters have a lesson with me and Hagrid on Magical Beings while the rest of you spend a bit of time on council business."
"Wait! So Harry gets out of lessons?" Ron grumbled.
"All you older ones do," Remus said. "It seems silly to teach you something twice. So anyone of age can go and help with council business or work on their own projects until lunch."
Ron's eyes lit up. He'd been trying to find time to go to the library to read up on broom creation. This was perfect.
The two Mrs Weasleys made their way to the kitchen to start preparing lunch as all the adults made their way out of the chamber, several people gathering around Harry as they went, eager to ask him for his advice on the work they were doing for the council.
Sirius stayed by Harry's side, ready to help him if needed. But mostly he just listened. He was proud of his son. He was taking to this prince stuff pretty well all things considered. He glanced back at younger Harry who was already listening excitably to Remus as he explained the differences between humans and werewolves. Yes, Sirius had plenty of reason to be proud of his boys.