Harry Potter and his sister Alison

Chapter 23

"Alison wake up!" Hermione's voice caused the eleven year old to jump awake.

"What is it?" She mumbled as she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"It's Harry. He came back from his Legilimens lesson and he seems really shaken up. Ron tried to talk to him then got me but nothing we say has been working."

Ali nodded and swung her legs off her bed and to the floor. Her brother always came back from his lessons with Snape tired and distraught but something really bad must've happened for him to close off like this.

She followed Hermione down to the Common room where Ron and Harry day on the couch, the former rubbing the dark haired boys back in an attempt to calm him down.

Alison slowly walked over to the couch and sat on the floor at Harry's feet while Hermione sat on the other side of him, putting her hand on his shoulder.

Harry stared just over his sisters shoulder at the still lit fireplace, shaking, breathing heavily, and covered in sweat. He almost looked as distraught as he did nearly a year ago when he came back from the graveyard which terrified Alison. What had happened with Snape? Had he tried to hurt him?

She slowly reached out and grabbed both her brothers wrists, trying to get him to look her in the eyes. "Harry?" She whispered softly. "Harry what happened?"

The four sat in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds in the room coming from the crackling fireplace and Harry's soft panting, before he finally answered.

"He was right." His voice was so quiet the three leaned in closer to hear him better. "Snape was right."

"Right about what, Harry?" Hermione whispered, her grip on his shoulder tightening just a little.

"My father. Sirius and Remus. All of it." The boy with glasses answered, pulling his wrists out of his sister's grasp to put his head in his hands. "They were awful to him at school. Like Malfoy but... but worse. Malfoy just attacks me verbally. They hurt Snape a few times then just... laughed at him."

"Blimey." Ron whispered, leaning back against the sofa, his hand on his friends back dropping to his side. "No wonder he hates you."

"But Harry they were different people back then." Alison told him, gently prying his hands from his face and looking into his matching green eyes. "They might've been jerks as teenagers but they grew up and out of it. Look at Sirius and Lupin, would you call them jerks and bullies now?" When Harry instantly shook his head she continued. "Exactly. They grew up and matured. Forgot their past and became better people. Snape's the one holding onto a grudge all these years. He's the one who won't grow up. He's mean to you for something our dad did years go. That's not your fault. He's the immature one."

Hermione nodded. "Your sister's right Harry. Just because your dad was terrible to him when they were kids gives him no right to treat you the way he does. And it shouldn't change the way you look at your godfather or dad or Lupin."

"Yeah Snape's a git." Ron smiled. "Always has been and always will be. And besides he joined the Death Eaters, he probably deserved what they did to him."

Harry smiled a little despite himself and looked at his two friends then his sister, never more grateful for them always being by his side. "Thanks you guys." He whispered then turned to Hermione. "Do somethin' for me?" He asked.

Hermione smiled back at him. "Of course."

"I didn't do my Transfiguration homework because I don't know how to do it, woulda mind?"

"Me too!" Ron added.

"I'm going back to bed." Alison laughed as Hermione, for the millionth time in her life, began lecturing the two idiots about how she can't always be doing their homework for them or they'll never learn. She pushed herself off the floor, ruffled her brothers messy hair, then walked back up to the Girl's dormitory, shaking her head as the three continued to argue behind her.