Warning: language and violence.
Disclaimer: Don't own
Summary: Sirius stumbles into the Dursley's backyard. Aunt Petunias past comes into play, but we always knew she was keeping secrets, didn't we.
Petunia-garden plant of the nightshade family native to tropical America
Ghost Dreams
Chapter 2: Secrets Reminder: most of the story is from Harry's POV
By Tracev
The next day
Harry Potter fell out of bed with a thud. He laid there on the ground in a stunned shock. This was the 3rd time this week he had fallen out of bed. He lay there on the floor messaging his aching head. In the morning he would have to remind himself that he would need to move the nightstand to the opposite side of the room. He was tired of hitting his head on it.
Harry listened to his cousin snores in the next room. His uncle was currently out of town on business or his snores would be just as loud. He finally hauled himself off the floor. Throwing his covers back on the bed. He walked to the window glancing out, still massaging the small bump that was forming on his head. The street seemed eerily quiet. Harry couldn't remember but it seemed he had been dreaming, but now that he was up it seemed something else that had woken him. He looked around his room. Hedwig was gone to deliver a message to Hermione. The trunk at the end of his bed was shut tight. The chest of drawers was closed. The small self-made calendar on the wall marking off the days till he returned to Hogwarts. It all appeared to be in order.
Harry opened the door to the hall. Peaking out, no nothing, he shrugged, maybe he was just being paranoid. The return of Voldemort the pervious month had a way of doing that to you.
He slipped on his slipper and made his way downstairs. He headed for the kitchen. There were no noises, not a sound, but then it was the middle of the night, what had he expected. He opened the refrigerators door standing there letting the cool air press against him. He stared at the shelves, nothing really of interest. He glanced at the second self, his cousin's shelf. Dudley had a whole shelf to himself. He had demanded it when he had returned home from school. His Aunt was trying to keep it stocked with all of Dudley's favorites. Candy bars, chocolate pudding, cakes and other sweets. The school had gotten him to lose quite a bit of weight. But it would all be regroup by the time summer was over.
Harry snatched a candy bar and went to sit on the back steps. It was a full moon, when he noticed this his thoughts often turned to Professor Lupin. His teacher in his 3rd year and a werewolf, he knew that Professor Dumbledore had sent his Godfather to Lupin's after Voldemorts returned. He couldn't imagine what Dumbledore was going to ask them to do. Harry sighed and watched the clouds filter across the sky. It was really a lovely night. He saw his owl dancing in the moonlight in the distance she was coming toward the house but was taking her time. She swooped down to catch her prey. Harry sat patiently waiting for her, when he noticed it.
Something was crawling across the yard toward him, a dark long shape. Harry quickly got to his feet, he hadn't brought down his wand. He felt quite vulnerable, defenseless with out it. He could kick himself, how foolish was he after all that had happened earlier this year. How could he let himself be defenseless? He made as if to go back in the house when the thing whispered his name, "Harry".
Harry stopped and turned to face it, not leaving the back steps, the voice it sounded familiar. He narrowed his eyes trying to peer threw the dark. What was it? The thing whispered his name again, and then Harry recognized it. "Sirius" Harry leapt from the back porch. Sirius collapsed on the stone walkway. Harry knelt down next to him gathering him up in his arms, "Harry get me into the house."
Harry heaved Sirius up as best he could, he was still quite thin. Relatively light as he dragged him as best he could to the house. Unfortunately dragging someone does cause a lot of noise. Sirius tried to move his feet to help, but he could barley stand. He was making an awful garbling noise. Harry eyed Sirius, was it his imagination or was Sirius a different color. As quiet as he tried to be, the steps were going to be the hard part. They took the steps slowly yet the shuffling noise was still there.
They were finally in the main house, which would be the hardest part. His aunt was a light sleeper, waking at any suspicion of noise. They were making a good deal of progress and were finally at the top step. Sirius was of no use now he had totally passed out. It was up to Harry to drag him the remaining of the way to Harry's waiting room. Harry tugged at Sirius, as his Aunt came out of the bathroom. She stopped dead in her tracks. "What the hell are you doing"? She shrieked coming forward and flicked on the hall light switch.
Petunia saw the shallow faced man sunken in, his hallow cheeks, the scrabbles of tangled hair. She gasped covering her mouth with her hand, "Sirius" she whispered. She came forward, and helped Harry drag him to his room. They laid him on the small twin bed. Petunia stared down at him, then rushed from the room down to her own. Harry was at her heels, "You know him? Aunt Petunia?" he called out, she ignored Harry as she slammed the bedroom door.
On the other side of the house Dudley's alarm clock went off. Petunia opened the door to her room the cordless in her hand "Damn it, look go to your room shut the door and make sure he's covered up. Don't mention this to Dudley, go down stairs and start breakfast."
"But you know Sirius, how?"
"Just act as if nothings wrong, go" she gave Harry a frantic shove from her room and picked up the phone again, "Go Harry" she shrieked.
Harry did as she said, covered up Sirius and shut his door. He could hear his cousin in the bathroom banging around. Harry hastened downstairs and started breakfast. Petunia came down a short time later fussing after Dudley, she looked stressed. He was going on a weekend trip to the lake with Piers Polkiss. They were picking him up at 6am sharp though they were usually late. His Aunt kept peaking out the windows, getting up several times to stare out the front door. If Dudley thought anything was up he didn't notice it, he after all had a plate of eggs in front of him.
A car pulled in the driveway a short while later. Dudley jumped up and raced upstairs to grab his overnight bag. Piers eyed Harry suspiciously he hadn't really seen him since secondary school. He looked the same, a rat faced little boy. Aunt Petunia was rushing around nervously trying to make Dudley a snack bag to take in the car with him.
As soon as they were out the door, Petunia Dursley ran like a mad woman back up the steps. Harry was close on her heels, trying to ask the simplest question. How did she know Sirius?
When they reached Harry's room Mrs. Figg was standing there over Sirius with a 'wand'. Harry's mouth fell open in shocked amazement. Petunia and her were talking in soft whispers.
"You're a witch"? Harry shrieked, Mrs. Figg looked up and ignored him with the same indifference she always did. She continued to walk around Sirius lying in his bed muttering under her breath. Sirius was holding his fist to his chest gasping for air. Mrs. Figg finally taped the wand to his forehead and he was out cold.
"What did you do to him"?
Aunt Petunia turned on him "get some parchment and a quill for Mrs. Figg". Petunia sat down next to Sirius gathering up his hand, mopping up the sweat that poured from his head. As Harry rummaged around his trunk for the items requested. He was still slightly shocked, this was a side of his Aunt he had never seen before.
Mrs. Figg's tapped Sirius on the forehead again with her wand, different color sparks flew from the tip. Aunt Petunia backed away into the corner her hand covering her mouth. She let out a small cry. Harry stood at the foot of the bed. He had so many questions each died on his lips as Sirius's skin turned green and his breathing turned to short gasps.
Mrs. Figg took up the quill finally, and quickly wrote her letter, finished it and folded it neatly. "May I borrow your owl", She nodded toward Hedwig, Harry nodded that was about all he was capable of right now. He was still in shock, Mrs. Figg was a witch, Aunt Petunia knew Sirius, and quite well from what he gathered and she also knew that Mrs. Figg was a witch. Secrets, secrets.
He watched the old witch as she slipped a small vile from her pocket, spoke to Hedwig and poured the vile down her throat. Hedwig felt the cool potion slide down her throat. The boost of energy was almost instant. She soared out the window and head off. She swooped up and down at a speed never imagined she turned and flew so much faster. She was half tempted to go find her owl friends to show them her new strength, but she knew her mission, and set off at once.
*********
Hedwig arrived at a small cottage house, she circled the garden admiring the roses that were in full bloom. She landed on the flowerbox on the windowsill filled with geraniums and tapped lightly on the window. The owner of the house looked up from his tea and smiled, "Ah, Hedwig how are you?" he opened the window allowing the owl in. She dropped the note taking the treat offered her. Professor Dumbledore read the note with interest, with a wave of his wand was dressed.
Dumbledore arrived on the doorstep of the Dursley's. Harry was on the front porch waiting for him, his aunt and Mrs. Figg had assigned him this duty. Thought he suspected it was just to get him out of the room. "Professor Dumbledore, Sirius showed up and…"
Dumbledore swept passed him into the house, and up the stairs. "Mrs. Figg how are you?" he grasped her hands. "Petunia dear" he nodded toward her.
Harry stood in the corner watching all the happenings silently. Dumbledore was bent over Sirius talking in low whispers with Mrs. Figg. So Dumbledore knew Mrs. Figg and Petunia knew more about Mrs. Figg than she had ever let on.. Aunt Petunia even knew Sirius, Figg knew Sirius. Harry's mind toppled with questions. He suddenly felt as if he didn't know anyone. Why did everyone insist on keeping secrets from him, he was after all going to be 15 this year, it was about damn time he knew what the hell was going on. Harry clenched his fists as he stood there in the corner, this was irritating. Harry was just about to burst forward when Dumbledore brought him out of his thoughts.
"Harry, Harry" Dumbledore gave him a little shake. Harry looked up, "What's wrong with Sirius?"
Harry was about to lose control this was getting to be too much, last year Cedric had died, and now Sirius looked so close to death. Harry sunk to his knees, tears welled in his eyes, he tried desperately to hold them in. He would not cry, everyone he knew died or was hurt because of him. He needed Sirius, he was the only person he had left, his godfather.
Harry looked up at Dumbledore. "Harry" Dumbledore sank to the ground sitting cross-legged in front of him. "Harry, we're not quite sure what's wrong with Sirius, we have some theories, but we're going to have to take him back to the castle to madam Pomfrey."
Harry tried to find his voice "Is he… going to…die".
Dumbledore looked back at Sirius for a long moment. "I have a theory of what's wrong with him." The Headmaster stopped and choosing his words carefully "If my theory is right he would just remain in this state. I believe there is a cure but we need to get him back to the school."
Harry nodded, he wanted to ask so many question, not only to Dumbledore but his aunt as well. The last two days had been crazy. First the wand in the shop and now Sirius, then running into Malfoy like that. He had always assumed that the Malfoy's lived in some castle far, far away.
Harry watched Mrs. Figg and Headmaster Dumbledore prepare Sirius for the trip back to the castle. They had him laid out on a floating stretcher. Aunt Petunia came and stood next to Harry, resting her hand on his shoulder. Harry looked up at her, this was the second time he could remember her ever touching him, it felt…nice. Her face was a cross of pain and one of frustration. She never took her eyes from Sirius, she looked like she wanted to rush forward to Sirius side.
Dumbledore turned to Mrs. Dursley, "I'll be contacting you within the next few days with the information we discussed earlier." Petunia nodded, and shook his hand, Dumbledore turned to Harry, "Harry" he sighed, "I must ask you not to leave the house, at all. I know this has caused you to have many questions but I ask you to please wait and I will return with all your answers. I know they're long overdue." He clapped Harry on the shoulder and gave a small squeeze.
The three, Dumbledore, Mrs. Figg, and Sirius Black joined hands, Dumbledore said a small chant and they were gone.
Harry watched the empty space that the wizards had just left. He stood there for along time not thinking. His mind just wasn't capable at this time to put two thoughts together. This had been a trying two days, Sirius, the wand, Draco. He heard Aunt Petunia leave the room. He just didn't feel like dealing with her right now. He crawled into his bed, still warm from Sirius. Harry nuzzled his face into the pillow inhaling the scent of his godfather. He smelled like wind, earth, a spice Harry couldn't quite decipher. He turned over one last time and drifted off to a restless sleep.
