Authors Note

Omg Hi guys! I'm so sorry this update is late, this last month has been filled with exams and stuff to do for my dissertation (even though I'm pretty sure my dissertation tutor doesn't actually know what he's doing /sob/) so this update had to be pushed to the back burner for a while. Anyways, oml we're near the end of book 1 and tbh I'm surprised I was able to come this far and have people actually read my fic!

Thank you so much for all your support and your patience!

-Mojo

P.S: As always Harry Potter is not my work, it belongs to JK Rowling aside from my oc Nicholas Black.

December 24th, 1991

As Aunt Andromeda had promised, she took Nicholas back to Hogwarts in the evening. Nicholas, having spent nearly the entire day at his Aunt's had felt a heavy weight lifted off his shoulders. He'd gone on well with his Aunt, Uncle and cousin- better than he'd even anticipated. He found his cousin Tonks, so relaxed and amusing to be around that he worried he'd annoyed her somewhat with how often he'd followed her around after dinner. His Uncle Ted found it amusing apparently, seeing Nicholas and Tonks by the end of the evening more at ease around each other. Aunt Andromeda had said that it was probably due to the fact that his Uncle rarely had the company of other men in the house and found his new nephew's company refreshing.

Aunt Andromeda had seen him through the floo personally, making him promise to keep in contact with his newfound family.

"I think my daughter would be disappointed if she didn't hear from you at least once a week, Nicholas." Aunt Andromeda smiled down at him as they both stepped out of Professor McGonagall's fireplace. The Transfiguration teacher looked up from her desk, peering at him from the top of her spectacles with a small smile.

"I promise I'll try and talk to you all as much as I can, Aunt Andromeda" He replied, "I'm sorry I got so upset as well, I didn't mean to-"

"Don't be silly Nicholas," Andromeda reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder "I would have been worried if you didn't cry at all. It's quite a lot of information to deal with after all." The older woman smiled warmly at him, he couldn't stop himself from hugging her around the waist throwing his aunt off guard. Professor McGonagall only chuckled quietly to herself at the sight, Andromeda Tonks after all was well known for having a calm composure at all times after all. But that didn't stop her from hugging the younger boy back.

"Run along now, Nicholas. I expect to hear from you soon." Aunt Andromeda quietly said as he let go. Nicholas only nodded and thanked Professor McGonagall before leaving the office. Professor McGonagall gingerly took her glasses off as Nicholas closed the door behind him, inviting Andromeda to sit with her.

"He's nothing like Sirius, is he?" Andromeda finally broke the silence, watching Professor McGonagall conjure a tea tray to float towards the desk.

"I admit, when I first saw the boy I was shocked as well" Professor McGonagall confessed, pouring tea for the both of them as though it was the most normal thing in the world "There were rumors of course, of Clare being pregnant after Hogwarts but with the war it was so hard to tell what was true."

Andromeda only nodded, as she took her tea from Professor McGonagall.

"Did you tell him?" Professor McGonagall asked. Andromeda schooled her features to remain blank as she took a sip, the boy had only met his extended family after 12 years. She and Ted had previously discussed telling Nicholas more about his father and mother, depending on the conversation and what not. But after seeing him get so upset at seeing only photographs of his parents they had decided against it with a knowing look. It would break him, to know why his father was never around growing up. To know why Sirius was supposedly thrown into Azkaban when the boy had only just found out about him.

Perhaps Andromeda was being too easy on her new nephew by not telling him the whole truth, but a part of her still clung to the memories of a young Sirius in Hogwarts. Sirius who would rather die than betray his friends, who used to throw himself into the war so bravely to protect the innocent. The day she had found out that he had been thrown in Azkaban had been hard, Sirius had after all gotten in contact with her after she had been exiled from the Black Family. She found solace in knowing there was someone who still thought and cared for her as family.

No, she wanted the boy to remember him as she did. As selfish as that was, Nicholas deserved to learn to love a father he never knew first.

"No."

"Will you tell him?" Mcgonagall prompted. She tried to hide the surprise from her expression as she carefully regarded the poised lady before her. She wondered if she would have done the same in her situation, if she would tell Nicholas that his father was currently serving a life sentence in Azkaban for such crimes. Would she have the heart to tell this young boy who had come to Hogwarts under the pretense that he would be normal like everyone else, but instead had received nothing but hateful glances and harsh remarks due to a father he never knew?

"When the time is right, I think I will." Andromeda knew that it was the harder road to travel, but the boy deserved something first "I will tell him soon."

"Be careful Andromeda," Professor McGonagall warned, peering at the lady over her spectacles "this decision might come back to haunt you in the future."

Andromeda bristled slightly under the comment but gathered herself quickly as she replied "My reasons are my own Minerva, the boy deserves something after all the hate and judgement he'd received in the last few months alone." This was the right thing to do, she whispered in her head over and over again like a mantra.

"The boy needs this."

December 25th, 1991

"You didn't", Nicholas quickly scurried towards the end of the bed where Harry was showing off his brand new invisibility cloak "you did! No way!"

"Harry! There's a note- on the floor!" Ron snatched a small piece of paper that had dropped from the cloak, in Harry's haste to try it on "Do you realise how rare they are?"

"Invisibility cloaks?" Harry asked, throwing the silvery blanket around his shoulders "I thought they'd be common." He took the outreached letter from Ron, scanning the contents slowly as though he was burning the message in his mind.

"What's the matter Harry?" Nicholas asked, when Harry didn't make another comment "Who's it from?"

"Doesn't say, maybe it's from a family friend." Harry shrugged, "Like that thing." Harry pointed to the velvet box that Nicholas received.

"Does it say anything else though?" Ron asked, pushing wrapping paper around the floor in search as though a second note had fallen off the cloak "Maybe there's a return address somewhere" He mumbled the last bit to himself, as he shoved a handful of ribbons into a growing pile of rubbish on the floor.

"It belonged to my dad." Harry whispered, Nicholas could relate, he thought to himself. He'd give anything to receive anything off his parents. Andromeda had nothing of Sirius' or Clare's to give him apart from the copy of the wedding photo he had quickly stowed away as soon as he'd gotten back to the dormitory yesterday.

Nicholas' shoulders slumped as he glanced back to his bedside table. He'd also received an anonymous present this year along with the presents from Hermione, Hagrid and Mel. But this small present was so carefully wrapped he'd thought it would have been from his aunt Andromeda or the school.

"What did the note say again Nick?" Ron prompted, casually picking up one of the chocolate frogs from the christmas sweets box he'd received from Nicholas. The midnight blue velvet box felt weighted in his hands as he picked it up from the bedside table, he gingerly lifted the lid as the silver four starred broach nestled within glistened up at him. The broach was encrusted with several small diamonds, a singular black gem encased in the centre. One of the points of the star was longer than the others and was about half the size of his palm.

But the brooch did not interest him as much as the note that came along with it.

He struggled to read the handwriting at first, considering that it was in such neat cursive. He didn't recognise it, but then again he didn't spend a lot of time paying attention to his friends' handwriting either.

Dear Nicholas,

This broach has passed through the male heirs of this family for generations. I hope you wear it with pride.

Welcome to the Black Family.

Nicholas read the letter out loud again, picking the small brooch up in his hand. The edges weren't sharp to say, but he knew that if he wasn't careful enough it wouldn't be a surprise if he accidentally hurt himself. Harry was still observing himself in the mirror, whilst Ron continued to munch on chocolate and sweets.

"I can't believe you're rich," Ron said mournfully "It's one thing that you've already got half of the first year girls looking at you-"

"They do not look at me-" Nicholas spluttered despite Harry's laugh

"-And now, if they find out you're a rich bloke you're bound to be married off to another pompous pureblood or some what-"

"Married?!" Nicholas interrupted "Mate- You can't get married at the age of twelve!"

"You'll be surprised-" The boys glanced up to find Fred and George standing in the doorway of the dorm, both leaning without a care in the world with matching smirks on their faces.

"-By the age of twelve a majority-"

"-Of purebloods are already betrothed." He couldn't tell if it was Fred or George that finished the sentence. Despite the letters knitted onto their jumpers, he wouldn't put it past the Weasley Twins to swap the jumpers around in order to confuse everyone else around them.

"You've got jumpers too then have you?" Ron groaned, casting a glance at the maroon jumper his mother had sent him.

"Yeah- Oh! Harry's got one too!" Fred grinned, snatching up the weasley jumper Harry had momentarily thrown on the bed "Much better than ours though- probably because you're not family."

"And you're not wearing yours Ron!" George gasped dramatically, with a hand over his heart. Nicholas and Harry stifled their laughter, seeing Ron's face blush red "C'mon little brother- they're all fuzzy and lovely."

"I'm not wearing it!" Ron barked back "It's scratchy and maroon! I hate maroon!"

"You're a Gryffindor Ron, I'd figured you'd love anything the colour red." Nicholas teased, picking up the maroon jumper Ron hated so much "I bet it matches your eyes."

"Shut up." Ron grumbled, half heartedly pulling the jumper over his head with a dejected sigh "Just be glad you haven't got one."

"Oh I'd be honoured to have one, I'd proudly walk around Hogwarts with an original Molly Weasley jumper," Nicholas grinned watching Ron scratch at his neck with a grimace "Malfoy would go green with envy at the sight of it."

The Weasley twins left the boys to get ready for Christmas Dinner- proclaiming that they had a "Perfect Prefect Percy" to find and drag down to sit with. Nicholas was still chuckling to himself as he followed Ron and Harry to the Great Hall, Ron was still wearing the scratchy maroon jumper and was mumbling about telling Mrs Weasley to at least make a blue jumper for him next year. Harry had opted out of wearing his emerald green jumper, saying that he didn't want Nicholas to feel left out with not having a Molly Weasley original jumper to wear.

He did however, debate on removing the silver star brooch from its box on his bedside table to wear to the Christmas dinner but had decided against it in case he'd gotten it dirty or broke it.

"I reckon that one of the teachers is gonna end up drunk," Harry mused as the three gryffindor first years entered the Great Hall "Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon always end up drunk on Christmas Eve. Last year, Uncle Vernon decided to give Dudley a small glass of red wine and I could have sworn he looked a bit tilted talking up the stairs that night."

"Oh my god," Nicholas laughed, raking a hand through his shoulder length hair "I'd love to see McGonagall drunk." Harry hummed in thought beside him as they took a seat at Gryffindor table. Just like the Christmas' he'd had back home with Mel and Jake, dinner had been spread out enough to feed several armies. Piles of roast turkey and potatoes, honey glazed gammon and beef along with brussel sprouts and parsnips donned the four house tables.

Nicholas chuckled in mirth, seeing that up at the teachers table; a red faced Hagrid was currently trying to encourage Professor Snape to pull a Christmas cracker. Professor Snape's looked distrustingly at the object, as though it smelled horribly. From the nearby Christmas crackers Fred and George were letting off, he could only guess they were at least ten times more extravagant than the muggle crackers he had back home.

He shared a cracker with Ron that exploded with small fireworks, gifts of magicked mice scurried out before disappearing into thin air. He managed to get a pirates hat decorated with tinsel. Nicholas didn't waste any time to put it on his head much to his friends' embarrassment.

"C'mon Harry, lighten up- It's Christmas!" Nicholas pointed up towards the Head's Table "Even Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall are having fun!" Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore both were red faced and chuckling at a joke from Professor Flitwick by the looks of it. Dumbledore had swapped his regular wizards hat for a cap with a helicopter propellor on top.

The Gryffindor boys wasted no time in digging into their dinner (Ron somehow making space for more after his first helping) before wrapping up warm to engage in an all out snowball fight in the Hogwarts Grounds. Nicholas and Harry were speeding down the corridor to meet Ron and the other Weasleys outside when Professor McGonagall rounded the corner. Her usual stern looking face was a bit more relaxed after the several goblets of wine at dinner, Nicholas and Harry quickly stopped with sheepish smiles on their faces.

"Professor-" Harry pulled himself up straight, grabbing Nicholas by the elbow to stop him toppling over "We were just-"

"Behaving yourselves I presume?" Professor McGonagall eyed them both suspiciously "I assume Mr and Mr Weasley didn't just leave Gryffindor tower with bulging pockets of banned items then?"

"What-" Nicholas paled

"-they're filled with snowballs Professor-" Harry quickly piped, looking anywhere but at her

"They are?" Nicholas asked quietly before Harry elbowed him sharply "Of course they are! And- And might I add- you look amazingly beautiful today Professor McGonagall-"

"Nick!"

"-A true sight- No of course we're not doing anything wrong-" He panicked! Harry said snowballs! How was he supposed to continue with that! "No Greg and Forge-" Harry coughed something suspicious like "shut up you git!" but he paid no mind "thought we'd do a game in the grounds-"

"Nothing wrong at all-" Harry added, throwing in another smile for good luck

"-You're welcome to join Professor!" Nicholas sounded winded, his heart was racing in his chest! How was he supposed to hide the fact that Fred and George had found a way to sneak into Filch's office and had managed to cover the entire room top to bottom in owl feathers and cat litter?

"What do you say Professor? Reckon you can take us on?" Harry closed his eyes in disbelief at Nicholas' sheer stupidity. Nicholas was currently thinking of faking it til they made it outside, he thought if he used his most angelic smile then perhaps they'd be able to get away with it. He couldn't believe their luck when Professor McGonagall simply rolled her eyes and waved them away. Harry punched him on the shoulder harshly.

"Amazingly beautiful?" He commented incredulously "That was the best you could come up with?"

"I didn't see you do any better Potter!" Nicholas barked back, surprised that they'd managed to get out without getting caught "Besides, Minnie is obviously the most beautiful witch in Hogwarts anyway."

Harry shook his head slowly, as though trying to erase what he'd just heard. Nicholas could only laugh anyway at his friend's uncomfortable expression "You need to get your head checked mate, I'm pretty sure it's just dust bunnies up there."

"I resent that" Nicholas gave him the dirtiest look he could muster "Some best friend you are Potter." The rest of the afternoon was filled with (a very rigged) snowball fight in the Hogwarts Grounds. Nicholas claimed that it was rigged due to the fact that he, Ron and Harry were simply outmatched by Fred, George and Percy by a long shot. He didn't see how it was fair considering that despite watching the three siblings closely, he could have sworn snowballs were still being launched at him from behind when there was no one there.

Harry hissed when a particular snowball hit him squarely in the back of the head, he and Nicholas both turned around to not find anyone but Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick walking around the black lake. Casually strolling without a care in the world. Probably talking about something boring, Nicholas said consolingly to his irritated dorm-mate.

When Fred and George tried convincing him to play another game, Nicholas politely refused- he was pretty sure every inch of him was definitely hit with snow at least once and he could feel it in his bones. He hated feeling cold after all. The snowball fight had started getting vicious and Percy's glasses had already broken. He made an excuse, saying that he needed to reply to Hermione to thank her for his Christmas gift but he'd secretly wanted to go to the Library in search of a book to do with the family heirloom he'd received.

After quickly changing in Gryffindor tower and changing into one of his warmer sweaters, Nicholas trotted to the library with the Black Family Heirloom safe in his pocket. In hindsight, he probably should have sent a letter to Aunt Andromeda or showed Professor McGonagall first before accepting it. But the curiosity was driving him mad. He made a mental note, that if he couldn't actually find anything supporting the note he received with the brooch he would later send a letter to Aunt Andromeda, just to ease his mind more than anything.

He pushed the doors to the library open, letting out a sigh of content when he realised that due to everyone being home for the Christmas Holidays the library was his (well his and the odd seventh year studying for newts) to peruse to his hearts content. But the thing was, where the hell did someone begin with looking for pureblood heirlooms?

Madam Pince offered him no help either when he asked, she only looked at him with a distrusting look as though expecting him of all people to harm her precious books. He walked away downhearted, probably didn't help his reputation with how many fights he got into in the beginning of the school year- it was no wonder she didn't trust him. He wandered on auto pilot to his favourite spot in the entire library, hidden away in the history section where not even the sixth and seventh years would come wandering for cheeky snogging sessions.

"Didn't take you for a pureblood elitist Black." There was someone sitting in his reading nook. The only plush sofa in the entire library that didn't have springs prodding him in the back with every move, positioned in the most opportune space where the warm afternoon sun would normally hit around 4 o'clock on the dot and someone was in it. He was startled to say the least.

"I- I don't know what you're on about." Nicholas bit back. The boy lounging on his reading nook looked like a first year, short and scrawny. With chocolate brown locks that curled impossibly tight. Nicholas turned his mind over and over again trying for the life of him to try and remember what his name was. The boy in question closed the book he was holding in his lap with a tired sigh.

"You're in my seat." Nicholas smacked himself internally. His usual witty comebacks gone.

The boy with his sharp features and bright blue eyes frowned, and made a show of looking around the plush red seat "Funny. I don't see your name on it."

"Its somewhere…" Smart Nicholas "I thought everyone in first year went home for the Holidays."

"Yeah, well" He shrugged, "Not everyone likes to spend the Christmas Holidays at home. Us slytherins like to take advantage of the peace and quiet without you Gryffindors around." Ouch.

Nicholas knew he should have left it at that, but he was intrigued. He didn't remember seeing this boy hanging around Malfoy and his crowd of prats, unless he just hadn't paid attention before. Was he a ghost?

The other boy still made no move to get up from his reading nook. Instead, he crossed his legs at the heel and stared at him with curiosity. As though he was observing an animal at the zoo.

"So what do you need a book on pureblood families for?" He asked again.

"I don't know how it's any of your concern." Nicholas turned his attention to the books lining the shelves. They weren't what he needed. But he didn't want to just stand there looking like an idiot or make a fool of himself- especially in front of a slytherin. For now, he would try and look as though he was interested in goblin history books.

"Well, you're talking to someone from one of the oldest wizarding families in Britain."

"So am I. Doesn't mean I need your help" He grumbled in response. He carefully weighed his options in his head. He could ask for help, but he was told that Slytherins never helped unless it made them profit or they had something done for them in return. Ron seemed to think that the entire house was full of Devils' spawn and were all like Malfoy. Nicholas didn't even know who this guy was, he'd never seen him hang around the other slytherins or at the Great Hall- but then again, he didn't spend all time during meals staring at them either.

The boy raised his hands in surrender, a half smile ghosting his lips "Fine. Don't say I didn't offer."

"Do I know you?" Nicholas suddenly blurted out, before realising how very rude that comment probably was "I-I mean- It's not like-"

"No. But I've seen you. I'm Theo."

"Nicholas… But I'm sure you already knew that." There was a shift in the air, as he mustered up the courage to look Theo in the eye. It was probably unheard of, for a slytherin and a gryffindor to have a conversation without being at each others throats.

"And it's not pureblood families I'm after," Nicholas sighed frustratedly tearing his gaze from the shelves "It's pureblood heirlooms, or what's been noted of them anyway." He'd been glancing over the same titles over and over again anyway and he knew he wasn't going to find it there.

"Heirlooms?" The slytherin quirked an eyebrow "You got an heirloom?" Theo stood up from the seat, his eyes glinted with curiosity as he meandered over towards where Nicholas was standing by the bookshelves. It took everything in him to not take another step back or reach for his wand. He should've realised that he was acting stupid, that he was letting prejudice run over him too much and it wasn't fair to act so harshly around another first year.

"Yeah? And?" He answered defensively

"Most pureblood families won't release any heirlooms to their children if the heads are still alive." Theo said it so normally, Nicholas had to double take just in case he was joking. Were heirlooms really that priceless in elite families? It just looked like another gift.

"I only know that I got it for Christmas," Nicholas sighed frustratedly, "I don't know who it's from!" Madam Pince picked that moment to warn them from her desk, narrowed eyes glaring at them both dangerously "Sorry!"

"Is it cursed or something?"

"Cursed?" Nicholas never backtracked so fast. The answer threw him so off guard he was surprised he was still standing. The brooch in his pocket suddenly felt weighted. Was it his imagination or was he seeing green swirls come from his trouser pocket? No that was definitely just his imagination.

"Relax Black. I'm sure it's not-" Theo watched as Nicholas fumbled to pull the silver brooch out of his pocket "-oh."

"Oh?" His eyes widened at the slytherin.

"I think I've heard of it."

"And?"

The boy stepped closer to him to take a closer look. Perhaps it was panic or his thoughts taking control of his body but he could have sworn his chest had started hurting- what if the thing had actually cursed him? Where was he supposed to go? What would he do? He couldn't bring it home to Mel and Jake!

The Slytherin boy deadpanned and stared at him with humorless eyes, the blood drained from Nicholas' face "You're dead. This heirloom will kill you in the next twenty four hours."

"Kill? What-" Nicholas stuttered incoherently.

"Excruciating pain. Yep. Most definitely." Theo clasped his hands behind his back, a stern look on his face that instantly made him look fifty years older "You're done for Black." his head shaking slowly, not helping Nicholas' fear that he'd just been sentenced to death.

Panic definitely still rising "-You're joking. Why would someone- Oh christ."

"Relax. I'm joking" he chuckled darkly "Merlin, I forget you Gryffindors are so gullible. It's the Black Family heirloom, my father told me that apparently it's made from an actual star or something."

"That's stupid."

The other boy hummed in agreement, "Father said that only males get this heirloom, something about women not having the right or other." He scowled.

"Urgh." Nicholas rolled his eyes, turning the brooch over in his hand "Is that really all that's so important about it? How do you know about it?

"Father works with dark artifacts," Nicholas noticed that the boy's expression didn't change when he mentioned his father throughout this entire weird exchange "He… well, he likes to think he's some kind of an expert in all things to do with family heirlooms."

"Sounds fun." Nicholas muttered under his breath.

"This brooch has been passed through the Black Family for generations, it's quite a big deal for you to accept it. It's kind of like wearing a family signet ring," At Nicholas' confused expression, Theo sighed and continued "When the first heir is born, the head of the household will give the child a signet ring. It shows everyone that they're the heir of the house."

"Oh" Nicholas said quietly "I wonder if the Black Family heirloom might be lost or something."

Theo leaned against the bookshelf with a thoughtful expression on his face "It could always be in the family vault."

"What family vault?"

"Every wizarding family has a vault, passed through generations. They're normally filled with gold and artifacts and stuff."

"Funny, I didn't have access to it when I went to Gringotts. They just opened a new bank account for me" He closed the velvet box before putting it back in his pocket "Maybe I need a parent or something with me when I do it."

"You normally would" Theo said coolly "Otherwise anyone with a key can gain access to the family vaults-"

"Nick? Sorry! Sh- sorry." Harry apologised earnestly to Madam Pince as he walked over, Nicholas instantly felt his chest tighten in panic seeing Harry obliviously walk over "I was looking everywhere for you! what are you doing here?-" He stilled when he found Nicholas and Theo casually leaning against the bookshelves mid conversation.

"Potter." Theo greeted in a monotone voice.

"Er… Hi?" Harry looked between the two of them with confusion, "Nick… we were about to head down to dinner so I… am I interrupting something?"

"No, I was just making my own way down" Theo cut in quickly. Was he the only one feeling panicked in this situation? Theo looked unperturbed about it all despite all the stigma of Gryffindor and Slytherin rivalry- did this slytherin have no issue with making friends in enemy houses or something?

"Oh, thanks for your help Theo" Nicholas replied earnestly, pushing himself off from the bookshelves.

The curly haired boy stared at him a little longer with a scrutinizing gaze "Yeah, see you around." They watched Theo leave the library before Harry burst.

"What- what just happened?" Harry gasped in shock "Are you and Theo friends? I didn't know you were friends with Slytherins-"

"He's alright to be honest," Nicholas confessed "I wanted to look up the thing I got for Christmas," Nicholas explained sending cautious glances over at the increasingly angry librarian. Harry nodded silently before suggesting they start to make a move on to dinner before all the food disappeared.

"I swear I've never seen him before- or maybe I'm just going blind." Nicholas sighed later on after they'd made it to the Great Hall for their dinner, he was absentmindedly poking at his potatoes. Harry chewed his peas in deep thought.

"That's likely." Harry mused, pointing his fork in his direction "What's got you so bummed out about him anyway? He's just a bloke."

"I…" He was right, why was he tossing his head over another slytherin first year? He never spent this much time analysing Malfoy after all "I think I just… feel bad. We have so many classes with the slytherins- how have I never noticed him around Malfoy and the others?"

"Could always give my glasses a try" Harry said with a shrug of his shoulders "Maybe you are going blind."

He dropped his fork on the table with a groan "Somethings wrong with me isn't there?" He pressed his hands harshly against his eyes until spots danced in his vision "Maybe it's amnesia- maybe this brooch really is cursed."

"That's stupid Nick. A brooch can't be cursed."

"You don't know that. Maybe a great ancestor of mine is laughing at me from Heaven- like, keeled over at this stupid first year getting all wound up over a piece of junk." Harry snorted in response.

"I doubt it, you don't need a brooch to act stupid anyway or did you forget your performance with McGonagall earlier?"

"Don't remind me-"

"-What was it? Amazingly beautiful?" Harry laughed seeing Nicholas' face blush even harder. His face was as red as the Gryffindor house colours, and he knew it was spreading to his ears and down his neck.

"I hate you." Nicholas moaned, dropping his forehead to the table in embarrassment. He wanted the earth to swallow him up in that moment, just inhale him already. He thought miserably to himself.

"Actually…" Harry had gone serious, Nicholas tilted his head glaring at his friend "I think I Nott doesn't turn up for classes a lot y'know."

"Nott?" Who was Nott? He'd never heard of Nott before "As in tie a knot or?"

"No, as in his name is Theodore Nott." Harry wiped his mouth with a napkin, his eyes scrunched up as he did when he was thinking "Yeah- could've sworn I heard something about him being ill all the time."

"Theo? The scrawny looking guy we saw earlier? That guy?"

"Scrawnier than you definitely." Harry nodded slowly.

"I am not scrawny- stop laughing I'm not. Puberty just hadn't hit me yet."

"Its no wonder you haven't seen him with Malfoy then, the guy is always on his own. I overheard some slytherins say something like Theo being quite weak." Harry replied later on as they finished their meal and headed for Gryffindor tower "He seems quiet."

"He seems snarky" Nicholas said in a huff "Very Slytherin, like, quiet slytherin but still slytherin." Harry easily changed the topic to their Potions homework, a way out that he was grateful for. He wanted to stop overanalysing Theo's behaviour in the library earlier and was happy to talk about any other topic. Harry had asked, once they got in the tower if he'd wanted to join him and Ron play wizards chess but Nicholas declined, saying that he wanted to actually write his letter to Hermione and Aunt Andromeda (Hermione had gotten him a wizards card deck as a souvenir from Paris and some sweets from Lyon).

But had he'd known that he would be woken up (rather rudely might he add) just a few hours later, he wondered whether he should have fallen asleep in the first place. He swore he'd only just managed to fall asleep when Harry-freaking-Potter started to roughly rouse him awake.

"Wha- no! No! Get- Off!" Nicholas groaned when he realised that Harry was half hidden under his new invisibility cloak and was currently in the process of trying to push Nicholas out of his sweet, warm bed.

"Nick! Shh! Shut up- C'mon!"

"No! I swear to god- every single time I just want sleep-" Nicholas yelped when Harry roughly pulled on his arm to get him to his feet "Pot- Harry one of these days I'm going to punch you straight in the face when you try to wake me up-" Harry quickly shut him up by slapping his hand across Nicholas' mouth. Nicholas' eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Shut up! I need to show you something, it's cool I promise" Harry quickly looked around before taking his hand off Nicholas' mouth, with a slow exhale of breath he continued "I found something, in the lower floors."

"What- I thought you were asleep!"

"Just come with me- please, I swear I won't wake you up in the middle of the night for a week!" Harry pleaded, his eyes full of desperation behind his circle lens. Nicholas rolled his eyes before tying his shoulder length hair back into a low bun at the nape of his neck.

"A month."

"Two weeks."

"Two and a half." Nicholas said with an edge of finality in his voice.

"Done." With that, Harry swooped the invisibility cloak off of the floor from when he'd dropped it in his effort to drag Nicholas out of bed and flung it over the both of them. Nicholas was already whining internally at the thought of the cold stone floors and of leaving his bed for however long.

"Where are we going?" Nicholas hissed later on as they closed the portrait door behind them. Harry shushed him again, promising to explain later when they were further away from Gryffindor Tower. He wasn't gonna lie, he was definitely worried. They'd snuck out of dorms several times beforehand without the cloak and hadn't gotten caught yet (touch wood, he said mentally) but he was more worried at how frazzled Harry had been. Granted, this wasn't the first time he'd seen Harry so nervous after seeing him before his first Quidditch match a few months ago, but this was on a whole new level.

"I went to the library earlier-"

"You're joking!" Nicholas gasped dramatically

"-but Filch nearly caught me! There was this screaming book and I dropped my lamp- so I ran down here to try and hide from Filch and his stupid cat." Harry led him down a set of stairs, dimly lit by candle sconces that looked as though they belonged in a museum. But even then, it was still dark. Nicholas hoped that Harry remembered where he was supposed to be going. It was cold and damp, and he could have sworn he heard a rat scurry away somewhere.

"And where is here exactly?" Nicholas asked as they arrived at a large menacing looking door "What even, Harry what are we actually doing?"

"Trust me okay? Just go in." Harry said with urgency as he pushed the door open. He didn't know what to expect. It was just a large cavernous room, he didn't have to step inside to know that the temperature was definitely colder and probably more damp.

"There's nothing in here-" Nicholas said tiredly, wiping at his eyes roughly "-Harry what are you doing?"

"Don't you see it?" Harry was walking towards the centre of the room, where a large ornate mirror stood proudly. Nicholas squinted his eyes as he stepped closer.

"It's just a mirror, there's nothing… to see" Nicholas' voice faltered mid sentence as he stood beside Harry, their shoulders touching as they gazed into their reflection. His hair stood on end and his pyjamas were ruffled. He knew that was likely the case anyway considering he'd just been in bed, but there were figures in the back. Figures that fazed in and out of view as though they were coming out of a fog.

"Harry this is creepy- do you see that?" Nicholas turned his head around just to check, but there was nobody behind the both of them. Were they ghosts? Was this mirror some sort of ghost detector?

"You don't see them? Those are my parents! Look! In the mirror!" Harry said urgently, grabbing at Nicholas' arm again to bring his attention back to the mirror.

"I don't see anything… I just see a fog and shapes?" The grey fog seemed to come closer and closer towards Nicholas, but the figures were becoming more clear. Where there was a fog several minutes before, was actually several people coming together clearly towards where the two boys were standing.

But the most prominent figures he could make out he recognised instantaneously.

"Dad." He turned again, there was no one there "M-Mum…" This wasn't real, was it? He could feel his throat starting to close up. An overwhelming wash of emotions thrown over him as his dad and mum stepped up so close to his mirror reflection he could have sworn they were right behind him. He was startled at first, the pictures Andromeda had shown him did no justice.

His parents were both good looking, but his father surprised him the most. He could see the resemblance, he had his father's grey eyes and cheeky grin. The black wavy hair for sure, but everything else was his mum's. His nose, his dimples and sharp jawline. The quirk in his eyebrow was hers from the looks of it too. She was just as beautiful up close as she was in the photo on their wedding day. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, he couldn't tell what colour her eyes were but they looked hazel. Her smile was warm and full of love.

They were so young. They didn't even look like proper adults yet, Nicholas thought, they barely looked as though they'd left Hogwarts. His dad was wearing a black sweater with three quarter sleeves and normal looking jeans and- was that a tattoo? On his forearm?

"You see them?" Harry broke the silence, his voice heavy and his eyes never leaving the mirror either.

Nicholas nodded slowly, "I… yeah… Harry what is this?"

"... I don't know.." His friend replied solemnly "I found it earlier when I was hiding, and when I saw them I wanted to show you… but you don't see my parents do you?"

"No… but I see you- at least I think it is" He wasn't lying, there was an older boy that looked a lot like Harry down to his scruffy hair and circle lenses stood off to the side.

"My mum's really pretty," Harry murmurs quietly, slowly going to sit on the floor with his legs crossed "I wish you could see them."

Nicholas swallowed harshly to try and stop his eyes from welling up, he descended as well sitting on the floor with his elbows on his knees, his eyes never leaving the mirror. His parents waved at him with proud smiles on their faces. He wondered idly what the sound of his parents' voices were like, what kind of hugs they give- would they be proud of him for being in Gryffindor? His mum was a ravenclaw after all.

"Do you reckon our parents were friends Harry?" He'd always liked the thought that his parents and Harry's would have at least attended the same year, or had been friends somehow after school. Maybe in another life, he and Harry would've lived in the same town or something and went to each others houses for sleepovers. Or go to the cinema together, then Harry wouldn't be living with his aunt and uncle and he'd be happy.

"I dunno, it'd be cool though."

"Yeah… I suppose they don't talk back when you ask them a question then?" Nicholas said, what would he even ask them? Where did they live? How bad was the war? Did they sleep curled up too?

But despite the object in front of them being only a mirror, Nicholas couldn't ignore the eerie feeling in his chest that something was wrong. He kept expecting to turn around and find one of the professors standing behind them or something. He was on edge. The fear was buried deep in his chest, he found it odd that when he looked away from the mirror the worry was nearly too overwhelming- but it would disappear as soon as he turned back to his parents.

"It's just a mirror, Nick."

"Worth a shot." Nicholas uttered under his breath

"Do you think we can come back tomorrow?" Harry asked tentatively, he shouldn't have been surprised at Harry's eagerness to come back but Nicholas had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach about this mirror. Whilst he was grateful for being able to get a glance at his parents, he was starting to wonder why this mirror was here in the first place.

"Course… But I don't know if it'd be a good idea Harry" his answer obviously confused Harry "We don't know what this mirror is doing here, for all we know this could have been a trap or Filch could catch us-"

"-I don't care." Harry let his hands fall into his lap, turning his gaze from the mirror to him.

"Harry we could get in trouble-"

"We've got the cloak we'll be fine-"

Nicholas groaned in frustration, pressing his tightly fisted hands against his eyes as though it would help him try and knock some sense into his friend.

"Harry, mate, pal o' mine-" Harry made no answer "-You know I'm always up for a little adventure, but I have a really bad feeling about this mirror. I don't think it would be a good idea at all if we came back tomorrow."

"But that's just a gut feeling," Harry waved his worried comments away with his hand "It could be a sore tummy."

"But-"

Their hearts dropped at the sound of approaching footsteps. Not just one, but two. Nicholas' eyes widened in panic as Harry quickly threw the invisibility cloak over the both of them again. But Harry wasn't moving from their spot on the floor, whilst he was watching the door for any sign of movement he had made it clear that he didn't want to leave his family in the mirror.

"Harry we have to go!" Nicholas hissed, "We're gonna get caught and then you won't be able to come back!" He turned to look at the mirror, but his mood dropped when there was no reflection again.

"Bu-"

Nicholas swiftly pulled him from the room, trying to make as little sound as possible as they ventured back towards the tower. They didn't meet anyone on their way up thankfully, par Mrs Norris but he didn't think the cat would be able to see through the cloak anyway. Harry was in a silent mood the entire way, clearly upset that he was right.

Nicholas nudged the portrait door open after hastily whispering the password, he was tired and cold from being out of bed at such a late hour but he didn't regret going to the mirror. They pulled the invisibility cloak off at the top of the steps to their dorm when Nicholas turned on Harry, just as the other boy moved to open the door.

"I'm sorry- Y'know I'd love more than anything for us to go back to the mirror." He said in hushed tones, grabbing onto Harry's shoulders.

"Then why don't you want to go back tomorrow?" Harry protested, his emerald eyes flashing dangerously "I don't care about getting caught!"

"If you go and get caught what's to say they won't move the mirror to another location? Then you really won't be able to find it!" He desperately wanted to shake some sense into him. To try and help Harry see reason in his logic, but he'd realised how stubborn his friend was in the course of the past few months at Hogwarts. There was nothing that could stop him when he was focused on a task, this was probably what made him a good seeker.

"Then don't come with me!" Harry snapped "But I'm going and you can't stop me."

"Hey! I'm not the one you should be getting mad at!" Nicholas bit back "I'm only looking out for you! Do you want to get expelled?"

"You're starting to sound like Hermione! I thought you wanted to see your parents!" Harry's voice was raised, and it shook Nicholas to his core. He really wasn't enjoying this, why was he the bad guy when he was just trying to be a good friend?

"Because… because they're not real Harry" Nicholas chose his next few words carefully "If I could sit there in front that mirror all night I would- but it doesn't change the fact that my parents drop kicked me out of their lives. If anything, I feel worse after going."

"What do you mean?" Harry took a step back, surprise clear on his face but there was still an edge to his voice "I feel tons better after seeing my parents."

"Yeah but all it did was make me feel horrible!" Nicholas cried "If you want to go, then fine. I've got your back if anyone asks. But I- I don't think it'll help or make me feel any better. I went there expecting that I'll feel better but I just… I feel wrong."

Harry could only gaze back at him, he felt ashamed for arguing with his friend. For going against his best friend's wishes, it hurt him deeply. He wondered if Harry felt hurt or betrayed that he wouldn't be there the second night.

"I'm sorry, I really am" Nicholas mumbled, dropping his head "I just… I don't have a good feeling about this." He left it at that then, Nicholas and Harry returned to their beds quietly. Not a word spoken between the two of them or of the mirror. Harry did end up returning to the mirror the following night and the night afterwards. When Harry stopped going after the third night, Nicholas didn't question it. He did however, offer the downtrodden boy a chocolate frog and a warm smile.