It was almost the end of September and Daisy was getting a little frustrated. Over the last two weeks, she had noticed Ginny several times to keep staring at her brother, either it in the common room or in the Great Hall during meal times. Sometimes her eyes held a look of interest and sometimes, disappointment. She would turn her gaze away whenever it would seem that he was turning toward her direction. But it's wasn't the reason behind youngest Potter's frustration.
She had been looking for some alone time with her first and best friend for the past two weeks but every time she came to get any opportunity to talk to her privately, one of their friends would just pop up and ruin it for her.
It was another two weeks later when Daisy finally got her long-awaited opportunity. It was a Saturday and the two friends were finishing their homework after lunch so that they could get rest of the Saturday and Sunday free. She was writing her Charms essay while Ginny was doing her Transfiguration. About fifteen minutes into their work, she realised that her friend was holding her quill but it wasn't moving at all. She didn't need to look up from her work to inquire what her friend was doing instead of writing her essay, knowing full well that her brother was doing his own homework with Hermione on the other side of the common room.
"Why don't you just talk to him?" she spoke up without stopping her quill.
Ginny snapped her head toward her. "Did you just say something?" she asked back, not believing what she actually heard.
It was then the younger redhead finally looked up from her parchment placing the quill in the ink pot. But this time she asked something else. "Why don't we go outside for a while? We can finish our homework later".
Ginny looked at her suspiciously for a moment and then replied, "Ok, why not!".
They left the common room; descended the stairs and through the entrance hall, they went outside into the Hogwarts ground. Once they were far enough from the possibility of interruption and prying eyes of other students, Daisy spoke up, "Why don't you just talk to him? He is just a boy like others, you know".
Ginny looked at her wide-eyed, her expression full of surprise. That first time in the common room she thought, maybe she had misheard that question. After all, she knew what her friend was talking about. And that's why it was surprising to her even more because she never realized, that her friend had actually noticed it.
But yet, she couldn't just answer her question. So she decided to get the 'acting innocent' route. "Who are you talking about?" she asked back, trying her best to sound confused.
"Do you really not know who I am talking about"? Daisy smiled mischievously. "I'm watching you from the beginning of the summer holidays, you know". She replied raising an eyebrow.
Ginny was looking horrified now. Her friend had not only noticed her staring at her brother, but also had done it from the beginning of the summer holidays. And that meant all those times she had asked her, by small pretences, all those little things about Harry, she actually had the knowledge why she was doing that. She then blushed red and turned her head away at the thought of getting caught peeking at her crush by his own sister. "I know. But I can't", she whispered. How could she? She was his sister after all.
"Why?" Daisy asked with an emphasis on the word. "Is it just because I'm his sister?"
Ginny remained silent for a few moments and then slowly nodded her head.
"Oh, is that all what I mean for you then?" she asked in a mock hurt tone and the older girl shook her head with a horrified expression. She then placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her.
"Do you really think I'm going to tell him everything you tell me"?
Ginny shook her head though her friend had just pronounced the word of her mind. "It's not that, but …" she trailed off.
Daisy put both her hands on her shoulder. "Ginny", she spoke calmly; "Don't consider me as his sister, Ginny. Because I'm asking this not as his sister but as your friend. Just your friend".
Ginny pondered her words for a few moments. No matter how much she wanted to decline it, her friend really had a valid point. She knew she had to talk to someone about her feelings and conflicts. And who better than her own best friend?
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay, what do you want to know?" she asked.
Daisy smiled at her success at convincing her friend. "What I asked earlier. Why don't you talk to Harry? Just because you fancy him?"
"It's not that easy", Ginny replied, unsure of the proper response.
"Then explain it", stated the younger girl; "I am all ears".
Ginny stood silently for the next few moments, gathering her thoughts. Then took another deep breath and started. "When I was younger, I was always fascinated with those stories of the-boy-who-lived. How he defeated the darkest wizard of the era only at the age of fifteen months and became the hero of the wizarding world. It was my bedtime story for my whole childhood. Then, when I got older, I started to dream to befriend the Harry Potter".
Then after a moment of pause, she started again. "That day, when I saw him the first time at King's Cross station, I was so captivated by his looks and those gorgeous emerald green eyes. And from that moment on, my dreams concerning the-boy-who-lived changed. I wanted to be more than his friend. Much more than his friend. And my fantasies only intensified for the next ten months when I got to read Ron's letter about how intelligent, brilliant and amazing he is".
"That day when he came to the burrow for the first time, I was so shocked that I just ran from the kitchen practically shrieking", she grimaced a bit at this point; " And that was my biggest mistake. I lost my chance. My chance to be his friend. Because after that day, I couldn't be casual around him anymore. Never. I kept knocking things whenever he entered a room I was in". Then she gave a sad smile. "I wanted to come to Hogwarts with the Boy-who-lived since the day Bill started here. But when the time actually came for me on my first year at Hogwarts, I couldn't even be within five feet around him without making a fool of myself. Every time he came face to face with me, all my thoughts and dreams would just pop into my mind and I couldn't do anything but blush and run from the spot".
Then she looked at her friend. "But still then, all my dreams and fantasies were just about the Boy-who-lived. I was crushing over the Harry Potter of those storybooks. But", she took another deep breath and paused a few moments to organise what she was going to say next. "But that silly stupid crush; those fantasies about the boy who lived, all vanished when that day he saved me from that chamber", she stopped again at this point. But this time, it was to stop those horrific memories of her first year to appear at the surface of her mind and invade her current line of thoughts. Daisy just stood there consuming every word of her friend. She didn't interrupt her and neither tried to ask any of the questions that appeared in her mind. She didn't speak up a single word to console her friend. Because she didn't want her to get interrupted. In any way.
After a few moments, Ginny started again. "That day in that chamber, I was sure that I was going to die. Because no one knew I was there, and even if they did, I was unsure if they would be able to reach there in time to find me alive. And the last thing I remembered before losing my consciousness was Tom's insult and his cruel laugh over me. It was … ", her voice trembled and Daisy gave her hand a consoling squeeze but said nothing; "It was the scariest thing in the world. Scarier even than my worst nightmare. But the next time I opened my eyes, I saw the most beautiful thing in the whole world. Those two emerald eyes of his were looking at me with such comfort and friendliness that took half of my pain away on that instant".
Then she looked at her best friend in the eyes. "Can you believe this? He himself was burning in pain. He was dying fast with the Basilisk venom inside his body. Yet the first thing he spoke that it was over. Tom was finished and I was safe. At that very moment of my life, I understood that he is much, much more than the Harry Potter in those stories; much more than the-boy-who-lived. That moment when I was dreading about my expulsion and he was consoling me, I forgot all about my crush on the Boy-who-lived. At that moment, all I did want, was to be friend of the real Harry who just brought me back into life on the peril of his own. I knew I'm not enough to be considered more than his friend. So I would've been happy with just his friendship". Then she sighed. "But again, I couldn't. Even today, more than three months after that incident, I still can't. How can I? Everytime I come face to face with him, I can't help but think how he almost came to die because of my own stupidity. Everytime I look at him, I can't help but think how little he must think of me now. That's why everytime I think to talk to him, I can't help but back away. That's why I keep staring at him and think if I'll ever be able to talk to him directly; if I'll ever be able to be his friend".
Ginny finished her explanation and kept her gaze far away over the Black Lake.
With Ginny buried in her emotions and busy organising her thoughts, and Daisy with her full attention on her best friend's words, none of the girls realised when they had reached the bank of the Black Lake. Both the girl stood there in silence for a few moments.
Ginny, in her mind, was going once again through the whole explanation she just confessed to her best friend, while Daisy was recalling the discussion she had with her brother during the summer. Then she smiled a little. Her brother and her best friend were too much alike.
"Ginny?" she called out.
"Yeah?" responded the other girl returning back from her own thoughts and wiping away the stray tears from her cheeks.
"Do you know what Harry told me during the summer when I asked him about the events of the last year ?" she asked and Ginny just shook her head.
Daisy gave a soft smile. "He said that it was his and your brothers' fault that you had to go through all those horrors".
"What?" Ginny snapped her head toward her, not believing what she just heard. How was it possible for Harry not to blame her after all the trouble and danger she had caused him and the whole school? Not only that but also he considered her brothers guilty for her own horrific experience. And wait, what was that about he blaming himself?
"Yes, Ginny" spoke up the youngest Potter before she could find any of her answer herself. "He thinks, it was your brothers' fault that they didn't look after you. After all, it was your first year and they should have been more attentive toward you. They should've checked how you were coping with the new place, a new environment of the castle. They should've checked if you were happy or not. Instead, they totally ignored you. Ignored you even after seeing you getting paler and paler by every passing month. In spite of having four brothers at Hogwarts in the same house, none of them noticed the pain and misery in your eyes".
Ginny felt like crying, overwhelmed with all the emotions. She closed her eyes to stop the tears threatening to seep out from her eyes. While none of her brothers had even tried to realise her situation, Harry not only had understood it but also confessed to his sister. But yet, she was confused. Why would Harry blame himself? After all, it was him who had saved her from Tom, despite her putting him through so much hardship and danger. so she finally asked her. "But, why Harry would blame himself? After all, it was him who rescued me from that chamber".
Daisy smiled at her best friend. She knew, after listening to her answer to this particular question she would feel guilty herself for ever being shy around him.
"He knew you were too shy to talk to him. So, he blames himself for not trying to talk to you himself and befriend you. He thinks if he would have tried to be a good friend to you, he could have comprehended what was happening to you or you would've told him yourself. And then he could've done something to prevent all these from happening and save you from those traumatic events".
Ginny was crying in real now. It was hard to believe what she had just listened.
"So I don't think, your dread is really justified", Daisy remarked shrugging; "In fact, don't you think you are just amplifying his guilt by not talking to him even after he saved you by endangering his own life?" Daisy asked giving her friend a questioning look.
Ginny actually looked startled by this question. After everything her friend told her about Harry's view and consideration, she couldn't help but agree with her friend. She was really making him feel even more guilty with her behaviour.
Ginny looked at her friend and nodded her head. "I'm sorry".
Daisy smiled and put her arm around her best friend. "It's okay Ginny. It's not too late to amend your mistakes. What you've to do is just to be casual around him and treat him how he wants to be treated. Like Harry; like every other boy."
"I'll do", Ginny replied nodding her head.
Daisy smiled beaming at her friend. She had finally done her job.
At that moment a voice came from their back.
"Potter?"
Both the girl turned around and found Ava Mary, a sixth year Gryffindor, standing a couple of yards away.
"Yes, Ava?" Daisy called out.
"Your brother is looking for you", she replied. Daisy nodded and the girl left.
"So, what do you think?" she asked her friend; "Have you changed your decision about just staring at him instead of speaking to him directly?"
The older girl smiled shyly and nodded.
"Good". The younger girl complimented, and they both got up from their spot ready to head back toward the castle.
When both the girls were walking back toward the castle, Daisy didn't know why, but she was having a strange feeling that the conversation she just had with her best friend, had a significance beyond her actual intention.
That night Ginny was lying in her bed wide awake. She was going through the discussion she had that afternoon with her best friend, in her mind. She had told her about her silly crush on the Boy-who-lived and how it vanished the day Harry rescued her from that chamber. But what she didn't tell her friend was, that now she started to grow feelings for Harry, the real Harry, the sweet, brave and noble Harry. She didn't know if he would ever fall for her; if he would return her feelings, but the one thing she surely knew was that Harry would always have a special spot in her heart. A spot that would be his and his only. And she would happily live with that.
Then she remembered what Daisy told her about Harry's view regarding her horrific experience the previous year. It was still quite disbelieving to her. Harry was actually feeling guilty for not being a good friend to her. It made her heart warm to think that Harry himself wanted to be her friend.
At that moment she understood, that all those times he was trying to include her in their conversation at the Burrow during the summer, he was actually trying to make her comfortable around him. And she, being a fool as always, kept blushing all those times.
And now she herself was feeling a little guilty thinking how hurt and disappointed Harry must've been when she kept ignoring him despite his repeated attempts to befriend her.
But not anymore, she said to herself. Harry was the best of friends one could ever hope for, and she was definitely not going to miss out that being all quiet and shy around him. She would give him the friendship and support he deserved. She didn't know if she would ever be able to be one of his best friends like Ron and Hermione, but she would give him the best she could.
With that, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep with her heart and mind filled with new hopes and determinations.
The next morning, Ginny woke up and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. She entered the great hall and found Harry sitting at the Gryffindor table with Ron and Hermione on one side and Daisy on the other. She walked toward the table and took the seat beside her friend.
"Good morning Daisy, good morning Harry", she greeted.
"Good morning", greeted Harry instinctively. But as the voice settled into his brain, his head snapped toward the direction of the voice, surprised. It was the first time she had talked to him on her own. He looked at her wide-eyed for a few moments and Ginny got a little nervous. Then he gave a genuine smile and she returned that with one of her bright ones.
Daisy, totally aware of this interaction, kept her attention firmly on her breakfast, though her inside was bursting with joy. Her discussion with Ginny had taken its effect in the best and she was happy for both her brother and best friend.
It was the second week of October, and James and Lily Potter were having breakfast at the kitchen table of Potter Manor when the sound of the doorbell came from the front hall. Lily got up; exited the kitchen and entered the front hall. She opened the main door of the house and found there standing outside, to her utter surprise, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and John Dawlish, a co-auror of her husband in the Ministry of Magic.
"Hello Minister, hello Mr Dawlish" she greeted recomposing herself quickly.
"Hello Mrs Potter", greeted back the Minister.
"Why don't you come inside?" she offered politely.
"No need for that, Mrs Potter", replied the Minister; "We just wanted to talk to James for a bit. Can you just call him outside?"
"Of course Minister", she replied and went back inside.
About half a minute later James appeared in the doorway with a confused look in his face.
"Hello sir", James greeted shaking both the men's hand; "Is there any problem? I was just going to leave for the Ministry in a while".
"It's okay James. Dawlish and I just came here to check on you and your wife".
James was even more confused now. "Check on us, sir?"
Fudge nodded. "Yes James, check on you. Actually, the matter is …", he looked little hesitant at this point; "Sirius Black has been spotted last night at a muggle area about ten miles from here".
James didn't know what he should feel: happy, sad, confused or shocked. Sirius Black, his best friend, an accused murderer and traitor and most of all, the person he was searching for the last five months, was there last night near their house.
"Sirius?" he asked in a confused tone.
"Yes James, Sirius", Fudge nodded; "That's why we came to check if he had tried to attack you and your wife last night or not".
"Oh, no sir, he didn't try anything like that", James replied, though inside, he would've been happier if he did really attack them last night. At least that way he could've got his answers.
"That's a good thing, James", Fudge nodded; "We will take leave of you then".
"See you in the ministry, James" Dawlish spoke up shaking his hand, and both the Minister and his escort walked toward the gate of the boundary wall.
James went back into the house and joined his wife back at the kitchen table.
"Why did Minister stop by?" asked Lily after he settled down in his previous chair.
James took a deep breath and then let it out. "Sirius was spotted last night in a muggle area ten miles away from here".
Lily's eyes widened at this news. "And?" she asked nervously though she didn't really know what answer she was expecting.
"And", James started; "They thought he might have tried to attack us".
None of them spoke for the next few minutes, just sat there buried in their own thoughts.
Then Lily spoke up. "James, do you really think Sirius could have attacked us?"
"I don't know Lily", he said annoyed at his own confusion; "I didn't know twelve years ago, and I don't even know now". He put his head on the kitchen table. Lily got up from her chair where she was sitting across her husband; rounded the table and took the chair beside him. She placed a gentle kiss on his head and started to run her fingers through his messy hair. It always had a calming effect on him.
"Don't worry, everything will be okay".
"You know", James said raising his head from the table; "Still this day, I can't totally take the fact that it was Sirius who betrayed us. But even after that, I couldn't do anything. Sirius was locked in one of those cells where only dementors, Azkaban guards and Minister of Magic can go. And the only way to prove him innocence was to find Peter",
"Do you think", Lily spoke up after a moment of thought; "They kept Sirius in one of those cells intentionally, so that, you being an auror wouldn't be able to meet him".
James sighed. "I don't know Lily, but maybe you are right".
Both the Potters sat there another few minutes in silence, then James spoke up with his gaze fixed at the newspaper on the table, "Lily"?
"Yes honey?" she replied turning toward him.
"Do you really think, Sirius was muttering about Harry in his sleep?" he asked without turning his gaze away from the newspaper. It was the question bugging him for the last two and a half months.
"I don't know, James", she answered making a thoughtful expression, gazing at the opposite wall. Then she looked back at her husband. "But why are you asking this now?"
"Because I don't think so".
For a split second Lily looked shocked at her husband's remark. But she recomposed herself quickly and asked calmly, "Why?"
It was then James turned toward his wife.
"Think about it a bit, Lily. Sirius was in Azkaban for almost twelve years. That meant, he was under the effect of the Dementors for twelve years, while wizards and witches get insane within just weeks into their imprisonment. So tell me, what's the chance of him remembering about Harry all of a sudden in such condition?", he didn't give his wife any chance to answer but continued himself; "And even if did, Lily, why Hogwarts? Why not Potter Manor? Or Glasgow? Or Scotland? How would he know our son is at Hogwarts while it's impossible for him to track the flow of time inside Azkaban under the Dementors' effect?"
Lily sat silent on her spot unable to think of any proper answer. After all, her husband wasn't wrong at all. There really stood no logic behind the fact that Sirius would suddenly remember about their son after twelve years in Azkaban.
"Don't worry honey, everything will be revealed in time. And you'll have your answers, once you find him". Lily kissed the side of his head; got up and took the plates to the sink.
It was almost the middle of night and a man in his mid-thirties lay on soft grass over the hard rocks of a hill five miles from Hogwarts. It wasn't a very comfortable bed, but far better than what he was used to for the last eleven years his life. His grey eyes were fixed at the crescent moon in the sky but his mind was wandering aimlessly through the events of his life weighing the amount of happiness and misery this world had brought to him.
He, Sirius Orion Black, son of Orion and Walburga Black, was born on the 3rd November 1959, in a noble pureblood family. But the values of his family wasn't as noble as the designation of their surname. From his early childhood, he hated his family's pureblood supremacy and amour for the dark arts. And his parents, particularly his mother, used to dislike him for the same reason. That's why his childhood was never so pleasant and memorable. His brother, Regulus, was always treated like the jewel of the family while he himself was treated like a stain.
But his life changed the day he stepped onto the Hogwarts Express for the first time in his life, at the age of eleven. He got three wonderful friends anyone could hope for: James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. But at the same time, the tension between his family and him intensified as he was sorted into Gryffindor tearing down his family's long maintained tradition to be sorted into Slytherin. Yet he was happy. He was happy to be with his best friend, James; pranking others; having fun and living a life he always wanted to.
They even had a name for their group, Marauders, where James was the leader, the mastermind of the group; he himself was the idea hamster, bringing the most peculiar ideas to prank people; Remus, being the studious of four, was the knowledge of the group and Peter, being the smallest, was the spy.
Then, in their third year at Hogwarts, they came to know that Their friend, Remus Lupin, was a werewolf and it was he who haunted the Shrieking Shack once a month. So, to give him company, he, James and Peter started their training to become an animagus, which they completed successfully in their fifth year.
And then he ran from his home at the age of sixteen when his parents forcefully tried to impose him into dark arts. He went to the Potters' and they took him under their wings at that very moment without any further inquiry. And finally, he and James became brothers in all but blood.
Then James started to date Lily during their sixth year and got engaged at seventh. After they graduated from Hogwarts, James married Lily and a few months later she got pregnant. They were all excited for the new Potter, even though outside it was the middle of the wizarding war against Voldemort and his death eaters.
But then James and Lily decided to go into hiding and they choose him as the secret keeper. But he insisted them to make Peter the secret keeper as Peter being not brave and powerful, no one would have suspected him. And that was his biggest mistake. They didn't know that Peter was already a death eater. It was true that he had suspected him to be one at his godson, Harry's first birthday but before he could reveal or prove it, Peter had already given away the secret to Voldemort.
On the Halloween that year, when he got the news of a death eater attack at Godric's Hollow, he went there immediately. But his luck had deceived him. When he arrived at Godric Hollow, the dark mark was already hanging over the safe house of his best friend. He entered the house and found his best friend lying at the foot of the stairs motionless, the area around him in chaos. He ran upstairs to the nursery and found it blasted from half. His godson was crying in his crib, a lightning bolt shape cut on his forehead and his best friend's wife was lying on the floor in an identical condition of her husband. He picked up his crying godson in his arms and went downstairs. Soon, Hagrid, the gamekeeper of Hogwarts, appeared there and informed him that Albus Dumbledore was going to appear soon. He handed his godson to the half-giant and set off to take revenge on the person who had just destroyed his world.
He cornered Peter at an alley in the muggle London but before he could do anything, Peter shouted at the top of his lungs that it was him who betrayed his own best friend and blasted the whole alley killing twelve muggles. At that time, he thought that Peter had also died in the blast, so, when the aurors captured him and convicted him as the murderer of those twelve muggles along with Peter, he didn't try to resist. Instead, he was just laughing madly on the death of that coward bloody traitor and the tragedy of his own life.
He knew he was going to be rotten in Azkaban. He knew he was never going to be freed, yet he was happy to know that he has taken his revenge. But his all assumption had gone wrong when one day he found a copy of Daily Prophet in the hand of one of the Azkaban guard happened to stop in front of his cell. In that paper, there was a picture of a family of seven men and two women. In the hand of the youngest of the men, was a rat. He knew that rat very well. It was the animagus form of the man who betrayed his best friend; destroyed his life. Peter Pettigrew. And that implicated only one thing. That Peter Bloody Pettigrew was alive. He didn't die that night. He had blasted the alley just to create a distraction so that in the meantime, he could escape the spot in his animagus form. He did also cut one of his fingers just to fake his death so that no one would presume him alive to call him for any type of enquiry.
Then he looked at the picture again. From the picture, it looked like the boy holding the rat, was around twelve or thirteen. It meant that the boy must be at Hogwarts, along with that bloody rat. On that very instant, he decided to escape from Azkaban, in anyway possible.
And one day, when the dementors weren't around and neither was any of the guards, he transformed into his dog animagus and fled away from that hell called Azkaban.
And finally, after almost twelve years later, he was free. It was true that he had to live on stolen food; sleep under the open sky, but he could bathe in the sunlight; stare at the silvery moon and breath in the fresh air. And that was enough for him.
He knew James and Lily was dead. So, he went in search of Remus to his old house, but he wasn't there. Then he went to Surrey where he supposed his godson might be living with his aunt, his mother's sister. But he couldn't find his godson either. So finally, he decided to come to Hogwarts to find his godson, and also to fulfil his goal, what he escaped from the Azkaban for.
He didn't have to give much effort to find his godson there. After all, who it could be other than his own godson to take after his best friend, his brother in all but blood. He first saw his godson during one of his quidditch practice. And for the first time in twelve years, a genuine smile illuminated his face. True to his prediction, his godson was an amazing flyer, undoubtedly better than his father. He was happy to imagine that once he proved himself innocent, he would be able to hold him in his arms again.
But his fate came out to be far better than he expected. A few days later, he was relaxing at the bank of the black lake in his animagus form, away from anyone's eyes, when from the corner of his eyes, he saw two red-haired girls were heading toward the black lake. He gave a proper look toward them and his heart skipped a beat at the sight. He was so shocked that he almost lost control over his animagus form.
One of the girls looked just like the younger version of his best friend's wife: the same face, same hair and the same body structure. For a split second, he thought he was looking exactly at Lily. But then he used the sharp eyes of his dog animagus and noticed something different. The eyes of the girl weren't green like Lily, but hazel. He just stood surprised at his spot, his heart beating a mile a minute. It was the same eye colour as his late best friend.
And suddenly, his heart filled with new hope and joy. A girl with the looks of Lily and eyes of James meant only one thing, his best friend and his wife were not dead. They were still alive. And then to confirm his supposition an older girl called out 'Potter' from behind and the redhead answered back. He literally started dancing at the spot still in his animagus form. His best friend was alive. He was going to see him again. He felt like his life had once again blossomed with all kind of hopes and possibilities.
He immediately left the place and set off for Glasgow.
He didn't know what they thought about him; if they believed him to be innocent or not. Yet he was eager to meet them, to see them at least. He couldn't reveal himself to them just yet, not until he had the only person who is the key to his innocence. So, he would have to peek inside the Potter Manor from the boundary wall of the property to get a glimpse of his best friend. But for that, he would have to wait for the next morning.
That night he tried to steal food from a muggle house and almost get caught in the process. He stayed in the small woods outside the Potter manor that night, waiting for the sun to show up its golden face once again.
The next morning, he was walking toward the gate of the outer boundary of the Potter Manor when he saw two people apparated in front of the gate. One of the men he knew very well. Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. He watched from distance as the Minister and his companion pushed open the gate and walked inside. He watched as they walked through the front yard and pushed the doorbell. He stood at the outer boundary gate peering at their activity using the sharp eyes and ears of his dog animagus.
He watched as the front door of the house opened after a few moments and a red-haired woman emerged from inside. Ecstatic, his heart started to dance at the sight of the woman. His best friend's wife was alive, and that meant … he trailed off in his thought as the women reentered the house leaving the two men outside. His heart was now beating extraordinarily fast, though he was in his animagus form, in the anticipation of what was going to happen next. And true to his imagination, almost half a minute later, a man with messy black hair and round glasses appeared on the doorway.
It was hard to explain what he was feeling at that moment. He literally had to restrain himself from barking out loud. In fact, it was all he could do not run inside the gate ignoring all the risk and danger, and hug his friend like nothing significant had changed in the last eleven years and eleven months.
Instead, he just remained at his spot listening to their conversation, using the sharp ears of his dog animagus. He couldn't be sure if he should be sad, angry or offended at the thought of someone considering him intending to attack the Potters, the people who he still considered his family even after spending almost twelve years inside the loneliness of Azkaban.
A few minutes later the Minister and his escort turned around and started to walk toward the boundary gate. Though he was in his animagus form, he ran from the spot and hid in the nearby bush, only to be at the safe side of the line. Minutes later, after the two men disapparated from outside the boundary, he came back to the gate and found it closed already.
He stood there a few minutes conflicted between going inside and returning back from there. He knew in his heart that he wanted to go inside; meet his best friend after twelve years; maybe make some flattery comment on Lily's beauty and some criticising James's those hairs like grass field after a cyclone. But his logical mind was telling something else; screaming at him to control his emotions. It wasn't a moment to take any harsh decision. He didn't know what they thought about him. And after listening to the conversation between his friend and the Minister, he was even more confused.
And finally, he took the hardest decision of his life. He decided to prove himself innocent first before exposing himself to his only family. Earlier he had his mind set on killing that bloody traitor of a friend. But now his goal was changed. He had to expose that filthy rat. He had to prove himself innocent. But no, not to the world. He didn't give a damn care about the world. No, he had to prove himself innocent to the Potters, to his family.
True it did hurt him, hurt him a lot to think the Potters would believe him able to ever betray them; betray the person he had consider a brother since he was thirteen. Yet he was ready to forgive them, condone their disbelief on him. Because if there was something he had learnt after spending twelve years in that hell called Azkaban, it was to welcome in your life everything that to bring light and happiness and to cut off everything that accompanied with darkness and misery. Because they were worse than death; worse than hell itself.
So he left the spot and returned back to Hogwarts. Though he couldn't meet his best friend just now, he was happy enough to be able to see his godson and beautiful niece, even if it was from distance.
A/N: So, how did this chapter go? Did I miss anything important in Ginny's conversation with Daisy? Please write in the comment section.
Supersandman86 - Thank you for your elaborate comment and suggestion. The match against Hufflepuff is really going to be interesting. Let's see what I can do about that.
SiriusOrionBitch - I'm glad to hear you enjoying the story. And even gladder to hear your birthday to be the same as Daisy's. An advance 'Happy Birthday' for your next birthday, in case I forget to mention later.