The Fair Folk
Halloween has an odd place in Harry's heart. It's always a sad day but it's also the day he feels closest to them, can see them and speak to them. Having the first Hogsmeade Weekend that day is mainly strange because of how Ron and Hermione are acting. They're excited but trying not to be overbearing so because of Harry. It's a sweet thought but not necessary.
Harry grabs both their hands and the second McGonagall takes their permission forms and runs out the school gates. Ron starts laughing halfway down the hill and trips up rolling the rest of the way down where he manages to knock over his sister, Zabini and Malfoy like a bowling ball. Harry shares a look with Hermione and they run faster to stop the fight before it starts.
Hermione runs to Ron and Ginny who was screaming at her brother sounding an awful lot like her mother. Zabini manages to extract himself from the situation and is now watching with an amused smirk from one of the carriages. He gives Harry a knowing look, though Harry doesn't know what he's knowing and instead turns to do what he does best. Distract Malfoy.
"It was an accident Malfoy. He just tripped." Harry tries to reason, that's been working since last Christmas. He's almost reasonable now. Still a dick as seen on the train but their arguments are almost fun now.
"I saw that thank you very much. You need to keep your sidekick in line. Weasley most likely to die due to his own stupidity may give him a distinction but probably not the one he wants." Draco grumbles but as Crabbe and Goyle appear he stiffens. "I think I got poor on my robes, they'll have to be burnt. Or perhaps your house elf wants the fabric Potter. Have her make the Weasleys something. Mother says it is always best to be charitable."
Ginny turns around to give Malfoy a talking to but Zabini grabs her wand arm and whispers something in her ear. The two of them get on an almost full carriage and leave. Slytherin Solidarity is the strangest thing Harry has ever seen. Hermione is less forgiving. Since classes started she's had a shorter temper and turns to Malfoy rage behind her eyes.
"You foul loathsome evil little cockroach." Harry and a now recovered Ron grab and arm each.
"Hermione, it's not worth it. You said so yourself." Harry reminds her and draco smirks evilly at The Tweedle's.
"Yes Granger run along. Even a Mudblood should know when to listen to her betters." Harry's shocked just long enough for Hermione's arm to get free and she throws a punch at Malfoy. Missing his nose but hitting him square in the eye.
Malfoy and his lackeys run away before McGonagall see's what happened. Ron was lecturing Hermione for once and Harry, not knowing what the hell just happened, runs after Malfoy. He ditches Crabbe and Goyle as soon as he can and ends up outside the Hog's Head.
"What the hell was that Malfoy." Harry demands scaring the crap out of the blonde much to his satisfaction.
"Did you run after me, you freak? Here to beat me up some more?" Malfoy demands and Harry can't help but agree it was odd to run after him. But he's being weird and Harry isn't in the mood to spend today dancing around Ron and Hermione anyway.
"That was Hermione and you called her a slur." Harry reminds him. "Which is what I don't get. Because you proved last year you're not a bad person so why are you acting like one for Tweedledee and Tweedledum?" Malfoy's face turns cold again, making Harry unreasonably mad.
"Why can't you people just leave me alone? I am not some pet project to fix! I am the Heir of Houses Malfoy and Black, I have responsibilities and expectations!" Malfoy is yelling too close to Harry now. His eye is starting to swell and purple but the other is storming with rage.
"People expect you to be an Evil Twat. Maybe you should reevaluate the sort of people you're hanging out with." Harry responds standing his ground. Something else flashes in Malfoy's eyes and he breaks from their stare off.
"You can't choose your family. I am who I am. You and your Aunt need to accept that."
"I agree, but I think Nia's more right about your character than you are right now." Draco turns back to Harry almost crying and Harry gets uncomfortable. "You should put ice on that eye." Zabini and Ginny arrive then Zabini now carrying a guitar case.
"Potter, Draco we weren't interrupting were we?" Zabini asks with that same amused smirk as before. What is so funny?
"I was just going, I have to meet my Godfather. Bye Ginny." Harry's smiles at the redhead and leaves quickly. He's early to meet Sirius who is pacing the three broomsticks much to the annoyance of the bartender Madame Rosmerta.
"Harry!" Sirius grins and pulls him into a hug. "You look good. Not any taller but we'll get there."
"Not according to Aunt Nia. Stunted growth," Harry responds as Sirius sets him free. They sit and Sirius orders Harry a butterbeer and himself something stronger.
"So how's school, how are your friends any Girlfriends or boyfriends I should know about." Sirius talks much faster than normal and doesn't keep his hands still a second.
"It's okay to be nervous, when was the last time you saw him?" Harry deflects his question with his own worries.
"Your first birthday. We couldn't be with you guys because you were in hiding so me and Moony had a party in our flat, just the two of us. We got in a fight because Dumbledore was sending him on another secret mission the next day and he wouldn't tell me I didn't trust him toward the end of the war and I guess neither did he. I shouldn't be unloading this on you Prongslet. I'm sorry," Sirius shakes his head much like his dog form often does and fakes a smile. "how are you today? Nia said we're meeting at the Hog's Head with Snape. Though why he's still coming I don't get. I'm here to protect you both."
"Nia's being cagey but she says she has to tell us something, I think it's about whatever project she gave the Twins over Summer. Snape's probably doing the grunt work. He practically worships her, it's weird." Harry exaggerates only slightly. Usually it takes one word or even an eyebrow raise for Snape to do as Nia asks.
"Your Aunt is a fascinating woman, men can't help but be drawn in." The way he speaks is less than ideal, as though he agrees and Harry is reminded of the day he found Nia in Sirius's bed. Both were fully dressed and promised nothing happened but still.
"I think I may know why," Harry mumbles but Sirius's eyes narrow.
"I'm assuming you mean a magical reason, hit me with it." He replies lightly slapping that table as he does.
"I think I figured out what Nia is, but if I'm right. It could be bad. Like she's more dangerous than Dumbledore and Voldemort combined, bad." Sirius crosses his arms, face turning, well Serious.
"What do you mean?"
"Do you know anything about The Fair Folk?" Sirius barks out a laugh before regaining his composure.
"Fairy tales. We have fairies and they're like Tinkerbell only big enough to contain one emotion at a time and that is rage. Nia isn't a Fairy."
"Not a Fairy, a Fae, specifically this kind of Fae," Harry takes out the book Myrtle found and turns to the chapter he's read so many times he could recite it.
"The Speaker of Fate, The balance of good and evil is a delicate one constantly in battle. Heroes are born to keep the balance all throughout history fighting off insurmountable darkness. In their shadow is the Speaker of Fate, tasked with helping them achieve their destiny." Sirius is silent a moment before looking up at Harry. "You think she's a Fairy godmother?"
"She's weird about names and titles, has an almost hypnotic sway when she talks to people, see's through time but only my hero's journey and as thankful as I am for the rescue. A woman seeing a child being mistreated and punishing the abuser by turning into her and taking over her life feels like a very Faerie thing to do." Harry explains
"Why is this bad? It means you're a hero and she's here to help you. Like she always said."
"I know she thinks that's true and she does want to help," Harry turns a few more pages and shows Sirius the list of Abilities. Which more or less is; shapeshifting, high magical tolerance, projection, possession and,
"Suggestion, a subliminal magic in a Faerie's voice that acts as a form of mind control. Suggestion is just as it sounds a lowering or mental defences that makes the listener more agreeable to a Fae's will. While not strong enough to convince anyone to harm themselves or others if they did not already wish to, it's believed the Fae have been known to trick their way into courts and private councils throughout history." Sirius reads aloud and the amusement falls from his face. "She may not know. You don't know this is right. No one has seen a Fae since the time of Merlin."
"It'd be a hell of a coincidence if I'm wrong," Harry knows he's right. He's read these pages everyday for almost two months and Nia is everything this book says the Fae tend to be. Tricksters more than anything else. Sirius looks lost in thought for a moment before taking the book and finding another chapter.
"I had a book of fairytales when I was a child. The Lady of Camelot was my favourite but there was another about the changeling." Sirius turns the book back to Harry. A changeling is a Fae Child left in the place of a sickly muggle one. Often the parents figure out the child they have is not theirs and treat them with cruelty until the Changeling comes into their powers around the age of maturity.
"She doesn't know Harry. Even if she has used this suggestion on you I don't think she meant to, which means she needs to learn to control her power before it grows beyond her. You need to tell her what you found. She loves you more than anything Prongslet, I've seen it. She looks at you exactly how Lily and James used to. You are her son and she would never intentionally hurt you." Harry nods and puts the book away as Ron and Hermione catch up with them.
"I told you he'd be here." Ron says to Hermione and she just glares.
"Harry, why did you run after Malfoy like that?" She asks instead and Harry can't help but blush. Something Sirius catches with a smirk not unlike Zabini's.
"He's been acting strange, like he used to first year but only in front of Crabbe and Goyle. I think they're telling his father if he acts out of line with how the Malfoy's are supposed to act. Which means he only called you that because he's afraid."
"Harry, you can't save everyone, mate. Malfoy's rotten just like the rest of his family." Ron disagrees with distaste written all over his face.
"Not necessarily, my family was worse than the Malfoy's and I turned out alright." Sirius cuts in and Ron looks embarrassed.
"Maybe so but Malfoy has to want to change. You can't force him." Hermione lectures as the door to the bar opens and Sirius goes completely still. Harry turns to where Uncle Remus has just walked in and is equally still staring at Sirius.
"I'll see you at the Hog's Head at sundown uncle Padfoot. You can do this." Harry says and takes Ron and Hermione out of the bar to give them their privacy.
Hermione looks like she doesn't want to leave but Ron pulls her away as she curses at him in various languages Harry recognises a few colourful Hindi and Tamil phrases among her ranting.
"Let's go to Honeydukes," Harry turns the conversation away from their bickering and leads them into town, still thinking about Sirius and Remus, hoping they'll work it out.