Chapter 18

"So what's the plan?" George asked as Fred adjusted the strings on his jumper.

"We'll sneak out right before dinner. You'll meet me by the entrance to the tunnel that leads us to Hogsmeade. You'll take me to the Three Broomsticks and from there we'll split off. We'll meet up back at the tunnel entrance at 11 and use the disillusionment charm to get back to our common rooms." Louis told them lowly over his book.

They were in the back of the library, the three of them seated far away from prying eyes, discussing how he was going to meet up with Remus with them as a guide.

"Sounds simple enough." hummed George.

"Why the Three Broomsticks? Wouldn't that be a bit too obvious? Madam Rosmerta is sure to tell on you." piped up Fred.

He turned a page of his book. "The crowd will help conceal me and will eliminate the chances of Remus and I being overheard." He flicked his eyes upward, smirking lightly. "Besides, it's not like I'll look twelve when I go in."

Fred's mouth rounded into an O as he connected the dots. "I forgot you could do that." George snorted rudely. Louis smacked him with his potions book.

"So we can just mess around while you're talking to some bloke?"

He shrugged. "Sure. Go to Zonko's. You know he won't snitch."

George nodded. "That he won't. Good ole Zonko."

"How's he not dead yet?" Fred asked aloud.

George faked a gasp. "Freddie! You can't say things like that!"

"What?" Fred said, looking defensive and perhaps a bit confused.

Louis cleared his throat, cutting off a bout of sure teasing before it could start. "Actually, if you guys could pick something up for me that'd be great. I'll give you the money of course. With a bonus."

Fred hummed. "Sure, mate. What do you need?"

He slid his notebook out from under his pile of books and pulled out a torn piece of paper. "There's a list right there. Most of it can be bought from the apothecary. You'll need to go to the book store too though and maybe the jewelry shop."

George took the list as he passed it over, eyes scanning it's contents. He raised a brow as he read over them but refrained from saying anything. "Yeah we can get you this."

"Thanks guys." He rubbed his temple, feeling a headache come on. "I appreciate it."

"Don't forget your essay due Friday!" Flitwick reminded them as most of the class shuffled quickly out of the classroom. Fidgeting, Louis approached the man's desk.

"Professor?"

Flitwick looked up from the pile of parchment he had been previously examining. He seemed a bit surprised to see Louis.

"Ah, Mr. Thompson. What can I do for you?"

Louis squeezed the handle of his backpack slightly. "I was wondering if you could answer a couple of questions I have. If you have the time, sir."

Flitwick waved off his concern quickly, motioning for him to sit in the chair beside the man's desk. "Nonsense, young man. My classes for the day are over. What is it you need to ask?"

"Well," he sat down "I recently gained emancipation with Gringotts and don't worry I'm living somewhere safe with an adult," sort of "I was just wondering what the age of employment is here in the wizarding world?"

If Flitwick was surprised by Louis's admission he didn't show it, merely scratched his jaw mindlessly before answering. "Many places require you to be 17, as that's the age a young magick is considered an adult, but several places will hire at 16 and a few 15." Louis stared at him, waiting to see if Flitwick had anything else to add, and when the man remained silent, he was relieved. He didn't want Flitwick to ask any questions.

"I see. Thank you, professor. Another thing. You know I live in France and that my admissions to Hogwarts is deemed strange. It would have been so much easier, for all parties, if I had attended Beauxbatons. I still live in France, sir, and I was just wondering if it would be possible to transfer. Not that I'm wanting to, just looking into in case it becomes necessary."

Flitwick hummed. "Transferring students has been done in the past, though it's a long process. You'd be required to fill out all sorts of paperwork, for both schools, and you'd have to take placement exams to be properly fitted at Beauxbatons. With transfer students, one is placed by year or age but by skill. By what you need to learn. After that, should your request for transfer be accepted, you'd have to meet with the Board of Governors, again for both schools. Withdraw purposes for here, acceptance procedures for theirs. Once that's complete, you'd have a meeting with Beauxbatons headmistress and an advising professor the school had selected for you to discuss your upcoming school year situation."

Louis nodded his understanding. "And who would I have to notify here that I wish to transfer?"

"Professor McGonagall would be the overseer for a transfer request but I could

inform her myself of your decision as your Head of House."

"Could the student transfer back to their original school?"

Flitwick looked uncertain for a moment before nodding. "Yes. You'd just have to do the process all over again, though not as in depth I'd imagine since we'd already have your files on board."

"I see. Thank you again, professor. I'll inform my guardian, I suppose, of this. One more question, sir."

Flitwick waved a hand for him to continue.

"Could you mail this for me?"

The plan went exactly as he hoped it would and before he knew it, he found himself in an alley running alongside the Three Broomsticks. He was awkwardly stuffing his clothes into a bag, having had changed into one's borrowed from the twins. He couldn't exactly fit in his regular ones after all.

It had been awhile, to him, since he had last morphed into an older teen. He had favored this form before, when he was younger and Shira was training him in things much too mature for his child self.

He was tall, well . . . tall compared to his usual height anyway. And he filled the clothes well. He looked mostly the same, though his hair was darker and his eyes a different shade but they weren't important. Not really. All that mattered was that he didn't resemble Harry Potter or Louis Thompson too much right now.

He walked into the restaurant, quickly gaining a seat near the bar. He ordered a water while he searched the room.

Remus was already there, seated in a booth near the back, with his back to the wall. His amber eyes traced the crowd, scanning. Always watching, always waiting. Harry supposed the man's time at war never really left him. He didn't blame him.

Standing up and leaving his glass behind him, he walked over to Remus and gracefully took the seat across from him. Remus stared at him, eyes a bit bewildered at the sudden appearance of a supposed stranger.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"Well of course you do, Remus." He said casually, as if he wasn't aware his face was indeed one Remus had never seen.

Remus's eyes narrowed at the use of his name. "I'm pretty sure I don't."

"Then why ask?"

Remus visibly breathed through his nose. "Look, I'm just trying to meet up with someone so if you could please-"

"Oh, Harry's already here."

Remus tensed and it was like a change came over him. Aggression poured from him in slow pulses. He leaned forward and practically hissed at him.
"How do you know about him?"
"Well he is famous, Lupin." He said disinterestedly. Before Remus could no doubt attack him, he continued on. "Let's just say Harry and I are very well acquainted. He sent me."

Remus fought back a snarl. Inwardly, Harry felt some remorse. He had trained for this. He knew how to set people on edge, to get them to reveal what he wanted them to. Shira had taught him so much and so well. But to use these tactics on Remus felt wrong. He hadn't taken this into account. It had never mattered before.

But he hadn't been dealing with someone he cared about before either.

"Harry never mentioned a friend, much less having one sent in his place."

He traced the table with a finger. No dirt. Nice. "Oh Harry didn't send me in his place. He's here too."

Remus fought not to but he still saw his eye twitch in an urge to glance around. "Is he?"

Harry fought back a smile. Despite himself, this was amusing. "Indeed he is."

Remus clenched a fist. "I didn't see him."
"You wouldn't have. He's not looking like himself tonight. Can't properly sneak out with your own face now can you?" And with that, Harry leaned forward, invading Remus's space, who started to sputter, and winked cheekily at the man.

He knew for a fact his eyes had just turned green. He loved that game.

Remus froze in his sputtering, no doubt having had caught the shift too.

"Harry?!" He harshly whispered.

Harry grinned and swiped the man's drink, taking a sip. "Hey Remus."

"W-What . . . How?!"

Harry hummed. "This is actually what I wanted to talk to you about." He stood up. "Follow me."

He didn't bother to look behind him as he walked over to the Floo. He knew Remus was following him. Stepping through, he allowed himself to be taken to Potter Manor.

He wasn't immediately bombarded with house elves, having sent the letter ahead of him already informing them he would be stopping by and to not disturb him.

He took a seat on the sofa and waited.

Remus stepped out of the Floo, breathing a little laboured.

He looked at Harry in exasperation. "You walk fast you know that?"
He shrugged.
Remus sat down next to him and waved at hand at him. "What is this? I understand not wanting to be caught but isn't this a bit extreme? Polyjuice maybe? Or did one of the older students apply glamours. Your face doesn't look that different I suppose. And the application was obviously weak on the eyes."

Harry shook his head. "It's not like that, Remus."

"Then what is it?"

Harry took a deep breath and willed himself to morph. He felt the bones shift and his hair move, could feel his body pushing itself back to the way it was meant to be. Here and now, he was just Harry. Simple, twelve year old Harry.

"I'm a metamorphmagus."
Remus's shoulders untensed. He didn't say anything for a minute.

"You don't typically look like this do you?" He finally said quietly. Harry shook his head. "That's how you attend Hogwarts. No one knows you're Harry Potter."

He said nothing.

Remus suddenly sat straight. "When you were younger, you adjusted your hair a lot. Changed the length of it all the time. James knew it was a possibility, since your line is so close to the Black line, and he himself had shown the same abilities as a baby. But we all assumed you'd grow out of it like he did." Remus met his eyes and smiled sadly. "Clearly you did not."
"No," he said. "No, I didn't."

"Is this the part where you finally tell me that story you promised? Your whole mysterious background that make sme understand everything about you?" Harry laughed despite himself as the man's bluntness and sure enough he told him a story very similar to the one he had given the twin's.

He told Remus everything. About the Dursley's and France and Shira and every little bit in between.

When he was done, Remus wiped a hand down his long face. "And what now?"
Harry frowned. "What do you mean?"
"What are you going to do now that a few people know your secret? Surely that changes things for you."
"People needed to know."
"But why?"

"I won't be returning to Hogwarts next year. Hopefully."
Remus frowned. "Why not? You're doing well there and no one really knows. Isn't that what you wanted?"
He shook his head. "That's what Shira wanted but I've come to realize our goals don't 100% coincide. I'm working on something, something big that I can't tell you about yet since it's that important, but if it goes well, then it changes everything."

Remus didn't look happy about it but he didn't push Harry to say anything more on it. They talked for about an hour, chatting over the same topics that they usually did, but he had never felt more honest then he did then.

That night, long after he had left Remus and returned to the castle with the twin's, he slept soundly curled into Natasha, no nightmares or doubts.

A/N: Heeeyyyy. I'm terribly sorry it took so long for this update. A lot has happened. I dropped out of my last college and transferred to a new one for the fall. And I was job searching, which took like two months. And now I'm looking for a place to live and on top of that my depression has been shit but today I managed to get this one out. So yay!

I'm probably going to go through this whole fanfic and straighten it up a bit soon just fyi. It's kinda all over the place and a mess but nothing new should be added to it so you shouldn't have to reread anything. Unless you wanted to of course.
There's about ten chapters left and the next one is Halloween so it picks up pretty fast after that. Thanks for reading guys and please review. I could use some nice comments right now.