Chapter Three: Name Of The Father

Harry narrowed his eyes as the man lowered himself to a seated position beside Harry. He was very grateful that looks couldn't kill. He had known he wouldn't be very well received, but this was boarding on ridiculous. The last time he'd seen furry on such a magnitude was when Severus had confronted his father.

"And why can't it be me, Harry?" he asked, reaching a hand up to rest on the boy's shoulder. Harry shrugged it off and moved over to the couch, determined to put as much distance as possible between himself and his father.

"Because you…you're evil. I don't even look anything like you."

"I'm afraid it is," the man that was Rudolphus Lestrange grinned. "Better me than…Ah," he broke off, leaping backwards and to the side as Harry did his absolute best to pound the older man to a pulp. The he flicked his wand, freezing Harry in his tracks.

"Umm, sorry about that. Couldn't have you killing me, though," Rudolphus didn't look the least bit sorry. He stretched and slowly circled Harry, studying him, "You look so much like my damn second cousin."

Harry's eyes nervously tracked the man, who paused, looking into them, "Got you mothers eyes, though. They're the reason I agreed to help her. One look in those eyes and no-one could refuse her anything."

Rudolphus raised his wand again and in spite of the spell Harry flinched. All that the older man did, however, was wince as he saw the fear in the boy eyes, and recall the way he'd woken up. Then two and two came together.

"What in the four hells' those damned Muggles done?" he snarled, releasing the spell.

Harry didn't answer. He didn't trust himself to answer. Even though Vernon wasn't here, had banned him from returning, Harry knew he had a way of finding things out. If Vernon ever found out he'd told anyone, even a convicted criminal, he knew there'd be hell to pay.

Rudolphus sighed as the boy shook his head, vigorously, "You either tell me the easy way, of your own free will, or I get it out of you the hard way. That is where your choice lies, not in whether or not you are going to tell me."

"Please don't make me," it was only a whisper, but in had more impact than anything else would have.

"Well, in that case, we have another matter to deal with," Rudolphus said, mentally promising himself a visit to the boy's relatives. If he couldn't safely get anything out of Harry, he would go to the next best source.

"And that would be?"

"My grand-father, was bitten by a werewolf and the gene passed, active, to my father. It was dormant in me but can be dormant for as many as five generations and show up, active, in the sixth. It depends mainly on whether it can bond with the person's temperament. It could well be active in you and we won't know until your sixteenth birthday. The moment a born 'wolf turns sixteen their eyes become amber."

Harry went a shade of white that would have looked impressive on a Goth, and sat down quickly, "I could be a …a werewolf? Does anyone else know this?"

Rudolphus sat back down as well, and rested his fingertips on his temples, "Sorry. Probably not the best way to break the news, but I haven't had any prior experience. Bella is the only other person that knows any of this. Just you, me and her."

A pair of emerald green eyes narrowed again and Rudolphus found himself very grateful that this time he wasn't on the receiving end of the glare. Looks like that could surly cause heart failure.

"She murdered the one person that cared about me," Harry's words were clipped and his voice was cold.

"Actually, she didn't," Rudolphus said, gently. "The spell was red, not green, and I heard her say it. A particularly powerful stunner, aimed at taking him out of the fight without injuring him. It isn't her fault the damn id…that he moved and fell through that damn veil. And anyways, Bellatrix isn't the type of woman to break a promise."

"What promise would this be?" Harry asked. He wasn't sure whether he should believe the older man, but for some reason he wanted to. It would be nice to be able to trust someone again.

"When they were younger, Bella and Sirius swore that if they ever came face to face with each other in battle they wouldn't kill one another. I can honestly tell you that the thought that it was her spell that finished Sirius off was torture for her. She isn't in any way, the cold-hearted mask she presents to the world. Not once you get to know her."

"If," Harry corrected, "And a huge part of that is 'do I trust you?' I'm not going to blow you off, but nor am I going to say yes. I'll wait and see."

"Thank you for the chance," Rudolphus said.

Then there was a knock on the door and the handle began to turn. Rudolphus glanced at it, before turning back into the owl. Spreading his wings her left through the window and landed on a nearby rooftop.

An old, pitted face surrounded by a main of straggly, gray hair looked around the door, "Apologies, Mr Potter. Jus' that' I thought I heard a couple of people talking 'bout Bellatrix, and the like' and so I thought I'd come a check up on you, see. Got to keep an eye on the safety of the guests, you know?" then he drew back and pushed the door shut.

Harry walked back over to the window and looked out. Rudolphus was gone. Feeling both disappointed and relieved, Harry shut the window. No way was anyone else getting in here without his permission.