(2) Patrimony (H. Potter)

Chapter Eight

Later, Harry stands in the Grimmauld kitchen after returning from the Ministry. Around him, gathered together, are Ron, Rhiannon, Fred, George, Ginny, Sirius, Hermione, Lupin, Arthur, Molly, and Tonks. Each with a smile on their face. Harry has been cleared of all charges against him. Which is the preferable outcome here but something they all actually doubted.

"I knew it!" Ron cheers, Rhiannon chuckles a little and shares an amused look with Hermione. Fred, George, and Ginny break out into a celebratory jig.

"He got off" They sing together. "He got off. He got off." Hermione hugs Harry again, Ron glaring at her slightly, jealous. Rhiannon bites her lip, smirking.

"Settle down, you three" Molly scolds her children who instantly stop chanting and dancing. Molly leaves the room.

"Sirius" Arthur starts. "We saw Fudge talking with Lucius Malfoy on Level Nine again. Tell Dumbledore next time he comes in, would you?"

"Yeah, absolutely" Sirius assures him.

"Well, I'd better be off" Arthur then adds. "I've got a bewitched vomiting toilet to deal with" Fred elbows George.

"George, remember that concept. Vomiting toilet"

"Right you are, Fred" George agrees.

"Also, I'm covering for Tonks on guard duty later, so I won't be back until late" Arthur adds and then leaves. Harry turns to Rhiannon who gives him a warm smile. Harry holds up the stone.

"Guess luck was on my side" He teases, she reaches up and goes to take it back from him but he pulls it back. "I think I'll keep it" He adds. "If it's going to work" She chuckles and shakes her head. Harry's scar suddenly explodes in pain. He cries out and claps his hands to his forehead.

"Harry?" Sirius asks as they all watch him with concern. Harry grasps with pain and falls to his knees. Then, as suddenly as it had come, the pain vanishes. Shaken, Harry gasps as Rhiannon pulls him up to his feet.

"Harry" She whispers, he nods a little and then cringes. She helps him into a chair.

"You alright, Harry?" Sirius asks him.

"Yeah, just...my scar. The pain is getting stronger" Harry admits. Sirius gives a worried glance to Lupin, who looks grim. Rhiannon touches Harry's cheek and he looks at her, she frowns a little, studying his face before she abruptly stands.

"I'm going to make some tea." She offers and moves around him, Harry frowns and then grabs her wrist.

"What did you see?" He asks her, she gives him a look.

"Nothing" She whispers. He raises an eyebrow.

"Grindelwald was a powerful seer, Rhian...." He reminds her. "You said you got that from him....and you were right last year" Harry admits. "When you told me to beware the boneyard and that thing with the angel of death" She nods a little and sighs. "So what did you just see?"

"Lots of pink" She offers, Harry frowns at her. She shrugs. "Just what I saw...pink, cats, and pain....you were in pain"

"My scar?" He asks.

"No" She shakes her head. "Your hand" She motions to his hand. "A scratching..." She whispers and shrugs before she turns, and sets the kettle on the stove. Harry watches her and then looks at Sirius who shrugs a little. Though he does appear worried. He knows the stories about Grindelwald and his abilities as a seer, if Rhiannon has even half of that gift, then she should be listened to. He looks at Lupin who shares his expression of worry.

...........

Rhiannon folds up a blanket on her bed, she wants to leave this room tidy when she leaves. It's the polite thing to do as she is Sirius' guest and he has been kinder to her than most who know of her heritage. Harry watches her as he enters the room behind her. She leans up and then notices him standing there.

"Hey" She greets with a smile. "Everything okay?"

"Sirius just showed me this" Harry offers as he sits on the end of her bed, he holds out a photo to her. She takes it from him and looks down at it. She snorts a little and nods.

"My mother" She points out seeing Hecate with others, a few she recognises, a few she has met. Sirius. Moody. Remus. The Weasleys.

"And my parents," Harry tells her as he points them out. "Hecate was a member of the original Order with them"

"Well, she keeps popping up everywhere" She whispers and then scoffs. She and her mother are still not getting along, mostly because she keeps avoiding Rhiannon.

"Have you talked to her much?" He asks her. "Since you found out..." She shakes her head.

"Not a lot" She admits as she hands the photo back to him. "When she's here she avoids me, despite promising to explain everything...." She shrugs. "She has yet to do so. What about you?" She asks, Harry hums slightly in question. "How are you really feeling about everything?" He looks at her. "It's okay to say you're struggling, Harry," She tells him. "This is all one big shit show" He snorts slightly and looks down. "If you were 100% fine, I would be more concerned"

"I'm not" He whispers. "I'm not fine" She sits next to him and he takes her hand in his. She reaches over with her free hand and squeezes his arm. "There is this weight..." He shrugs. "And...I feel alone"

"You are not alone" She stops him, and he looks at her. "You have a family, Harry. Maybe not by blood, but you have one, a pretty big one actually. The people in this house, the people in the Order, the people you call your friends....they're fighting for you, every single last one of them, everything they do is to protect you, to keep you safe, if that's not family then I don't know what is" He nods and squeezes her hand.

"Thanks" He offers and brushes his thumb over the back of her hand. "You know...Your father might have done questionable things, Rhian" He starts. "But your mother fought against Voldemort" She looks at him. "You have her in you too. And I know you can do good, I've seen it....you shouldn't let what other people think of you affect who you are, you're pretty brilliant" She smiles at him.

"So people keep telling me" She agrees, and he chuckles a little. The bedroom door opens and Ron walks in with Hermione behind him.

"Ron" Hermione scolds, Rhiannon chuckles a little and shakes her head. Harry clears his throat and looks at his friends. "Sorry, I tried to stop him"

"It's okay" Harry whispers but doesn't release Rhiannon's hand.

"Are you all packed?" Hermione asks as she looks at Rhiannon's truck.

"Yeah, pretty much" Rhiannon answers. "I have a few books left out just to....you know" Hermione nods, because she is exactly the same.

"What about Attila?" Ron asks. "Is he coming too or staying here?"

"He will be joining me" Rhiannon answers. "Special permission" She offers and blows her hair from her eyes. "He's more intelligent than the average cat so..." She shrugs and looks to where Attila is laying on the floor watching them.

"I'm so excited" Hermione admits. "I mean...." She looks at her friend. "It was great having you around last year, finally having someone that challenges me"

"You know I feel the same way" Rhiannon offers. "And it will be nice to have a girlfriend" Ron smirks a little and snorts. Rhiannon shoots him a look. "Oh grow up" She scolds with a smile. "You know what I meant" She rolls her eyes as Ron chuckles away to himself. Hermione shakes her head.