Part Ten: Surrender



Voldemort's animalistic scream rang violently through the Riddle house. The sheer volume broke windows. Wormtail watched as the now almost human form of his master melted like hot wax into a monstrosity of features. The mirror where Voldemort had watched with demonic glee as his snake like visage change shattered, sending shards of knife-edged glass into what was left of his face. The evil wizard continued to howl in rage and frustration, his body bowing in on itself as the agony of the sudden and brutal change tore through him. Wormtail knew without being told that the knife had failed. Relief flooded him. Harry Potter was still alive. The debt for saving his life was still unpaid, but he felt he'd made some small atonement just the same.



As Voldemort's contorted body writhed on the floor, caught in a torture more brutal than any crucius spell, his coveted human form reduced back to its original horror, Pettigrew found himself rubbing the arm he'd sacrificed to his master's punishment. A small, feral smile pulled at the corners of his mouth and a jolt of pure sadistic pleasure ran down his weak spine. He backed out of the room before the perverted laughter that threatened could break forth. "I'll just tell him I was afraid," he reasoned as he fled the house which was still breaking apart in the wake of Voldemort's wrath. Hysterical giggles welled up in his throat. The last thing he heard as he ran for the cover of the surrounding countryside was his master screaming the blade wizard's name.



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While Sirius and Glynnis stood riveted in anguish at Harry's plight, Attivus moved forward and immediately began to treat the gaping wound on Harry's shoulder. "Miss Babcock, see to his hand," he ordered brusquely. The authoritative tone jarred Glynnis out of her shock and she immediately went to Harry's left side. "Sirius, a bowl of water and towels. Also, the bandages. They are on the kitchen counter," she ordered. Sirius, grateful for something to do, ran for the kitchen and returned with the well-ordered tray she'd prepared and a bowl of steaming water. He watched as she gently bathed the mauled skin and treated it liberally with antiseptic. "This will need stitching, Doctor," she informed him, the professional demeanor that was second nature to her taking over. "Bind it for now and then give me a hand here," Attivus replied, his mind totally focused on the knife wound. In seconds, Glynnis had bandaged the mangled hand and gave her full attention to the doctor's ministrations.



Sirius watched with stomach churning fascination as Attivus probed the wound with his fingers. "I'm making sure there are no shards remaining," the doctor commented, answering the unasked question. Sirius was thankful that Harry was deeply unconscious. It was some small relief knowing that Harry was far removed from these events.



Without being asked, Glynnis handed the doctor a towel on which to wipe his bloody hands and then proceeded to hold another towel over the freely bleeding wound while Attivus searched his pockets. He extracted a small pouch and set it on the bed. He then pulled out his wand and pointed it at Harry. "Comatas extremus," he intoned. Harry took a shuddering breath and then stilled. Sirius gasped. "Attivus!" he cried. "What are you doing?"



"He's stopped breathing!" Glynnis screamed and she moved over Harry to begin CPR.



"I've put Harry in a coma spell," Attivus announced as he pulled her back. Her eyes raised to his in alarm and fear. "What?" she whispered.



"It's a spell used to simulate death," Sirius choked out. "Why, Attivus? It could kill him!"



Attivus frowned at Sirius. "It's necessary," he snapped. "What I'm about to do may hurt. Even unconscious, Harry could feel it. I'm not sure even the coma spell can completely counteract the effects."



"I don't understand!" Glynnis cried.



"I've got to make certain that there are no lingering residues from the blade. Many times these blades are also coated with poisons. I suspect that is what is causing the discoloration around the wound. I have to administer an antidote to be certain. If there is no trace of poison, nothing will happen and I will reverse the spell immediately. If there is, the antidote will literally burn it away. Do you want Harry to suffer that? It is extremely painful and I'm not sure even the comatas spell will keep him from feeling it. Now do I do my job or do you continue to question my tactics?" Although he answered Glynnis' question, the doctor faced Sirius. His voice was stern and hard and he hated himself for it, but he had to make Sirius understand the severity of the situation. He saw the torment in his old friend's eyes and sighed. "Sirius, you said you trusted me. I must ask you to prove that now. I know what I'm doing. Please, let me save his life."



Sirius closed his eyes and nodded, surrendering Harry's life once again to someone else. Attivus picked up the small pouch and turned his attention back to Harry. He poured the contents into his hand and leaned over the wound. He blew softly into his palm, sending a cloud of iridescent powder down onto Harry's shoulder. Immediately upon touching Harry's skin, the powder turned an angry red and glowed hotly. Despite his unconscious state and the comatas spell, Harry screamed. "Hold him!" Attivus ordered as he threw himself across Harry who was fighting the torturous pain. Sirius rushed forward to hold his godson's shoulders while the boy lunged against the restraining hands. Glynnis stood back and watched in horror as the red powder penetrated the wound, sending bright streaks of orange light into the gaping cavity. For what seemed like an eternity, Harry's whole chest was illuminated from within. Then the blaze dimmed to yellow, then blue and finally a shaft of white light shot straight up from the hole in his shoulder, filling the room with a brilliant radiance. With one last strangled cry Harry's rigid body collapsed.



"Comatas restoratis." At the doctor's muttered incantation, Harry inhaled raggedly and began to breathe again. Glynnis released her own breath, not aware she had been holding it, and sat down abruptly on the floor, her watery knees giving way beneath her. Sirius lay sideways above Harry's head, his face buried in the pillow, his fingers clenching the sheet beneath his hands.



Attivus also drew in a deep, steadying breath and began the process of healing Harry's wounds. He pulled yet another pouch from one of his many pockets and removed a single green leaf. He reached over to Glynnis' abandoned tray and moved the warm water to the bed stand beside him. He then crumpled the leaf in his hands and dropped it into the steaming bowl. A fresh, wholesome bouquet filled the room and Glynnis and Sirius took deep breaths of the cleansing scent. Both felt revived and invigorated. Their cares shed away from them like ashes from a windswept hill.



"What is that?" Glynnis asked in wonder, rising to her feet.



"Kingsfoil," Attivus told her. "It has remarkable restorative properties."



Glynnis' brow creased in thought. "Kingsfoil? I know I've heard of it but I can't recall where."



Sirius grinned, his exhaustion banished in the wake of the leaf's still wafting aroma. "One of our wizards mentioned it in a book he'd written. It was, oddly enough, very popular among Muggles, I believe."



Attivus nodded. "Quite right. Quite right. J.R.R. was certainly a genius when it came to manipulating the written word."



At the mention of the wizard author's name, Glynnis realized where she'd heard of kingsfoil before. "That's one of my very favorite books! But I had no idea . . . "



"That parts of it were real?" Attivus teased in good humor. "You'd be surprised that many things considered fantasy have truly happened or do exist." That said, the good doctor turned his attention back to his patient. With a spoon he procured from his robes, he spooned some of the fragrant water into Harry's wound. He then used his wand and before Glynnis amazed eyes, the wound began to close itself. She watched disbelieving as the deep part of the jagged hole mended, muscle and tissue blending together seamlessly until there remained only a small dragon-shaped scar where the knife had penetrated. The doctor then moved to the other side of the bed and repeated the process with Harry's injured hand. When he was finished, he straightened his back and clapped his hands together. "That's it then," he announced matter-of-factly.



Sirius took his friend in a tight embrace and squeezed him so hard the breath whooshed out of him. "Thank you, Attivus. Thank you so much!"



"My pleasure, my pleasure," he assured him breathlessly. "Now do stop suffocating me or Harry will be last patient I attend to." Sirius released him and turned his gaze to Harry. The lines of pain were gone from his face and he now appeared to be in a deep, healing sleep. Sirius realized that Glynnis had come up beside him and was also watching Harry. He put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into his side, sighing slightly. He bent his head down and inhaled the soft scent of her hair, something he couldn't remember doing since Lily died. Whenever he hugged her, he'd bury his nose in her long red tresses and breathe deeply. Lily would always tease him and tell him if he liked the smell of a woman's hair so much he should find a girl of his own to breathe over. Then James would laugh and tell him 'either that or buy a wig' and would push Sirius aside in a fit of mock jealousy. He'd tried to explain to her that the smell of a woman's hair was like perfume and no two women's were exactly the same but she only smiled indulgently. "God, I miss them," he thought sadly.



Sirius was so lost in his memories that he didn't hear Glynnis speak. A soft chuckle brought him round and he looked down to see her eyes twinkling gaily up at him. "I'm sorry," he said, "did you say something?" She laughed, a happy laugh that reminded him of tinkling chimes and it banished the shadows of memory from his mind. "I said that Harry will be just fine."



He looked at her for a moment then nodded. "You did tell me that, didn't you? I'll not doubt again Glynnis." She turned her in his arms so that she faced him and raised her face to his. "Say it again," she said. "Say what?" he asked, confused. "My name," she whispered.



"Glynnis." The words fell from his lips like petals from a rose, soft and gentle. She smiled at him then, a sweet smile that held promise and hope and his breath lurched in his chest.



"Ahem." The small sound caught their attention and they looked away from each other embarrassed. Attivus stood near the fireplace, beaming from ear to ear. "Well, I see that things are well in hand here. I'm off home then. I'll check back in the morning. Until then, just make certain Harry stays quiet and comfortable although I sincerely doubt he'll wake until well into tomorrow. If you should need me for any reason, if anything should change, you know how to reach me."



"Attivus, I can't thank you enough. You've saved my life as well as Harry's, old friend." He took the doctor's hand and clasped it warmly." Attivus returned the handshake and patted Sirius on the arm. "He's got a real find in you, Sirius. Keep close to him, he'll need you there when this whole thing breaks loose." Sirius nodded with grim understanding and stepped back. Glynnis came over and put her arms around the doctor. "Thank you from me, too." He grinned at her merrily. "You'll be hearing from me, Miss Babcock. There's a thing or two we need to discuss. Not now, mind. But soon." Attivus saluted the two of them jauntily and receded into the flames.



For a brief moment, there was an awkward silence in the room. Then Sirius' stomach growled loudly and they both laughed. "I'll fix us something to eat," Glynnis said. A sudden thought stopped her doorway. She turned and spoke, her lips twitching with suppressed mirth. "Would you like a hot bath while you're waiting? That is, of course, unless you like frightening small children." Sirius frowned at her, puzzled. She looked pointedly at the large mirror above the dresser on the opposite wall. He stepped up to it and looked at his reflection for the first time in over a decade. He had to admit, after a moment's rueful contemplation of his dirty, disheveled state, that his current condition wasn't exactly conducive to a real meal with polite company. "Perhaps a bath would be in order," he agreed.



"I'll let you know when it's ready," she said as her gaze met his in the glass. Sirius leered at her image in the mirror and made his hands into claws. Glynnis left the room, her shoulders shaking and her hand over her mouth, unsuccessfully muffling her giggles. When she'd gone, he crossed over to where Harry lay sleeping and sat down beside him. His hand gently smoothed the damp hair from the sweaty forehead and his finger lightly traced the scar beneath. "Oh, Harry," he said quietly after a long while. "He nearly did you in this time. We've got to find some place safe for you. Some place he wouldn't think to look."



Your bath is ready," Glynnis announced quietly from behind him.



"Thanks," he said, as he stood and followed her to the bathroom where a deep, claw foot tub sat steaming invitingly. A pair of pants and a lightweight shirt lay on the toilet along with some socks. Sirius looked at her questioningly.



"I've taken the liberty of laying out some clothes if you'd like something clean. They were my brother-in-laws. I was going to leave them at hospital for anyone who needed them. If you want to put them on, I'll launder your clothes in the morning." Sirius nodded his thanks and she left him, closing the door behind. "There's soap and shampoo right there. Take your time and come into the kitchen when you're done," she called as she walked away.



Sirius shed his clothes, not realizing until this moment how filthy and ratty they were. He stepped into the hot water and eased himself down. With a sigh born of sheer physical bliss, he leaned his head back and slid down, immersing himself until only his nose remained above the surface. For the longest time he lay like this, letting the heat penetrate his body. He hadn't been aware of how cold his existence had been until this moment. At last he sat up and relaxed against the back of the tub. It was then that he realized he had not only been cold all these years but dirty. The water around him was tinged gray with grime and filth. He made a face and reached for his wand. With a flick of his hand the old water was gone and new water took its place. He looked around for soap and a washcloth and found these items plus some other things on a small commode nearby. He stood and picked up the soap, inhaling its musky fragrance. Then he slid it back and forth in his hands, generating mounds of thick, rich lather.



Sirius had been starving his physical needs forever, it seemed, and he'd forgotten that the simple task of bathing could be so pleasant. When he finally felt clean, he picked up the shampoo and attached the tangled mass of his hair.



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Sirius followed the delicious smells of real food cooking into the kitchen. The cheery room was illuminated by several bright oil lamps and the small corner held a table set with two bowls and a large loaf of bread. "I hope soup is alright. There's fresh bread and butter as well." Glynnis said with her back to him, her attention on the stove. "I've been listening to the radio. The police are looking for you again. Seems the Dursley's have complained about your rather unorthodox punishment of their little darling." She chuckled at her sarcastic words and turned from the stove. And then Glynnis caught sight of the man in her kitchen and her jaw dropped. "Oh my God," she whispered. Gone was the filthy, ragged nightmare that she'd met only hours before. Instead, she saw a strikingly handsome man with thick waving hair that hung in a shining cascade to his elbows. The flickering illumination of the oil lamps highlighted the light brown sheen into a polished bronze. His face, while still too thin, was clean and shaven and the different clothes made him look like a picture from a magazine.



"You said they're looking for me again?" he asked, displeasure rife in his voice.



"Don't worry," she said breathlessly. "They're looking for the horrifying man you left in the bath." Sirius grinned at her in pure male satisfaction. Glynnis shook her head in mock dismay at his vanity and swatted his arm. She motioned him to sit. He watched her graceful movements as she returned to the stove. While her back was turned, he took the opportunity to study this enigmatic woman to whom he was quickly losing his heart.



Strawberry blonde hair hung to her shoulders in a straight line. He'd already noticed her ample charms and took the time to really admire the full curve of her waist and the fluid movement of her hands. He was glad she wasn't skinny like himself. He'd always preferred a woman to be well-rounded and he found nothing lacking in Glynnis. He recalled that her large brown eyes were warm and inviting and the soft curve of her face fit his hand like a custom-made wand.



He broke off his perusal of her when she turned and approached the table with the steaming pot and ladled thick beef soup into his bowl. It smelled delicious and he attacked it with abandon. She watched him with a sad smile, knowing that he'd probably not eaten in a long while. "Sirius, would like something to drink? I can offer tea or coffee. Wine if you prefer." Sirius stopped eating, the spoon halfway to his lips. "You have wine?" he asked, his eyes wide. Glynnis laughed. "You look like a child whose been offered an entire toy store for Christmas!" Sirius smiled "I haven't had wine since before James and Lily died," he remarked wistfully. "Do you have red or white?" This time Glynnis smirked. "Both. Your choice."



"White!" he voted. Glynnis retrieved the bottle from the cellar and opened it. She refilled Sirius' bowl while he poured and then she, too, sat down to eat. She watched as he smelled the crisp white wine. His face was wreathed in a look of profound pleasure as he took a small sip of the apple-tart Chablis and let it linger in his mouth a moment. He sighed with pleasure and tipped his glass to her in appreciation. She returned the gesture and they both drank and Sirius returned to his food.



Glynnis waited until he had a rather large mouthful bread before she spoke. "Sirius, I think Harry would be safe here," she announced without preamble. "No one knows me. No one from your world, anyway. Well, except Hermione, but she's alright."



Sirius swallowed and studied her silently. "Are you certain you know what you're asking? There are risks here."



"I know what those risks are, Sirius," she reminded him solemnly.



"But Harry is a wizard. And if another wizard found him here, one working for Voldemort, your life would be in danger."



Glynnis considered this a moment. "You're right, of course. Then I suppose the best course of action would be for you to stay as well. When you can," she added hurriedly. "I know you are on the road quite a bit recruiting other wizards on behalf of Professor Dumbledore."



Sirius gaped at her. "How do you know so much?"



She shrugged. "Hermione tells me. Her parents don't really understand your world. They try to, mind you, but sometimes she needs to talk to someone a little less, I don't know, Muggle. Besides, she doesn't like to tell them about this particular aspect of things. A wizard war brewing in the midst of her school wouldn't exactly put her parents at ease. They already have a hard enough time sleeping knowing that she's there at all. She feels she can confide in me."



"You realize then that someone might use her to find Harry?"



Glynnis blanched. "I hadn't really considered that. Well, then, I suppose we just won't tell her."



"Oh, come now, Glynnis, you can't expect to keep a teenage boy and a strange wizard hidden here without anyone noticing do you?" Sirius wasn't sure why he was trying to talk her out of this, especially since it could very well work.



"Actually, I don't think anyone around here would notice. You haven't been outside, but my house is extremely well hidden. It's at the end of a wooded lane and quite a distance from the other houses. You can see their lights in the winter through the trees but that's all. You and Harry would be safe here, I know it. God knows I have the room. And I'm not here too terribly much. I mean, you would have the house to yourselves quite a bit while I was at work."



Sirius reached across the table and took her hand. "That would be a detriment, not an asset," he declared sincerely. "Glynnis, are you sure you know what you're asking? I'm wanted by the law, the law of both worlds. Harry is an orphan with some very nasty relatives. You could be getting in very deep here."



"Sirius," she uttered softly, "I have lived alone in body and spirit for fifteen years. You and Harry are the first people to touch me here," she lay a hand to her heart, "and here," she moved her hand meaningfully to her head, "in all that time. I feel that you two are the first to understand what I'm living with. You have both lost your families as I have, ironically by the same hand. What are the chances of that? You understand my abilities and accept them. Not many people would. Even my own family doesn't know the full extent of what I am capable of. I have lived alone with this most of my life. I'm tired of being alone, Sirius." A single crystalline tear slipped down her cheek. Sirius felt his heart lurch and an emotion he'd not experienced in a very long time surfaced within him like a bubble rising to the surface of a pond. It broke over him and opened up a new and different world than the one he'd awoken in that morning. He stood and gathered Glynnis into his arms. "We'll stay," he vowed hoarsely. "I'll get Harry's things tonight when the Dursley's have gone to bed and bring them here. I need to contact Albus Dumbledore and tell him as well." Glynnis burst into tears and held him tightly. "There, there," he crooned. "You'll not be alone anymore, Glynnie."



Glynnis' heart swelled at the endearment and she answered him as best she could, with all her heart wrapped up in a single, sweet, kiss.