Deceiving Magic's Child

The trip to Hagrid's... speaking occasionally when they ran across something relevant.

"Avoidance," Galenius said to his brother, who nodded in agreement. It would seem that a lot of these young adults had never had a chance to actually resolve their issues. It wasn't really surprising given that they'd all come directly from a battle field.

It looked like he and his brother (and their younger selves) had their work cut out for them.

"Here's something...  everyone was too scared to go near it. . . "

George chuckled at that.

Meanwhile, in the rest of the castle... shelter of Ron's pocket to sniff hopefully at the air.

Sirius growled lowly. He hated that rat.

On Christmas morning... maroon again...

Mrs Weasley grimaced. She needed to remember that Ron didn't like maroon. There was just always so much to do. Raising so many children.

see if you've got one... and a box of nut brittle.

Sirius nodded at the Weasley parents. He was grateful that they'd ensured Harry received gifts. Even if Molly was annoying the hell out of him.

As he moved all these things aside... broomstick rolled out onto his bedspread.

"You mean you didn't buy it?" Draco demanded.

"No. Obviously not," Harry said with a shrug. "It was too expensive."

Lucius smiled. Harry would make an excellent Lord. He wasn't one to squander his inheritance.

Ron dropped his socks... streamlined birch twigs that made up the tail.

Sirius whistled. That sounded like an amazing broom. He wouldn't mind one of those himself.

"Who sent it to you?"... "I'm betting it wasn't the Dursleys. "

Several people laughed.They would have to agree. There was no way it was from the Dursleys.

"I bet it was Dumbledore," ... "He sent you the Invisibility Cloak anonymously. . . "

Albus chuckled. "I don't make a habit of giving gifts to my students. And even if I was to do so, I'm not sure I'd be willing to spend that much. It's a professional standard broom."

"That was my dad's, though,"... He can't go giving students stuff like this -"

The teachers all nodded their agreement. A couple of the Slytherins were surprised. They'd expected Potter to expect special treatment. Demand it even.

"That's why he wouldn't say it was from him!"... This is an international standard broom, this is!"

"I was," Draco admitted.

"I can't believe this,"... "I know who it could've been - Lupin!"

"Me?" Remus asked. "I wouldn't be able to afford that."

He'd certainly wanted to buy Harry presents over the years but without knowing where to owl them to, he had decided not to. Dumbledore had said he needed to be kept away from the wizarding world for his own safety. And Remus had foolishly trusted the man.

"What?" ... decided to visit Diagon Alley and get this for you -"

"I admit I probably would have been tempted to buy Harry a broom," Remus said, "especially since the tree that destroyed his last one was planted because of me. But I wouldn't have been able to afford one as expensive as that. In all honesty, I probably couldn't have bought him a second hand one."

He blushed. He didn't like admitting how hard it had been living hand to mouth, always unsure when or how he'd get his next paycheck.

"What d'you mean, he was away?"... that detention from Snape, remember?"

"I'm surprised you lot haven't begun to piece together that I'm a werewolf," Remus said.

"Oh, I knew," Hermione said.

That didn't surprise Remus.

Harry frowned at Ron... with a string of tinsel tied around his neck.

"Why would you bring Crookshanks up to the boy's dorm?" Mrs Granger asked. Surely, her daughter had more sense than that.

"What were you doing in the boy's dorm at all?" Mr Granger said sharply, eyeing the boys suspiciously.

"It's not a big deal," Hermione said with a blush.

"Not a big deal?" Mr Granger asked. She was his little girl. Of course, it was a big deal.

Minerva equally looked unimpressed. Just because the boys dorms didn't have the same safety features as the girls' dorms, didn't mean they weren't entitled to their privacy. She would have to raise the issue at the next staff meeting.

"Don't bring him in here!"... "There wasn't a card or anything with it. "

"It is quite suspicious," Tonks said.

To his great surprise... quite a good broom, isn't it?"

All the quidditch players in the chamber groaned. Quite a good broom?

Ron sighed exasperatedly... Slytherins' brooms put together," said Ron happily.

Draco glared at Ron for a split second before remembering he was supposed to be trying to get along with them.

"Well. . . can I have a go on it? Can I?"

"He hasn't even ridden it himself yet," Sirius said, shaking his head.

"I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet!"... sweep the floor?" said Ron.

"You can't just say something like that and not explain yourself," Tonks said. "While I agree with you, it's definitely suspicious, Harry deserves to hear your reasoning."

Hermione frowned. "I didn't get a chance."

But before Hermione could answer... a wild escape over his shoulder.

Mrs Granger sighed. "Really, that should have been expected."

Her daughter was usually so sensible. Why would she even bring the cat up to the dorm at all?

Ron seized Scabbers by the tail... kick at Crookshanks

Luna glared at Ron. "You're not being very kind to either animal."

"What?" Ron asked, surprised.

"You shouldn't hold a rat by their tail," Luna said.

"Oh."

"And you definitely shouldn't kick cats," young Luna added.

"Sorry," Ron said, his ears turning pink.

that hit the trunk... howling with pain.

Hermione looked momentarily pleased, before schooling her expression. She was still a little bitter about that year. Without Ron and Harry she had been practically friendless. 

Crookshanks's fur suddenly stood on end... gleaming on the floor.

"Probably because of Wormy," Sirius said with a sigh.

”Was he part kneezle?” Luna asked. “Because they’re supposed to be excellent judges of character.”

Hermione smiled, giving the other girl a nod.

"I forgot about that!"... Crookshanks's yellow eyes still fixed maliciously on Ron.

"Crookshanks really doesn't like Scabbers," young Luna said. "He obviously knows he's not a rat."

Harry stuffed the Sneakoscope back inside... patches of fur seemed to have fallen out too.

Sirius gave a satisfied sort of smirk.

"He's not looking too good, is he?"... miserable if Scabbers died.

Sirius smiled. Harry was a good friend.

Christmas spirit was definitely thin on the ground... Harry gave up trying to make them talk to each other

"It's not your responsibility to make them talk," Claudius said.

"I always feel stuck in the middle," Harry said with a shrug.

Both Hermione and Ron looked surprised at that.

and devoted himself to examining the Firebolt... it too had been criticizing her cat.

"If you were worried about the broom you should have tried talking to Harry about it," Mrs Granger said. "He's your friend. I'm sure he'd have listened to you."

Hermione shrugged. She probably should have. But she really thought he'd just get angry with her. Then again, he'd gotten angry when she'd told their head of house too. So maybe talking to him would have been the better option.

At lunchtime they went down... who took it reluctantly and tugged.

Sirius chuckled, glancing at Severus. Severus merely rolled his eyes. He wouldn't admit it but it was nice to see Black smiling again.

With a bang like a gunshot... who swapped it for his wizard's hat at once.

Several people laughed at that.

"Dig in!"... I do beg you to forgive my lateness. . . "

"Oh, no," young Sybill said. "I shouldn't. I'll make thirteen."

"Certainly, certainly,"... the first to rise will be the first to die!"

Minerva scoffed.

"We'll risk it, Sibyll,"... "But where is dear Professor Lupin?"

"Why is she asking?" Remus asked. "Surely, the whole of the staff knew I was a werewolf."

"I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill again,"... knew that, Sibyll?" said Professor McGonagall, her eyebrows raised.

Mrs Granger frowned. That wasn't very professional.

Professor Trelawney gave Professor... "That explains a great deal," said Professor McGonagall tartly.

Everyone gaped at Minerva.

Professor Trelawney's voice... He positively fled when I offered to crystal gaze for him -"

Remus chuckled.

"Imagine that,"... took the platter of sausages with trembling hands.

"It's a shame I don't get to interact with the students more directly," Albus sighed.

Professor Trelawney behaved almost normally... slaughter the first into the Entrance Hall. "

Mrs Granger tutted. These teachers were ridiculous. Really, was this the example they set children?

Even Ron laughed... "I want a quick word with Professor McGonagall. "

Hermione sunk into her seat. Looking back, she knew she should have talked to Harry properly before going to their head of house. But at the time, she hadn't even considered it.

"Probably trying to see if she can take any more classes,"...  Password?"

None of the parents looked particularly pleased with this behaviour.

"Scurvy cur,"... accompanied by Professor McGonagall.

Tonks gaped at the girl. "You went straight to a teacher?"

"That is a dramatic escalation," Claudius said. "When you find yourself in conflict with a friend, it is always best to find the path of least conflict where possible. So, talk it through privately before bringing someone else in. I appreciate that with the issues you were having with Ron at the time, you might not have felt you could discuss it between the three of you. But it would have been better to take Harry aside and share your concerns with him. Give him the opportunity to make his own mind up on the matter before escalating it by involving a teacher."

Hermione sighed. "I was just so stressed. I'm not sure I even really thought it through."

Claudius nodded in understanding. The girl certainly seemed to have taken on more than she could chew that year.

Though Professor McGonagall was Head of Gryffindor House... hid her face behind it.

"Coward," Ron muttered. He had probably been angrier than Harry over the whole broom incident.

"So that's it, is it?"... sent a broomstick, Potter. "

Everyone was staring at Hermione now. They couldn't believe she hadn't talked to Harry before going to a professor.

”You’re going to take it away?” Young Harry asked. Were they just like the Dursleys? Taking Harry’s things away.

"I imagine that was very distressing for you Harry," Claudius said. "Especially since you have so little."

Harry blushed. He didn't like all this attention. "Yeah, it felt like I was back at the Dursleys."

Hermione and Minerva looked scandalised.

"They were always taking things from me," Harry admitted. "Anything good I got from school. Even library books weren't safe in their house. I wasn't allowed anything for myself. This felt just like that."

"Did you tell Hermione or Professor McGonagall that?" Claudius asked.

Harry shook his head. How was he supposed to tell them?

"Why do you think that was?"

"I thought maybe my relatives were right," Harry muttered.

"About what?"

"That I didn't deserve good things because I was..."

"Because you were a freak?" Claudius asked gently, causing Harry to nod his head. "You are not a freak, Harry. I promise you that."

Harry looked away from the other wizard, unwilling to let him know how much his words affected him.

Harry and Ron looked around at Hermione... "Well, I'm afraid I will have to take this, Potter. "

"Wait just one moment," Sirius said. "You can't just confiscate it."

"I thought there was a real chance that it was jinxed," Minerva said.

"Then discuss it with Harry," Sirius said, "and discuss his options. That's a professional broom."

"Options?" Hermione asked. She hadn't considered that there might be other options.

Harry sighed, trying to rein in his emotions. "It should have been sent back to the manufacturer for testing," he explained. "The teachers aren't trained in broomstick making, they very well could have damaged it."

"We did no such thing!" Minerva huffed, looking exceptionally put out.

"But it belonged to me and it should have been my decision what happened with it," Harry said, as calmly as he could. "Your tinkering certainly put an end to the warranty on it."

"What would the school have done if my great-grandson demanded compensation?" Arcturus asked. "If you had broken it?"

Minerva frowned. She hadn't considered that. It might not have bankrupted the school to replace the broom, but it was still an expense they couldn't really afford.

"W -- what?"...  will strip it down -"

"They had no business doing that!" Sirius growled. Harry was right, they'd voided his warranty for sure.

"Strip it down?"... "You will have it back if we are sure it is jinx-free. "

Sirius shook his head. They were handling this all wrong. No wonder Harry didn't trust them.

"There's nothing wrong with it!"... I shall keep you informed. "

"You ever do something like this again with my great-grandson's property and I'll sue you for destruction of property," Arcturus promised, a menacing look in his eyes. He understood the concern, but there was a proper way to handle situations like this. Ones that didn't leave yourself and the school open to legal action. Really, the only reason they got away with half of what they did was because Harry didn't have an adult in his corner. That would be different now. He'd make sure of it.

Minerva looked like she wanted to argue.

"You know I'm right, Minerva," Arcturus said. "While I appreciate that you wanted to keep Harry safe, this wasn't the right decision. You could have damaged the broom and put him in real danger."

Professor McGonagall turned on her heel... "What did you go running to McGonagall for?"

Sirius sighed. And now Harry's so called friends were arguing again. Could Harry ever catch a break?

Hermione threw her book aside... that that broom was probably sent to Harry by Sirius Black!"

"Even if you were correct and I did send it," which Sirius thought he probably did, "and I was out to kill Harry, you still should have talked to him about it, instead of going straight to a teacher. I appreciate you wanting to keep him safe, but he has to be allowed to make his own choices."

"That's what annoyed me most," Harry admitted quietly.

"This is exactly what we were talking about before Hermione," Mr Granger said. "It's important to recognise other people's autonomy and not just presume that you know best. Harry should have been the one to decide what to do with the broom."

"But he wouldn't have told a teacher!" Hermione huffed.

"You don't know that," Harry said softly. "You never gave me the chance. I might not have told a teacher but I might have written to the manufacturer. Or something. And if you told me why you were concerned, I'd have listened, even if it was just to ease your concern. I'm not a completely crappy friend."

"I never said you were," Hermione said.

"You basically just said I wouldn't have listened to you," Harry said. "That would have made me a pretty rubbish friend."