Chapter 9
A cacophony of noise woke Harry from his nap. Looking around he realized he had fallen asleep in Regulus’s, his dad’s room, according to the plaque on the door. It was a nice room, a little bare but that was expected. He decided that this would be his room while he was here.
Closing his eyes, he listened to the noise that was the Weasley family as they entered Grimmauld. He knew he would be called down soon as soon as they were settled, or Ron would try and find him.
He sighed before getting up and making his way downstairs.
He found everyone in the kitchen.
“Harry, dear,” Mrs. Weasley greeted. “I’m just whipping up some lunch for everyone before they go nap.”
“I don’t need a nap.” Ron grumbled.
“Yes, you do, young man.” Mrs. Weasley stated sternly. “You all stayed up all night.”
Ron grumbled under his breath but didn’t continue to argue.
“Arthur’s going to make a full recovery.” Mrs. Weasley smiled at Harry. “He should be out of the hospital in a couple of days.”
“That’s great to hear, Mrs. Weasley.” What a pity, Harry thought.
“You should have come with us.” She told him. “He was disappointed.”
“I don’t want to put your family in danger.”
“You're family.” She insisted, smiling brightly at him.
Never going to happen, you greedy hag. Harry gave her a mocking smile.
After a somber lunch, in which Harry avoided the food that his rings heated up at, all the Weasleys were forced to go have a nap.
“Mate, I’ll show you to our room.” Ron told them grabbing his trunk to bring it up stairs.
“That’s fine. I’m going to the library to finish my book.” Harry declined.
Ron stared at him.
“Harry dear, it's best you get some rest.” Mrs. Weasley fretted walking into the sitting room.
“I already took a nap, Mrs. Weasley.” Harry informed her, hating that he had to play nice with them.
She looked shocked at that. “Oh. Well just be quiet deary.”
“Yes, Mrs. Weasley.” Harry gave her a bland smile before heading to the library, while they stared at his retreating figure.
--*--
The next day Harry woke up early in his dad’s room. Last night when he went to bed he just went straight here, there was no way he was sharing a room with Ron. At least in Hogwarts he can spell the curtains for protection. He sort-of expected Ron to complain but he didn’t. Ron was probably happy not having to share a room.
As he headed to the kitchen, he stopped when he heard voices, specifically Hermione’s. She must have arrived recently.
“I broke into his trunk yesterday before getting on the train. There was like nothing in it. He had some clothes, schoolbooks and stationery. No map, no cloak, not even his photo album.” Hermione was saying.
“He only took out a few articles of clothing and put it in his satchel.” Ron’s voice drifted out.
“His satchel?” That was Sirius. “Where would he get a satchel and why would he want one?”
“He always has it with him.” Ron said obnoxiously. “Even sleeps with it.”
“We need to get it.” Hermione stated determinedly. “It can probably tell us where he was during the summer and what is happening with him.”
“And how are we going to do that?”
“I can seduce him.” Ginny put in. “I will after all be married to him.”
“He’s been ignoring you just as much as us, if not more.” Hermione reminded the girl.
“Nothing a little lust potion can’t fix.” Mrs. Weasley spoke up. “It’ll give him that little push he needs. Boys are terrible when it comes to their feelings.”
“That would work.” Sirius agreed. “But your twins would have to be out of the house.”
“I’ll take them with me to visit Arthur at the hospital.”
Harry felt sick. While knowing what they were doing, it was a little different hearing them discuss it so calmly. He hated them.
Deciding today would be the best to go to the ministry, Harry put up on a disillusionment spell and walked out of Grimmauld place. He then apparated to the ministry.
Cancelling the spell, he decided against changing to his real looks. While it would stop people from recognizing him, he needed whoever was in charge of OWL testing to recognize him. Hopefully not many people would know that he grew out his hair and nobody was expecting The Harry Potter to be at the Ministry so that should keep him from being harassed.
Once he made his way to the Department of Education, Harry was greeted by a stern old witch.
“Can I help you?”
“Yes ma’am. I was wonder if I could sign up and take some of my OWLs here.” Harry politely inquired.
“You can. Here is the schedule and its 5 gallons per subject.” She informed him, giving him the schedule.
As luck would have it both Arithmancy and Runes were today, one in about half an hour the other after lunch.
“I’ll take both Runes and Arithmancy today, and also Warding, Enchanting and Healing the day after tomorrow, please.”
“Name?” She asked, filling out the parchment.
“Harry Potter.”
She freezes then looks at him or looks at his scar.
“Problem?” Harry prompts after a moment, snapping her out of her shock.
“N-No, Mister Potter.” She stutters.
After that Harry is registered, pays for his exams then proceeds to the wait area. There are about ten others varying in age waiting as well. All seem to be doing last minute studying. Harry followed their lead and did the same.
--*--
After both written and practical exams for Arithmancy Harry made his way to the cafeteria for some lunch. After eating a plain sandwich, Harry was looking around, people watching.
He happened to notice Tonks who was talking with a witch with a monocular. Unfortunately, she seemed to also spot him, however it looked like she was unable to leave her current companion. Harry left the cafeteria right away.
It was as he was on his way back to the exam area that he crossed paths with Lucius Malfoy.
“Mister Potter.” Malfoy greets coolly.
“Lord Malfoy.” Harry greets back just as coolly.
“I am surprised to see you wandering around the Ministry.” He subtly inquired.
“I am here taking some of my OWLs and was on my way back from getting some lunch.” Harry indulged him.
Malfoy’s eyes widened just marginally showing his shock. “And why wouldn’t you just wait until the end of your school year?”
“I self-studied these classes.” Harry shrugged.
Malfoy stared at him. “I see.”
After a pause, Harry impulsively asks, “Do you want him sane?”
“I’m not sure who you are referring to Mister Potter.”
“There’s a ritual that would fix his mind from the black magic and Pettigrew’s botched ritual. It involves a thunderstorm.” Harry states, knowing Malfoy Jr. told his father about Trelawney’s prophecy.
Malfoy froze.
“I need to be on my way. The exams will be starting soon.” With that Harry left a frozen Malfoy and went to take his exam.
--*--
Some of the Order of the Phoenix members sat around the large table in Grimmauld place having been called for an emergency meeting. After Molly, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and Sirius had their little discussion in the morning, they prepared, sending the twins to St. Mungo’s, only to find out that Harry was not in Grimmauld. They finally raised the alarm after lunch conceding defeat.
“When was the last time anyone saw him?” Albus questioned, hiding his anger.
“Last night before bed.” Was heard from the people who were staying at Grimmauld.
“Mister Weasley, you are sharing a room with young Harry, are you not?” He aimed the question at Ron.
“Uh, no Headmaster.” Ron nervously admitted. “He seemed to find somewhere else to sleep.”
Albus sighed.
“He could be anywhere.” Moody growled. “How hard is it to watch one kid?”
“We didn’t think he would run away!” Sirius argued.
“Why not? He did it during the summer.” Moody scoffed.
Lupin placed a hand on Sirius’s shoulder to keep him from lunging at Moody.
“Could he have gone to where he was during the summer?” Hermione spoke up.
Before anyone could say anything, the front door was thrown open, causing the portrait of Walburga Black to start screaming. Tonks came stumbling in the dining room.
“I saw Harry.” She gasped. “He was at the ministry eating in the cafeteria.”
“THE MINISTRY?” Was echoed by everyone.
“Why would he go there?” Ron asked, looking dumbfounded.
“He could be meeting someone.” Hermione said, hitting Ron’s shoulder.
“He was alone.” Tonks responded. “I was talking with Madam Bones and caught sight of him. He was just sitting there eating his lunch. No one even noticed him being there. By the time Bones left he was already gone.”
“Dad says the food there is gross.” Ron grimaced. “Why would he eat there?”
“There must be another reason.” Lupin calmly input. “He could have met someone earlier. I mean we don’t even know when he left.”
“Who could he be meeting there?” Molly questioned. “He doesn’t know anyone but Arthur.”
“And Percy.” Ron pointed out.
“Percy!” Molly screeched. “Why is he meeting with Percy? Percy abandoned this family!”
“Maybe he doesn’t know that.”
“Why didn’t you tell him? He should not be meeting with that traitor!” Molly ranted.
“No one knows if he is meeting with him.” Albus calmly told Molly.
“He could have been in most departments.” Moody observed.
“He wasn’t in the Auror Department.” Tonks added.
“What has he been doing since being here?” Albus asked. “Has he confided in where he was during the summer?”
“All he does is read.” Sirius whined. “He is acting like Lily was his mother.”
Moody froze. “What?”
“She was his mother.” Albus quickly assured.
Sirius notices his mistake. “He used to look like James and usually acted like him. Up until now he’s only had her eyes.”
Moody grunted.
“Possession?” Ginny asked. “We thought so during the summer, and it would make sense.”
“No, I had the school wards updated to stop possession the summer of ‘93.” Albus lied hating how the wards updated on their own. “Anyone entering the school would be freed of possession.”
Molly gasped. “It’s an imposter! It's not Harry.”
“That makes sense.” Lupin agreed.
“He’s an imposter!” Sirius shouted, nodding at Lupin so he knew he was agreeing with him not Molly.
“He does look different.” Hermione conceded.
“He has better clothes!” Ron spat.
“He’s taller!”
“Longer hair!”
“No glasses!”
“The colours of his eyes are changing!”
“Smarter!”
“Rude!”
“Secretive!”
Everyone was shouting out all Harry’s different attributes.
“Hotter.” Ginny sighed dreamily.
Everyone paused to look at her, before Hermione shrugged and nodded.
Ron flushed angry red but was interrupted before he could speak.
“Yes, he looks different and acts differently.” Albus admitted. “But it is Harry.” Albus was sure he would know an imposter when he saw one. He was the great Albus Dumbledore.
“For merlin’s sake, he’s a 15-year-old boy. What were you doing at that age? I know what I was doing.” Moody wiggled his eyebrows as best he could.
Sirius barked out a laugh.
Lupin's eyes widened. “He’s got a girl.”
Ginny scowled.
“Probably more than one.” Sirius cackled. “Jamesy boy knows what he’s doing.”
Molly scowled, while everyone ignored Sirius’s slip. “He’s just a boy.”
“James likes both.” Sirius shrugged, misunderstanding Molly.
“Even if he does, why would he be at the ministry?” Hermione questioned.
“Some students take their OWLs during Christmas break.” Lupin commented.
“Today’s exams were Arithmancy and Runes.” Tonks informed them, causing them to look at her. “A student had a panic attack in the morning.” She shrugged.
“Harry doesn’t take those.” Hermione pointed out.
“His girl might.” Moody said.
“I'M HIS GIRL!” Ginny burst out.
“Yes, you are.” Molly comforted her daughter.
Moody rolled his eyes. “I’m heading out Albus. This is just teenage hormones and I have better things to do.” With that he left, Tonks leaving with him to get back to work.
“Albus, Harry looks different and not just his hair but his eyes and facial features. Do you know why?” Lupin asked curiously, already guessing but wanting confirmation.
“It seems his Glamour is fading away.” Albus confirmed. “I had hoped he would still look more like James, but his real mother seems to be coming through. I don’t even know what features he’ll get from Lily blood adopting him. I had hoped he would get her eyes.”
Lupin nodded, having expected that. “I still haven’t figured out who she was.”
“If we take him to Gringotts he can do a test that would tell him.” Sirius suggested.
“If we do that, he’ll know about everything. Every potion, every spell, who his real godfather is.” Molly said condescendingly.
Sirius glared.
Albus sighed. “We will just have to wait.”