School Wars and Scars
Chapter ten: School Wars and Scars
The next morning as the sun began its course across the sky Harry, Hermione, Ron, and the twins were quick to make their way down from Gryfendor tower. "Do you really think there'll be a response that quickly?" Hermione was asking for what felt like the twentieth time.
Ron rolled his eyes, but kept the comment he would have otherwise made to himself, after all he didn't want to be on the receiving end of the glare Harry had given the two idiots from the night before. "Trust me Mione," Ron stated, completely unaware of the surprised look the brunette was giving him at the use of a nickname, "Having met Harry's mum I'd be more surprised if there wasn't a response, and honestly I want to see the look on Dumbledor's face when he's forced to acknowledge it."
Harry himself chuckled, "That's if Mum didn't send the response directly to him," he stated with a chaotic twinkle in his eye, "Personally I think she'll send a howler addressed to him," he smirked, clearly thinking that particular method of response would be great fun.
"Harry, mate," George started,
"Isn't that her at the teacher's table next to McGonigal?" Fred hissed, eyes wide.
To the complete surprised and bafflement of the three first years they had made it to the dining hall sometime during their conversation, and sure enough just as the twins had said, there sitting at the head teachers table, right next to his laughing head of house was none other than his mother, and an older witch he quickly recognized as "Great grandma Lacey!" he rushed forward, eager to hug the older witch.
"There's my little fawn," she cooed as she stood to accept the near tackle hug the dark haired boy was giving her. All the while Azalea stood behind them with her own smile and a quiet snicker, "Oh hush chile'," Lacey teased, "You just saw him yesterday," she pulled him in just a little bit tighter, "I don' get to see my great grandson near enough."
Azalea gave a small laugh, "We'll try to visit more memaw," she promised, "Now give me my baby," she pulled Harry into her own arms and gave him a squeeze, "How are you holding out baby?" she asked softly as she pulled away while holding his face in her hands. This is also when she finally noticed the small group behind him, the Gryfendors having been joined at some point by a blonde boy in black and green robes, his school tie in silver and green embossed with a striking snake emblem, and a blonde haired girl, her hair almost the same shade as the boys, in black and blue, her tie sporting gray and blue with a soaring eagle. "Are these your friends, baby?"
Harry looked back, a smile on his face when he saw Draco, though he looked a bit confused at the sight of the second girl, "Most of them Mum," he gave a sheepish smile at the second blonde, "I'm sorry I don't think I've gotten to meet you yet."
The girl in question gave a small airy smile, "My name's Luna, Luna Lovegood." Azalea noticed several wide eyes from the teachers at that point, well except for Minerva who looked rather smug.
"Ms. Lovegood," Professor Dumbledor started, "I must not have noticed you being sorted last night," he gave one of his gentle seeming smiles, the ones Harry, Azalea, and Lacey were starting to understand meant he was hiding something, "I thought you were supposed to start next year."
Luna tilted her head, "That is quite possible," she said softly, "I don't turn 11 until February afterall," she then beamed at all of those present, a smile that Harry and the others made a silent promise to protect, "But then Daddy said my letter came and I was so excited."
Harry nodded, "It's nice to meet you Luna, I'm-" Luna waved her hand gently cutting Harry off.
"Oh I already know who you are Harry," she calmly said, "I was nearby when those two boys got mean last night," her eyes screwed up in a bit of concern, "So many nargles," the rest of the group gave concerned looks around, well everyone except Harry and Azalea who immediately looked to Lacey who was nodding in complete understanding.
"Nasty bunch, those," Lacey drawled, "You'd be Xenophilius' girl then?"
Luna tilted her head, her eyes quickly going wide, "Oh!" she gave a small gasp of delight, "You're Daddy's friend from America! The one who sent him the pretty feathers for my birthday!"
Azalea and Harry shared a small smile, Lacey had talked about a young friend of hers, closer to Azalea's age then her own. "While this is quite interesting," Snape drawled, "Is there a reason you," he paused and gave a small sneer towards the gathered Gryfendors, and Luna, and an awkward look towards Draco, "Children," he finally settled on, "Are here so early?"
Azalea glared at the greasy haired man, while Harry just nodded, "Yes sir, you see I sent my Mum a letter after the sorting last night, we came down to see if there was any response in the morning post," he gave a smirk in his mother's direction. "Though I wasn't expecting you and Great Grandma, Mum."
Now it was Azalea's turn to smirk, "Oh I figured a simple letter couldn't quite put this into words, and since Memaw went and surprised me with a visit last night we both just came on up."
Lacey snapped her fingers, "Dag nab it, I near plum forgot," she quickly started to rummage in a pouch hanging at her side, "I know I have it in here, ah ha!" she then pulled forth a bronze flask, "Here ya go fawn, drink this it's the potion yer mama asked me about."
Harry's eyes lit up, "Thanks Grandma!" He then without a single ounce of hesitation downed the potion in a single go, which caused both Lacey and Azalea to laugh. "Um I hate to ask but," he was cut off by several more bronze flasks being pulled out of the exact same pouch.
"Don' worry fawn, I made some for yer friends too," Lacey chuckled as she then passed out the flasks to the children.
"Now my dear lady," Dumbledor tried to chastise Lacey, only to stop when every single child in the group all downed the flask just as Harry had.
Azalea gave a soft laugh, "Memaw is known for her work in potions and creature care Mr. Dumbledor," she smirked, "In fact I'd be a little surprised if your Mr. Snape hasn't heard about her."
By this point more and more students were arriving, allowing most of them to be present when Severous Snape's jaw nearly hit the floor as a flask was passed to him, the emblem embossed on it catching the light. Though the attention was quickly taken off the potions master when there was a pained scream that came from the now open teacher's entrance and one Professor Quarell.
Upon seeing who the pained cry had come from both Rose witches were quickly placing themselves between the teacher and the students, though their attention was once more soon split when Harry gave a small pained grunt and reached up to touch his scar. At the sight of her son holding his scar Azalea was quick to push forward and lay her hand over his.
"Harry baby? What's wrong?" she gently pulled his hand down, only to start cursing at the site of dark smoke like miasma slowly dripping from the scar. "Memaw I need a cleanser now!" Lacey sprung into action summoning the potion in question out of her pouch, all the while still keeping an eye on the DADA teacher who was still doubled in pain at the teacher's door. "I know baby," Azalea cooed to her son, "I know, it'll all be better soon."
Seconds later Minerva was there standing beside the hovering mother, "What is it? What's happening?"
Azalea, thankful to finally have another person she trusted helping her with her son, shot a glare towards the hunched form of Quarrel, "I'll go into a longer explanation later," she stated, "However the short answer is that the potion Memaw gave the kids is a protection against dark miasma, something Mr. Querall is daused in. But apparently on top of everything else, Harry's scar is now leaking miasma." she took the offered cleanser from Lacey and with a few quick movements she had Harry's head tilted back, "This is going to hurt baby," she murmured before she began to gently pour the potion over the scar, the cry of pain ripped out of Harry's throat from this feeling like a stab to her heart, "I know, I know, she crooned as Minerva helped to hold his head still as Azalea continued to pour the potion.
"What in the world?" Minerva gasped, as the final pour of the potion resulted in a large clump of oozing miasma shot out of Harry's scar, pulling one final cry of pain from the boy, a cry that was echoed from Querall.
Within seconds both Rose witches had their wands out and pointed towards the DADA professor, equal looks of fury and disgust on their faces, "That," Lacey drawled slow and deep, "Was a soul fragment doused in a nasty bit o' magic that I thought had been forgotten' years ago."
Minerva looked puzzled, "What?"
Azalea sneered at Quarrel, "A horcrux ma'am, someone this varment is connected to put a horcrux in my baby." The following silence spoke volumes.