The one where story picks up.
Waking up the next day I quickly got ready and started making my way downstairs. It felt good to finally do stuff like an adult instead of a 3-year-old, now all I have to do is make Falls believe about the upcoming danger and get them on my side.
They’re already on your side, they are your family after all.
‘You know what I mean.’
Walking into the kitchen I saw my grandfather and mother sitting on the table. Clearly, the night was rough for them.
What else did you expect??
“Good morning,” I said, gaining their attention.
“Hey Cass, how are you,” my mother asked, looking at me with concerned eyes.
“I'm good, why?” I know why but I still have to sell this entire thing
“Son, experiencing something like that leaves people a little shaken up.” my grandfather said while pointing at the chair where I did my light show yesterday.
“I guess that is supposed to be the expected reaction but, to be honest, I just feel giddy thinking about how I have a great chance to actually make a big difference now.”
“You said you lived the next 16 years?” my mother asked me
“Yes” knowing where this is going.
“That means for all intent and purposes you’re an adult now” I can see the sadness in her eyes about this.
“Mentally yes. Physically, as you can see I'm still a three-year-old.”
“Then why do you want to get involved in this fight again?” my grandmother asked while walking in. “By your reaction, I can tell that it was bad, and you were in the middle of it.”
“Yeah it was bad, but that does not give me an excuse to just run away. I have all these memories, I have all this experience, I have to do something. If something happens now while I am sitting with my thumb up my arse that means it happened because of me. Sitting on the sidelines and watching people die will make me just as guilty as those death munchers.”
“I can certainly respect your decision,” my grandfather commented.
“But you don’t support it.”
“It’s a little hard to build up your courage when you-know-who is at the centre of the situation.”
“Don’t worry about him. I’ll send him back to his maker before he can say crucio.” I decided that this is a perfect time to drop the bomb “By the way did you know that he’s your brother?”
“What?!?” understandable reaction really
“Oh yes, he's the son of Merope Gaunt, your aunt. She was a squib and had voldy with a muggle, Tom Riddle. She gave him amorentia and then ran away with him, but deluded herself into believing that he loves her back too, so she stopped dosing him and then surprise-surprise he left her. After that, she died while giving voldy birth but had enough life in her to give him a name, Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr. Then he went to an orphanage, got bullied there, went to Hogwarts, got bullied there too because of his blood status but in the fourth or fifth year he finally found out about his heritage.”
“Tommy was vo- You-know-who??” My grandfather said a little horrified, it was then that I connected the dots.
“Oh bloody hell, you went to Hogwarts with him didn't you?”
“He was a year ahead of us..... But you’re right he came back in the fourth year a little more confident, he was more self-assured and he immediately proclaimed himself the heir of Slytherin, started sprouting how he was the only parselmouth so he’s a legitimate heir, I didn't wanna burst his bubble so I never said anything. I still can’t believe Tommy could do something like this.”
I let everyone digest this news for a while
“So what's your plan now?” my mother asked, finally breaking the silence.
“Let things run their natural course for the most part really.”
“Why?”
“Because ninety percent of things happened in Hogwarts, and I can't really change things drastically, or else I will accidentally start a whole new timeline where I won't have any control. The best thing I can do is take things easy and interfere only when it is absolutely necessary. I already have a rough layout planned so don't worry about that.” I said.
“Anything we can do to help?” my grandfather asked, finally coming to terms with what I just told him.
“Yeah we need to go to Gringotts” let's drop the second bomb
“Why?” he asked warily
“We’re gonna see if we can get you the title of lord Slytherin,” I answered with amusement.
“What?!” whatever he was expecting, this was not it.
“It’s either us or the title will go back to Tom when he gets back to the land of the living,” I answered slowly
“Okay, anything else?” still conflicted about the entire thing.
“No, not for a long time. By the way, what do you think of Grangers??”
“The dentists?” asked my grandmother, who was clearly confused about the change in conversation.
“Yeah”
“They’re good people. We talk sometimes in the morning while leaving the house. Why?”
“No reason, anyways I need to start working on my physical strength again, I already have a head start compared to the others, might as well take advantage of it.”
“Well make sure you don’t overdo anything, you're still a growing boy. I would suggest you don’t do anything until you go to Hogwarts but I'm sure you will disregard any health advice like that.” my grandmother slipped into healer mode.
“And you’ll be correct in your assumption my dear grandmother.”
“Brat,” she said amused
“So tell us about your school life a bit.” my mother asked
“Well, there's not much to tell really, I was pretty good with the practical side and got so good at it that I don't really need a wand anymore,” I said while pouring myself water without moving. This definitely impressed them. “The one I had was more for show than anything. Oh, that reminds me I'll need a legacy wand from the family vault.”
“You don’t want your own wand?” grandad asked, frowning.
“I don’t wanna get dependent on a wand again.”
“Then why do you want one at all?” my mother asked
“I don’t want people to know about my skills with magic just yet,” i said shrugging
“Alright, it should be easy enough.” my grandfather agreed easily “Anything else that you can tell us about the future?”
Thinking for a while
“You know Sirius Black??”
“Regulus’ brother? The one who betrayed the potters..” my mother answered
“Yeah about that, he was not the secret keeper,” I answered
“What?! What do you mean he was not the secret keeper?” my grandfather asked
“Peter Pettigrew was the rat, both metaphorically and literally.”
“What?” Grandmother asked equally invested in the story. Everyone loves a good tea
“Yeah, that fucker is an animagus and he’s alive too. He’s hiding in his animagus form right now with a wizarding family.”
“But black confessed, he confessed that he was the secret keeper and that he led…vol.. You-know-who!”
“Yeah…. About that. He never received a trial.”
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” Grandfather said while moaning in his hands “And where’s Peter now?”
“He’s with the Weasleys”
“I thought they were good people.” my grandmother said a little sad
“Oh they are, they just don’t know that that’s an animagus.” I clarified quickly and sat back watching everyone thinking about what they’ve just heard. Finally, my grandfather asked tiredly.
“So how do you wanna tackle this situation? I have a few contacts in DMLE and Madam Bones is the head of the department now, she’s a good person with strong morals. I'm sure we can get him out now”
“Yeah, we’re not gonna do it.”
“What do you mean we’re not gonna do it?” He asked dangerously “An innocent man is in Azkaban and you wanna leave him there?”
“That innocent man is gonna be responsible for a major event due to which Voldy will get a chance to gain his body back,” I answered easily.
“Wait, you just said that it was Pettigrew that helped Tom. Is Sirius also working for vold… you-know-who?” my mother asked
“No he’s not working for him, he’ll probably die before even thinking about doing that.”
“Then how does he help…Tom get his body back?” my grandfather asked. Well story time I guess.
“In our third year he will break out of Azkaban which will prompt the minister to place dementors all around Hogwarts.” This got a lot of raised eyebrows. Clearly, they were having trouble believing someone can be this stupid. “because they all will think that he is coming for Harry. But in reality, he will be coming to save Harry from Pettigrew who would be sleeping in our dorms at that point.” Our dorms?? “Anyways, all of these blunders will lead the ministry to reintroduce the Triwizard tournament to get in people’s good graces. And Tom will get Harry entered in it and at the end of the third task he will kidnap Harry to use his blood in the ritual to make a new body.”
“And you don’t wanna stop this?” my grandmother was horrified by what I had just told them.
“No, I want him to get a body because that is the only time he can die properly. He can’t die while he is In his wraith form or while he’s possessing someone. So I need him to get a corporeal body which he’s bound to, and right now I know the time and place of this event which tips the scales in my favour and I won't jeopardize it by getting black out. Besides he’ll be fine, he’s an animagus too.” I said waving away the concerns
“So dementors don’t affect him that much.” My grandmother said, understanding what I mean.
“It still does not sit right with me, leaving an innocent man there in that merlin-forsaken place.” at least his heart is in the right place.
“Don’t worry we’ll get his name cleared by the time the third year rolls around,” I said placatingly
Imagine telling them about Harry.
‘Do I have to??’
Rip the bandage off.
‘Definitely not a breeze’