Harry Potter and the Doomspell Tournament

Chapter 2--The Nephew

Harry watched in horror and fascination as the boy advanced on a shocked Sirius, trying to think properly. The boy was going to kill Sirius, Harry knew that look, and he had left his wand up stairs.

"Stop!" The sudden command made the boy stop in his tracks and lower his wand partially, and Harry started breathing properly again. Not even a minute had passed since the boy had come through the fireplace.

The boy turned to the source of the voice. "Rose--this man--he may be your father, but he's a murderer--he's betrayed the Trust!"

"That is Clan business, Orion, and not to be spoken of in public. The Clan has not reviewed everyone here, much less deemed them trustworthy. My father is innocent."

"But-"

"He's innocent, Orion," Rose insisted, interrupting him.

"How can you say that, Rose? How can you know?"

"Because he wasn't my parent's Secret Keeper," Harry said, finding his voice. "He came up with the perfect plan, and they decided to switch to Peter at the last minute. Unfortunately, Peter was the spy. No one suspected him. Then Sirius cornered Peter after he'd betrayed Mum and Dad, but Wormtail was one step ahead."

"He's an unregistered Animagus," Rose continued. "He turns into a rat. He shouted for everyone to hear that Dad had betrayed Lily and James, then cut off his finger and blew up the street, killing the twelve Muggles. He transformed into a rat and disappeared into the sewers, effectively framing my father."

"I was only there when the Ministry turned up because I was laughing too hard to leave," Sirius added. "It was so ironic: James and I had helped Peter to become an Animagus in our fifth year, when we finally figured it out. I had helped him to frame me."

"If I hadn't been a werewolf, they never would have done it," Remus sighed. "They did it to keep me company when I transformed. I wasn't as much of a danger to animals as humans, and the large animals that Sirius and James transformed into could keep me in line when we... snuck out."

"What's done is done," Maralin said sharply. "Orion, honey, Sirius is innocent. You have the word of every member of the Order of Phoenix other than Peter that he is."

Orion reluctantly lowered his wand. "I'll take you're word for it... but don't expect the Clan to welcome him back with open arms. I wouldn't believe it myself, but I know that none of you would lie to me." He looked pointedly at Maralin, Remus, and Rose.

"Don't worry, Orion. Just don't tell your father until after Dad is proven innocent," Rose said, winking at her childhood friend.

Harry caught something then that he knew he'd never tell Rose--a shadow that passed across Orion's eyes as Rose winked and went over to Neville, and the dark look he gave the boy as Rose sat down with him, snuggling into his shoulder. He was very good at hiding it--if Harry hadn't been doing the same thing, he wouldn't have noticed.

The party resumed its previous roll. Orion was talking to Ron and Hermione. Sirius and Remus had been talking about their Marauder days and Fred and George had overheard them. Now they were chatting happily with them, an amused Maralin tossing in occasional comments. Rose was sitting with Neville and talking to Severus, and Neville was looking very nervous about the glares that Snape was sending him, unnoticed by Rose. The Weasleys were mingled with the rest of the crowd, and everyone was having a wonderful time.

Except Harry.

He was sitting in an armchair, his knees pulled up under his chin, and feeling overwhelmed. He had been to the Gryffindor victory parties, but he'd never seen anything like this. Everyone was totally relaxed, comfortable in each other's presence in a way that he could never be. Eleven years of experience with the Dursleys and then Voldemort's constant attacks had taught him to pull away from people to protect himself and those around him, and the lack of any sort of attack the year before had terrified him in a way that the attacks never did. The last time Voldemort had missed a year, he had been working on his return. This time... he was already back, and Harry shuddered to think what other major plan he might be concocting.

"You don't look like you're having very much fun."

Harry looked up to see Orion smiling down at him, looking a bit nervous.

"It's great, it's just that... it's a bit overwhelming. I mean, I've been to the Gryffindor victory parties--been the center of attention there and other places. This is just... not like anything I've ever seen before."

Orion nodded, sitting in the chair next to him. "I know what you mean. If I hadn't grown up with Rose's parties, I'd be overwhelmed, too. She usually has a big party with the whole Clan, and then a smaller party--a party like this. Is it true that this is your first birthday party?"

Harry nodded. "I probably had one on my first birthday, but it's the first one I've had since I came to live with the Dursleys. When I turned eleven, they started ignoring my birthdays all together. I got my owl from Hagrid for my eleventh birthday, and I got presents from my friends on my thirteenth, and from Sirius, too, on my fourteenth."

"But not on your twelfth?"

Harry shrugged. "There was a House Elf who took it upon himself to try to keep me away from Hogwarts and the Basilisk, and he'd been blocking my mail."

"He could only do that if someone ordered him to."

"No one had. He's... not a very conventional House Elf. He came to warn me or try to keep me from going, and later he tried to get me sent home. When he went back afterwards, he'd do some awful punishment on himself, which his masters apparently didn't notice because he had to punish himself frequently. I tricked his master into freeing him, which he was delighted about, and now he's paid to work at Hogwarts."

Orion raised an eyebrow. "'Not conventional' is putting it lightly. A House Elf--paid!"

Harry shrugged. "He's happy, and Professor Dumbledore is willing to pay him a lot more than he would take. He was offered... I think it was ten Galleons a week and weekends off, but he wouldn't take more than a Galleon a week and one day off a month. He just doesn't want to be trapped in a situation like he was in before."

Orion nodded. "I see. One of the old families that hates anyone who's not rich and pureblooded, and treats their Elf like vermin?"

"Exactly."

:Harry, why aren't you having fun?:

:Er . . . maybe because everybody's . . . er . . . :

:Oh. Harry, you should have said something!:

:Like what? You wanted to do this. I can deal with it, and get to know your best friend from before you met me.:

:Did I really talk about him that much?:

:Yes, and everything was very positive. Have fun, spend time with your mentor and boyfriend, and I'll talk to Orion.:

:And later we'll open presents.:

:What? Oh, yeah. Presents later.:

Rose gave a snort on the other side of the room, and Harry shook his head. "It's a wonder that she can be this immature sometimes."

"Who? And what was with the looks you and Rose were shooting each other?"

Harry blinked. "Oh. Yeah. We need to stop doing that. It has a tendency to annoy people. Rose. She can be astonishingly immature for someone with her power and ability--not to mention responsibility."

Orion laughed. "It's completely understandable. She was undeniably spoiled when she was little, and nobody cared when she was a bloody spoiled brat. She almost always gets exactly what she wants, and she's right much too often. Like there was some power-hungry cow named Yolindi Hampton who wanted to get into the Clan because of some cock and bull prophecy about the Clan conquering the world. She almost got one of our cousins who's pretty high in the hierarchy to marry her, but luckily Rose prevented it. Now he's happily married and Yolindi's afraid of her own shadow."

Harry smiled. "That's Rose all right. A lot of times you'd think she's very mature for her age--until you get her around presents."

Orion nodded empathetically. "I know exactly what you mean."

Harry and Orion talked for the rest of the party--about Rose and Quidditch and their schools, among other things--and then Rose decided it was time for presents. Harry shook his head, went over to the table, and gave Rose her first one.

"It's from Severus," she said, smiling at her mentor. She opened it, and gasped.

Severus had given her a beautiful sandalwood fan and an exquisite painting on thin slats of bamboo. A forest sheltered a werewolf, a stag, and a large black dog, lilies and roses among the trees and lightening lacing across the sky, a rat just visible in the corner, looking over its shoulder traitorously as it left the other animals.

"It--it's beautiful! I knew I should have pushed harder to get you to show me some of your work!"

Snape shrugged, obviously embarrassed, which was a very interesting way to see him. "It's one of my better pieces, along with a few portraits."

Rose nodded, and Harry tried to figure out his twin's brief conversation with their Potion's Master. :Snape paints?:

:Very well, as you can see. He's a little touchy about it. The fan is also his work, but he's been embarrassed enough. Your turn.: She picked up a present and gave it to Harry, and he grinned, handing one to her as well, and she gave him a pointed look. He sighed.

"It's from Hermione." He was not looking forward to this.

Quite a while later they finished and everyone but Orion had gone home. Harry took his presents up to his room and left Orion to set up for the night, and helped Rose carry her gifts to her room.

"So . . . what's with the whole Snape painting thing?"

"It helps him cope. He rarely sees the future anymore--just the past. It's hard on him. It's part of why he's so bitter."

Harry nodded and left, going up to his room. Orion was already changed for bed, sprawled on his stomach on the cot Harry had set up for him the night before in a pair of dark blue pajamas with the blanket over him and his chin resting on his arms, which were folded across the pillow. Harry sat down on his bed and sighed, running his fingers through his messy black hair, carefully blocking Rose out of his mind. He was silent for a moment, and then spoke.

"You love Rose."

Orion jumped, turning to face Harry. When he saw the deadly serious look on Harry's face, he sat up with his own face blank. "Is it really that obvious?"

"No. I'm probably the only one who knows, and I'd like to keep it that way. She's had enough Earth-shattering news for a lifetime."

Orion gave a bitter laugh, dropping his face into his hands. "I hadn't planned on telling her. We're cousins. People don't do that anymore."

"You're not."

Orion's head shot up, and he stared at Harry, his gray eyes wide. "Wh-what?"

"Very few people know this, and if you tell anyone I will personally make sure you live to regret putting Rose in danger. I am telling you for three reasons. One, Rose trusts you. Two, you love her, and so you deserve to know. And three: I want you to understand what I'm about to say. Rose is not a Black at all, but a Potter, and my twin sister. She is in love with Neville Longbottom, and has Foreseen herself marrying him. Your interference will only make her unhappy, and if you interfere I will personally make sure that you wish you had simply announced to the world who she really is. Even without that, you two would never work out. You'll both be much better off if you never let her know you love her, and find someone else."

Orion opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and nodded. "Rose deserves a brother like you. She needs someone who wants her to be safe and happy more than anything else in the world. Don't worry, Harry, I won't tell her anything. I want her to be happy as much as you do."

Harry nodded, and the other boy rolled over onto his side, his back to Harry, pretending to sleep. Harry sighed, knowing that Orion would be working out what he'd been told, then got himself ready for bed and to sleep.

_______________________________________________________

Reason #1 why there are No House Markings on Hogwarts Robes (besides it saying that they are plain black robes, of course):

"Excuse me," said Ron, hurrying up to her. "We've forgotten the way to our common room."

"I beg your pardon?" said the girl stiffly. "Our common room? I'm a Ravenclaw."

-Chamber of Secrets, American version

Don't you think that they wouldn't have asked her if there were a House Emblem of some sort?