Blood Filled Chalice

To the Fools

Last Time:

"So I just need to find a moment to get into the Black library and find a series of ancient documents pertaining to my kind without anyone knowing ... sounds easy." Harry mumbled sarcastically and gulped down the last of his blood. He'll need all the strength he can get if he's going to make it through the holidays with them ...

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"What if me dealing with a Death Eater isn't enough, Remus? There's a chance he will still not want a godfather and godson bond and why would he when we treated him like crap? Also he's not an idiot so what if he finds out I lied?! That his own brother tried to kill him!" Sirius exclaimed as he paced the floor of Grimmauld Place in a panic.

Remus opened his mouth to say anything comforting, but his body sagged in defeat and he looked at the floor with a sigh, "Sirius ... that's likely, but it isn't by any means the main problem. If you were flat out abused, neglected and cast out of your home on your birthday would you even consider forgiving or returning?"

"No ... but James did say Harry at least agreed to come for the holidays. That's a good sign, right?" Sirius asked hopefully, but his body sagged as his werewolf friend looked decidedly unconvinced.

"I don't want to say it, but ... I just don't think James and Lily are motivated by love. We'll have to see how everything goes." Remus said though he suspected this won't go well at all, especially after seeing Lily's strong reaction to Harry's refusal to even read her letters. Really he just hoped they didn't hurt Harry.

"Yeah I guess ... I hope they tone down the Slytherin jokes." Sirius winced as Remus looked at him in confusion. It seems there was one detail left out.

"What do you mean, Sirius?" Remus's eyes narrowed dangerously when Sirius hummed like he always does right before trying to escape the situation. "Don't you even try to escape the subject. Now why should they not say any of those jokes, which are insults not jokes? You were just as bad as- ..." Remus paused and looked at Sirius closely. "Is Harry in Slytherin?" Remus asked. Personally, he didn't care. All it meant was that he had to change Harry's present from red to green, but that was easy. It was Lily's reaction he was worried about.

Sirius gulped, "I was chatting with the new potion master during the investigation. Kind of  a young guy, but you'd like him." Sirius flinched as Remus shot him a glare basically telling him to stop stalling. "Anyway, he told me Slytherins were mostly abused kids and therefore not the type to trust easily, which I guess is why they're cunning ... they don't trust blindly because they were hurt before-YES, HE'S A SLYTHERIN AND WE PUT HIM THERE!" Sirius snapped angrily and he slammed his fist into the wall earning annoyed shouts from the paintings. Remus moved behind Sirius who was shaking and gently rubbed circles in his back in an attempt to comfort the Auror. "We put him there, Remmy ... we hurt him ... why would he trust us?"

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This was the day Harry dreaded ... holiday break ...

Harry sighed as he packed his books, clothes and his uniform and changed into jeans and a green button up shirt that was unbuttoned to show the dark shirt underneath . Even though he, the professors and his Dad knew about him leaving right after the holidays it didn't change the fact that he had to get through the holidays. After the headmistress announced the program, she didn't mention Harry, it was rumored that someone was trying it, but very few knew who it was for sure. The only students who knew were all the other Slytherins who figured out his connection on their own in basically the first week after the announcement. They have been saying subtle goodbyes all morning along with subtle promises to continue making trouble for Michael for Harry even though Harry never truly condoned that.