Hey guys, sorry its been so long since I've updated. But I've finished Uni for the year and hopefully I'll at least have Harry up to Hogwarts by the end of the holidays :) enjoy!
Chapter Ten:
He was flying again. All his worries, all his nightmares just fell away. He was dimly aware of the Thestral's wings beating occasionally and of a rush of air as more brooms joined them. The wind was caressing his face, welcoming him back, his clothes fluttered joyfully and his mind soared; he was home, he was flying.
The flight was long. The joy of flying wore thin but did not vanish as cramps and cold sunk in. He was freezing, despite his coat and his legs were stiff and sore from holding onto the Thestral's thin slippery frame. Harry was glad that Mad-eye was shouting when they were to change direction, so Harry could brace himself. However, it wasn't long before he was becoming frustrated with Mad-eye's paranoia.
'Touch-down, Harry,' called Tonks, a second before the Thestral jolted slightly, clattering to a top. Harry slipped off the beast and, with one hand trailing over its back, guided him around to the front. He reached up and stoked and rested his forehead against its muzzle.
'Thank-you,' he murmured and it whinnied reassuringly back.
'Potter, come here,' growled Moody, and Harry was about to snap back when Hermione rested her hand on his arm. She guided him closer and Moody was oddly quiet apparently guilty that he'd forgotten. 'Now we can't talk here. We're not sure if this'll work but read this,' he muttered, pressing a piece of parchment into his hand. He was about to snap again, getting frustrated at Moody's constant forgetfulness when his finger brushed slightly against a Braille letter.
The he read but the next couple of words were not Braille but a long line of raised parchment. He frowned but continued. The something will be found at something, he read.
'Ron you first,' murmured Lupin and Ron's tentative footsteps began. There was a tense silence then his footsteps suddenly disappeared. Harry made an instinctual lunge and wet to call Ron's name when Moody tutted.
'Didn't work,' he growled, annoyed. 'Try this one,' he pressed another piece of parchment taking the first and, from the cracking and flare of heat, incinerated it. Harry ran his finger over the paper and frowned. It was large raised letters but he couldn't tell how it had been printed there. He ran his finger over it several times slowly and painfully deciphering; The Order of the Phoenix will be found at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.
'Order of the…' he murmured before someone clamped a hand over his mouth.
'Not here,' warned Tonks, letting go. 'Hermione? Your turn.'
Hermione let go of his arm and, unlike Ron, her footsteps didn't disappear. Instead they kept going, stopped then a creak of a door opening and closing. Tonks let out a sigh of relief when Harry didn't respond. 'Where are we? Whose house did Hermione just go in? Where did Ron go?' Harry was getting frustrated. No one answered him except for a shushing sound from Tonks. He heard three pairs of footsteps begin and he shuffled forward slowly, uncertain on his feet having never been here before. One set stopped, turned back and Lupin took his arm and guided him, muttering that the gutter was coming up or how many stairs there were. Lupin let go of his arm at the doorway and Harry walked in. He had barely taken a couple of steps before his foot caught on something and he tripped, knocking whatever it was over too.
On the wall opposite he heard curtains swish open and someone began shrieking. He covered his ears, the sudden noise too loud for his sensitive ears. Joining this scream, he heard others begin slightly further away.
'MUDBLOODS, BLOOD TRAITORS, FILTH OF THE WIZARDING WORLD! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!' it was a woman. She paused momentarily as someone came running into the room. 'MURDERER, TRAITOR, HOW DARE YOU BEFOUL THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS?'
There was a tugging noise and Lupin left Harry's side. Apparently the newcomer and Lupin were attempting to pull the curtains shut again. Someone ran past Harry, presumably Tonks, muttering Stupefy and the other screaming voices silenced one by one.
'SHUT UP!' the newcomer yelled just as they apparently succeeded in pulling them shut, judging by the sudden echoing quiet which befell the room. There was panting coming from the portrait, a deep breath and a shaking of something, presumably hair.
'I wanted to introduce you first, Harry, but Mum's always been rather impatient,' said the newcomer.
It was Sirius.