Sixteen Candles - Chapter Three
In a matter of seconds, I was standing beside my mother as she started to lead Sirius to the kitchen. I gaped at him openly, amazed at the differences; the last time I had seen Sirius, he was still thin, gaunt, and pale from his years in Azkaban. His face was now filled out, a handsome smile upon it, and his hair was cut slightly below his ears. He was tan and held a carefree attitude I couldn't ever imagine him having.
"Harry, old boy! Sixteen now, eh? Congratulations!"
He put one strong hand on my shoulder, squeezing it tightly, his eyes lighting up as they met mine. He steered me through the corridors and we reappeared in the dinning room, where my father was waiting expectantly.
"Sirius, how are you?" he stood up and embraced Sirius in a flurry of movement, a large grin on his face. "Is Remus planning on making an appearance as well, do you know?"
I looked back at Sirius, who nodded, "Yes, of course. I don't think he'd miss this for the world."
I looked from my father to Sirius to my mother and back again, slightly bewildered on what exactly was going on. Mum noticed this and placed her arm around my shoulders, contact I wasn't quite used to. I started to move away but she simply increased her grip, holding me tightly to her side.
"Sirius, just a bit of a warning, Harry had one of his flashes again." Said Mum quietly.
Gee, thanks Mum. Make me look like a fool in front of my Godfather.
What was I thinking?
"He seems to think we're dead." Dad added, and Sirius got a strange look on his face.
"So, Harry, how did we die this time?" he asked, stooping down slightly so he was at my level. I shook my head, backing away slightly.
"You weren't."
Sirius cocked his head, black eyes staring straight into mine. "I wasn't?"
"No," I answered after a moment, "You're a fugitive."
Without warning, he threw his head back and burst out laughing. Turning towards my father, who was also chuckling loudly, he stood up and rocked lightly back and forth on his heels.
"What did I do to get into Azkaban?" he was still grinning, a childish look on his rugged face.
"You…" My voice faltered. How was I supposed to tell him he had been wrongly accused for the death of the two people standing next to him? I supposed he wouldn't take it too well, but I took a deep breath anyway and proceeded to speak.
"You were blamed for killing Peter Pettigrew, twelve Muggles, and for giving Voldemort my parents' location before he murdered them."
If it hadn't of been such a serious situation, I would have laughed at the expressions the three adults standing around me were making. Mum and Dad looked shocked while Sirius looked positively dumbstruck.
"You're kidding, right?" Dad finally spoke, glancing over at Sirius and Mum before looking down at me once more.
I shook my head weakly, "No, but Sirius… you were innocent. Pettigrew ended up being Mum and Dad's secret keeper and he told Voldemort and killed all those people. He chopped off his finger before he did so, making it look like you killed him as well, when really he just turned into a rat and disappeared down the sewer."
There was silence for what seemed like forever, until finally another knock sounded from the foyer. Numbly, Mum went to answer it once more, leaving the three of us alone.
"You… you can't remember anything except for that?" Dad asked quietly, blue eyes searching me carefully. "In this vision – this dream – we're dead?"
I nodded, "I… Do I have these things often?"
Dad shook his head, "No, maybe once or twice a year. This is the first time your mother and I have been dead though… You can't remember anything? You don't recognize anything?"
I shook my head, "Sorry."
"But you know me as your father?" he asked quietly, "You know Sirius… You know your Mum… Do you know Remus?"
"Remus?" I asked curiously. "Who's he?"
My question was answered for me, however, as Professor Lupin walked into the room. A flash suddenly went through my mind as I saw Ron, Hermione, and Lupin in the train compartment on the way to Hogwarts my third year.
Professor R. J. Lupin.
And in the Shrieking Shack… Hadn't Sirius referred to Professor Lupin as 'Remus'?
"Harry, Happy Birthday!" Professor Lupin smiled, "I hear you've had another one of those visions?"
I nodded, "Professor Lupin?"
He smirked, "Professor, eh? That'll be the day."
"Harry was just explaining to us how Sirius was imprisoned for killing Peter and twelve Muggles… and for helping to kill Lily and I." said Dad, his voice going back to normal. "Apparently, Sirius was innocent – it was Peter. Could you ever imagine him doing such a thing? Really, Harry. Peter turning into a rat as well – "
"He was an Animagus," I interrupted. "So you were and Sirius."
Remus stepped forward, "And I wasn't?"
A strange feeling settled in the pit of my stomach; another memory came flashing into my mind as I looked up at the face of a very happy looking Remus Lupin.
"None of this couldn't have happened if I hadn't bitten… and if I hadn't been so foolhardy…"
Oh, God.
In a matter of seconds, I was standing beside my mother as she started to lead Sirius to the kitchen. I gaped at him openly, amazed at the differences; the last time I had seen Sirius, he was still thin, gaunt, and pale from his years in Azkaban. His face was now filled out, a handsome smile upon it, and his hair was cut slightly below his ears. He was tan and held a carefree attitude I couldn't ever imagine him having.
"Harry, old boy! Sixteen now, eh? Congratulations!"
He put one strong hand on my shoulder, squeezing it tightly, his eyes lighting up as they met mine. He steered me through the corridors and we reappeared in the dinning room, where my father was waiting expectantly.
"Sirius, how are you?" he stood up and embraced Sirius in a flurry of movement, a large grin on his face. "Is Remus planning on making an appearance as well, do you know?"
I looked back at Sirius, who nodded, "Yes, of course. I don't think he'd miss this for the world."
I looked from my father to Sirius to my mother and back again, slightly bewildered on what exactly was going on. Mum noticed this and placed her arm around my shoulders, contact I wasn't quite used to. I started to move away but she simply increased her grip, holding me tightly to her side.
"Sirius, just a bit of a warning, Harry had one of his flashes again." Said Mum quietly.
Gee, thanks Mum. Make me look like a fool in front of my Godfather.
What was I thinking?
"He seems to think we're dead." Dad added, and Sirius got a strange look on his face.
"So, Harry, how did we die this time?" he asked, stooping down slightly so he was at my level. I shook my head, backing away slightly.
"You weren't."
Sirius cocked his head, black eyes staring straight into mine. "I wasn't?"
"No," I answered after a moment, "You're a fugitive."
Without warning, he threw his head back and burst out laughing. Turning towards my father, who was also chuckling loudly, he stood up and rocked lightly back and forth on his heels.
"What did I do to get into Azkaban?" he was still grinning, a childish look on his rugged face.
"You…" My voice faltered. How was I supposed to tell him he had been wrongly accused for the death of the two people standing next to him? I supposed he wouldn't take it too well, but I took a deep breath anyway and proceeded to speak.
"You were blamed for killing Peter Pettigrew, twelve Muggles, and for giving Voldemort my parents' location before he murdered them."
If it hadn't of been such a serious situation, I would have laughed at the expressions the three adults standing around me were making. Mum and Dad looked shocked while Sirius looked positively dumbstruck.
"You're kidding, right?" Dad finally spoke, glancing over at Sirius and Mum before looking down at me once more.
I shook my head weakly, "No, but Sirius… you were innocent. Pettigrew ended up being Mum and Dad's secret keeper and he told Voldemort and killed all those people. He chopped off his finger before he did so, making it look like you killed him as well, when really he just turned into a rat and disappeared down the sewer."
There was silence for what seemed like forever, until finally another knock sounded from the foyer. Numbly, Mum went to answer it once more, leaving the three of us alone.
"You… you can't remember anything except for that?" Dad asked quietly, blue eyes searching me carefully. "In this vision – this dream – we're dead?"
I nodded, "I… Do I have these things often?"
Dad shook his head, "No, maybe once or twice a year. This is the first time your mother and I have been dead though… You can't remember anything? You don't recognize anything?"
I shook my head, "Sorry."
"But you know me as your father?" he asked quietly, "You know Sirius… You know your Mum… Do you know Remus?"
"Remus?" I asked curiously. "Who's he?"
My question was answered for me, however, as Professor Lupin walked into the room. A flash suddenly went through my mind as I saw Ron, Hermione, and Lupin in the train compartment on the way to Hogwarts my third year.
Professor R. J. Lupin.
And in the Shrieking Shack… Hadn't Sirius referred to Professor Lupin as 'Remus'?
"Harry, Happy Birthday!" Professor Lupin smiled, "I hear you've had another one of those visions?"
I nodded, "Professor Lupin?"
He smirked, "Professor, eh? That'll be the day."
"Harry was just explaining to us how Sirius was imprisoned for killing Peter and twelve Muggles… and for helping to kill Lily and I." said Dad, his voice going back to normal. "Apparently, Sirius was innocent – it was Peter. Could you ever imagine him doing such a thing? Really, Harry. Peter turning into a rat as well – "
"He was an Animagus," I interrupted. "So you were and Sirius."
Remus stepped forward, "And I wasn't?"
A strange feeling settled in the pit of my stomach; another memory came flashing into my mind as I looked up at the face of a very happy looking Remus Lupin.
"None of this couldn't have happened if I hadn't bitten… and if I hadn't been so foolhardy…"
Oh, God.