The Teacher's Son

Chapter 25

Harry sat on his bed in the Leaky Cauldron, staring at the wall.

The Minister of Magic hadn't been angry with him, like he'd expected. He'd actually seemed rather relieved, though Harry didn't know why.

He wasn't scared of what the Ministry would have done to him.

He was terrified of what his mum was going to do.

"Thinking hard?" A familiar voice asked quietly from the doorway.

"Mum!" Harry whirled. "I'm really sorry, I just lost control and she deserved it anyway, she insulted my mum and dad. She's okay, I'm not in trouble with the Ministry-"

"Harry."

He stopped talking and looked at his feet. "Am I in trouble?"

"Not really at the moment. We will be having a talk about controlling yourself sooner or later but I came to talk to you about the rest of the summer."

"What about it?"

"Well I was going to take you to the beach again, you know that. But with only three weeks left in the summer, I think it would be better you stay here. I assume you don't want your friends to know of your relation to me yet, am I correct?"

"Yeah." Harry felt bad saying it. Not only was he lying to his friends, he felt like he was acting ashamed of his mother. "But not because I don't love you, I just-"

"I understand, Harry." McGonagall replied.

"Okay." He smiled a little, then his face became confused. "Why would it be better for me to be here?"

"That's a discussion for another time." 

"But Fudge said something similar. Why?"

"Harry..." McGonagall seemed torn between telling her son what was truly threatening him.

"I can handle it, Mum."

"Did you see the news when you were at your aunt and uncle's?"

"The whole thing with the prisoner? Yeah. Stan Shunpike said he's not a muggle."

McGonagall shook her head. "He isn't. Sirius Black is an evil man, and he's after you."

"Why would he be after me?"

The teacher hesitated a moment before answering. "No one knows, Harry. He's mad, that's the only thing we can be sure of."

Harry frowned, but nodded. "I understand. You want me to stay in Diagon Alley?"

"That would be a good idea. There will be people who will be able to keep tabs on you during the day, and Black may be mad, but he isn't insane enough to attack you wandless in the middle of a packed wizarding alley."

Harry nodded again. "Okay, I'll stay."

McGonagall glanced at the old fashioned clock on the wall and sighed. "I need to go Harry, be safe for me okay?"

"I will Mum." Harry hopped off the bed, walking over and giving her a quick hug. "Love you."

"I love you too, Harry. Be good." And with a crack, she was gone.

Harry turned to his trunk, which was partially filled with his things. He had gotten some stuff out for what he had expected to be the next two days or so, but it turned out he was going to be there much longer.

Going to his trunk, he dug inside it until he found his homework that he hadn't finished.

"Might as well get a start on this now." He muttered, carrying it over to the bed and preparing to dump it there.

"May I offer a suggestion?" A voice asked behind him.

Harry whirled and looked at the empty room in confusion.

"Over here, dear." One of the portraits caught his attention, the elderly woman in it waving her hand to draw his eye.

"You said something?" Harry asked.

"Yes. I was wondering if I could give you a suggestion for doing all of that." The woman gestured to Harry's pile of homework.

"Sure you can. " Harry shrugged. "I'll take any help doing all of that."

"Take your things down to Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. The man knows quite a bit about a few of those subjects, especially that nasty History of Magic assignment that I assume would be about the Witch Trials, since you look to be a third year. He'll help, and he'll give you free ice cream every half hour or so. The man pities you students."

"Thank you, Miss..." Harry trailed off, realizing he didn't know how to address the woman in the portrait. 

"Donna. Donna Fortescue, by marriage."

Harry smiled at her. "Thank you, Mrs. Fortescue." He scooped up his things and quickly headed out to the alley, tapping the bricks with his wand to let himself into the beauty of the wizarding world.

[A/N So I'm trying to figure out ways to stick to the original story. What do you think?]