AN: This happens to be the third time I am posting this story. It was taken down by moderators the first time and the second I was given a warning so I took it down myself. I wanted to give it one more try though. There have been slight changes in some of the chapters. Probably not even noticeable. I've done my best to find a work around to the main issue and have seen one that looks good (to me). I hope it works for everyone reading.
I welcome constructive criticism and suggestions for improving my story. Also, I am looking for a beta who would be willing to read over chapters, bounce ideas off of and will tell me if something isn't working for the story.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I never have and most likely never will. A girl can dream though.
This chapter is posted in honor of Harry Potter's 35th birthday.
The soul is the incorporeal and, in many conceptions, immortal essence of a person, living thing, or object.
Essence is the attribute or set of attributes that make an entity or substance what it fundamentally is, and which it has by necessity, and without which it loses its identity.
Prologue
It was upset. It and its brethren had been able to sample what promised to be a fine feast only to have it snatched away moments later by a silver monstrosity and its master. It wouldn't do to cross that one again.
It was angry. The feast had a rare delicacy that it was able to taste for just a moment. It was full of many emotions for it to feed off of. Many strong emotions. It could have been satisfied just feeding off that one for quite some time.
It was confused. It had never craved food in this way before. Sure it had come across some that were more appetizing then others. But once the meal was gone it was never left with any real desire to find it again. This one left it with such a desire.
It felt like it was being drawn to this delicacy. But why? What was it that was drawing it to it? It couldn't be the promise of food. It could find that easily enough while patrolling the village at sundown. It was something else. Something ingrained into their kind. Something that made them crave, desire, need.
It never needed. Things that needed died. It does not, cannot die. So why did it need? Perhaps it did not need but was needed. Why would it be needed? It knew the answer to its question was in the back of its mind somewhere, but it couldn't put words to it. Perhaps a visit to it would provide the words needed. The visit would be dangerous and it would most likely encounter the monstrosity again but it would be worth it. Anything would be to make this undesired craving go away.
It glided towards the castle, sensing its way towards the one it craved. The closer it got the stronger the taste became. As soon as it was able to pinpoint its location it stopped and raised its head. That was where it needed to go. And it needed to get there before it was chased off again.
It finally knew the reason behind its craving, the reason why it was needed. This may not be the best choice for its brethren but there was nothing it could do about that. They would deal with the fallout from this on their own, for it would cease to exist past this day. This was its purpose and it would complete it.
With that thought in mind it glided up to meet its end.
Harry Potter was alone in the Hospital Wing. He was gazing up at the ceiling, but not really seeing it. This was what he wanted. Or at least what he thought he wanted when he insisted that his friends leave to go eat lunch in the Great Hall with the rest of the school.
Of course they put up a fight. Both of them were worried about him. Ronald Weasley insisted that the conversation was much better in the Hospital Wing with him then it would be in the Great Hall without him. Harry couldn't see how that was possible since he was speaking less and less as the day went on. But then again Ron wasn't always the most logical person; that would be Hermione Granger. She put up a slightly better argument then Ron did, but in the end it was no use.
Harry told them he was going to rest, to try and get some sleep; he hadn't slept well the night before. He wouldn't be much company to them if he was sleeping and if they went down for lunch they wouldn't have to worry about being quiet as to not wake him. They reluctantly agreed to that and promised to come back to stay once they finished lunch, regardless of whether or not he was asleep.
It wasn't exactly a lie. He was tired. He just knew that there was no use in trying to rest. If he did manage to fall asleep he would just dream of clammy, rotted hands and his mum's voice begging for his life to be spared. He hated the Dementors for making him hear his mother like that. He didn't want to remember her as a petrified voice pleading with a madman to show her son mercy.
But if Harry was completely honest with himself, he was kind of thankful to the Dementors. If it wasn't for them he would never know what his mother sounded like. If it wasn't for them he wouldn't have undeniable proof that he was loved, that his mum loved him more than life itself. Of course he had been told that his parents had loved him. Hagrid had told him it a few times, as had the Headmaster. But those were just words, just opinions of a person looking in. The Dementors had given him tangible proof that he was loved and for that he would forever be grateful.
Sighing, Harry sat up in the bed. This was not helping. He was supposed to be trying to figure out why he had the sudden urge to be alone, not dwelling on the Dementors and his mother's final words. Looking around the room a bit he decided that maybe it would best if he had something more interesting to look at in order to keep his thoughts from straying to them. The window would be the best place to start. He was just about to get up when he heard a door open.
Madam Pomfrey had come out of her office. As soon as she saw that he was awake and alone she bustled over to him. After checking his vitals (Honestly, he thought, how much could have changed since she checked this morning?) she summoned some lunch up from the kitchens and ordered him to eat and then rest. Harry decided that the best course of action was to remain in bed and follow her instructions…at least until she went back into her office.
Once Harry had determined that Madam Pomfrey had returned to her office to stay he abandoned his untouched lunch and made his way over to the window. He sat on the windowsill and rested his head against the glass. The rain from yesterday had stopped sometime during the night and the clouds had cleared up enough for the sun to make its presence known. The peacefulness of the scene allowed him to clear his mind of the Dementor-induced memories and focus on why he had told his friends to leave.
Ron and Hermione had stayed with him until curfew the night before and came to see him first thing in the morning. He hadn't minded them then. In fact, he found Ron's awkwardness and his desire to avoid the topic; and Hermione's concern and the fact that she obviously wanted to speak about it even though he (Harry) didn't, comforting. It was familiar and he appreciated that they would spend their day with him locked away in the Hospital Wing. And yet as the day progressed he wanted them to leave. It felt like their presence was interfering with something. But what could they possibly be interfering with?
Before Harry could begin to explore the possibilities of that he was distracted by movement out on the lawn. He pressed his face to the glass to get a better look. There seemed to be a tall, cloaked figure making its way towards the castle. He noticed that as the figure got closer to the castle the temperature dropped. He knew then that it was a Dementor making its way towards the castle. It came to a stop on the lawn in front of the window and raised its head. Even though he couldn't see the Dementor's eyes he knew it was looking at him. It seemed to be considering him for a moment before it made its move.
Harry nearly fell in his haste to get off the windowsill and put as much distance as possible between himself and the Dementor. He started to back away, wand in hand, never taking his eyes off the window. He wanted to run, really he did, but he couldn't just leave Madam Pomfrey alone with it. As her office was closer to the window then he presently was he needed to get her out, quickly.
"Madam Pomfrey!" he shouted, eyes still on the window.
The office door opened and Madam Pomfrey scanned the ward, eyes narrowing on Harry's bed. "Mr. Potter," she turned her eyes on him, "what do you think you're do—" Before she could get the rest of the admonishment out the window shattered behind her. Staggering slightly from the sudden surprise she turned and saw the Dementor. "Oh my," she said faintly.
It was an eerie sight. Surrounded by an unnatural darkness, the Dementor was hovering just outside the castle, framed by what was left of the shattered window. It was fixated on Harry. It's cloaked face never turning away from him, not even when Madam Pomfrey spoke. Harry knew than that it only wanted him.
"Run," he spoke softly.
Madam Pomfrey was reaching for her wand when she heard Harry speak. She looked over at him, unsure if she had heard him correctly. He had his wand pointed at the Dementor and a determined look on his face.
Harry knew he didn't stand a chance against the Dementor. But he also knew he had an uncanny knack for being able to hold off whatever he was up against until help came along. If he could get Madam Pomfrey out of the room he could concentrate fully on the Dementor. "Run," he repeated. "Get help."
Madam Pomfrey didn't want to leave him alone with the Dementor. But she also knew that she couldn't hold off a Dementor for long. She had no choice. With one last glance at Harry she hurriedly made her way to the doors, planning to go straight to the Headmaster.
The Dementor had remained hovering during the exchange, but that changed once Madam Pomfrey was clear of the room. It started to make its way towards Harry, who had already started to slowly back away while thinking of a way to distract it. The Dementor was quick though. It had a hold of Harry's shirt before he made it a handful of steps backwards. With the Dementor in such close proximity what fight Harry had in him left. It was cold and he was waiting for his mother's voice to start up in his head. His wand arm dropped to his side as the Dementor began to pull him closer and force his face upwards.
It was at that moment the doors to the Hospital Wing burst open. The Dementor finally looked away from Harry. It seemed to be considering this new person before looking back at Harry. Harry heard a familiar voice and saw a flash of silver before the Dementor released its hold on him.
Remus Lupin was having a bad day. Actually, he was having a bad weekend. It all started Friday. You see Remus is a werewolf and Friday had been a full moon. This meant that his patience (which he normally had a great deal of) would be wearing thin and he would be feeling tired all day. This, in turn, meant that he would be unable to teach his classes. One of those classes happened to be the third year Gryffindors, which was his favorite class (followed closely by the fifth year Gryffindors). That night, when the moon rose he transformed (quite painfully) into a werewolf. When the moon finally set he transformed (again quite painfully) back. None of this equaled a good day.
Saturday was only slightly better. Remus awoke to the usual aches and pains he experienced the morning after a full moon. Unfortunately, this meant he was unable to leave his quarters and would have to miss the Quidditch match. Had this been any other match he wouldn't have minded much, but Gryffindor was playing and he had hoped he would be able to watch them. Both Albus and Minerva had stopped by beforehand to check on him and inform him that they would relay the outcome to him when the game was over. The fact that neither of them came back to his quarters that night worried him and he fell into a restless sleep.
This brings us to today. Soon after breakfast Minerva came by looking grim and informed him that the Gryffindor Seeker was in the Hospital Wing. Minerva had than went on to explain what had happened during the game. She watched his face grow pale as she described the attack on the Quidditch pitch by the Dementors and how several had attempted to converge on the Gryffindor Seeker before he fell off his broom. Thankfully Albus was there and was able to slow his fall, chase off the Dementors and bring him to Madam Pomfrey. Afterwards, Albus had left the castle to deal with the Dementors and the Minister for Magic. Minerva and the other Heads of House were left to deal with the students. There were several minor breakdowns and quite a few Calming Draughts needed to be handed out. Remus had already tuned her out by this point. Today was definitely turning out to be a bad day.
Once Minerva had left his quarters Remus had rushed down to the corridor where the Hospital Wing was located. The reason he did this also happened to be why the third year Gryffindors were his favorite class to teach and why he had wanted to watch Gryffindor play. That reason was a student by the name of Harry James Potter. Harry was special. Most people would say he was special because he vanquished the most feared Dark Lord, Voldemort. But that wasn't why Remus thought he was special. Harry was special to Remus because he was the son of two of his closest friends (of which he had four). So close in fact that they were essentially family. They all looked out for and protected one another. And once upon a time he thought nothing could change that. Of course he hadn't counted on a war tearing them apart. Or that one of them would betray them. His family, his pack, was torn apart in less than a day. Three dead and one as good as dead. He only had Harry left, and even then he was denied the opportunity to see him. Twelve years had passed since that time and Remus still considered Harry a part of his pack. Which was why he rushed all the way here to see if Harry was OK. Now, if only he could convince himself to go in.
Around lunchtime Remus saw Ron and Hermione leaving the Hospital Wing and heading towards the Great Hall. It was only then that he realized he had been standing in the corridor for nearly three hours. Perhaps, he thought, it would be better for me to return to my rooms. With that in mind he turned to leave. He had made it to the staircase when his heightened hearing picked up a noise from the Hospital Wing. He hesitated for just a moment before heading back. It had sounded like glass breaking. A lot of glass breaking.
Remus had made it half-way when the doors opened and Madam Pomfrey came running out looking panicked, but determined. Upon seeing him, she closed the rest of the distance quickly. Resting his hands on her shoulders in an effort to calm her he asked "What happened?"
"Harry — a Dementor —" she began, glancing back at the doors she had come through.
That was all Remus needed to hear. He was already running towards the doors, towards Harry, when he shouted "Get Dumbledore."
Remus slammed the door open and froze, horrified at the sight before him. The Dementor was holding Harry off the ground. One rotted hand holding Harry's shirt, the other forcing his face upwards. The Dementor looked away from Harry and turned towards him. While the Dementor was looking at him Remus took the opportunity to examine Harry. Harry was held about three feet off the ground. His arms were hanging limply at his side, but he still had a hold of his wand. That meant he wasn't too late. If Harry still had a grip on it that meant he hadn't been Kissed yet. He still had a chance.
The Dementor was turning back to Harry when Remus raised his wand and started advancing on it. Channeling his relief at finding Harry safe (well, as safe as a person can be in the hands of a Dementor) he shouted, "Expecto Patronum," and for the first time in twelve years Remus produced a corporeal Patronus. The large silver wolf charged at the Dementor, who released Harry and backed away.
Harry landed unsteadily on his feet and would have collapsed had he not felt someone wrap their arm around him and pull him towards them. The coldness he had been feeling since the arrival of the Dementor was slowly ebbing away. There was a bright, silver wolf standing in front of him, its hackles raised and tail held high. And though he couldn't see it, he was sure its teeth were bared. Realizing that he was still being held, Harry tilted his head back and looked into the concerned eyes of Professor Lupin.
Meeting Harry's eyes, Remus gave him a quick, reassuring smile before returning his focus to the Dementor. Now that Harry was out of its clutches he could get them to safety.
It was confused again. This was not supposed to happen. A silver beast was keeping it from completing its purpose. If it tried to go forward the beast would attack. Its purpose was leaving along with the beasts' master. It would need to risk it in order to complete its goal. It began gliding towards its end.
They had nearly made it to the door when the Dementor started moving again. Tightening his grip on Harry, Remus directed his Patronus forward. The werewolf charged at the Dementor and pounced on it. As the Dementor was pushed backwards by the attack its hood fell off revealing a site only its victims saw. Where there should have been eyes, there was only thin, grey scabbed skin, stretched blankly over empty sockets. But there was a mouth…a gaping, shapeless hole, sucking the air with the sound of a death rattle.
The shock of seeing what was under its hood caused the light from Remus' Patronus to dull for a moment. Feeling Harry stiffen in his grip brought him back to reality. Concentrating fully on the task at hand he directed his Patronus at the Dementor once again. Unfortunately its last attack had placed it behind the Dementor. This gave the Dementor the opportunity it needed.
Harry watched as the silver wolf attacked the Dementor and its hood fell off. A paralyzing terror filled him so that he couldn't move or speak. He had been curious as to what was under its hood, but now he wished he didn't know. The Dementor was moving towards him again (What is with these things attacking me?). It came to a stop and looked (Can something with no eyes even look?) at Lupin for a split second before turning its attention on Harry.
It placed its rotted right hand over Harry's heart and the other on his forehead. He was looking the Dementor in the face waiting for it to make its next move. Before the Dementor could, the silver wolf had attacked again. This time its jaw was clamped tightly around the Dementors right arm. Harry let out a soft gasp when he looked at the arm the wolf was attached to.
Hearing Harry's gasp, Remus followed his line of vision and let out one of his own. The area where the cloak had been ripped by the Patronus had a bright light shining out of it (What the bloody hell is going on here?). The light seemed to be spreading up and down the Dementors arm and to the rest of its body. The places where the Dementor was still touching Harry began to glow with the light as well.
Once the Dementor was fully enshrouded in the light it gave off a pulse of magic. And then another and another. Each pulse was stronger than the last. The fifth pulse nearly knocked them back. The sixth one did. The seventh and final pulse did a great deal more. The power behind that final pulse of magic shattered all the glass in the Hospital Wing and flung Harry and Remus through the doors and out into the corridor.
AN: This story was inspired by showstopper92's Harry's Life Story Even Though He Doesn't Like It. I haven't seen many RtBs that take place during third year and I like the idea of a younger and more innocent Harry reading the books with only a select few. I feel that sometimes with so many characters included in the readings some get lost among the crowd or else they seem forced in order to have them included.
I hope I can make this as original as possible, but considering the number of RtBs out there (or used to be as the case may be), and the fact that I've read a good number of them, I feel that there will probably be similarities to other people's work. I mean let's face it. There are only so many ways a person can react to a comment and/or action. My only hope is that the interactions between my characters outside of the reading (and occasionally during it) will be original enough to keep you interested.
This story will include Harry/Remus bonding and somewhere down the line Harry/Sirius bonding. To answer the inevitable question that is sure to come up this will eventually be canon pairings. But that does not mean I'm not going to have the characters see other people and I will not have them read that they end up married to someone and all of a sudden realize they are in love. The students are still young and will date a few people before settling down with someone and since I doubt Remus has met Tonks at this point in the story he is not going to realize that he's in love with a woman he never met. I'm not even sure if there will be romance as I've never written it before and wouldn't want to screw it up.
Aside from all of that you should note that the description of the Dementor came directly from PoA.