Disclaimer: 'Though it pains
me to say it, everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.
The Secret Keeper
Chapter Three:
The Aftermath
When Remus Lupin finally reached the door of number four Privet Drive, he had to force himself not to be overcome by the grief and anger he had felt at seeing the Dark Mark floating ominously above the house. It might not be too late to rescue Harry. He had to focus on the job at hand. The house was in a shambles, and he had seen from the outside that Harry's room was completely destroyed. Slowly, he climbed the stairs, terrified at what he would find. The air was thick with dust and plaster from the destroyed walls. Standing at the door to Harry's room, he found himself looking out onto the street, where the battle was still continuing, though now with the added presence of ministry guards, dressed in their distinctive grey robes. Most of the Death Eaters seemed to have fled, overwhelmed by the number of wizards who had arrived to protect Harry. Remus searched through the rubble, coughing in the clouds of dust, but found no sign of Harry. He made his way back downstairs, feeling slightly hopeful, and went into the kitchen. At first all he could see were the Dursleys crouched under the kitchen table, whimpering pathetically, their eyes closed as if in disbelief. Well at least they're alive.
"Where's Harry?" Lupin asked, sitting down on the floor next to them.
There was no response.
"Please, I'm here to help. Will you just tell me where Harry is first?"
Petunia managed a tiny squeak and nodded behind the table. Lupin leapt up and ran around behind the table. He bent over Harry's prone form, and with shaking hands, checked for a pulse. He let out a sigh of relief at feeling Harry's strong but irregular pulse, and noticed that he was still breathing. Lupin called him gently, but couldn't bring him round. He was still bent over Harry, considering what to do when a cold voice suddenly spoke behind him:
"So he's alive then, is he?"
Remus jumped. He hadn't heard Snape come in behind him. Severus Snape stood in the doorway, his characteristic sneer struggling for dominance over the expression of relief creeping unconsciously over his face.
"Yes. I'm not sure what happened to him, though. He seems stunned, but I can't bring him round".
Snape knelt down beside Remus to look at Harry.
"Best not to enervate him till Pomfrey looks at him".
Remus nodded in agreement and lifted Harry gently off the ground.
"I'll get him to Hogwarts. Will you deal with them?" Remus asked, looking down at the terrified Dursleys.
"That's Arthur Weasley's job, not mine. I'll see what's happening outside". Snape turned and left, his black robes billowing behind him.
***
Molly Weasley smiled as the clock on the kitchen wall announced that her husband was finally on his way home, and began preparing his dinner although it was well past suppertime. Ron and Ginny were sitting at the table, too miserable and worried to go to bed. Ever since Sirius Black had arrived hours ago telling them that Death Eaters had attacked Harry's house, they had been unable to eat or even think. It was almost midnight and they still didn't know if Harry was alright. They guessed it had been quite serious, though, since their father was so late home.
"Your father's on his way home now, dears", Molly said to try and comfort her two youngest children, "I'm sure everything will be alright. If anything bad had happened we'd know by now".
Ginny wiped another tear from her red-rimmed eyes, wondering desperately if it would ever end. She loved Harry Potter and it pained her deeply that he regarded her love for him as being nothing more than childish infatuation. In truth she was well past that embarrassing stage of her life, and she yearned for Harry to view her as an equal, in short to regard her as being on the same level as Hermione Granger. She felt an overwhelming warmth of affection for Harry that she had never felt for anyone else, and couldn't bear to think of him having to face Voldemort again. She greatly admired his courage, and smiled inwardly everytime he lost his temper with Ron for telling him not to say You-Know-Who's name, but she still couldn't help but think of him as an innocent and vulnerable child, who needed protection from the world he had been thrust so violently into. And now he was in danger again, and she didn't even know if he was still alive. Another tear streamed down her blotched face as her father appeared in the kitchen, looking old and drawn.
"Sit down, dear, dinner won't be long".
Arthur Weasley sat down at the table, sighing at the pure bliss of simply sitting down. It had been one of the longest days in memory, almost as bad as the day Peter Pettigrew had killed all those muggles. And to think I blamed Sirius Black, the most protective godfather who ever lived! Harry couldn't ask for a more dedicated…He glanced at the clock and at his two children, who were watching him intently. Oh right, Harry.
"Don't worry, Harry's going to be fine. He was hit by a nasty curse, courtesy of Lucius Malfoy, but he's fine, just a bit sore. Dumbledore says he can come here tomorrow. It should be safe now, with all the protection charms the Order has heaped on the place".
"And on us…" Ron grumbled. I wonder if Harry got my note. Ron yawned loudly before patting his sister on the shoulder and standing up, "Coming, Gin?" Ginny got up wearily and followed Ron upstairs. Mrs. Weasley set down her husband's dinner and turned to ask him the question that had been worrying her ever since the Triwizard Tournament.
"Is it really safe, Arthur? You know I love Harry, and don't mind having him here, but what if You-Know-Who tries to get him again?"
"Don't worry, love. This really is the safest place on earth now, and I'd die before I let anything happen to you or the kids".
Molly grasped her husband's hand. "We'll protect them, Arthur, no matter what…"
***
Sirius Black paced the length of the Hogwart's infirmary, his footfalls echoing off the stone walls and his movement casting long shadows across the floor. He was furious with himself for failing Harry yet again. The same thoughts kept running through his mind, I should have been guarding the house, I should have been guarding the house, I should have…Over and over again his thoughts ran in circles until they lost all meaning and became little more than white noise, I should have been guarding the house, I should have been-Sirius stopped pacing, suddenly realising that Madam Pomfrey was glaring at him reproachfully from the doorway.
"If you must pace the room, will you at least walk in your socks? He needs his sleep", hissed Madam Pomfrey as she passed him by to check on her patient. Sirius glanced after her apologetically and walked on tiptoe over to his godson's bed. Harry was still asleep and breathing deeply, his pale face illuminated by the candle flickering at his bedside. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully, thanks to the potion for dreamless sleep Madam Pomfrey had administered to him soon after he had awakened and told Albus Dumbledore and Sirius Black about the attack on Privet Drive. Sirius thought he could still discern a look of pain on Harry's sleeping face, a strained expression that had been there ever since the Triwizard Tournament. It hurt him that Harry couldn't escape his pain, even in sleep. I should have been guarding the house.
"You should get some sleep yourself, Black. You can stay here if you like-"
"I'm not leaving him".
"Well at least sit down, you're exhausted". Madam Pomfrey pulled a chair up to the bedside and Sirius collapsed into it gratefully, closing his eyes. He was dimly aware of a blanket being draped over him before he fell into a troubled sleep.
"So, what do you think of him, Padfoot?"
For once in his life, Sirius was speechless as he gazed
at James Potter's newly born son. James smiled serenely and passed the tiny
bundle to his friend-
"Oh, I don't know, Prongs, I'm not much use with babies".
"Don't be silly! Say hello to Harry James Potter, your
godson!"
"What!? You can't be serious-"
"No, you're Sirius. Look, you'll be a great godfather to
Harry, Sirius. Lily and I are both agreed on this. You wouldn't disappoint my
Lily would you?"
"I wouldn't dare", mumbled Sirius under his breath. James
smiled and passed over the baby.
"Then it's settled".
As Sirius took Harry in his arms he gasped in surprise at
the extraordinary aura that seemed to surround the child. He had sensed power like
that in few wizards, Albus Dumbledore for example, and occasionally James, but
coming from a baby it was quite unsettling. James, seeing the awed expression
on his friend's face, said:
"There's something special about him- do you feel it too,
Padfoot?"
Sirius nodded in agreement.
"Dumbledore says we should expect great things of him.
I'm so proud of him, and he's not even a day old! You can't imagine how
wonderful it is, Padfoot, having a son".
Sirius couldn't help but grin whenever James was happy.
His happiness was contagious to all around him, but Sirius could never remember
seeing James so overwhelmed with joy. It seemed to positively radiate from him.
"He's wonderful, James. I won't let you down-"
Sirius woke suddenly, confused and feeling strangely grieved. A moan from Harry's bed attracted his attention however, and he looked down to see Harry sitting on the edge of the mattress in the semi darkness, his head on his knees and his hands over his ears. He had his back to Sirius and seemed to be in pain.
"Harry? What's wrong?" Sirius asked, concerned.
"My head", Harry gasped.
Sirius moved around to the other side of the bed for a closer look, "I'll get Madam Pomfrey".
***
The following morning…
"I don't understand it, Professor, he shouldn't be experiencing any residual effects", Madam Pomfrey explained to Professor Dumbledore.
Sirius got up wearily from Harry's bedside and joined the nurse and headmaster by the door. He was dreadfully tired after a long day of worrying about the attack on Privet Drive, followed by a long and sleepless night watching helplessly as Harry writhed in pain, unable to sleep for more than an hour at a time even after taking stronger and stronger sleeping potions. Madam Pomfrey had been at a loss to explain Harry's condition, and so been unable to do anything to make him more comfortable. Eventually sunrise had come and Sirius, desperate to ease Harry's pain, had hit him with a stupefying curse. Sirius now approached Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey, hoping that the headmaster might perhaps have some idea of how to help Harry. Dumbledore seemed to be asking exactly what had happened.
"But he's been hit by the Cruciatus curse before, why is it so much worse this time?"
"I honestly don't know-"
"So, it was definitely the Cruciatus, then?" Sirius interjected.
"As far as we can tell, yes. However, Harry did speak of feeling pain only in his head. He also mentioned that Lucius Malfoy spoke of a "gift" his master had created especially for Harry. I think we may therefore be dealing with a new curse, perhaps a more concentrated form of the Cruciatus Curse-"
"That's awful!" exclaimed Madam Pomfrey, "How long will it last?"
"It's difficult to say. In the meantime, Poppy, I would ask you to work on finding something to ease the pain. Also, find out what you can about the curse Malfoy used. Sirius, go to Lupin's place and make plans for the reconvening of the Order. We'll have to organise our forces more efficiently if we're to stand any chance of protecting Harry. I'm amazed they attacked so soon, Voldemort must have recovered more quickly from his encounter with Harry than we expected. I want you to take Harry to the Burrow when he wakes up. He should be safe there for the time being. You can stay there with him if the Weasleys agree. In the meantime, there's much to be done".
***
Harry wandered through the empty stone corridors of Hogwarts in the direction of Gryffindor Tower. He had no particular reason to go up there, but it was a way of passing the time until Sirius returned from Remus Lupin's house to take him to the Burrow. The evening sun cast golden shadows on the granite walls, bathing the castle in a warm glow that seemed to penetrate everything but the darkness creeping over Harry's soul. Not even the promise of spending the summer with the Weasleys could lift him out of the bleak depression that seemed to have descended upon him. Harry simply couldn't banish the dark thoughts oppressing him, despite Sirius' repeated attempts at cheering him up, nor did he really want to. His head was still pounding, but it was bearable thanks to Madam Pomfrey's newly enhanced painkiller potion. Somehow, the thought of going to the Burrow to wallow in forgetfulness for the rest of the summer brought him no comfort. He did not want to be helpless anymore, and he felt vaguely insulted at Professor Dumbledore's apparent attempt to distract him from his worries by sending him to play with the Weasley kids. An amazed squeal brought him out of his reverie.
"Oh! It's you! What are you doing here?"
It was the Fat Lady, sipping tea with Sir Cadogan.
"Will you let me in?" Harry asked.
"Well, I don't know. It might not be safe. There are no passwords this time of the year, though-"
"Please, just for a while.." Harry pleaded.
"Hmmm, alright then".
Harry climbed through the portrait hole into the eerie silence of the Gryffindor common room. The room was icy cold, despite the blazing sun coming in through the tower windows, as the fires had not been lit since term ended. Harry half expected Fred and George to jump out at him, or Neville to come running through in pursuit of his toad, but all was silent. Harry made his way up to his dormitory, yet the sight of his familiar room brought him no comfort. He felt like an intruder, and the room seemed foreign, as though he was entering it for the first time. He wandered over to his old four-poster bed and lay down, staring up at the hangings. He wondered about the Dursleys and what would happen to them now. Sirius hadn't told him much before he left that morning, just that the ministry would clear everything up at Privet Drive, fabricate some plausible cover story and restore the house. The Dursleys, of course, and all their neighbours, would have to have memory charms put on them. That's a lot of memory charms, should keep Mr. Weasley busy for a while. He'll probably be out working when I arrive. Perhaps now he'll finally be able to incriminate Malfoy-at least something good has come of all this.
Harry shivered against the rough patchwork bed linen. He
suddenly felt very alone and closed his eyes as if trying to dispel the
tremendous dread that seemed to engulf him. It was better to feel nothing than
to think about his precarious existence. But why does it all centre on me?
All I ever did was receive a charm from my mother that saved my life and
destroyed another. I just wish people would see that. Dumbledore, Sirius,
Lupin, Hagrid…they're all going to be so disappointed when they realise what a
fraud I am. Harry thumped the mattress in frustration, the pain in his head
adding to his anger and despair. I'll never be more than my father's son.
" 'Thought I'd find you here. How's your head?"
Harry sat up on his bed and rubbed his eyes, startled at his godfather's appearance. Sirius was dressed in exquisite dark maroon robes with gold embroidery, his hair neatly combed and extending below his shoulders. Harry had to try hard not to laugh as an image of the well-groomed ex-Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor Gilderoy Lockhart popped into his head
"What?…." Sirius pleaded, shuffling his feat uncomfortably.
"Oh, nothing. Nice disguise by the way, you know you could almost win Witch Weekly's most charming-"
" I get the point, Harry. Glad to see you've recovered your sense of humour if nothing else. Now wipe that grin off your face, I'm taking you to the Weasleys".
Harry got up, unable to stop smirking at the sight of Sirius. Why on earth is he dressed like that? As they walked along the now darkening corridors Sirius kept giving him keen sidelong glances, as though daring him to say anymore about his appearance. You don't scare me, Snuffles. I'll figure this out soon enough. Sirius led him into an empty classroom and threw some floo powder into the fireplace.
"After you-"
"No, ladies first, I insist!" Harry retorted before bursting into ecstatic laughter.
Sirius growled at him reproachfully, but found himself
grinning impulsively. So like James…
A/N: Hope you enjoyed this part. The title should be explained soon. Please keep reading (and reviewing). Chapter Four should be up tomorrow.
Thanks to all who reviewed Chapter 2: Adelina, Giesbrecht (glad you liked part two, hope this pleases also), Sara Cassidy (Yeah, poor Harry. Maybe I'll be nice and put him out of his misery in a later chapter), Demon_Child, rufus (you're welcome J and I hope the fairies find a way to turn Harry back from a panther!), Lonely in the Moonlight, Harry's Mum Lily (Don't worry, I could never kill Harry), Padfoot's Gal, person, Katana (Okay, I'll continue), Amanda Mancini (Delighted you came back for more. What can I say? I'm a bit melodramatic.), Lizzy/Tygresnick and Katydidnt (Those Death Eaters of yours can be very persuasive. I wrote this under the influence of the Imperius Curse, so don't blame me if it's bad! They made me do it!).
Pleiades
