1990
Harry had been in Divination, but Trelawney had kicked him out, for the class the reason was that he had “bad energy that was not conductive to the readings” but the honest reason was that people were starting to get suspicious of him not touching the crystal balls.
He was walking aimlessly through the hallways when he stopped suddenly. “Professor?” he asked.
“Harry.” Professor Snape answered. “How did you know I was here?”
Harry thought for a second “I think you’re touching the wall, sir.”
“I am” the professor said.
“I’ve always been able to see Hogwarts, sir. I don’t know why. I couldn’t see you last time I checked, but I could tell you were there through the castle.” Harry explained.
“Is that why you clung to my legs two summers ago?”
“Yes sir.”
“Would you like to try again?”
“Yes please sir.” Harry tentatively grabbed the stoic professor’s hand, however he could not see him any better than last time, that is to mean, he couldn’t see him at all. “Sorry sir, nothing.”
“Where were you walking?”
“I dunno. I was following the castle.”
“Well, I’ll leave you to it then”
“Bye professor.”
Harry didn’t have a particular destination in mind, he was just wandering through the castle, but it seemed to be leading him somewhere. He walked through a doorway and heard wails.
“Hello? Are you alright?” He called out.
“Who are you? What are you doing in the girls lavatory?” a whiney annoying voice said.
“Dunno, the castle led me here.” He answered. “Who are you?”
“You can’t tell? I’m moaning myrtle, the ghost of the girls bathroom.” Myrtle said.
“Oh, nice to meet you Myrtle.” Harry said. The ghost didn’t speak for a few moments, but then Harry felt magic go through him and he was suddenly breathless.
“I’m sorry” Myrtle wailed. “Most humans don’t react that way to going through ghosts.”
Harry struggled to regain his breath for a moment “It’s alright. I didn’t know either. I can tell Maimeo now.” He was still breathing heavily and when he stood up he reached for the closest thing to him. It felt like a faucet, so he turned it, maybe some cold water on his face would make him feel better. His entire body felt…wrong in some way. But no water came out of the faucet.
“Myrtle? What’s happening?” Harry asked.
“The sinks disappeared into the floor.” Myrtle answered.
“Can you go get Headmistress McGonagalll pleases”
“I don’t leave the bathroom.” Myrtle answered.
“Why not?”
“The other ghosts don’t like me.”
“Please. I need McGonagall Myrtle. Just this once.”
“Alright.” Myrtle answered.
Harry waited…and waited…and waited. And finally Myrtle came back. “She’s on her way.”
“Thank you Myrtle.”
oOo
“Harry? Are you alright?” Maimeo’s voice asked.
“Yes Maimeo, I just broke something I think.”
“A bone?” Maimeo sounded distressed.
“No, the sink.”
“This is interesting” Professor Snape’s voice rang out.
“Professor Snape? What are you doing here?”
“I saw McGonagall practically running through the halls and followed her, thinking it was an emergency.” Snape said.
“Oh, well thank you.” Harry said. “Maimeo, what is this?”
“I don’t know love, maybe we should go down and check it out?” Maimeo said.
“Really?” Harry asked with a smile. “I don’t know…this might be the part of the castle that was unfriendly.”
“What do you mean?” Maimeo asked.
“When Sprout first showed me the castle, there was a part that felt unfriendly.” Harry said.
“Well we won’t know if we don’t go down there.” Maimeo said. “What are grandma’s for, love?”
“For helping with mischief” Harry said with a small smile and suddenly he was in Maimeo’s arms sliding down a tube.
He heard something crack upon their landing, and then as Maimeo brushed him off he heard a scoff, presumably Snape.
“Are these bones?” Snape asked.
“Yes, Professor, lets move along.” Maimeo said.
The bones crunched beneath Maimeo’s feet as she walked with him.
“Is this…” Snape began “the Chamber of secrets?”
“It can’t be, only Salazar’s heirs could find it.” Maimeo said.
“What’s the chamber of secrets?” Harry asked as Maimeo set him down. “Is there a wall beside me?”
“Yes love.” Maimeo said and he reached out to feel metal coils. “The chamber of secrets was a legend from one of the founders, presumably only to be found by his heir”
Now that Harry was closer to the presumed “unfriendly part” of the castle he realized that the magic was slightly different from the rest of the castle, but nothing dark.
As his senses of magic grew, so did his understanding. The magic of goblins for example, was very different than that of wizards. And as he had learned before, each wizard had different magic. The rest of the castle held a warmth, an invitation for all that walked its halls, this…this was meant for few, and made by one person with incredible strength. The castle, as he had read, was created by four founders, who worked in sync to build its walls, and therefore the magic integrated with other’s easily.
But this part felt nothing like what he had felt in the rest of the castle, or the grinfotss vaults, there was no allure and no open invitation. And then…he heard it. Something that was quiet, so quiet. He strained his ears trying to make our what was beign said, but it seemed that the voice was beyong the walls.
“Can you open the door Maimeo?” Harry asked.
“I do not think so, Mr. Tonks.” Snape said. “It’s only meant to be opened by the heir of Slytherin.”
Harry frowned and asked the door what it needed to open.
Speak open
Open Harry said and Maimeo gasped, but the door opened before them. “What?” He asked.
“You’re a parselmouth.” Maimeo said.
“What’s that?” Harry asked.
“You can speak to snakes.” Snape said.
“So what’s in the chamber?” Harry asked.
Maimeo picked him up and walked into the chamber, her footsteps echoeing off the stone.
“It’s a basalisk” snape ssaid, “Long dead.”
“The floors are beautiful.” Maimeo said. “Such a smooth black stone.”
“Maimeo, I want to touch.” Harry said. Maimeo put him down. He placed his hand on the floor and was able to see the magic in the chamber. It was impressive, but one thing was strange, out of place. “Maimeo, is there…water?”
“Yes love.” Maimeo ansered.
Harry toed off his shoes and discovered something that would change his life. He could see magic just as well through his feet as his hands. “Maimeo, I can see through my feet!”
Maimeo laughed. “Wonderful.”
Harry carefully waded into the water, conjured water, he could tell, it felt vaguely unnerving before feeling a hand grasped his foot. He didn’t panic, it was buzzing like myrtle felt but much softer, or less intense, hard to descibe. The hand couldn’t hold him there, but if he moved the soft buzz that he currently felt on his skin would become overwhelming, so he reached down. Next to his hand was what he had felt before, and he wondered how it got there. He picked it up, it was quite heavy and felt magic within the blade.
oOo
McGonagall saw her grandson pluck a sword from the water, before a bright light overtook him and he was holding a wand.
“Harry?” She asked.
“Maimeo, I found my wand!” Harry said excitedly.
McGonagall looked towards snape, but he was looking in detail at the basalisk carcuss and seemed to have missed what happened. “What is it made of love?” she asked at the waters edge.
“It’s…Holly?” Harry’s face was scrunched with concentration. “and the core…two dragon feathers?” Harry looked confused. “Why does it have two cores…and dragons don’t have feathers do they?”
“I don’t know love, maybe you can ask Ollivander about the cores, and Kettleburn about the dragons” McGonagall said.
Harry nodded before wading out of the water. “Maimeo, can I not wear shoes here, please?”
Looking into those green eyes, she couldn’t refuse. “Of course love.”
Harry smiled and then a look crossed his face. “Oh, and can you ask the ghosts not to pass through me. It doesn’t feel good.”
“What do you mean love?”
“I couldn’t breathe when Myrtle passed through me.”
McGognall frowned. “Come Professor Snape. We have classes to get to.” She called as she began to walk out of the room. The professor looked devastated to leave the carcuss for less than half a second ebfore he reformed his mask and followed her out the door. “Will you seal this please Harry love?”
oOo
Close Harry said, and he was able to see the wrungs of the ladder now that he wore no sheos, aptly climbing up by himself before getting slightly lost at the top before Snape helped him up. “Thank you.” He said, realizing that there was a lot about this man that he did not know, and accepting that it might always be that way. He gasped.
“Harry?” Maimeo said.
“I can see Professor Snape.” Harry said excitedly.
“Why now?” The professor sneered.
Harry frowned in concentration, why now indeed. “I need Dora, and Bill.” Harry said.
oOo
Dora didn’t know why she was at the Headmistress’ office after classes, but she saw her brother upon entry and picked him up and spun him around.
“Hello littler brother.” Dora said “What’s up?’
Harry smiled “I found my wand!” Dora frowned, they were supposed to go to Ollivanders next year together. “It was in the chamber of secrets” Harry went on.
“What?” Dora asked stunned.
“And I can see Professor Snape!” Harry went on, not apparently reading his sisters distress.
Then the floo roared to life.
“Hello?” Bill said.
“Bill, what are you doing here?” Dora asked.
“Presumably Harry asked for me, else the Goblins wouldn’t have let me off early.” Bill said as he shrugged and then hugged her brother.
“Why not Carlyle?” Dora asked, mostly to herself.
“Because he doesn’t understand magic, Bill was head boy.” Harry said as he sat in one of the chairs by the fire.
“Okay, bud, what do you need then?” Bill asked as he sat across from him.
Dora was feeling slightly off kilter from her brother not just asking her help so she picked him up off his chair and sat him in her lap. “Start at the beginning little brother.” She started when Kreacher popped in next to them.
“Here Kreacher” Harry said. “Keep this safe for me, mum won’t want me to have it.” Kreacher beamed as he took the wand from the boy.
Harry recounted his visit down to the chamber of secrets in a jumble of excitement, but the glaring problem, just an hour prior he hadn’t been able to see Professor Snape and right after he came up, he could.
“What were you thinking as you came up from the chamber of secrets Harry?” Bill asked.
“Well…I was thinking how I would never really know the true professor Snape, and then I thought that I could accept that.” Harry said.
“I want you to touch me Harry, alright?” Bill asked. When Harry left her lap Dora felt strangely bereft, she wasn’t usually this possessive of her younger sibling and she wondered why it was bothering her so much. “Can you see me?”
“No.” Harry said.
“Okay, who can you see again?” Bill asked.
“Mum, Dora, Dad, Caryle, Maimeo, Kettleburn, Percy, Ginny, Pomfrey, Fred, and Professor Snape.” Harry listed off.
“So, obviously the glaring issue here is why you can’t see George, what’s different?” Bill asked.
“Well…I dunno I think that Fred has accepted me as I am, and I accept that he’s sometimes mean and likes to prank people. George is still trying to figure out if they can fix me.” Harry explained.
“So…Fred has accepted you and you’ve accepted him. George has not accepted you. And professor Snape, has he accepted you? You’ve accepted him.” Dora said.
Harry shrugged “We could ask, but I don’t think he’d say.”
“Have you not accepted me Harry?” Bill asked.
“I just…I know you like cursebreaking and you’re really smart, but there are still things I want to know about you, I think those will come with time. But I accept how you are in my life.” Harry explained ringing his hands together.
“Try again” Bill urged and Harry reached out to take his hand. “Do you accept me as I am?”
“Yes.” Harry said. Dora watched her brother’s face light up. Dora looked at Bill in a new light. She knew that he was smart, beyond smart, but she hadn’t seen him like this with Harry since he’d first flown with them.
“So, you have to accept people. But I think first you either have to acknowledge the fact that there are things about them that you will never know or that your relationship will grow with time.” Bill explained.
“What about Kreacher?” Harry asked.
“You could try.” Bill said, Dora could hear the hesitation in his voice.
“Kreacher?” Harry reached out a hand.
oOo
Kreacher’s familiar knobby hand was in his and Harry took a moment.
‘Kreacher is kind, mean to others but overall has a good heart. He saved you, lives with people he doesn’t really understand to stay with you and watches over you. He’s different from you, he lives to serve and you may never quite understand why he did what he did, because while you would do the same thing it would be for different reasons, but you can accept that he has knowledge that you never will.’ He thought.
Harry gasped, he could see part of Kreacher. It was almost like Carlyle, duller somehow and he knew that Kreacher was a lot more powerful than Carlyle, then a surge so bright caused him to let go.
“Kreacher” He breathed. “You’re more powerful than anyone gives you credit for, I think I’ll need a damper on seeing you” He said with a slight laugh.
“The young master can see me!” Kreacher nearly squealed as he hugged Harry. “Kreacher be making young master Harry’s favorite dessert tonight, Kreacher will be forcing Andromeda out of the kitchens” then popped out.
Dora looked at the blank space the house elf left for a second before laughing. Bill started to laugh as well, and then Harry joined them.
“Thank you.” Harry said. “Thank you both.”
“Harry?” Dora asked.
“Yes Dora?”
“Can I talk with you alone for a second?”
“I’ll just go back to the bank then. Good to see you Harry, Tonks” Bill nodded at them each as he left via floo.
“I don’t know why, but I was feeling pretty irked for you inviting Bill.” Dora began. “I think that maybe I miss the time we spent together when you were younger, and we only have one more year before I leave Hogwarts.”
“Dora” Harry said as he hugged her “I only spend one meal a week with you ‘alone’, it used to be almost every day. I miss you as well. Maybe it’s like your first year here, I had trouble adjusting. But we can make more time together if you’d like”
“I’d like that little brother.” Dora said.
“Me too.”
oOo
Harry was on the quidditch pitch with Charlie and Oliver, Charlie was going over drills with the younger player, he was going to take over captaincy, the youngest next year and he was soaking up the information.
“Hey Harry” Cedric said. Harry hadn’t spent too much time with the older Hufflepuff.
“Hi Cedric.”
“Do you just listen to what they’re saying…or?” cedric asked awkwardly,
“Yeah I just listen. I can see magic so Ollie let me hold his broom for a second, and I’ve already felt Charlie’s. I can kinda imagine them zooming around.”
“Cool” Cedric said.
“Yeah.”
“Harry?” Charlie called out.
“What?”
“We were just wondering if you’d like to feel the snitch before we let it off.” Charlie said.
“Yeah!” Harry said excitedly and got up.
“Would you mind?” He asked Cedric, the quidditch pitch had very little magic involved so he couldn’t really see anything out there. Cedric grabbed his elbow and led him over to the two.
Someone put something in his hands and he felt fluttering against his fingers, he wondered if different snitches had different spells. He made sure to understand the signature before releasing it.
“Harry!” Oliver said.
“What?”
“You weren’t supposed to release it.” Charlie said.
“I’ll get it” Cedric said.
“Whose broom did he take?” Harry asked.
“Mine” Oliver said, not quite happy. “Holy hell, why is he in Hufflepuff? He’s a born seeker!”
Harry thought he understood the Hufflepuff better now, he was very nice and well liked but also more of an athlete than either him or Dora.
oOo
Ginny told Harry that Cedric was cute, he couldn’t tell himself. Cedric had been invited by the twins to the burrow, and the boy seemed to like the Weasley family. Carlyle called his sexual orientation pansexual because he didn’t prefer one gender just the soul.
Harry yelped in Ginny’s room. He’d found it, they were going through a pile of sticks that Ginny had collected since the last time he was there. “Ginny we have to go find Ron.” He said and had her lead him down the steps that he still had problems with.
“Ron!” He yelled into the yard where Ron, Charlie and Diggory were playing. The twins were up to something sneaky, Dora was busy with school.
“What is it Harry?” The boy said as he ran up to him.
“I’ve found it” He handed over a rather unimpressive log to the boy.
Charlie quickly realized something was up, he ran over with Cedric on his heels. He gasped. “Have you found it then Harry?” He asked.
“Found what?” Cedric asked.
“It’s Ron’s wand!” Harry was jumping up and down, as he tended to do when he got excited.
“That’s a log” Cedric said. Ron handed him the sketch. “That” he pointed to the sketch “Is in there?” Pointing towards the wand.
Everyone nodded.
“We’ll have to get Garrick to carve it, plus put in a core. I think unicorn hair, but I also have been looking into new cores as you know.”
“Yeah mate, we know.” Ron said with a smile.
Ginny had thought that Harry had forgotten her request for a wand years ago, but it seemed he took great care with these things, so she wasn’t that put out that he’d found Ron’s first.
oOo
Dora and he had decided that Sunday lunch was their time and so Dora took to taking him around, finding new foods at different restaurants. Today they were just at the Leaky.
“What do you think you’ll go into Dora?” Harry asked.
“I think I’m going to study healing. I think that Minerva would appreciate a fully trained healer at Hogwarts, don’t you?” She asked with a smile.
“How long does it take to become a certified healer?” Harry asked.
“Four years normally, but I think I may be able to accomplish it in three.” Dora said, knowing her brother was quite good with math.
“You could be at Hogwarts with me for my fourth year?” He asked excitedly.
“Yeah, I could.” Dora said.
Harry’s smile was absolutely huge.
“I love you Dora.”
“I love you too, little brother.”
oOo
They visited Ollivander’s shop for two reasons, one to figure out the cores in Harry’s wand and two to ask him to carve Ron’s.
“This is your wand my boy?” Ollivander asked Harry.
“Yes, it’s strange, Holly, ten inches, two dragon feather core.” Harry explained.
“Well, let’s start with the wood. Holly, your birth month ‘The Ruler’” Ollivander began “Holly is protective, Holly is very dependent on it’s core.”
“Yeah, there’s two feathers, when I asked Kettleburn he’d never heard of dragons with feathers.” Harry said.
“I believe…yes…I believe that this wand is quite old. Known by a name that may be familiar but make little sense. Dragons in the days of old bonded with powerful humans, and as such, did not need such thick skin. It wasn’t until humans started to attack them that they developed scales.” Ollivander paused. “I believe if you were to open this wand to view the cores one feather would be white, and one red.”
Three blank faces looked back at him.
“A powerful red dragon was bonded to Ambrosius Aurelianus, a white bonded to Vortigern. The two leaders fought and their dragons died, creating a rift between the races. These dragons bore the feathers for your core.” Ollivander said.
“And the wands name?” Andy asked.
“Excalibur” Ollivander said.
“The sword?” Ted asked.
“It would seem…” Ollivander said. “Now, this wand, what do you see?” Ollivander successfully diverted all questions on Harry’s wand.
oOo
That year Harry didn’t know anyone who was being sorted. The only names that stuck out were Cho, Eddie and Marcus, and that was mostly because they were right after one another, all going into Ravenclaw.
Divination this year, was his third year and the year associated with the OWLs, he wasn’t sure he was going to take them. He’d had private lessons with Trelawney and repeated the prophecy, he didn’t fancy doing so in front of a group of strangers, although the prophecy had already made it into the hall of prophecies.
Dora was in seventh year, and it was going to be really hectic for her, they’d already discussed making time for each other, and Maimeo had expressed her interest in a fully certified healer at the school.