010SN
Chapter Ten

Don't Say That Name!

Swimming was a wonderful experience that day. They came back inside with burnt faces and shoulders, smelling of coconut suntan lotion and fish.

Even though Harry wasn't the best swimmer, he still enjoyed himself greatly. The sand was light brown the water was dark blue, where ever they were (since he still wasn't sure exactly) the water surrounding them was fresh water and didn't sting the little cuts one would get on the bottom of their feet from stepping on twigs.

Ginny had gotten up much more quickly then expected, York spent nearly a half an hour explaining to her why she didn't have to fear Sirius, and whom had really killed Harry's parents.

She then joined them on the beach, sticking close to land and trying to tan slightly. Ginny had grown a lot over the school year, she no longer looked like a little girl.

"What happened to your stomach," Ginny asked as she noticed a large white spot on York's tan stomach.

York shuddered slightly, like she'd swallowed something disgusting, "Well, you see, I got stabbed with a wand," York blurted out quickly. Ron stopped inches before throwing a large ball of mud and Ginny and listened to her.

"Someone stabbed you with a wand," he asked in confusion.

"It was a duel," York explained, "Once they realized that spells didn't work, they took measures into their own hands turned the tip of their wand into a small blade and stabbed me, all the way through to my back."

"Who was it," Harry asked climbing out of the water.

"Lord Voldemort," she said casually, Ron and Ginny both flinched and Harry remained un-phased.

"You fought Lord Voldemort and lived?" Harry asked, still thinking about what Ron had said, about York being dead.

"Well, you see, I did something extremely noble, I gave up my life for something so I'm still here now," she said smiling, without a word reached over and brushed her hand against Harry cheek.

He turned to her and noticed a familiar glimmer in her eyes, which showed she was extremely happy and he to smiled at her.

"You're dead then right," Ginny asked sitting next to her in the sand.

"In one way of speaking," York answered, "That's why you'll noticed my abilities are much different then any witch or wizard. Remember when I de-gnomed your garden, that's one of my abilities, very powerful wave manipulation, I also have the ability to communicate Parselmouth."

York didn't appear to want to speak more, , Harry and Ron returned to the water, Ginny followed slowly and York sat on the beach reading a massive book (she had conjured out of no where).

A large black dog came paddling through the water around two o'clock holding what appeared to be a newspaper. He trotted up the beach and dropped the soaking wet paper in York's lap. She yelped and scratched Sirius' ears playfully. York then closed her book and turned into her collie form, she looked much more proper sitting next to Sirius with his shaggy black fur.

They glanced at each other as Harry turned to see them both coming, if dogs had the ability to smile, Harry was sure that both Sirius and York were smiling at him. He smiled back and dived back underneath the water.

Night came far to quickly for them, that day seemed to slip by faster then the train ride home from Hogwarts ever had. York and Sirius refused to turn back into humans, it seemed to them that it was more fun running around being dogs. York did though pulling several sleeping bags out of the mini house so that they could sleep.

Sirius fell asleep at the foot of Harry's sleeping bag, while York paced around looking up at the sky and looking down onto the concrete.

"What's the matter," Sirius asked yawning loudly.

"I'm just not tired yet," York said walking around in a circle and finally laying down, "You wouldn't understand being alive."

"No I suppose I wouldn't," Sirius added turning away from her.

Harry, Ron, and Ginny couldn't understand this of course, Sirius and York hadn't changed back into humans.

"Being dead, I only need at a maximum twenty minutes to recharge then I'm full for the entire day," she stated nudging him in the back of the head with her long dog nose.

"Go jump in the lake then," Sirius suggested weakly. York snorted out of her dog nose and did what she was told, she ran down the dock at full speed barking occasionally as she went, and jumped right into the water.

Harry woke up and put on his glasses to see the dog version of York paddling around in the water. Ginny and Ron both appeared to regain consciousness and saw see too.

Ginny laughed as York climbing up onto the beach, she was dripping wet and looked extremely happy. She stepped down the stairs and onto the dock, "Was that fun?" she questioned, taking a few steps closer. Ron and Harry stood up and headed towards them.

York barked a happy bark and walked behind Ginny nudging the back of her leg so she would jump in.

"Well..." Ginny said thinking about jumping. She didn't realize it, but Ron had crept down the stairs behind her and with a quick dash scooped her up into his arms.

"Somebody is going to get wet!" he said clearly. Ginny thrashed around in his arms, but it was futile.

"Let me go Ron!" she yelled, trying to kick her way free. Ron slowly walked towards the end of the dock and threw Ginny in on her back.

There was a clomping of footsteps, and as Ron was turning around to see what was going on, Harry crashed into him and Ron flew nearly headfirst into the water.

Ginny swam up first and yelled, "Ron, you pillock!' but to her surprise, Ron was no longer standing on the dock. Harry waved to her when Ron's head came out of the water.

"Harry watch-!" Ron said suddenly, trying to warn him. But it was to late. York had come up behind him, head butted him, and splash! Harry had joined the soaking wet pajama club.

Ron, York, and Ginny watched where Harry had landed in the water. The ripples cleared and the lake was once again glassy, but when Harry didn't resurface, they all grew concerned. Sirius was now standing on the dock, he whimpering slightly and seemed to be talking to York in some dog language.

York didn't waste anytime. She backed up ran off the end of the dock, turned human before she hit the water and dived deep into the lake.

"Help me!" Harry yelled inside his head. A large, slime-covered, tentacle-like hand was strapped around his wrist. Forcefully, he yanked at it trying to free himself. He opened his eyes underwater, and although everything looked extremely blurry, he could see the outline of it on his pale skin. His glasses had slipped off his face, and his vision had got even worse.

The water was growing cold. Harry was sure they were near the bottom of the lake by now. He shut his eyes, beginning to feel tired. With one last tug and kick, his head slumped down on his shoulder. He stopped struggling, and fell limp.

"Grizabella! Get your booty up here!" a loud voice roared from under the water. If it had been on T.V, they would have used subtitles. Slowly, the tentacle began to lift Harry to the surface.

"I told you to capture any evil that landed in the lake! How dare you, Grizabella, hurt this boy?!" the same voice yelled. York appeared, she looked extremely disapproving, and shock her finger underwater at Grizabella.

"I'm sorry, mistress," Grizabella said, still only lifting her slime covered arms towards her. She was a large creature which enjoyed the blackness of the colder waters she was nearly impossible to see in the dark lake. Harry floated in her grip and she nudged him towards her.

"I will not punish you," York said comforting her, "It was a mistake, but do not attack this boy again!"

Grizabella released Harry and York took him gently.

"Yes, mistress, I promise I will never hurt him again." Grizabella disappeared into the murky depths of the water.

Making sure she was gone, York swam as fast as she could towards the surface of the water, holding Harry above her, "Come on, boy," she pleaded inside her head, "I know you'll make it."

They broke the surface together, Ron, Ginny, and the human form of Sirius where standing their waiting.

"Harry!" Sirius yelled, as York lifted him out of the water to Sirius.

"Once he coughs up the water, he'll be OK," York paused and laughed slightly.

"What's the matter with you?" Sirius asked, stepping several steps back, thinking that the water might have made her insane.

"No, it's not that," York said, nearly reading his mind, "I'm a hundred percent concerned about Harry. I was just thinking about when you joined me, Sirius. How much trouble Grizabella gave you down there!"

Grizabella had caught Sirius much like he'd caught Harry, when Buckbeak landed on York's island, Grizabella pulled him under the water (following her orders to attack those who weren't approved of) and since he was set free, Grizabella had grown to fancy him.

Sirius blushed at her laughter, but turned all his attention to Harry. Harry weakly opened his eyes. Everything was extremely blurry. Someone put his glasses on his face, and he jumped back, seeing his godfather staring at him.

"That thing in the lake... dragged me down," Harry said quickly, not waiting to catch all of his breath.

"It's OK, Harry," York said, climbing up out of the water, "Grizabella doesn't mean any harm. She's protecting the lake from anything that would want to harm this place. Now that she knows you, she'll never pull you down again."

York laughed again quietly, while Harry got to his feet and coughed up several cups of lake water.

"It tastes like fish," Harry said, coughing again with disgust.

"We'd better go inside and dry off," Sirius said, ushering them towards the small cabin. York took out her long wand, made a towel appear out of her hand, and gave it to Harry.

"If you don't dry off, your hair will be terrible in the morning," York said with a smile.

"It doesn't matter," Harry said, rubbing his head with the towel, "It's always messy anyway."

York sighed, "Just like your father," she mumbled to herself. Harry caught her speech and turned to her again.

"You knew my dad?" he questioned, looking at her. York slapped her hand over her mouth, she turned to Sirius who too looked rather nervous about something. Harry stared at her confused, drying his hair with the towel.

"Well, Harry," York began thinking for the right words, "This might be hard to believe but I did go to school with your dad. We were close friends, so to speak."

There was a short pause, then Harry asked, "You must have known my mum, Lily, then too?" He sounded extremely hope. He didn't know a lot about his mother, except for the fact that she was Aunt Petunia's sister.

When Harry mentioned his mother's name, York automatically smacked herself in the face.

"Yes I knew her too," York replied rubbing the side of her face, "Just don't say her name, all right?"

"Why?" Harry questioned. Sirius got to his feet and headed towards Harry quickly.

"We should go now," he said, pushing Harry away.

"Why can't I say Lily?" Harry asked. York this time kicked the side of the dock, and yelped lightly in pain. Sirius brought Harry and Ginny. Ron was gestured to follow but once Sirius turned his back to him Ron hopped back down onto the deck, and towards York.

"Lily!" he commanded softly. York did a perfect back flip and landed on her feet.

"Don't say that name!" York commanded fiercely.

"Oh you mean... Lily," Ron said, smugly enjoying himself as York's knees went out and she crumpled onto the wooden planks.

"Please, Ron, stop," she pleaded weakly, standing up again. Ron stopped and turned to leave.

"I still don't trust you, but I'll be kind," Ron said heading towards the cabin. York rubbed her back with both hands.

"Good thing, I almost blew my cover. A bit more of that, and I would have a ton of explaining to do," York said still massaging her back. She turned and looked up into the sky, "James, your image still hangs in the stars, and could make anyone fall in love with night. I just wish you were here, Harry wishes you were here. I want us to trade places at times if it's possible. But I still think we should let Sirius adopt Harry and let them live here."

Several stars in a sky shined brightly in disgust and a small tear ran down York's face, "What makes you so afraid? Harry will always know that we are his parents, but I can't send him back to my sister when someone else has the same capabilities to protect him and love him. Why do you always disagree with that!"

The stars glew red in fury York scowled at them, "We will talk of this later," she smiled a tearful smile and happily ran up to her own cabin.