âDâyou remember what You-Know-Who looks like?â
An excerpt from a satirical fic I'm working on where Harry has been brought up by Sirius - Link
Ron Weasley stopped in the doorway and glanced around awkwardly. Sirius had worked closely with Arthur Weasley at the Ministry, so Harry was fairly acquainted with the Weasley children. Heâd never really spoken to Ron before, though.
âHey,â Harry said.Â
âEr - hi,â said Ron, making absolutely no effort to sit down.
Harry sighed - was the Voldemort thing not enough? Did he really need to be everyoneâs hero?â
âDo you want to sit here?â
Ron bit his lip. âOnly if its not taken -â
âIt is,â said Harry.
Ronâs face fell. âBy who?â
âYou.âÂ
Ron rolled his eyes, but stored his trunk (with the help of Harry) and sat down across from him. They stared at one another blankly for a few moments, unsure what to say next.
âDâyou remember what You-Know-Who looks like?â Ron blurted.
Okay, so he had absolutely no tact whatsoever.
âSeriously?â Harry said.
Ron shrugged and said nothing.
âNo,â said Harry, âI donât remember what Voldemort looks like.â
Ron cringed. âYou shouldnât say the name.â
âYou shouldnât ask people what they remember about the man who brutally murdered their parents the first day you speak to them,â Harry countered.
Ronâs face flushed the same color of his hair. âYeah, Iâm sorry. I probably shouldnât have - that was really stupid.â
âIt was a very offensive question,â Harry insisted.Â
Sirius had warned him this might happen - for the first ten years of his life, heâd managed to keep Harry relatively sheltered from the effects of his fame. Although heâd been told not to hesitate if an opportunity presented itself where it could be used to his advantage.
âI know. I shouldâve listened to my mum - she told me not to ask you.â
Harry shrugged. âIt's okay. I mean, I exaggerated a bit - my parents werenât exactly brutally murdered. The killing curse doesnât even leave a physical mark.â Harry saw Ronâs eyes travel up to his hairline and sighed. âIf it works,â he added.
âOh. Right.â Ron smiled sheepishly.
âAlthough I was fifteen months old at the time,â Harry pointed out, âmy long-term memory was fairly underdeveloped.â
âYeah - I guess I didnât really think about that,â Ron amended.