Windows of the Soul

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author's Notes: This story ignores HBP and DH; it starts the beginning of the summer before Harry’s seventh year. Thank you to my beta Sometimeselkie for all her hard work.


Chapter 12 – Old friends found

It was the first day of school. The Hogwarts Express would be leaving the station in an hour or two, but there would be students not present on it. They were presently sitting in the Great Hall eating a late breakfast after spending most of the morning meeting with the Headmaster about their arrangements for this year.

It had been arranged that Harry would have his own rooms this year as he had kept his dorm mates awake last year with his Voldemort-induced nightmares.

Draco was Head Boy this year and had his own room in the dungeons.

Elli had been given a set of rooms near the ground floor very near the dungeons due to her condition. She would have to conquer stairs for lessons otherwise; it was felt that the less to be dealt with the better.

Dumbledore also had a surprise for her.


#Flashback#


“Elli, it has come to my attention that it can be quite difficult for you to manoeuvre around the school on your own.” Dumbledore looked over at the young woman sat in front of his desk.

Elli nodded.

Dumbledore carried on. “How did you manage before at Durmstrang, my dear?”

Elli took a deep breath. “I had a familiar, which helped me, a bit like a Muggle Seeing Eye dog, but I had to leave him behind,” she replied sadly.

Draco took Elli’s hand. “Why did you have to leave him?”

“High Lord Karkaroff said that it was not allowed to bring him to this country.”

Harry took her other hand and looked over at his boyfriend. “Maybe we could get you something else here to help you?”

Elli shook her head. “No, he was specially trained to help me. I’ve had him since just after the accident. He was a gift from a friend.”

The Headmaster’s eyes twinkled as he watched the two boys comfort their “sister”. He walked towards a door on the side of the room; he paused with his hand on the door handle.

“I know that nothing will replace your familiar, but maybe this will help.” With that, he opened the door and watched the two boys’ expressions as they saw what had come through the door.

Elli heard Harry’s gasp and felt Draco’s hands tighten painfully around hers.

“What is it? What is wrong?” Panic filled her as the silence dragged on. Suddenly she felt a presence in her mind, one that she had thought she would never feel again.

“Hello, my Missy. I have missed you so much.” Elli felt a cold, rough snout push against her leg. She let go of the boys’ hands and with shaking hands traced her fingers along his head.

With tears streaming down her face, she hugged him to her. “Oh, Canth. I can’t believe you are here! I missed you too.”

Harry was astonished at the scene before him; his sister was sitting with what looked like a small dragon nearly in her lap. He could clearly see the love that Elli had for it in her face.

“Elli, you okay?” Draco asked with no more than a whisper.

Elli raised her head. “I’m fine now. May I introduce my familiar? His name is Canth and he is a DrakonWher.”

Draco raised his eyebrow at this. He had heard of DrakonWher. They were a type of small dragon which had very tiny wings. They were very magical and very loyal; once they had bonded with a companion, they would be together until one of them died. They were also capable of going from one place to another almost instantly, almost like Apparating. It was also said that once bonded, the DrakonWher and their companion could telepathically communicate with each other. It looked like that was true with what Draco had just observed.

Elli hugged Canth again. “We are now at Hogwarts, where we will be near my Papa and Tatko, Canth. These are my ‘brothers’, Harry and Draco. You are probably already acquainted with the Headmaster.” Canth turned his head towards Harry and took in his scent, and then he turned and did the same with Draco. He was glad that his Missy had family now and that she was happy. She deserved some happiness. He had some questions, but they could wait till later, when they were alone.

The Headmaster looked at Harry. “Harry, why don’t you and Draco take Elli and Canth down to the Great Hall for a late breakfast?” Harry nodded and stood with his hand out to Draco, who took it then realised what he had done. He dropped it immediately and Harry smiled to himself. Elli also stood and, with a hand on Canth’s neck, followed Harry and Draco out of the room towards the Great Hall.

#End Flashback#

Draco smiled to himself over the likely reactions of the other students when they got to see the DrakonWher. He couldn’t wait to see what the rest of the Golden Trio would say about Canth and about Elli. If they said anything nasty about her, Harry be damned, they would pay.

The students had arrived whilst they were finishing their meal and started to enter the Great Hall. Draco had gone over and sat at the Slytherin table to wait for the rest of his house, whilst watching the Gryffindor table.

Severus came over to Elli. “Elli, my dear, it would be best if you waited outside the Hall until it is time for you to be sorted.” She stood up and with a smile at Harry, allowed Severus to guide her over to a door behind the teacher’s table and then through it. Severus disappeared and then re-appeared a few minutes later, taking his seat at the teachers’ table next to Remus.

Harry turned and looked over at Draco. They both smiled at each other. Suddenly Harry had an arm full of squealing Hermione. He hugged her and looked over her to see a smiling Ron standing by the table.

Ron sat down next to Harry. “How are you, mate?”

Harry smiled and carefully moved Hermione to the seat by the side of him but still in his arms. “I’m fine now, Ron, thanks.”

“Oh, Harry. We thought you were dead. We were so worried.” Hermione looked up at him with tears running down her face.

“I’m OK Hermione; you don’t have to worry about me.” As she was just about to say something else the doors opened and the new first years came in, preceded by Professor McGonagall. Harry leant over towards Ron and whispered to him and Hermione. “I’ll tell you everything later when we are alone.”

Remus sat watching the sorting un-interestedly. He couldn’t wait until Elli was sorted and he could be with his daughter again. Severus was watching Remus with guarded eyes. He could see that his lover was impatiently waiting for Elli’s turn and so was he. He had come to care for the young woman in the time that they had had together; she was so like her Papa that he hadn’t really stood a chance against her.

McGonagall had finished the sorting and Dumbledore stood up to deliver the usual welcoming feast speech. He looked over at Harry and then Draco, smiling.

“We have a pleasant surprise this year. I would like to introduce the returning Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher, Professor R J Lupin; some of the older students will remember Professor Lupin from his time with us four years ago. I would also like to introduce a new student who has come to us from Durmstrang, and she is in her seventh year. I ask that you show her how friendly and helpful we can all be, as she has been blind for many years. Professor Snape, could you go and get Ellorra please.” Dumbledore looked over at the students. “Her name is Ellorra Lupin-Black, and she is to be treated like any other student. She has a familiar that is with her always to help her about the castle.”

He turned as Severus walked in front of the table towards the sorting chair, leading Elli and Canth; Severus smiled as he heard many gasps from the students as they saw Canth for the first time. He helped Elli on to the chair and stood backwards.

McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat onto Elli’s head after quietly telling her what she would be doing; Elli felt the hat and then heard, “Oh, what do we have here? Part wolf; part Black - where do we put you? You have bravery and cunning, but loyalty and faith...I know where to put you...HUFFLEPUFF!”

Remus couldn’t believe his ears. His daughter in Hufflepuff! Surely Sirius was turning over in his grave. Severus was silently laughing at the looks on the faces of his family; Draco and Remus were wearing ones of utter shock and dismay whilst Harry was clapping and looking very proud of his “sister”.

Severus walked over to her and with an arm at her elbow, escorted her over to the Hufflepuff table and with a whispered, “On your left,” returned to his seat next to Remus.

Elli clicked her gift on and sat down; she turned to face her new house mates. Elli smiled and nervously said, “Hello.”

There was no reply, until one boy a few seats away from her leant forward and said quietly, “The Headmaster called you Lupin-Black, so does that make you related to Professor Lupin?”

Ellis smiled and nodded. “Yes. He is my father.”

“But, isn’t he a werewolf?” the girl sat next to him asked.

Elli took a calming breath and with a comforting nudge from Canth, replied. “Yes, he is.”

A girl from further down the table looked at her with shock. “Doesn’t that make you one as well?”

Elli didn’t reply; she just nodded and heard the gasps of shock and horror. Elli felt love and reassurance through the mental bond from Canth and she stroked his neck. There was murmuring and whispering between the students, which died away after a minute or so. Elli heard a whispered. “We don’t think we want a Dark creature like you near us, so we suggest you stay away from the common room, especially as you were given your own rooms.”

Elli sat at the table with some of her hopes for this year on the floor. She knew they were just scared, but it didn’t make her feel any better.

Professor Sprout came over. “Welcome, Ellorra, to Hogwarts and Hufflepuff. I understand from the Headmaster that you will have your own rooms away from the rest of the house near the ground floor, because of your problem.” She laid a reassuring hand on Elli’s shoulder whilst looking at the rest of her house, not noticing the atmosphere at the table. “You will do everything else with your house, and I know that we all welcome you into it.” With that, she walked back to her dinner. No-one spoke to Elli. Some even turned away from her. Elli felt isolated and alone. She knew that she had Canth, but it wasn’t the same. No-one liked her and she missed Harry and Draco. She couldn’t help the look of sadness that crossed her face or the lone tear that slipped from her eye.

Draco couldn’t help but feel sadness and anger at the Hufflepuffs. How dare they ignore Elli and make her upset? He didn’t stop to think of the consequences, he simply stepped over the bench and walked straight over to Elli. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, whispering loving words in her ear. Elli jolted when she felt a pair of arms come around her, but relaxed when she heard Draco’s voice. She couldn’t help the tears that started to flow freely or the sobs that tore through her body, but Draco just held on.

Harry watched in silence as his sister was comforted by his boyfriend. He was furious at his sister’s house at the way they had treated her. Watching Draco comfort Elli made him realise how much he cared for them both, and with that he made a decision.

He stood up and made his way over to the table and with a look of derision at the students there, he snarled, “I never thought that such a house as Hufflepuff would make any-one feel unwanted, but I guess I was wrong. I am disappointed that you could make my sister so unhappy within a few minutes of entering the Hall.” Harry looked up and down the table, not caring that most of the student body had looks of disbelief on their faces. He placed one hand on Draco’s and the other on Elli’s arm. “Come on, love, let’s get Elli to her room.” He smiled up at Draco, who had a surprised look on his face. With both boys, one at each side of her with Canth trailing behind, they slowly walked out of the Great Hall and towards her rooms.

There were no words spoken as Draco and Harry helped lay Elli down on her bed. They took her shoes off, and Canth climbed onto the bed and curled around Elli. They covered her with a blanket and Harry kissed her forehead after tucking the blanket in. When she was settled, they both went into the common room.

Draco turned towards Harry. “What was that, Potter?”

Harry looked at Draco with puzzlement. “What was what?”

“That, in the Great Hall. You might as well just have put a front page ad in the Daily Prophet about us. I thought you wanted to keep things secret. You didn’t want anyone to know.”

Harry smiled at Draco. “I did, but then I realised something.” He picked up one of Draco’s hands. “I didn’t want to go back to the way things were. I wanted to be nice to you. I wanted to be able to smile at you, kiss you if I wanted to. I want us to be together. I know that there will be problems, least of all old Snakey Face, but together we can get past things.”

Draco smiled at the words and leant forward and kissed Harry with all his passion. Harry broke away a few seconds later, gasping for air and smiling.

“I have to go and explain things to Hermione and Ron, but I will be back in my rooms soon.”

“I will go and speak to Severus and meet you in a couple of hours, love.” Draco snatched another quick kiss and walked out of the room. Harry took a look into Elli’s bedroom. Canth lifted his head at the noise, and Harry smiled at the DrakonWher and closed the door quietly and left.