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Harry Potter And The Twists Of Fate | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:All, All Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, Fluff, Humor Warnings: Extreme Language, Sexual Situations, Violence Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 475 Summary: What if the fates let Harry's parents live that night he got his scar, plus gave him a younger sister and become friends with the Weasleys, especially Ron earlier. What would be different? Hitcount: Story Total: 324082; Chapter Total: 8562 |
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Chapter 14: Chamber Secrets Molly and Arthur Weasley had decided to visit Bill in Egypt during the Christmas Holidays. The five Weasley children at Hogwarts didn’t want to go; Ron and Ginny didn’t want to leave their friends, the twins thought Christmas was more fun in England and Percy wanted to keep his four younger siblings in line. So they were invited to spend the Christmas holidays at Potter Manor. Rooming arrangements were made. Ron would share Harry’s room and Ginny would share Rose’s room. To his horror, Percy found himself sharing a guest room with the twins. His two youngest siblings had a good laugh when they found out, wondering what the twins would do to their perfect older brother. The holidays proved to be the ideal break for Ron, Harry and their sisters. Away from Hogwarts and the reminder of the Chamber, they had time to enjoy themselves. Harry noticed that Ginny was happier and livelier, almost back to her usual mischievous self. Hermione and Neville came over almost everyday to spend time with their friends. It was the day before Christmas when Harry finally managed to get his dad alone by telling him that he had something important to ask. They went into the library and sat down on a couch. “So, son, what is it you wanted to ask me?” Harry looked nervously at his feet. James noticed his son’s nervousness and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Harry, what is it? You can ask me anything. I’m your father. I’ll understand whatever it is you want to know.” Then, as Harry raised his head, James asked with a twinkle in his eye, “This wouldn’t have to do with girls now, would it?” Harry’s eyes bulged. “Er, actually, no, Dad.” James breathed a sigh of relief, “Whew, I’m glad I don’t have to give you ‘the talk’ yet.” “Um, what’s ‘the talk’, Dad?” “Never you mind now. Maybe we can have it in a few years. But now, what is it you wanted to ask me?” “Um, well, Dad,” Harry stammered, “I was wondering if Salazar Slytherin was an ancestor of ours.” James hadn’t expected this. His eyebrows rose to his hairline. “Whoa, what kind of question is that? Of course not, there’s no connection between Slytherin and our family.” Harry felt a surge of relief but he had to make sure. “You’re sure, Dad?” “Definitely,” James said, “Now, what brought that on?” Harry looked nervously at his feet again, unwilling to answer. James placed a finger on his son’s chin and lifted it so he could look into the boy’s green eyes. “Come on now, son. Tell me. I told you that I’ll understand whatever it is you want to tell me.” Harry sighed, “All right, Dad.” He then told him about the writing on the wall, what happened to Colin and the incident in the Dueling Club, including speaking Parseltongue. However, he didn’t tell him about the voice he kept hearing. At the end of Harry’s tale, James sighed, “Harry, I already know about the writing on the wall and the attack on your friend. Dumbledore told me about them right after each incident. Of course, he didn’t tell me you had spoken Parseltongue.” James paused, trying to decide what to tell his son. “Being able to speak Parseltongue doesn’t mean you’re descended from Salazar Slytherin. In fact,” he leaned closer to Harry and whispered, “you are actually descended from Godric Gryffindor.” Harry’s eyes bulged, “Really?” James smiled and continued in a low voice, “Really. It’s not known in general. In fact, you won’t find it mentioned in any book. It’s a secret passed from father to son. Only your mother, Sirius and Remus know this though I suspect Dumbledore knows, too. I’m still deciding whether to tell your sister.” Harry’s face was filled with the awe he felt about being descended from a founder of Hogwarts, in fact, the founder of his house. James chuckled in amusement at the look of incredulity on Harry’s face. Then, he leaned back. “Now, I’m not sure why you can speak Parseltongue. If I may hazard a guess, it may be that when Voldemort tried to curse you, the backlash caused some of his powers to pass to you. It was known that he could speak Parseltongue. He often claimed to be descended from Slytherin.” Harry eyed his father dubiously. “So, I may have gotten this from Voldemort?” James sighed, “That’s the most likely explanation I can think of. Suppose I run this through Dumbledore and your mother, and see what they think?” Harry looked a little uncomfortable with the idea, then he sighed, “Okay, Dad, but only with them.” James smiled, “Of course, son. In the meantime, tell me how Mrs. Norris looked petrified. I daresay that cat caused me and the other Marauders grief every now and then. In fact, Sirius once remarked that she would look good stuffed.” Harry laughed and launched into a description of Mrs. Norris stiff as a board. ______________________________ ________________________________________ Christmas Eve and Day was a joyous occasion in Potter Manor. It began in the morning with everyone staying in the Manor gathering around the Christmas Tree in the living room to open presents. They were all pleased with their gifts. Harry particularly liked the new Seeker gloves Rose and Ginny had gotten him. He had gotten each of the girls a large assortment of chocolates from Honeydukes, courtesy of Fred and George, knowing that the girls shared an insane love of chocolate in any form. They had a great breakfast, which ended with Percy turning into a yellow canary for about ten minutes before molting and returning to his usual self. He left the table in disgust, having already been the target of the twins for the past week they had stayed at Potter Manor. So far, Percy had had his hair turned green; his bedsheet shortened, twice; been stuck to the toilet seat for two hours; forced to dance in a clown suit and turned neon pink all over. The other children had had a great laugh from it all. The four younger kids spent the morning flying around on their brooms. Again, Rose and Ginny had fun flying around the boys, in spite of Harry’s Nimbus 2000. Percy spent the day in the library. Lunch was another fun affair, with Sirius and Remus joining the Potters and their young houseguests. The older Marauders were highly amused with the tales of the pranks their younger proteges had done. Hermione and Neville joined them for dinner. After dinner, they all gathered around a grand piano in the Ballroom, singing carols, while it snowed outside. Hermione and Neville spent the night in Potter Manor, staying in Rose’s and Harry’s room respectively. The next day, they had a great snowball fight after breakfast. Then, they all sat around planning a prank they would pull on the night they returned to Hogwarts, before Hermione and Neville left. Hermione was going with her parents to visit some of her other relatives and would see the others on the Platform on January 3. Two days later, while they were having breakfast, James said to Harry, “Son, how would you like to see some aurors in training, specifically learning some spells and dueling?” Harry’s eyes widened, “Really, Dad? I’d love, too!” James smiled, “There’s a group halfway through their training, who are having a practical session this afternoon. You can observe some of the spells they use. After that spell you used on Quirrell last June, I think you’d be interested in these.” Harry grinned, “Great. It felt good when I used that spell.” James grinned back, “Good, I wanted to do this a few months ago, but with your punishment and having to get you cleared to observe it, I just got permission last week. Oh, Ron, Fred, George, you three can go along with Harry. I’ve talked to Arthur and he gave permission.” James shrugged also, “Sure, if you want.” Harry and Ron grinned at each other. “Wicked,” Ron said. The twins gave each other a high five. James turned to Percy, “You can come too if you want.” Percy just shrugged, “Is it okay, Mr. Potter, if I just sit this one out. I still have some homework to finish.” “Hey!” Rose said, “What about me and Ginny? Can we go with them?” James looked at Lily, who shook her head. James sighed. “Sorry, princess, your mother says you’re too young. You’re just starting to learn spells. Knowing you, once you see some of the spells the aurors use, you may be tempted to try them. It may be too dangerous for you.” He looked at Ginny, “I’m sorry, Ginny, but Molly also said the same thing.” Rose scowled, “Hey! Harry and Ron are only a year older than us. Besides, he’s sure to try those spells once he’s seen them.” Her face was starting to turn as red as her hair. Lily sat down beside her daughter and placed her hands gently on the girl’s shoulders. “Rose, honey, you have to understand. We believe Harry will be able to handle the spells he may see being cast.” Rose crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s not fair,” she said grumpily. Ginny just sat there, looking miserable. Harry felt a twinge of guilt at the sight of the two disappointed girls. He turned to his Mum, “Mum, why don’t you take Rose and Ginny shopping in Muggle London while we are with the aurors. I’m sure they’d enjoy it. It’s been a while since they’d done that.” Lily smiled, “Good idea, Harry” she turned to the girls, “Well, girls, how about it? Feel up to a shopping expedition along Charing Cross?” Harry leaned over to his sister and whispered, “Don’t worry. I’ll pass out what I see, wand movements and all.” The girls’ mood brightened as they nodded their heads. After lunch, James apparated back to Potter Manor. Lily and the girls flooed over to the Leaky Cauldron to get a cab. James and the boys flooed to the Ministry, leading them down the golden hall of the fireplaces past the fountain that Harry had always disliked for some reason. Once past security, they took a lift to the fifth floor. James led them through a set of metal doors into a large room that had a large mattress covering the floor. Standing at attention to one side of the room were ten young men and women, just a little bit older than Percy. In front of them, glaring at the auror recruits was Sirius, dressed in the same auror uniform as James. Sirius broke into a grin at the sight of James and his charges. He ordered the recruits to the side and approached the visitors. “Hey, guys, how are you all doing?” he said, his grin growing wider. The boys grinned back at him. “We’re great, Sirius,” Harry said, “We can’t wait to see what happens here.” Sirius gave a chuckle and said, “All right, just sit down over by the side and watch.” The four boys sat on the grass while James and Sirius went back to the recruits. For the next two hours, they watched the recruits face off and throw spells at each other. Harry watched with fascination, paying attention to the incantations and words used. He saw several spells that he could have used against Malfoy in that duel they had. He hoped that there would be another meeting of the club when they returned to Hogwarts so he could show Malfoy and Snape a thing or two. Later, they met up with Lily and the girls in the Leaky Cauldron before heading back to Potter Manor. Harry noticed that Rose and Ginny seemed happier than they had been at lunch. The rest of the holidays passed filled with fun and good cheer for the people in Potter Manor. On New Year’s Eve, Molly and Arthur surprised their children, arriving by floo just before dinner. The Weasley children were delighted and spent the rest of the evening hearing their parents’ stories of Egypt. James took this opportunity to pull Harry aside and ask him to join him in the library. Puzzled, Harry followed his father. Once they were again seated in the couch, James turned to his son, “Harry, there’s one thing I want you to promise me, okay?” Harry frowned, “What is it, Dad?” “I want you to promise me that, whatever happens, you will not search for the Chamber of Secrets.” Harry’s eyes widened, “You mean that the Chamber is real?” James sighed, “Yes, it is. Now, this is secret information. I only know this because I’m the Head Auror and I have access to the old files.” Harry looked puzzled, “What old files, Dad?” James got up and started pacing back and forth, a habit Harry knew his father did when he was worried. James talked as he paced. “What’s happening now, with the Chamber, had happened before.” Harry gasped, “Before? When?” “It happened about fifty years ago. Several people were attacked and a young girl died.” Harry’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, “Who died?” “It doesn’t matter now,” James said, stopping in front of Harry and dropping to one knee in front of him, “What’s important is that you understand that the Chamber is real and there really is some form of monster there. It’s dangerous to go looking for it.” “Who opened the Chamber then, Dad?” Harry asked, “Was he caught? Do they know what kind of monster was in it? Is it still there?” “I’m not sure, son,” James said, “All the files said was that after the girl died, the attacks stopped. There was a suspect who was expelled but we don’t know who it was or if he or she was really guilty. There was no mention as to what kind of creature was hidden in the Chamber. Now,” he looked directly into Harry’s eyes, “promise me that you will not go to the Chamber of Secrets, no matter what happens. Leave it to Dumbledore and the other professors.” “Even Lockhart?” Harry asked, a small smile on his lips. James scowled, remembering what had happened to his son after that bludger had broken his arm, “Well, maybe not him. Promise me, okay?” “Well, okay, Dad.” Harry said, hoping his father did not see his fingers crossed behind his back. The following day, Harry managed to get a compartment on the Express for him, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Rose and Ginny though it was a tight squeeze. The twins were off visiting with their fellow fourth years. Once the train was under way, he told the others what his father had told him about the Chamber. Ron whistled, “Wow, so the Chamber’s been opened before.” “Yeah, fifty years ago,” Harry said. “And it’s not known who was responsible for it?” Hermione asked. Harry shook his head, “Dad said that the files didn’t even say who the suspect was or what happened to him or her after being expelled. No one knows what the monster is, either.” “I bet it was Malfoy’s Dad who opened it,” Ron said, “You heard what that git said when we found the writing. ‘You’ll be next, mudbloods’. His dad probably opened it up when he was here then taught good old Draco how to do it.” “Ron, be reasonable,” Hermione said, “It couldn’t have been Lucius Malfoy.” “Oh?” Ron said, getting red in the face, “And why not?” Hermione sighed, “Because, Ronald, it happened fifty years ago, which was probably before Lucius Malfoy was at Hogwarts or even before he was born.” “Then, it was Lucius’ dad,” Ron said, almost shouting, “who passed it on to him, then he passed it down to Draco.” “Ron!” Harry said, “Keep your voice down! Stop that, you’re scaring Ginny,” Ginny had turned pale while Ron had been ranting. Ron’s face turned even more red and he mumbled an apology to Ginny. “I doubt it was one of the Malfoys,” Neville said, “I mean, this is only the second time the chamber’s been opened. Do you think Lucius Malfoy would have resisted the temptation to open it if he had known how to? Anyway, if one of them had been expelled, it would have been hard to keep that sort of thing a secret, considering their family’s status in our world.” The others thought about it and agreed with him. Still Harry had a nagging feeling that Lucius Malfoy was involved in it somehow. That evening, the students were in the middle of the Return Feast when they started changing again. This time, the changes took place in each House. A quarter of the students changed into Santa Clauses. Another quarter changed into reindeer with red noses and another quarter became snowmen. The last quarter of the students became elves dressed in green suits with tasseled hats. Everyone started laughing at each other. The teachers were again speechless. Many of them were laughing. After ten minutes, the students returned to normal, except for Malfoy and his cronies who remained looking like Santa’s elves. They ran out of the Great Hall, chased by the laughter of the rest of the students. The Feast then resumed, though a few students laughed every now and then. Another banner appeared behind the teacher’s table, with the words: WELCOME BACK TO HOGWARTS! FROM THE NEW MARAUDERS The students returned to their dormitories, full of food and good cheer. After that night, life settled back into the routine of classes, meals, homework and sleep. Harry also had Quidditch practice to add to his load, leaving him tired in the evening. Two weeks later, his practice paid off when Harry caught the snitch, bringing victory to Gryffindor over Ravenclaw, 280 to 100. Even then, Harry still found the other students whispering behind his back and Justin was still avoiding him, going so far as to turn back the way he came when he saw Harry. Hermione and Ron told him to ignore it, but Harry still felt bad over the fright Justin had had with the snake. Finally, three weeks after the start of term, Harry had had enough. He sought out Justin in the library after dinner. Finding out from Ernie MacMillan that he had just missed him, Harry went searching for him in the corridors. Unfortunately, he found Justin stiff as a board in the same water-soaked corridor on the second floor where the writing was still visible in spite of Filch’s numerous attempts to clean it. It got worse as McGonagall and Filch just happened to come by at that moment, followed by Peeves, who hurried off, shouting “Potter been caught in the act” at the top of his ghostly lungs. McGonagall marched Harry off to Dumbledore’s office. While miserably waiting for the Headmaster, Harry met Dumbledore’s Phoenix, Fawkes. Harry was relieved when Dumbledore assured him that he was not being blamed for Justin’s condition. Unfortunately, the next day, Harry found most of the school avoiding him and whispering behind his back. Only Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Neville, Rose and Ginny kept him company. Even the other Gryffindors would move further down the table when Harry came to the Great Hall for meals. Dean and Seamus refused to look at him in the eye, going to sleep before Harry got back to the dorm. Harry concentrated on his schoolwork, even refusing to help the others plan pranks. Even Quidditch practice was strained as Wood kept mentioning he was a pureblood every now and then. One consolation there was that he had stopped his constant badgering of Harry to catch the snitch. Valentine’s Day proved to be interesting. In an attempt to liven the spirits of the students, Lockhart had the walls of the Great Hall decorated with large pink flowers and had heart-shaped confetti falling from the ceiling. Even worse, he had drafted a group of dwarfs to dress up in cupid costumes and deliver singing Valentine greetings to the person of a student’s choice. Luckily, Harry was not a recipient of one, though Neville was, much to the pudgy boy’s discomfort. A week later, Gryffindor managed to beat Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match 300 to 80 and Harry had again made a fantastic catch of the snitch to seal their victory. Unfortunately, since Slytherin had beaten Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, this meant that the two would meet again for the final in the first week of May. At least, after the match, the rest of Gryffindor house treated Harry normally as they celebrated as if they had already on the Cup. March passed peacefully with no further attacks. Lockhart kept claiming that whoever it was that was responsible had stopped once he/she realized Lockhart was close to catching him/her. Even Ron’s birthday passed with no major incidents except for Ron turning blue and pink for an hour after eating a strange looking pastry. The twins refused to admit responsibility and a twinkle in his sister’s and Ginny’s eyes led Harry to suspect the true culprits. This lack of activity allowed the students to relax and they were less nervous around Harry. With less tension around him, Harry allowed the twins to talk him into doing a prank on April 1, the twins’ birthday. Harry agreed since they hadn’t really celebrated Ron’s birthday the previous January, limiting the celebration to their little group. The prank started that morning as the students filed into the Great Hall for breakfast. The rest of April passed with the school in higher spirits than at the beginning of term. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs stopped avoiding Harry, which lifted the boy’s spirits. On the day of the Quidditch finals, Harry again heard the Voice while having breakfast. Again, his friends did not hear it. Then, Hermione’s eyes had widened. She had a short whispered conversation with Rose, who was seated beside her, then dashed out the Great Hall, telling them she had to go to the Library. Later, as Harry and Ron approached the Quidditch pitch, they ran into McGonagall who informed them that the match was cancelled due to another attack. She then asked the two stunned boys to accompany her to the Hospital Wing where they were shocked to find a petrified Hermione. It seemed she, a Ravenclaw girl and Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, had been attacked outside the library. Ron seemed the worst affected by Hermione’s condition. After the triple attack, tension again gripped the castle. One consolation was that the other students no longer suspected Harry. After all, he was in plain sight that entire morning, including the time the attack had occurred and one of the victims was one of his best friends. Rose and Ginny seemed highly affected by the attack on Hermione. Several times, Harry saw the two with tears in their eyes, causing a dull ache in his heart. Ron and Harry visited Hermione as often as they had time, wishing they knew who was behind the attacks. Then two weeks after Hermione’s attack, Hedwig dropped a letter in Harry’s lap during breakfast, addressed to him and Rose. Harry recognized the unruly scrawl of the writer. He nudged his sister and motioned her to follow him. He then hurried out of the Great Hall and headed for the Quidditch Pitch. Sitting down in one of the front benches, he waited for Rose to catch up. “What is it, Harry?” she asked him. “I just got a letter from Dad,” he answered, “It seems important.” “Well, just don’t sit there. Open it.” Harry opened the letter and placed it between them so Rose could read it, too. Dear Harry and Rose, I’m really sorry to hear that your friend, Hermione has been attacked. I wish I could help her but Dumbledore assures me that the mandrakes will soon be ready to cure all those petrified. However, we may be close to solving the mystery of the perpetrator. The identity of the person who was accused of opening the Chamber fifty years ago and expelled for it has been revealed to me. Unfortunately, it is someone we know and have been friends with for years. If you wish to know his identity, simply say the words for the Map. I leave it up to you if you wish to talk with this person. Just be careful. Love, Dad. Harry and Rose looked at each other. “Well, bro?” Rose said, “Do you want to know who it was?” “Of course I do,” Harry said, “For Hermione’s sake, I have to know.” With a trembling hand, Harry touched his wand to the letter and said, “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” Most of the letters disappeared; leaving six letters that slowly rearranged themselves in the center of the parchment and spelled out HAGRID. |
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