Chapter 13
The first thing Boy noticed when he woke, was the fingernails gently dragging along his scalp.
“Wakey, wakey, Kitten. Time for lunch.”
He pouted. “How much longer do we have?” He mumbled sleepily.
“About ten minutes,” Penny answered.
“M’kay,” he said dopily. “Keep scratching for a couple more minutes? It’s nice.”
“Two,” she replied.
“Nine,” he countered, his eyes still closed.
“Three,”
“Eight,”
“Five,” she said sternly. “And no more. Professor Snape said you have to eat in the infirmary for some reason.”
He stuck his tongue out.
The scratching slowed. “So,” Amelia began. “Why do you have to go to the infirmary to eat?”
His eyes opened. “Oh… erm…”
“Snape won’t answer that either,” Olive observed. “He said that it was your decision to tell us or not. Kitten, are you bulimic or something? Is that why you’re so light?”
“What? No!” He sighed, sitting up. “I- can you keep a secret?”
They all gave him ‘are you serious?’ looks.
“Professor Snape thinks that the blood candy triggered something in me, and I suppose it makes sense. I just don’t want you to hate me like they do.”
“Nothing you could say would ever make us hate you, Harry.” Penny said firmly. “We love you!”
“Even if I was a Vílaupír?” He asked quietly, twisting his fingers together.
“A Veela-what?” Olive questioned, confused.
“Vílaupír,” he repeated. “It’s a cross between fae and vampire. Professor Snape gave me a book about them. It’s a race that’s been extinct since the early eighteen hundreds, well, it was thought to be extinct. I have traits from both creatures, but I swear, I’m not dangerous! I only drink blood from my… from my mate. All fae have them, and so do I. I don’t feel the need to attack anyone or anything. That’s why I was so forthcoming in the hospital wing, according to Professor Snape. They said I was out of it, because it was the first time I’d… you know, fed.” He waited for the outbursts, screams or them to run away, with his eyes squeezed shut.
“That is so cool!” Olive gushed. “So who’s your mate? Since you fed, you have to know who it is!”
When Boy stayed quiet, Penny took pity on him. “He’s allowed to keep some secrets, Olive.”
“Oh, fine!” She cried dramatically. “Keep your secrets! I might die sad and alone, but you’ll still have your secret mate!”
Boy rolled his eyes. “You’re completely mad. You do know that, don’t you?”
“Meh.” Olive shrugged. “So, does this mean that you’ll marry me too? You’re already going to marry Penelope and Amelia, and now your mate. What about me?”
“Look at you, Kitten,” Penny said with a smirk. “Only eleven years old and already building your very own harem!”
“Lucky dog,” Olive said, snorting.
Boy’s nose scrunched up and he gave his most convincing kitty-hiss.
The end of class chime sounded.
It wasn’t like the last time. It was just as intoxicating, but he didn’t lose himself or get high again. While feeling absolutely wonderful, he didn’t feel unfocused or overly chatty. What he did feel was hungry.
Madam Pomfrey had done a bit of research of her own, and discovered that without blood in his system, his body would attack itself. When she started going over all the possible side effects, he was stunned. The anemia, the food problems, the sleepless nights, his headaches. It was all from not having blood!
“But,” she assured him. “Now that you’re getting all of your nutrients, you should be able to continue eating as you used to.”
His eyes widened. By that point, he had already written off being able to enjoy his food ever again. “That’s great!”
She decided to make the transitions of his diet slow, but Boy didn’t care! He had a bowl of porridge with lots of fruit and two slices of toast! He missed toast so much! And the best part was that even ten minutes later, there was absolutely no sign of nausea or those painful stomach cramps.
Thrilled at the direction the day had taken, he let Bear carry him back to the empty classroom.
His mood shifted as the girls came back. They wanted to talk about IT.
“Since there’s no polite way to start this conversation,” Olive began bluntly. “I’m just gonna ask. What was it like for you to grow up in the Potter family?”
Boy stiffened.
“Okay,” Penny held up her hand, exasperated by her friend. “Olive, easy.”
“What about this?” Amelia asked, watching as Boy was pulled into Penny’s lap. “We each ask one specific question, and then we’ll talk about it. Yeah?”
“Just one?” Boy asked, shaking. When they nodded, he reluctantly agreed.
“Me first?” Penny asked, clearly uncomfortable. “Why were you upset when we offered to write to the Potter’s right before Yule?”
Twisting his fingers together, Boy closed his eyes. “I… I couldn’t let you write another one. Not after the first.”
“It’s okay, Kitten. You can tell us.” Amelia said softly. “Bear, go give our boy some lovin’s.”
Bear did just that, licking Boy’s face all over, then nudging clenched fingers out of the way to rest his head on Boy’s lap.
Using the slobber-wiping as a chance to collect himself, Boy let out a slow breath. “After the letter about Hogsmeade, I… I helped you get ready for your date with Freya… then I went to the pitch for a fly to keep myself awake. Professor McGonagall showed up with my father and Jamie. He… he wasn’t happy that someone had written to him about me, even though it was nothing bad… I... I never heard him put up the wards, and…” He couldn’t do it. Couldn’t tell them what happened that day, or any other day.
“That was the day you were attacked, wasn’t it?” Penny covered her mouth. “It wasn’t a random Slytherin like they said, was it?”
Unable to speak, Boy just shook his head.
Olive excused herself, completely expressionless.
Amelia had no such problem, kneeling in front of him with tears streaming down her face. “Kitten-Harry, I am so sorry! If we had known, we never would have done it. We just wanted to take you to Hogsmeade!”
Hugging his crying friend, he sniffled. “I know, which is why I’m not mad. It wasn’t your fault. I never blamed any of you for that day.”
Pulling back, Amelia looked at him like he was crazy. “Why not? I would.”
“Me too,” Penny added miserably, wiping her nose on her sleeve.
Shaking his head again, Boy spelled his hair into a messy bun. “I might still be learning how to be a friend, but even I know that would make me a terrible one. None of you knew what would happen, so how is it your fault?”
Giving a watery chuckle, Amelia carded a hand through her hair. “I think that officially makes you a better person than either of us, Harry.”
He scrunched his nose. “It’s weird to hear people call me that, you know.”
“Oh!” Amelia said, rolling her teary eyes. “My deepest apologies, Kitten.”
Penny giggled, wiping the last of her tears away and ticked off her fingers. “Buh-Harry, Kitten, Potter, Mr. Potter, Slimy Snake, Pretty Kitty, but never Harry, right?”
“No Pretty Kitty!” He cried out. “I’ll answer to a lot of things, clearly, but not that.”
The trio shared a laugh at that.
“Can we revisit your terms, ‘Melia?” Boy asked uncomfortably as their laughter died down.
“What terms?” She questioned, reclaiming her seat. Those floors were stone, after all.
“Every so often, I’ll answer one question.” He pat Bear’s head, biting his lip. “Is that okay?”
She smiled kindly at him. “That’s fine, Kitten. It’s your story, so we’ll go at your pace.”
He beamed, already feeling a little better. Maybe he could do this.
Penny shifted to the floor when Boy shyly asked if he could play with someone’s hair. When it was done, Boy pouted, so Amelia snorted and took her place. “Such a hardship, I’m sure.” She had said sarcastically, sitting on a cushion.
Digging into the chest of hair things he’d gotten for Yule, he set to work, which was how the Weasley twins found them an hour later.
“Hi, George,” Boy said, seeing him first. “Hi, Fred.”
“Little Kitten,” they said with a bow. “Lovely Ravens.”
“Have you given our proposal any thought?” Fred asked, taking a seat.
“I have,” Penny said mischievously. “You have to pass the Cuddles test.”
“Er,” George began unsurely. “You want us to cuddle you?”
Boy giggled, fanning out one of Amelia’s braids.
“Cuddles,” Penny called.
The Wyhound’s ears perked up.
“Are they worthy of Buh-Harry’s time?” She asked playfully.
Taking his job seriously, Cuddles cocked his head to the side, studying them intently. He sniffed their hands, pacing in front of them, eventually licking their faces all over.
“Penelope, I think they passed.” Amelia burst out laughing at the stunned/confused look on the twins’ faces.
Fred narrowed his eyes at the monster-sized dog, leaning in close until they were nose to nose. “You can’t tenderize someone that way. It’ll take much too long.”
As if thinking about it, Bear nudged his chest so he would lean back… then flopped right on him.
George burst out laughing, loud and boisterous. “That’ll do it!”
Perfectly content to lie under the massive ball of fluff, Fred untucked one of his arms to give a thumbs-up.
“While they’re distracted,” Penny whispered in Boy’s ear. “Do you even want to tutor them?”
“I like them,” he whispered back, finishing up Amelia’s hair. “I don’t mind.”
“Gods, Kitten!” Amelia said loudly, checking herself out in a hovering mirror. “Where were you when I had to go to my grama’s one hundredth birthday party? I wound up with a french braid that day. It was awful.”
Boy blushed.
“Nice flower,” George commented, glancing at Amelia’s hair. “How’d you get it to stay like that? Mum’s forever playing with our little sister’s hair, but it always goes flat.”
Boy took a ceramic pot out of his kit and shook it. “I made a combination gel. It’ll only work for people with ‘Melia’s hair type.”
Amelia gasped loudly. “Kitten! Are you calling me black?!”
Pretending to think about it, Boy tapped his chin. “Yup!”
“Okay. Just checking.” Amelia turned her focus to her magazine.
“You created a miracle goo-” Came Fred’s muffled voice.
“Just to play with someone’s hair?” George finished.
Confused, Boy just nodded. “A few. Why?”
“So, what does hers do, Buh-Harry?” Penny asked curiously.
“When it’s wet, it relaxes all of her natural curls.” He pointed out the braids, which were straightened before they were done. “And when it dries, it acts like muggle hairspray, but without making her hair all… crunchy.”
From the corner of his eye, he could see Fred reach up to poke Bear. “Um… giant Bear Dog… can I get up yet?”
“Cuddles!” Boy called out lightly. “You’ve tenderized him well enough.”
“Yeah.” Penny added. “He’ll be nice and soft for when you finally decide to eat him.”
Giving a big, doggy grin, Bear climbed off of Fred and curled up by Amelia, who was still sitting at Boy’s feet.
“Alright,” Penny said. “Captains’ Mischief and Mayhem.”
“Yes?” The twins said together.
“What are you offering for tutoring lessons?” She asked sternly. “You said favors, but what would that entail?”
The twins exchanged a look.
“Well,” Fred began. “We could be your lab assistants.”
“Or act as guards.” George added. “From older students-”
“Or your brother.”
Boy bit his lip as Amelia turned around, eyeing him.
“Is there something you neglected to tell us, Kitten?”
He shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
“Well, that’s a lie.” George said with a snort. “Look, I know I’m not a part of your little gang, but your brother is a right little bastard to you. The way he talks to you and about you… that’s not what a brother is supposed to be like. Trust me, I have five of them. None of them would ever even consider acting like that towards a family member.”
“Ron might be the most bigoted out of us,” Fred said, shaking his head. “But Jamie says things about you that Ron wouldn’t even say about a Death Eater when he thinks no one is listening.”
“Even though,” George continued. “There’s always someone listening.”
Penny and Amelia’s jaws dropped. They had heard some of the things Ron said about people he didn’t like, especially Slytherins, so they knew that it had to be bad.
“Don’t,” Boy begged. “Please just let this go.”
"I'll drop it, but only because we have a pair of guards for hire here." Amelia was not impressed.
"Does this mean you'll take it easy on us during quidditch?" Fred asked with a hopeful grin.
"Nope!" The girls replied, collapsing into fits of giggles.
Boy gave a weak smile. "Sorry, guys. No can do. If Penny hadn't had a falling-out with Percy, maybe, but I can't do it."
"Sisters before misters!" Olive shouted from the doorway, making everyone jump.
"And precisely what have you been doing all this time?" Amelia demanded, her left brow raising slightly.
Olive sighed. "I threw myself a pity party, okay? That letter was my idea, so I went off to mope about it for a little while."
Sighing, Boy picked up a transfigured pillow and threw it at her. "Feel better now?"
"No," she said, tossing it on the other end of the sofa. "But I knew you'd be mad if I blamed myself for it."
"Exactly!" Boy grinned unabashedly. "Glad you've come to your senses."
She rolled her eyes, flopping on the sofa and pulling his legs onto her lap.
More than used to this, he allowed the gesture. "Alright, Mischief and Mayhem," he said to the twins. "I think we can schedule some tutoring. It'll have to be after dinner on Wednesday and weekends. Between my own work and quidditch and the salon, that's all I can do."
January passed quickly for Boy. He was busy morning, noon and night. Between his fifth year classes, sixth year homework, tutoring the twins, studying for his OWL’s, running the salon and quidditch practices and games, he was exhausted. It was getting to the point that he was back to using his timetable to remember which classes he was supposed to be in, as he was having difficulties keeping track of his days.
At some point in the first week of February, Professor Snape held him back after class.
Sitting quietly, he waited for the rest of his classmates to shuffle out of the room.
“Mr. Potter,” the professor said sharply, shutting the door with a wave of his hand. “Come up here.”
Following instructions, Boy held onto Bear as he hopped down from his stool. “Yes, sir?” He asked, approaching the man’s desk.
“I have been making inquiries, Mr. Potter,” he began, shifting stacks of parchment into his desk drawer. “Into your situation.”
His brow furrowed. “What situation, sir?”
Professor Snape rolled his eyes. “Your living situation, brat. As it stands, your current placement is clearly insufficient.”
Knowing that his broom cupboard hadn’t been discovered, Boy knew he was talking about the Potter’s. His gaze dropped to his knotted fingers.
“Yes, sir,” he whispered sadly.
“A close friend of mine has ties with the Ministry. He will be able to get in touch with the right people and things will move more quickly with him on our side.”
Boy bit his lip and nodded slowly. “You’ll have to tell him as well, then, Professor?”
“To make any kind of legal moves against light oriented war heroes, yes.” The dark man said softly. “I understand your hesitancy to discuss such things with strangers, or even your friends, but Lord Malfoy-”
“Lucius?” Boy was shocked that his professor was friends with the aristocrat.
Ignoring the interruption for now, he gave a nod. “Indeed,” he said. “How do you know the Malfoy Lord?”
Boy smiled. “He was at my competency testing at the ministry in July. His was the first wand that I ever used! He was really nice and invited me to their Yule Ball and introduced me to a lot of really fascinating people!”
The professor’s brows rose in surprise. There were so many things wrong with that statement. “Why in Salazar’s name were you given competency tests?” Best to start at the start, he supposed.
Boy twisted his fingers together, not meeting his professor’s penetrating gaze. “My… my father didn’t know I could read, sir.”
Astonishment, confusion and anger flickered across the potion’s Master’s face before slipping back into his usual cold indifference. “Be that as it may,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Before a case is brought to light, we will need to find someone willing to take you in. Relatives, godparents, a friend perhaps.”
What was he supposed to say? He didn’t have any of those to his knowledge. Friends, sure, but he wasn’t going to ask their families to deal with him. It wasn’t fair to them.
Still twisting his fingers, he thought hard. “The only other relatives I have are muggles, and I’ve never met them. I don’t even know who they are. I overheard them talking about how disgraceful and embarrassing it was to have muggle family, even if it was only through marriage.”
At that, the professor raised his brow slightly. “Petunia,” he sneered disgustedly. “Blood notwithstanding, you will never set foot in that woman’s house. She is the type of person who would make your current medical report look like a mere excerpt within six months. I won’t allow it.”
“Yes, sir.” So that was it. There was nowhere he could go. If his only relative was worse than Ma’am and Sir, then he would have to stay where he was. His shoulders slumped in defeat.
“What of your godparents?” The man asked, watching the small creature curiously.
Boy looked up, a confused look on his face. “I don’t think I have any, sir.”
Holding back a sigh, Professor Snape uncorked an inkpot and began writing. “Am I to assume, given your familiarity with Lord Malfoy, that you would not be averse to my contacting him on your behalf?” He noted the brief smile at the mention of his friend and filed it away for later.
Boy shook his head happily. He liked Lucius, and Narcissa was really nice too. While he wasn’t exactly thrilled to be dealing with any of this, he appreciated the lengths that his professor was willing to go through to help him. The fact that it was with the assistance of people that he already liked was helpful. While it wouldn’t make things any easier, it would hopefully keep it from becoming any more difficult.
Exactly one week later, the Potions Master held him back after class once more.
When he indicated the seat next to his desk, Boy flopped down.
“Sorry, professor,” Boy said sheepishly at seeing the raised eyebrow. “It’s been a long day.”
“Have you been sleeping?”
With only a half second of hesitation, he nodded. “Yes, sir. Just busy. So… what did you need me for, sir?”
“Nothing more than to inform you that the trial will take place the day after the equinox.”
Paling dramatically, Boy gasped. “So soon?”
“I would hardly call that soon, Mr. Potter. It is just over six weeks away. ‘Soon’ is that wretched holiday, made up of chocolates and wishful thinking.”
Boy looked at him in confusion. He knew that there were a lot of holidays, but could only remember the bigger ones. Yule, the solstices, Samhain and April Fool’s Day, which he only knew because it was the twins’ birthday. That was about it. He’d heard of a few others, but had no idea when they were. Oh, and he knew that the muggle Queen’s birthday was April 21st and that a lot of people celebrated it like a holiday, even if she celebrated it in June. That, he didn’t understand, but she was the Queen. Maybe she wanted to wait for better weather.
“Do I need to do anything to prepare, sir?” He asked, making a mental note to ask his friends about the chocolate holiday.
“Lucius will be here this afternoon to discuss it more fully.” The professor said simply. “He has also informed me that he will not be alone. With him will be an auror as well as a representative of the DMCW.”
Boy’s brow knit. “I’m not familiar with the DMCW. What’s that, sir?”
“It stands for the Department of Magical Childrens’ Welfare.”
The man needn’t explain further, as he understood immediately.
Numbly, Boy left the classroom. He put no thought into his destination, merely trusting that Bear knew where he was supposed to be at this time. Sitting high up on his doggy’s back, he leaned forward, letting his cheek rest between Bear’s ears.
It wasn’t until Bear stopped for head scratchies from Madam Pince that Boy realized he was in the library. Oh, right. He was meeting Penny and Amelia. Olive was off with some Hufflepuff seventh year to ‘see if he was worth her precious time’.
According to Amelia, she was a serial dater, but managed to maintain her ‘virtue’. Whatever that meant.
“Perfect timing, Kitten,” Amelia said absently, flipping through her book. “I can’t find the section on the Polyjuice potion that you mentioned the other day.”
Bear licked her face, attempting to bring her out of focus. Barely pausing to wipe away the doggy drool, she kept flipping pages.
Climbing down, Boy skimmed through the titles of her stack of books and pulled out the right one. “Chapter twenty-four.”
“Ah!” She said triumphantly, taking the book and discarding the other. “Thank you!”
Boy just shrugged and cuddled with Penny on the oversized armchair.
It took a few seconds for her to finish writing her note, but she eventually leaned back and slung her arm around him. “You okay, Buh-Harry?”
“I think so?”
Penny threw a crumpled up ball of parchment at Amelia, who finally unglued herself from her books.
“So, what’s up?” Penny asked sympathetically.
Amelia, who was about to complain about being used for target practice, stayed quiet upon seeing the slight fear on her little friends’ face.
“They set the trial,” he replied quietly, snuggling deeper into Penny’s side.
As neither one knew what to say to their small friend, they gave what comfort they could by leading him to their hangout and piling together on a small sofa.