"How did he do that?" Asked Remus staring at Harry's unconscious figure.
"What's going on?" Demanded Poppy Pomfrey sleepily from the doorway.
She was almost knocked over when Snape pushed past her pale
faced, his dark eyes wide as he saw the wand in Harry's hand.
"Who gave him a wand?!" Demanded Snape angrily.
"He s-summoned it, himself, from across the room." Stuttered Remus in reply.
"Hey! That's my
wand." Exclaimed Madame Pomfrey edging
nearer.
"He stunned himself with it." Said Dumbledore holding Snape back as he tried to get closer.
"That's all." He
added glancing at Harry.
"Thank Merlin." Gasped Snape before sitting down and sinking into the hard chair.
"Perhaps not everything is as bleak as it seemed." Said Dumbledore quietly.
"What do you mean Albus? What's been going on?" Asked
Lupin still feeling quite shocked.
"We were worried Harry would try and commit suicide. He's not been very stable since he
arrived." Replied Dumbledore.
"Harry? But… He
wouldn't… Not Harry." Insisted Lupin
staring at Harry's small pale face.
"He almost tried it earlier. But I interrupted him." Admitted Snape from his chair.
"I suppose you talked with him then Severus." Said Dumbledore with the hint of a smile
playing in his eyes.
"It seems I may have had some effect." Said Snape pulling Madame Pomfrey's wand
from Harry's hand and handing it to the matron who was standing quietly next to
them looking slightly appalled.
"What made him stun himself?" Asked Poppy Pomfrey suddenly.
"He seemed to be in some sort of trance… He was… talking to
himself, almost as if he'd gone completely crazy. That was why I summoned you Albus." Reported Lupin frowning with anxiety.
Dumbledore frowned in thought. But then he smiled grimly and said.
"I think he'll be alright for a while. But perhaps you should stay here Remus. He might be more coherent when he wakes."
With that, everyone left except Remus who returned to
Harry's side and resumed his vigil feeling steadily more uneasy as the time
passed.
~~~
Dumbledore's frown returned as he went back into his
office. Fawkes' note of greeting went
unrecognised as he paced the room.
Something wasn't quite right about Harry's behaviour, there
was something that didn't add up. It
had been a shock to imagine that Harry would lose his way so drastically in the
first place… Perhaps that was it… Perhaps they had overlooked something that
might have provoked such a sudden transformation. Then Dumbledore realised what had been nagging at him. He quickly scanned the shelves behind his
desk before taking his pensieve and the school sorting hat down and putting
them on the desk.
~~~
McGonagall entered the Hospital Wing carrying two mugs of
butterbeer. Handing one to Lupin she
drew up a chair.
"You should go home and get some rest Remus. You don't need to be here." She said gently.
Remus shook his head. "I don't think I'd get any rest, besides, I do have to be here. I have to be here for Harry… He's… He's all I have left."
Lupin grabbed Harry's hand and used the other to squeeze his burning eyes.
McGonagall put a hand on his shoulder.
"He'll be okay Remus. He's always been a determined kid. He wont let you down." She said trying not to let the words catch
in her throat.
"You're tired. Go
home. We'll let you know right away
when he wakes up." She insisted
forcefully.
Nodding conciliatorily Remus stood up and slowly made his
way out of the room.
McGonagall watched him leave and then looked down at Harry
sadly.
"You see Harry. You're still needed. You're
still wanted. No-one blames you. Please trust us."
~~~
Remus returned to his run-down home feeling lower than
ever. There was a dim light coming from
the front window and he realised that he'd left the fire burning when he'd left
in such a hurry earlier.
Cussing his forgetfulness Remus stumbled through the door
only to be met with the shock of his life.
There was someone else there with him.
~~~
Dumbledore was pleased to see that Minerva had managed to
persuade Remus to go home.
"Why have you brought the sorting hat Albus?" Asked McGonagall.
"I need it to talk to Harry."
"What? I don't
understand." Said McGonagall frowning.
"The hat does more than sort people Minerva." Dumbledore reminded her quickly whilst
taking out his wand.
"Are you going to wake him up?" Asked Minerva suddenly.
"Yes. The hat can
hardly talk to him whilst he's unconscious!"
"It's just that I promised Remus we'd tell him when Harry
woke up." Explained McGonagall.
"This really shouldn't wait Minerva. Besides I might be wrong, and if I am I
wouldn't want to explain it to Remus."
McGonagall nodded and Dumbledore pointed his wand at Harry.
"Enervate!"
Harry's eyelids flickered open and he tensed up slightly
regarding the two professors worriedly.
Dumbledore put the hat on his own head.
Albus! It isn't
time for the sorting yet is it? My song
isn't finished.
'No no, I've got a job for you. I need you to talk to Harry Potter.'
Why? What has he
done?
'I need you to find out what's been affecting him
recently.'
Alright then.
Dumbledore took off the hat and replaced his own.
"Harry I want you to put on the hat now." Said Dumbledore gently.
~~~
Harry reached up and took the hat in his shaking
hands. Was he being re-sorted? Did Dumbledore think he was unworthy of
Gryffindor? Was he going to be moved to
Slytherin? Harry slid the hat onto his
head with great trepidation slightly surprised that it no longer slid right
down over his eyes.
Hello Harry
.
'Um… Hello.'
Just wait a minute.
'Uh… Okay.'
Oh my! Now I see what Albus was talking about. You're racked with guilt aren't you? And confused. Gryffindor alive your mind's a mess!
'I guess it is.'
Well, why don't you let them help you? I know you're scared but they sure want to help you.
'Maybe.'
Okay well you can take me off now Harry.
Harry slid the hat off and
almost smiled before the guilt forced the frown back onto his face.
Dumbledore put the hat
back onto his head and his face betrayed that his suspicions, whatever they had
been, were being confirmed by the tattered old hat.
~~~
Remus almost fainted
straight away. He could hardly breathe
as he realised what he was seeing.
"Oh God." He said grabbing the kitchen counter to
steady himself.
"Remus…? Thank Merlin! Please help me!" Gasped
Sirius from the floor.
"You're alive!" Exclaimed Lupin dropping to his hands and
knees and almost unbelieving the feeling of Sirius' shoulder beneath his hand.
"Barely." Said Sirius hoarsely with a strained grin.
"But… How?" Demanded Lupin urgently ignoring the joke.
Sirius frowned with
incomprehension before he passed out.
Remus caught him before he
hit his head on the floor and realised that he'd better help the friend he'd
thought was dead before it became a reality.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
A/N
Mwuhahahaha!
I am the queen at cliffhangers! I swear it just comes naturally to me.
I'm sorry. This was going to be the last part, but then I
decided to spring that one on you before the end and have a modest six part story.
So yeah, the next part is
the last part!
Love Yas!
Jona
xxx
