22 Harry Gaunt - Chapter 22

"Ahh, Mary." Mulciber feigned delight from the compartment door. "It's good to see you. How were your holidays?"

He smiled at his favourite little torment. "You've lost weight," he noted.

"G-go away Mulciber," said Mary.

"Away?" he said in surprise. "But we're friends."

He took a step through the compartment door.

"On your own today?" posed Bellatrix innocently from her seat. "Rather brave of you, I'd have thought Lestrange would be leading you around like usual."

She gave him a demeaning look as Mulciber moved back so he could see her. "What are you doing here?" he asked with confusion in his eyes, hardly having noticed her as he glanced about the compartment.

She didn't know these people.

"And who the hell are you?" he added with a sniff towards Harry in the corner. "Let me guess, you're a Mudblood."

Lily made a shocked sound. Bellatrix discreetly rolled her eyes.

"You'll want to be careful who you say that to," offered Harry as he looked away from the window, feeling sure that he didn't recognise the boy that was sneering at him. "What's your first name?"

Harry was curious.

"None of your damn business!" snapped Mulciber, glaring hatefully at Harry before turning to Bellatrix. "Come on Bellatrix, you don't want to sit here."

He encouraged her up with a gesture of his hand. He'd do her a favour and get her out of here, Rodolphus was sure to be pleased as well.

"Stop making a fool of yourself," she uttered back, looking just past the door where Mulciber had stepped to give her space. "And he's not a Mudblood."

Bellatrix looked at Mulciber clearly, discreetly retrieving her wand.

"What?" said Mulciber stupidly, flicking his eyes back to Harry. "Who are you then?" he demanded, boiling when Harry didn't say a word. "Speak!"

"None of your damn business." Harry swiped his hand through the air and the door snapped closed, making a loud clack as Mulciber was left outside.

"Colloportus," followed Bellatrix with a wave of her wand, just in-time as Mulciber tried the handle. "Idiot."

She ignored the boy's attempts to open the door and instead glanced at Harry, who appeared nonplussed at the whole event as Mary began to cry.

"Harry-" Bellatrix scooted down the bench towards him. "Harry, you'll need to be careful," she said quietly. "Mulciber won't forget this, and he's hardly the worst of them."

Harry listened absently.

Sniffle.

Mary was sobbing into her hands, yet slumped in relief beside Lily as she tried to comfort her. Harry felt out of place if he was honest as he was forced to watch, Bellatrix too as he felt her stay beside him.

"How much do you know about Hogwarts?" she began out of the blue, leaning towards him with a whisper. "You know about the houses, right?"

"I know enough," returned Harry, averting his eyes when Mary begun wiping her nose. "There are four houses, and I don't suppose it makes any difference which one I am in."

He checked Bellatrix for her reaction.

"Yes it does Harry," she all but snapped at him. "You already know where you're likely to go. But if the hat tries otherwise…" Bellatrix tried to get him to look at her.

She poked his arm.

"Did you just poke me?" said Harry. Bellatrix nodded, she had his attention now. "And why does it matter to you what house I am in?" finished Harry with a scowl, believing it of little consequence which house he was in.

He'd thought Bellatrix was more mature than that.

"Because Harry," began Bellatrix as she leaned towards him, whispering in his ear so the others couldn't hear. "I am trying to help you." She touched his upper arm with the tips of her fingers. "Let me help you."

She tried to make him see that she meant it as he pulled away, obviously not believing her.

Harry took a shallow breath before meeting her eyes. "I don't need your help," he intoned, forgetting they were being watched. "And stop trying to get involved."

But she remained undeterred, staying put close beside him. "You can go now," she said, addressing Lily and Mary who had been watching them. "Don't bother us again."

Bellatrix pointed her wand and unlocked the door, making it clear she wanted them to go.

Mary didn't seem inclined to.

"Fine, we'll go now." Lily rose crisply from the compartment bench. "We'll return to the Prefect's carriage," she said aloud, reassuring Mary who was forced to concede as she stood as well.

"Thank you," said Mary quietly to Harry, who she knew was the real reason Mulciber had gone away.

Harry waved it off, saying nothing else as Martha waved goodbye.

"That was exciting!" she said. "I thought for sure he was going to barge in an attack everyone."

Martha bounced a little in her seat, probably not fully understanding what had gone on between Mary and Mulciber. It had been obvious to Harry, and probably Bellatrix too as she looked disapproving, still not having moved from her spot beside him.

Harry got up and sat on the other side. He had whole new view of the things whizzing by.

Bellatrix huffed.

"You need to be in Slytherin Harry," she said, ignoring Martha's need to ask a question. "If you go anywhere else, it will undermine you. The Pureblood families just won't accept that a Gaunt could be sorted anywhere else but in Slytherin."

Bellatrix didn't want him to be the subject of ridicule, and if he wasn't in Slytherin she wouldn't be around to assist him as much.

"I liked the sound of Gryffindor," admitted Harry.

"Albus Dumbledore was in Gryffindor," explained Martha, looking amazed as she remembered some of the things she'd read about. "What house are you in?" she asked of Bellatrix.

"Not Gryffindor."

Bellatrix looked pointedly at Harry. "Not Gryffindor," she emphasised again, warning him to just take her advice. "If you're a Parseltongue, the other houses won't accept you. They'll make it very difficult for you."

Bellatrix had been meaning to ask him, but the time just hadn't felt right until now. "You are a Parselmouth, aren't you?" She tried not to look too curiously at him, it was clear in the way he'd stiffened that it wasn't something he liked to talk about.

"What's a Parselmouth?" asked Martha.

"Someone who can speak to serpents." Bellatrix had never seen it herself as it was beyond rare and after the Gaunt's had all died, widely believed to have been lost. "Just tell us Harry," beseeched Bellatrix. "Everyone will want to know."

"It's none of their business," said Harry, dismissing the notion that he ought to take responsibility for people's curiosity.

He'd owed them nothing.

"Then just tell us then," placated Bellatrix, shuffling forwards to be near him. "You can can't you," she whispered knowingly, smiling at his growing sigh. "Show us Harry."

Bellatrix was at the edge of her when he finally gave in. "Don't tell anyone I showed you," he demanded of them.

"I won't tell!" said Martha.

"We won't," promised Bellatrix. "Shall I summon a snake?" she offered.

Harry shrugged. "I don't technically need one to speak it," he explained, much Bellatrix's interest as she waved her wand, summoning a small…

"AH!" Martha zipped away towards the compartment wall. "It's a poisonous one!"

"Venomous." "Venomous."

Corrected Harry and Bellatrix together. "You'll learn the difference in Magical Creatures," assured Bellatrix, frowning at Harry's nod as he focused on the floor where the viper lay coiled, thick bodied and covered in leafy patterns. It poked its head up with a flickering tongue.

"Don't move," instructed Harry. He raised his hand and levitated the snake to the bench along from the Bellatrix. "No biting either."

The snake bowed its head. "Yes master."

"There, you've seen it." Harry was about to send it back before Bellatrix jolted from her stupor.

"Wait!" she said, shooting her eyes at the snake and then Harry in unbridled interest. "Speak to it again."

She waved her hand for him to do it again, watching all the while for the viper's reaction.

Harry hissed, feeling Martha twitch with her eyes wide open. "It's a strange sensation," he offered while they watched Bellatrix inspect the snake up-close, clearly fascinated. "I've been told it makes people skin tingle, they even begin itching sometimes."

Harry figured it was because snakes didn't have ears, so they couldn't actually hear the hissing like humans did. "They feel the vibrations," he explained.

Bellatrix was listening too, agreeing with his assessment. "I felt it too," she said, leaning away with a beautiful smile. "It feels like Goosebumps, only not," she looked at Harry in a different way. "It's extraordinary Harry."

It was like he didn't have any idea how rare magical abilities were, and instead seemed to fight with a shame long past. He just wasn't used to receiving praise for being a Parselmouth.

"If you say so," he said.

"Oh I say so," uttered Bellatrix, watching him warmly as he returned the snake with a wave of his hand.

He was so different from the stories she'd once heard about the Gaunts, about how they were cruel even to fellow wizards who had done them no harm - that they were mad, deranged and did things without warrant or reason.

But Bellatrix knew Harry wasn't any of these things, not truly as she spoke to him again. "There are books in the Black Family library that talk about Parselmagic," she began, having flicked through them herself a few times. "It's all gibberish to me, they were never translated." She looked at his growing interest. "You could have them, if you want."

Bellatrix didn't want to seem like she was just giving things to him, but they really were completely useless to anyone else.

"How many?" he returned. "Who else knows about them?"

"At least a half-a-dozen," she guessed. "I could write to Arcturus if you like?" she suggested leadingly.

Harry gave her a flat look. "No, that won't be necessary." He sat back with a little smile. "I'll write to him myself."

She really was still trying to get involved. Harry wanted to shake his head. What reasons could she have for wanting to involve herself with people that Walburga seemed to extoll; and again if she'd been around to hear it, someone Harry admitted he loathed above all else.

But she must have a reason though, it would never have turned out as it had if she'd never been driven to Voldemort's side.

Harry shouldn't want to know. He had to stay focused as they heard a trolley coming their way.

"It's the trolley lady," supplied Bellatrix, happily moving to her bag so she could buy something. "Harry?"

Harry wavered, he'd have to take a look first, 70's sweets might be different as the younger looking lady arrived outside.

"Anything from the trolley dears?" she asked.

"A Pumpkin Pasty please," said Bellatrix. "Actually, make that two." She handed one to Harry. "You seemed unsure."

Bellatrix hid her mirth when Harry muttered his thanks, then bought a selection for himself and a few for Martha. She hadn't brought any money, Hogwarts had said she wouldn't need it until her 3rd year.

"Thanks Harry," she chirped, looking with interest as he handed her a pot with colourful beans. "I've not seen these before."

She gave them a shake.

"They're good," offered Harry as the lady moved away. "Mostly."

He heard Bellatrix make a sceptical sound as they returned to their seats, assuming he meant none and had bought them as a joke. "What else did you get?" she asked with an eye on the space between he and Martha. "Are those Fudge Flies?"

Bellatrix looked at them. She liked Fudge Flies.

"You can have your Pasty back," stated Harry. They were his Fudge Flies.

"Fine, keep your Fudge Flies," said Bellatrix as she unwrapped the pasty. "Sweets are bad for you anyway."

She took a bite from it, watching while she chewed as Harry glanced at Martha, who was now devouring through beans and bits of liquorice wand.

Bellatrix smirked at him.

"Just the beans," said Harry, moving the small collection to his other side. "You'll get train sick."

Martha looked at him.

"O-hmkay," she mumbled with her mouth full, then swallowed. "Sorry, Mum doesn't usually let me get more than one."

Martha took her time going through the remaining beans, they still had a long way to go after all, hours and hours of sitting with Bellatrix and Harry.

Harry knew it too, he could already see the many questions swirling behind Bellatrix's eyes. "What books have you got there," he asked, looking at the small pile by her bag. "Anything I can read?"

Harry guessed there wouldn't be anything but school books there.

"Which areas do you need to study in?" returned Bellatrix, pleased he was finally showing an interest. "Did you choose which subjects you're taking?"

If it was anything like she thought, it probably wouldn't be Muggle Studies, History or Care of Magical Creatures.

"History, Muggle Studies and Care of Magical Creatures," said Harry, mentally patting himself on the back for choosing the easiest subjects to skip on. "What?" he huffed. "I can't study Muggles?"

Harry crossed his arms. Of course Bellatrix would have a problem with it.

"Muggle Studies?" Bellatrix gave him an incredulous look. "Harry, you couldn't have picked three subjects that were more of a waste of time!" She set her half-eaten pasty to the side. "Please tell me you can change your courses."

Harry didn't see the issue. "Why would I?" he said. "I like all three. I'll do well in them."

Along with the usual core subjects. Charms, Transfiguration and DADA. That made six subjects that Harry would study in.

"What about your OWLs?" demanded Bellatrix. "You'll need to take those before NEWT - what is Dumbledore thinking!"

She didn't see how Harry was allowed to take whichever NEWTS he wanted without the necessary OWLs.

"He didn't seem worried. "Harry shrugged, assuming the man was just that desperate to have him here and not out there killing muggles. "It's as I said though, we'll see how it goes. Hand me that one."

He gestured to a book with a colourful spine peeking out from her bag.

"No, that's one of Cissy's." Bellatrix quickly hid it away. "Read this one."

She tossed him a book that was akin to a brick, which landed with a thump just beside him. He picked it up. "What on earth is this?" Harry weighed it in his hands. "You carry this around?"

It was massive.

"I only bought it recently," defended Bellatrix, opening her own much smaller book. "It's what they teach the Auror's at the Academy, I thought it'd be useful after you…"

Harry looked quickly away.

"It's interesting," she offered sincerely. "Though perhaps redundant for someone like you."

She began reading her book, humming quietly while Harry looked at her.

"Like me?" he said. "What do you mean like me?"

Bellatrix nodded with her eyes on her book. "Like you," she said simply. "I seriously doubt there is anyone who could match you." She flicked her eyes from the book, remembering how it had felt when he'd destroyed half the alley. He'd only used his hand earlier too, proof just like she'd seen when he'd apparated them away that day at the alley.

"I'll give it a quick glance through," decided Harry. "There's always room for improvement."

He flicked to the first page and begun to read, missing the victorious smirk play upon Bellatrix's face.

He hadn't denied it, merely redirected again with a need to improve.

Bellatrix was right about him. Harry was a powerful wizard.

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