Disclaimer: Harry Potter… Still not mine.
Winter Angle: Hmmm. Sure! Thanks. That would be cool. I'd have a beta reader… I think that means I'm moving up in the world. The first step of course was to post. g
Lindsay: I know, I know. Missed opportunities. I hope to give Sirius a chance to reap some sort of revenge on the Dursleys, but forcing Remus to restrain Sirius seemed a bit overdone. I always got the impression that Remus cared just as much for Harry, just in a much more subtle way. Besides, I figured Sirius would put Harry first, then deal with them later. If Harry had appeared dead… all bets would have been off. But yeah, you're most likely right.
Nicky: Doh! You are so right! blushes with embarrassment Ahem. Chapter One has been reposted with the first couple of paragraphs slightly modified to reflect the proper lunar cycle. Details! G
Velondra, MidnightDragon, Elizabeth Bathory, tsuki tatsu, Prongs, clingon87, ciauntie, John'sSunshine+Rupert'sPrincess, Sandrine Black, Otaku freak: Thank you all for reviewing! I had no idea how much fun this is. I keep peeking throughout the day… hehehehe
Well. On with the show…
Chapter 3
Voices were the first thing Harry was consciously aware of. Faint at first, the volume increased, but Harry let the words themselves slip by undeciphered. He was warm and comfortable. Hmmm.
"Was he dead?" The thought idly drifted by. He didn't think so. His ribs still ached. Why did they ache? The Dursleys… No. There was something else. Oh yes. Sirius! Sirius had come for him. He'd been worried, and busted him out of 4 Privet Drive. Harry felt his heart swell at the thought. There was so much else he couldn't seem to find any good in any more, but this mattered to him more than anything. Sentences were beginning to penetrate his peaceful world now.
"…food and rest. I've left nutritional potions for him to take three times a day. Two healing potions need to be taken twice a day; one for the bruising and broken ribs, and the other for the internal damage done by the severe malnutrition…" a voice said firmly. Harry knew that voice: Madame Pomfrey. So was he in the Hospital Wing? Harry started to stir. Sirius…
"He's waking up," a voice said. Mr. Weasley.
"Am I really waking up?" Harry wondered. He tried to swallow, but his throat was too dry to do so. He wasn't sure if he wanted to wake up yet. This was the most comfortable he'd been in such a long time.
"Harry?" Sirius's voice said gently near Harry's ear. "Wake up, okay? Madame Pomfrey needs to check you over."
Harry didn't really want to wake up. Waking up meant facing his pain again. The dreams, Cedric, his life… But it would be so nice to see Sirius. He sounded worried, and Harry wanted to reassure him.
Already his scar was starting to sting. Harry hissed in pain as he stirred, his ribs reminding him to choose a lighter lamp next time, and tried to open his eyes. After a few failed attempts to focus, Harry fixed his eyes on the dark haired man at his side. Sirius gently tried to place Harry's glasses on his face. After poking Harry in the ear the first time, Sirius managed to set them squarely on his nose. Harry smiled as he saw Sirius' tense features.
"Hi," Harry said, his voice barely a whisper.
"Let me see to him first, Sirius," Madame Pomfrey said briskly, stepping in front of Sirius, and began to ask Harry what hurt, what he'd last had to eat, to follow her wand with his eyes, and to move his limbs, among other things. Harry blinked as Sirius moved out of her way quickly. Harry endured Madame Pomfrey's endless questions and commands, wearily obeying. When at last she seemed satisfied, she walked towards Professor Dumbledore, allowing Harry's first glimpse of where he was and who was in the room. He was at the Burrow.
"How can I be in the Burrow?" Harry wondered. It was far too quiet for that.
He was in the Weasley living room. Sirius, Ron, Professor Lupin, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Madame Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore were all there as well, watching both him and Madame Pomprey intently. Harry noticed that her face held a stern expression as she locked eyes with Dumbledore and nodded her head towards the kitchen. She wished to speak privately, and everyone except Sirius and Ron followed her into the other room to hear what her pronouncements regarding Harry's health would be. Sirius though had returned to Harry's side, taking his hand in his own. Ron stood beside him, his eyes intense with worry.
"How are you feeling?" Sirius asked.
"Warm. It feels nice," Harry whispered. He was lying on the Weasley couch wrapped up in blankets. He had a pillow behind his head, and felt more comfortable than he had in a long time. "Hey," Harry said, nodding to Ron. Ron smiled weakly.
"Bloody hell, Harry. What did they do to you?" Ron asked. Sirius shot him an angry glance, but Harry squeezed Sirius' hand reassuringly.
"It's been a rough holiday," Harry replied dryly. He really didn't want to talk about it anyway.
"Good thing you've still got a month to recover. It looks like you're going to need every day of it," Ron stated. Leave it to Ron, Harry thought in amusement.
"What made you come?" Harry asked Sirius, torn as always between his fear for his Godfather's safety and the overwhelming need for his presence. He'd assumed that everyone at the Weasley home now knew of Sirius' innocence, otherwise they would have blasted him to the next millennium by now. "Well, maybe not Madame Pomfrey," Harry thought with a small smile as he remembered seeing Sirius keep a good distance from her. She hadn't shot any dark looks his way though, Harry realized gratefully.
"When none of my owls reached you," Sirius said flatly, his eyes searching Harry's face.
"Then Hedwig turned up to stay permanently, and with no letter. I knew something was wrong," Ron said, biting his lower lip and shaking his head. He looked at Harry. "I had Hermione try to reach you the Muggle way, and the Dursleys told her no one by the name of Harry Potter lived there," he said, his face flushing in anger.
"Ron owled me with that tidbit of news…" Sirius said, practically snarling.
"… and I knew we'd need to bust you out again," Ron interrupted enthusiastically. "But Dumbledore wouldn't let us," he said, his face dark.
"…and I disagreed with Dumbledore," Sirius stated.
Harry was looking from one to the other as they spoke, feeling like he was watching a Quiddich match.
"Ron and Hermione knew I would get you out no matter what," Sirius said firmly, and Harry didn't miss the venomous look Sirius sent in Dumbledore's general direction.
"But Padfoot knew he couldn't take you into hiding with him, so he'd have to make other arrangements," Professor Lupin said as he left the kitchen and came over to stand next to Sirius, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"Remus, ever the voice of reason, knew you liked the Burrow and suggested we approach Arthur and Molly about it," Sirius said with a toothy smile as his friend joined them.
"Which would also make it easier to reach you, as the Weasleys have been to your home already and could help us get past the barriers," Professor Lupin said.
"But doesn't that mean…?" Harry asked, suddenly very concerned that the Weasleys could be used to try to reach him. That meant they'd be in even more danger. He couldn't allow that. He looked around for Dumbledore, upset at what he'd learned, when Sirius leaned forward and rested his forehead against Harry's. Harry froze at the tender gesture.
"Harry, I know what you're thinking, and you're wrong. They aren't in any more danger now than they had been before. I'll let you in on a secret Dumbledore told me," Sirius whispered gently, looking intently into Harry's eyes. His hair tickled the side of Harry's cheek.
"What?" Harry asked, his heart in his throat, desperate to stay and yet resigned that he could not.
"The only wizards and witches who can pass the protective barriers on the Dursley house must love you," Sirius whispered, then pulled back, smiling.
"So…" Harry said, amazed by what he had just learned.
"So Sirius decides to reveal himself to the Weasleys and explain what really happened," Professor Lupin said, shaking his head and effectively cutting off Harry's questions with a look that told Harry to ask again later.
"Thanks to Ron, they heard me out, but it was still a close call," Sirius said wryly.
"Actually, they nearly made Sirius a replacement as the family pet…" Remus said, raising an eyebrow wryly. Harry smiled. He suspected he hadn't meant that in a good way, and could imagine how frightening Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were when angry.
"But they'd already met your appalling relatives, so it didn't take much persuasion to enlist their aid once we convinced them that something was wrong," Sirius said. Harry frowned.
"But if Dumbledore didn't think it was safe…. I could be endangering everyone here," Harry whispered. Dread began to fill the pit of his stomach as he tried to sit up. Sirius shook his head and pressed a hand against Harry's shoulder, pushing him back onto the couch. Harry waited for the pain to subside, taking small breaths. It had been a bad idea to move, but he couldn't let anything happen to the Weasleys.
"No, you aren't, Harry. Stay still and hear me out. It turns out Dumbledore has been working most of the summer adding new protections to both the Burrow and the Granger's home. Add to that one perfectly qualified former Aurorer, one former DADA professor, and an entire family of very capable wizards and witches, and you've got yourself a refuge," Sirius said with a slight smile. Harry could tell Sirius was working hard to keep spirits light, and was grateful for it. So he could stay? Harry was afraid to hope.
"Harry, the Burrow is almost as safe as the Dursley home was," Dumbledore said as he too left the kitchen and gently sat next to Harry on the couch. "I'd intended in a week or two to allow the Weasleys to bring you here. Sirius merely upped the timetable," Dumbledore said, then leaned forward, his bright eyes concerned.
Harry blinked at the expression on Dumbledore's face. It threw him. So far, he'd been able to keep things light and not talk about what happened, but it felt to Harry like Dumbledore could see through all that, and that he could clearly see Harry's pain. Harry prayed he wouldn't have to talk about it. Not now.
"Harry," Dumbledore said, leaning forward. "I will have to ask at some point," he said gently. Harry was yet again amazed at how much Dumbledore seemed to see into his innermost thoughts and fears. Harry tried again to swallow, and failed. Sirius frowned, then stood up and glanced at Madame Pomfrey as she and Ron's parents returned to the living room.
"Could I get Harry something to drink?" Sirius asked her. She nodded, and they both set off for the kitchen again.
"I know," Harry replied to Dumbledore, then looked at the small pile of books sitting on his trunk next to the fireplace. They'd found his things hidden under the bed. "One of those books is a journal. Hermione gave it to me. I've been using it to record my dreams," Harry told him. He knew how important this was to Dumbledore.
Everyone in the room was silent for a moment. Harry reluctantly raised his eyes to meet Dumbledore's. "This will at least forestall some of his questions," Harry thought gratefully. He hadn't wanted to live it, let alone talk about it. That included both Voldemort and the Dursleys.
"Your scar's been hurting, then?" Dumbledore asked, although it was more of a statement than a question. Harry nodded.
"All the time," Harry replied wearily. Harry glanced over at Ron, who'd grown pale but said nothing. Harry wondered what was being reported in the Daily Prophet about Voldemort's activities, and how much Ron was aware of. Did Mr. Weasley talk about it?
"Then if you don't mind, I'd like to take the journal? I'll return it in a few days when I come back to check up on you," Dumbledore asked, smiling gently in understanding.
"Please," Harry said. He didn't really want it back anyway, but Hermione had given it to him.
"Of course," Dumbledore agreed.
Sirius returned with a glass of water. He sat next to Harry and gently lifted his head to allow Harry to sip it, which he did so eagerly. The cool water felt great against Harry's parched and swollen throat. Harry felt his eyes begin to close and struggled to open them again as he relished being able to swallow.
"No, Harry, it's okay. You need your rest. Go to sleep now. I'll see you in a couple of days," Dumbledore said and gently brushed the hair off of Harry's forehead. "You're safe now," he whispered, and Harry listened as floo powder was thrown into the fireplace. Sirius squeezed Harry's hand gently.
"Yeah, hurry up and get well. Fred and George have been a terror all summer, and I need a partner to help me get them back properly," Ron said.
Harry smiled, Sirius' hand still in his, and let his thoughts drift. He was staying. He was staying the rest of the summer with people he loved. Ron spoke some more with Sirius, but Harry wasn't listening. He floated away, and wondered if his dreams would be pleasant for once.
Winter Angle: Hmmm. Sure! Thanks. That would be cool. I'd have a beta reader… I think that means I'm moving up in the world. The first step of course was to post. g
Lindsay: I know, I know. Missed opportunities. I hope to give Sirius a chance to reap some sort of revenge on the Dursleys, but forcing Remus to restrain Sirius seemed a bit overdone. I always got the impression that Remus cared just as much for Harry, just in a much more subtle way. Besides, I figured Sirius would put Harry first, then deal with them later. If Harry had appeared dead… all bets would have been off. But yeah, you're most likely right.
Nicky: Doh! You are so right! blushes with embarrassment Ahem. Chapter One has been reposted with the first couple of paragraphs slightly modified to reflect the proper lunar cycle. Details! G
Velondra, MidnightDragon, Elizabeth Bathory, tsuki tatsu, Prongs, clingon87, ciauntie, John'sSunshine+Rupert'sPrincess, Sandrine Black, Otaku freak: Thank you all for reviewing! I had no idea how much fun this is. I keep peeking throughout the day… hehehehe
Well. On with the show…
Chapter 3
Voices were the first thing Harry was consciously aware of. Faint at first, the volume increased, but Harry let the words themselves slip by undeciphered. He was warm and comfortable. Hmmm.
"Was he dead?" The thought idly drifted by. He didn't think so. His ribs still ached. Why did they ache? The Dursleys… No. There was something else. Oh yes. Sirius! Sirius had come for him. He'd been worried, and busted him out of 4 Privet Drive. Harry felt his heart swell at the thought. There was so much else he couldn't seem to find any good in any more, but this mattered to him more than anything. Sentences were beginning to penetrate his peaceful world now.
"…food and rest. I've left nutritional potions for him to take three times a day. Two healing potions need to be taken twice a day; one for the bruising and broken ribs, and the other for the internal damage done by the severe malnutrition…" a voice said firmly. Harry knew that voice: Madame Pomfrey. So was he in the Hospital Wing? Harry started to stir. Sirius…
"He's waking up," a voice said. Mr. Weasley.
"Am I really waking up?" Harry wondered. He tried to swallow, but his throat was too dry to do so. He wasn't sure if he wanted to wake up yet. This was the most comfortable he'd been in such a long time.
"Harry?" Sirius's voice said gently near Harry's ear. "Wake up, okay? Madame Pomfrey needs to check you over."
Harry didn't really want to wake up. Waking up meant facing his pain again. The dreams, Cedric, his life… But it would be so nice to see Sirius. He sounded worried, and Harry wanted to reassure him.
Already his scar was starting to sting. Harry hissed in pain as he stirred, his ribs reminding him to choose a lighter lamp next time, and tried to open his eyes. After a few failed attempts to focus, Harry fixed his eyes on the dark haired man at his side. Sirius gently tried to place Harry's glasses on his face. After poking Harry in the ear the first time, Sirius managed to set them squarely on his nose. Harry smiled as he saw Sirius' tense features.
"Hi," Harry said, his voice barely a whisper.
"Let me see to him first, Sirius," Madame Pomfrey said briskly, stepping in front of Sirius, and began to ask Harry what hurt, what he'd last had to eat, to follow her wand with his eyes, and to move his limbs, among other things. Harry blinked as Sirius moved out of her way quickly. Harry endured Madame Pomfrey's endless questions and commands, wearily obeying. When at last she seemed satisfied, she walked towards Professor Dumbledore, allowing Harry's first glimpse of where he was and who was in the room. He was at the Burrow.
"How can I be in the Burrow?" Harry wondered. It was far too quiet for that.
He was in the Weasley living room. Sirius, Ron, Professor Lupin, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Madame Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore were all there as well, watching both him and Madame Pomprey intently. Harry noticed that her face held a stern expression as she locked eyes with Dumbledore and nodded her head towards the kitchen. She wished to speak privately, and everyone except Sirius and Ron followed her into the other room to hear what her pronouncements regarding Harry's health would be. Sirius though had returned to Harry's side, taking his hand in his own. Ron stood beside him, his eyes intense with worry.
"How are you feeling?" Sirius asked.
"Warm. It feels nice," Harry whispered. He was lying on the Weasley couch wrapped up in blankets. He had a pillow behind his head, and felt more comfortable than he had in a long time. "Hey," Harry said, nodding to Ron. Ron smiled weakly.
"Bloody hell, Harry. What did they do to you?" Ron asked. Sirius shot him an angry glance, but Harry squeezed Sirius' hand reassuringly.
"It's been a rough holiday," Harry replied dryly. He really didn't want to talk about it anyway.
"Good thing you've still got a month to recover. It looks like you're going to need every day of it," Ron stated. Leave it to Ron, Harry thought in amusement.
"What made you come?" Harry asked Sirius, torn as always between his fear for his Godfather's safety and the overwhelming need for his presence. He'd assumed that everyone at the Weasley home now knew of Sirius' innocence, otherwise they would have blasted him to the next millennium by now. "Well, maybe not Madame Pomfrey," Harry thought with a small smile as he remembered seeing Sirius keep a good distance from her. She hadn't shot any dark looks his way though, Harry realized gratefully.
"When none of my owls reached you," Sirius said flatly, his eyes searching Harry's face.
"Then Hedwig turned up to stay permanently, and with no letter. I knew something was wrong," Ron said, biting his lower lip and shaking his head. He looked at Harry. "I had Hermione try to reach you the Muggle way, and the Dursleys told her no one by the name of Harry Potter lived there," he said, his face flushing in anger.
"Ron owled me with that tidbit of news…" Sirius said, practically snarling.
"… and I knew we'd need to bust you out again," Ron interrupted enthusiastically. "But Dumbledore wouldn't let us," he said, his face dark.
"…and I disagreed with Dumbledore," Sirius stated.
Harry was looking from one to the other as they spoke, feeling like he was watching a Quiddich match.
"Ron and Hermione knew I would get you out no matter what," Sirius said firmly, and Harry didn't miss the venomous look Sirius sent in Dumbledore's general direction.
"But Padfoot knew he couldn't take you into hiding with him, so he'd have to make other arrangements," Professor Lupin said as he left the kitchen and came over to stand next to Sirius, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"Remus, ever the voice of reason, knew you liked the Burrow and suggested we approach Arthur and Molly about it," Sirius said with a toothy smile as his friend joined them.
"Which would also make it easier to reach you, as the Weasleys have been to your home already and could help us get past the barriers," Professor Lupin said.
"But doesn't that mean…?" Harry asked, suddenly very concerned that the Weasleys could be used to try to reach him. That meant they'd be in even more danger. He couldn't allow that. He looked around for Dumbledore, upset at what he'd learned, when Sirius leaned forward and rested his forehead against Harry's. Harry froze at the tender gesture.
"Harry, I know what you're thinking, and you're wrong. They aren't in any more danger now than they had been before. I'll let you in on a secret Dumbledore told me," Sirius whispered gently, looking intently into Harry's eyes. His hair tickled the side of Harry's cheek.
"What?" Harry asked, his heart in his throat, desperate to stay and yet resigned that he could not.
"The only wizards and witches who can pass the protective barriers on the Dursley house must love you," Sirius whispered, then pulled back, smiling.
"So…" Harry said, amazed by what he had just learned.
"So Sirius decides to reveal himself to the Weasleys and explain what really happened," Professor Lupin said, shaking his head and effectively cutting off Harry's questions with a look that told Harry to ask again later.
"Thanks to Ron, they heard me out, but it was still a close call," Sirius said wryly.
"Actually, they nearly made Sirius a replacement as the family pet…" Remus said, raising an eyebrow wryly. Harry smiled. He suspected he hadn't meant that in a good way, and could imagine how frightening Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were when angry.
"But they'd already met your appalling relatives, so it didn't take much persuasion to enlist their aid once we convinced them that something was wrong," Sirius said. Harry frowned.
"But if Dumbledore didn't think it was safe…. I could be endangering everyone here," Harry whispered. Dread began to fill the pit of his stomach as he tried to sit up. Sirius shook his head and pressed a hand against Harry's shoulder, pushing him back onto the couch. Harry waited for the pain to subside, taking small breaths. It had been a bad idea to move, but he couldn't let anything happen to the Weasleys.
"No, you aren't, Harry. Stay still and hear me out. It turns out Dumbledore has been working most of the summer adding new protections to both the Burrow and the Granger's home. Add to that one perfectly qualified former Aurorer, one former DADA professor, and an entire family of very capable wizards and witches, and you've got yourself a refuge," Sirius said with a slight smile. Harry could tell Sirius was working hard to keep spirits light, and was grateful for it. So he could stay? Harry was afraid to hope.
"Harry, the Burrow is almost as safe as the Dursley home was," Dumbledore said as he too left the kitchen and gently sat next to Harry on the couch. "I'd intended in a week or two to allow the Weasleys to bring you here. Sirius merely upped the timetable," Dumbledore said, then leaned forward, his bright eyes concerned.
Harry blinked at the expression on Dumbledore's face. It threw him. So far, he'd been able to keep things light and not talk about what happened, but it felt to Harry like Dumbledore could see through all that, and that he could clearly see Harry's pain. Harry prayed he wouldn't have to talk about it. Not now.
"Harry," Dumbledore said, leaning forward. "I will have to ask at some point," he said gently. Harry was yet again amazed at how much Dumbledore seemed to see into his innermost thoughts and fears. Harry tried again to swallow, and failed. Sirius frowned, then stood up and glanced at Madame Pomfrey as she and Ron's parents returned to the living room.
"Could I get Harry something to drink?" Sirius asked her. She nodded, and they both set off for the kitchen again.
"I know," Harry replied to Dumbledore, then looked at the small pile of books sitting on his trunk next to the fireplace. They'd found his things hidden under the bed. "One of those books is a journal. Hermione gave it to me. I've been using it to record my dreams," Harry told him. He knew how important this was to Dumbledore.
Everyone in the room was silent for a moment. Harry reluctantly raised his eyes to meet Dumbledore's. "This will at least forestall some of his questions," Harry thought gratefully. He hadn't wanted to live it, let alone talk about it. That included both Voldemort and the Dursleys.
"Your scar's been hurting, then?" Dumbledore asked, although it was more of a statement than a question. Harry nodded.
"All the time," Harry replied wearily. Harry glanced over at Ron, who'd grown pale but said nothing. Harry wondered what was being reported in the Daily Prophet about Voldemort's activities, and how much Ron was aware of. Did Mr. Weasley talk about it?
"Then if you don't mind, I'd like to take the journal? I'll return it in a few days when I come back to check up on you," Dumbledore asked, smiling gently in understanding.
"Please," Harry said. He didn't really want it back anyway, but Hermione had given it to him.
"Of course," Dumbledore agreed.
Sirius returned with a glass of water. He sat next to Harry and gently lifted his head to allow Harry to sip it, which he did so eagerly. The cool water felt great against Harry's parched and swollen throat. Harry felt his eyes begin to close and struggled to open them again as he relished being able to swallow.
"No, Harry, it's okay. You need your rest. Go to sleep now. I'll see you in a couple of days," Dumbledore said and gently brushed the hair off of Harry's forehead. "You're safe now," he whispered, and Harry listened as floo powder was thrown into the fireplace. Sirius squeezed Harry's hand gently.
"Yeah, hurry up and get well. Fred and George have been a terror all summer, and I need a partner to help me get them back properly," Ron said.
Harry smiled, Sirius' hand still in his, and let his thoughts drift. He was staying. He was staying the rest of the summer with people he loved. Ron spoke some more with Sirius, but Harry wasn't listening. He floated away, and wondered if his dreams would be pleasant for once.