The World Beyond

Chapter Eleven: Return to Hogsmeade

The sun was hot but the air was cold as the entire population of Hogwarts students, year three and higher, invaded the village of Hogsmeade for the second time of the year. The bitter chill of the late-November air had meant that most of the students wrapped up in their warmest cloaks before leaving school, but the sun was now shining so brightly that most had removed them and were carrying them, an extra burden, in their hands.

Harry's own cloak was resting loosely over his left shoulder while Hermione had placed hers neatly into her book-bag as they walked together through the busy street.

"I still say Zonko's," Harry argued, while gesturing with his hand at the joke shop just up the street. "I didn't get to go there last time we were here, and I've heard so much about it."

Hermione shook her head. "It's a waste of time. And money. You know you'll just waste your parents' hard earned galleons on some trick or another that will only get you into trouble. I say we go to the book store." She pointed at the shop directly opposite Zonko's.

Harry tried to let the comment about his parents' hard earned money slide past him, but quickly found himself wondering what exactly he would do for money if he could never find his way home again. Shaking the thought out of his head and determining to enjoy the day, he said, "Come on, Hermione. Have a little fun. It's the weekend. You know you'd love to drop a dungbomb in the Slytherin's toilets."

"No," Hermione disagreed, though her giggling response was not very forceful. "If you wanted to go there, you should have stayed with Colin or Neville."

They came to a stand still in between the two shops. "I didn't want to go off with Neville," Harry complained, remembering all too well his last encounter with the Gryffindor prefect. Realizing he sounded whiney, he brightened his tone and said, "I'd rather stay with you. Is that all right?"

"Of course it's all right," Hermione answered with a large grin. "And I want to go to the bookstore, so come on."

Her tone leaving no room for further argument, she reached over and grabbed Harry's arm. Before he knew what was happening, Harry found himself being dragged in the direction of Hermione's preferred shop and away from his own.

A bell Harry hadn't seen gave a light ding as Hermione pulled him through the door into the bookshop. They were met immediately by a gust of hot air as they made their way into the nearly empty shop. A grizzled old man sat behind the front counter, paying little attention to the cash register hanging open in front of him. A couple of grown witches and wizards were making their ways through the shelves of books, but Harry and Hermione seemed to be the only Hogwarts' students using their weekend day of freedom to shop for books.

"We are," Harry declared as Hermione made her way to the nearest bookshelf, "the only Hogwarts' students in this shop."

Hermione stopped halfway between Harry and the shelf and turned to glare at him. "Then we won't have to worry about being distracted. We can shop in peace."

"What is it you're looking for exactly?"

Hermione sighed and stepped back towards Harry. In a lower voice she said, "I'm looking for books that might help me with my schoolwork. You know, study guides and how-to spell books, and stuff like that. Clearly a combination of textbooks and class notes doesn't do the trick, so I've got to find something else. Is that all right?"

"Sure, fine," Harry agreed. He ran his hands over the spine of a book entitled 'The Adventures of Wilson Willow, Werewolf Wanderer'. "Wait, they have books like that?"

"Huh?" Hermione glanced up from the book she had already snatched off the shelf.

Harry walked over to her. "They have how-to books? 'Transfiguration for Dummies', and stuff like that?" Hermione showed him the cover of the book she was flipping through. It had exactly the title he had just suggested. Harry stifled a laugh and, at her glare, turned serious again. "But, come on Hermione. You're not a dummy."

"My exam scores would disagree with you." She sighed, setting down the book and reaching for another. "I just don't understand it. Why can't I do as well at Hogwarts as I did at my old muggle school?"

"Were you a good student before?"

Hermione didn't look up from the book. "Top of the class." Harry smiled to himself as she continued. "I figured it'd be just the same when I got here. I had read all of the textbooks before I even got on the Hogwarts Express. Memorized good bits of them, too. I was eager, ready to go, when we started classes..." She was still looking down at the book and Harry wasn't even certain she was aware of his presence as she reminisced. "We had Potions first thing. Professor Riddle asked if anyone knew what a bezoar was. My hand shot into the air and he called on me. And I just went blank. It's been the same ever since."

Harry didn't know how to respond to this. He walked closer to her, trying to think of something to say. "Hermione..."

She looked back up at him and Harry was surprised to see that she didn't look at all upset. "So, that's why I'm here. I'm not going to be the butt of Malfoy and Weasley's jokes forever."

"That's... good."

"Oh, you can go on, Harry. I know you don't need to look at this stuff. I think there's a Quidditch section near the back." She indicated a back wall.

"Are you sure?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I am, in fact, capable of looking at books by myself, you know. It's a skill I mastered long before coming to Hogwarts." Harry nodded and with a light wave of his hand, made his way towards the supposed Quidditch section.

Hermione had been right. The back wall of the shop was packed full of Quidditch books. It seemed he had the option of reading about every possible topic, from broomstick comfort design to the winner of the Quidditch World Cup in the year 988. Harry chose a bright green book bearing the title 'The Recent History of England's Quidditch League' and, not finding anywhere to sit, leaned back on the shelf opposite.

Settling his weight comfortably and making sure the shelf wouldn't topple, Harry flipped the book open. With a gasp, he studied the page he found in front of him. Completely by chance, he had opened to picture of a man who could only be James Potter. As the chaser in the picture caught the Quaffle and made his way to the goal, Harry glanced at the caption below the image and read that it was, indeed, his would-be father. Harry watched the picture, enthralled, as Potter executed a few more daring moves and then returned to attempting to score a goal.

Harry didn't know how much time had passed when suddenly he was distracted by the sound of gleeful laughter from outside. He ripped his eyes away from the book just in time to see two identical redheads running away from a group of disgruntled looking Hufflepuff girls.

Shaking his head, Harry looked back at the book. His father was just finishing a loop-de-loop and disappeared out of the picture. With a sigh, he flipped the page and had to do a double take at what he saw.

Harry pulled his glasses off, wiped them to make sure they were clean, and jammed them back onto his face. Sure he was seeing correctly now, Harry read the caption to himself, "Severus Snape." In many ways, the man in the picture looked just like how he remembered his old Potions professor. He had black hair, pale skin, and a hooked nose. But, in contrast to all that seemed normal to Harry, this Snape looked as though he had actually washed his hair in the recent past and, even more shocking, he was smiling.

Dumbfounded, Harry turned back a page, hoping to get another glimpse of his father, but the Quidditch player had not yet chosen to return to the frame. After a moments thought, Harry returned the book to its shelf and turned around.

Hermione was exactly where she had been when he left her, nose in a book. Harry began to make his way back towards her, slowly, glancing at other books along the way. Harry was surprised to find himself about to pick up a copy of Hogwarts, a History, when a new release table near the entrance caught his eye. He hadn't seen it when they had come in, but now made his way quickly over to it.

Harry's eyes stopped on a book sitting directly under the New Release sign. Another glance around the table would have told him that copies of this one book took up most of the table space, but he was focused on the one he had seen first. The book's title didn't grab his attention, nor did the brightly colored cover picture. It was the author's name, written impressively across the bottom, that Harry had noticed, and now read aloud to himself, "Remus J. Lupin."

Unlike most of the books in the shop, this one was a lightweight paperback and looked to have been mass-produced. Harry grabbed the top copy in his hand and ran his fingers lightly over the name. He flipped the book open to its first page.

"Oh, don't tell me you actually read that rubbish."

Harry jerked his eyes from the page and saw Hermione standing next to him, a bag of newly purchased books clutched in her hand. At his blank expression, she pointed to the book clutched in his hand.

"Oh, no," Harry denied it. "I don't read this. I just... I think I've heard of the author."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Of course you have."

"Of course I have?"

"It's the latest Remus Lupin romance. Lupin," - she stabbed at the author's name with her finger - "Ring any bells? Most famous trashy romance novelist in the wizarding world?"

Harry's eyes widened. "Oh... right."

"I've never read any of his books, of course. But from what I hear, it's worse than most of the garbage my mother reads. And that's saying something."

"So, he's written... lots of these books?"

Hermione rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, presumably. How do you think he's gotten famous? Well, the books are part of it, but I suppose there's also who he's dating."

Harry was fairly certain he had had quite enough shocks for one day, but decided to ask anyway. "Who is he dating?"

Hermione looked at him as if he had grown an extra head. "Are you from another world? Don't you keep up with any gossip?" She studied Harry's genuinely confused expression for a moment. "All right. He's dating that Quidditch player, Potter."

"Potter?" Harry asked, his brow wrinkled in thought. The only Potter he had heard of was his father.

"Yeah, you know. The one you look so much like. James Potter. Who plays for the Cannons." Hermione failed to notice that Harry had gone pale as she continued talking. "Honestly, I don't understand how I know more about this stuff than you do."

The shop door opened and closed behind the pair as Harry looked wide-eyed at the book he was holding in his hand.

"Lupin is dating Potter? James Potter?" Harry struggled to get the words out of his mouth.

Hermione had a queer expression on her face, as though she had never seen anyone quite as odd as him. "Well, unless they've broken up since the last Daily Prophet gossip columns."

"Well, well, well," a scathing voice drawled. Harry and Hermione whirled around to see Draco Malfoy, arms crossed menacingly, standing behind them. "Looks like little Potter's a homophobe." Ron Weasley was hovering behind his friend, looking equally foul tempered.

"I am not!" Harry exclaimed, dropping the book on the table and getting his hands free in case they were needed for a fight.

"Oh no?" Weasley asked, stepping forward. "'Lupin is dating Potter?'" he imitated Harry in a high-pitched voice. "Sounds pretty disapproving to me."

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Hermione scoot behind him and out of the way of their enemies. Harry stood as tall as he could, trying to look as menacing as the two Slytherins did. "I would have thought you two would've been homophobic, Weasley."

"Me?" Weasley sounded truly shocked. "Why should I care what they want to get up to? It's not my cup of tea, personally, but so long as they're both of pure blood, they can do whatever they like. You have a problem with that, Potter?"

"I have a problem with you, Weasley."

"Ooh, now I'm scared." Weasley and Malfoy both laughed. Hermione moved to scoot around the table from the three boys.

"Look, Ron," Malfoy said with a laugh, "the mudblood's running from us."

Hermione stopped in her tracks and stared wide-eyed at them. Harry moved to defend her, but before he could say anything, Malfoy continued, "That's right, you better be scared. I'd think all the mudbloods ought to be shaking in their shoes, after what happened to that poor Squib's rat."

Harry growled. "Oh, I'm sure the two of you are really sorry over what happened to the rat."

Weasley smirked at this comment, but Malfoy looked angry. "What are you insinuating, Potter?"

"I think you know, Malfoy."

Before Harry had even a moment's notice to prepare himself, Malfoy lunged at him and took hold of the neck of his robes. Harry made to shove him away as he heard Hermione squeal from behind him. Weasley was still standing off to the side, smirking happily. Harry was about to punch Malfoy in the mouth when he was suddenly interrupted.

"Stop it, both of you!"

Harry let his arm fall limply to his side as Malfoy let go of his grip on his robes. They both turned to see Lily Black standing behind Hermione, who looked much more confidant now that she had an adult on her side.

Harry immediately felt repentant and was surprised to see Malfoy looking somewhat the same. Weasley, it seemed, was also surprised at his friend's reaction. He pushed between the other two boys and stormed right up to Lily. Harry was surprised and pleased to see that she didn't look intimidated in the least. Weasley, on the other hand, looked enraged by this.

"What do you think you're doing here, you filthy mudblood?"

Harry gasped in shock. He heard Hermione do the same. Malfoy, on the other hand, was grinning smugly.

Lily opened her mouth to respond, but it was her husband's voice that got there first.

"How dare you use such language!" Professor Black's voice boomed out at them. He looked far more menacing than either Weasley or Malfoy had. Harry was intimidated, even though he wasn't the one facing the wrath. "That is not a word I want to hear out of your mouth ever, ever again. And that goes for all of you!" He directed a glare at all four of the students. Hermione seemed to be trembling. "And if I ever hear you use such a word towards my wife again..."

"You'll do what?" Weasley interrupted saucily.

Black's eyes narrowed. "Are you aware, Mr. Weasley, that you can lose house points while on a Hogsmeade visit?" Weasley opened his mouth to respond, but Black beat him to it. "That'll be 50 points from Slytherin. Each." This time Harry heard Malfoy gasp in shock. "And I suggest the both of you return to Hogwarts immediately, before I find occasion to remove more points."

Malfoy's mouth was hanging open in shock, but Weasley was scowling in anger. He looked as though he was contemplating saying something more. Harry found himself wishing he would.

Finally, after a good minute's silence, Weasley whirled around and stormed out the door. Malfoy followed behind him a moment later, after treating the rest of them to a scowl of his own.

Harry watched them until they disappeared out of sight. He turned and saw that Hermione was leaning on the table and appeared to be breathing heavily. "Are you okay?"

She glanced up at him. "Yeah, just, you know..."

"Exhilaration?" he supplied with a smile.

"Sure." She smiled and they both turned to look at their professor. He was standing close to his wife, his hand on her arm, a pensive expression on his face.

"Really, Sirius," she muttered to him. "That wasn't necessary."

Black scowled. "You think I'm going to let those two little rats get away with calling you something like that?"

"Those 'rats' are your students. And look who their fathers are. You're going to create enemies you don't want, Sirius." It was Lily's turn to look pensive.

Black scoffed at this. "Why do I care if they're my enemies? It's not like I'm trying to get a Ministry job. Anyway, anyone who calls you mudblood is my enemy, no questions asked."

"It wouldn't hurt you to show some common sense, Sirius. There might be a time in the future when you don't want two top Ministry workers against you. That's all I'm saying."

"I stick up for you, and this is the thanks I get..." he marveled at her apparent unappreciative attitude.

Harry smiled and decided to speak up. "I think it was very cool what you did, Professor."

Black and Lily looked over at the two students. The expression on Black's face made it clear he had forgotten that they were not alone.

"I thought so, too," Hermione added softly.

"Well, thank you. Both of you." Black smiled at his students. "It's nice to know where my true fans are." Lily rolled her eyes and he swung his arm around her shoulder. "Three Broomsticks anyone? Butterbeers all around?"

Lily had a teasing look in her eyes. "Are you treating?"

Black's eyes narrowed. "What difference does it make to you? Our money comes from the same Gringotts account!"

Lily smiled, patting his arm affectionately. "It's the principle of the matter, dear." Black huffed with annoyance and Lily stretched up on her toes to give him a quick kiss. Harry found himself blushing as his professor wrapped his arms around his would-be mother. He glanced at Hermione and saw that she was smiling dreamily at the pair.

Black took hold of Lily's hand and led her gallantly from the bookshop. With a laugh, Harry and Hermione followed behind, into the bright daylight of the Hogsmeade street.

Fred and George Symmons dashed by once again, identical looks of devious plotting on their faces, as the group of four made its way down the street and into the Three Broomsticks. Lily, Harry, and Hermione seated themselves together in a booth towards the front as Sirius made his way towards the counter to order the promised butterbeers.

It was not at all crowded and he was back in moments, carrying three bottles of butterbeer. At his side was the girl Harry recognized as his daughter, Bonnie, holding two more bottles. Black slid into the seat next to his wife and made room on the edge for Bonnie. Once everyone was seated, the drinks were handed around.

"So," Bonnie began with a grin aimed at Harry, "I hear there was some excitement. Did you get to kick any Slytherin..." She trailed off at a warning glare from her mother.

"Bonnie..." Lily began.

"Right. So we won't talk about beating up on evil-wizards-in-training. Though it would be so much fun." Bonnie grinned again and took a sip from her butterbeer. "Are your parents so annoying like this? Chastising you for discriminating against evil little Slytherin-esque brats?"

Black rolled his eyes. "Bonnie has, since last year, built up an overriding hatred for all things Slytherin. Related directly to an embarrassing Quidditch loss, I believe?"

Bonnie snorted with disgust at the memory and went back to drinking her butterbeer. Lily, on the other hand, had clearly found a topic for beginning the conversation. She turned to Harry and Hermione. "Speaking of your parents, what do they do?"

Harry looked reluctant to answer, so Hermione began. "Mine are dentists. Muggle dentists, of course."

"And you, Harry?" Lily said with a nod.

"Oh..." Harry stalled. "Well. The thing is..." He couldn't think of any good thing to say that wouldn't lead to more explaining than he really wanted to get into.

"Maybe his parents don't work," Bonnie suggested cheekily. "Maybe he's a bum on the streets."

Harry flushed. "That's not true! They don't... I don't... I live with my aunt and uncle. Or," he paused for a second, thinking, "I did. I don't know anymore. I really don't want to talk about it."

"All right." Lily looked a bit perplexed at his reaction, but clearly saw fit not to press the subject further. The five of them sat silently for a bit, the only noise being the occasional slurp of butterbeer. No one seemed to know what to say to Harry, but Lily was studying the boy's countenance as he studied the tabletop in front of him. Finally, the silence seemed to have become too much for her. "Do you know, Harry, you look just like James Potter." Before the words were even fully out of her mouth, he had whipped his head up to look at her. "I'm sure you must have heard that a million times before, but it really is true."

"Mum's seen James Potter, up close and personal," Bonnie said. She sounded a bit awestruck. "They were partners in Potions class, all those years ago."

"And I remember just what a love affair that was," Black commented with a snort. He set his now-empty butterbeer bottle on the table in front of him and dropped his arm lazily over the back of the seat behind his wife.

Lily visibly shuddered at the memory. "I can't say it was a pleasant experience, no."

"But, Mum," Bonnie cajoled, "he was James Potter. He's so..."

"If you say dreamy," Black interrupted his daughter, "you're automatically written out of my will." Bonnie clamped her mouth shut immediately.

Hermione, who had been virtually silent ever since leaving the bookstore, finally spoke up. "At least he wasn't a Slytherin. That's a plus for him right there."

"Now, now," Black chastised gently. "We can't blindly hold people's houses against them like that."

Lily snorted in a manner Harry thought most unladylike. Apparently, Bonnie thought so, too, as she burst out laughing. Black, on the other hand, favored his wife with a glare. "What? I just don't think you have any room to talk, after your performance in the bookshop."

"That had absolutely nothing to do with their being in Slytherin. Had Harry here, for example, called you... well, called you what those boys did, I'd have reacted in just the same manner."

Lily shook her head. "Ah, but you see, you hate Gryffindors as much as you hate Slytherins. Don't play Mr. Unbiased Professor in front of me, Sirius."

"Fine. But can I play Mr. Unbiased Professor in front of the students at least?" He raised an eyebrow imploringly and nodded towards Harry and Hermione. Lily glanced over at the two of them and immediately looked apologetic. "Anyway, how can I hate Gryffindors? I married one!" He smiled at her and leaned in for a kiss.

Bonnie, squished into the seat with her parents, huffed impatiently. "We're in public!"

Black gave his daughter a teasing smile. "Well, excuse me, Miss Black."

"Anyway," Bonnie began, with a smile across the table Harry, "we were talking about Harry's double. Since we've established that you don't hate Gryffindors, can we get back to that?" Black and Lily both rolled their eyes, but appeared willing to humor their daughter. "He's in Quidditch magazines at least once a month. I have subscriptions to all the major ones. Quidditch Weekly..."

"Just to see pictures of James?" Hermione asked, surprised.

Bonnie grinned. "Well, there's Severus, too, of course." Black groaned and Bonnie's grin widened.

"He is pretty cute," Hermione admitted.

Harry's eyes widened. It had been bad enough to learn that Parvati and Padma found Snape attractive. Now Hermione, too? He was beginning to lose faith in his new friends. "Severus Snape? Isn't he..."

"What?" Bonnie asked.

"A, you know, 'slimy Slytherin'?"

Bonnie gasped in shock. "Blasphemy! How dare you utter such a thing about Severus!"

"What Bonnie means to say," Lily interceded, "is that Severus, and James as well, were both in Gryffindor at Hogwarts. In my year, in fact, meaning I had to share classes with them for seven years."

"Slytherin!" Bonnie was muttering under her breath. "How could he... Slytherin!" Harry was amused to see that she reacted as if he had suggested that she, herself, was a member of that house. He decided at that moment that he and Bonnie would get along just fine.

Hermione looked like a question was forming in her head. Finally, she spoke. "Remus Lupin was friends with them back then, too, right?"

"He was," Lily confirmed. "A pack of trouble-makers, those three were. Though I did generally get along with Remus better than the other two. He had a brain in his head, at the very least."

"I love his books!" Bonnie gushed.

Black rolled his eyes. "That's my daughter for you. If it's wizarding pop culture, she loves it!"

"That's not true. I just like things that involve cute men," she clarified. "It's too bad about him and James, though."

"Why too bad?" Harry asked.

Bonnie grinned again. "Because, it means neither of them will be interested in me."

Black sighed once again and Harry heard him mutter, "Oh dear Merlin." Lily reached out and ran a comforting hand along his arm.

"You might have a chance with one of them, though, Harry," Bonnie suggested, a devilish gleam in her eye.

Harry choked on the sip of butterbeer he had just taken. He wiped his mouth clean and set the bottle down in front of him. "I'm not... I mean..."

"Don't swing that way? Okay." Bonnie smirked. "Better for me, then, I guess." Harry thought that, if he had still been drinking his butterbeer, he might have choked on it again. "I saw you checking me out, you know. Last Hogsmeade visit."

Mutterings that sounded distinctly like, "Should have locked her in the dungeon," were coming from Black's direction.

Hermione was grinning. "We'll, I'm sure you'll have loads in common. Harry's a fan of Lupin's books, too. He was looking at them in the shop."

"I am not... I've never read them," Harry protested.

"Oh, right." Hermione nodded. "But you said something about knowing him."

This time it was Bonnie's turn to choke on her butterbeer. "You know Remus Lupin?" she exclaimed.

Harry shook his head. "I didn't say I knew him. I said I had heard of him."

"Of course you have," Bonnie said. "He's only the most famous writer in the wizarding world."

"Him and Gilderoy Lockhart," Hermione amended.

Bonnie opened her mouth to speak, but her father beat her to it. "If I hear one word about how dreamy Gilderoy Lockhart is, so help me..."

"You know what," Lily interrupted, looking at her watch. "It's about time for you lot to be heading back to Hogwarts. Why don't you get a move on before you give your dear Transfiguration professor a heart attack, hmm?"

As if on cue, the wall clock chimed.

"I guess we'd better," Harry conceded, sliding out of his seat. He took one last sip of his butterbeer as Hermione and Bonnie stood up, as well.

"Bye Mum, see you, Dad," Bonnie said cheerily, giving each of her parents a kiss on the cheek.

The three students started off together. As soon as they were back out in the bright daylight, Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, what does he take me for?"

Harry was confused. "Who?"

"My father. 'If I hear one word about how dreamy Gilderoy Lockhart is...'" she mimicked. "As if I could ever like a fraud like that. Anyway, his hair's too perfect. I need a man with a messy head of hair. It signifies wildness inside. And I like a wild man." Bonnie smirked at Harry and Hermione, who both looked shocked. "Oh, for Merlin's sake. You Gryffindors are more prudish than my parents. Come on, we'll be late."

With that, she started off quickly down the road and towards the school. After exchanging a bewildered glance, Harry and Hermione followed.

To be continued...

Scenes from the next chapter, 'The Second Attack'

- "Dead... she's dead..." he muttered after a moment. Pettigrew got to his feet again and came suddenly at Harry. "I heard a girl screaming... was it her?" Harry shook his head no, but Pettigrew took no notice. "What'd you do, boy? Did you kill her?"

- "Well, do you know if... I mean... is she pure blood or..."

"Muggle," Bonnie whimpered. "Her parents are Muggles."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Pettigrew snapped.

Black nodded slowly. "The first victim was a Squib's pet. The second, a Muggle born student..."

"Enemies of the heir beware..." Harry muttered.