Of Monsters, Of Men

Chapter 33

"Alphard, huh," Black muttered. "Pollux's kid. Haven't ever seen him; I was disowned before he was born."

"He's alright," Harry added. "He offered Tom and I an acquaintanceship even after we lost a rigged house duel. And even a friendship. But Walburga, not so much. She was one of the primary instigators that exiled us from Slytherin."

"My family is a disgrace to society," Black muttered. "Your parents and Remus were a better family to me than my blood relatives."

Harry shrugged halfheartedly. "It wasn't just your family, it was the entirety of Slytherin; we endured quite a lot in that house. Tom and I have carved our own path now. We founded a first-generation Hogwarts students association, which has gained a lot of traction in the last few months. Currently, FiGS is in a cold war with Slytherin."

"You'll win," Black said confidently. "You're James and Lily's kid. Of course you'll show those Slytherins who they scorned, who they turned their backs on."

Harry smiled. "We will." He hesitated before his curiosity got the better of him. "What were James and Lily like? I know a decent amount from the biographies on them, such as that Lily was smart and charming and kind, that James was clever and talented and mischievous, but I don't know much else besides that."

Black smiled broadly. "Why, James and Lily were some of the most wonderful people ever. Yes, it's true that Lily was kind and intelligent, but she also was passionate and always stood up for what she believed in. Why, she didn't start dating your father until our seventh year at Hogwarts. That was the year James matured."

"I remember during your duel with Snape that Snape mentioned Lily," Harry said. "I was wondering what that was all about."

"Severus Snape was Lily's childhood friend. He was sorted into Slytherin and became caught up in their pureblood supremacist bullshit."

A familiar waspish voice cut in, "Black won't mention that he and his best friend James Potter bullied me in my youth." Professor Snape looked at the two of them coldly and sneered, "Some lovely family bonding time, I see."

Sirius Black reared back, but Harry spoke first. "I'm sorry that my godfather bullied you," he said sincerely. "Black didn't tell me that at all."

Snape seemed to be at a loss for words.

Harry continued, "It must be surprising to both of you that I'm not like James. Or Lily, for that matter. I've never known my parents." He shrugged, a little self-deprecation bleeding into his tone. "I'm just Harry. Harry Peters, the no-name orphan muggleborn who was sorted into Slytherin. I'm not Hyrieus Potter—the Harry Potter you're imagining died that night when James and Lily died. I am not him."

I don't want the baggage associated with Hyrieus Potter. Hyrieus Potter, the child martyr that saved Britain, the larger-than-life figure that looms over Magical Britain even now. I'm just Harry Peters, the nameless Hogwarts student that's the dirt under everyone's shoe.

Black swallowed. "Harry, I'm sorry..." he trailed off.

Harry shook his head. "Frankly, I'm tired. I think it's important that you understand this, Black. Professor Snape was the one who helped me survive Slytherin—he was the one that kept Tom and I from accidentally killing ourselves by using expired quartz crystals, the one who gave me fluxweed healing paste when the Slytherins sabotaged us, the one who warned us not to ask Dumbledore if we could stay at Hogwarts over the summer, the one who told us the Slytherins had burned down our dorm and that Abraxas Malfoy and Walburga Black were hosting a house-wide competition to get us expelled. Professor Snape might not be the nicest person, but he helped us survive Slytherin."