Chapter 9


Harry looked at Dumbledore in shock and disbelief.

"Lhara Mahr? She wrote that spell?"

"Yes. She was one of our finest students. I believe she lives at-"

"Jaspher Hills." Harry finished.

"Why, yes. You know her, Harry?"
He nodded.

"Professor, I'd like to write her immediately and ask her to come here. Maybe she can do something. Would that be alright?"

"Of course, Harry. Write her tonight and send our fastest owl."


After he sent the owl to Lhara, he went back to the common room and found Ron still there.
Waiting. Harry decided he had to talk to Ron again and make him understand.

"Ron, can I talk to you?"
Ron glared at Harry, but nodded.

"I need your help. I-I can't help Hermione without you."

Ron raised an eyebrow.
"You can't? You seemed pretty confident before. The great Harry Potter can handle anything. Right? Doesn't need his friends."

"No, Ron. No. That's not it." Harry shook his head and slumped his shoulders. Worry and defeat were etched in his face. "I never ... " he sighed. "I don't know how to explain it."

Ron crossed his arms across his chest.
"Try."

"I never had anyone ... care about me before. I mean, I know my parents loved me but I never felt it, you know? The Dursleys certainly never cared. But then Hermione..." a half-smile flashed across his face. "... she cares about me. I know that. And when I thought someone might hurt her...." He clenched his fist. "... or that I was the cause of her being hurt ..."

"Go on." Ron said, his features softening slightly.

"Hermione is the first person I've ever loved. I can't lose her. I just can't. And I need my best friend now, more than ever. Please help me."

Ron unfolded his arms and looked at Harry. Then, as though by magic, all of the tensions between them disappeared. The anger that Ron had been feeling just evaporated. Harry and Hermione needed him.

"Promise you won't act like a jerk again?"

Harry gave a small laugh.
"I'll try."

"Yeah. 'Course I'll help ya. What are friends for?"

Harry's face brightened.
"Thanks Ron."

They hugged, like they would after a great Quidditch play, and in that moment Harry felt a weight lift from his shoulders.


Harry received Lhara's answer in the morning.
"Harry-
Leaving on first train in morning.
Bringing supplies with me.
Don't lose hope.
-Lhara"

Harry and Ron greeted her at the train station and she gave each of them a hug.

"Ok. Tell me everything."
Harry told her the whole story quickly.

"Is it true you wrote that spell, Lhara?" he asked.

"Yes, Harry, it's true. I wrote it a long time ago. Though, I never actually performed the spell."

"Why not?"

"Because there's no ...." She stopped when she saw his face drop. "Because I didn't know how to reverse it. Yet. But we'll figure it out, Harry. Don't worry."

Lhara squeezed Harry's shoulder and smiled brightly, trying not to show how worried she really was.

Lhara set up residence in Professor Sprout's third greenhouse and proceeded to work on the potion day and night. She collected all of the ingredients Hermione had used and tried to find something to counter them.

One night she was working late in the greenhouse, scribbling furiously on a parchment, when she heard a noise outside. She glanced down at her wrist. Lhara used her knowledge of plants to fashion a 'magical alarm' of sorts. She enchanted a brilliant red poppy plant to wrap itself around her wrist and at any sign of unusual magical activity it would bloom.

It was blooming now.

She reached for her wand and walked calmly outside. The night air was cool and clean in her lungs. She closed the door behind and walked in the direction she thought the noise had come from.

"Lumos"

The area around her wand was illuminated with brilliant light. Lhara caught a pair of eyes in the bushes in front of her before they disappeared.

"Deorsum"

Instantly the bushes pressed themselves flat on the ground exposing what had been hiding behind them.
A huge black dog.

Lhara knew she should be afraid but for some reason, she wasn't. She put her wand down and stared at the dog. The dog watched her, but didn't advance or retreat. It just looked at her. Eventually she turned to go back inside but heard a rustling noise. When she turned back around, there stood Sirius Black.

Emotions ranging from shock to disbelief to happiness flashed across her face.
"Sirius? Is that you?"

He took a step closer, into the light, and she saw his face. It was gaunt and pale, the years in prison still showing in his eyes - but it was him!

"Lhara." His voice was low, rough. His eyes were locked on her as though trying to take in every detail.

For a brief moment she felt fear. After all, he had been in prison for more than twelve years for murder. Before she could second guess herself, she crossed the distance and hugged him.
"Sirius, I can't believe it's you! What are you doing here? Don't you know how dangerous it is for you?"

Sirius hesitated a fraction of a second before returning her embrace.
How long had it been since he'd held someone in his arms? he thought.

Lhara invited him inside the greenhouse, but he politely refused. He had to keep moving. So they walked across the grounds, keeping in the shadows.

"How long have you been here?" she asked.

"Harry wrote me about the golem. I got here after the Quidditch match. Dumbledore and I managed to capture it so I thought the problem was over, then I heard about Hermione. That's why you're here, right?"

"Yes. I'm trying to help. I .. I hope I can."

"Why you? Sorry. That came out wrong. I meant, why did they ask you to help?"

Lhara was suddenly glad for the darkness - hopefully he couldn't see her blushing.

"I wrote the spell that Hermione used."

"YOU did? Why?!"

"Er... it's a long story. I just hope I can find something to help her."

Sirius reached down and squeezed her hand.
"You will."

Lhara felt her stomach flip at his gentle touch.
What power did he have to affect her so easily?

When they came to the edge of the forest, Sirius said he had to go but promised to return the next night. He transformed back into the big black dog and with one last look at Lhara, disappeared into the darkness.


Thank you, thank to all of my reviewers. This chapter and the next are my little Valentine to Sirius, a noble friend who suffered horribly. He deserves some romance, don't you think?