Chapter 10
The story goes:
At Godric's Hollow, the Potters lived in their cottage. There was James Potter, Lily Potter, and their baby boy Harry Potter who was one year old at the time. After much prodding for their baby son to sleep, James and Lily went to their friends' home for a Halloween celebration on the 31st of October, 1981, but didn't bring their infant with them.
It was extremely unfortunate for the parents to leave at that moment, as a mysterious cloaked figure entered Potters Cottage and smashed through the front door.
It was the Dark Lord.
After killing the pet cat the Potters had adopted in the living room, You-Know-Who made his way up the staircase, uninterrupted, to the nursery where Harry Potter was sleeping.
The Dark Lord advanced on the sleeping child and held out his wand.
“Harry Potter is ready to die.” He said darkly.
Then, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named cast the spell that changed wizarding history still to this day.
“Avada Kadavra!”
A light so bright green flashed through the whole house, shattering every window, knocking over every piece of furniture and opening every door. No one saw or heard it happen but Baby Harry Potter awoke crying to this and was the only living thing in the home when his parents arrived an hour later.
The surprise and distress James and Lily must have felt coming home to see their front door shattered in pieces and all the furniture knocked over. They had rushed to the nursery to find a crying, but alive, Harry Potter and not You-Know-Who in sight. Only the lightning scar on Harry Potter's forehead, a sign of surviving a curse no one has ever survived, could prove that such an event had occurred on 31st of October,1981.
He has since been known as the Boy-Who-Lived, a worthy title for the saviour of the wizarding world and destroyer of the darkest wizard since Gellert Grindelwald.
——
Christmas was here and Harry was very happy. He was gifted the Nimbus 2000 he had wanted since he first saw it at quality quidditch supplies along with new clothes, books and toys. Feeling satisfied with all the brilliant gifts his family gives him every year.
Harrys new friends were all invited to the annual Potter Christmas party that was that evening. The Weasleys and Longbottom’s hadn’t given a reply to the invitation and refused to let them come through their flu network.
“I can’t believe they fucking cut us off!” Lily had grumbled the night before after she tried to flu to the Longbottom’s residence. Everyone was surprised to hear her swear.
“They cut us off too!” Remus had said. "I think this is becoming a little too personal.”
Draco Malfoy and his parents along with the Crabbe’s, Goyles, Zabbinis, Millicents and Traceys parents were all invited as invitees curtesy to Harry. Pansy was in France for the holidays but gave everyone their gifts when they all went to Harrys house two days before. Hermione Granger was invited as well but she was too scared to use the flu powder in case it led her to a different house. Not to say the Weasleys and Longbottom’s were the only family that came to the party, Hogwarts professors were invited, the Marauders, the girls, the Tonks family and many old friends of the family who were older than the invention of the plastic bottle.
“My goodness, that cake is bigger that me!” Crabbe remarked hungrily.
“Manners, boy.” His father snapped.
James came up next to his and patted the older mans back whole heartedly. He was slowly getting used to having former death eaters in his house but Harry knew he was making an exception for him.
“No matter, mate, someone has to start eating this delicious feast. Dinner time, lads! Get your butts in here before we eat it all!” James shouted too where everyone was huddled in the living room of the Potter Mansion.
“About time, I was about to eat my bloody arm off.” Sirius remarked cheekily, sitting across from Harry so he could keep an eye on the young Malfoy heir sitting next to him.
“Actually you were about to eat my arm off if I recall you chewing my wrist a moment ago.” Remus joked, sitting next to his boyfriend.
Peter rolled his eyes. “Shut up and someone please eat the cranberry sauce I worked three hours on.”
“Bon appétit!” Lily saluted, clinking her wine glass.
“Bon appétit!” Everyone replied. Harry giggled as he and Draco clinked their glasses of pumpkin juice.
“Pete, you outdid yourself this year!” James applauded, patting his friend happily on the back.
“Th-thanks.” Peter stuttered as he always did when he got praised.
“Yeah, the cranberry sauce is excellent!” Goyle remarked with a mouth full of turkey and sauce.
Peter sighed in relief. “That’s good, I was working on a new recipe.”
The dining hall had been expanded, their usual small dining table had been charmed to be longer so everyone could fit. A warming smell of Christmas filled the house, Peters gingerbread, Lily’s pumpkin pie and even the scent of roast dinner filled the air. Large wreaths of holly were decorating the twirling staircase and Sirius and James jokingly put mistletoe on every doorway so if two people were under it they were stuck there until they kissed. Harry had been spelled a lot since the morning and his parents had given him numerous kisses on the forehead and cheek. Harry was beginning to think this was more for their sake as he had caught his parents lip locked too often for it to be a coincidence.
Harry only hoped none of his friends were accidentally caught under it with him.
“Oi Potter, pass the peas, yeah?” Nymphadora Tonks yelled from three seats down, gesturing to the large bowl in front of him.
“Oh yeah, sure.”
Draco handed them to her and stared at the girl. Harry had always liked Dora, she had cool hair that changed colours whenever her mood did but it was currently red with hints of gold and green in it for Christmas. She was a metamorphmagus because her mother, Andromeda Tonks, drank a lot of polyjuice potion during the first war to stop her crazy sister Bellatrix Lestrange from finding her. It didn’t negatively change Tonks, she was really cool the way she was and Harry loved it.
“Are we-“ Draco started, “are we cousins?”
Tonks looked baffled and crunched her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
Draco rolled his eyes. “I mean, your mother is my mothers sister so we’re cousins.”
“You’re definitely blunt, little boy.” She joked.
Draco looked outraged. “I am not a little boy! I am heir to the-“
Tonks snorted. “Course you are. I guess this is our first official meeting.” She held out a hand and grinned casually. “Nymphadora Tonks, pleasure to meet you.”
Draco sat up straighter and shook her hand. “Draco Malfoy, pleasure is mine.”
“Well, well, well, your manners are impeccable, a true Black heir indeed.” She praised with a raised eyebrow.
“I’m actually the Malfoy heir-“
“Well there’s no hope for the Blacks then, Sirius is as straight as a cooked spaghetti noodle and uncle Regulus flinches at the mere mention of reproducing, if you don’t continue the line then I don’t know who will.” Tonks said bluntly.
Draco was lost for words and mouthed a reply with no sound.
Tonks looked at Harry had exaggerated a pouted lip. “I think I broke your friend, sorry Haz.”
Harry shrugged.
“What about you?” Draco asked suddenly. “You’re my cousin, you’re part of the Black family, so why can’t you continue the line?”
Tonks was silent for a moment then bursted with laughter. “Mum got disowned for marrying and having s-e-x with a mudblood, he’s my dad by the way, but I don’t think I’m legally allowed to have kids and call them a ‘Black heir’.”
“Also she’s still at school.” Harry added helpfully from the side.
Tonks smiled appreciably before looking at Draco again. “That too. I’m in my last year at Hogwarts so if I see you, I’ll give a holler.”
Draco crooked his head to the side. “I haven’t seen you in Slytherin, which house are you?”
“I’m a Hufflepuff, just like my old man.” She said proudly.
She and Harry giggled at Dracos dumbfoundment.
“I think I’ve broken your friend beyond compare.” Tonks told Harry again.
Harry shrugged. “Hope he can still play quidditch or else I’ll have to ditch him.”
“You have me!” Blaise said crossly, kicking his foot from under the table.
Tonks watched the scene with amusement and ruffled Dracos very gelled hair.
“Gross,”She blanched, looking at her hand, “you, little cousin of mine, are in need of some hair advice.”
Draco quickly patted his hair down and glowered at her. “My hair is perfectly fine, thank you.” He snapped.
Tonks held eye contact and made her hair the same colour of his. Dracos mouth slacked as her eye colour changed to match his as well. Harry thought the two looked almost identical if not for her more mature features.
“What type of magic is that?” Draco awed.
Tonks smirked and winked mysteriously. “Magic only seventh years know.”
“I can’t wait to be a seventh year then.” Millicent said dreamily.
Harry tried to cover his snort.
Moments later the table was cleared and dessert was brought onto the table. The large cake Crabbe commented on before was placed in the middle of the table with other small desserts. There was thousands of options including; Chocolate fondue, caramel slice, vanilla slice, puddings of all kind, jellies in abnormal shapes, scones topped with cream and jam, banoffee pie, carrot cake, bowls of chopped fruits and even the Muggle creation called strawberry fool which was one of Lily and Mary’s favourite.
“Great heavens.” Remus practically moaned as he dipped a large helping of chocolate pudding into his bowl.
Harry licked his lips in appreciation and gave himself a helping of custard and fruit. Draco was sniffing judgtngly at a caramel slice.
“Never had caramel slice before, Malfoy?” Harry asked through a mouthful of food.
Draco sneered. “It has chunks of salt on the top of it.”
“They’re meant to be there.” Harry laughed. “Just eat it and if you don’t like it then I’ll have it.”
Draco took a tentative bite and chewed slowly, looking at his parents who were on the other end of the table as if they’ll hex him for eating it, then he took another bite and hummed in acceptance.
“I like it, the salt evens out the sweetness.”
Harry laughed. “Of course you like it, Wormy is the best wizard cook in the country for a reason.”
Peter must have been listening because he choked and started turning a concerning shade of red.
“Oh Wormy,” Marlene sighed while she slapped his back, “you’ve got to learn how to take a compliment.”
“Is he always like this?” Blaise whispered.
Harry nodded. “Yep! Apparently he cried of joy when I gave him a picture of him I drew when I was three.” Blaise giggled. “He still has it on his fridge.” Harry added, making Blaise laugh louder.
“That’s so weird.”
Harry glared at his friend and slapped his arm, hard.
The evening finished quickly after that, the plates and leftover food got transferred to the kitchen and the adults went back to the living room to have James’s best alcoholic beverages that left the adults bed bound for days.
Harry instead, invited his friends up to his room. They had already been two days ago but they didn’t spend more than 10 minutes in there before running outside to play quidditch. Only Harry, Draco and Blaise had their own brooms with them so Harry lending on some spare brooms to the others.
The amazed look on his friends faces as they entered his bedroom still felt real a second time round and Harry grinned happily.
“Your room is marvellous.”
“Thanks, Goyle.”
They looked around the large room with wide eyes, touching his soldier figurines that held guns and admiring the moving golden snitch wallpaper. Harry felt a wave of shyness come over him. His friends were in his room - his personal room -again, but again was just another word for a second time to judge and criticise. Harry always knew he was a people pleaser, he hated it when he made people upset and always made sure he was kind and helpful to everyone that needed him. Mary has told him many a time to stop being a doormat.
“Is this your broom, Harry?” Draco asked, picking up the wooden stick on a wand stand next to his bed.
“No, it’s my grandmothers. Of course it’s my broom.”
Draco pouted. “Don’t tease, it’s lovely though.”
“Woah, it’s a Nimbus 2000!” Blaise gushed, touching the twigs delicately.
Harry blushed. “Dad knows the company manager who makes them, I got it for Christmas but I already guessed it, I heard dad on a flu call.”
“Father got me one too, maybe we can fly together!” Draco exclaimed, a boyish flush spreading on his cheeks.
“That would be great! We could do far better than on the Transylvanian Barb’s.” Harry said, thinking back to his old broom that was now in the safety of their broom shed.
“Can we play now? I’ll score again.” Tracey asked.
Harry slouched and shook his head. “Mum’s pretty stern about how I need to be wide awake whenever I fly a broom, she won’t let us.”
“Can we ask Sirius? Or Professor Lupin?” Blaise suggested.
“You can call him Remus, you know.”
Blaise shrugged awkwardly. “I still feel weird that I’ve met a teacher outside of school, and five others as well!”
Everyone nodded at that. Harry didn’t know Professor McGonagall, Flitwick or Quirell would be coming, but Dumbledore always made an appearance since Harry could first remember. He was one of the two people James made their secret keeper, the other was Sirius Black, and Harry knew his father was still trying to figure out who snitched to the Dark Lord till this day.
“Can I just live with you, Harry?” Goyle asked dreamily from where he was lying on Harry’s bed, staring at the ceiling.
“What? Why?”
Goyle groaned as he sat up and patted his stomach for emphasise. “Your house elf cooks better than mine ever has. Maybe I’ll just steal yours.”
Harry winced. Flitter had been in the family since Harrys grandparents, who he never got to meet, had owned the house. Flitter had been honourable and loyal to the family since they moved into mansion and Harry felt a wave of protectiveness pass through him.
“You can come over whenever you want, with a message beforehand of course, but don’t steal our house elf, we love Flitter.”
Goyles head went to the side. “You love your house elf?”
“Of course,” Harry defended, “she cooks for us, cleans and has been my nanny for many years.”
“I can’t imagine how you can love such a-“
“Okay!” Draco luckily interrupted, having sensed the atmosphere, or maybe he saw the murderous look on Harry’s face. “How is everyone going with the homework McGonagall gave us? Pretty tough, huh?”
“Ugh.” Millicent groaned. “I’ve been putting that off.”
“I finished mine, my little brother has been annoying me to bits so I’ve had nothing better to do for the past week.” Tracey whined.
“Well my mother has just gotten engaged again so…” Blaise started, dazing off the conversation.
“Another?” Draco stunned.
Blaise tightens his shoulders and just at that moment Tonks peeked her head through the doorway and grinned mischievously. Harry almost sighed out loud from relief.
“People are leaving and your dad asked me to bring you all down.”
“I can’t possibly be apparated with a stomach as full as mine.” Crabbe whined again.
Tonks clicked her tongue with pity. “Oh mate, I’ve been there, it is not pretty.”
“Got anything else planned for the holidays, besides homework?” Harry asked Draco hesitantly as they walked down the corridor.
Draco shrugged. “Might get used to my Nimbus 2000, we’ll probably get invited to Ms Zabini’s engagement party and that’s about it.”
Harry laughed. “I’m kind of looking forward to going back to Hogwarts, it took me ages to fall back asleep in my room after spending months in the Slytherin dorms.”
“Same!” Draco grinned widely.
Harry suddenly put an arm forward to stop the both of them from walking through the mistletoe on the doorway. Harry flushed red and removed his arm from Dracos chest.
“I’ll walk through first, I don’t want to have to kiss your grimy face.” He teased tensely.
Draco giggled, immediately making Harry’s tension disappear. “Good idea. Save your first kiss for a toad.”
“Nevilles toad!” They screeched at the same time before falling down in laughter.
“There you are, Draco, we were beginning to worry.” Narcissa said, taking Draco’s upper arm and pulling him closer.
Harry started moving forward to hug his friend goodbye like he did with Tracey and Millicent but the warning look Draco gave him made Harry step back and clear out his throat.
“Thank you for coming to the party, it was great fun.” He repeated, just as he practiced with his mum that morning.
“Thank you for having us, you set up this place nicely. The statues outside are very cute.” Narcissa replied. An awkward silence followed as Harry had no idea how to respond.
“We should head off now, see you at Kings Cross.” Lucius snapped hurriedly, obviously pulling his wife and son along.
“Bye Harry!” Draco called out, waving manically.
“Bye!” Harry replied, waving just as wildly before Lucius apparated his family away.
A hands landed heavily on his shoulders and Harry turned to grin at his godfather on one shoulder and Remus on the other.
“Have a fun time, Prongslet?” Sirius asked, ruffling Harry’s hair.
“Super!”
Remus chuckled and led them back into the house, snow was starting to fall slowly and coat the ground in a pale white.
“Your friends parents weren’t as bad as I thought they’d be.” Sirius said is a surprising tone. “They mostly kept to themselves but I appreciate them not cursing anyone.”
Harry glared at him and shrugged his hand off his shoulder. “You aren’t at war anymore.”
“Your right!” Sirius cheered up, pulling Harry back against his chest. “We have the Boy Who Lived who gives his godfather very big hugs.”
Harry squealed loudly as Sirius started tickling him and didn't let him go. “Stop! Padfoot!”
“Run Harry, I’ll distract him!” Remus played along, putting Sirius into a head lock and ruffling his hair so Harry had time to run off.
Harry squealed again as he heard Padfoot being led loose a moment later and run on his four legs up the stairs where Harry planned to hide.
“That’s cheating, Padfoot!”
Padfoot only wagged his black, furry tail happily and jumped onto Harry’s back which cause him to fall, stomach first, onto to ground. He giggled loudly as the dog licked his face excessively. This caused Marlene and Dorcas, who had been getting comfy in a guest bedroom, came out to see all the commotion.
“Oh gross, Pads, you’re gonna make the lad all sticky.” Dorcas groaned, peeling the dog off of Harry.
“Turn back.” She demanded, but Padfoot only turned his head to the side like a confused dog did. This made Harry laugh even more.
“Stupid dog.” He giggled out.
Padfoot turned back into Sirius who crossed his arms and opened his mouth in overdramatic shock. “Who are you calling a stupid dog?”
Harry started shaking his head from his spot on the floor as Sirius advanced slowly. “No one! No one!” Before Sirius transformed back into Padfoot and started licking him again. Harrys glasses fell off his face from all the wiggling.
“Ahhhahaha Padfoot!”