Chapter Ten:

Only Us

There had only ever been us. There had never been a fourth and there had never only just been two. We met each other on the same day, we've been together ever since. We kept to ourselves. We were nobody's and that's the way we like it.

But as Harry walked to their first class with Ron and Hermione at his side, he was starting to believe that their life was slowly crumbling like a badly made sand castle. Stares and whispers followed them where ever they went, most of them directed at Harry. Some had even had the nerve to point at his scar as if he was some sort of animal to gawk at in a zoo. Ron had shown said people his favorite finger.

Despite the staring and the pointing, things were going fine. They hadn't seen their 'family' since the night before and none of the teachers had tried to get them to talk so far, but that didn't stop them from staring at them from time to time. They weren't sure if this was because they did the spells correctly on the first try or because they'd 'returned from the dead.'

It was after lunch that things went down hill.

Not wanting to eat in the Great Hall, the trio had gone down to the kitchens. It happened while they were walking to their next class.

"What do you think of classes so far?" Hermione asked, as the portrait going to the kitchen closed behind them.

Harry shrugged. "Their too easy. I mean, we already know this stuff and can do it wandlessly. Can't imagine how easy it is for you, Sia. All you have to do is look at the cover of the book and bam! You know it all."

"I hope we get skipped to one of the higher years." said Ron. "Maybe then it won't be so easy and a bit more of a challenge. I don't see why we even bothered coming to Hogwarts, since we already know everything."

"I was kind of hopping we would learn things we don't already know." Harry explained. "Like things we haven't heard of."

"We've been all around the world, Sparky." Hermione said, as they turned the corner. "I'm almost certain we've heard about everything. Speaking of which, were are we going this Christmas?"

"I was thinking Belgium. Or perhaps Hungary." Harry suggested. Ron opened his mouth to give his opinion, but instead a startled scream came out, causing the other two to jump, and they spun around as one to come face to face with a greasy, hooked nosed man.

"Professor Snape." Hermione said immediately. "You startled us."

Snape rose an eyebrow, looking the trio over. "Why are you not in class?"

"We're heading to class right now." Ron said truthfully. He went to look the Potions Master in the eye to show he was telling the truth, but then Hermione stomped on his foot and gave him a warning look. They understood immediately.

"Look me in the eye when I speak to you." Snape sneered.

"We'd rather not." Harry said casually, as if commenting on the weather. "We don't really appreciate having Legimancy used on us, sir."

Snape's eyes widened and his mouth fell open in shock. Taking advantage of his shocked state, Hermione spoke. "We'd best be getting to class. Don't want to be late."

They were halfway towards the stairs when Snape snapped out of his shocked state. "Dumbledore wants you in his office."

Harry's heart plummeted. He didn't turn around. "How come?"

"Because the Minister would like to see you three."

The trio looked at each other for a moment, before nodding and turning around to face Snape. "Well, he's the Minister." Harry said. "Might as well."

Snape glared at him, before leading the three up the stairs, down the hall and to the Headmasters office. As they went up the spiral staircase, the trio looked at each other again and knew what the other was thinking, as if they were talking with their eyes when they have blank faces.

Dumbledore's office door opened and the trio were ushered in. They heard the door lock behind them and knew that Snape was putting up a spell to keep it that way.

A man in a lime green bowler hat, a toad-like women in pink and a tall, dark bold man stood in front of Dumbledore's desk, where Dumbledore himself sat. They all looked up upon their entry. The man in the bowler hat, who they guessed was the Minister of Magic, smiled brightly at them. Or, more accurately, at Harry.

"Ah, Harry!" he said. "So glad to see you're safe."

"I was always safe, sir." Harry said. "I've been safe ever since I left England."

"Er... right." Fudge said, clearly confused. He pressed on, much to Harry's disappointment. "Well, I believe you've had trouble settling with your new family. But not to worry, my boy. We completely understand that you'd not want to go live with a werewolf, so the Ministry had picked you a different guardian, Lucious Malfoy-"

"Malfoy?" Harry asked, at the same time as Ron, Hermione, Snape and the tall wizard. "Look, I'm sorry, Mr. Minister, but I did not want to live with Remus because he's a werewolf. And I'd rather live with him then the Malfoy's. Have you seen their son Draco?"

"Now, Harry-"

"No." said Harry firmly, as if telling a two year old he wasn't allowed anymore candy. "I do not want to live with the Malfoys. I do not want to live with Remus. I want to live with Sia and Blaze, just like I have for the past seven or eight years. Besides, is my well being really that much of a big deal that the Minister of Magic has to come to school in the middle of classes? I mean, shouldn't the Child Protection Agency or something be here instead of you?"

Fudge opened and closed his mouth, looking comically like a fish. The toad-like women looked livid and the tall wizard was obviously holding back a laugh.

"Mr. Potter." the toad-like women said, in a sickly sweet voice that made Harry's stomach turn. "You and your friends are far to young to realize this, but you three are just too little to live on your own."

Harry raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Oh? Then how come we've been doing it for seven years?"

"Because you did a very disrespectful and dangerous thing and ran away." Umbridge said, as if she were scolding a toddler. "Your family are muggles, correct?"

"No." Harry said, glaring at her. "Blaze and Sia are not muggles, as you can very well see." he gestured with his head towards Ron and Hermione.

"No, Mr. Potter." said Umbridge, sound as if she was explaining something to a very dim little child. "Mr. Weasley and Miss. Granger are not your family. The Dursley's-"

"The Dursleys are not my family." Harry growled. Hermione placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. Harry took a deep breath, grateful for her. "They locked me in the cupboard under the stairs and they starved me. I ran away because they despised me, not because they took away my toy or something. Blaze ran away because his family abandoned him on the street's of London and Sia because of bullies. We may not be blood, but we sure as hell are a family."

Silence followed his little speech.

Harry grabbed Ron and Hermione's hands and they walked towards the door, Hermione giving her wrist a flick and unlocking it easily. In the doorway, Harry turned back to look at the adults.

"We have always been alone, Mr. Minister." he said, looking at the gaping Fudge. "Then we met each other and we weren't alone any more. We stuck together through thick and thin and I will die before I see them come to harm. There has always been three of us, ever since we were four. No more, no less. Only us."

Then the door closed behind them and they began walking to their next class, having missed the previous one. On the first day, no less.

Typical.