Slytherin Raised by Wolfstar: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

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Chapter Thirteen: The Polyjuice Potion

(I don’t normally do this but I feel morally obligated. Like in canon this chapter contains the protagonists tricking fellow classmates into eating something that renders them unconscious against their will. I feel really wrong writing this chapter but have left it to keep to my promise of staying as close to canon as possible, however I want it to be clear that this is very wrong and should not be done in real life under any circumstance.)

They stepped off the stone staircase at the top and Professor McGonagall tapped on the door. It opened silently and they entered. Professor McGonagall told Harry to wait, and left him there, alone. The thought of being expelled at any moment was terrifying.

Harry looked around. One thing was certain: of all the teachers’ offices Harry had visited so far since starting Hogwarts, Dumbledore’s was by far the most interesting. If he hadn’t been scared out of his wits that he was about to be thrown out of school, he would have been very pleased to have a chance to look around it.

It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames.

There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tattered wizard’s hat–the Sorting Hat.

Harry hesitated. He cast a wary eye around the sleeping witches and wizards on the walls. Surely it couldn’t hurt if he took the Hat down and tried it on again? Just to see…just to make sure it hadn't made a mistake.

He walked quietly around the desk, lifted the Hat from its shelf, and lowered it slowly onto his head. It was much too large and slipped down over his eyes, just as it had done the last time he’d put it on. Harry stared at the black inside of the Hat, waiting. Then a small voice said in his ear, ‘Bee in your bonnet, Harry Potter?’

‘Er, yes,’ Harry muttered. ‘Er–sorry to bother you–I wanted to ask–’

‘You’ve been wondering whether I put you in the right house,’ said the Hat smartly. ‘Yes…you were particularly difficult to place. But I stand by what I said before–’ Harry’s heart sunk ‘–you will do well in Slytherin.’

Harry’s stomach plummeted. He grabbed the point of the Hat and pulled it off. It hung limply in his hand, grubby and faded. Harry pushed it back onto its shelf, feeling sick.

‘You’re wrong,’ he said aloud to the still and silent Hat. It didn’t move. Harry backed away, watching it. Then a strange, gagging noise behind him made him wheel around.

He wasn’t alone after all. Standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit-looking bird which resembled a half-plucked turkey. Harry stared at it and the bird looked balefully back, making its gagging noise again. Harry thought it looked very ill. Its eyes were dull and, even as Harry watched, a couple more feathers fell out of its tail.

Harry was just thinking that all he needed was for Dumbledore’s pet bird to die while he was alone in the office with it, when the bird burst into flames.

Harry yelled in shock and backed away into the desk. He looked feverishly around in case there was a glass of water somewhere, but couldn’t see one. The bird, meanwhile, had become a fireball; it gave one loud shriek and next second there was nothing but a smouldering pile of ash on the floor.

The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very sombre.

‘Professor,’ Harry gasped, ‘your bird–I couldn’t do anything–he just caught fire–’

To Harry’s astonishment, Dumbledore smiled.

‘About time, too,’ he said. ‘He’s been looking dreadful for days, I’ve been telling him to get a move on.’

He chuckled at the stunned look on Harry’s face. ‘Fawkes is a phoenix, Harry. Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn

from the ashes. Watch him…’

Harry looked down in time to see a tiny, wrinkled, new-born bird poke its head out of the ashes. It was quite as ugly as the old one. Harry felt very stupid for not realising it was a Phoenix, but to be fair he had never seen one at the end of its life cycle.

‘It’s a shame you had to see him on a Burning Day,’ said Dumbledore, seating himself behind his desk. ‘He’s really very handsome most of the time: wonderful red and gold plumage. Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers and they make highly faithful pets.’

In the shock of Fawkes catching fire, Harry had forgotten what he was there for, but it all came back to him as Dumbledore settled himself in the high-backed chair behind the desk and fixed Harry with his penetrating, light-blue stare.

Before Dumbledore could speak another word, however, the door of the office flew open with an almighty bang and Hagrid burst in, a wild look in his eyes, his balaclava perched on top of his shaggy black head and the dead rooster still swinging from his hand.

‘It wasn’ Harry, Professor Dumbledore!’ said Hagrid urgently. ‘I was talkin’ ter him seconds before that kid was found, he never had time, sir…’

Harry was very touched. Him and Hagrid had a very rocky friendship the year before so for him to speak out on Harry's behalf showed Harry how much Hagrid now cared. Dumbledore then tried to say something, but Hagrid went ranting on, waving the rooster around in his agitation, sending feathers everywhere. ‘…It can’t’ve bin him, I’ll swear it in front o’ the Ministry o’ Magic if I have to…’

‘Hagrid, I–’

‘…Yeh’ve got the wrong boy, sir, I know Harry never–’

‘Hagrid!’ said Dumbledore loudly. ‘I do not think that Harry attacked those people.’

‘Oh,’ said Hagrid, the rooster falling limply at his side. ‘Right. I’ll wait outside then, Headmaster.’

And he stomped out looking embarrassed.

‘You don’t think it was me, Professor?’ Harry repeated hopefully, as Dumbledore brushed rooster feathers off his desk.

‘No, Harry, I don’t,’ said Dumbledore, though his face was sombre again. ‘But I still want to talk to you.’

The hopefulness instantly turned back into nerves, although not as bad as before. Harry waited while Dumbledore considered him, the tips of his long fingers together.

‘I must ask you, Harry, whether there is anything you’d like to tell me,’ he said gently. ‘Anything at all.’

Harry didn’t know what to say. He thought of Malfoy shouting, ‘You’ll be next, Mudbloods!’ and of the Polyjuice Potion, simmering away in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. Then he thought of the disembodied voice he had heard twice and remembered what Theodore had said: ‘The last known Parseltongue in history was our house’s founder, Salazar Slytherin.’ He thought, too, about what everyone was saying about him, and his growing dread that he was somehow connected with Salazar Slytherin…

'Sir, you knew both my father and my grandfather, do you know by any chance what house Linfred Potter and his ancesters house was?'

'I am sorry Harry, I didn't get to know your grandfather very well, and James made an effort to be in this office as little as possible. I don't know your family tree further than Linfred of Stinchcombe. Is there anything else you wish to say?'

‘No,’ said Harry, ‘there isn’t anything, Professor.’

The double attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick turned what had been simply nervousness into real panic. Curiously, it was Nearly Headless Nick’s fate that seemed to worry people most. What could possibly do that to a ghost, people asked each other; what terrible power could harm someone who was already dead? There was almost a stampede to book seats on the Hogwarts Express so that students could go home for Christmas.

‘At this rate I will be completely alone here by tomorrow night,’ Theodore, a little sad in his vioce.

'Hey, not completely alone,' said Allison confidently. 'I made a promise to stay and keep you company and I am not going to break it because of a couple of attacks.'

Despite the craziness of that afternoon they all agreed to still use the Polyjuice Potion that night. They however still needed a piece of the person they had chose. They decided to take hairs from the beds of who they chose, so while Theodore and Allison kept watch, Harry took hairs from Crabbe and Goyle's beds and Tracey did the same for Pansy and Millicent.

'Will still have to figure out a way to keep those four away from the common room while we are interrogating Malfoy.' said Harry, realizing he had overlooked a key element.

'Don't worry,' said Theodore, 'I already have that figured out. After the Polyjuice Potion was nearly complete I brewed a powerful sleeping draft that should keep them all asleep for several hours. We just got to slip it into their food. Which for three of them shouldn't be that hard, I am not sure about Pansy however.'

Harry looked at the other two with an uncertain look in his eye.

'Theo, are you sure that your plan with work?’ Asked Harry.

‘Because if we are caught we will be expelled for sure.’ Chimed in Tracey.

But Theodore had a look in his eyes that he was set in his ways.

‘It was the rest of you guys’ plan to interrogate Malfoy. Are we doing this or are we not?’

‘Oh, all right, all right,’ said Harry. ‘Lets go put those goons to sleep.’

As they headed for the bathroom door Harry learned over and whispered to Tracey. ‘Have you ever heard of a plan where so many things could go wrong?’

But to Harry and the girl’s utter amazement, stage one of the operation went just as smoothly as Theodore had said. They lurked in the deserted Entrance Hall waiting for Crabbe, Goyle and Millicent as they often would only leave once dessert had magical disappeared.

Harry had perched the pumpkins cupcakes they had injected with the sleeping draft on the end of the banisters. When they spotted Crabbe, Goyle, and Millicent coming out of the Great Hall, Harry, Theodore, and Tracey hid quickly behind a suit of armour next to the front door.

‘This cant possibly work?’ Tracey whispered ecstatically, as Crabbe gleefully pointed out the cakes to the others and grabbed them. Grinning stupidly, they stuffed the cakes whole into their mouths. For a moment, both of them chewed greedily, looks of triumph on their faces. Then, without the smallest change of expression, all three keeled over backwards onto the floor.

Having to act quickly in risk of a teacher or other student catching them, they used all their strength to drag them to a cupboard across the hall and closing the door. Once they were safely stowed amongst the buckets and mops, the three of them stole their shoes, because their own were far too small for Crabbe-and Goyle-sized feet. Then, still stunned at what they had just done, they sprinted up to Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom were Allison was waiting.

‘How’d you manage to deal with Pansy?’ Tracey asked.

‘Best I don’t tell you, but she won’t be in the common room for several hours.’ Allison answered slyly.

They could hardly see for the thick black smoke issuing from the cubicle the cauldron was in. Theodore did final checks on the potion while the Tracey and Harry switched their shoes.

‘Well?’ asked Harry, ‘is it ready?’

All they could hear was the gloop gloop of the bubbling, treacle-thick Potion, they had no idea if that was a good thing or not. But with a rather impressive smile Theodore turned around and handed everyone a glass tumbler.

‘It’s ready. Let’s finish getting changed and then we’ll drink.’

They had in advance smuggled extra Slytherin outfits from the laundry, for Harry, Theodore, and Tracey they had to change into uniforms a few sizes bigger than they were, and for Allison she had to wear one much smaller than her bulky athletic build.

Once finished they all gathered around the cauldron and looked at what they were about to drink. Close up, the Potion looked like thick, dark mud, bubbling sluggishly.

‘I have followed every instruction and it looks like it should from the book’s description, I think it is ready,’ said Theodore confidently, but quickly double checking Moste Potente Potions just to be safe. ‘Once we add the hairs and drink it we’ll have exactly one hour before we change back into ourselves.’

Theodore then ladled large dollops of the Potion into each of the tumbler glasses. Then he shook Vincent Crabbe’s hair out of its bottle into the first glass.

The Potion hissed loudly like a boiling kettle and frothed madly. A second later, it had turned a dark, murky brown. ‘Yuck, it smells worst than I thought, his does. We’ll go on, add your hairs.’

Tracey added Millicent’s and her potion turned an odd sort of yellow. Harry dropped Goyle’s hair into the middle glass and Allison put Pansy’s into the last one. All three glasses hissed and frothed: Goyle’s turned the khaki colour of a bogey, Pansy’s a dark, bloody red.

They all entered separate cubical incase something embarrassing happened that they didn’t want the others to see. Once he had heard everyone close a door behind them Harry called out, ‘Ready?’

‘Ready,’ came Theodore, Allison, and Tracey’s voices.

‘One…two…three…’

Pinching his nose, Harry drank the Potion down in two large gulps. It tasted like overcooked cabbage. Immediately, his insides started writhing as though he’d just swallowed live snakes–doubled up, he wondered whether he was going to be sick–then a burning sensation spread rapidly from his stomach to the very ends of his fingers and toes. Next, bringing him gasping to all fours, came a horrible melting feeling, as the skin all over his body bubbled like hot wax, and before his eyes, his hands began to grow, the fingers thickened, the nails broadened and the knuckles were bulging like bolts. His shoulders stretched painfully and a prickling on his forehead told him that hair was creeping down towards his eyebrows. As suddenly as it had started, everything stopped. Harry lay face down on the cold stone floor, listening to Myrtle gurgling morosely in the end toilet. With difficulty, he stood up.

So this was what it felt like, being Goyle. His large hands trembling from what he had just experienced. He reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes and met only the short growth of wiry bristles, low on his forehead. Then he realised that his glasses were clouding his eyes, because Goyle obviously didn’t need them. He took them off and called, ‘Are you two OK?’ Goyle’s low rasp of a voice issued from his mouth.

‘Yeah,’ came the deep grunt of Crabbe from his right.

‘Wasn’t sure for a second, but I am ok.’ Said the annoying voice of Pansy.

Harry unlocked his door and stepped in front of the cracked mirror. Goyle stared back at him out of dull, deep-set eyes. Harry scratched his ear. So did Goyle.

Theodore’s door opened. They stared at each other. Except that he looked pale and shocked, Theodore was indistinguishable from Crabbe, from the pudding-basin haircut to the long, gorilla arms.

‘I am speechless,’ said Theodore, approaching the mirror and prodding Crabbe’s flat nose. ‘Speechless.’

Allison came out next, with Pansy’s pugged-face. He was clutching her waist uncomfortably which was now Pansy’s pencil thin width. ‘How does she carry anything with such little muscle and weight?’

‘She probably doesn’t,’ Harry guessed. ‘Anyway we’d better get going,’ said Harry, loosening the watch that was cutting into Goyle’s thick wrist.

‘An hour is probably just barely going to be enough time.’ Theodore agreed. He then turned to look at Harry, ‘By the way, looking at you it almost looks like Goyle has a brain.’

Allison then went and banged on Tracey’s door. ‘C’mon, we are waiting time…’

A high-pitched voice answered her. ‘I-I can't come with you. Go do the interview without me.'

‘Tracey, we know Millicent isn't that pretty, but no one’s going to know it’s you.’ Encouraged Harry.

‘No, trust me, they'll know I am not Millicent. Now get going.’

Allison now looked at the door with worry on her face. 'Trace, are you ok in there?'

'I'll be fine, promise.'

'But-'

'Go you bloody idiots, you are wasting time.'

They all looked at one another, then at their watches and realized they had waisted over five minutes. They did as she said and left the bathroom and started heading towards the Dungeons.

'Harry,' said Theodore, 'you need to scrunch your face a little.'

Harry looked at Theodore quite confused.

‘There, now you look much more like Goyle,’ said Theodore. ‘You look exactly like him when he's asked a question.’

‘Well, make sure not to swing your arms,’ Harry muttered to Theodore.

‘Sorry?’

‘Crabbe holds them sort of stiff…’

‘Oh? This better?’

‘Yeah, that’s better.’

'What about me, am I a good Pansy Parkinson?' Allison asked.

'Just don't fold your arms and you should be good.' Theodore answered.

As they reached the stairs that lead down to the Dungeon their entire plan was almost foiled. Ron's older brother Percy, the Prefect, was just up a head and would surely spot them, but then they heard him speak. 'Starting tomorrow we'll have almost the entire school to ourselves.'

'I can't wait to spend Christmas with you.' said a formiliar voice as Percy was then pulled out of sight.

As they crept further they realized that Percy was making out with Ravenclaw's Prefect and Quidditch Captian Penelope Clearwater. They decided to use this to their advantage and carefully slipped right past them.

They decended down the marble stairs and entered their cold common room. The fire was crackling under the elaborately carved mantelpiece and yet it did nothing for the freezing chill.

'That was close, Percy is really starting to get on my nerves.' Allison said. She immediately got a responce from the vain wizard they hoped to find.

'Is that conceited Weasley still lerking around our entrance,' Malfoy said all matter-of-factly. 'I sure hope he is going home tomorrow because I am getting real sick of him stocking our entrance. I bet I know what he’s up to. He thinks he’s going to catch Slytherin’s heir single-handed.’

He gave a short, derisive laugh. Harry and the other two exchanged excited looks.

‘Wait here,’ said Malfoy to Harry, Allison, and Theodore, motioning them to some empty chairs set back from the fire. ‘There is something funny I want to show you–my father’s just sent it to me–’

Wondering what Malfoy was going to show them, all three sat down, doing their best to sit like how Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy sit.

Malfoy came back a minute later, holding what looked like a newspaper cutting. He thrust it under Theodore’s nose.

‘This'll make your day,’ he said.

Harry saw Theodore read the page, and then laugh, then handed the page to Harry. Harry's eyes widened. It had been clipped out of the Daily Prophet, and it said:

“MUGGLE ARTEFACTS OFFICE WILL SUFFER FURTHER BUDGET CUTS

Providing little results in recent months ambitious raids, the Ministry of Magic has decided to redirect funds from the department to other departments in need. They will be spending the next month determining how much will be redirected but an inside wizard claims it will likely be somewhere between Fifty to two Hundred Galleons a year.

‘Arther Weasley’s department has finally been recognized for what it is,’ Mr Malfoy told our reporter. ‘A waist of Ministry money and time. He is clearly unfit to draw up our laws and his ridiculous Muggle Protection Act should be scrapped

immediately.’

Mr Weasley was unavailable for comment, although his wife told reporters to clear off or she’d set the family ghoul on them.”

‘Well?’ said Malfoy impatiently, as Harry handed the cutting to Allison who quickly handed back to Malfoy. ‘Don’t you think it’s funny?’

‘Ha, ha,’ said Harry bleakly.

‘Arthur Weasley loves Muggles so much he should snap his wand in half and go and join them,’ said

Malfoy scornfully. ‘You’d never know the Weasleys were pure-bloods, the way they behave.’

Harry’s–or rather, Goyle’s–face was contorted with fury. The Weasley’s where so kind and their four youngest children were some of Harry’s oldest friends and to see Arthur being insulted felt almost personal.

‘What’s up with you, Goyle?’ snapped Malfoy.

‘Ate to much,’ Harry grunted.

‘Well, if it’s really bad go up to the hospital wing and give all those Mudbloods a kick from me,’ said Malfoy, snickering. Harry couldn’t help notice Theodore let out a small chuckle as well. ‘You know, I’m surprised the Daily Prophet hasn’t reported all these attacks yet,’ he went on thoughtfully. ‘I suppose Dumbledore’s trying to hush it all up. He’ll be sacked if it doesn’t stop soon. Father’s always said Dumbledore’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to this place. He loves Muggleborns. A decent Headmaster would never’ve let slime like that Creevey in.’

Malfoy started taking pictures with an imaginary camera and did a cruel but accurate impression of Colin: ‘Potter, can I have your picture, Potter? Can I have your autograph? Can I lick your shoes, please, Potter?’

He dropped his hands and looked at the three of them.

‘What’s the matter with you three?’

Far too late, Harry, Theodore, and Allison forced themselves to laugh, but Malfoy seemed satisfied; perhaps Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy were always slow on the uptake.

‘Saint Potter, the Mudbloods’ friend,’ said Malfoy slowly. ‘He’s another one with no proper wizard

feeling, or he wouldn’t go around insisting he likes Mudbloods and would give that Creevey kid the time of day. He’s a disgrace to this house. And people think he’s Slytherin’s heir!’

They all waited with bated breath: Malfoy was surely seconds away from telling them it was him. But then – ‘I wish I knew who it is,’ said Malfoy petulantly. ‘I could help them.’

Harry’s jaw dropped so that Goyle’s face looked even more gormless than usual. Fortunately, Malfoy

didn’t notice, and Harry, thinking fast, said, ‘You must have some idea who’s behind it all…’

‘You know I haven’t, Goyle, how many times do I have to tell you?’ snapped Malfoy. ‘And father won’t tell me anything about the last time the Chamber was opened, either. Of course, it was fifty years ago, so it was before his time, but he knows all about it, and he says that it was all kept quiet and it’ll look suspicious if I know too much about it. But I know one thing: last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood died. So I bet it’s only a matter of time before one of them’s killed this time…I hope it’s Granger,’ he said with relish.

Harry, realizing they were gaining nothing and needed at least some information for this to not be a complete waste said, ‘D’you know if the person who opened the Chamber last time was caught?’

‘Oh, yeah…whoever it was was expelled,’ said Malfoy. ‘They’re probably still in Azkaban.’

‘Azkaban?’ said Harry shocked, although if a person died it did make sense.

‘Azkaban–the wizard prison, Goyle,’ said Malfoy, looking at him in disbelief. ‘Honestly, if you were any slower, you’d be going backwards.’

He shifted restlessly in his chair and said, ‘Father says to keep my head down and let the heir of Slytherin get on with it. He says the school needs ridding of all the Mudblood filth, but not to get mixed up in it. Of course, he’s got a lot on his plate at the moment. You know the Ministry of Magic raided our Manor last week?’

Harry tried to force Goyle’s dull face into a look of concern.

‘Yeah…’ said Malfoy. ‘Luckily, they didn’t find much. Father’s got some very valuable Dark arts stuff. But luckily, we’ve got our own secret chamber under the drawing-room floor–’

‘Really!’ said Allison.

Malfoy looked at her. So did Harry. She blushed. To Harry’s horror he noticed her hair was turning black and receding in length. Her face was also getting rounder and her skin getting a little darker – their hour was almost up. She was turning back into herself, and from the look of horror Theodore was suddenly giving Harry, he must be, too.

They all jumped to their feet.

‘Medicine for my stomach,’ Harry grunted.

‘I better go with them,’ Allison said, trying to sound annoyed instead of panicked, ‘They’d end up in the lake without my direction.’

And without further ado they sprinted the length of the

common room, hurled themselves at the stone wall and dashed up the passage, hoping against hope that Malfoy hadn’t noticed anything.

Harry could feel his feet slipping around in Goyle’s huge shoes and had to hoist up his robes as he shrank; they crashed up the steps into the dark Entrance Hall, which was full of a muffled pounding coming from the cupboard where they’d locked Crabbe and Goyle.

Leaving their shoes outside the cupboard door, they sprinted in their socks up the marble staircase towards Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom.

‘It was a complete disaster,’ Harry panted, closing the bathroom door behind them. ‘We gained almost no information you hadn’t already told us Theo other than someone died.’

Theodore had his I-told-you-so face on. ‘I said from the beginning to let it be. But you insisted on an interrogation.’

Allison punched Theodore in the arm who took the hint and went to start cleaning up the potion. Allison they gave Harry a halfhearted smile. ‘It wasn’t a complete disaster. You can tell your friend Ron to send a message to his father of where Mr Malfoy hides his Dark Arts stuff, having a result from a raid should prevent or at least push back the budget cut.’

‘I guess you are right. Thanks Allison.’

Harry checked his face in the cracked mirror. He was back to normal. He put his glasses on as Allison hammered on the door of Tracey’s cubicle.

‘Tracey, we’re back. Why are you still in their?’

‘I’m not leaving!’ Tracey squeaked.

Harry and Allison looked at each other.

‘What is wrong?’ said Harry.

‘Are you ok in their Trace? You are worrying me.’

But Moaning Myrtle glided suddenly through the cubicle door. Harry had never seen her looking so happy.

‘Ooooooh, wait till you see,’ she said. ‘It’s awful!’

Now curious, Theodore joined them just outside her cubical. They heard the lock slide back and Tracey emerged, balling her eyes out, her robes pulled up over her head.

‘What’s is the matter?’ said Allison uncertainly. ‘Did you not fully change back yet?’

Tracey let her robes fall and Theodore backed into the sink.

Her face was covered in black fur. Her eyes had gone yellow and there were long pointed ears poking

through her hair.

‘It-t wasn’t-t h-human hair I t-took!’ she howled. ‘I-I ac-c-cidentally took a h-hair from Millicent Bulstrode’s c-cat Dashy! And I t-think the P-Potion is onl-ly meant for human transformations!’

‘Uh dear,’ said Allison.

‘You’ll be teased something dreadful,’ said Myrtle happily.

‘No you won’t,’ said Harry. ‘We’ll cover you up take you to Madam Pomfrey, although you’ll probably have to stay here now for Christmas.’

It took about half an hour to persuade Tracey to leave the bathroom. Moaning Myrtle sped them on their way with a hearty guffaw. ‘Wait till everyone finds out you’ve got a tail!’

They got her to Pomfrey without running into anyone and told her it was transfiguration practice gone wrong. A letter was sent explaining to her parents why she wouldn’t be arriving on the train the next day.

Now having someone else to spend the holidays with Theodore, Allison decided to go home with everyone else the next day. She quickly packed that night and sent three letters, one to Dumbledore, one to Snape, and one to her parents, and personally told Gemma of the change. So the next morning she and Harry were both on the Hogwarts train home.

The break started with some bad news, Canini had experienced such a bad first semester with both students and teachers alike mistreating her for being a werewolf that she had decided not to return for winter term. She had been worried they’d all be disappointed with her but everyone was just glad she had tried. Sirius arranged for her to continue at the muggle school Swell C of E until the fall term.

The rest of the holiday went much better. Harry got to hang out with his entire family, often visiting or being visited by the Tonks’. Christmas Day Harry got to open presents with Canini, Sirius, and Remus, something he had missed last year. Then that evening his family, all three Tonks’, and Lyall Lupin all gathered for a delightful Christmas dinner.

Harry’s break was quite lovely and a well needed distraction from the scary and intense events occurring at school. He didn’t once think about the Chamber of Secrets until he was back at Kings Cross Station about to get on the train as Remus had taken him aside.

‘Harry, don’t think I don’t know about the dangers that is happening at your school in recent months. I need you to be extra careful the rest of the year and look out for those who don’t have anyone else to look out for them. Also, if I hear that you have been taking any unnecessary risks you will be taken out of hogwarts before you can say Philosopher Stone. Do you understand.’

‘Yes Remus, I’ll be as careful as I can, but like Sirius told me last year, trouble always tends to find you at hogwarts.’