Harry Potter and the House of Black

When Harry walked into the house he noticed several changes. The painting of Sirius's mother had been scourged off the wall It must have been burnt. Kreacher's head was in the hall of dead elves. Harry later found out that Lupin had killed him after Sirius died. Harry also noticed Quidditch posters lining the walls of the entryway for the Chudley Canons, the Puddlemere United Reserve Team, some of Victor Krum, and several American teams. Harry looked around some more and then traveled up the stairs to his left.

"Home sweet home, eh, Potter?" said a raspy voice from atop the stairs.

"Hello, Moody," said Harry.

"Oye!" shouted a voice, "Harry, in here!"

Harry walked up the stairs lugging his trunk and broom. He was closely followed by Dudley.

"What is this idiot doing here?" said Harry's best friend Ron as they entered Ron's room, which Ron had, totally and entirely, made his own. Which Harry noticed another new broom while inside.

"He's a wizard, saw the Dementors last year when we got attacked. I guess we'll find out what happens next when we see Dumbledore," said Harry.

"Good luck," said Ron, "He's been in and out since he's been able to work with the Ministry."

"I guess we could always ask him about it at the sorting ceremony," said Harry.

Someone behind him laughed. It was Ginny, Ron's younger sister. "Hi Harry," she said.

"What are you doing in my room?" asked Ron, "Get out of here and let the grown ups do their talking."

"Is that what you're calling yourself now? You'd think you were two, the way you act when you get tired," said Ginny. "Harry, who is this, another runaway wizard?"

"You could say that, I guess," Harry shrugged, "Ginny, meet my cousin, Dudley."

"Dudley? Wasn't he fat?" Ginny said confused.

"He slimmed down," said Harry, looking at Dudley who was looking more and more confused and angry as they spoke as if he were an object. Harry continued, "Dudley, meet my best friend Ron, and his younger sister Ginny."

"Best friend," said a voice behind him.

"What does that make Hermione and us?" said another voice just like the first, "Diced Gnome?"

"Hello Harry," said Hermione walking in the room and hugging him.

"Yeah, hi Harry," said Fred.

"Can I have a hug too?" asked George sarcastically looking at Hermione. Dudley laughed, and George looked over at him. In shock of seeing Dudley in the House of Black, did not see Hermione swing at him and got slapped in the face.

"What's he doing here?" asked Fred seriously, "He's lost a lot of weight since we last saw him."

Dudley looked nervously at Harry. George seemed to know why, as did Harry, because George added as though he was surveying Dudley, "Lost a lot of tongue too."

"And a tail," said Hagrid ducking to avoid hitting his head on the doorway as he entered the room. "He's a wizard. He can see Dementors and fly on a broomstick. Good enough evidence fer me."

"Really?" said Hermione, astonished, "What do you think Dumbledore'll do?"

"Don't know," said Dudley.

"He must have known though," said Harry, "You know how nothing gets past him."

"Yer abs'lutely cerrict," said Hagrid.

"Time for bed," said an American voice from the doorway, "Come on y'all. Mrs. Weasley said."

"Mrs. Weasley?" Dudley said.

"Ron's mom," said Harry.

"Let's go," said the girl. Harry looked at her, and understood why Max had brought her with him when he came out from hiding under Dumbledore's protection. She was good-looking, but something else in her looks and gestures made Harry think that she was almost as crazy as Max was supposed to be.

"Hello," said Harry.

"Hi!" she said, "Bed NOW."

"Everybody now," said Max behind her, "Harry, Dudley, follow me."

Dudley got up off the floor and Harry followed Max to their rooms where their things were already unpacked. When Harry got to his room he noticed it was right beside Max's room. Max walked into his own room, but Vanessa stayed and Harry knew she had something to say so he stayed too.

"If you hear shouting," she whispered, "Max has nightmares if he's had a lot of reason to worry, he thinks too much and dreams he's being attacked down an alley again like he was the night his foster mother was murdered. He ran that night, ran to my house, where my foster parents told him I wasn't home, but he barged in went to my room and we ran together. We ran to Hogwarts, now we're here. We're both a little off even for Americans. Don't worry about it if he says strange things. He talks backwards, and he's really funny if you understand him." She walked into the room and shut the door.

Harry walked into his own room and shut his door. As he entered, he noticed what looked like a radio, a bookshelf full of his own books, and a closet which must have his robes in it. His trunk was empty. He walked over to his bed which had moving Chudley Cannons bedspread on it. He fell easily to sleep in the dimly lit room.

He awoke the next day to find Hedwig rapping at the small window over a desk, neither of which had been there last night. He looked around, yes he was still at the House of Black, but it was raining out of a window to a courtyard, which must be as magically hidden as the house. Harry went to the window, and Hedwig was waiting with the daily prophet and a letter from Cho Chang which read:

Dear Harry,

I'd like to see you soon, send the date you will be shopping in Diagon Alley. Meet noon Fred and George's shop.

See you soon, Cho.

Harry didn't know what it meant, at least she responded. Harry went down to eat breakfast where he found to his surprise Max cooking along side Mrs. Weasley. Max turned around and saw Harry.

"I sent letters to every member of D.A. Dumbledore wants us to continue it, and Dudley will be in his room for the next five days. He's in a trance that will bring him up to speed in magical training, less effective than the real thing, but it gets the job done. The new brooms'll stay in D.A., and it will stay as a club for our trustworthy people. See, what's going on is we're all sort of like prefects now, and get all the privileges of prefects, our leaders, you and a chosen girl, get the privileges of head boy. We're all meeting in Diagon Alley in a week," he said.

"Cho know?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," he said.

"What is that smell?" asked Ron asked entering the kitchen.

"Bacon, egg, and Cheese Biscuit," said Max, "Made a dozen."

"Why?" asked Ron.

"Have you ever had them?" asked Max. Ron shook his head, "Then shut your mouth, it's good and it's full of protein, great for sports, unless it's horse racing."

Harry grinned, Max was being funny. He looked at Vanessa. She was giggling.

"What have we got to do today?" asked Harry.

"Well, we're going to play Quidditch, and then there's a meeting, so be prepared to talk to Dumbledore. I know you had some bad feelings between you last year, but as he said to me before," Max took on a regal tone to imitate Dumbledore, "'We cannot unite against the common enemy if we cannot unite at all, we are all in this together.' Well other things included we're cleaning out the basement later too, I'm taking down the grotesque elf heads, and we're starting on painting the entryway, without magic."

"Sounds like fun," said Harry, and then he asked an obvious question, "What color?"

"Depends," said Max.

"On what?" asked Hermione coming into the room.

"On what our leader chooses," Vanessa finished.

"Green," said Harry, "A little darker than my eyes, though. Just that room, I want my room a brighter, more plain, crayonish blue."

"I want purple in my room," said Hermione, "I heard it promotes thinking productivity in witches."

"I got orange," said Ron pointing at his hair and his horrible Chuddley Cannons shirt.
"I guess we get black," said Vanessa pointing at her own shirt.

"I get yellow," said Ginny walking in realizing what everyone must be talking about.

"Harry, about the kitchen?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"For you Mrs. Weasley, true Gryffindor style red walls and golden cupboards with a giant Gryffindor lion on the tiles," everyone laughed.

"Wait!" shouted Fred and George, "What about us?"

"I'll give you two the color of Dungbombs. Brown!" said Harry, this was becoming fun.

"The conference room?" asked Ron.

"Silver," said Harry, "Like Dumbledore's beard."

"Dudley's room?" asked Vanessa.

"I'd say pink, but Tonks'll want that, Gray," he said.

"Why gray?" asked everyone.

"Like the fat elephant he used to be," said Harry, and everyone laughed.

"Moody and Kingsley's room?" asked Hermione.

"You mean their base," said Harry, "A design that looks like Muggle microchips."

"That'll take ages," said Max.

"So what?" asked Harry. Max shrugged.

"Our room?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"Straight out of St. Mungo's," said Harry, "White!"

"Me next," said a familiar voice, it was Lupin.

Lupin had been Harry's Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher three years before. He was a Werewolf, and Sirius's best friend after he escaped from Azkaban. He was the only living friend of his parents besides Peter Pettigrew, who betrayed Harry's parents and now worked under the evil Lord Voldemort.

"The dark forest, and a sky like night, Moony," said Harry. 'Moony' had been Lupin's nickname while he was friends with Sirius and Harry' father, or 'Padfoot' and 'Prongs' as they used to be called.

"I won't trust my room to you Potter," said Snape entering the room.

"Oh now you ruined our game," said Harry, in mock depression, "Come on now Snivellus. Stone like the walls of your dungeon, or any other walls at Hogwarts, for that matter."

Severus Snape's eyes flashed at Harry's words. Harry had called him Snivellus, a nickname given to him by his two biggest rivals as a schoolboy, Sirius Black, Harry's Godfather, and James Potter, Harry's real father. They had bullied Snape as a student and he had done it back, but not as badly. There was one of him and four of his father's friends. Now Snape as a teacher hated Harry and found every excuse to try and make sure Harry was as hateful of him, and Harry did hate Snape. He loathed every greasy hair on that pail, crooked-nosed head of his.

"Now, now Severus, calm yourself, you wouldn't want to go wetting your skirt," said Lupin.

"You insolent little," Snape started.

"You mean innocently harmless and playful young man, don't go saying anything drastic about Harry, he's my friend's son," said Lupin.

"Go ahead paint the stupid room, but if you touch anything but your brushes I will paint the room with you," Snape said, and with that he stormed out of the house, and down the street.

"What's up with him?" asked Harry.

"You shouldn't instigate with him, I won't always be there to defend you," said Lupin.

"Whatever," said Max, looking at Harry and reading his mind.

"Let's go," said Ginny, and they all went outside into the new courtyard where they played Quidditch with basketballs and golf balls. Max was an excellent chaser, as was Ginny, and to his surprise Vanessa wasn't bad either. Hermione was playing referee, she didn't have much to do but fly lazily around the courtyard throwing golf balls for Harry to catch. The new brooms were the fastest ever. No way that they were legal, Harry could have gone anywhere. He was weightless.

When they landed Harry guaranteed the success of the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year and told them all Dudley could play beater. Harry was in thought when they had the meeting that night, thought of Diagon Alley, thought of what he would say. He tried to listen to Dumbledore, who basically recapped what Max had told him yesterday before he asked to talk to Harry alone.

"Harry," he started, but Harry cut him off.

"Professor," he said, "I need to tell you something, I think Voldemort's got a new plan or something, something big, something that would make him happier than he'd ever been before, some sort of weapon, I could remember wanting hoe to get something even though I was so happy, and..."

"Harry I need you to try and think what you pictured this 'weapon' as," asked Dumbledore.

"In my dream I saw four balls of flickering light," Harry said, "candles, or shooting stars?"

"Two very different, and very misleading thoughts they are, four balls of flickering light may very well be an attack on a muggle village as four large houses burn to the ground," said Dumbledore, "but as this is a magical weapon we must remain alert and guard anything that glows, even wands, it may very well be four new Death Eaters who shroud themselves in darkness and were performing the Lumos incantation."

"But I think it was not a living object, Professor," Harry pressed.

"Hmmm," said Dumbledore, "Do you remember how to find these lights?"

"No," Harry admitted feeling stupid, "not unless you count seeing a dungeon's slimy, dimly lit, disgusting green wall."

"That maybe a key of interest, but even the smallest bit information helps," said Dumbledore, "Do you remember anything else, any other feelings besides your inquiry and happiness? Anything you want to ask me?"

Harry picked back up on his own train of thought, "Oh yes, I don't know what to say to the D.A. members in Diagon Alley."

"Tell them the truth, with Voldemort back you must remain as vigilant as ever," Dumbledore continued, "You must protect your school and every student in it even from points of authority, do not focus on what is against the rules of playing out situations, do not focus on how to go about things so as not to be polite, focus on doing what is right and not what is wrong."

"What does that mean?" asked Harry.

"It means you are guardians of Hogwarts, you will act as such, come up with a slogan of some sort, like VIGILANCE! Or TEAMWORK! Some one word thing everyone will say at the end of your meetings for inspiration," said Dumbledore.

"You sound like Moody," said Harry.

Someone behind Harry laughed, it was Moody himself, who said, "Why don't you think about it Potter. Discuss what you want to say with them see if they agree, great leaders are friends with their followers, the ones who are noted for being good anyway. Go on now I need to talk to Dumbledore."

"Go ahead, Harry can hear it," said Dumbledore, "I don't mind."

"Sirs," he said to them both, "Caradoc Dearborn."

"Is dead," said Dumbledore questioningly.

"It's just that though," Moody said excitedly, "He may yet be alive. We heard of a horse with his markings being used in some Muggle competitions in Bermuda."

"You believe it's him," said Harry.

"He's in hiding as a horse," said Moody.

"But why hide?" asked Dumbledore.

"He could be pulling a Wormtail," said Harry.

"He's right," said Dumbledore.

"Unless he had someone powerful hunting him," said Dumbledore.

"Think of it this way Dumbledore, he disappears in a crowd, one day," said Moody, "He always was very good at fighting, but he called it his own personal hell, where all of his anger and frustration lay barren as a desert. He would have wanted to forget it, he could have made himself believe he was a horse by jinxing himself, but most of those are reversible and we can turn him back into a man easily enough anyway."

"Then you may investigate, but I'm warning you to use extreme caution, sometimes the mere sight of someone can reverse a spell and if he hates it as bad as you say he did, he might attack you. If he comes quietly, bring him back with you. We could use a man with his skills," said Dumbledore.

"Hey Harry," said Ron poking his head through the door, "We started painting, come on."

"Go ahead," said Dumbledore, "If that is all Alastor, you may start your journey as well, I think I'll turn in early for tonight."

"Kingley's coming with me," said Moody. Dumbledore nodded to him and the three of them exited the room.

"Harry!" someone shouted.

"Oliver Wood," said Harry, "what're you doing here?"

"I'm the flight instructor while Madame Hooch is gone, Potter," said his old Quidditch Captain.

"Really?" said Harry.

"Yes, it's true," said Wood, "I'll be instructing D.A. especially on flight combat, and of course anyone else above first year, but not as thoroughly. It's part time for me here, part time Quidditch."

"Why work two jobs?" said Harry.

"Bad credit?" asked Max.

"Dumbledore asked me to, and what is credit?" said Wood.

"A form of money most muggles use and are in debt up to their eyeballs, because they use more than they can afford," Harry said.

"Okay," said Wood, "I've got to go now. I was just supposed to deliver all of this paint you wanted from Diagon Alley. Are you painting the whole house?"

"Yeah," said Harry, "but you should get back to work. Being a teacher can drive you mad, just look at Snape."

Everyone laughed, Oliver left, and Harry started to help paint a corner of the wall at the top of the stairs. By the time most of them had gone to bed, they had finished an entire wall. Harry was up painting until he couldn't lift his arm anymore, and Max worked most of the way through the night as it seemed, because the next morning he found Max asleep, under a second, fully painted wall, he himself had started on with Max the previous night. He kicked Max in the side to wake him. Max looked confused at first, but then looked Harry right in the eyes and knew who it was, but wanted to fool around.

"Five more minutes mommy," he said as he put his thumb in his mouth and pulled on his ear with the other hand.

"Shut up," said Harry, "We've got more work to do."

"And hopefully more food to eat," said Max, "I'm starving."

As they walked into the kitchen the scent of brewing tea caught their noses. "Excellent," said Max, "Caffeine."

"Yeah," said Ron walking in and stretching in a long drawn out yawn.

"No kidding," said Vanessa. They had all been having so much fun painting that they worn themselves out, but nobody showed it as much as Vanessa. Her eyes were sunken, her skin, in loss of its usual color, and posture as slumped over as could be. Mrs. Weasley had fussed over her for an hour before finally letting her back in to paint with the rest of them. She was fully restored, but reluctant to speak until there came an appropriate time. She was still tired, but eventually the caffeine kicked in and she seemed as mouthy as the rest of them, and though Max was still sore from painting a whole wall alone, he seemed to become happier as Vanessa spoke, but then she mentioned their past, and Max's real parents. Max looked uncomfortably all around when she did this as though waiting to be attacked. His mother was a Muggle, in truth, and his father was indeed Evan Rosier. His father had killed his mother and tried to raise the child as a dark wizard, but was killed in a fight with Mad-Eye Moody.

"Not like I'm proud of it," said Max, "but he did manage to take out a chunk of Moody's nose, and not many people can get one in on him. I swear to god though if I inherited anything more than his talent I'd probably kill myself."

"You tried to," said Vanessa darkly.

"Well, I guess I inherited his nack for attracting trouble too," said Max, "That was the night my foster mother was murdered, and the same night Vanessa brought me here. She knew we'd both be safe together, yeah I found her, but she lead me here. I have to find my own way from here, I have to avenge my real mother and my foster parents, I may bend the rules and sacrifice all I believe to it, but there you go, my mother was the princess of some American Indian tribe many of which were wizards, I think she was a Squibb. That's where they met I was told. I am Prince now Prince Winged Wolf, every chief of the tribe has had reason to be a double animagus. I am no different, so this lone wolf wanders on."

That night Max had a nightmare. Harry heard him begging for mercy of god in the room next to his, and Vanessa's comforting voice reassuring him that every thing would be alright, but would it? The next morning Harry awoke to find Vanessa sitting in his desk chair, asleep.

"Uhh, Vanessa?" Harry said.

"What!" she shook violently and fell to the floor, "Oh, Harry, Max, nightmare, transformed, wolf, locked room." She was panting in and out, trying to catch her breath.

"Calm down," said Harry.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"It's alright, I understand," said Harry, "This sort of thing happens to me sometimes too."

"Max gets violent," said Vanessa.

"I do to," Harry replied, "Sometimes."

"Really?" asked Vanessa.

"Yeah, it's really weird, I dream I'm in a room with Voldemort," said Harry, "Or dream I am Voldemort. A lot of the times the dreams actually happen. Last year, I dreamt I was a snake, who bit Mr. Weasley, and he had to be taken to St. Mungo's later that night for a snake bite that happened while I was dreaming."

"So you say the name too huh?" said Vanessa.

"Yeah," said Harry.

"I guess you didn't grow up in the world of wizards, neither did we," she said.

"Yeah," said Harry, "It's one thing to lessen the fear that we speak the name."

"Hey," said Max from the doorway.

"Max," Vanessa stuttered, "You...nightmare...transform. Are you okay?"

"It's fine, Vanessa," he said, "You got scared. I'm sorry I frightened you."

"Max," said Harry, "What are your nightmares like?"

"Harry!" said Vanessa.

"It's alright Vanessa," said Max, "Harry, these nightmares could give you nightmares just from me telling you about them. I'm down a dark alley when suddenly a jar appears, yes a jar. It opens up and a cloud of glowing orange smoke comes out, but I can feel evil coming from the smoke. It forms the words 'Destiny, death, and dark memories will always haunt you, Half-blood Prince.' And then a face made of the flaming orange smoke appears and when it does, guess what, it gets next to mine and whispers, 'run,' but when I do seventeen, I've counted them, seventeen wizards or giants, jump me. And attempt to rob me. They take my wand before I can get to it, they're no muggles. They continue to pummel my body and beat me, and I'm transforming into so many different animals to try and escape, Vanessa's watched me do it in my sleep. I continue beaten, I call for help, but I have no air in my lungs to call with, I try to fight back, but I had not the energy to do so. I see an open window as I lie, bleeding, shivering, and shaking on the pavement. I won't make it. I'm going to die, then, a car comes rolling into the alley, muggle police. How? The open window is how. They don't see me, they won't stop in time. I'm being carried over the ocean on a giant bird. It changes into the bones of a human and plummets, there's no land, a whirlpool forms, and sharks are swirling, waiting to rip me to shreds. I am bitten, I am eaten, I am no more, and I wake, hungry, drenched in cold sweat."

"Wow, beaten then eaten," said Harry, "That's horrible."

"Tell me about it," said Max.

"Okay," said Harry smoothly, "First you're down this alley right, then you see a jar, but it's not a normal jar, oh no..."

"Shut up," said Max.

"Let's get to painting, Dudley will be out of his trance in two days, and boy will he be freaked out, he'll think the house changed color on its own or something."

When they entered Dudley's room, for once in Harry's life, Dudley had nothing to say. They began to paint the room gray, and when they were finished, which took about three hours considering the large room, the six of them and the fast drying paint, Dudley had a mustache and goatee like Snape's painted on his face. Mrs. Weasley came in and cleaned Dudley's face when they were done, and told them that it was time for lunch. Tonks visited them for a short while before going back to her room. She wore a hat today and was in the mood to talk about nothing but Max.

"What's your tribal name?" she asked.

"I have two," said Max bored, "The one I use most often, Flying Wolf, comes from one of my many forms, I haven't used it in years, I'm not sure I can anymore."

"Do it," said Tonks, "It's like riding a bicycle, do it once and you can't forget."

"Alright," said Max, "but we'd have to go out into the courtyard to do it, so let's finish lunch first."

"What's your other name?" she pressed on.

"Nobody knows besides Max and the Previous Chief," said Unia.

"He's dead," said Max, "I can say it now."

"And it is?" said Hermione.

"Drum roll please," said Max.

The whole table began madly pounding its hands. The table might have broken if Max hadn't held up his hand so quickly.

"Thank you, my name is Spirit of Ages, I haven't ever done this transformation. I think once I do the nightmares will stop, I don't even know what it looks like," said Max.

"Let's go," said Tonks when everyone was finished. They all got up and made their way through the green room to the new courtyard. Max stood in the middle and stretched a bit before finally he was ready. The sky above changed from sunny to a pitch black thunderstorm. You wouldn't have been able to see if Max hadn't begun to glow with blue light. His feet became webbed back legs of a dog, his hands grew fur and sprouted claws, his torso grew fur his face became that of a dog, and he shrieked with pain at the enormous eagle wings coming from his back. The thunder cleared and before them stood a fully transformed Max.

"I almost forgot how good that felt," said Max. They stared at him.

"You can still, I've never seen," Hermione started, "I've seldom but heard of, well..."

"Oh, yeah, I can still talk, it's required we learn how to keep our voices, as heirs to the Indian throne, but my dedication lies in the Wizarding world my father raised me in, the British one," Max said, "Being Chief is just a bonus, my peoples have no real worries." He scratched the back of his head with his half- wolf, half human claws. Harry noticed Max was about a foot taller than he had been.

"Try to do the other form," said Unia, "Or can you. I'll bet you can't."

"You just said the words that get me going," said Max, and Harry knew she had meant to.

"Now a spirit animal, is what this is, if it's the spirit of ages then, Dragons would be involved," Max thought out loud, "and armor, and a different tail, and powers, and strength, and well, of course the only thing that withstands any circumstance, the one thing that saved Harry, love."

Max, or 'Spirit Max,' started again. He stretched his wings and then covered himself in his wings, hiding himself from them. Dark blue clouds came this time, shocking Max, and the ground which began to shake. The feathers seemed to leak silver onto each other, until his wings were completely silver. He opened the wings suddenly and the ground felt like it would brake between Harry's legs. They were all blinded by a bright white light, and one echoing howl. Max had done whatever he set out to do, but Harry sensed a feeling of disappointment coming from him. Max had definitely improved his skill his wings on the backs had been eagle's wings, on the front they were now Dragon or bat-like, and the backs silver feathers were now covering. He was now about seven feet tall about Hagrid's height, but his wings towered two feet above that, and his head had changed. It now had armor covering it, layered armor that looked almost just like the hair that had once been there, but wouldn't move if you touched it. His legs had the same armor on the side and back, but he had nothing on the front. His Tail seemed to be smooth and made of the silver coming from the backs of the legs. His eyes were that of a dragon. He looked at them ashen-faced.

"This isn't it," he said, "There's more to it than that, and I think I might only be able to use it in situations where I really need it. This isn't even the highest level of this it's..."

The cloud rolled back in Max was suddenly shocked again. Everything silver turned gold and a sword appeared at his side.

"That's it, all I can do right now, my highest and mightiest," Max finished.

"Can't say he didn't try though," said Ron and Ginny in unison.

"Yeah," said Tonks.

"That's just cool mate," said Harry.

"Ain't no lyin' 'bout that," said Vanessa.

"Really?" said Max, "You're not disappointed."

"No," said Tonks, "I haven't even done anything near that impressive ever, does Dumbledore know?"

"No," said Max, "He doesn't."

"Okay back to work," said Tonks, "I'm helping now."

It turns out when Tonks said, "helping," she really meant, "I'll talk to Max and paint dirty words on the wall of his and Vanessa's room, and watch you all paint over them with more black paint." Ginny thought it was funny, as did Ron and Hermione, but Vanessa just kept a horrible look on her face.

"Like a lost dog," she muttered.

"Don't worry about it, she's only trying to get him to show his skill so she can learn, she wants to know how. She really doesn't see him like that," said Ginny.

"Is that what Ginny thought, about you?" asked Hermione.

"It's Tonks," said Harry, "She's like twenty."

"And that kid in Tampa, Florida was fourteen when his twenty year old teacher and him... well, you know, big court case now, some pictures surfaced of this teacher, this is a Muggle thing, but it happens," said Vanessa.

"This isn't Tampa," said Ron, "It's not even the same country the same world or the same situation. It's Britain, the wizarding world, we're in a dangerous fix here."

"Yeah but still, is this normal?" asked Vanessa.

"Talking?" said Harry, "Usually."

When they finished that room and moved on to Harry's room, they finished it within two hours, Harry didn't need much space, then Hermione's room, Ron's, Ginny's, and then they barely finished the microchip designs in Moody's room by two a.m. Max had talked only to Vanessa after the first room, being sick of all the cycling questions. He had no nightmare that night.

The next day they finished the meeting room, Lupin's room, and Tonks's basement extension. It didn't take long, but the kitchen was only about three quarters done by midnight, Mrs. Weasley did the rest by magic as she had the black tile flooring with the red spider in Max's room, and as the kitchen would need the Gryffindor lion tile, she did that too the black house was reborn. Harry hung pictures from his own photo album around the house. His parents, Sirius, he and his friends winked and waved from every wall of the house. Still Harry had not painted a few rooms, the room which had the boggart in last year, and the room with Sirius's family tree and the picture of Sirius's uncle, were among these unpainted rooms.

"Don't worry," said Max, "You don't need to paint those rooms, nobody ever uses them."

"True, but they at least need cleaned," said Harry.

When they had finished cleaning these rooms Dudley snapped out of the five day trance he had been in and yelled for his mother. Harry ran back to Dudley's room, and slapped Dudley right in the face.

"SHUT UP DUDLEY!" he shouted, "You're not on Privet Drive you IDIOT! Think, where are you?"

"What?" said Dudley, "Where am I?"

"The house I brought you to, the house of black," said Harry.

"I've been at magic school," said Dudley, "I'm hungry."

"I'll bet," said Harry, "Let's go, Mrs. Weasley will make you something to eat."

"Mrs. Weasley?" asked Dudley stupidly.

"Yeah," said Max from the doorway, "Ron's mom."

"Wait," said Dudley, "Ron's that kid with the red hair and the older brothers right?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"Alright, as long as it's not been touched by those twins," said Dudley.

"Fred and George aren't even here," said Harry.

"Okay," said Dudley, and with that they went down the stairs into the kitchen, and Dudley ate and ate. Mrs. Weasley just kept cooking happily. Max and Harry went back into the courtyard and tossed a ball back and forth for a bit before flying back down. Max would definitely make the quidditch team for he could play any position. Harry wanted to shout with joy for once things were looking up, in a rather strange way it was true, but nonetheless it was still better than worrying about things, anything was better than worrying, but the worries came back, fully fledged when he realized he had to go to Diagon Alley so soon after that day.