Well, I know it's been quite a while, but I've finally written more of this story. It's still not finished, but it's getting closer. This chapter doesn't see a lot of action, but continues to build the plot for what's soon to comeā¦
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 3: Home Sweet Home
On the train, Harry, Ron and Hermione were fortunate enough to find an empty compartment to sit in. Harry wished that they could be sitting with his parents, however he knew that wasn't possible. No one spoke much during the train ride. Ron stared out the window, and Hermione tried to read the book she had with her. Harry sat deep in thought. He didn't know what he would do when he got to his parents house, his home. He just wanted to see it. No, he needed to. He couldn't control the longing within him to go back there. Besides, they knew of no way to go back to the present, so he might as well accept the opportunity.
The train ride was short, and soon they arrived at Godric's Hollow Station.
"How are we going to get off without them seeing us?" asked Ron worriedly.
"We'll just wait a bit, until everyone's off," said Hermione.
"But not too long," Harry added. "We don't want to lose sight of them." Hermione and Ron shared an exasperated sigh. Harry got the feeling they'd have rather lost sight of them. But that didn't matter. If they didn't want to go with him, no one was forcing them. He could go on his own. They waited about ten minutes before Harry stood and walked out of the compartment without a word to Hermione or Ron. They didn't object, only followed.
By luck, Harry's parents were just leaving the station ahead of them. Harry followed them down the tiny cobblestone street, keeping a safe distance, which prevented him from hearing any of their conversation. They walked for about ten minutes into the tiny village before coming to the square, where a large statue of Godric Gryffindor stood in the center of a fountain. They turned right and headed up a hill, towards the woods. As they walked, the tiny houses grew farther and farther apart. Finally, after about ten minutes more of walking, they arrived in front of a tiny tudor cottage.
Harry kept a safe distance, but observed the home. It was peculiarly shaped, with tiny roof peaks and windows and chimneys poking out all over. There was a small porch on the front, and the front door was painted red and gold. He felt a warm feeling of familiarity spread through his body, like a pleasant memory. His dad held the door open and allowed the others to pass through, before entering himself and shutting the door behind him. Harry, Ron and Hermione still stood in the center of the street, a considerable distance from the house.
"Now you've seen where your parents lived, Harry," said Hermione plainly, though suggesting that they might leave now. But it wasn't enough for Harry.
"We've got to get closer," he insisted. "I want to hear what they're saying." Ron purposely let out an audible moan. Harry began to walk closer to the house. He walked beyond it, and crept into the woods that started next to the house and extended behind it. When he reached the backside of the house, he knelt on the ground, Ron and Hermione next to him. He was pleased to find that the woods were only a few feet away from the large window into the sitting room of the cottage. He could plainly see his father pacing the length of the room, his mother rocking his baby self in a rocking chair. Professor Lupin, Sirius and Peter were seated in a row on the sofa. Harry had a good view of them, but this was no good, because he couldn't hear. He turned to Ron and Hermione.
"Well, we can't hear a thing they're saying," he said disappointedly. Hermione shook her head, and gave Harry a look of sympathy once again. Ron was seated under a nearby tree moaning, "I want to go home."
"Here, watch this," said Hermione quietly to Harry, pulling out her wand. She waved it and whispered a spell. At once, the conversation within the house could be heard plainly outside, as though the wall wasn't there.
"Wow, Hermione," said Harry. "Thanks." Hermione forced a smile, and Harry felt guilty that he wasn't in more of a hurry to get back to their time. I'll only stay here for today, he told himself. Then I'll be sure to help Hermione and Ron find our way back. He listened closely to the conversation occurring within the house.
"So, I've spoken to Dumbledore," said his dad. "And I told him that I wanted you to be the secret keeper, Sirius."
"Me?" said Sirius, sounding a bit startled.
"I trust you, Sirius," said his dad. "I know you'd never tell."
"I'll do it for you, Prongs," agreed Sirius confidently.
"So Dumbledore thinks someone close to you is giving word of your whereabouts to Voldemort?" asked Professor Lupin.
"That's what he thinks," said his mum. "James and I aren't certain we believe it." Harry noticed that Peter had grown rather pale, and was wiping the beads of perspiration from his forehead. However, no one in the room paid any attention.
"Well, Sirius, if that's all settled and you'll be secret keeper, then I should go owl Dumbledore. He said he wanted to come down to do the spell as soon as possible," said his dad. Sirius nodded and his dad left the room.
"Well," said Professor Lupin, checking his watch. "I guess I should be going. I've got thirty papers on fairies sitting back at school to grade before Monday."
"Yeah, bye Professor Lupin," Sirius chuckled, and shook his head. "I still can't believe you're a teacher, Moony." Professor Lupin stood and walked over to his mum, who also stood, still holding baby Harry.
"You, James and Harry take care of yourselves," Professor Lupin told his mum. "Who knows when I'll see you again," he added, sounding sad.
"We're going to be just fine," said his mum. "Don't worry yourself, Remus. We'll see you again soon."
"I suppose so," said Professor Lupin, sounding doubtful.
"Say bye to Uncle Moony, Harry," his mum said to him.
"Bye bye Mooy," said baby Harry. Harry shivered at the sound of his own younger voice.
"Bye Harry," said Professor Lupin, waving to him. His mum took his hand and made him wave back. As Harry watched this, he felt his eyes cloud over with tears of longing. He blinked them away and continued to observe.
"I'll go say bye to James then," said Professor Lupin leaving the room. Peter stood.
"I should go too," he said quickly.
"Okay, we'll see you Peter," said his mum.
"Take care," said Sirius.
"Bye," replied Peter, and he left the room as well. A few seconds later, Professor Lupin and Harry's dad walked back into the room.
"Well, I wish you all luck with the charm," said Professor Lupin, heading for the door. "I'll be in touch. I'm sure Sirius will keep me well informed how you're doing."
"Bye Moony," said Sirius grinning.
"Bye Padfoot," replied Professor Lupin. "Bye Prongs, Lily, Harry." He turned and left.
"Dumbledore should arrive soon," said Harry's dad. "It only takes a few minutes for owls to fly over to Hogwarts." He sat down next to Sirius.
"You're sure you want me to do this?" asked Sirius.
"Of course we do," replied Harry's mum.
"We trust you more than anyone," added his dad. Sirius looked at a loss for words, and there was a tapping on the door in the other room.
"That would be Dumbledore," said Harry's dad, standing and leaving the room. Everyone else followed. They didn't return to the sitting room and Harry could no longer hear the conversation. He noticed Ron and Hermione had been listening intently as well.
"Wouldn't it be great if we could convince Sirius not to switch the secret keeper to Peter?" asked Ron, suddenly having more enthusiasm than he had since they'd arrived. "Or even better, we could get Peter killed. I mean it wouldn't be bad, because he was going to kill Harry's parents anyway. And then they'd live and then Harry wouldn't have to live with the Dursleys, or have his scar." He said all of this very rapidly.
"We can't," said Harry flatly. How he wished they could! "It's too dangerous."
Hermione stared at him with wide, surprised eyes. "Harry's right," she said slowly. "Plus, then Voldemort wouldn't have been defeated."
"Oh, look they're back," said Harry, noticing the window.
"What?" said Ron, looking into the window. "Where? I don't see them." Hermione sighed.
"They've had the secret keeper spell placed on them," she told Ron. "No one can see them, except for Sirius. The only reason Harry can still see them is because he had the spell placed on him."
"Oh," said Ron, sounding rather disappointed. It was beginning to get quite dark.
"I guess we're sleeping here tonight," muttered Hermione, observing the woods. "We can go back to town tomorrow and try to find a way back."
"Might as well sleep," muttered Ron, yawning and curling up on a pile of leaves. Hermione stretched out leaning against a tree.
"Why don't you get some sleep, Harry?" she asked.
"Later," he replied, and continued watching through the window. He watched as his parents put him to sleep, then sat and talked for a while, and finally put out the candles in the sitting room and went to bed. Harry stared blankly at the dark sitting room window. It seemed so unreal, like he was watching muggle TV. He longed to be able to talk to his parents, to tell them not to let Sirius switch secret keepers, or at least to show them who their baby son would grow up to be, and to tell them that he loved them. But he knew he couldn't. He'd never been so close and yet so far away, and it bothered him.
