Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does.
Chapter 14
Remus Lupin shook his head and tore the Scotch bottle out of Sirius Black's hand for the second time. In the fifteen minutes that Harry had been dead Sirius had downed an entire bottle and was almost through his second one. Suddenly the door to Dumbledore's office opened and everyone froze as Hermione came through alone, but grinning as if her birthday had come early. Suddenly she looked to her right, sighed, rolled her eyes, and stuck her head back out the door.
"Would you get in here!? You're making me look like an ass!"
"That's not easy!" a familiar voice replied with a laugh, "Hey! I just came back to life and you're already yanking me everywhere!"
Hermione grabbed someone and yanked them into the room. Everyone gasped as Harry came into view. The bottle that Sirius had somehow gotten back dropped to the floor and shattered. Harry suddenly found himself wrapped up in a breath-taking, bone-crushing, hug that outdid any that Hermione had previously given him.
"Uh, Sirius..." Remus began after seeing Harry's face change colors a couple times, "If you don't let go Harry will die from lack of oxygen."
Sirius immediately let go of Harry, who began to breathe again.
"Thanks Sirius. For a minute there I didn't think I'd get a chance to live this life again."
"Damn boy!" Alastor Moody growled, "You must have the lives of a cat! According to Dumbledore, this is fourth time you've nearly died since you were born!"
"Fifth," Harry corrected.
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"
Harry grinned. "There was an incident with two horses, a Muggle, two Chinese Fireballs, three drunk wizards, and myself. You see, I was doing a little field exercise for White Blizzard. I happened to stumble upon these three drunk wizards that looked like they just came fresh from a year out of here. One of them bet that I couldn't transform a couple horses into chickens.
"Well before I could say or do anything, one of the other two tried himself and ended up changing two horses into the Chinese Fireball dragons and a Muggle into a chicken. I came out looking like Thanksgiving's turkey after it had been burned to a crisp. Took me a full five seconds to realize that I had croaked and I somehow came back."
Sirius looked half way between angry and wanting to burst out laughing. Lupin was chuckling along with Dumbledore, but Hermione looked struck.
"Anyways, I'd rather fight Night Fire than those two, at least she's more gentle with the claws. I still haven't healed completely from the Chinese Fireball encounter," Harry added onto the story.
"Uh Harry?" Lupin began, concerned, and pointed at the very back of Harry's shoulder, "You're bleeding."
"What?" Harry replied, clearly confused.
Hermione walked to the back of Harry and gently pressed a hand to his shoulder blade. She gasped when it came away with the palm completely painted red. She showed it to Harry, whose face twisted into one of fear and shock.
"Oh shit..." was all Harry said as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell into a pile on the floor.
"Harry!" Hermione shrieked and dropped to her knees beside his prone form.
Chapter 14
Remus Lupin shook his head and tore the Scotch bottle out of Sirius Black's hand for the second time. In the fifteen minutes that Harry had been dead Sirius had downed an entire bottle and was almost through his second one. Suddenly the door to Dumbledore's office opened and everyone froze as Hermione came through alone, but grinning as if her birthday had come early. Suddenly she looked to her right, sighed, rolled her eyes, and stuck her head back out the door.
"Would you get in here!? You're making me look like an ass!"
"That's not easy!" a familiar voice replied with a laugh, "Hey! I just came back to life and you're already yanking me everywhere!"
Hermione grabbed someone and yanked them into the room. Everyone gasped as Harry came into view. The bottle that Sirius had somehow gotten back dropped to the floor and shattered. Harry suddenly found himself wrapped up in a breath-taking, bone-crushing, hug that outdid any that Hermione had previously given him.
"Uh, Sirius..." Remus began after seeing Harry's face change colors a couple times, "If you don't let go Harry will die from lack of oxygen."
Sirius immediately let go of Harry, who began to breathe again.
"Thanks Sirius. For a minute there I didn't think I'd get a chance to live this life again."
"Damn boy!" Alastor Moody growled, "You must have the lives of a cat! According to Dumbledore, this is fourth time you've nearly died since you were born!"
"Fifth," Harry corrected.
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"
Harry grinned. "There was an incident with two horses, a Muggle, two Chinese Fireballs, three drunk wizards, and myself. You see, I was doing a little field exercise for White Blizzard. I happened to stumble upon these three drunk wizards that looked like they just came fresh from a year out of here. One of them bet that I couldn't transform a couple horses into chickens.
"Well before I could say or do anything, one of the other two tried himself and ended up changing two horses into the Chinese Fireball dragons and a Muggle into a chicken. I came out looking like Thanksgiving's turkey after it had been burned to a crisp. Took me a full five seconds to realize that I had croaked and I somehow came back."
Sirius looked half way between angry and wanting to burst out laughing. Lupin was chuckling along with Dumbledore, but Hermione looked struck.
"Anyways, I'd rather fight Night Fire than those two, at least she's more gentle with the claws. I still haven't healed completely from the Chinese Fireball encounter," Harry added onto the story.
"Uh Harry?" Lupin began, concerned, and pointed at the very back of Harry's shoulder, "You're bleeding."
"What?" Harry replied, clearly confused.
Hermione walked to the back of Harry and gently pressed a hand to his shoulder blade. She gasped when it came away with the palm completely painted red. She showed it to Harry, whose face twisted into one of fear and shock.
"Oh shit..." was all Harry said as his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell into a pile on the floor.
"Harry!" Hermione shrieked and dropped to her knees beside his prone form.