Current location:	my desk ~ B110
Current mood:	calm
Current music:	Emotionless ~ Good Charlotte
Entry tags:	déguiser, fic, harry potter

FIC: Déguiser -- 03 -- PG13
Title: Déguiser
Author: batsutousai
Beta: magickmaker17
Rating: PG-13 for now
Pairings: Intended - HP/LV
Warnings: AU, an attempt to not copy the book
Summary: When Albus Dumbledore leaves Harry Potter on the doorstep of the Dursleys, the last thing he expected was for an unknown relative to disappear with the boy for ten years. Enter Thomas Potter, a man who intends to change the past, the present, and the future.

Disclaim Her: It's in the first chapter. Additionally, The Lost Years of Merlin Saga belongs to T. A. Barron and related publishers, not me.

A/N: This chapter starts out a bit darker than I intended. Not sure I really like the first bit. *sighs* Oh well. Can't always win, I suppose.

Oh, if something is in italics and between a single quote mark – don't know the technical term, don't care, either – it's a letter. You could probably figure that out yourself....

-~/\~-
Chapter Three - Summer's End and Letters
-~\/~-

"Oh, come on, Uncle Thomas!"

Thomas frowned at Harry over the table. The two had gotten home after their day of shopping and Harry and been sent to put his things away, then hunt down the potions things he'd need from Thomas' lab. As soon as they sat down to eat dinner, Harry had started begging to stop his summer camp so he could spend the week days with Hermione Granger. While Thomas fully approved of his nephew's new friend, he'd paid a fair penny for the camp, especially since it had already been going for a week when Harry begged for a reprieve from the silent house.

"Harry, I said no and I mean no. You're going to camp on Monday."

"You're so unfair!" Harry snapped, standing up angrily. "I hate you!" He stormed from the kitchen, up the stairs to his room and slammed the door. Then, as if once wasn't enough, he slammed it again.

Thomas sighed and rubbed at his forehead tiredly. Harry had never been a particularly angry child, but when he lost his temper, he lost it. And when Harry lost his temper, he said a lot of things that hurt Thomas more than the boy could ever know. But, then again, Harry hadn't seen the things Thomas had, hadn't survived a war full of painful losses. Harry was innocent of the hatred Thomas had borne once upon his own shoulders from friends and loved ones.

And, really, Thomas reflected as he got up to put away the food that neither of the Potters would eat that evening, having Harry angry at him because he was making the boy go to summer camp for the last week instead of letting him hang out with his new friend was better than growing up under a roof that bred only self-doubt and hatred. Thomas could bear Harry's harsh words, because he'd lived through worse and he knew that Harry would never face that same pain. Not as long as Thomas lived to protect him from it.

-~/^\~-

:Thomas?:

Thomas glanced around his paper at the cautious serpent in the sitting room doorway. :What is it, Sylvin?:

The snake slithered to the bottom of Thomas' chair and waited for Thomas to pick him up before saying, :Harry is sleeping, now.:

Thomas smiled. :I see.:

Sylvin slithered across Thomas' arm and up onto the man's shoulder. :He is rather scary when he is angry.:

:Did he hurt you?: Thomas asked, concerned.

Sylvin let out a hiss of laughter. :No, Thomas. He hurt you more than I.:

Thomas sighed and set his paper to one side. :Words don't mean much to one who has faced worse.:

:Words last longer than broken skin,: Sylvin replied sharply. :Harry hurts you more than you let him know when he loses his temper, and you always let him think it doesn't matter, but it does.:

Thomas shrugged carefully. :What is the point of this lecture, Sylvin?:

The snake let out an irritated hiss. :You should let him know that he's hurting you! There is no reason that you should bear his harsh words as if they don't! You're only hurting yourself more!:

:I refuse to hurt him,: Thomas replied, as if it were the most obvious reason in the whole world. :I refuse to tell him something which will only wound him.:

:You're an idiot.:

:He's my nephew.:

:You're still an idiot.:

:Be that as it may...: Thomas stood with a groan as his back popped loudly. "I'm getting too old."

Sylvin let out another irritated hiss, but didn't comment.

:Are you hungry?:

:A little,: Sylvin allowed grudgingly.

Thomas chuckled and walked into the kitchen. He took out a couple eggs and the frying pan to make some eggs. :Scrambled, or sunny-side up?:

:Sunny-side up,: Sylvin decided. :And since I can't eat two whole eggs, one of those is for you.:

Thomas frowned. :I can always put one back, you know.:

:And I know you, Thomas. After Harry left, you didn't eat anything else, you just packed it all away, didn't you?: Sylvin demanded. Thomas let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. :You need to eat. You'll have an egg and I'll have an egg. Or I'll bite you.:

:Oh, very well,: Thomas agreed, then set about making the food. When it was done, he set a plate on the counter for Sylvin and pulled a chair up for himself.

Sylvin demolished his food in moments, then commented carelessly, :Harry called his friend, by the way, after he'd calmed down enough to think of it. He complained to her and she told him off. It really was quite funny, seeing the look on his face.:

Thomas frowned at the snake. :Oh?:

:Yes. So she finally stopped yelling at him for his behaviour and told him that he needed to not complain and just go to the camp. It's only a week, after all, and it'll give her time to read a lot of books so they can have an actual conversation about the magical world.:

:Hm.:

:Not quite the reaction I was expecting...:

:Dare I ask what reaction you were expecting?:

Sylvin flipped his tail at Thomas and glanced at the human's empty plate. :Will you take me upstairs, then? I'll sleep with you tonight.:

Thomas rolled his eyes and got up to put the plates in the sink and the chairs away. :What, you don't trust me to go to sleep on my own?:

:Oh, I trust you'll get to sleep fine. It's staying asleep that I wonder about.: Sylvin replied as he slithered up Thomas' arm to rest on his shoulder again. Thomas narrowed his eyes at the snake, then shook his head and set about doing his nightly rounds of turning off all the lights.

On his way down the upstairs hall to his own room, Thomas stopped to check in on Harry. The boy was curled under his covers and breathing a little too fast to be asleep. Thomas smiled fondly and stepped over to the boy's bedside to kiss his forehead. "Sleep well, Harry," he whispered, then left the room, pretending he didn't noticed the green eyes that opened to watch him leave.

-~/^\~-

Thomas was rather surprised to be woken the next morning by his nephew, who bore a tray of breakfast. "Ah, good morning, Harry," he said, taking the tray carefully.

Harry stared hard at him. "You look like crap," he commented after a long moment.

"Why thank you!" Thomas replied cheerfully after he swallowed his mouthful of eggs. "This tastes wonderful, by the way."

Harry crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at his uncle. "Are you okay?"

Thomas paused his eating to blink thoughtfully at Harry. "I had a couple of nasty dreams, but yes, I'm fine otherwise."

Harry growled. "I was there last night, you know. Listening." Thomas froze. "Why didn't you tell me I was hurting you? I told Hermione that it never bothered you when she was yelling at me, but she said it probably did and I should ask you straight. But you won't ever tell me if some thing's bothering you, so I asked Sylvin to ask you about it! Why didn't you ever tell me?!"

Thomas very carefully set his tray on the table next to his bed and leaned back against his headboard, watching Harry's red face with a grave look. "If you were listening last night, then you heard what I told Sylvin. That is the truth."

"You know, you hurt me the most when you don't tell me these things," Harry snapped, crossing his arms over his chest again. "I know you think you're protecting me, but I'm almost eleven now. I can handle more than you think."

Thomas shook his head. "Perhaps."

"I'm not five, Uncle Thomas!"

"No, you're almost eleven. I know," Thomas replied. "But there are some things which you'll never be ready for, no matter how old you are. And you'll have to face them one day." Thomas let out a heavy sigh and looked over at the tray on his table. "Harry, if I can protect you from stupid little things now, I will, because one day I won't be able to protect you from something that you really need protecting from." He glanced back up at Harry, whose eyes were wide with surprise at.... something in Thomas' voice. "Allow me to feel as though I'm protecting you now, please?"

Harry swallowed carefully. "What? What do you think I'll face?"

But Thomas just shook his head and pulled his tray back over onto his lap. "When were the Grangers supposed to come over?"

Harry frowned. "Uncle Thomas..."

"Noon, wasn't it?"

:He's not going to say any more, Harry,: Sylvin offered.

Harry huffed. "Yeah. Noon."

Thomas glanced over at the clock. It was eight thirty. "Well, we've got some time still. Why don't you go read some of your new textbooks?"

"Oh, come on, Uncle Thomas. It's summer," Harry whined, giving up on his uncle's thoughts of the future for the moment.

Thomas smiled at the boy. "Come now, Harry. I didn't raise you to let things lay about undone, did I?"

Harry sighed. "I'm going. I'm going." And he wandered off to his room to read.

Thomas glanced down at his breakfast, his stomach churning. He appreciated the gesture that the food was, but his stomach never quite did handle food well the morning after a night of nightmares. He'd only eaten a few bites to keep Harry from worrying, and that was already making him feel ill. With a helpless sigh and a wave of the wand that was never far from his reach, the food was gone and he got up to use the bathroom.

As he passed Harry's room, he saw the boy sitting on his window seat with the latest Young Hawk book in his hands, Sylvin curled up in a patch of sunlight on the seat in front of the boy. Honestly, he considered as he shut himself in the bathroom, when did Harry become such a Slytherin?

-~/^\~-

The rest of the weekend was spent happily with the Grangers visiting the Potters on Saturday and the two wizards visiting Hermione and her parents on Sunday. Hermione had been quite adamant in making sure that Harry had apologised to Thomas for his temper tantrum on Friday and Thomas had laughed through the girl's grilling of his nephew. Elizabeth and John didn't seem to quite know what to think about the whole matter.

The week passed with Harry going to camp each day without complaint and returning home to happily tell Thomas about his day's adventures. On Wednesday, Thomas set it up with the Grangers for them to come over for dinner and Harry enjoyed a quiet little party with his new best friend, her parents, and his uncle. When Thomas tucked him in that night, Harry had thanked him for the best birthday ever and asked if they could do it again next year. Thomas had agreed and hugged the boy, then left quickly.

Some things, he considered as he was drifting off to sleep, never truly change.

After Harry's summer camp ended on that Friday, the boy spent a lot of time with Hermione. The two would show up at Thomas' shop around his lunch time and they would all eat together. Hermione declared one day, as she was standing inside the shop, that she would one day own her own book store. Harry pointed out that she could certainly get a better job than that, with her brains, but Thomas thought it would be a wonderful job for the young witch, and told her so. Hermione was so excited that she asked if she could work at Thomas' bookstore over the summer. Thomas had just smiled and said, "We'll see."

With the end of summer coming to a close, Hermione and Harry's friendship grew and grew until Thomas felt like he'd already said goodbye to his nephew for the school year and was surprised at how much it hurt. The boy had been such a large part of his life for so long...

-~/^\~-

The group of five moved easily through the crowds at King's Cross Station. Thomas was steering Harry's trolley, while John controlled Hermione's. Elizabeth was busy keeping the two kids from getting lost while Hermione and Harry chatted excitedly about what Hogwarts would be like. The three adults had discussed how to get their charges to the platform in good time without any accidents the day before and Thomas had even made sure that John and Elizabeth were prepared to walk through what looked to be a solid wall without making a scene.

The five made it to the platform by ten o'clock and the three adults made sure the children were all set up on the train with a compartment and enough money to buy a fair number of treats off the trolley that Thomas said would come through, though he didn't say how he knew there'd be one, since he'd never been on the Hogwarts Express and Hermione was certain it hadn't said anything about a snack trolley in Hogwarts: A History.

As they decided earlier, Thomas, Elizabeth and John separated Harry and Hermione so they could say a proper goodbye to their respective children.

Once Thomas had Harry alone in a quiet corner, he took off the baseball hat he'd asked the boy to wear once again and smiled. "Well, you're off to Hogwarts now. How does it feel?" he asked his nephew.

Harry let out a sigh and his face fell a little. "Lonely," he said, the single word ringing with truth.

"How so?" Thomas asked, brow furrowed.

Harry shrugged. "I do like Hermione and all and she's a great friend, but she's not you, Uncle Thomas. Now I'm going off to Hogwarts and you're staying here and it feels weird and I'm not sure I like it."

Thomas sighed and knelt in front of Harry. "You've got Rowan," he said, referring to the owl that Harry favoured of the four owls that Thomas had, "and plenty of parchment. I'll always be an owl away, and I'll always be here. Remember?"

Harry nodded. "I know. You said I'll always come first and you're always willing to listen to my problems, no matter how silly I think they are."

"See?"

"But still..."

Thomas shook his head, smiling. "Harry, my child, things change and we must learn to adapt. We may not like the change, but it will happen and nothing in our power will stop it from doing so. Everything will turn out fine in the end. And, I promise you, when you come home for Christmas, you'll feel as though you've never left and when the new year has come, you'll be ready to go back to Hogwarts."

Harry bit his bottom lip, then nodded. "I suppose."

Thomas picked the boy up in a hug. "You'll see, child," he promised softly, then put Harry back down and put the hat back on his head. :Now, Sylvin, you'll be watching out for this little trouble-maker, right?:

Sylvin poked his out from under Harry's shirt. :Of course. I'll bite anyone that tries to harm my humans.:

:A valiant volition, I'm sure,: Thomas replied dryly.

Sylvin hissed an insult at him and hid under Harry's shirt again. Harry and Thomas both laughed at him, then headed back towards where the Grangers were waiting.

"Bye, Thomas!" Hermione called cheerfully as she jumped up to give him a hug.

Thomas chuckled and hugged the girl, then set her down. "Have a good term, Hermione. I'll see you at Christmas."

"Okay!" Hermione turned to where Harry was saying goodbye to Elizabeth and John. "Come on, Harry! Let's get on the train!"

"Right! Bye, Elizabeth, John! Bye, Uncle Thomas!" Harry called over his shoulder as Hermione dragged him off.

John, Elizabeth and Thomas all chuckled at the two children. "Shall we wait and watch the train leave, or just go now and have ice cream or something?" Elizabeth joked.

"From the dentist herself," Thomas teased.

"Sugar-free, of course," John offered, smiling.

"Eh, why not. Let's go now, before they catch on," Thomas decided, hazel eyes dancing with mischief. The Grangers laughed and the three left the magical platform.

-~/^\~-

'Uncle Thomas!
'Hogwarts is AMAZING!! The castle is absolutely stunning – Hogwarts: A History doesn't do it justice. And there are GHOSTS! I mean, I know you SAID there were, but it's different, seeing and hearing. Wow!
'So, I got sorted into Gryffindor. Mum and Dad did too, right? And Sirius? About Sirius, any word on his trial? I know you don't want to make a big deal, being the illegitimate son and all, but if you have to use the Potter name to make them move, I think you should. I mean, it's only fair that we use my fame for something, right?
'Hermione got sorted into Gryffindor too! So we're together all the time. I haven't had much chance to talk with the other boys in my dorm yet – it's only the third day, you know – but they all seem really nice, if a bit awe-struck.
'Oh, I know you said I shouldn't make trouble until at LEAST the second month, but there's this prat of a boy, Draco Malfoy, who thinks he's all that. So I told him off, 'cause he was insulting Hermione. And I'm not apologising until he does! You can't make me!
'Professor Dumbledore's been leaving me alone, but I guess he's a busy man. I promise to try and stay clear of him.
'And that other man you told me about, the one who hates Dad? He looked at me during the Opening Feast and my scar hurt! Do you know why? I know you said it's a curse scar and curse scars do strange things, but, wow, that was really strange. When I have a class with him, I'll let you know. It's not until Friday, thank Merlin.
'Well, I really miss you! I can't wait for Christmas!
'Love, Harry'

-~/^\~-

'Harry,
'It sounds like you're having a wonderful time. Yes, your parents and Sirius were all in Gryffindor. I'm sure Lily and James are absolutely dancing to see you in their old House.
'As for Sirius? I have a date for the trial. It's next month and I'm planning to go. I don't know if I'll be able to get you out of Hogwarts to come, and it's probably best if we don't push your name around too early, or you'll find it doesn't work when you need it the most. If Sirius is freed, I'll see about us coming to visit you, but for now, stay at Hogwarts and worry about your studies.
'I have heard of the Malfoys. Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father, was a Death Eater. He wasn't sent to Azkaban because he threw his money around and claimed he'd been under Imperius. While I'm not going to tell you to drop this whole matter with Draco, I will say that it'll probably be in your best interest to have an ally among Voldemort's people should he rise again, even if this ally is still in school. Think like a Slytherin on these matters, I know you're capable.
'Professor Snape is bound to cause you trouble. He, too, was a Death Eater, but he spied for Dumbledore's people – I believe I told you this before – as a double agent of sorts. A dangerous enemy, I assure you. Be careful around him, but keep in mind that he's not pure evil and may not be the true enemy there.
'Christmas seems years away, Harry, and I find myself counting off the days until it comes. Elizabeth and John have been keeping me busy when they have the time to drop by, but the house feels very lonely without you.
'Keep up with your studies and I'll hopefully see you at Hallowe'en with Sirius in tow.
'Love, Thomas'

-~/^\~-

'He's an evil, nasty, horrible person! And he's spiteful! The man doesn't know how to let a grudge go! I hate him!
'Really?! The trial's next month?! Oh, I can't wait!! Even if you can't come by with Sirius, you WILL owl me immediately with the news, right? Like, have a piece of parchment on you and just write "yes" or "no" on it and send it from the Ministry? Please? Oh, I hope he gets let free...
'Well, I decided on a more passive attack on Malfoy. I was fighting with him in the halls, but after your letter I've decided to not. So, now, when I see him, I just say, "Malfoy" and walk on. Hermione thinks it's wonderfully mature of me and Malfoy just looks very confused. It's rather a lot of fun. But one of the boys in my dorm, Ron Weasley, thinks I'm being stupid, not fighting with Malfoy all the time.
'I made another friend! Hagrid, the groundskeeper. He's really cheerful, but he can't cook. I like him, though. I figure it's nice having a friend on the staff, and he helped Hermione and me out of a rough spot with the caretaker when we got lost.
'I got an owl from Elizabeth just this morning, actually. She said you've been kinda glum lately. So I'm telling you to perk up! Or else! I mean, if you have nothing else to be happy about, think about Sirius' trial. Soon you'll probably have someone else around. Or you could go out and buy a snake. I know you like having someone to talk to who won't spread your secrets around.
'Well, I'm looking forward to Hallowe'en! But not too much, 'cause I know how things fall through sometimes.
'Missing you too, Harry'

-~/^\~-

'Professor Snape, is it? Come now, he can't be that bad. I mean, he's only human. (In case he is, you remember that potion mix-up I told you never to make? Why don't you try it in class one day?)
'Passive is fine, and confusing Slytherins is even better. Don't mind Mr Weasley, his family and the Malfoy family have a long-standing feud over who knows what and they're always fighting about it. If Mr Weasley can't grow up enough to look beyond an old feud that's been going on for centuries, ignore him.
'Rubeus Hagrid? Ah, he sounds like a fine chap, from what I hear. And, yes, being friends with a member of the staff is always a fine idea. Lets you know the inside scoop, as it were.
'A snake, eh? Now, how does Sylvin feel about another snake taking over his territory? Ask him for me, would you? 'Cause if he says no, I might just get a cat instead. Won't be the same, but I like cats...
'Attached is a book I just finished on magical theory. I thought you might be interested, since it's about some of the things you'll be learning this year. Give the Ravenclaws a run for their brains. You might even lend it to Hermione.
'Much love, Thomas'

-~/^\~-

'Sorry it took so long to get you this letter. School work and that book have kept me busy. About that book: a very interesting read. I got twenty points in Charms because Professor Flitwick was so impressed with my knowledge of how the Wingardium Leviosa Charm works. Hermione was green with envy, so I had to lend her the book. You'll have to send me another one soon, Uncle, or she'll start winning all the points in class again.
'You didn't tell me it would turn everything it touched PINK!! And that blinding shade, too. Good thing I hid under my desk. Snape gave me detention for it, but it was more than worth it to watch him walk around with pink hair and skin for three days. The rest of the class suffered for a week. It was pretty funny. I don't think the dungeon will ever be the same – there's still bright pink in the cracks of the walls and the floor and the desks.
'Surprise, surprise. Malfoy caught on the other day. When I said "Malfoy" in the hallway, he said "Potter" back with a smile. It was almost creepy. We haven't gotten much further than that, but it's only been three weeks since we got here, so I suppose that's to be expected.
'Sylvin says if you want to get a snake, you have to get one that understands that he came first and is, therefore, indefinitely more important. I told him to stuff it. He said that if you get a cat, he'll bite it. One of the sixth years has a cat that decided he was a piece of string one day, see...
'Oh! So we had our first flying lessons last week. Malfoy stole Neville's – he's one of the boys in my dorm – new Remembrall and said he was going to take it and hide it somewhere where Neville would never find it – Neville had fallen off his broom, see, and Madam Hooch had taken him to the hospital wing – and Ron got all pissed off and told Malfoy to give it back and Malfoy got on his broom and flew up. So Ron followed him. And fell off. So, since I know how to ride a broom and I like Neville I flew up to Malfoy and asked him to give me back the Remembrall. So he did. And we went back down and Seamus and Dean – they're the others boys in my dorm – took Ron to the hospital wing. Ron got detention. Malfoy too. But no one ratted me out, so I just did my homework with Hermione and gave Neville back his Remembrall.
'And Neville and I are friends now! He's started joining Hermione and me when we study after dinner. He says his grades are going up, and he's doing better in Potions. Hermione and I were sitting together in Potions, but I've started sitting with Neville while she sits back with Ron and tries to keep him from attacking the Slytherins or blowing his cauldron up. I don't know who's worse at Potions, Ron or Neville. I mean, Neville's getting better, but he was HORRIBLE before.
'Oh! Neville and I threw a little party for Hermione Thursday night, after dinner. Neville got her some candy, 'cause he couldn't think of anything else she might need, since the library has all the books she will ever need, and even if it doesn't, she's got YOU to supply us with anything else. It was kind of funny to watch. (But don't tell Elizabeth and John about the candy, okay? They don't know about it, and Hermione's afraid they'll blow a gasket – you know how they are about dental hygiene.)
'Well, I think that covers everything that's happened here! Hope to see you next month!
'Harry'

-~/^\~-

'Goodness. It sounds like you've been living quite the exciting life up there at Hogwarts. Things have been rather routine here, I must say. The shop's kind of lonely without our part-time students there, but they pop in from time to time still. Attached this time is another book on magical theory, as well as a book that Lisa – that student who's always flirting with you – thought you might like. I looked it over and it's pretty interesting. It's a Muggle version of the Merlin tale. (I have this bad feeling I'll be buying this series for you as well, now.)
'I have another ingredient mix-up that explodes to be this rather gruesome shade of blood-red, if you're interested. Might decorate the dungeon properly, you know?
'I'm proud of the way you're handling Draco. I wonder how his father feels about all this. What do you think? Should I make myself known to Lucius?
'Neville Longbottom? Ah, the Longbottoms are a fine family, but they suffered in the war in somewhat of the same manner as the Potters. I'm glad you two are becoming friends.
'Very well, I shall go out and find a snake for myself. No cats. Promise. Tell Sylvin I swear upon my blackened heart to never get a cat. It's just the owls he has to worry about here.
'Love, Thomas'

-~/^\~-

'Not much else has happened here of late. Haven't gotten any further with Malfoy. If you want to talk to his dad, go ahead, but be careful. I trust you to take care of yourself and all, but I don't want you putting yourself in unnecessary danger, and I'm not sure how a Death Eater will react to you.
'Well, Lisa's a pain in the ass, but I will say, she's got EXCELLENT taste in books. So, yes, I want more of the series. Could I get the rest of it for Christmas? Please? I can wait until then. Honest. I mean, you keep sending me these really interesting magical theory books – how DO you find them? All the ones in the library here are really boring – and I've got my homework to keep me busy when I'm not reading them or helping Neville.
'Neville's doing better and better. I'm really proud of him. He was really shy when we first got here, but he's not so much now. He actually told one of the older Slytherins off yesterday when he came over to bother us in the library. It was impressive.
'Neville told me about how he lives with his Gran 'cause his parents can't take care of him, but he wouldn't say why. Do you know?
'Yes, get a new snake. And tell us what it's like. Sylvin is curious too.
'I think I'll keep my head low for a little bit now. Snape's been watching me really closely, and I don't want to screw up a potion that I'm working on with Neville, even if it IS on purpose. But, you know, that redecorating idea sounds fun. I might try something else, if I can figure out how to sneak down to the dungeons and into the potions classroom after lights-out. Maybe I can ask Ron's elder brothers to help – they like playing pranks on people.
'Harry'

-~/^\~-

'His name is Kazimir and he's an albino cobra; a birth defect, he assures me. He's only two months out of the egg, and I actually found him in the bin outside the pet shop we got Sylvin at. The owner seemed to think he was dead or blind and, therefore, useless. But Kaz sees just fine and is healthy enough to catch his own dinner in the back garden. Whatever. Saved me some money. He hopes he'll be able to meet you both this Hallowe'en, actually. I'm sure it will prove interesting around here for a while.
'Christmas, then. Expect the set under the tree. Lisa did say you could keep that first book – I don't know if I told you that or not – so I'll just get the rest of the series for you.
'Finding interesting books? Easy, it's part of owning a book store. On that note, attached is a book on history that is, I'm sure, far more interesting than the one they make you buy for school, and it covers everything that book you have to get does. If your friends would like copies of their own, let me know and I can get a couple more. I had to special order them, or I'd tell them to get their own.
'I did not, in fact, search out Lucius Malfoy. Kaz pointed out, after I talked to him about it, that Lucius will probably be at Sirius' trial, since he spends so much time paying the Ministry to do things his way.
'I think, Harry, that if you want to learn about Neville's family, you should ask him. I do know why his parents can't take care of him, but that's his business to tell you, or not, as he so chooses.
'Oh dear. As long as you don't get caught, I don't care. Be careful, though.
'Love, Thomas'

-~/^\~-

'Kaz, huh? Preferred name, I suppose? He's really albino? That's gotta look weird. Is his venom poisonous to you? I know you said that most snake venoms don't have any effect on you, but you've never tried with a cobra before, right?
'No, you didn't tell me I could keep it, but Lisa wrote a love letter and put it between the pages for me to find. Right when they fell into the lair of the Grand Elusa, too. It was horrifying. I burned it before Hermione or Neville could see.
'Oh, Merlin, you're a life-saver. Hermione's the only one who hasn't been falling asleep in History of Magic, I swear. And the book's as boring as Binns. Neville says he'd like a copy, and he wants to pay you back for it, too. Hermione says the book she's got now is fine. She's so weird.
'Neville actually read the part about you not telling me what you know about his family over my shoulder, the prat. He says he's thankful that you're leaving it up to him to tell me. He also mentioned that I could probably look it up by owling the Ministry Archives if I really want to know so bad, but I've decided to take your suggestion and wait for him to tell me. You're usually right about these things, after all.
'We were, don't worry. Snape suspects me, of course, but it looks so much like something Fred and George would pull that they ended up being the ones to get detention. But they said they don't care and that it was worth it to walk into the potions classroom and have a lion's head roaring at them throughout the class. Apparently, no one got any work done, 'cause it roars whenever a Gryffindor is near it. Dumbledore took it down, though, so I never got to see it. Rumour has it that he's keeping it in his office.
'Harry'

-~/^\~-

'It seems that it's me who's lax in writing back this time. I apologise. It took me a while to get another copy of the book for Neville, but it's attached. Tell him he really doesn't owe me anything, he can think of it as a belated birthday present or even an early Christmas present if he wants. Attached is also another magical theory book, this one on potions. You may find it rather humorous, as the author is particularly sarcastic. Wait until you've read the whole thing before you cast a Revealing Charm on the author's name.
'You could just tell Lisa you're not interested, you know.
'I did do a test with Kaz' venom, much to his displeasure. Nothing happened. He still refuses to bite me.
'I'm glad you're taking my suggestion, and I'm sure Neville appreciates it, too.
'A lion's head that roared when Gryffindors were near? Was that all you did? I'm curious like you wouldn't believe.
'Two weeks until Sirius' trial. Keep your fingers crossed.
'Love, Thomas'

-~/^\~-

'You're allowed to be lax sometimes. I know things can get really busy at the shop for no good reason, and I'm sure you've been having fun hanging out with the Grangers. Elizabeth, as I'm sure you've heard, writes me weekly, just like Hermione. It's almost like I've adopted another set of parents, sometimes! But, don't worry, you're still my favourite uncle.
'Neville says he's paying you back, whether you want him to or not. So there. Now tell me a price before he empties his purse of galleons. The boy's impossible, some times.
'No. Way. SNAPE wrote that?! He has a sense of humour?! Excuse me as I faint. I took the book to class with me one day, before I knew who it was by, and he turned purple and demanded to know where I'd gotten the book from. So I told him you sent it to me and wouldn't tell me who wrote it, but it really is a masterful piece of work. He turned a strange sort of purple-ish red colour and refused to come near my table for the rest of the class. And now I know who wrote it! I'm so embarrassed.... How am I going to face him in class tomorrow? Damn you.
'Tell you what, YOU tell Lisa I'm not interested for me, okay?
'Sylvin says you should tell Kaz that it's really okay to bite you. Nothing's going to happen. Though, if he keeps giving you venom for too long you might finally start to get dizzy. Did that really happen? Don't you DARE lie to me.
'Well, yeah. Fred and George wanted to write "Gryffindors Rock!" on the walls over and over again, but I pointed out that Snape would be able to figure out who it was because of our handwriting and they decided to let it go. I think they jinxed his chair, too, but it never took, if they did.
'The trial's on the twenty-fifth, right? Oh, man, a week! Fingers crossed. Sylvin's got his tongue crossed, too. It's hysterical.
'Harry'

-~/^\~-

'I hope I'm still your favourite uncle, seeing as you've never met Petunia's husband, and he's your only other uncle.
'Ah, blast it. Seven galleons. Bloody pureblood pride.
'I wondered how you'd react to that. And watch your language. Do tell me how your class went. I'm practically dying to know. And laugh at you, of course.
'Ah, no. If you want Lisa to let you be, you'll tell her yourself. I think it's hysterical.
'Remember I told you I went to Africa once, before I collected you? While I was there, I got bit by a viper, a Gaboon viper, to be exact, and the friend I was with at the time didn't know that the venom wouldn't hurt me and tried his hardest to kill it, while I was trying to protect it from him and talk him down at the same time and the viper just didn't let go until I got dizzy and had to sit down. The poor thing did apologise – it had been aiming for a bird and had gotten me instead, it seemed. So I caught it a bird with magic. Snakes, you will find, don't often attack Parselmouths, and they can tell. Ask Sylvin if you don't believe me.
'Professor Snape is rather paranoid – he has every right to be – so he probably checks both his food and his chairs for jinxes on a regular basis.
'Yes, this Friday. It's somewhat stressful.
'Love, Thomas'

-~/^\~-

'From what you've said about Uncle Vernon, I hope I'll never meet him this life-time.
'Attached is the money. Neville would have written you a letter and sent it himself, but I told him this was easier.
'Merlin, I hate you sometimes. (Don't take that seriously.) So I got to class, put the book on my desk and he kinda walked by casually, then stopped – I'd taken the charm off the author – and then he LOOKED AT ME and asked, "Did you like it, Mr Potter," and I said, "Why, yes, Professor Snape. The humour was to my taste." And he kinda nodded, then walked up to the front and gave us the assignment and left Neville and Hermione and me alone for the whole lesson. It's strange to not have him snapping at us.
'Oooooh... So THAT's why that snake at camp left me alone when I accidentally stepped on it's tail. And I thought that was because Sylvin was glaring at it challengingly. But Sylvin says it left 'cause it didn't want to upset me.
'Good luck at the trial today. And EAT SOMETHING, for Merlin's sake. If you go to that trial without having eaten breakfast and I find out, you'll regret it.
'Love, Harry'

-

-

A/N: I said Christmas would be in chapter four, didn't I?. *mutters* I guess I lied. Well, I dunno, actually. We'll see how long chapter four is when I get to Christmas time.

Curious, I searched albino cobras on the web and they actually exist – and here I was, making it up 'cause I thought it would be cool – but they're rare and expensive to get. Well, the pet shop owner was clearly an idiot. Kaz' mum isn't an albino, but his dad might be. Haven't decided. At any rate, Kaz was the only albino of the group, so it doesn't really matter.

I'm trying to keep true to the cannon calendar as much as possible – the Lexicon is a god-send – but two months is a lot of letters, so I did about one a week with a week skipped here and there. I know I'm shite at keeping up with my pen pals – my grandmother certainly complains about it enough – and, really, I don't think I know anyone who's really good at keeping up with their pen pals. Heh.

Well, until next chapter!
~Bats

(P.S. - I've been sitting on this chapter since the 4th. I would have put it out sooner, but I didn't really want to put it this fic out as I finished it, then hit a roadblock and sit on it for a month with you lot going, 'WTF, wench!' So, this'll be updated every Tues for as long as I have chapters to update. As it stands, I have enough written to update weekly for the rest of the month of July.)