"Well, I'm not sure," came the vague answer. "I don't know all the stories. We never really got to talking about your life. You usually only tell me what's going on right now. I can tell you this, magic will find a way. If there is a debt. I suggest you just go with the flow. Let magic suss it out," his godfather said seriously.
"Right. How did you know it's going to be a magical creature?" Harry asked, changing the subject and vowing to do his own research on life debts.
"Oh, my family would wail about how the tournament had been canceled. They thought it was a great idea in getting rid of anyone could be more powerful than them," Sirius said with a wave of his hand. "They'd talk about the past ones and would go into great detail on how contestants died. Which is why I'm glad that you don't have to compete," he added with a softer tone. "Anyway, the first task is traditionally a magical beast. It's supposed to test your daring."
"Your family sounds like right bastards," the dark-haired teen said with a concentrated look.
"Oh, they were," he admitted with a laugh. "They tried to disown me just because I got sorted into Gryffindor. I left when I was sixteen, which is how I knew no one would rent to you. I lived with your dad's family until I graduated. That put a hair up Mum's nose," the fugitive laughed. "She's probably rolling in her grave over the fact that I'm now Head of the family." That had been a surprise, he thought for sure that being disown would make him ineligible, but it seems his grandfather didn't agree with his mum.
Harry looked at his watch and cussed, "Fuck. I missed lunch, the girls and Neville will be worried. I've got to run. I had a great time getting to know you better, I hope you understand more about me now," he said, getting up from the chair and heading to the tunnel. He still didn't know if the old man could feel his poofing and he really didn't want to find out.
"You still haven't told me about these birds," Sirius whinged, wanting to live vicariously through his godson. Then he realized he could get some of his own now. Hopefully it would be an older woman, who liked younger men. He glanced in the mirror and cringed, 'Not this young,' was his thought. "Harry, do you think you could make me a little older? I want so to see if I can score, but I don't think I can if I look like a pimply teen."
"Sure," the younger man said with a shrug. He waved his hand and now Sirius looked to be in his mid-twenties, with brown hair and bluer eyes. This way he wouldn't be recognized.
The jokester went and looked in the mirror and smiled wickedly. "Perfect," he said.
"Well, that's done. I really have to run," Harry said, making his way out the entrance. "Try not to get into trouble," were his parting words.
"Yeah, right," Sirius laughed as he made his way to the front door.
...
Harry made it back to the castle just as the bell rang to let out the last class of the day. He hurried to the Entrance Hall, stood on a windowsill, and waited for his friends to show. They should be coming for study time. He watched the crowd, and internally groaned at the attention he was getting. 'I can't wait for someone to break up with someone, then all this attention would be off me,' he thought unpleasantly. Yeah, it wasn't a nice thought, but really didn't these people better things to than to stare at him?
The student body was still debating on this new Harry; some said he was an arsehole, others stated he was a rebel. So there was still a lot of gossip about him, complete with finger pointing and whispers. There were the occasional snide remarks, which he promptly ignored or flipped off the offenders. He did nicely acknowledge those who waved to him and called his name, wishing that he remembered theirs, so he could hail them back. But, they seemed okay with a nod of the head, and a wink to the females.
Many of those girls giggled and ran away, when he smiled and winked at them. He wondered what that was all about, as he perused their fleeing figures. He noticed that even though there wasn't much in the way of physical exercise around here, barring all those damn stairs, most of the girls were trim and slender. And very sexy, if anyone wanted his opinion. He had to wonder if it was the use of magic that burned off the fat and calories. Given what they had been served so far, more people should be pudgy like Neville. Maybe the shy boy didn't use as much magic, and with his low self-confidence it was possible. Then again, Sirius said he'd get fat and lazy if he didn't walk now and again. He'd have to do some research, but he felt he was on to something.
'Mr. Spock, add that to the databank,' Picard ordered in his head. Harry now knew he wouldn't forget.
"Harry," came the exasperated voice of Hermione, breaking him from his thoughts. "Where were you at lunch? We were so worried." She stood in front of him with her hands on her hips, looking like she was going to start yelling if he didn't give her a good answer.
"I was with an adult," he told her in a firm tone that said 'drop it'. She didn't need to know what he did with his day. The answer he had given her should appease her enough that she shouldn't ask more. He was wrong.
"Oh? Who?" she asked with a tilt of her head. She was sure he had snuck out and gone to London, but did one of the professors take him? Surly the new Harry wouldn't want that. He really didn't like the staff that he had met so far. But, perhaps it was one of the teachers he hadn't met, like Professor Flitwick or Professor Sprout. She didn't think he'd be rude to those overly nice people. It was hard to tell with this new personality. She did miss the old Harry, but was getting to like this new one. Still, it was hard to reconcile the two in her mind.
"Honestly, Hermione, that's all you need to know," our hero stated with a glare. 'Did everyone have a friend that argued with them all the time?' he wondered to himself. He would really have to hate to dump her. She was actually a nice person, when she wasn't being bossy. That and she was one of his dates to whatever function the staff had dreamed up for this year. Which was another reason he would stick around for a while. He didn't want to disappoint the ladies.
"As you can see, Harry is just fine," Luna's voice cut in, stopping the argument before it started. "Did you have fun with your dogfather?" she asked dreamily as she sidled up to his side. He jumped from the windowsill and put his arm around her, making her sigh happily.
Hermione opened her mouth to start haranguing, until Neville elbowed her to stop. He agreed with Harry, she didn't need to know. Moreover, here was not the place. She turned her glare to him, and was met with a matching stare. She cringed a bit at the look he was sending her way. He never did that before, and he looked like he could put her in her place without blinking. Yeah, a lot had changed since Harry came back.
"Yeah, we had a great time, and I got some books that'll help with that little project you set me up with," Harry answered Luna with a wink and a smile. He really liked this slip of a girl. She kept him calm with her airy questions and statements. Her whole aura just oozed tranquility, which he immersed in whenever he could. He still didn't know if they could have more, but he'd bask in the friendship, until he figured it out.
.....
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