Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the other characters that appear in this story. I am just playing with the plot. This story is simply for the enjoyment of other ambitious readers and writers like me.
A/N: Sorry it took me so long to post this chapter... I was in the mountains for a week and a half on vacation and normally I get internet up there... I dunno what happened, haha. Oh well, here it is now! Enjoy, and please remember to drop me a review!
Chapter 2
Harry shivered, but it wasn't from the cold. He could feel someone watching him again.
He abandoned the tree and ducked sideways into the shadows of the bushes, and peered around. He couldn't see anyone, not even the large dog that had been across the street a few moments ago. Harry hoped it had gotten out of the rain, and he also hoped that it wasn't hungry.
He racked his brains for a place that was safe enough for him to crash at for the rest of the summer. His mind sifted through several different faces: Dumbledore, Hagrid, Hermione, the Weasleys, and Tom from the Leaky Cauldron. Harry's heart leapt at the possibility of going to the Burrow, but then he stopped himself; there was no way he could possibly travel to the Weasley's, as they were still in Egypt. And besides, he had no form of transportation- his broom was locked inside the Dursley's house as well, and now that he thought about it, he didn't even know where the Burrow was.
He didn't have his wand either, which he had placed on his bedside table before going to fill up Hedwig's water. Stupid git, he reprimanded himself. You should know better than to leave your only weapon lying around!
Pulling himself back to the situation at hand, he tried to think of alternative places to go that were close by. If he went to Mrs. Figg's, maybe he could use her telephone to call the Granger's house. Hermione's parents were muggles, so they would be listed in the phone book, right?
With that thought clearly in his mind, Harry sprinted out from the shadows and down the Dursley's driveway towards the street. To his immense relief, no curses were shouted at him. In fact, nothing happened at all.
Breathing rather loudly and feeling rather stupid, Harry power-walked down Privet Drive and Magnolia Crescent before turning onto Wisteria Walk. He tried to concentrate on slowing down his heartbeat and composing himself, so that Mrs. Figg wouldn't freak out when she discovered him bloodied, soaking wet, and homeless. He squinted his eyes to try and see through the raindrops spattered against his glasses. He hoped that she would serve him some hot tea when he arrived, because his nose was beginning to run and he supposed he was on the verge of catching that cold he'd been trying to avoid.
He was one house away from her white picket fence when he heard a noise coming from the bushes to his left… a soft whimpering noise, like a wounded animal. Harry strained his eyes to see through the sheets of rain. His glasses were still streaked with smeared water droplets. Wiping them impatiently on the hem of his shirt, he replaced them and peered around. Thanks to his sharp seeker-vision developed from countless hours of Quidditch practice, Harry was able to spot the same sparkling eyes he had seen from the Dursley's kitchen window. Inching a little closer, Harry could make out the form of an enormous, shaggy black dog that was standing in the bushes behind him, ten feet away, whimpering and whining. Its tail wagged when Harry looked at it, welcoming him.
Harry knew that he should get inside, but there was something about the dog that made him hesitate, and step a little closer. To most people, the mere look of the animal would have sent them running as fast as they could in the opposite direction. It was half the size of a bear, black and ominous, with monstrous paws and gleaming yellow teeth. But Harry was curious, so he held out his hand to pet it on top of its head. Its fur was matted, but extremely soft. As his fingers scratched behind its ears, it whimpered pitifully.
Harry knelt down, and the friendly dog lifted its nose to lick Harry's swollen cheek. It whined again. Harry's heart melted.
"What are you doing out here in the rain, boy?" he crooned gently, still scratching the mutt's scraggly ears. The dog gazed up at him with the saddest grey puppy dog eyes Harry had ever seen.
"It's alright," Harry murmured consolingly, and stood up. "C'mon, boy. Let's get you someplace warmer." He motioned with his hand for the dog to follow. To Harry's immense surprise, the animal leapt up with newfound energy and trotted proudly to his side, its pink tongue lolling.
They were walking past Mrs. Figg's white picket fence when it happened. At one moment, the dog was looking up at Harry's face happily and was bouncing along at his side. Then it looked up at the house instead and spotted Remus Lupin standing at one of Mrs. Figg's windows, gazing out at the street. The dog froze.
Mrs. Figg's front door opened with a loud crash, and Lupin came sprinting down the walkway as fast as his legs could carry him. He banished a wand in front of him as if it were a sword he was about to impale Harry with.
"HARRY, NO!"
Harry must have jumped three feet in the air at the shout. The black dog was clearly startled too, and forgot to disappear back into the bushes. Harry opened his mouth to speak, but-
"Run Harry! It's Sirius Black! RUN!"
Harry didn't need to be told twice. He turned and ran, as fast as he could, down Wisteria Walk in the opposite direction. He had no idea who or what Sirius Black was, but he didn't want to wait around and find out.
The loud pounding on the pavement behind him told Harry that the dog was steadily gaining on him. Suddenly, he was terrified of the beast. He zigzagged through an alleyway, and took shortcuts down random streets that he had learned from being chased by Dudley's gang in his childhood. The rain lashed at his skin and his glasses, causing them to fog up slightly, making it difficult to see where he was going. He spotted a garbage bin up ahead, and flung it behind him into the dog's path, but it didn't slow the animal down. The dog was level with his heals, then with his swinging hands; Harry could feel its hot breath tickling his fingers as he ran, like it was teasing him, about to bite his arm off at any second.
Abruptly, Harry slowed his pace to almost a complete halt, and the dog flashed past, skidding on the wet pavement. It slammed into a parked car with a howl. Harry dashed around another street corner, and looked behind him. He couldn't see the dog anymore. Gasping in relief, Harry turned back around, only to charge directly into the solid form of a human being with enough force to send them both sprawling.
Harry's head swam dizzily; the wind had been knocked out of him. The palms of his hands were stinging badly; a downward glance showed him that they were bleeding, as were his knees. The man he had hit was unsteadily rising to his feet. Harry looked up to apologize, briefly wondering why the hell anyone would be standing in the middle of a deserted street at this time of night, in the pouring rain no less, only to find a wand pointed directly at his forehead.
"Don't move, or you'll deeply regret it," whispered Lucius Malfoy, shaking his platinum blond hair out of his eyes and straightening his black robes. A white mask in the shape of a skull was lying on the ground next to his feet.
There was a slapping of running footsteps on wet pavement behind him, but Harry couldn't turn to see who it was. Quick as a flash, Lucius Malfoy grabbed Harry's shirt and pulled him closer, pressing the wand underneath his chin. Harry choked out his shock.
"I wouldn't come any closer if I were you, Lupin," the cold voice smirked. The sound of it sent shivers down Harry's back. He gulped as Malfoy's cold hand closed on his arm. "Leave now, and Potter will remain unharmed."
Harry whimpered from the growing pain in his scar. What did this mean? Malfoy was obviously a follower of Voldemort. Could the Dark Lord's servents have possibly returned to him, like Hagrid had predicted in his first year? Was Malfoy intending to take him to… wherever Voldemort was? He pulled his eyes away from Lucius to look at Lupin, who was clearly horrified. He began to slowly back away, but didn't lower his wand.
"That's right," Malfoy said mockingly. He readjusted his grip on Harry's arm, and moved the wand so that it was pointed at his leg. "Move a little faster."
Harry was gasping and shaking from the cold rain, and stared hard at Lupin, begging him with his eyes not to leave him alone with this madman. When Lupin didn't comply to Malfoy's orders, Malfoy smirked again and muttered, "Diffindo!"
A deep slash ripped through the muscle in Harry's left leg. He let out a great yelp of pain as blood splashed into the street and mingled with the rainwater. Harry doubled over in agony, held up by the portion of his shirt that was still clenched in Malfoy's fist, unable to draw a breath-
Suddenly, a number of things happened in a very quick succession. Lupin shouted a stunning spell at Malfoy, which flew over his shoulder and missed. A terrifying bark sounded from the trees directly behind Malfoy, and a blurry black shape came hurtling out, launching itself at Lucius. The black dog fastened its jaws firmly around the arm holding onto Harry, and shook.
Harry forced the pain out of his mind as survival instinct took over; he could now use both of his hands to try and free himself. He kicked and scratched at Malfoy as violently as he could, but to no avail- Malfoy clung on just as tightly as he had before, all the while screaming at the vicious canine.
Their struggling became more hectic as Lucius began throwing out curses. Harry forced the offending wand away from his body just in time; the green light which came spilling from its contents headed straight for Lupin.
"LOOK OUT!" Harry shouted at Lupin, who spun in time to avoid the deadly curse. He appeared to be waiting for an opportunity to throw another stunner at Malfoy, but the jumbled threesome was moving much too quickly for him to get a clear shot. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Lupin spin and aim his wand down the street, and out of its tip burst the large silver silhouette of an animal. It charged away, in the general direction of Wisteria Walk.
Harry finally managed to wrench himself free of Malfoy's grip, but then the enormous dog bowled into his bleeding leg, and he roared with pain again. The mutt still had a firm grasp on Malfoy's torn arm, and was now dragging him around in circles. The sight would have been funny if the situation weren't so grave.
A bright purple curse blossomed out of the Lucius's wand next, but this time it was targeted at Lupin. Harry tried to yell out a warning, but it was too late. The curse made contact with Lupin's back and sent him to his knees, wheezing feebly.
When Malfoy's wand came around towards Harry again, Harry grabbed onto it and pried it from his fingers before Malfoy could shout out something else, and hurled it away as far as he could. Malfoy screeched in fury as the dog pushed him further away from Harry.
Suddenly the dog was gone, and a series of popping noises overtook the street. Harry looked around him, bewildered, but someone had taken hold of his arm yet again and was hauling him into the trees. When Harry saw who it was, he let out a shout.
"Just keep running!" The unfamiliar man barked at him. But Harry couldn't run. He could barely put any weight on his injured leg, and it was slowing them down. Behind him he heard Malfoy searching for his wand, and screeching orders to some other men, most likely his newly arrived comrades.
The strange man quickly scooped Harry up into his arms, ignoring Harry's feeble protests, and galloped onward. They dodged jets of green light and trampled through many unfamiliar backyards until they got to a field with lots of long grass and large prickly bushes scattered around in clumps. They appeared to have temporarily lost their pursuers, so the man unceremoniously dumped Harry on the ground.
"Hide!" he whispered urgently through the rain. The man crouched down, and together they both crawled through the thick mud and into the bushes. The branches scratched Harry's face and imbedded themselves in his hair, but he ignored them. When they got to the middle, they both lay as still as they could.
"We'll wait here until we're sure they're gone," the strange man breathed, panting hard. He had long, matted black hair that fell past his shoulders, and deep, haunted looking grey eyes. His chest was heaving from the stress of running. "Try not to make any sounds."
"Who's 'they'?" Harry asked, staring at the man. He felt a prickle of fear travel up his spine and the hair on the back of his neck stood up.
"Death Eaters," the man breathed, so softly that Harry barely caught what he said.
"What are Death-" but he didn't finish, for the loud CRACK of Apparation sounded through the downpour, and a black mass suddenly appeared in the field. Heavy black robes billowed around the figure as it began walking towards their hiding place with a steady stride. Had it noticed their footprints? Harry could have sworn it looked directly at him, and shuddered. The figure fingered its wand.
"Wait here and don't make any noise. I'll be right back," the black haired man whispered again. He turned back into a dog and crept out from under the brush. Harry wanted to call him back, and beg him not to leave him alone, but instead held his breath.
The man dressed in black, the Death Eater, had walked out of his line of vision. Harry was overcome by a sudden feeling of helplessness. Where had the man gone? Why wasn't the dog coming back? He could have sworn the bushes were beginning to close in on him, and Harry subconsciously shook himself- now was not the time to have a panic attack. Harry lay with baited breath, his ears pricked for the slightest of sounds, fearfully waiting for something to happen.
"CRUCIO!" a voice screamed from behind the bush. Harry's heart leaped into his throat, but before he could yell in surprise, his body was overtaken by pain.
It was a very quick curse, but to Harry it could have lasted for centuries. Thousands of white hot knives were digging into his bare flesh, ripping his limbs apart one by one…. His body must certainly be burning to ashes, as he unconsciously writhed on the sopping grass…. He realized from a great distance that he was screaming….
It stopped abruptly. Harry lay weak and panting on the ground, with the branches of the bush digging painfully into his back. Strange snarling noises were coming from behind him, and it sounded as though two animals were rolling around in the grass, fighting. It could have been a mile away, for all Harry knew in his current position.
He concentrated on a dripping leaf hanging in front of his nose. His eyes couldn't seem to focus. After a few minutes, the snarling stopped.
"Harry?" a concerned voice broke through the ringing in his ears. "Are you alright?"
Harry couldn't answer; he felt so exhausted…. He gave a soft groan.
"Harry?!"
The voice was becoming more panicked now. It was making Harry panic again, too. He tried to twist his body so that he was lying on his back, but soon discovered it to be a very bad idea as pain laced up his limbs again.
"Stupid- bushes-" the leaves were being pushed back, and the man with black hair returned into Harry's line of sight. "I'm going to help you sit up, okay?" Harry just moaned in response, fatigue overtaking his mind and body.
The man placed his hands under Harry's shoulders, and gently lifted them above the ground. Harry let out a sharp hiss of pain. Which curse had that been, anyway?
"Stay with me, Harry." Stay with you? I'm not going anywhere...
His body was slowly pulled into a sitting position, and out from under the shrubs. His head was beginning to clear, and he tried to focus on the strange man's face. He could have sworn he was seeing double.
"W- who-" His body was racked with coughs.
"Easy, there. Take deep breaths. That's it." The man's voice was soothing, comforting…. Harry began to close his eyes.
"No, Harry! You can't sleep. Stay with me!" His voice was urgent now. "I really hate to do this to you, but we've got to move. I have to get you someplace safe."
Safe? Wait- were there more of those men? Harry sat in uneasy silence as everything slowly came trickling back to him.
"Where…." Harry croaked, and licked his lips. They were covered in blood from where he'd bitten through his already split lip. He watched as the dog-man ran a hand agitatedly through his tangled hair, lost in desperate thoughts. Who was he, anyways? He had just saved Harry's life, and he also seemed to know Harry personally. Harry cast his mind around, but he couldn't seem to come up with any memories of meeting him before. Just like Lupin, he thought. Wait- Lupin!
"L-Lupin... he was h-hurt...," His voice was broken by tremors, but he succeeded in gaining the man's attention.
"He'll be fine," the man stated matter-of-factly, but Harry thought he could detect an ounce of concern in his voice. "That wasn't a severe curse, and the Aurors will patch him up in no time." Harry was about to ask what Aurors were, but the man continued before he had the chance.
"I know where we can go, but we'll have to Apparate. That is, if this wand will hold up." The man grinned devilishly and held up Lucius's broken wand, of which the tip was dangling by the strand of a single unicorn tail hair. Harry looked up at him, startled (which was another painful mistake). Apparate?
"B- but- I don't know h-"
"I'll side- along apparate you. Do you think you can stand?" The man leaned over Harry's body, checking for further leg injuries. There was too much mud.
Harry nodded and, trying to ignore the agony in his leg and the tremors that continued to attack his body, reached out a hand for help. The man grabbed it and gently pulled him to his feet. Harry swayed dangerously, feeling nauseous, but the man quickly snaked an arm around his waist.
"You're going to want to hold on tight. Ready?" Harry nodded weakly. Larger raindrops pattered over his face and he tightened his grip on the man's wrist.
Suddenly, the man spun and jerked away from Harry, and he almost lost his hold. They were plunged into thick, compressing darkness, and were being squeezed on all sides; Harry's eyes and nose were being pressed into his skull, and he couldn't breath- he was going to suffocate-
They landed hard, on the top of some concrete steps, and Harry's legs gave way. The man pulled him back up, and half carried him up the steps to the door at the top. He quickly scanned the street before bypassing the snake-shaped brass door knocker and turning the knob to reveal the thick, impending darkness inside.
Harry was heaved over the threshold and the door shut behind them with a snap, completely blocking out the light from the streetlamps. It was eerily silent inside and smelled… old. Harry assumed it was an old manor. He could somehow tell that it hadn't been lived in for quite a while.
"This way," the man whispered, and helped him limp down a hallway to the right. The man's hushed voice was unnerving.
Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and from the chandelier. After a closer look at one of the walls, Harry could see that the wallpaper was decorated with snakes. Ahead of them was a flight of stairs twisting down under the floor, into what looked like a basement. As the man turned onto those stairs, Harry resisted. With his heart thumping madly in his lungs, he struggled out of the man's grip and fell backwards into the wallpaper snakes, which hissed menacingly at him. He clutched at the wall to stay upright as the man turned and looked at him in confusion.
"I'm- I'm not-" Harry croaked, his quivering fingers causing the cobwebs to vibrate.
The man raised his eyebrows. "What?"
"Where are we?" Harry demanded. He somehow managed to put some force behind his words. He wasn't sure if he could completely trust this man yet. Besides, what were they doing in a house that appeared to belong to the darkest of wizards? And Harry didn't even have his wand on him! He shuddered.
"This is my family's house," the man sighed. "I promise I won't hurt you. I would never do that."
Harry stared at him, and the man stared back. Finally he spread his hands.
"Look- I don't even have a wand… one that isn't broken, at least. We're just going into the kitchen so I can clean you up."
Harry gazed at the man again, wishing more than anything that his instincts would tell him what to do now, but all he found was confusion and that remaining strong sense of helplessness. Slowly, he nodded. The man wrapped an arm around his tense body again and supported most of his weight as they trudged down through the floor.
The kitchen was almost pitch black, but Harry could make out that it was also extremely dirty, with a scraggly wooden table in the center that had to have at least two inches of dust on it. But the room had a friendlier feel to it than the rest of the house, despite the musty air and the overwhelming smell of mildew. For one, the room was completely bare of snakes, of which Harry was immensely grateful.
The man pulled out a dusty chair and Harry gratefully sat down, relieved at finally being able to rest his leg. The man then walked around the room lighting candles with a box of matches he'd pulled out from one of the cabinets.
"W- who are you?" Harry demanded as soon as the man's back was turned.
The man paused, obviously disarmed at the unexpected question. He hesitated before he spoke, turning slowly to face Harry, the matches in his fingertips forgotten.
"My name is Sirius." Harry sank deeper into the chair, intimidated by the dark look upon Sirius's face. "I thought you already knew who I was."
Harry was baffled. How should he know who this man was? He shook his head.
"You're an animagus." Harry said, and immediately felt stupid for stating the obvious, but Sirius merely nodded in response and returned to lighting the candles. His face held no emotion at all now.
"Why was Lupin so afraid of you?" Harry asked cautiously, trying to gage Sirius's reaction and wondering whether he should just shut up now before he angered the man.
Sirius turned back to the cabinets, deposited the matches, and pulled out a filthy rag.
"I knew him when I was younger. I think he thought that I would hurt you. Which I won't," he added as Harry paled. He walked to the sink and turned on the faucet, letting the water run over the rag. He grimaced after turning off the tap. "I think this is the cleanest it'll get." Sirius strode back over to Harry and sighed, biting his lip. "Where does it hurt?"
Harry tried to ignore how nervous he became as Sirius approached, even as small beads of sweat popped out on his forehead. He paused for a moment to think. It hurts everywhere. "Erm…. I think my leg hurts the most."
Sirius bent down and gently pulled up Harry's left pant leg. He sucked in his breath at the sight of the mutilated skin. Blood was still dripping from the large gash, which was now completely covered in mud. A number of smaller scratches from the bushes littered the pale skin, many of which were also leaking trails of crimson.
"You sure know how to get yourself beat up," Sirius muttered.
Harry pulled back as if stung. His breathing was becoming labored as he tried to block out the vivid flashbacks dancing in front of his eyes.
"Harry?" Sirius looked shocked and deeply concerned. "Are you okay? What did I do?"
Harry's gaze settled on the lumpy surface of the wooden table as he caught his breath. Swallowing, he shook his head. "Nothing."
"That wasn't nothing."
"Yes it was. I'm fine."
"You are anything but fine! Look at you! You're torn to pieces!" Sirius gently grabbed Harry's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "Please tell me the truth. What happened to you?"
Harry stared at him with wide eyes, resisting the all consuming urge to pull out of his tight grip and cower in the corner of the room. Instead he replied, "You saw what happened. Some Death Eater cursed me, and Malfoy almost ripped my leg off-"
"I meant before that."
Harry froze. How could he possibly guess? Did he already know?
"W-what-?"
"Why is your cheek swollen like that?" Sirius asked, glancing at the bruise in question.
"I- well- I tripped and hit my face on-"
"Is that the truth, Harry?" Sirius's grip on his shoulders was now painful. He knows.
Harry struggled uselessly in Sirius's grip, his heart drumming madly against his frozen lungs. "What's it to you?" he exclaimed in desperation. "I don't even know you!"
It was Sirius's turn to recoil. He took a moment to recollect himself before his eyes narrowed. "What did he do to you?" he growled, sounding very much like the bear-like dog he'd once been.
"HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" Harry was out of his seat before he even registered that he was yelling. His chair had fallen over, and he was balancing on his good leg. Sirius opened his mouth to speak, but Harry beat him to it.
"I don't know why you care so much, and as creepy as it is, I appreciate it. But I would also appreciate it if you could take me back to Privet Drive. Please," he added, as an afterthought. His leg began to shake violently, so he grabbed onto the table for balance. Sirius's eyes softened.
"Let's clean you up and get you to bed. I believe it's quite late." He bent down and stood the chair back up, and Harry hesitantly settled onto it.
A/N: Please drop me a review whether you like it or hate it! I love all feedback. :)