Full Circle

Chapter 19 - A Slight Misunderstanding

"So what exactly brought you and Harry to Le Maison du Solare?" Samantha Tribbet stirred a little milk into her afternoon tea.

"Maison du what? Oh, you mean this place? Beats me with a stick," Sirius replied. "My beloved godson seems to be rather possessed with pipe dreams. Swears up and down to me that this house is the one he's been dreaming about for the last five months."

"Dreaming about? He wants to buy my father's house?"

Sirius laughed. "No, not dreams of ownership. His dreams are more of a hallucinatory nature, I'm afraid."

Samantha raised her eyebrows in concern. "Harry's been hallucinating?"

"Well, now I shouldn't really say that. If I put it in that way, makes him sound like a nutcase. Far from it. Harry is an extraordinary young wizard, I must admit, but for a boy his age, he's been through so much more than ordinary teenagers. You're aware of his parents' untimely death, I'm sure." Sirius paused without looking at her and took a sip of tea. "That's bad enough all by itself, but if you tack on the additional deaths of classmates, professors and friends as well as five separate run-ins with You-Know-Who..."

"Good gracious!" Samantha whispered.

"Yeah." Sirius fished around inside his trouser pockets. "Er, do you mind if I smoke a cigarette on your patio?"

Samantha shook her head "no" and followed him outside with her cup of tea.

Holding the cigarette loosely between his lips, Sirius lit it with the tip of his wand and breathed in deeply. "Dirty habit I picked up in Azkaban," he muttered. "Actually, I thought I'd broken it once I got out, but for some reason in these last few months it's come back with full force."

"Well, I can see you have a lot on your mind, Sirius. I'm not surprised."

Sirius stared out into the overgrown garden. "I worry sometimes that Harry's perched on the edge of his own demise. I'm just trying to be there for him in his time of need...like a good father should."

Samantha did not bother to correct him. It was obvious that the relationship between Sirius and Harry had developed into that of father and son over the last few years.

Eager to change the subject, Sirius asked "So you live in London now, eh?"

"Yes, once I returned from Africa, I studied at the Lewinshire University of Higher Magical Education. I know it's a rare thing for a witch to go to college since a graduate degree is hardly ever required for most jobs in the wizarding world, but I really wanted to specialize in Advanced Herbology. In a field like that, it doesn't hurt to get as much formal education as you can. So I got my dual degree in Advanced Herbology/ Research and Care of Magical Creatures and having been working for the last four years at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. If I'm lucky, I'll be up for promotion in the fall - hopefully for Department Head."

"Congratulations!" Sirius responded earnestly. "Funny I never discovered that fact; with all the people I know who work for the ministry. But then again, I would have never recognized the name Tribbett."

"Yes... that always throws people for a loop." Samantha smiled. "So, what about you? Anything eventful happen in the last twenty years? Well, I mean besides the decade or more in prison."

Sirius couldn't help but laugh. "Well, after I escaped, I was on the run for about three years, helped with some underground movements against the Death Eaters, eventually was cleared of the crimes I was accused of, sold my family's estate at Grimmauld Place and move to a more secluded home in Summer's Glen. Let's see - then I spent last fall at Remus' flat on the south side with Harry before..." his voice trailed off in wave of regret.

Samantha's face glowed. "Remus Lupin? I haven't heard that name in years, but oh, I always held such fond memories of him. How is the old chap?"

Sirius hesitated. "He's been better, I'm sure." Samantha cocked her head to the side, confused. "Remus is dead, Sam. Murdered this just this past Christmas by Peter Pettigrew." To say the words out loud forced his hands to clench themselves into tight fists.

He plucked the dying cigarette from his mouth and tossed in on the moist ground, rubbing it out with the heel of his boot. "Fuck," he muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Samantha stood quietly for a moment, absorbing the knowledge and searching for the proper condolence for the situation. Lost and speechless, she was about to reach out her hand to touch Sirius on the shoulder when the two were interrupted by a small boy storming out through the glass French doors. His brown eyes were wide with panic and his curly brunette locks were haphazardly strewn across his face. The child couldn't have been more than seven or eight years old.

"Mum, there's someone freaking out upstairs in Nana's bedroom!"

The two adults exchanged glances. "Mum?" Sirius inquired.

"Sirius, this is my son, Nigel," Samantha said in a distracted voice. "Sorry I didn't mention him before..." She quickly put her arm around the young boy as they followed him upstairs to the house's master bedroom.

**************

"And that's how we found him," Sirius finished his story for the sake of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who were waiting in the lobby for their youngest children to arrive.

"Heavens, Sirius! Why it took you so long to get the boy some help is beyond me!" Mrs. Weasley sighed

"I also wished you had told us about this sooner, Sirius. We consider Harry to be a part of the Weasley family," her husband continued.

"Well, don't get me started on what a bad idea it was to take him out of Hogwarts in the first place - especially without notifying anyone of where you are going." Professor McGonagall had just stepped off the lift with three of her students in tow.

"I thought I was helping him," Sirius hissed.

"Correction. You thought Harry was going to lead you on an exciting adventure. Well, let me remind you Mr. Black - Harry is by no means a reincarnated James Potter. You have taken on the role of guardian for this boy. This does not include you following him around the UK on an adolescent whim. What Harry needed most was structure and an opportunity to complete his education-"

"Yet you thought it was totally acceptable to take him out of school for the fall semester!" Sirius retorted.

"That arrangement was made for Harry's protection - something that he still requires at this very moment."

"Well, I've made sure he has kept us his studies over the last few months."

The headmistress scoffed. "Book knowledge, sure...but what about practicum? You expect him to pass his NEWT's with the help of your tutoring." Professor McGonagall shook her head. "This is an irrelevant point. You did not have permission to remove Harry from Hogwarts!"

Ginny watched the argument bounce back and forth like the final match at Wimbledon, stunned silent by the overt "carrying-on" between two grown adults. Ron made a slight cough behind her which final gained the attention of their parents.

"Hello, children!" Mrs. Weasley smiled, pulling Ginny and Ron into a tight hug. Ginny couldn't help but notice that this was the closest in proximity that she had been with Ron since last December. "Would either of you like a pumpkin spice cookie? I made a batch for Harry because I know they are his favorite."

Ginny declined, but it was no surprise that Ron helped himself to two - one for him and the other for his girlfriend that he insisted on bringing along. His sister gritted her teeth in annoyance even now, not because she disapproved of their relationship but because she felt visiting Harry at the hospital should be a "family-only" affair.

"So this must be Lavender Brown," said Ron's father warmly. Both parents were, of course, secretly disappointed that their son was no longer with their dear sweet Hermione, but they weren't about to shun the new girl for no fault of her own. Lavender smiled and nodded, shaking the hands of Ron's parents. Mrs. Weasley took the greatest step, gathering Lavender into a quick hug.

During all the commotion of introductions and the continued disagreement between Professor McGonagall and Sirius, Ginny took the opportunity to slip out of the crowd and head down the long hallway of the fourth floor down to Harry's hospital room. There was no proof that Harry's current mental status was the result of any spell damage, yet the healer on duty the day of his arrival could not think of a better ward to place him in. Ginny held her breath as she ducked past the attendant's station without being noticed.

Her footsteps quickened as they clicked along the linoleum floor, her heart full of a desperate confidence. Ginny knew that her time alone with Harry would be limited, but she needed to talk to him. St. Mungo's might not be the most appropriate place to inform Harry of his paternity, but at this point it was a necessity. Wizards and witches in long green robes hurried to and from across Ginny's path as they rushed to aid their patients with bottles of potions in their hands. Even though they paid little attention to the teenager wandering through the halls, Ginny could helped but be intrigued by their work since she was still taking classes in preparation for becoming a Healer after graduating Hogwarts.

Finally Ginny arrived in front of room 416, the numbers that had been circling inside her head since the receptionist had told Professor McGonagall when they first arrived. Strangely the door was open, which means they must not consider Harry to be a flight risk, she thought as took a short glance in both directions to see if the coast was clear. Taking a deep breath, Ginny stepped inside the strange sterile atmosphere of the hospital room.

Harry was lying on his back and staring aimlessly at the ceiling before noticing his red haired friend. Instantly he had crawled to the edge of the bed, his bare feet sliding down onto the cold floor, his arms reaching out to capture Ginny in a warm embrace. "Oh, Ginny!" his muffled voice spoke, buried in her shoulder. "I'm so happy to see you."

He pulled away briefly to give her a brief kiss before grasping her close to him again. "If I spent another day in this dreary room without someone to talk to - someone who will actually believe me..."

Ginny felt her body tense as his arms enveloped her. She remembered a time in her life where she would have done anything to be in this intimate position. Both of them had unconsciously flirted with this idea at the beginning of Harry's sixth year, when Ron and Hermione first started dating. The trio had been divided by a romantic twist of fate and Harry was left suddenly alone.

Letters that had been exchanged between the future couple the summer after fifth year had sealed the deal upon their return to school in the fall. Harry, as oblivious as he often was, never saw the relationship flourish right before his eyes. But Ginny, as sister and friend, was fully aware of what was going on. While the two Gryffindor prefects spend endless evenings with each other, Harry sat in the common room pretending to write essays for Snape's advanced potions class.

Ginny herself had also been single at the time, since her relationship with Dean Thomas had fizzled out during the summer (no hard feelings, of course) and her heartstrings had been tugged for her former crush and his poorly hid misery. Harry certainly didn't like the feeling of loosing his two best friends, yet tried to act like it was no big deal. But Ginny could see the hurt in his eyes, when Ron and Hermione walked the halls holding hands.

One night that October around 11 o'clock at night, Ginny padded downstairs in her slippers and robe to see Harry sitting on the sofa by the fireplace and waiting for them to return to Gryffindor Tower.

"They might not be back for awhile, Harry. You shouldn't wait up," she spoke softly.

"I'm not waiting for anything," Harry replied.

Wordlessly, Ginny sat down on couch next to him and gently pulled his head into her lap. On a night like that, Harry was not going to resist. She ran her fingers through his tousled black hair and he stared at the flickering flames in the fireplace. Harry had lost his parents and apparently his friends, but that night he still had Ginny. Neither one of them said anything because they didn't need to, and they were both asleep when Ron and Hermione returned. And while nothing elicit happened on that sofa that evening, despite any typical teenage urges on either of their ends, it was an event that truly solidified a friendship between Harry and Ginny. The two finally saw each other as equals.

Ginny had never asked Harry why it bothered him so much to see Ron and Hermione together and frankly she didn't think he really knew why himself. He would only say something like "They deserve to be happy even if it's not with me." Deep down, Ginny thought this was because Harry, in his self deprecating manner, didn't think that he deserved to be happy. To love someone too deeply, too intimately would mean that he would only end up loosing it.

This was one of the ways Ginny justified her actions when she was blackmailed into giving Harry and Hermione the potion. Perhaps if Harry was forced into loving someone, coerced into sharing an intimate part of himself, maybe he would realize that Harry Potter was someone worth being loved.

Now he stood before her, looking painfully young and scared. "Ginny, you can't imagine what I've been through these past few months..." Harry glanced up and absorbed the image of her face. "Wait a minute, Gin. You're wearing glasses."

She pulled away from him and sat on the firm mattress of the bed. "Yes, Harry," she sighed. "Just the result of a little incident involving Lucius Malfoy."

"Malfoy?" he growled.

"Yes, but now is not the time to change the subject. Perhaps I could imagine what has happened to you recently if you had bothered to reply to any of the letters I sent you." Ginny could almost hear Harry swallowing his words.

"Well...er...I got the letters and...umm...I read them..." Harry gave up, knowing that he did not have an excuse for not sending any response. "I'm sorry, Ginny. I just have been so wrapped up in figuring things out here."

Well, we've needed to you back at Hogwarts, she wanted to reply, but held her tongue. "So what exactly did you discover that got you landed in St. Mungo's?"

Harry stared at her as if he was beginning to doubt that she would understand after all. "It started out with the dreams I've been having..."

"About You-Know-Who again?" Suddenly, Ginny was alarmed.

"Not exactly." He paused, trying to find the way to phrase it. "The dreams have involved Tom Riddle."

The words sunk deep in Ginny's mind: she had been one of the only people to have dealt first hand with the memory of Tom Riddle. "What happened, Harry?"

He sat down beside her and started to rattle on nervously. "It started at Hogwarts with a young Professor Dumbledore and a girl named Kate, his niece..." He watched her expression for signs of disbelief. "Then Tom and Kate got married, but they couldn't have children for several years because of a necklace that Dumbledore had given her, but Tom destroyed it and he...he..." Harry's face paled and his lips quivered as if he was going to be sick. Ginny reached out to hold his hand within her own.

Harry closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. "Kate had a baby, a little girl named Camilla, but she sacrificed her own life at the hands of her husband in order to save their daughter. She wanted to make sure that he never found out..." He opened his bright green eyes and looked directly into Ginny's. "I think my mother is the daughter of Voldemort."

Ginny breathed in sharply, not knowing how to respond to that. The look on Harry's face assured her that all of this was real, at least in his own mind. But what if it was all just a trap, an act of mind control by You-Know-Who to lure Harry into another bad situation. This certainly hadn't been the first time.

"But Harry, your mother was a Muggle born witch; everyone knew that - even Dumbledore. Surely as one of the most powerful wizards of this century, he would be aware that Lily Evans was the daughter of You-Know-Who, especially if she also happened to be his great niece. Besides, Harry - remember the Chamber of Secrets?" As if he could forget.

"We know that only the heir of Slytherin was capable of opening the chamber. If your mother was You-Know-Who's daughter, that would make you his grandson and the rightful heir of Slytherin. How then would Tom Riddle been able to possess me into opening it? It's just not possible." Ginny didn't know who she was trying to convince, Harry or herself.

He stood up in frustration and walked over to the window. "Ginny, I thought of all people that you would understand..." At the same time, the voices of Harry's other guests were growing louder as they walked up the hallway. Swiftly he turned and looked at Ginny. "Other people are here?" He asked with a distressed voice. "Is Hermione?" Harry spoke as if his life depended on her arrival.

"No, Harry. Hermione's not here." Ginny could feel his heart drop to the pit of his stomach. "She's not allowed to leave Hogwarts." She bit her bottom lip in bitter anticipation. "Neither she nor Professor McGonagall want anyone to discover that Hermione's pregnant."

The silence Ginny was greeted with was deafening. For a moment it felt like time had frozen on the very spot and if it wasn't for the twinkling laughter in the hallway at that moment - the world would have stayed paused forever. Both sets of eyes fell upon the same image of Lavender Brown giggling softly as her boyfriend held her hand and whispered something sweet in her ear. The couple had not yet noticed that they were being watched.

But the quietness that had possessed the room a moment before was shattered as Harry stormed across the linoleum floor, around the bed and out the door. Even as Ginny jumped up and raced toward him, she knew instantly that she was too late when she heard the sound of fist hitting flesh and bang of Ron's skull as it slammed against the wall.

Lavender screamed and Mrs. Weasley frantically asked "What in Merlin's name are you doing, Harry?"

"How dare you!" Harry yelled as his former best friend lay crumbled on the floor clutching his jaw. "Hermione's going to have a baby and here you are schmoozing around with Lavender Brown." His voice was laced with utter disgust. "You sicken me with your petty selfishness, Ron" he spat, before turning on his bare heel and sprinting down the hallway in the opposite direction.

"Harry, wait!" Ginny called out. "You don't understand!"

"Hermione's pregnant?" Lavender spoke, staring at Ron in disbelief as his mother bent down to examine his wounds.

"Ron, what exactly was Harry talking about? And why did he hit you?" Mrs. Weasley inquired.

Ron wiped his swollen lip with the tips of his fingers, smearing blood across his face. "Bloody hell! I never expected Harry to have the balls to fly off and hit me like that."

"Ronald Paul Weasley, watch your language!" His mother scolded, as he pulled away from her.

"Somebody stop him!" Ginny yelled, but the hospital staff was mysteriously absent.

"There's an emergency on the second floor," replied Mr. Weasley. "Most of the staff is attending to that."

"Is this your fault, Ron?" Lavender squeaked.

"Sirius, Minerva. Harry's loose!" Mr. Weasley called down the hallway.

"Doesn't this institution take any security measures?" muttered Professor McGonagall. "Sirius, turn around to the north wing and take the lift down to the first floor main entrance. Arthur, try the south wing lift. I'll take the west and...Miss Weasley?"

But Ginny was already ten steps ahead of them, praying she wouldn't get lost in the unfamiliar corridors of the hospital. "I'll take the stairs!" She replied as the adults hurried off in opposite directions.

"Wait. Hermione's pregnant?" Mrs. Weasley said as Lavender's shocked words took effect. "Ron, how come you never mentioned this to me?" Leaning forward she pleaded, "It's not yours, is it?"

Before Ron could even respond, Lavender was dashing down the hallway toward the girl's lavatory, her head buried in her hands. "Stop! Wait, Lavender! It's not what you think...I'm not the father!" He pulled himself to his feet and trotted after her.

Mrs. Weasley stood alone in the hall with her hands on her hips. "Well, thank goodness for that. I mean if Fred and George made it through Hogwarts without getting in trouble that way, I should hope that Ron would at least do the same." Without further need for further instructions, Mrs. Weasley grabbed her bag and headed for the east wing lift in search of Harry.