Harry Gaunt - Chapter 12

"Harry, sit there. Yes, there." Arcturus pointed at the seat Harry should take. "Perfect," he said, nodding as the seating plan came together in his head. The dining hall was more than big enough.

"Are you sure?" asked Harry as he tucked himself in, wondering why he was the fifth chair away on the right-hand side. "Aren't I a bit far away?"

He'd have to speak very loudly to converse with anyone towards Arcturus's end.

"Fear not Harry," assured Arcturus with a smile. "You don't want to be sitting near Walburga. Trust me, I'll keep this end."

Arcturus took his seat. They were 10 minutes early. "Drink?" he suggested.

"Just a water please," returned Harry, resisting the urge to drum his fingers on the rich mahogany table.

"Not a drinker then. Wise man," said Arcturus, before promptly ignoring his own advice. "Kreacher, bring me a brandy. And the bottle," he added.

"Of course Master," said Kreacher from somewhere Harry couldn't see, then heard the crack of apparition a moment later. Had Kreacher been under the table?

"So Harry, tell me a bit more about yourself," encouraged Arcturus. "Do you play Quidditch?"

Arcturus leaned forward a bit in his chair, hoping to find some common interests with the young Lord.

"Not for a long time," came Harry's subdued reply, like the very thought had whisked him away to another time.

Arcturus drummed his fingers on the mahogany table. "Which position did you play?" he asked. "I was a Beater. Slytherin Captain too."

He was very proud of the achievement. It was his - only his and not because he was a Black.

"I played Seeker, and I never made Captain." Harry looked up from staring at the table. He'd never played again after leaving Hogwarts.

"What about school?" tried Arcturus. "Where did you attend?"

But Harry didn't answer, instead looking down as if he hadn't heard.

That wasn't good. Not good at all as Arcturus tried one more time. "Are you an orphan Harry?" he guessed softly. "You didn't know your parents."

Arcturus could see it all across Harry's face.

"Yes, I am." Said Harry weakly. "You'll forgive me then, if talking of the past is something I avoid."

Harry had so rarely talked to anyone about it, perhaps because everybody from before had known not to ask. But here things were different, people would ask him.

"My condolences," concluded Arcturus after a moment thinking. "You'll fair better at that end of the table."

Arcturus lightened the mood with a conspiratorial smirk, getting a raised brow from Harry as to what he meant.

Harry glanced at the chairs around him. "Who will be joining us?" he asked curiously. "Does everyone from House Black live here?"

Harry would assume not, but then again, the house was very big.

"Most of us," nodded Arcturus. "Though many have other houses they can stay in, think of Grimmauld Place as… headquarters."

With Arcturus as the head, of course.

"I-I see," nodded Harry, covering the nervous blip when he thought of Sirius. "I look forward to meeting everyone."

Harry was counting the seconds now as Arcturus called for Kreacher again, demanding his Brandy and why it had taken so long. Harry ignored them, listening instead for incoming footsteps.

"Arcturus!" cheered a man as he stepped through the door.

"Pollux!"

Arcturus stayed put, yet seemed to lighten in the man's presence. "Good to see you," he acknowledged with a nod. "And may I introduce."

"Harry Gaunt," finished Harry, rising from his chair. "It's nice to meet you."

Pollux looked at Harry with interest. "Well I'll be," said Pollux. "A Gaunt. I never thought I'd see the day."

He walked around the table to get a better look, his eyes flickering across Harry's face. "Interesting," he noted. "You have a touch of Black to your jaw."

Pollux looked back to Arcturus, who had seen it too. "Indeed," said Arcturus in amusement. "Or maybe great men just look alike."

The two shared a smile.

"That's probably it," admitted Harry, there had been no Black on the Gringotts test. "How are you related to Lord Black?"

"Who me?" laughed Pollux. "We're only cousins! Pollux Black."

Pollux patted Harry's arm, apparently he was the friendly one among the Blacks as he walked back around, sitting just down from Arcturus.

"Wait," said Pollux again as his head swivelled to Harry. "What are you doing over there?" he asked, then flicked his eyes to Arcturus.

Arcturus smiled innocently.

"Oh really…" Pollux's eyes gleamed a little. "Yes, much better than sitting here."

Harry saw a tiresome look settle over Pollux, probably thinking of Walburga and the other undesirables. Harry could sympathise, he remembered meeting Walburga's portrait when he'd first come here.

"Arcturus!" came another cheer from the door, a man walking in like a quiet mouse despite his size. "Pollux, good to see you."

The three men greeted each other like old friends, despite as Harry had been told, living with each other. Harry was about to introduce himself when another came in, a woman, and then another and another until half a dozen men and women were chatting and saying by the head of the table.

They didn't even notice Harry. Perfect.

"O-oh," said a new voice from the door. "Who are you?"

Harry swivelled his head to see the girl by the door. He swallowed.

"Harry Gaunt," he said, recognising at once the flash of blonde hair. "Lord Black invited me for dinner."

Harry decided to stand up, best to greet her properly as he bowed his head.

"My Lord," bowed Cissy back, embarrassed after her blunt question. "It is an honour to meet you. I am Narcissa Black."

Cissy smiled politely as she looked across Harry Gaunt, comparing him in her head to Bellatrix had told her. He was tall but not overly so, had green eyes, dark hair and warmth to his expression. His hair was nice too, curly in that messy way.

Cissy was impressed, he was very handsome.

"Shall we sit?" proposed Harry, feeling the beginning of an awkward silence coming on.

"Yes," said Cissy. "I mean, no."

She smiled rigidly.

"Okay…" Harry glanced at the head of the table, which had become suspiciously quiet all of sudden. He was at a complete loss, until that is, when Bellatrix walked in.

"O-oh," she said from the door in a formal dress, sounding much like Cissy had. "Lord Gaunt."

Bellatrix bowed, collected herself under so many watchful eyes.

Harry had to collect himself too.

"Do you know each other?" said a woman that had followed Bellatrix in. "Druella Black," she added off-handily.

"We met once mother," said Bellatrix quickly. "Lord Gaunt came to Hogwarts on the last day of term."

Bellatrix stepped towards her sister, evidently uncomfortable with the attention she was getting.

"I see, how happenstance," smiled Druella, nodding once to Lord Gaunt before moving on towards the group at the other end.

Harry wondered if he'd offended her, then on second thought, didn't care. She reminded him of the woman who'd shown him the house today.

"Lord Gaunt, shall we sit?" said Cissy quietly, looking at the two chairs down from him. "We often get relegated."

Cissy glanced at the group, then back as Harry nodded. This was where the 'children' were placed as they took their seats, with Bellatrix to Harry's right and then Cissy to the right of her. Harry assumed the order was an age thing, the older sitting closest to the head.

"Is it just you two who usually sit here?" asked Harry.

"Regulus too," offered Cissy, talking while Bellatrix appeared to think about something. "But he's away at the moment."

She mentioned no other, which meant Sirius was gone. "I am sorry to have missed him," offered Harry.

"Kreacher."

Harry looked to his side where Bellatrix had spoken, where she now conversed with the beaming little elf who took her order. "And for you Lord Gaunt?" she looked at Harry, seeing that he was without any drink.

"Just a water please," said Harry, making sure to wait before sending Kreacher an annoyed look. The bugger hadn't brought Harry's water.

"Thank you Kreacher," said Bellatrix. "That's all."

"Of course Mistress."

Kreacher bowed deeply to his favourite mistress, who like their guest, said thank you to him. But Kreacher couldn't be nice to their guest, he wasn't a Black.

Crack.

"Why do you do that Bellatrix?" asked Cissy in a curious tone. "It makes no difference. He'll still do what you say."

Cissy didn't see the point.

"House Elves are loyal," supplied Harry, leaning forwards a little so he could see her. "Miss Black is right to treat him well, he will serve her better than he does the others."

Dobby had been same.

"Oh I see," said Cissy with a smile. "I suppose he does do little things for Bellatrix, like that time-"

"Yes Cissy, Lord Gaunt is quite correct."

Bellatrix poked Cissy's leg with a pointed finger.

Cissy giggled.

"Lord Gaunt," continued Bellatrix on a different subject. "How was your meeting with Dumbledore? Will you be attending in September?"

Not that she was prying, just making conversation. And she was curious, she supposed.

"It went well thank you. Dumbledore just gave me my letter and…" Harry wiggled his fingers with shooing gesture. "Sent me on my way."

Harry laughed a little, it's what had essentially happened.

"That's good news," praised Bellatrix. "Dumbledore's usually very wordy, he likes to give speeches on the first day of term."

"And before the holidays," interjected Cissy.

"That too," smiled Bellatrix, seeing Harry's own as he listened intently.

Actually, he was staring.

"My Lord?"

"Sorry," he blinked, coming out from his stupor. "I was just reminded of - nothing, never mind."

Harry looked uncomfortable for a moment, which both sister's hastened to correct.

"It's fine Ha- Lord Gaunt," said Cissy, withholding the cute giggle that threatened to escape. "Do you read many books?" she posed.

Bellatrix sighed.

"They're really not that bad Bella," deterred Cissy, coming back to their conversation on the train.

"I know Cissy," said Bellatrix placatingly. "But save it for later."

Bellatrix glanced towards their mother beside Arcturus, making her point as Cissy became more subdued.

Harry noticed it all.

"I do like to read," he said, smiling warmly at the girl he'd also wronged. "Though I suspect what I read won't be of much interest."

Harry rested his arms on the table, they were all advanced subject books.

"Which books my Lord?" asked Bellatrix with interest, her own hands coming up to the table's edge. "Anything I would have seen at Hogwarts?"

Bellatrix so loved to read, evidenced enough by the amount she carried around with her.

"I like Charms," began Harry. "So anything about them is always good. And I often Animate things."

Harry smiled when he thought of Remus and the fluffy blanket, which as he thought of it now really was rather funny.

"Me too," said Bellatrix, unaware that she was leaning towards him. "Do you remember the book you picked up?"

Harry looked at her. "Charms 101," he confirmed.

"Yes-" Bellatrix looked at him, baffled. "You remember the name?"

She only meant if he remembered picking it up, so she could tell him how good it was.

"Well, I uh-" Harry straightened back up. "-I have a good memory," he said. "It's a good read, there are some useful protective charms on the last page. I guess as a reward for finishing it."

Bellatrix nodded, she'd just found them today when reading upstairs. They were quite complicated, she'd had little success so far.

"What year are you joining?" poked Cissy from the end, loathe as she was to interrupt them. "Did you go to a school on the continent? I have a friend who goes to Beauxbatons."

Cissy had wanted to go to Beauxbatons, they had Abraxan's there.

"No, I didn't," replied Harry, his eyes searching for what to say. "I was home-schooled. Sort of."

Harry fought a grimace at their prying eyes.

"What's for dinner?" he asked suddenly, admitting to himself that it was a poor attempt at diversion. But he didn't know what else to say. Not the truth, that's for sure.

But luckily Harry was saved from saying anything else as dinner was served, the plates and their drinks appearing together with a click from Kreacher's magic.

Harry could tell though that Bellatrix was still looking at him, her eyes peering through her hair with dangerous curiosity. Harry took a peek from the corner of his eye.

She didn't believe him - of course she didn't. And now as they each picked up their glasses, raising to a toast at Arcturus's behest, Harry realised what he'd have to do.

"A toast, to our new friend," said Arcturus with a raised glass, followed promptly by a handful of others. "To Lord Gaunt, long may he prosper."

There were a few others that said the same, the group around Arcturus now focused entirely on Harry, who just a moment before had come to a painful realisation.

Nobody knew who he was anymore. And nobody ever could. He was alone more than he ever had been.

"T-thank you."

Harry raised his glass with a shaky hand, then took a sip as the others followed. He set it weakly down a moment later, his mind filled with thoughts of his solitude. There was just no other way to keep it secret, and should anyone find out…

Harry looked at Bellatrix one more time, where in only five minutes he'd managed to fumble and fall over the simplest of questions.

What would he do when his parents really spoke to him? And Sirius?

They could never truly know him. It was cruel.

"My lord," he heard Bellatrix say from beside him. "Are you all right?"

Harry felt her shift a little near, no doubt concerned by his rigid posture and his clenched hands. Harry swallowed, it was like seeing a memory.

"My lord?"

Harry pushed away from the table, staggering away from Bellatrix's hand. She'd reached for him. "What's wrong?" she asked, slipping from her chair as he inched away from her, seeing more than was there in his haunted eyes.

"Harry?" said Bellatrix. "Har-"

"F-forgive me."

Harry shut his eyes and apparated, smashing through the wards that enclosed the house with a terrible shockwave. They collapsed with a bang, shocking the room and Lord Black especially, who was pushed against his chair.

Bellatrix felt it too, it stole her breath before the air began to settle.

"Cissy!"

"I am all right," said Cissy from the table. "What was that…"

She blinked up at Bellatrix, who was filled with relief as she stood beside Cissy's chair. They both looked to the head of the table where the rest were clamouring to Arcturus, who was out of it in his chair.

"The wards," realised Bellatrix, prompting Cissy to her feet in-case they needed to leave. "He broke them."

Bellatrix was wide-eyed as she looked about.

"Never mind them," dismissed Cissy, guessing that much by the state of Arcturus. "What I meant was, what happened with Harry?"

Cissy had seen the expression on his face, and it was none one she was familiar with. It was dreadful, terrified.

"I don't know Cissy," said Bellatrix, at a loss except for a single thing. "He asked me to forgive him…"

For what? He'd done nothing but have a pleasant conversation about Charms 101.

"That's really weird," concluded Cissy. "Maybe it's a Gaunt thing."

No, Bellatrix didn't think so as she spotted her mother gesture them over, giving them the 'come here now' look from beside Arcturus.

"Girls!"

Druella hastened them on, pointing a finger at her feet. "What happened?" she demanded as they arrived.

"We don't know," gave Bellatrix simply. "He just apparated away."

"Just apparated away?" parroted Druella with a snap. "What did you say to him?" she accused, her tone quickly joined by the dreaded Walburga.

"Did you offend him?" she probed, stepping beside Druella in her expensive outfit. "I can't say I am surprised."

Walburga sneered nastily.

"We did not," defended Bellatrix. "I don't know what happened. But it wasn't anything like that, he just… panicked."

Bellatrix didn't know how else to describe it, she'd seen so many emotions play across his face before the moment he'd gone.

"Well you're probably wrong," dismissed Walburga. "Gaunt clearly has no interest in an alliance now, so good riddance."

Walburga paid no head Arcturus's wheezy rebuke. "Kreacher, help Lord Black to his room."

Arcturus was clearly a little worse for wear, so she took charge while Pollux and the rest waited like lemmings.

"Yes Mistress."

Kreacher came and took Arcturus away, leaving the rest to either return to their meal or…

"Must dash," said Pollux.

"I as well," said another.

And then one by one, the members dispersed, only attending because Lord Black had been there in the first place.

Bellatrix scowled at their retreating backs, Walburga in-particular as she left the room with Orion, lemming number one.

"Can we stay and eat?" asked Cissy to their mother. Cissy was still hungry.

Druella sighed.

"Fine Cissy," she said tiredly, leaving herself. "Call Kreacher when you're finished."

They watched their mother leave, not deigning to stay and have dinner with them.

Bellatrix spoke harshly once they'd all gone.

"Can you believe them," she seethed, as she and Cissy went back to their places. "All they can care about is themselves. They didn't even ask if we were all right."

Bellatrix tucked herself in with an angry huff.

"They were just flustered," returned Cissy. "We didn't ask them."

"Yeah," pointed Bellatrix to the other side of the room. "Because they were over there. Only Arcturus was affected."

And even still.

"Walburga's such a cow."

Bellatrix jabbed her spoon into the Pie, which made a satisfying pop when the steam came out.

"She is isn't she," agreed Cissy with amusement. "I don't know why mother likes her."

They often spent time together, both wives to heirs of the Black name. Cissy wondered if she'd be just like them one day, at the Browns let's say?

Cissy slumped in the usual way.

"Stop it Cissy," spotted Bellatrix. "Try to focus on the good things, there's always good to things to think about."

Bellatrix nudged Cissy's arm, then Cissy back as they began to playfully giggle. At least they'd still have each other, whatever happened once they both were married.

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