Author's Note: So, I did rush this chapter a little because it'll probably be several days before I update again, and so many of you were so sweet in giving the last chapter love and asking me to update quickly. I do try to work a little on this story, even if only for a few minutes, every single day. I just have so many other things going on as well and I would rather take the time and post a good chapter than rush it and post something that's just ok. I want to be happy with my work too. :)
I will warn you, there are some strong emotions, and honestly Harry is a bit of a B-R-A-T in this chapter, but keep in mind that he is a teenager going through a very traumatic experience. There will be some resolution in the next chapter, but for now, you've got Harry-in-crisis, much like just a couple of chapters ago was Sirius-in-crisis.
And if you still have questions about what happened with Moody/Crouch, the next chapter should answer some of them as its discussed at an Order meeting, so be patient. :)
March 13, 1995
Harry tumbled out of the floo and slid a few feet across the tile floor, his emotions getting the better of him and preventing him from the more graceful landing Sirius had taught him.
"You alright, kid?" he heard a hoarse voice ask. He looked up to see a kind looking older man seated a few feet from him. Everything appeared normal until he noticed that every time the man exhaled, purple smoke came out of his nose and ears. Harry looked away quickly, trying not to stare.
"Uh, yeah. I'm fine, thanks."
Harry stood and looked around what seemed to be a reception area, noticing the wide range of witches and wizards, some looking perfectly normal and perusing out-of-date copies of Witch Weekly, others sporting gruesome disfigurements such as elephant trunks or extra hands sticking out of their chests. Witches and wizards in lime-green robes were walking up and down the rows, asking questions and making notes on clipboards. Harry noticed the emblem embroidered on their chests: a wand and bone, crossed.
"Do you have an appointment?" an older witch asked him impatiently.
"Uh, um, no. I'm looking for someone that was brought here," Harry replied.
"What kind of injury did they have?" she asked, holding her clipboard to her side.
Harry scratched his head. "Well, I don't exactly know."
The witch sighed in exasperation and looked around at all the other people waiting. "Look kid, we have a lot of appointments today, if you can't tell me anymore than…"
"Sirius Black," Harry interrupted. "I'm looking for Sirius Black."
"Harry?"
Harry turned around to see an older wizard with a slightly round belly and sandy hair approaching him. He was clothed in the lime-green robes as well. There was something warm and familiar about him, though Harry wasn't sure who he was.
"Yeah?" Harry asked.
"Did you say you're here to see Sirius? Is he sick?" the older healer replied with genuine concern. He waved to the older witch, letting her know he had it from here.
"No, he's…I'm sorry but, do I know you?"
The healer gave him a kind smile. "No, I don't believe we've officially been introduced, but I heard you are to be a groomsman in my daughter's wedding this summer. I'm Ted Tonks," he answered, holding out a hand.
Harry shook it quickly. "Oh, you're Tonks's…I mean Dora's dad."
Ted nodded. "I am, now what's going on with Sirius?"
"He's been injured," Harry said, his panic rapidly returning. "All I know is that he was brought here. Can you help me?"
Ted scribbled a note on his clipboard, then tapped it with his wand. Harry watched as words appeared on it magically.
Sirius Black-Room 412
"He's on the fourth floor," Ted told him. "Come on, I'll take you there." He made to turn around, but stopped and looked back at Harry peculiarly. "Did you come here alone?"
Harry blushed. "Uh…yeah."
Having raised a mischievous teenager himself, Ted instantly knew something wasn't right. "Harry, does anyone know you're here?"
"Remus knows where I am," Harry answered nervously. "But I didn't exactly wait for permission to come here."
Ted sighed. He pulled out his wand and conjured a patronus, sending it off with the message, "Harry is with me and safe." Then he looked back at Harry. "Alright, follow me."
At first, Harry was so shocked he didn't move. Ted didn't scold him or send him back. He liked Tonks a great deal, and now he was really starting to like her father.
"You won't be able to see him right now," Ted said, reading something on the clipboard, "But there's a waiting area near his room."
Harry hurried to keep up. "Is he ok?"
Ted looked back at his clipboard again as they entered the elevator. "He seems to be stable, but I don't know much else. I don't work on his floor, but I will find out. Ok?"
Harry nodded. "Thanks."
The ride up to the fourth floor felt to Harry as if it took hours. All he could think about was getting to Sirius and making sure he was ok. He tried to regulate his breathing, but it was becoming more and more difficult.
Ted obviously noticed. He placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "We're going to take good care of Sirius, ok?"
Harry nodded, blinking back tears. "Ok."
They stepped off the elevator and turned to the right. Ted led him down a long corridor, past several wings of the hospital. Portraits of healers that had served at St. Mungo's interspersed with artwork along the soft grey walls. Finally they came to a small opening with two rows of chairs. If Harry had relaxed any on the walk, he was immediately upset again by the sight of the person he was most angry with sitting in one of the chairs, her head in her hands.
Amelia looked up as they approached, then stood up.
"Harry, I'm glad you're here…" Amelia began, but she was interrupted by a furious teenager.
"What are you doing here?" Harry snapped angrily.
Amelia was taken aback. "I…I came here with Sirius." She looked between Harry and Ted, confused.
"Uhh," Ted interrupted awkwardly. "I'm Ted Tonks. I'm one of the healers here. Has anyone talked to you about Sirius?"
Amelia shook his hand. "Amelia Bones, and no, not recently. They just told me to wait here. That was about half an hour ago."
"I'll go see what I can find out," he assured them both, squeezing Harry's shoulder before walking away.
Rage swirled inside Harry. He wasn't allowed to come see Sirius, but she could be here. It wasn't right or fair. She was the whole reason he was here.
"What gives you the right to be here? This is your fault!" Harry practically snarled. He actually didn't know that Amelia had done anything to lead to Sirius's injury, other than ask for his help, but he was terrified to lose his father and was in no mood for rational thought.
Amelia smoothed her robe down nervously. She could see Harry was terribly upset with her. Truthfully she was quite upset with herself, and she couldn't think of what to say to an irate teenager.
"Harry, I know you must be terribly angry with me," she tried gently.
"You think?" Harry said sarcastically.
Amelia ignored that. "I truly never meant for Sirius to get hurt."
Harry's insides writhed in anger. "Well he did get hurt!" he yelled at her. He walked a few paces from her and then turned around again, gripping his hair in his hands. "What happened? It was three against one! What is wrong with you that you couldn't protect him," he snapped, not even a little bit willing to forgive her that easily.
Amelia sighed. "Sirius was brilliant. We couldn't have caught Crouch without him, but Padfoot took a dark spell at the last minute in his stomach. Madam Pomfrey says he will be ok, but he lost a lot of blood."
Harry was actually surprised by how honest she was with him, but he was still extremely angry. Actually, he was extremely scared, but it looked a lot like anger.
"So you don't know that he's ok?" he questioned sharply. "He could die and it'd be your fault."
Amelia took a shaky breath before responding. "No, I don't know for certain that he is ok, but I do know Sirius is a fighter, and he's strong and tough as nails. If anyone can pull through, it will be him."
Harry stood with his arms crossed, shaking his head back and forth. He wished more than anything that none of this was happening. He couldn't lose Sirius. Unfortunately for Amelia, she was his only outlet for his fear.
"How can you be the director of the DMLE, and Dumbledore the most powerful wizard in the world, yet you needed Sirius to nearly get killed in order to catch Crouch? You must be a fucking pathetic auror," Harry remarked bitterly.
"That's quite enough, Mr. Potter," he heard someone reply sharply, causing him to wince. It wasn't Amelia; it was Remus.
Remus walked up and looked at Amelia.
"Amelia, Albus needs you back at the castle. Something has come up with Crouch," he explained.
"What's come up?" she asked. Harry only then noticed she had tears running down her cheek.
Remus glanced at Harry, then back at Amelia. "He's not actually Barty Crouch. At least not Crouch Sr. He's his son, Barty Crouch, Jr."
"What?" Amelia questioned, completely astonished. "How is that possible?"
"I'd like to know the same thing myself," Remus said. "I believe Dumbledore is questioning him right now." He looked over Harry's shoulder as Ted Tonks approached them.
"Ok, here's what I know," Ted began to explain. "Sirius is alive and doing well. He hasn't woken up, but he's been given some very powerful potions so that's not overly concerning."
Harry felt his legs shaking under him as he listened to the explanation. Sirius is alive, he kept repeating to himself. Sirius is alive.
"The curse that got him is one of the nastiest I've ever seen. We certainly haven't seen anything this dark in the last thirteen years. We will have to monitor him closely to make sure it doesn't spread to his blood, but I think he's going to be ok. He's very lucky," Ted continued.
Harry wished that he could feel some relief, but until he saw Sirius alive and well, he couldn't bring himself to relax at all.
"Out of curiosity, who healed his wound initially?" Ted asked them.
"Well, Madam Pomfrey did at Hogwarts before she had him brought here," Amelia said.
"This happened in the Forbidden Forest, correct?"
Amelia nodded.
"Did anyone try to heal him there, before he was moved?" Ted asked again.
"I did," Amelia admitted sheepishly.
Harry was ready to begin yelling at her again until Ted spoke again.
"You did an excellent job," Ted said, "You probably kept the poison from reaching his blood. Had you not done that, he likely wouldn't have made it." He shook Remus's hand and told them all someone would fetch them when Sirius was awake before walking away.
Harry felt guilt stab him like a knife. He had vented all his anger and fears on Amelia, and she likely saved Sirius's life. Finding it hard to blame her any longer, and needing someone to blame, he began to fault the one person left.
Himself.
He nearly died protecting me.
Everyone dies protecting me.
"Well, I better get back to Hogwarts and figure out what's going on," Amelia told them, interrupting Harry's thoughts. "Send me a patronus when he's awake?" she questioned Remus.
"Of course," Remus assured her.
Harry's leg bounced up and down nervously as he and Remus sat quietly waiting. After several long minutes, Harry finally couldn't take the tension any longer.
"Remus, I'm sorry."
Remus sat up and looked at him. "I'm not the one you owe an apology to, Harry. Amelia didn't deserve that, and you know it."
Harry blushed and lowered his head. "I know."
Remus reached over and placed a hand on his knee. "You know, if you hadn't run off, I would have brought you here as soon as Professor Dumbledore left."
Harry looked up, surprised. "You would have?"
Remus nodded. "Absolutely. I think you should be here." He looked seriously at his godson. "I'm here to help you, Harry. Most adults are not your enemy. I believe we've discussed this before."
Harry nodded sheepishly. They had discussed it just the day prior, and several times before that. "It's just hard," he said quietly.
Remus squeezed his leg. "I know. I just hope that one day Sirius and I can persuade you that you're not alone anymore."
If Sirius survives, Harry thought to himself, causing a shiver to run down his spine.
Harry remained silent for a long time again as they waited. Finally, he looked at Remus. "Why do we have to wait here? If he's just waking up, why can't we be with him?"
Remus frowned. "He needs to be completely relaxed so his magic can heal his body. If there's noise or other stressors, it can't do that as well."
Harry leaned back in his chair feeling more and more frustrated as the minutes passed by. He fidgeted with his hands and bounced his legs. His Uncle Vernon's words, calling him a nuisance and a freak, replayed in his mind until he began to question whether he deserved the love Sirius so willingly poured over him.
If he hadn't been born, if he didn't exist, this wouldn't be happening.
This is all my fault, he kept thinking.
He bit his lip so hard that by the time Remus noticed, it was beginning to bleed.
"Harry, take some deep breaths."
Harry tried, but it was hard as his chest felt tight with worry. His mind just kept flashing with images of a dead Sirius lying in a pool of blood. He thought back to how he felt the previous year when the dementors came near him, how he could hear his mother screaming. He wondered if this was going to be his only memory of Sirius. Was he fated to lose everyone he loved? He blinked back tears and shook his head back and forth. "I can't," he managed to squeak out before his stomach turned on him.
Remus could see his godson turning green and reacted quickly to summon a nearby garbage can. It zoomed into his hands just in time to hold it in front of the teenager as he threw up the entire contents of his stomach.
Remus watched him for a couple of minutes, rubbing his back and smoothing back his hair as it fell in his face. When Harry seemed to be done, he banished the contents of the garbage can, set it in front of his godson, and stood up. "Wait right here," he said firmly.
Harry twisted his face in confusion as Remus walked away. He wondered briefly where the older wizard had gone, but in no time he was back carrying a vial of blue potion.
"Take this," he ordered, holding out the vial. "It's a calming draught."
Harry shook his head. "I don't want…"
"Take it or I am taking you back to Hogwarts," Remus interrupted sharply.
Harry was taken aback by his tone. It was rare for Remus to ever speak to him that way. "Yes, sir," he said sullenly as he took the vial and drank it quickly.
While Harry drained the liquid, Remus rummaged in his pocket. He pulled out his hand and opened it, revealing the content to Harry. In it were a few tiny plastic packages.
"They're peppermints," Remus told him, much more kindly this time. "Take one. It'll help with the nausea."
Harry nodded and grabbed one, quickly popping it in his mouth. "Thanks."
Remus sat down beside him again. "Sometimes muggle remedies are as helpful as magical ones," he told him with a wink.
"It is helping. Thanks," Harry agreed.
They were saved from further conversation when a young witch with short, black hair approached them. "Are you the family of Sirius Black?"
Harry stood up. "Yeah, I'm his son."
She nodded. "He's awake."
….
"You did what?" Amelia shrieked. Dumbledore had questioned Barty Crouch Jr. under Veritaserum and found out how he had escaped Azkaban and ended up at Hogwarts, but he had paused his interrogation when Crouch Jr. revealed the location of Alastor Moody. He left the death eater under the watchful eye of McGonagall to rescue his friend and get him to the hospital wing while Remus retrieved Amelia. He thought he had time, but somehow word had reached Cornelius Fudge about what had happened, and the Minister had promptly arrived at Hogwarts and done the unthinkable.
"I had the prisoner transported to Azkaban, where the dementors await him," Fudge said plainly.
"Well then you need to change the order. He can wait in Azkaban, but I need to question him," Amelia retorted.
"I will do no such thing," Fudge began.
"With all due respect, Minister, this isn't your call to make," Amelia said angrily.
"He is a dangerous criminal!" Fudge countered.
"With information we need," Dumbledore argued.
"What kind of information could he possibly have?" Fudge questioned dumbly. "He is out of his mind!"
"How about, where is Peter Pettigrew?" Amelia began.
"Pettigrew is dead, Madam Bones. You know that."
"Right," Amelia mumbled as she rolled her eyes. She was shaking with fury. "Ok, then. Where is Bertha Jorkins? Or how about why he put Mr. Potter's name in the Goblet of Fire," Amelia countered. She could not remember ever being quite this angry in her life.
Fudge rolled his eyes. "We know that. He obviously wanted to see the boy injured or killed to avenge He Who Must Not Be Named."
"Voldemort!" Amelia yelled, her anger finally getting the better of her. "His name is Voldemort! And we have plenty of evidence that he's gaining power, Minister, but we need information from Crouch's son to find him!"
Fudge recoiled as if he had been slapped. His voice was pompous and stern when he spoke again. "Madam Bones, you will do well to remember who you are speaking to. I am the Minister of Magic, not you, and You Know Who died thirteen years ago."
"Cornelius, I implore you to see reason," Dumbledore pleaded. "Look at the evidence in front of you!"
"The evidence, Albus, shows that Bartemius Crouch Jr. was no more than a raving lunatic! The idea that You Know Who is back is simply preposterous," Fudge barked.
"I questioned him under Veritaserum, Cornelius. Minerva witnessed it as well. He told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort assisted in setting him free from his father," Dumbledore said.
"See here, Dumbledore," said Fudge, "You-you can't seriously believe that. You Know Who, back? Come now, come now…certainly Crouch may have believed himself to be acting upon You Know Who's orders-but to take the word of a lunatic like that, Dumbledore."
Amelia sighed. She was losing all the fight in her at the realisation that Cornelius Fudge was never going to see reason. She had seen it too many times in the last war. Fear caused people to do unbelievable things, like ignore all the evidence right in front of their face. "Minister, please," she pleaded. "Please call off the kiss order. Just give us a chance to question him first."
Fudge sighed. "Amelia, I'm beginning to seriously question your judgement. I would advise you to reevaluate where your allegiances lie," he looked briefly at Dumbledore before snapping his eyes back to her, "if you want to keep your position as Director of the DMLE."
He placed his hat on his head and walked towards the floo in Dumbledore's office. "Good day," he said sharply before disappearing into the green flame.
Amelia turned to Dumbledore and sighed. He shook his head back and forth.
"He is a fool," the older wizard remarked.
Amelia could only nod as she struggled to push down the anger and sadness. She was still a skilled auror and the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She didn't have time for emotions. She needed to get back to the task at hand. She looked over as an owl tapped on the office window. Dumbledore opened the window to let it in, and it swooped over immediately to Amelia, dropping a letter in her hands. She opened it and read it before looking at Dumbledore again dejectedly.
"I sent auror's to Crouch's house. They found him clinging to life. He's being treated at St. Mungo's. I'll have an auror stationed outside his room."
Dumbledore nodded his understanding.
Amelia sighed. "They also found the body of Bertha Jorkins. No sign of Pettigrew or Voldemort." She looked at Dumbledore, worried as she realised someone was still missing. "Albus, Mad-Eye?"
Dumbledore held up his hands. "We found him. He's in the hospital wing. He'll be happy to see you. Come on, I'll catch you up while we walk there."
….
Sirius tapped his fingers on the side of his bed, waiting anxious for the pretty little mediwitch to retrieve his son. He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his left side, reminding him he was injured and needed to take it easy.
Finally the door opened.
"Pup!" he greeted, a huge goofy grin across his face.
"Padfoot!" Harry called out before hurrying over to him. He almost leapt onto the bed to hug his father, but seeing Sirius's bandaged stomach he hesitated. "Uh, can I…?"
Sirius held out his arms. "Of course, just mind my stomach."
Harry leaned over and held on for dear life. "I'm so glad you're ok," he told him.
"Me too," Sirius replied, not letting his son go just yet. He needed the comfort of Harry's presence every bit as much as the boy needed him. "You can't get rid of me that easily." He finally gave his son's back a couple of pats and released him. He knew it couldn't be comfortable for Harry to remain bent over like that, but he scooted over in his bed gingerly, then patted the space beside him.
Harry immediately accepted the invitation to sit beside his father, opposite his wound of course.
"So what happened?" Sirius immediately questioned Remus. "Did we catch Crouch?"
"You did," Remus reassured him, "But he wasn't who we thought he was."
"What do you mean?" Sirius questioned. "The map said it was him."
"The map said Bartemius Crouch, which was technically true, but it was his son, Barty Crouch Jr."
Sirius's jaw dropped and he sat up too quickly, causing him to hiss in pain. Remus stood up immediately and helped him get settled back down into the bed.
"So what the hell is going on?" Sirius questioned again once his pain had subsided.
Remus sighed and took a seat again. "To be honest Padfoot, I know just about as much as you. Amelia is questioning him right now. They also found Mad-Eye. He was badly malnourished, but he will be ok. Pomfrey's taking care of him now."
Sirius nodded his understanding, relief apparent on his face. "How long have I been out?"
"Only a few hours," Remus reassured him. "Ted says you're lucky. Crouch's spell was pretty dark."
"Ted Tonks?" Sirius asked. "Is he my healer?"
"Not officially, but I think he's unofficially appointed himself over your case," Remus told him with a chuckle.
"Well good," Sirius remarked. "Find him and tell him I'm hungry and I want to go home."
Harry snorted as Remus rolled his eyes. "Always the dramatics," the professor remarked. "I'm sure they are informing him that you are awake right now."
Harry was staring at nothing in particular on the wall thinking about how if Sirius were not his father, he wouldn't be hurt right. The guilt he had felt earlier was back, like a knife twisting in his stomach, pulling out and then stabbing again.
Sirius nudged him. "Hey kid, you ok?"
Harry looked over at him. "Yeah. I'm just happy you're ok."
Sirius smiled at him before both of them turned their attention as they heard a knock on the door. Ted walked in and shook Sirius's hand.
"How are you feeling?" Ted asked him.
"Hungry," Sirius told him.
Ted chuckled. "More specifically, how does your injury feel?"
Sirius squirmed a little, not at all comfortable with discussing his own injury. "It hurts when I move too quickly but otherwise feels ok. When can I go home?"
Ted nodded as he wrote down some notes. "That's good. It will likely take several days for the pain to go away completely, but I'll have someone bring in a pain potion to help. I'm also comfortable with you eating, but take it slow and let me know immediately if anything hurts. As far as going home," he paused and looked at Harry, then back at Sirius.
Sirius immediately understood. "Pup, why don't you and Remus go find us something to eat."
Remus stood up, but Harry protested. "I want to stay with you."
Sirius frowned. "You can come right back, just find me a cup of soup, ok?"
Harry shook his head stubbornly. "No, you're trying to hide something from me."
Sirius's face darkened. "I'm not trying to hide anything from you, Harry. I'll talk to Ted, and when you come back, I'll discuss it with you. Now do as you're told."
Harry almost protested again, but a sharp look from Sirius made him change his mind. Even in a hospital bed, an angry Sirius Black could be quite intimidating. "Yes, sir," he muttered and walked begrudgingly as Remus all but pushed him out of the room.
Sirius looked back at Ted.
"The curse that hit you, Sirius, was extremely dark. I think Amelia's quick thinking kept it from affecting your whole body, but I'd like to do some scans to make sure it hasn't spread to your blood," Ted explained.
"Ok, and then what?"
"If the first scan is good, we will continue to scan every three hours overnight to make sure we're in the clear. I also want you to take a healing potion every six hours for your injury and a blood-replenisher every three hour. You lost a good deal of blood. If all your scans are good up until lunchtime tomorrow, I'll send you home after that."
Sirius nodded. "Ok, and what if they're not?"
Ted hesitated. "Let's cross that bridge if we get there. I'd like to do the first scan right now."
Sirius nodded.
"Lie back and just be as still as possible."
Sirius did his best to obey, but sitting still had never been his specialty. He watched as Ted ran his wand over his whole body. A parchment appeared on the small table beside him, and words magically wrote themselves across it as Ted scanned. After about five minutes, Ted stuck his wand back into his pocket and picked up the parchment. "This looks good," he said with a genuine smile. "Really good."
Sirius let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. "Good," he said, feeling enormous relief.
"I'll see you again in three hours," Ted told him, patting his shoulder, before he left.
Harry and Remus entered almost as soon as Ted had exited.
"Where's my soup?" Sirius questioned.
Remus shot an annoyed look at his godson. "Harry wouldn't move further than right outside the door. I had to set a silencing charm to keep him from listening."
Sirius lowered his eyebrows at his son. "Young man…"
"What did Ted say?" Harry interrupted.
Sirius didn't have it in him to scold his son any further. He knew that if it was Harry that was injured, he would be just as anxious for information. He sighed. "Well, first of all, you should know that he's already performed my first scan and it was perfect."
Harry nodded. "Ok."
"The curse that hit me was very dark and they are concerned that it's possible it could spread to my blood, but there's no evidence that has happened. He just wants to perform a scan every three hours to monitor and if they're all good, I can go home tomorrow."
Harry brightened. "That's good news."
"It is," Sirius confirmed.
Remus smiled. "Well, I'll run and get you that soup. Harry, would you like anything?"
Harry shook his head. "No thank you. I'm not hungry."
Sirius watched his friend leave before he put his arm up, inviting Harry to sit down beside him again. Harry didn't need telling twice.
"Are you sure I'm not hurting you?" he asked as he leaned against his father's shoulder.
"Not at all," Sirius confirmed. "I don't want to hear about you giving Remus any more trouble while I'm in here, you understand?"
Too late, Harry thought. "Yes, sir."
They laid together silently for the next few minutes. A mediwitch brought in a tray of potions for Sirius to take, and soon after Remus returned with two cups of soups and three bottled waters. He and Sirius ate while Harry laid quietly against his father, eventually drifting off to sleep. After a couple hours of casual chatting between the old friends, Ted returned to do another scan, which Sirius assured him it was ok to do in front of Harry. While Ted was still scanning, Amelia returned with a paper bag full of burgers and chips.
"Oh, thank Merlin," Sirius told her. "That soup wasn't enough."
Ted raised an eyebrow.
"I brought broth for him," Amelia told him quickly.
Sirius pouted, but Ted nodded his approval as he continued to scan. Everyone was relieved to see another clear scan, and after Ted left, Amelia slid a burger over to Sirius.
"Thanks," Sirius told her.
"If anyone asks, I didn't give that to you," Amelia replied.
"So, tell us what's happened."
Amelia shook her head still not quite believing herself all that had transpired in the last few hours. She began to tell the whole tale, how Barty Crouch Jr. was smuggled out of Azkaban by his father, how Crouch Sr. had kept him hidden and controlled using the Imperius Curse, and how they had found Crouch Sr. crazed and near death.
"What will happen to Crouch Sr.?" Harry asked.
"If he survives, he will likely spend the rest of his life in Azkaban," Amelia said gravely.
"He'd be better off to die," Sirius remarked.
The room was quiet for a long moment before Amelia then explained how Fudge had ordered the kiss on Crouch Jr. and she was basically powerless to stop it, and how they had found Bertha Jorkin's body, but not Pettigrew or Voldemort.
Harry kept waiting for the adults to shepherd him out of the room, but they all just kept talking and allowing him to listen. He wasn't about to complain, and he felt another spot of guilt for being so cruel to Amelia. He now really appreciated how she talked plainly and didn't try to hide information from him.
When she had finally finished her tale, Remus leaned back in his seat. "What a mess," he said, shaking his head.
Sirius agreed. "I need a drink."
"No!" Remus and Amelia said together.
Sirius stuck his tongue out at them both.
"I know this. I should start requiring all recruits to become animagi. That was bloody useful," Amelia told him, chuckling.
"It's not that easy," Sirius said smugly. "Only the best wizards can manage it."
Amelia raised an eyebrow. "You did it at fifteen, Sirius. I think we can handle it."
Remus smirked as Sirius pouted again.
Amelia stood up and patted Sirius's arm. "Well, I am going to check on Crouch Sr. and then head home for the evening. You take care of yourself, ok?"
Sirius smiled. "Will do. Keep us posted on the investigation."
"I will. We'll probably have an Order meeting this weekend," she replied.
Sirius nodded. "Good idea."
Harry watched as Amelia walked to the door. He hesitated for just a moment before he called out, "Amelia, wait!" Ignoring the questioning looks of Remus and Sirius, he hurried over to her. "Could I speak with you for a moment?"
"Of course, Harry." She motioned for him to go ahead of her out of the door. Once they were in the hallway, Harry looked down at the ground.
"Er, I wanted to say I was sorry for yelling at you earlier. I was way out of line," Harry began.
Amelia shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Harry. I understand why you were angry."
Harry looked up at her. "You do?" he questioned.
Amelia nodded. "Harry, has Sirius ever told you about my brother Edgar?"
Harry shook his head. "Well, he mentioned that they served together in the Order during the last war."
Amelia nodded again. "They did. He was killed by Voldemort along with his wife and children."
Harry fidgeted. "I'm sorry."
Amelia smiled warmly at him in gratitude before she continued speaking. "Death eaters killed our parents too. The only family I have left is my other brother Richard, Susan's father. When they died, I was a new auror, but I devoted my life to stopping dark wizards. I never wanted to marry or have children, because I wanted to always be available for the most dangerous missions."
Harry blinked at her. He hadn't really seen her since the night he had caught her and Sirius together, but he wondered now if she was harbouring some ill feelings towards him, telling him that Sirius was the first person she had fallen for. But he was wrong.
"But there's two weeks every summer that I question that way of living," Amelia continued. "Every summer, I take two weeks off and Susan comes to stay with me. It's the two best weeks of the year. When she's there, I remember that it's important to build relationships, to not shut people out. But more than anything I remember that though I tell myself that I can put myself in all kinds of danger, there is someone who wants me to come home safely, always."
Harry shifted his feet awkwardly.
Amelia smiled at him again. "I'm sorry that I forgot how much it would hurt you if something happened to Sirius. I shouldn't have asked him to come with us."
Harry shook his head. "No, I understand how he was the obvious choice."
"He was," she said slowly, "He is a very powerful wizard. One of the best…"
Harry smiled proudly.
"But there were other options. I promise that in the future, I will do my best to remember that Sirius has someone that needs him to come home."
"Thanks," Harry told her sincerely.
March 14, 1995
When visiting hours were over the previous evening, Harry was furious.
"Why can't I just go get the cloak and stay here with you? No one would know," he argued.
"Because a hospital is no place for a kid to be sleeping," Sirius told him. "Remus will stay with you in our quarters. You can come back in the morning, but I want you to bring some of your homework to work on," Sirius ordered sternly, raising an eyebrow and daring his son to argue.
Harry sighed as his shoulders slumped. "Fine," he mumbled, but he gave Sirius one more hug before he was ushered out again.
Sirius slept horribly. It hurt too much to turn on his side, and he always had trouble sleeping on his back. Add to that the fact that healers came in and out all night long, scanning him and filling him with disgusting potions, meaning he never slept for longer than a few minutes at a time. He also missed his son terribly and worried about him. Harry had not looked well when they left. He had been lost in his own world several times throughout their evening. He never admitted to him or Remus how he was really feeling, which didn't bode well for anyone.
In the early morning hours he drifted off thinking about his son. He must have been asleep for about half an hour when he woke up to his breakfast appearing on the bed table beside him. He summoned the table closer when something caught his eye.
It was Harry's head.
"What the-?" he began, and he would have sworn his heart stopped beating before he saw the head move slightly, letting out a low snore. At first he thought he must be having a strange dream before it occurred to him that his son was asleep on the couch in his room, covered up to the shoulders with the invisibility cloak.
"Harry! Hey, wake up!" Sirius yelled at his son, picking up a butter packet and tossing it at him.
Harry opened his eyes as the packet smacked his cheek and took a moment to realise where he was. He rubbed his eyes as he sat up. "Hey, do you need something?" he asked tiredly.
"Yeah, I need to know why you're here," Sirius replied. "Didn't I send you home last night?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah, I came back early this morning. They said visiting hours start at 7, so I got here then."
Sirius ran a hand over his face. "Does Remus know?"
"I left him a note," Harry replied as if that made it all just fine.
Sirius let out a long breath. He motioned Harry over. Harry quickly got up and cuddled up next to his father. Sirius stroked his hair.
"Your list of offenses you're going to have to answer for when I get out of here is ever growing, you know that?"
Harry nodded. He knew, he just didn't care. His stomach growled, betraying him.
"When was the last time you had a proper meal?" Sirius asked him sharply.
Harry shrugged. "Maybe lunch yesterday?"
Sirius reached down and swatted his behind, a little more firm than would be considered playful. He slid his tray of food over in front of Harry. "Eat, young man."
"But what are you going to eat?" Harry asked.
"I'll ask for another tray when the mediwitch comes around. Eat, now."
Remus showed up soon after, partially furious at Harry and partially remembering fondly how many times both of Harry's fathers had snuck to the hospital wing to visit him after a full moon. Sirius allowed Harry to stay with him until he was discharged with a clean bill of health just after noon. He was given strict orders to stay in bed and take it easy for at least a week, at which time he was supposed to return to St. Mungo's for one final checkup. Harry fussed over him constantly. He brought him tea and blankets, played chess with him, and helped him every time he had to stand up.
But for as much as Harry was worried about Sirius, Sirius was just as worried about his son. Something just seemed off. He had questioned Harry several times, but Harry just constantly reassured him that he was fine and that he just got spooked by Sirius's brush with death.
"I just want to take care of you the way you take care of me," Harry told him.
"I know, Pup, and I appreciate it, but I need to know you're taking care of yourself too."
"I am, Sirius," Harry lied. "I am. I promise."
Inside though, Harry was fighting a private battle.
Part of him wanted to run away, to take away any possibility that Sirius would get hurt again trying to protect him.
But an even bigger part of him longed for the love Sirius had always given him, the love he had been neglected from as a boy. He felt selfish for feeling this way, but he couldn't bring himself to leave. It was like the love, affection, and understanding that Sirius gave him was addicting, and Harry couldn't get enough, couldn't walk away from it.
He knew one thing for certain. He was going to stop Lord Voldemort from hurting his family again, even if he got killed in the process. It was all that he could do.
March 15, 1995
"You don't really expect me to go to class today, do you?" Harry asked his father incredulously when Monday morning rolled around. Sirius had taken up residence on their couch so he could supervise his son and make sure he was eating a proper breakfast. Harry had become Sirius's self-appointed caregiver, and it was going to take a good deal of effort for anyone to get him to leave Sirius's side.
Anyone except Sirius.
"Yes, young man, I really expect you to go to class today," Sirius said sternly. "I'm fine right here where I am, and if I do need anything, I have a host of house elves I can call. You will go to class, pay attention, and do your best, and then at the end of the day you will bring your sneaky behind back here, at which point you and I will be having a long discussion about your abhorrent behavior while I was in the hospital." If Harry wasn't willing to talk to Sirius about how he was feeling, then Sirius would carry on with business as usual.
Harry paled. "I was just worried about you," he said quietly.
Sirius motioned him over to the couch. Sighing, Harry walked over and sat on the coffee table to face his father. Sirius reached out and touched his knee.
"I know you were scared, Harry. Trust me, I understand. But I'm fine now, Pup. Look at me. A few days rest and I'll be good as new, and I'm already just as good-looking as ever. Maybe even more attractive. I have a cool scar now, and…" he leaned in to whisper conspiratorially, "Women love scars."
Harry rolled his eyes, but he smiled at his father until Sirius spoke again.
"Plus, you knew I was ok when you snuck to the hospital the second time."
Harry winced before standing up. "Ok, I'll be back this afternoon, but send me a patronus if you need anything."
Sirius nodded. "I'll send you a patronus if I need something that Dobby, Kreacher, or one of the dozens of other house elves, Madam Pomfrey, or Remus can't handle."
Harry nearly gathered his stuff and left with another eye roll, but instead he leaned over and gave his father a gentle hug. Something about being against Sirius and hearing his heartbeat brought his buried emotions to the surface again, and before he could pull away and make a swift exit, he was crying again on his father's shoulder.
Sirius instantly recognized his son's need for closeness and began to rub his back and gently shush him. "It's ok, Pup. I'm ok."
Harry stopped trying to hold his tears back and let them fall rapidly, feeling like a small child but not wholly caring right now. "I was so scared," he whispered.
"I know," Sirius replied softly. "Me too, kid."
After a few more minutes, Harry pulled away and tried to get his tears under control. He looked down at his watch after he wiped his eyes.
"I better go. I'm late already."
Sirius nodded and squeezed his hand. "Stop by Remus's office on the way. He'll write you a note."
Harry nodded again. "I love you, Sirius."
"I love you too, Pup."
….
"Harry!" Ginny called out to him, running to catch up as they walked to the Great Hall for lunch. "How are you? How is Sirius?"
Harry looked back at her, nerves twisting his stomach. He had made up his mind that morning, and now it was time to follow through. The problem was Ginny was just so beautiful.
"Hey," he said, kissing her cheek. "Sirius is good. He's back in his quarters resting."
"Good," she told him, taking his hand. "So all of that about Moody and Crouch. It's wild, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Harry nodded. He stopped right outside the Great Hall and pulled Ginny to the side. "Listen Ginny, I need to talk to you."
Ginny instantly looked worried, and Harry had to look away to shield himself from the hurt in her eyes.
"I think we should break up," he said plainly.
"WHAT?!" Ginny yelled. "Why?"
Because I am a danger magnet.
Because everyone around me gets hurt.
Because just being my girlfriend puts you in extreme danger.
All of those thoughts would have been better than what he actually said.
"It's just not the right time."
Ginny shook her head in confusion. "Not the right time? What the hell does that mean?"
Harry shrugged. "I'm sorry, but that's the way it is."
Ginny glared at him angrily, and as much as he wanted this conversation to be over, he cared too much about her to walk away and leave things like that.
"Ginny, please try to understand."
"Understand what?!" Ginny roared. "You didn't give me an explanation. Is there someone else? Is it something I did?"
"No!" Harry interrupted hotly. "It's nothing you did, and there's no one else. I just want to be single right now, that's all."
"Well, I don't want to be single right now," Ginny retorted. "So there's that."
Harry was beginning to be annoyed with this conversation and began to notice the people staring at them. "Well then, go snog somebody else!" he said angrily.
That was the wrong thing to say. His eyes went wide as she lifted her wand.
….
Sirius had just drifted off to sleep when he was rudely awakened by their front door slamming. He sat up cautiously and looked over the back of the couch.
"Harry? Are you ok?" He sat up even quicker and turned to stand up, ignoring the pain.
Harry was holding a hand over his nose, pinching it as if to stop a nosebleed. Harry didn't even need to speak for Sirius to understand what had happened. Within a few seconds, a large, green bat crawled out of Harry's nose and flapped its wings on Harry's face.
"Can you help me?" Harry asked, trying to smack the annoying creature away. "I got hit by a bat-bogey hex."
"Yeah, I can see that," Sirius said in astonishment. "Sit down. I can stop it."
Harry quickly moved to obey, sitting at their small dining table and wincing as another bat made its way out of his nose.
Sirius pointed his wand at his son's nose. "Finite incantatem." He summoned a handkerchief from his bedroom and handed it to Harry. "Here."
"Thanks," Harry muttered, wiping his face.
"So, you want to tell me who hexed you?" Sirius asked with a raised eyebrow, taking the seat next to his son.
Harry dropped his arms and practically growled. "Ginny Weasley."