Chapter Three
"Sirius!" he yelled. He was just at the end of the hallway; he could reach him if he really wanted to-and he did.
"Harry!" Sirius yelled back, but his voice was weak and soft, as though coming from a mile away. But it was only twenty feet or so. He tried to run towards Sirius, but the farther her went, the farther away Sirius was.
Then there was the arch. Sirius fell back into it slowly and gracefully, like it was happening all over again. He could hear high, female laughter before the scene changed.
His scar started to burn. It was worse than the last dream; only he knew this wasn't a dream, but a vision.
Voldemort was in his chair and a cloaked figure was kneeling at his feet. Voldemort was furious; Harry could feel it in his scar. His head was about to explode.
Livid and furious would have worked for how mad Voldemort was if he had been a puppy. But he wasn't, so neither one was going to cut it. He was beyond mad.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU COULDN'T GET PAST THE WARDS?" Voldemort bellowed. He pointed his wand at the figure. "CRUCIO!"
The figure screamed and curled into a ball until Voldemort took off the curse. Harry recognized the figure as Lucius Malfoy.
"They were too strong, master!" Lucius gasped.
"WEAKLING!" the dark lord roared. "CRUCIO!"
Lucius was screaming again and it took Harry a few seconds to realize he was screaming too.
~*~*~*~
Someone was slapping him and calling his name.He was so tired and wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep.
He shivered; it was freezing suddenly. He opened his eyes. Mrs. Weasly, Remus, and Tonks were standing over him.
"Harry!" Remus was calling. It was him who was slapping him, trying to get him to wake up.
Harry groaned, his head hurt, not just his scar. He was freezing, yet he was sweating and his stomach hurt too.
"Harry, what's wrong?" Remus asked. He put a hand on Harry's forehead. "Good lord, you're burning up!"
Harry shifted uncomfortably. What was wrong with him anyway, he was fine earlier.
He must have dozed off, because the next thing he knew, there was a cool cloth over his forehead and he didn't feel quite so hot. Everything else felt worse.
A dark haired somebody was sitting in a chair next to him. "Sirius?" he mumbled.
"He's delirious," that someone said. He was saying something else, but Harry didn't really care what.
If Sirius were here, why wouldn't he say something to Harry? He knew he wasn't dead; he wasn't gone. He was just hiding. "Sirius, where were you?" he rasped. His throat was all dry.
"Shh, it's okay," Sirius soothed. "Here, drink this."
Sirius put a glass to his lips. Harry drank the water that was in it. His throat instantly felt better.
"Now go back to sleep," Sirius told him. Harry did what he asked; he was so tired.
~*~*~*~
"Shh, you'll wake him up!"
"I'll wake him up? You're the one who's running a hole in the rug!"
"At least I'm not yelling."
"Neither am I!"
"Just let him sleep."
"I'm all for letting him sleep, Molly, but he has to get up, to go to the funeral!"
Harry awoke with a start. Where was he? It all came back, like his mind was on fast forward. The dream and the vision, then Sirius was there.
But that was impossible. Sirius was dead. Or was he? Harry knew what he saw, and Sirius was there!
"It doesn't matter now, as he's up anyway," a voice (which Harry recognized as Mrs. Weasly) said. "Harry dear, how are you feeling?"
"Fine." Harry mumbled, lying. He felt horrible, but he could fend for himself. "Where did Sirius go?"
"Sirius-Harry, I thought you knew that." Mrs. Weasly said. "Sirius is dead, Harry, we're going to his funeral today."
Harry didn't move. He didn't say a word. Remus stepped in just then. "Feeling better?" he asked.
When Harry still didn't move, he turned to Mrs. Weasly.
"He thought he was seeing Sirius last night and I told him Sirius was dead." Mrs. Weasly explained. "What can we do for him?"
"Nothing right yet."
A tiny crack appeared in the wall to Harry's right. The lights flickered and the rose-chair turned back into a chair.
"Harry." Remus began. "Harry, clam down."
The crack got bigger and the lights flickered again. Yet Harry still didn't move. "Harry, don't make me have to stun you!"
Harry's eyes flew open now. They hardened into a glare and settled on Remus.
"Harry, don't do anything hasty." Remus said, backing away. "Stupefy!" he cried, stunning the boy quickly.
When Remus un-stunned Harry, Harry was on a couch downstairs. "Harry, are you quite calm now?" Remus asked, a tad irritably.
"Yes." Harry grumbled, getting up from the couch. "Can I go now?"
"No, we have to leave. Now let's go, we're going by Floo."
"I don't want to go." Harry replied shortly.
"Harry, don't be so difficult, you need a bit of closure."
Remus lit the fire with his wand. "C'mon. Everyone else has already left."
Harry crossed his arms. He felt like being especially uncooperative today. "No."
"You know I can force you, don't make me stun you again." Remus sighed. "Look, I know you're hurting because of Sirius, but making life difficult for me and everyone else is not helping yourself, nor anyone else."
Harry didn't move.
"I'll drag you kicking and screaming if I have to. Harry, don't mess with me!"
Harry moved back, glaring. Remus sighed and moved closer to Harry. Harry moved back, but Remus was too quick for him. He had the younger boy round the waist, pinning his arms to his sides.
"Now, we can do this the easy way, or I can force you." Harry didn't say anything, so Remus made his way to the fireplace, dragging Harry along with him.
He threw some Floo Powder in and shouted "Godric's Hollow Cemetery!"
When he heard where they were headed, Harry was so shocked, he stopped struggling against Remus. When they fell out of the outdoor fireplace, he asked, "Godric's Hollow? Isn't this where my parents lived?"
Remus nodded soundlessly. Harry shut up after that. Remus let Harry go and walked over to the chairs that were set up in the field, expecting Harry to follow.
He nodded a hello to the Weaslys who were seated in the front row. Hermione was next to Ron; unshed tears shining in her eyes.
Harry wordlessly took a seat next to Hermione. Remus sat next to him.
There was a podium set up next to a coffin, which was probably empty. Dumbledore stood up in front, waiting for everyone to get there.
It seemed Harry and Remus were the last ones to arrive. Dumbledore cleared his throat and everyone turned to look at him.
"We're here today to say good-bye to a very close friend," he said. "Sirius Black. Although many thought him to be a criminal, we all know otherwise. Sirius was a very brave man. He died in battle, exactly the way he would have chose."
"He would have preferred not to die at all." Harry muttered, his arms crossed.
"Close to both Lily and James Potter in his youth, Sirius was a very good friend to everyone." Dumbledore continued his speech as the casket was lowered into a hole in the ground.
There was also a headstone. It read, "Sirius Black. May Snuffles live on."
"Sirius!" he yelled. He was just at the end of the hallway; he could reach him if he really wanted to-and he did.
"Harry!" Sirius yelled back, but his voice was weak and soft, as though coming from a mile away. But it was only twenty feet or so. He tried to run towards Sirius, but the farther her went, the farther away Sirius was.
Then there was the arch. Sirius fell back into it slowly and gracefully, like it was happening all over again. He could hear high, female laughter before the scene changed.
His scar started to burn. It was worse than the last dream; only he knew this wasn't a dream, but a vision.
Voldemort was in his chair and a cloaked figure was kneeling at his feet. Voldemort was furious; Harry could feel it in his scar. His head was about to explode.
Livid and furious would have worked for how mad Voldemort was if he had been a puppy. But he wasn't, so neither one was going to cut it. He was beyond mad.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU COULDN'T GET PAST THE WARDS?" Voldemort bellowed. He pointed his wand at the figure. "CRUCIO!"
The figure screamed and curled into a ball until Voldemort took off the curse. Harry recognized the figure as Lucius Malfoy.
"They were too strong, master!" Lucius gasped.
"WEAKLING!" the dark lord roared. "CRUCIO!"
Lucius was screaming again and it took Harry a few seconds to realize he was screaming too.
~*~*~*~
Someone was slapping him and calling his name.He was so tired and wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep.
He shivered; it was freezing suddenly. He opened his eyes. Mrs. Weasly, Remus, and Tonks were standing over him.
"Harry!" Remus was calling. It was him who was slapping him, trying to get him to wake up.
Harry groaned, his head hurt, not just his scar. He was freezing, yet he was sweating and his stomach hurt too.
"Harry, what's wrong?" Remus asked. He put a hand on Harry's forehead. "Good lord, you're burning up!"
Harry shifted uncomfortably. What was wrong with him anyway, he was fine earlier.
He must have dozed off, because the next thing he knew, there was a cool cloth over his forehead and he didn't feel quite so hot. Everything else felt worse.
A dark haired somebody was sitting in a chair next to him. "Sirius?" he mumbled.
"He's delirious," that someone said. He was saying something else, but Harry didn't really care what.
If Sirius were here, why wouldn't he say something to Harry? He knew he wasn't dead; he wasn't gone. He was just hiding. "Sirius, where were you?" he rasped. His throat was all dry.
"Shh, it's okay," Sirius soothed. "Here, drink this."
Sirius put a glass to his lips. Harry drank the water that was in it. His throat instantly felt better.
"Now go back to sleep," Sirius told him. Harry did what he asked; he was so tired.
~*~*~*~
"Shh, you'll wake him up!"
"I'll wake him up? You're the one who's running a hole in the rug!"
"At least I'm not yelling."
"Neither am I!"
"Just let him sleep."
"I'm all for letting him sleep, Molly, but he has to get up, to go to the funeral!"
Harry awoke with a start. Where was he? It all came back, like his mind was on fast forward. The dream and the vision, then Sirius was there.
But that was impossible. Sirius was dead. Or was he? Harry knew what he saw, and Sirius was there!
"It doesn't matter now, as he's up anyway," a voice (which Harry recognized as Mrs. Weasly) said. "Harry dear, how are you feeling?"
"Fine." Harry mumbled, lying. He felt horrible, but he could fend for himself. "Where did Sirius go?"
"Sirius-Harry, I thought you knew that." Mrs. Weasly said. "Sirius is dead, Harry, we're going to his funeral today."
Harry didn't move. He didn't say a word. Remus stepped in just then. "Feeling better?" he asked.
When Harry still didn't move, he turned to Mrs. Weasly.
"He thought he was seeing Sirius last night and I told him Sirius was dead." Mrs. Weasly explained. "What can we do for him?"
"Nothing right yet."
A tiny crack appeared in the wall to Harry's right. The lights flickered and the rose-chair turned back into a chair.
"Harry." Remus began. "Harry, clam down."
The crack got bigger and the lights flickered again. Yet Harry still didn't move. "Harry, don't make me have to stun you!"
Harry's eyes flew open now. They hardened into a glare and settled on Remus.
"Harry, don't do anything hasty." Remus said, backing away. "Stupefy!" he cried, stunning the boy quickly.
When Remus un-stunned Harry, Harry was on a couch downstairs. "Harry, are you quite calm now?" Remus asked, a tad irritably.
"Yes." Harry grumbled, getting up from the couch. "Can I go now?"
"No, we have to leave. Now let's go, we're going by Floo."
"I don't want to go." Harry replied shortly.
"Harry, don't be so difficult, you need a bit of closure."
Remus lit the fire with his wand. "C'mon. Everyone else has already left."
Harry crossed his arms. He felt like being especially uncooperative today. "No."
"You know I can force you, don't make me stun you again." Remus sighed. "Look, I know you're hurting because of Sirius, but making life difficult for me and everyone else is not helping yourself, nor anyone else."
Harry didn't move.
"I'll drag you kicking and screaming if I have to. Harry, don't mess with me!"
Harry moved back, glaring. Remus sighed and moved closer to Harry. Harry moved back, but Remus was too quick for him. He had the younger boy round the waist, pinning his arms to his sides.
"Now, we can do this the easy way, or I can force you." Harry didn't say anything, so Remus made his way to the fireplace, dragging Harry along with him.
He threw some Floo Powder in and shouted "Godric's Hollow Cemetery!"
When he heard where they were headed, Harry was so shocked, he stopped struggling against Remus. When they fell out of the outdoor fireplace, he asked, "Godric's Hollow? Isn't this where my parents lived?"
Remus nodded soundlessly. Harry shut up after that. Remus let Harry go and walked over to the chairs that were set up in the field, expecting Harry to follow.
He nodded a hello to the Weaslys who were seated in the front row. Hermione was next to Ron; unshed tears shining in her eyes.
Harry wordlessly took a seat next to Hermione. Remus sat next to him.
There was a podium set up next to a coffin, which was probably empty. Dumbledore stood up in front, waiting for everyone to get there.
It seemed Harry and Remus were the last ones to arrive. Dumbledore cleared his throat and everyone turned to look at him.
"We're here today to say good-bye to a very close friend," he said. "Sirius Black. Although many thought him to be a criminal, we all know otherwise. Sirius was a very brave man. He died in battle, exactly the way he would have chose."
"He would have preferred not to die at all." Harry muttered, his arms crossed.
"Close to both Lily and James Potter in his youth, Sirius was a very good friend to everyone." Dumbledore continued his speech as the casket was lowered into a hole in the ground.
There was also a headstone. It read, "Sirius Black. May Snuffles live on."