Chapter 10

As Remus realized that he was staring at Harry and Harry had noticed it, Remus quickly averted his gaze. To give Harry an uncomfortable feeling was, after all, the last thing he wanted. Actually, he would have preferred to do nothing more just now than to take Harry into his arms and to hug him tightly to himself, but he ignored that impulse. Harry didn't know him and likely would not have accepted an embrace from him. He had unsettled Harry already enough with his tears, Remus thought and tried to get his conflicting feelings under control.

Sighing he leaned back in his armchair and waited for Sara and the children to pack their few things.

How much a single conversation could change, though still a part of him seemed to resist believing what Harry had told him. Still he couldn't quite grasp the truth. The knowledge that he had done Sirius wrong all those years was hard to bear. If he would have only waited then and listened when Sirius had asked him for that. How much sooner he would have had discovered the truth; how much sorrow they all would have been spared. That Harry and little Faith had suffered under the situation had become more than clear. Now, far too late, he deeply regretted to have attacked Sirius then.

"Will he believe us?"

Startled Remus looked up and swallowed as he saw Harry's emerald eyes which looked at him, scared and hopeful at the same time. As he had told Sara and the children that they had to go to Hogwarts on the fastest way, there had been an oppressive silence for a while. Harry and Faith had looked to Sara and the young woman to him. Even if he knew that it was hard for the three to trust him and that he shouldn't be surprised, it nevertheless pained him. Only as he had said that there wasn't any other possibility to help Sirius, Sara had agreed.

Remus slowly stood up and dared to put an arm around Harry. Whether Dumbledore would believe them was indeed the question, but that Albus had to be told the truth was certain.

The truth had to come to light, Sirius had to be acquitted, another one condemned.

Apart from that Albus would be able to handle the situation best, he would know what there was to do, and he would talk with the Minister of Magic and would initiate everything necessary.

"Yes, he will believe us." Remus said and hugged Harry cautiously close for a moment.

As Sara said that they were ready little later, Remus enchanted the luggage to a size that it fit easily into Sara's handbag, which earned him a headshaking from Sara and set off to Hogwarts with Sirius' family.

Since Remus didn't want to waste unnecessary time and didn't see another possibility, he led his companions to a deserted little street and flagged down the Knight Bus, which still brought wizards and witches to the places they wanted and whose owners didn't care whether they provoked the anger of the Dark Lord by refusing any Death Eaters to use their bus.

His money, as he had checked, would be barely enough. Casting a glance at Harry, he simultaneously told Harry to keep his scar hidden. Though the Knight Bus wasn't exactly a favourite means of locomotion of Remus, it would serve the purpose this time. He ignored the astonished glances of Sara and the children and urged them to quickly sit down on the beds. While Sara tried to hold onto something with white face, the children seemed to find the drive funny, at least, judging how they squealed clung to each other.

Remus was nevertheless more than glad as they could get off in Hogsmeade.

"Everything all right?" he asked Sara quietly whose face still was rather pale.

She nodded wordlessly. Remus smiled at her and indicated her and the children to follow him.

They had hardly taken a step forward, as Remus noticed the Aurors who ran all over the street. He frowned and just wanted to stop one of them and ask what had happened as a familiar voice called his name.

"Remus! Where on earth were you? I was so worried about you." Claire exclaimed and relieved flung her arms around his neck. Remus briefly hugged her close and pushed her then away.

"Claire, what happened?" he asked, fighting the bad feeling down which rose in him.

Claire looked to his companions. He saw the curiosity in her eyes, but only when he nodded, she began to speak.

"I don't know anything definite. Apparently Peter Pettigrew wanted to visit Sirius Black. And now both have disappeared. The Auror who had been guarding Black shortly left the hospital wing and knows of nothing. Anyway, it seems that Black succeeded to escape. Obviously he has taken Pettigrew as hostage. Though it is a complete mystery how he should have managed it in his condition to have not only attacked Pettigrew but to escape, let alone to stand up from bed."

Speechless Remus stared at Claire, gazed then to Sara and the children, who clung to Sara.

Peter, Harry thought and felt how he froze. Desperate he looked up.

„Sirius was injured?" he asked softly. Even if he feared the answer, he had to know. Harry clutched Sara's arm, and briefly closed his eyes. Everything in him felt the urge to hope that Sirius had indeed escaped. But according to what the young woman had just said, something else seemed far more likely. If Peter had Sirius in his power, then Sirius was lost. Peter would bring him to Voldemort.

"Sirius?" he heard Claire ask. He sensed how she looked at him searchingly, and noticed his scar. Her eyes widened. She wanted to say something, but before she could, Remus pleaded,

"Please, Claire, was Sirius injured? I'll tell you everything in a moment."

Claire swallowed.

"The French Ministry wanted to question Black under Veritaserum, but it seemed not to show any effect, so that they gave him a rather high dose. The result was that he lost consciousness.

I think his condition was rather grave. Anyway, according to what I've heard. That's why I also don't understand how he should have managed…"

"Peter will bring Sirius to Voldemort, Remus!" Harry said and looked at Remus, who nodded with worried face.

"Come, let's go. We can't lose any time."

While they hurried to the castle, Harry heard how Remus spoke to Claire and told her in brief words who they were and what had happened, but Harry didn't pay great attention to that. He could only think of Sirius, in which deadly danger he was in. As Faith's small cold hand sneaked in his, he squeezed it and looked up. They had nearly reached Hogwarts and with huge eyes Harry stared at the castle. Sirius had often told him of Hogwarts, but his imagination didn't match the reality in the slightest. Even if he was beside himself with fear and worry for Sirius, he couldn't help himself. Awed his gaze scanned the towers and battlements.

Harry looked to the side and saw that Sara and Faith also hadn't remained unimpressed.

A little later they stepped through the main entrance and Remus led them along a broad corridor.

Harry turned his attention from the moving paintings away and riveted it on Remus' slender figure. Even if he was rather sure that Remus had believed them and was now convinced of Sirius' innocence, Harry couldn't suppress his doubts completely whether they could really trust Remus.

Harry knew that Sirius considered Remus still as a friend and yet he couldn't forget how much Sirius had been wrong about Peter Pettigrew. And now Peter had betrayed them again. Harry pressed his lips together. No, he didn't want to think where Sirius was now or how he fared. Sirius would return, somehow everything would turn well again, he had to believe it, he just had to. Harry was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice how Remus came to a halt and murmured a word.

"Sorry." he quietly said as he ran against Remus.

Harry flinched as the stony gargoyle in front of them suddenly moved and let a spiral staircase became visible.

They went up the narrow stairs and Remus knocked at the door. At their entrance the wizard who sat at a massive long desk raised his head.

"Remus, there you are. Your absence had us worried. What brings you…"

Harry who had stood behind Remus had taken a step to the side. He looked straight into blue eyes, which seemed to have the ability to look into his soul. While trying hard to sustain the gaze, Harry uncomfortably shifted from one foot to the other. Slowly he felt anger rising in him. He forced himself to calmly remain staying and stared now as well at Albus Dumbledore, tried to remember what Sirius had told about the leader of the Order of the Phoenix. Involuntarily he wondered what would have happened if Sirius had gone to Dumbledore then. Would the old wizard had believed Sirius or would Sirius' fear of prison had been justified?

"I think there is much to discuss." Albus finally said and stood up.

And barely a moment later they were sitting in comfortable armchairs and Harry had to convince a stranger of Sirius' innocence for the second time this day, which took long. Dumbledore had a lot of questions and Harry felt how he became more and more impatient. Sara seemed also to know that he was shortly before jumping up and losing his self-control. She put a hand on his arm and shook slightly her head.

Dumbledore cast a glance at both of them and continued his questioning. And Harry answered and even asked something himself from time to time.

"Though I still have difficulties to understand why Sirius escaped then instead of telling the Order and me the truth, I do believe you, Harry." Albus said at last.

Standing up he gave Remus and Claire some orders and seemed to have forgotten Harry completely to his astonishment.

While Remus stayed behind with Albus, Claire brought them to two rooms and said that the Order of the Phoenix would decide as soon as possible what to do. After Claire had left them alone, and Harry asked himself angrily why they couldn't take part in the assembly, too, three strange little creatures appeared and brought them something to eat. Faith, who was curious, found out that they were house-elves and Harry would have been fascinated of the magical beings if he hadn't been much too caught in his fear for Sirius. The food, though delicious, he nearly left untouched.

"Harry, you have to eat something." Sara admonished him gently, but Harry shook his head.

Faith also ate only little and even Sara managed her portion only half.

As Sara saw how Harry and Faith yawned and effortlessly tried to hide their tiredness, she sent both to bed. Harry protested.

"I'm not tired yet."

"Yes, you are. It was a long day and who knows how long it will still take for the Order to decide what to do."

But only when Sara had promised him to wake him up immediately should Claire come to them and make a report as she had promised, he went with Faith to the other room. While Faith, who hardly could keep her eyes open anymore, fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow, Harry didn't feel the slightest desire to sleep, no matter how exhausted he might be.

After a while he found the air in the room suffocating. He stood up and went to the window. As the chilly night air surrounded him, he sighed and padded back to the bed. He stumbled over one of their bags and fell to his knees. Cursing he began to stuff the things which had fallen out back into the bag. The wand of his father he unceremoniously thrust into his trouser pocket. Even if he usually didn't need a wand, it couldn't do any harm.

As Harry picked up the little photo album which Sirius had taken with him then he stopped. He opened it and looked at the pictures of his parents. As his gaze fell on one of the pictures whereon his parents sat in the grass in front of a little green house and his mother hold him in her arms, a thought flashed through Harry's mind.

"Godric's Hollow." he murmured.

Neither Sirius nor Dumbledore, as he had asked him earlier, had been able to tell him how he should have managed it to defeat Voldemort, nor why Voldemort had wanted to kill the Potter family at all costs.

But perhaps he would be able to find an indication in his parents' house. Granted, it was a crazy idea and probably it would not bring anything, but everything was better than to wait here and to do nothing, while Sirius was in the power of Voldemort. Harry knew that he had to do something, however little promising it might be, otherwise he would suffocate at this helpless fury he felt since he had read of Sirius' arrest in the newspaper. Though he had the vague presumption that a visit to Godric's Hollow would also not bring him the enlightenment what he could do to rescue Sirius, he somehow had the feeling that it was important that he went to the house of his parents.

He placed the photo album on his bedside locker, silently left the room and joined Sara who had snuggled up in one of the armchairs and was staring motionless at the ceiling. She didn't say anything as he sat next to her, only put wordlessly her arms around him. They were still sitting so, as a soft knocking rang out and Remus and Claire came in.

As Harry heard that the Order wouldn't act immediately, but would first try to find out where Sirius was kept prisoner, he was more than disappointed. But to Remus' logic that it would help no-one, least of all Sirius if the Order attacked each known hiding place of Voldemort and his followers and hoped that the Dark Lord would not take away the prisoner as soon as the Order members should succeed – what was rather unlikely – to storm the hiding place, Harry couldn't close his mind. Let alone that each member of the Order would risk his life for a venture that was as good as hopeless and moreover completely reckless.

On top of that it was difficult enough to defend Hogwarts and the other headquarters of the Order as Remus explained. Under no circumstances could they withdraw the defence of those places. Claire and Remus tried to encourage them and finally wished them a good night. They were already at the door as Harry straightened up and called Remus' name.

"Could you take me to Godric's Hollow?"

Remus raised one eyebrow, looked astonished at him.

"To Godric's Hollow?"

"Yes, please, Remus. Couldn't you do me this one favour?"

"Harry, what on earth do you want there?"

"I don't know. I was never there. It's the house of my parents. Please, Remus, take me there."

Remus sighed and exchanged a glance with Claire. It was Claire who said,

"Why not?"

"Snape will surely tell Voldemort that Harry is in Hogwarts. I hardly think that it will occur to the Dark Lord to send his followers to Godric's Hollow."

Remus looked still doubting, but he agreed to Harry's relief.

"Tomorrow?" Harry asked and Remus nodded.

As Harry lay in bed shortly afterwards, he hugged an old teddy bear, which Sirius had given him a few years ago, close to himself and tried desperately to fall asleep. He didn't succeed, however, as his thoughts over and over again wandered to Sirius. Only when Sara, who looked after them, noticed that he was still awake and she took him into her arms, he finally fell asleep, secured in her warmth.