Harry Potter: Family Ties

CHAPTER ONE

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in their seventh year, and had all decided to go in pretty much the same direction when they graduated -- Ron and Harry wanted to be Aurors, while Hermione was going to be in the Muggle Relations Department. But they were all going to be in the Order of the Phoenix, to help against Voldemort.

Harry and Ron had decided to pay a visit to the Trophy Room, to try to count the awards. Harry lost track at around seven hundred seventy-something, and Ron was somewhere around nine hundred when he found a particularly large trophy collection for one person.

"Oy, Harry, look at this one!" Ron called, gesturing to a trophy in a cabinet farthest from the door.

"What one?" Harry asked, half jogging over to Ron.

"This one, see it? It says 'Jonathan Dave Evans.' Apparently he was the 'Hardest Trying, Most School Devoted Student.' It's from -- blimey -- 1906, and the bloke was 16."

"Evans... That was my mum's name, before she married my dad," Harry said, staring at the trophy. "Look, there's another one for him -- the 'Smartest Student' award... Head Boy... and blimey... he even did 'Special Services for the School.'"

"D'you think this was your granddad?" Ron asked, looking at the other trophies in Evans' honor.

"I dunno. Maybe," Harry said, placing his hand over the glass case. "If he was, I've got a lot to live up to... 'Smartest Student,' 'Hardest Trying, Most School Devoted Student,' 'Special School Services,' Head Boy, this guy was some kind of bloody hero or something!"

"Think we should ask Hermione about him or something?" Ron asked, roaming around the Trophy Room.

"I dunno. I guess so..."

"Hey -- what's with you and my sister?" Ron asked out of the blue.

Harry stopped walking. "What about us?"

Ron grinned. "Well, I was just wondering... whether you guys are... you know... Together?"

"Wha --? Oh, no, we're not. At least... not yet... You know."

"Uh huh. Sure," Ron said, privately grinning. He knew for a fact that Harry and Ginny were up talking past midnight last night. And he also knew that they were not just talking.

"Well, we should go, we'll be late for Defense Against the Dark Arts," Harry said, walking over to the door and grabbing his bag.

"I'm going to give you a project, and I don't want anyone procrastinating," Professor Lupin was saying, ten minutes later in Defense Against the Dark Arts. He looked at Harry and Ron as he said this and Ron swore he saw the tiniest wink.

"You will pair up and, with each other's help, research, define on parchment, and perform a given defensive spell or hex for the class next month. I want at least six and a half inches for your definitions -- yes, you may do more, Hermione -- and I want teamwork. Also, be creative. Use colored ink and parchment, if you wish. You may even use a poster format. On your definitions, you must include the incantation and wand movement, that's at least an inch and a half right there for you, all you'll have to do for that is look it up. I will put on the board --" Lupin drew out his wand -- "the full rules, the spells you may choose from, and a few helpful hints on where to look --" Lupin flicked his wand and it appeared there -- "you may begin finding your partners and choosing your spells when you've copied this all down." Lupin sat at his desk, smiling at the class. He looked weary. Ron checked the date -- it was three days to the full moon.

Harry turned instinctively to Ron. "Partners?"

"Well --" Ron looked over to Hermione. He had momentarily considered paring up with her, and asking Harry if he'd pair with Neville. "Yeah." Hermione smiled at Neville. Ron felt a short pang of jealousy, but then thought of how much he loved that smile. He stared at Hermione, very much oblivious to the rest of the world.

"Right, well, I've finished copying the rules and everything. What spell d'you want to do?" Harry said, putting down his quill.

"I -- what? Oh, right. Erm... Bat Bogey Hex?"

"What about the Patronus Charm? That one would be easy," Harry suggested hopefully. Ron nodded. "Cool. Okay, let's go and tell Lupin..." Harry and Ron got up and told Lupin what spell they wanted to use.

Lupin smiled. "I figured you two would want that one," he said as he crossed off the Patronus Charm from the list. "You two can head off to the library, if you like, to get started. I'll give you a pass -- Accio!" Lupin signed the note that had flown over to him and handed it to Ron. "Go on now, and I don't want to hear from Madam Pince that you've been causing trouble." Lupin winked.

"So... You really think that Evans guy was your granddad?"

"Well... I dunno, actually. I mean, if my mum's dad went to Hogwarts... That really doesn't work. My mum's parents were Muggles."

"Oh yeah... I forgot. But what if -- and listen to me here, Harry -- what if your mum's dad was actually a wizard, and he never told anyone? Maybe he married a Muggle, to help cover up for it?"

"Yeah, and my Aunt Petunia is actually a half blood."

"No, she could be a Squib. Come on, Harry, go with me here. It's a cool thing. And -- it would mean that you actually know who your granddad is -- and -- and -- and you've always really wanted to know your family better, right?"

"Yeah, right. So I guess I'll just pretend that anything anyone's ever told me about my family is wrong, and that you're actually smarter than Dumbledore --"

"Harry, I never said I was --"

Harry started yelling.

"Listen, Aunt Petunia is related to no one with natural wizard blood in them except for me. She's not a Squib. It's my mum who was the oddball, all right?"

Ron found himself yelling back.

"If you don't want to know your family, then that's your problem, and that's just weird. And you just cut your mum down and stuck up for your aunt, you know that --"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?"

"Oh damn --"

"Yelling in the library! What are you thinking! Who sent you?"

"S-sorry, Madam Pince --"

"Who sent you boys?"

"Professor Lupin did --"

"What for? So you could bother all of the other hard-working students with your shouting match?"

"N-no! No, he sent us --"

"To start on a researching project --" Harry cut in.

"Well, you'll just have to go back to class. Give this note to Professor Lupin." Madam Pince flicked her wand and a sealed note appeared there. She handed it to Ron, who took it and glared at Harry. They walked out of the library.

"Maybe we shouldn't take it to him --"

"No, really. That's almost as ingenious as your idea that my Aunt is a Squib and my mum is --"

"Harry, just shut up about it okay, shut up! Fine, so it was a dumb idea! So forget about it --"

"Yeah, you're right, Ron. It was a stupid idea. So why don't I just forget about it, and everything will be all right -- including the fact that I still have no idea who my family was. What's the password again?" Harry added coldly, having reached Gryffindor Tower.

"Butterbeer," Ron said scathingly.

Harry went upstairs to the boy's dormitories. As Ron wanted to be nowhere near Harry, he stayed downstairs in the Common Room. He sat in his favorite chair and stared into the fire, thinking about what had just happened.

All he'd said -- all that had happened -- was that Ron had made a statement. A simple, single, stupid idea that came into his head. He felt like an idiot. But -- no -- when was Ron ever right about his stupid ideas? Hermione had said it herself, last year --

"Ron, when are your ideas ever right? When was the last time you thought one thing and it turned out to be right?"

So it was Harry who was being the idiot, not Ron. Even now that he thought about it, it seemed like the most idiotic idea he'd ever had. And Harry thought that he, Ron, believed it? Making up his mind, Ron nodded and got up. He was going to make things right with Harry.

He was halfway up the stairs when he realized -- Harry is never that easy. You have to give him at least two or three days before he could cool down if he got that mad at someone.

CHAPTER 2

Why are you here?" Hermione asked twenty minutes later, sitting down beside Ron.

"What?"

"Why are you sitting down here alone and not doing work? Where's Harry? Why didn't you come back to class after you got your books?"

Ron didn't know quite what to say, so he told the truth.

"Because Harry and I got in a fight on the way to the library, in the dormitory, and because we didn't get books."

"What?"

Ron sighed. He told Hermione the whole truth.

"Wow," Hermione breathed, five minutes later.

"Yeah. Hey, you want a game of chess?"

"What? Ron, this is serious, we need to work this out! You and Harry are best friends, and anyway, you're working together on the first project of the year and you've got to make it look good, Lupin said this would be twenty percent of the grade this term, I asked him after class," Hermione said, looking worried.

"Yeah, okay. I'll talk to Harry when he cools off."

"Hasn't he had enough time to cool off already?" Hermione demanded.

"Herm, you know Harry -- if he yells that much, he needs at least a day until he cools down to a light simmer. I'll talk to him on Saturday, that should give him about... three days."

"Or I could talk to him," Ginny said.

Ron and Hermione jumped. "Where did you come from?" Ron asked, looking perplexed.

"I was listening from the rug by the fire. You know, if you want a private conversation, you might try the back of the Charms room, it's a very good place to talk about things you don't want over --"

"Yes, I know Gin, I know. We figured that out three or four years ago. And it's not like this is private, it's just that you surprised us."

"Us? Who said anything about us being surprised? I know I jumped, but that was because --"

"Hermione, give it a rest, you won't get expelled for jumping. Anyway, do you want me to talk to Harry for you? I mean, we are going out--"

"You are? Harry told me you weren't yet --"

"And I'm sure he'll listen to me," Ginny said, acting as if she hadn't heard Ron.

"Sure, that'd be excellent, Ginny. Thanks!"

"But didn't Harry say that --" Ron started.

"Okay... D'you want to wait a bit or go now?"

"Well you obviously know Harry better than we think --" Ron tried.

"I don't care, whatever you like, Gin. Now, Ron, what were you saying?"

"I was saying," Ron said grumpily, "that I didn't know Harry and Ginny were going --"

"No, not that, Ron, your idea you had about that Evans guy," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh. Oh, right. Well, I said that what if Harry's mum's dad was actually a wizard, maybe a half blood to stick closer to what he's been told, and his mum wasn't a Muggle born, but his aunt is actually a Squib!"

"Ron, that's impossible --" Hermione shook her head. "Impossibly brilliant for you! I mean, wow --"

"It's okay, Gin, you can say it's impossible and probably the worst idea I've ever had, because it's true, it's just that Harry doesn't see it, because he's to much of a prat to give a --"

"Well, Ron, good to know you're a good friend," Harry said, coming down the stairs.

"Harry --"

"What? Are you going to tell me you think my dad was a Muggle born? Or would you like to say that Aunt Petunia is a witch too, she just hasn't found out yet. God, what is the matter with you, Ron?" And Ron found Harry was yelling in no time.

"Harry! Shut -- up!" Ginny bellowed. Everyone looked at her. "How can you ask what's the matter with Ron! Listen to yourself! What, just because you're an orphan and 'the Boy Who Lived' automatically gives you the right to be the world's biggest prat?" The Gryffindors all sniggered or said "Ooh!" in the tone that says, "Oh, man, you just got dissed!"

"What? Ginny, how can you say that? Do you not hear Ron and his stupid big fat mouth --?"

"LOOK -- WHO'S -- TALKING!" Ron bellowed this so loudly that he had to take a breath between every word. Several students said "Whoa" or gasped.

"Harry, listen to us --"

"WHY SHOULD I?"

"Well, first off, we're your friends. Friends listen. And secondly, I am Head Girl and demand that you quiet down, because you're disturbing the peace of everyone else. And that goes for you too Ron, you're a bit too loud too." Ron nodded, but Harry, however --

"Are you -- are you using your authority over me!"

"As a matter of fact, I most certainly am," Hermione said coolly. And with that said she walked calmly off to the girls' dormitory.

Harry rounded on Ron and Ginny, seething.

"Well -- well -- well, do you have anything else to accuse me of?" he asked.

"No, not now, no," Ginny said, nudging Ron, who was staring after Hermione.

"Good, because it's time for dinner," an on-looker said, checking his watch. "I'd hate to miss anything."