"Can I call you uncle Moony now?"
────⍣☆☾☼✧☼☽☆⍣────
"Shocking business... shocking... miracle none of them died... never heard the like... by thunder, it was lucky you were there, Snape..."
"Thank you, Minister."
"Order of Merlin, Second Class, I'd say. First Class, if I can wangle it!"
"Thank you very much indeed, Minister."
"Nasty cut you've got there... Black's work, I suppose?"
"As a matter of fact, it was Potter, Diggory, Weasley, and Granger, Minister..."
"No!"
"Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behavior. They seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent."
"What amazes me most is the behavior of the dementors... you've really no idea what made them retreat, Snape?"
"No, Minister... by the time I had come 'round they were heading back to their positions at the entrances..."
"Extraordinary. And yet Black, and Harry, and the girls-"
"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers, and brought them all straight back to the castle."
Harry opened his eyes and moved his head over on the pillow. In the bed to his right lay Hermione, and to his left was Y/N. Their eyes were open too.
Madam Pomfrey now came walking briskly up the dark ward to Harry's bed. She was carrying the largest block of chocolate Harry had ever seen in his life. It looked like a small boulder.
"Ah, you're awake!" she said briskly. She placed the chocolate on Harry's bedside table and began breaking it apart with a small hammer.
"How's Ron?" said Harry, Y/N, and Hermione together.
"He'll live," said Madam Pomfrey grimly. "As for you three... you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied you're- Potter, Diggory, what do you think you're doing?"
Harry was sitting up, putting his glasses back on, and picking up his wand. Y/N stood up from her bed and shoved her wand inside her pocket.
"We need to see the headmaster," said Harry.
"Potter," said Madam Pomfrey soothingly, "it's all right. They've got Black. He's locked away upstairs. The dementors will be performing the Kiss any moment now-"
"WHAT?"
Harry and Hermione had also jumped out of their beds. Cornelius Fudge and Snape had entered the ward.
"Harry, Harry, what's this?" said Fudge, looking agitated. "You should be in bed- has he had any chocolate?" he asked Madam Pomfrey anxiously.
"Minister, listen!" Harry said. "Sirius Black's innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can't let the dementors do that thing to Sirius, he's-"
But Fudge was shaking his head with a small smile on his face.
"Harry, Harry, you're very confused, you've been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we've got everything under control..."
"YOU HAVEN'T!" Harry yelled. "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!"
"Minister, listen, please," said Hermione. "I saw him too. It was Ron's rat, he's an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and-"
"You've got to listen to us!" said Y/N, glaring at Snape and Fudge. "Sirius is innocent- "
"You see, Minister?" said Snape. "Confunded, all of them... Black's done a very good job on them..."
"WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!" Harry roared.
"Minister! Professor!" said Madam Pomfrey angrily. "I must insist that you leave. Potter is my patient, and he should not be distressed!"
"I'm not distressed, I'm trying to tell them what happened!" Harry said furiously. "If they'd just listen-"
But Madam Pomfrey suddenly stuffed a large chunk of chocolate into Harry's mouth; he choked, and she seized the opportunity to force him back onto the bed.
"Now, please, Minister, these children need care. Please leave-"
The door opened again. It was Dumbledore. Harry swallowed his mouthful of chocolate with great difficulty and got up again.
"Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black-"
"For heaven's sake!" said Madam Pomfrey hysterically. "Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist-"
"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr. Potter, Miss Diggory, and Miss Granger," said Dumbledore calmly. "I have just been talking to Sirius Black-"
"I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's mind?" spat Snape. "Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive-"
"That, indeed, is Black's story," said Dumbledore, surveying Snape closely through his half-moon spectacles.
"And does my evidence count for nothing?" snarled Snape. "Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him on the grounds."
"That was because you were knocked out, Professor!" said Hermione earnestly. "You didn't arrive in time to hear-"
"Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"
"DON'T TELL HER TO HOLD HER TONGUE! shouted Y/N, burning with rage. "JUST LISTEN TO WHAT SHE'S-"
"KEEP QUIET, DIGGORY!"
"Now, Snape," said Fudge, startled, "these young ladies are disturbed in their mind, we must make allowances-"
"You are the ones that are disturbed in your minds, you pathetic little-" Y/N started towards Fudge.
"I would like to speak to Harry, Y/N, and Hermione alone," said Dumbledore abruptly. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy- please leave us."
"Headmaster!" sputtered Madam Pomfrey. "They need treatment, they need rest-"
"This cannot wait," said Dumbledore. "I must insist."
Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and strode away into her office at the end of the ward, slamming the door behind her. Fudge consulted the large gold pocket watch dangling from his waistcoat.
"The dementors should have arrived by now," he said. "I'll go and meet them. Dumbledore, I'll see you upstairs."
"You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?" Snape whispered, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore's face.
"I wish to speak to Harry, Y/N, and Hermione alone," Dumbledore repeated.
"Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he breathed. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he and that Lupin girl once tried to kill me?"
"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly.
Snape turned on his heel and marched through the door. It closed behind them, and Dumbledore turned to Harry, Y/N, and Hermione. They burst into speech at the same time.
"Professor, Black's telling the truth- we saw Pettigrew-"
"-he escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf-"
"-If you don't believe us right now I swear I will-"
"-he's a rat-"
"-Pettigrew's front paw, I mean, finger, he cut it off-"
"-That stupid Fudge-"
"-Pettigrew attacked Ron, it wasn't Sirius-"
But Dumbledore held up his hand to stem the flood of explanations.
"It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time," he said quietly. "There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word- and the word of three thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody. A street full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper."
"Professor Lupin can tell you-" Harry said, unable to stop himself.
"Professor Lupin is currently deep in the forest, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is human again, it will be too late, Sirius will be worse than dead. I might add that werewolves are so mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little- and the fact that he and Sirius are old friends-"
"But-"
"Listen to me, Harry. It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Snape's version of events is far more convincing than yours."
"He hates Sirius," Y/N said angrily. "All because of some stupid trick Sirius and my mum played on him-"
"Sirius has not acted like an innocent man, Y/N. The attack on the Fat Lady- entering Gryffindor Tower with a knife- without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius's sentence."
"But you believe us."
"Yes, I do," said Dumbledore quietly. "But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister of Magic..."
"What we need," said Dumbledore slowly, and his light blue eyes moved to Hermione, "is more time."
"But-" Hermione began. And then her eyes became very round. "OH!"
"Now, pay attention," said Dumbledore, speaking very low, and very clearly. "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, all of you: You must not be seen. Miss Granger, you know the law- you know what is at stake... You- must- not- be- seen."
Harry didn't have a clue what was going on. Y/N, however, knew exactly what Dumbledore meant and looked at Hermione, she nodded at her. Dumbledore had turned on his heel and looked back as he reached the door.
"I am going to lock you in. It is-" he consulted his watch, "five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."
"Good luck?" Harry repeated as the door closed behind Dumbledore. "Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do?"
But Hermione was fumbling with the neck of her robes, pulling from beneath them a very long, very fine gold chain.
"Harry, Y/N, come here," she said urgently. "Quick!"
"Harmonica no- " said Y/N as Harry walked towards Hermione. "I am not coming."
"Y/N, listen- "
"No, you listen!" Y/N said hastily. "Ron's unconscious so someone needs to be here for him. I am not leaving my brother alone and- and if something happens and you fail, or something goes wrong- someone needs to be here to fix the mess and Ronnie obviously can't do it, can he?"
"But we can- "
"And we all know I am a better liar and more persuasive than you two," said Y/N as she threw the chain around Harry's neck.
"Harmonica, take Harold," she said seriously, looking Hermione in the eyes. "I'll stay here and- good luck, you two."
Hermione gave her best friend a determined nod and turned to Harry, who had absolutely no idea what the other two were talking about.
"Ready?" she said breathlessly.
"What are we doing?" said Harry, completely lost. "And what does Y/N mean that she's staying-"
Hermione turned the hourglass over three times and they both disappeared.
And seconds later, they both appeared through the door as Y/N sighed in relief.
All three of them quietly crept back into their own beds, Hermione tucking the Time-Turner back under her robes. A moment later, Madam Pomfrey came striding back out of her office.
"Did I hear the headmaster leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now?"
She was in a very bad mood. Harry, Y/N, and Hermione thought it best to accept their chocolate quietly. Madam Pomfrey stood over them, making sure they ate it. But they could hardly swallow. They were waiting, listening, their nerves jangling... And then, as they took a fourth piece of chocolate from Madam Pomfrey, they heard a distant roar of fury echoing from somewhere above them...
"What was that?" said Madam Pomfrey in alarm.
Now they could hear angry voices, growing louder and louder. Madam Pomfrey was staring at the door.
"Really- they'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?"
"He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out-"
"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, now very close at hand. "YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS- HAS- SOMETHING- TO- DO- WITH- POTTER- AND- DIGGORY!"
"Severus- be reasonable- They have been locked up-"
BAM!
The door of the hospital wing burst open.
Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore came striding into the ward. Dumbledore alone looked calm. Indeed, he looked as though he was quite enjoying himself. Fudge appeared angry. But Snape was beside himself.
"OUT WITH IT, POTTER!" he bellowed. "WHAT DID YOU AND DIGGORY DO?"
"Oh, we were just eating chocolate, Professor," said Y/N, showing the piece in her hand. "Would you like some? They're really good-"
"YOU THINK YOU'RE REALLY SMART, DIGGORY?"
"Professor Snape!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey. "Control yourself!"
"See here, Snape, be reasonable," said Fudge. "This door's been locked, we just saw-"
"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snape howled, pointing at Harry, Y/N, and Hermione. His face was twisted; spit was flying from his mouth.
"Calm down, man!" Fudge barked. "You're talking nonsense!"
"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER AND DIGGORY!" shrieked Snape. "THEY DID IT, I KNOW THEY DID IT-"
"That will do, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?"
"Of course not!" said Madam Pomfrey, bristling. "I would have heard them!"
"Well, there you have it, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "Unless you are suggesting that these students are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."
Snape stood there, seething, staring from Fudge, who looked thoroughly shocked at his behavior, to Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling behind his glasses. Snape whirled about, robes swishing behind him, and stormed out of the ward.
"Fellow seems quite unbalanced," said Fudge, staring after him. "I'd watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore."
"Oh, he's not unbalanced," said Dumbledore quietly. "He's just suffered a severe disappointment."
"He's not the only one!" puffed Fudge. As he and Dumbledore started talking about how the Dementors would be gone and how they should hire Dragons to guard the entrance, Y/N caught Harry and Hermione's eyes.
"So?" She mouthed at them.
They both smiled at her and gave her a thumbs-up, indicating that everything went according to the plan.
Y/N wanted to run up to them and kiss them both.
As Dumbledore and Fudge left the dormitory, Madam Pomfrey hurried to the door and locked it again. Muttering angrily to herself, she headed back to her office.
There was a low moan from the other end of the ward. Ron had woken up. They could see him sitting up, rubbing his head, looking around.
"What- what happened?" he groaned. "Y/N? Why are we in here? Where's Sirius? Where's Lupin? What's going on?"
"Yeah, tell us the whole story!" said Y/N, smiling widely. "What happened?"
Harry and Hermione looked at each other.
"You tell them," said Harry, helping himself to some more chocolate.
────⍣☆☾☼✧☼☽☆⍣────
The next day, the quartet wandered onto the grounds, still talking about the extraordinary events of the previous night and wondering where Sirius and Buckbeak were now. Sitting near the lake, watching the giant squid waving its tentacles lazily above the water.
"We never get a break, do we?" Ron said, skipping rocks across the lake.
"Tell me about it," said Y/N, who had her head on Hermione's lap. "My back hurts from carrying the weight of being the savior of this school."
"Really, Y/N?" said Hermione, laughing.
"She isn't wrong," said Ron, who was also laughing. "Your scar looks so badarse, by the way- did I tell you?"
"I know, right?" Y/N grinned, tracing the scar on her right eyebrow with her fingers. "It makes me look even hotter than I already am."
"Always the modest one," said Hermione as they all laughed again.
"Modesty is for saints and losers, Harmonica," Y/N said, winking at her. "And I am neither."
Y/N turned to Harry, who was looking at the ground, thinking about something.
"Hazza?" She called as he looked up. "You alright?"
"Do you think I could come to your house this summer?" Harry blurted out before he could stop himself. "You know- I just- after hearing that your mum is-"
"That's exactly what I wanted to ask you!" Y/N said excitedly. "Do you actually want to, though?" she added hesitantly, "I mean- she did kind of ignore you-"
"I'd get a chance to ask her, wouldn't I?" Harry said hopefully as Y/N smiled and nodded at him.
A shadow fell across them and they looked up to see a very bleary-eyed Hagrid, mopping his sweaty face with one of his tablecloth-sized handkerchiefs and beaming down at them.
"Know I shouldn' feel happy, after when happened las' night," he said. "I mean, Black escapin' again, an' everythin'- but guess what?"
"What?" they said, pretending to look curious.
"Beaky! He escaped! He's free! Bin celebratin' all night!"
"That's wonderful!" said Hermione, giving Ron and Y/N a reproving look because they looked as though they were close to laughing.
"Yeah... can't've tied him up properly," said Hagrid, gazing happily out over the grounds.
"Yeah, totally, Hagrid," said Y/N, choking back a laugh as Hermione glared at her.
"I was worried this mornin', mind... thought he mighta met Professor Lupin on the grounds, but Lupin says he never ate anythin' las' night..."
"What?" said Harry quickly.
"Blimey, haven' yeh heard?" said Hagrid, his smile fading a little. He lowered his voice, even though there was nobody in sight. "Er- Snape told all the Slytherins this mornin'... Thought everyone'd know by now... Professor Lupin's a werewolf, see. An' he was loose on the grounds las' night... He's packin' now, o' course."
"He's packing?" said Y/N, alarmed. "Why?"
"Leavin', isn' he?" said Hagrid, looking surprised that Y/N had to ask. "Resigned firs' thing this mornin'. Says he can't risk it happenin' again."
"I'm going to see him," Harry said to Ron, Y/N, and Hermione.
"But if he's resigned-"
"-doesn't sound like there's anything we can do-"
"I don't care. I still want to see him. I'll meet you back here."
"I am coming with you," said Y/N, standing up. Harry gave her a small smile and nodded.
Lupin's office door was open. He had already packed most of his things. The grindylow's empty tank stood next to his battered old suitcase, which was open and nearly full. Lupin was bending over something on his desk and looked up only when Harry and Y/N knocked on the door.
"I saw you coming," said Lupin, smiling. He pointed to the parchment he had been poring over. It was the Marauder's Map.
"We just saw Hagrid," said Harry. "And he said you'd resigned. It's not true, is it?"
"I'm afraid it is," said Lupin.
"But why?" said Y/N. "The Ministry of Magic don't think you were helping Sirius, do they?"
"No. Professor Dumbledore managed to convince Fudge that I was trying to save your lives." He sighed. "That was the final straw for Severus. I think the loss of the Order of Merlin hit him hard. So he- er- accidentally let slip that I am a werewolf this morning at breakfast."
"Watch me accidentally kick him where the sun doesn't shine," Y/N snarled.
"You're not leaving just because of that!" said Harry.
Lupin smiled wryly.
"As much as I would like to see that, Y/N, this time tomorrow, the owls will start arriving from parents... They will not want a werewolf teaching their children. And after last night, I see their point. I could have bitten any of you... That must never happen again."
"You're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!" said Harry. "Don't go!"
Lupin shook his head and didn't speak. He carried on emptying his drawers. Then, while Harry and Y/N were trying to think of a good argument to make him stay, Lupin said, "From what the headmaster told me this morning, you saved a lot of lives last night, Harry. If I'm proud of anything, it's how much you've learned...Tell me about your Patronus."
"How d'you know about that?" said Harry, distracted.
"What else could have driven the dementors back?"
Harry told Lupin what had happened. When he'd finished, Lupin was smiling again.
"Yes, your father was always a stag when he transformed, and your mother," he turned to Y/N, "she was a fox... that's why we called them Prongs and Vixen."
"So that's why my Patronus...?" said Y/N, amazed.
Lupin nodded at her.
He threw his last few books into his case, closed the desk drawers, and turned to look at Harry and Y/N.
"Here- I brought this from the Shrieking Shack last night," he said, handing Harry back the Invisibility Cloak. "And..." He hesitated, then held out the Marauder's Map too. "I am no longer your teacher, so I don't feel guilty about giving you this back as well. It's no use to me, and I daresay the two of you, Ron, and Hermione will find uses for it."
Harry took the map and grinned.
"You told me Vixen, Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs would've wanted to lure me out of school... you said they'd have thought it was funny."
"And so we would have," said Lupin, now reaching down to close his case. "I have no hesitation in saying that James and Bekah would be highly disappointed if his son and her daughter had never found any of the secret passages out of the castle."
There was a knock on the door. Harry hastily passed the Marauder's Map to Y/N who hid it in her pocket as Harry shoved the Invisibility Cloak into his pocket.
It was Professor Dumbledore. He didn't look surprised to see Harry and Y/N there.
"Your carriage is at the gates, Remus," he said.
"Thank you, Headmaster."
Lupin picked up his old suitcase and the empty grindylow tank.
"Well- good-bye, Harry, Y/N," he said, smiling. "It has been a real pleasure teaching you both. I feel sure we'll meet again sometime. Headmaster, there is no need to see me to the gates, I can manage..."
"Good-bye, then, Remus," said Dumbledore soberly. Lupin shifted the grindylow tank slightly so that he and Dumbledore could shake hands.
"Can- can I come with you?" Y/N blurted out. Lupin turned around and smiled at her.
"Of course, Y/N."
Y/N sighed in relief and followed Lupin out.
After moments of walking towards the gates together, Y/N turned to Lupin, a million questions in her head.
"Professor Lupin- "
"I am not your Professor now, Y/N," he said smiling at her.
Y/N's face lit up when she realized what he meant. "Can I call you Uncle Moony now?"
Lupin chuckled at her. "Of course, if you want."
Y/N grinned at him.
"So, Uncle Moony, Should I- should I tell Ceddy about everything? Not the part about Sirius, of course, but-"
"There's no need, Y/N," he cut her off. "I have already told him about my relationship with your mother."
"Wha- you did?"
"Yes, I called him to my office this morning, just before you and Harry arrived."
"Wait a second-" Y/N said as she realized something. "You're- you're Uncle Moo-Moo! Aren't you?"
Lupin chuckled and nodded at her. "How'd you know about that?"
"Ceddy used to tell me that when he was little, a guy- whom he liked to call 'Uncle Moo-Moo'- would always come to our house and give him loads of chocolates!" Y/N said as Lupin chuckled again. "That's how he developed his love for chocolates."
"That was me, yes," he said.
A comfortable silence fell on them as Y/N tried of think of ways she could ask Lupin the question that was bugging her the most.
"Will you-" she hesitated. "Will you go see my mum?" She asked quietly.
Lupin smiled and shook his head at her before replying, "I was planning on seeing her with Sirius," he said as they reached the carriages.
"Thought she wouldn't hit me right away with whatever she's holding if she saw Sirius first," he said with a light chuckle as Y/N smiled sadly. "But then I realized- she'd hit me along with Sirius- him, for taking so long to escape Azkaban."
"See! It's inevitable!" Y/N said as she helped him load his trunks into the carriage.
"Yes, indeed, and that is why I've decided that it's high time I see her and apologize. After many years, I'll finally be seeing my sister... "
Y/N squealed in delight and punched the air as Lupin laughed at his niece.
"YES! YES!"
She threw her arms around Lupin and hugged him tightly.
"You know, Harry wasn't lying when he said you are the best DADA teacher we've ever had."
"Thank you, Y/N."
She pulled out of the hug and Lupin climbed into the carriage.
"You both remind me a lot of Lily and James... " said Lupin. "Do look after him, would you? He has a knack for getting into all sorts of trouble. Just like his father."
Y/N grinned. "Harry? Getting into trouble? Never."
Lupin chuckled and waved to her as the carriage started moving. And with that, Lupin had left Hogwarts.
Y/N certainly wasn't the only one who was sorry to see Professor Lupin go. The whole of Defense Against the Dark Arts class was miserable about his resignation.
"Wonder what they'll give us next year?" said Seamus Finnigan gloomily.
"Maybe a vampire," suggested Dean Thomas hopefully.
"Like Damon Salvatore?" said Y/N as she grinned at Dean, who nodded back enthusiastically. Being friends with him had it's benefits, like hearing all about the Muggle TV shows and movies.
The exam results came out on the last day of term. Harry, Ron, Y/N, and Hermione had passed every subject. Hermione being the top of the class while Y/N followed closely behind by being second to her.
"It's the History of Magic!" Y/N groaned, shoving her exam papers into her trunk. "That's the only subject that's keeping me from beating you, Harmonica."
"Well, I've offered to help you many times," Hermione said eagerly. "If you would just accept-"
"Hell no- I am beating you without your help," said Y/N as Hermione sighed. "Mark my words."
Gryffindor House, meanwhile, largely thanks to their spectacular performance in the Quidditch Cup, had won the House Championship for the third year running.
As the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station the next morning, Hermione gave Harry and Ron some surprising news. Y/N, of course, already knew about it.
"I went to see Professor McGonagall this morning, just before breakfast. I've decided to drop Muggle Studies."
"But you passed your exam with three hundred and twenty percent!" said Ron.
"I know," sighed Hermione, "but I can't stand another year like this one. That Time-Turner, it was driving me mad. I've handed it in. Without Muggle Studies and Divination, I'll be able to have a normal schedule again."
"I still can't believe you didn't tell us about it," said Ron grumpily. "We're supposed to be your friends."
"I promised I wouldn't tell anyone," said Hermione severely.
"But you told Y/N!"
"Oh, but that's different! We tell each other everything- When I say I wouldn't tell anyone, my best friend doesn't count."
"Are you jealous that Harmonica likes me more, Ronniekins?" said Y/N, laughing as Ron hit her slightly in the arm, she hit him back and before they knew it, they were in a 'I'll stop if you stop' hitting competition.
Hermione looked around at Harry, who was watching Hogwarts disappear from view behind a mountain. Two whole months before he'd see it again...
"Oh, cheer up, Harry!" said Hermione sadly.
"I'm okay," said Harry quickly. "Just thinking about the holidays."
"Yeah, I've been thinking about them too," said Ron, finally losing to Y/N. "Harry, you've got to come and stay with us. I'll fix it up with Mum and Dad, then I'll call you. I know how to use a fellytone now-"
"A telephone, Ron," said Hermione. "Honestly, you should take Muggle Studies next year..." Ron ignored her.
"It's the Quidditch World Cup this summer! How about it, Harry? Come and stay, and we'll go and see it! Dad can usually get tickets from work."
"Oh, yes, the World Cup!" Y/N said. "Dad told me about it, looks like we'll be coming too."
"Really? Will you come to the Burrow?" Harry asked her hopefully.
"Maybe," she shrugged. "But I'll definitely be meeting you there."
Feeling considerably more cheerful, Harry joined Ron, Y/N, and Hermione in several games of Exploding Snap, and when the witch with the tea cart arrived, he bought himself a very large lunch, though nothing with chocolate in it.
But it was late in the afternoon before the thing that made him truly happy turned up...
A letter from Sirius.
────⍣☆☾☼✧☼☽☆⍣────
Harry read and reread the letter from Sirius all the way back into King's Cross station. It was still clutched tightly in his hand as he, Ron, Y/N, and Hermione stepped back through the barrier of platform nine and three-quarters.
Harry spotted Uncle Vernon at once. He was standing a good distance from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, eyeing them suspiciously, and when Mrs. Weasley hugged Harry in greeting, his worst suspicions about them seemed confirmed.
"Oh, I miss you already!" Hermione whined as she hugged Y/N tightly.
"Me too, Harmonica!" said Y/N, matching her tone.
"Don't go back to your house," Hermione said in a child-like voice. "Come with me!"
"Alright, I will," Y/N said in the same child-like voice. "Your parents can adopt me."
"We can go to my favorite library together."
"Okay- sounds perfect."
"We can also get ice cream together and- and go shopping."
"Deal."
"And then- and then we can stay up all night and talk- and- listen to songs- and do face masks."
"Sounds like heaven."
"Someone needs to split them up or they'll be here all summer," said Ron as Y/N and Hermione glared at him and reluctantly let each other go.
"You're just jealous that Hermione didn't hug you goodbye," Y/N whispered to Ron as he blushed and turned away from her.
"I'll call about the World Cup!" He yelled after Harry as Harry bid him good-bye.
"Bye, Harmonica!" Y/N shouted, pouting.
"Bye, Y/N!" Hermione yelled before walking out of the station, pouting back at her. "Send me letters every single day!"
"I will!"
"I'll miss you!"
"Oh, I'll miss you too!"
After waving good-bye to Hermione and Ron, Harry turned to the person he'd miss the most in the summer.
"Ignore Ronnie, you're definitely coming to my house this summer," said Y/N brightly. "We are going to the World Cup together."
If the thought of going to the Quidditch World Cup with Ron had made him happy, it was nothing compared to what Harry was feeling now.
"R-really?"
Y/N chuckled. "Really."
He grinned at her and pulled her into a hug as she hid her face in the crook of his neck.
"I'll miss you," he whispered.
"I'll miss you too, Harold."
Harry held onto her tightly, never wanting to let her go. But then they heard a loud cough behind them and turned around to see Uncle Vernon. Y/N and Harry reluctantly pulled away from each other.
Harry wheeled the trolley bearing his trunk and Hedwig's cage toward Uncle Vernon, who greeted him in his usual fashion.
"What's that?" he snarled, staring at the envelope Harry was still clutching in his hand. "If it's another form for me to sign, you've got another-"
"It's not," said Harry cheerfully. "It's a letter from my godfather."
"Godfather?" spluttered Uncle Vernon. "You haven't got a godfather!"
"Yes, I have," said Harry brightly. "And I've also got a godmother. They were my mum and dad's best friends. My godfather's a convicted murderer, but he's broken out of Wizard prison and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me, though... keep up with my news... check if I'm happy..."
"Yeah, I've met him and- trust me, you do not want to make him mad," said Y/N grabbing Harry's hand in hers. "And I'll be sending letters to Harry everyday, asking him if you're treating him good and if I hear one word that you are not..."
She took a threatening step towards Uncle Vernon, who backed away a little in horror.
"See that guy over there?" she said pointing at Draco. "I've broken his nose, twice, just because he messed with Harry. You don't want that to happen to your Duddykins, do you?"
Uncle Vernon's eyes became wide with fear as he backed away further from the pair.
"Oh and did I also mention that my uncle is a werewolf?" said Y/N, grinning evilly. "And his sister- my mum, is Harry's godmother. So you'd better treat him good or else...the Lupin-Diggory family will be out for your blood."
Uncle Vernon let out a cry of fear and turned around, walking towards his car, trying to put as much distance as he could between him and Y/N.
Grinning broadly at the look of horror on Uncle Vernon's face, Harry turned back to Y/N.
"You're really scary sometimes, you know that?"
She smirked at him. "Tell me something I don't know, Potter."
Y/N waved him good-bye and walked away to find her dad and brother as Harry set off toward the station exit, Hedwig rattling along in front of him, for what looked like a much better summer than the last.
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In heaven:
James: *sobbing* WHY DID YOU HOLD ME BAAACCKK?
Lily: BECAUSE THEY ARE THIRTEEN JAMES!
James: SO?
Lily: SO YOU CANNOT POSSESS OUR SON AND MAKE HIM KISS HER GOODBYE-
James: I AM AN INDEPENDENT MAN I CAN DO WHAT I WANT-
Lily: DON'T MAKE ME HIT YOU, POTTER-
Satan: Y'all deal with this every single day?
God: *chokes back tears* every single day.
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Author's note༊
ANNNNNDD OMG OMG OMG THIRD YEAR IS OVVVEEEERRRRRRR!!! Onto more well written years, we go🤠✋🏽
Fourth year........Y'all ain't ready. That's all I can say. Y'all just ain't fucking ready.
~Maddie Potter Diggory Zabini Weasley Black Scamander Wood Thomas
Love y'all my badass Lions, Serpents, Eagles, and Badgers xoxo
Over and out!🤺