The Family that Chooses You

Chapter 70: A Brighter Tomorrow

Oliver walked into the common room and his eyebrows rose as he looked into what was unofficially the 'team corner'.  He walked over, a grin growing on his lips.  "So, uh, what's going on?"

Angelina was sitting on Harry, pressing him into the couch.  Alicia and Katie sat across from them.  The three girls looked very upset while Harry looked resigned.  The twins were sitting in a pair of chairs and they looked deeply amused.

"Do you know what happened last night?" Alicia asked waspishly.

"Can't say I do," Oliver replied.  He sat next to her and pecked her on the cheek.  "Does what happened last night explain the current situation?"

"Partially.  Someone is also not telling us everything, saying he wanted to wait for you."  Angelina irritably smacked Harry's knee.  "So now that you're here, he can fully explain things."

"I did just get out of the Hospital wing," Harry said mildly, slightly muffled since Angelina was leaning into him as well as sitting on him.

"Again, Sir Harry?"  Oliver shook his head.  "What got you back there again?  Wait," he held up his hand.  "Actually, let's have the girls explain why they're so upset first."

"It's related," Katie said crossly.  "To catch you up, last night, Harry once again did something very stupid and dangerous.  So Harry confronted Sirius Black last night-"

"Hey wait that's not fair!" Harry sputtered.  "I did not confront him directly-"

"Ah," Alicia interrupted.  "Baby birds don't talk right now.  Continue Katie."

"Fine, Harry allegedly didn't confront Sirius Black.  He somehow ended up inside the Shrieking Shack with Ron and Hermione because Ron's rat was kidnapped by Sirius."

"Why did Sirius want Ron's rat?" Oliver asked.

Fred winced.  "So, uh, it turns out Scabbers was an animagus named Peter Pettigrew."

"And it's actually really embarrassing that we had an animagus in our house for so long," George said with an equal wince.

"Wait, Peter Pettigrew, I know that name.  Wasn't he one of the people Black was supposed to have killed with all those Muggles?" Oliver asked, brow furrowed.

"Yep, so surprise, he's actually alive."  Katie rubbed at her temples.  "And apparently the reason Black tried to break in all those times this year wasn't because of Harry, but Pettigrew."

"Wow, wait, if Sir Harry hasn't explained everything, then how do you know that much?"

"Ron told us some things," Fred said.  "He didn't have to spend the night in the Infirmary and me and George forced him to tell us things when we caught him this morning."

"Which we then told the girls because, well, better we tell them sooner rather than later and avoid their ire," George chuckled.

"And we waited for Harry to slink back into the common room and nabbed him before he could escape," Katie said.

"I wasn't slinking," Harry said quietly.  "And I was going to tell you guys everything!  I have really good news actually!"

"It better be good!"  Alicia glared at Harry from around Angelina.  "You trying to get yourself killed after us trying to keep you alive earlier this year is very rude!"

"So, why are you sitting on him then?" Oliver could not help but ask.

"We decided if he wants to be a dumb baby bird, then he will get sat on like a baby bird."

Oliver snorted.  "Guess that tracks.  How're you doing Sir Harry?"

"I'm okay.  I just exhausted myself from casting a spell."