Okay so I'm happy to hear I mostly have decent reviews for this story other than one which I disagree with him but to each his own. Thank you to LucyLuna for pointing out some grammatical errors – that said, if anyone wants to betaread this, please contact me via PM and I'm open to it. This chapter will have Multiple POVs and it's my first time writing them, this fic is quite the experiment after all. I normally don't bash but upon revisiting the books, Dumbledore is quite manipulative so this may be considered bashing but I'm really trying to experiment humanizing him a little since he's meant to be a good character. So how do I write the Trio's friendship everyone?
2. The Strength of Love
Hermione had seen Harry in horrible situations but she had to admit, she had never seen him like this. Of course, she didn't know what nightmares plagued him only that she wished her and Ron were there. When Harry had started talking about what Pettigrew had done, a hot anger burned inside her – that traitor!
After Harry had shown him mercy the previous year in the Shrieking Shack, he dared to be the one to put Harry through such torture. Her own anger died away though as she saw how pale Ron was and how broken Harry was, she didn't know who to reassure first but Harry seemed to have more of a dire need right now so she surged forward, pulling him into her arms. Her eyes watered a little as he broke down on her shoulder because she had never seen him like this.
"Oh Harry," Hermione whispered softly, wishing she could do more for him than just offer verbal reassurances but her mind was reeling with anger and sadness at the pain her best friend had been put through. No person should have to go through so much trauma at such a young age. Her eyes narrowed as a crowd began to form and shielded Harry from it, who did not lift his head now. She was relieved when Ron moved in front of them like a living shield between them and the rest of the world.
"Back off!" Ron shouted to the crowd that had begun to gather around. "Harry doesn't want to talk about what happened so if you wanna know so much, go ask Dumbledore!" He was still shaken from what his best friend had told them but at the same time, he knew Harry needed he and Hermione to be the strong ones right now. Still, he couldn't help the seeping guilt that filled inside of him – if only he had known that his pet Scabbers was really an Animagus, he could have saved some of the pain that his best friend had gone through.
Whispers were still being moved around the crowd so Ron levelled them all with his best death glare, still shielding Harry and Hermione like a living shield. "Listen to me and sod off already!" This did disperse the crowd slightly and he turned towards Hermione. "Get Harry to the hospital wing, Hermione. I'll join you soon." His voice was firm and Hermione didn't dare disobey not that she wanted to anyway. He saw his siblings not moving though and frowned. "Guys…"
"Harry's like family to us, Ron," Fred said firmly. "We want to know what happened."
Ron frowned. "Harry nearly died, that's what happened. He was lured into the graveyard and outnumbered by You-Know-Who and his followers. Do you really think he wants to talk about that? They killed Cedric in front of him, Fred. I have to go make sure he's okay but please…chase anyone away who wants to talk to Harry. He can't deal with this right now." He was trying not to blame himself because otherwise his siblings would be curious on why he felt so guilty and this was not the kind of explanation he really wanted to get into. Fred and George were still about to protest but Ginny stopped them.
"I don't like this," Ginny admitted. "But I understand he needs you more right now so go." Ron was grateful for this and nodded, hurrying off to the Hospital Wing where Madam Pomfrey had put some medicine on Harry's arm where it had been cut and was slowly wrapping bandages around it with her wand. He sat down besides Hermione.
"Is everything okay?" Ron asked her.
"Yeah," Hermione said frowning a bit. "Madam Pomfrey is just tending to Harry's injuries. That…traitor cut pretty deep." In that moment, she had to bite back all the fury she felt directed towards Wormtail because if she could find that coward, she would make him suffer with her own hands. He was the reason her best friend was put through such horrible trauma and the reason he was on a hospital bed right now. "I'll never forgive him." Her voice was low so only Ron could hear and his expression said it all.
"I can't believe I kept him as a pet," Ron said, disgust in his voice as he glared down at his feet. He could not bear to tell his siblings this because if he felt this horrible – his mother would be horrified to know she had kept a follower of Voldemort in her house, letting him sleep in the same room as the kids so he decided to keep this a secret and instead moved closer to Harry. "How do you feel Harry?"
"He can touch me now," Harry whispered as if he didn't really hear Ron. "I'm no longer under my Mom's protection because he used my blood to revive Voldemort to full strength. He can kill me more easily now." There was a sharp intake of breath from both Hermione and Ron. Hermione's eyes filled with tears and Ron was pale white as if he were the one who had endured the torture and not Harry.
Hermione pushed away her tears – she couldn't cry now, not when Harry needed her to be the strong one considering he was so broken himself. She took Harry's hand in her own. "We're in this together, Harry. Ron and I will never leave you alone in this. Not now, not ever." She didn't know what else she could say or do. Wormtail had caused a harm that couldn't be taken back – it was true, Harry was more unprotected now and she wished she could just take him somewhere where even Voldemort's shadow could not harm him but she knew that wasn't possible and she hated that.
It made her heart clench when Harry didn't reply. Nothing seemed to be working – her comfort, Ron's comfort, none of it had any effect on her best friend and she had never before felt this helpless about anything. Suddenly, the door to the hospital wing opened and Dumbledore entered, along with Molly Weasley and a big black dog who hurried over to Harry practically licking his face. Harry begun crying again, wrapping his arms around the dog and burying his head into the other's fur.
Molly's eyes watered. "Harry…" She had never seen her near-son this broken. "You're safe now, you're home."
The dog was whining and continued to nuzzle Harry, trying to bring the distressed boy some comfort although given the fact that Hermione was crying and Ron looked so pale, it wasn't a very encouraging sign. He whined again, almost as if seeking permission for something.
"Yes, you can," Dumbledore spoke putting a simple locking charm on the doors and with a pop, the dog transformed into Sirius Black. Molly let out a scream which Ron quickly cut off.
"Mom relax!" Ron said hurriedly. "This isn't what it looks like! He's innocent."
Molly raised an eyebrow and Ron, with some help from Hermione and the occasional remark from Dumbledore explained the events of their third year and how Pettigrew had been the one to betray Harry's parents, not Sirius. Sirius had stayed silent during this moving to pull his godson close who buried his head in Sirius's chest, shaking and shivering from everything he had been through. Molly on the other hand looked horrified.
"Scabbers?!" Molly said shocked about this. "He's Peter Pettigrew?! Oh god, he slept in the same room as my children for years!" It was clear she believed them, considering she knew Dumbledore wouldn't support a claim that was untrue. She slowly moved towards Harry and Sirius. "Harry…"
Harry who had heard the last part of Peter Pettigrew flinched slightly at the name. "He's the one who killed Cedric too…and tied me up. He used my blood to bring Voldemort back." Sirius snarled at this, holding Harry more protectively than ever and shielding him even from his own friends.
"That traitorous back-stabbing rat," Sirius snarled viciously. "I should have killed him when I had the chance."
"I stopped you," Harry said in a small voice and this quelled Sirius's anger slightly although not for too long as he saw the guilt and self-loathing in his godson's eyes. "I was an idiot. I just didn't think Dad would want his two best friends becoming murderers but I didn't know that letting him live would cost so much that Voldemort would come back. Dad would be disappointed I know. I'm disappointed in myself and I know you probably are too."
"That's not true!" Sirius and Molly said at the same time, both of them being shocked at Harry's words but Sirius more. Did Harry honestly think that he'd blame him for showing mercy? If he hadn't been so furious that night, he would have too realized that James wouldn't want that no matter what Peter had done.
"James would have shown mercy too," Sirius continued on before Molly could speak. "He would have known there would have been consequences but he still wouldn't go against his nature and be completely ruthless. Lily too, she would have been furious but she also would have made the same decision you did last year, Harry. Listen to me Harry." He placed his hands on his godson's shoulders and gave it a gentle squeeze. "James and Lily would have been proud that you managed to hold your ground with what you were going through. I'm so proud of you, Harry. And I'm sure your friends are proud at you taking a stand when most people might have broken down to tears."
"We are proud," Ron and Hermione said together, both of whom didn't want to interrupt but felt the need to put in their two cents there.
"Sirius…" Harry murmured, looking at his godfather through his puffy eyes which had gone red from crying. "But I…back then…"
Sirius shook his head. "You weren't to know. Please stop blaming yourself." He wished there was more he could do but right now, verbal reassurances would have to be enough and that frustrated him, especially when Harry was broken like this.
"I don't mean to interrupt," Dumbledore said stepping forward. "But Harry needs to rest. He's been through a lot, more than any fourteen-year-old should have to go through and this is a slight concern that Voldemort has passed the barrier of his mother's protection."
Harry cringed a little at the bluntness of the statement while Sirius glowered at Dumbledore with such fury that everyone there was worried that Sirius might do something reckless especially Harry, Ron and Hermione.
"Slight concern?" Sirius said voice rapidly rising in volume. "He's been put through hell, Albus! Do you even care that he could have died? I know he can't stay with me but I'm sure the Weasleys would be more than happy to keep him over the summer!"
"He must return back to the Dursleys," Dumbledore said almost dismissively and Sirius clenched his fists.
"He's traumatized, Albus!" Sirius cried. "How will those Muggles support him when they don't even know what he's been through?"
"Sirius, it's okay," Harry said timidly reaching out and taking Sirius's sleeve with his uninjured arm. "I'll stay there for a little bit, I guess but I hope you guys call me over soon, I don't want to be alone for too long anymore." He looked at Ron who gave him a shaky smile and Molly who was sobbing her heart out with Hermione trying to comfort her. Were they upset because of him? He didn't know – his mind was kind of still in the shock of everything.
"But…" Sirius began to protest and Harry hung his head.
"I'm just a pawn, Sirius," Harry said dully. "Just a pawn to win this war against Voldemort…it doesn't matter if anyone's using me." Of course, it stung that Dumbledore was simply treating him as if he was a pawn in this entire game but he had always been a pawn. Voldemort wanted to kill him, yes but at least he was honest in what he wanted but the same way Dumbledore was using him as a weapon against Voldemort.
"Harry!" Molly scolded before Sirius could even reply and Ron stared, stunned that his mother had stopped crying that he couldn't even make a move to say anything.
"Don't think that!" Molly continued on, ignoring Ron's staring. "Of course Dumbledore doesn't think you're a pawn! I think he just expected You-Know-Who to eventually break through the barrier and already has other protections in place to make sure you stay safe right?" Her voice became weaker at the very end as she looked to Albus, silently hoping she was saying the right thing. She was however stunned into silence as Dumbledore spoke.
"Indeed I expected it," Dumbledore said calmly as if discussing the weather. "However, the only other protection I have in place is…love. That is something Harry must discover himself. Love saved him last time but since that bond has been destroyed using Harry's blood, he must find a love stronger to repel Voldemort. Love is an emotion Voldemort doesn't understand. Alas, he is one to be pitied." He then reached out, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, you have friends here. Keep them close." He squeezed the boy's shoulder in a reassuring manner and Sirius looked ready to burst into protests again but one look at Harry's face told him not to say anymore on that.
Sirius looked at Ron and Hermione. "Please take care of him when I can't."
Ron gave him a thumbs up. "Don't worry Sirius. We won't leave his side."
Hermione nodded in agreement, expression firm. "Especially not right now. I swear if Pettigrew ever comes in front of me, I'm tearing him to bits." She had never sounded so angry over anything so this was surprising but what was even more surprising when Ron clenched his fist and nodded in agreement.
"I get first shot, Hermione," Ron said angrily, both at the fact that Scabbers had been his pet and at the fact that anybody's best friend could be that vile as to hurt their best friend's son for their own gain and put them through such pain. Sirius grinned at them both before transforming back into his Animagus form as the doors opened. Molly gave Harry a hug and a kiss on the cheek before leaving while Dumbledore sent him one last reassuring smile before following after them.
Ron came on Harry's right side, being mindful of his arm, wrapping an arm around his best friend's shoulders and pulling him close in a comforting hug. He usually wasn't this emotional but Harry needed support right now and he was willing to put his own awkwardness aside if this helped him. Hermione moved to Harry's other side, curling close against him and Harry slowly wrapped an arm around her pulling her into a hug. The three of them didn't speak, just remained close to one another.
It seemed like one of those times when words weren't really necessary because the comfort that none of them were really alone even in this dark time meant everything to them. To Harry, Ron and Hermione's mere presence and touch was reassurance that he was no longer alone, outnumbered and trapped in the graveyard and that was comforting. To Ron, Harry being close was a relief that he was safe and back home with them. To Hermione, Harry's closeness was a promise to herself that no matter what happened, she would never let him be alone again. They were in this together, all three of them until the end.