Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Free.
"Harry."
The voice calling him was soft and gentle, but Harry was feeling sleepy and safe and didn't want to open his eyes yet. He could sense a bright light behind his eyelids and the soft music had started again.
"Harry."
Something soft brushed his cheek, trying to get him to open his eyes. Sighing, Harry complied reluctantly, he really was too much at peace to bother with anything else. The small boy gasped sharply at the woman standing in front of him. She had bright red hair and deep green eyes, it was without doubt his mother. "Mommy?"
The woman smiled softly, a few tears appearing at the sides of her eyes. Extending her arms towards her child, she softly spoke again. "Hello baby."
Harry allowed himself to be cuddled against the woman's chest, it was a strange feeling. So much like when Sirius hugged him, yet so different. After a few minutes, the woman gently disentangled his arms from around her neck, chuckling lightly at his disappointed moan, and put him down on the glowing floor. "I'm sorry, baby, but we need to talk."
Harry pouted a bit but instead of arguing, he looked around the room they were in. It was fairly big, completely bare and painted in a deep golden colour. The walls were pulsating slightly, the light they gave out illuminated the whole space. It was a strange room, but it was strangely reassuring. The woman moved, claiming his attention once again.
"Little one, its time."
"Time for what, Mommy?"
"Time to return to your life as it's meant to be. You can't stay like this anymore, they need you."
Harry frowned, he didn't like what the woman was implying. Trying to divert her attention from the subject he asked a question that was bothering him. "Where are we, Mommy? How comes I can see you?"
The woman grimaced, she could tell the small boy was trying to change the subject and that they really didn't have that much time to play twenty questions, but nevertheless she answered. "You got my doll, didn't you? The one James gave me on my seventeenth birthday?"
Harry nodded, wondering what the doll had to do with anything.
"That doll is special, Harry. James charmed it so that if I ever felt lonely or needed help she would bring me in here and I would see James and talk to him, even if it was only a reminder of him, much like the portraits of people that hang around Hogwarts. When you were born I changed the charm slightly and gave you the doll. Every time you got very upset and James and I weren't around whoever was babysitting you would give you the doll and you would be brought in here."
Harry stayed still, he would never have guessed that such a little doll would be able to mean so much to him. "So Dad's also around?"
Lily smiled sadly. "He would be, Harry, but you don't need him."
The small boy looked at her confused. "Of course I need him!" But at the same time he said those words he knew they weren't true. He had Sirius, and Remus, they couldn't replace their mother completely but they sure had taken the role of his father. Bending his head Harry mumbled quietly. "You're right, I'm sorry."
Lily laughed softly. "Oh, baby, there's nothing to be sorry about, I'm glad Siri and Remy are taking such good care of you." Harry nodded, relieve showing clearly in his bright green eyes. Lily once again changed the topic to what she originally had wanted to say. "Harry, you need to regain your older body."
Harry's face saddened. "I can't! I'm not ready."
The woman kneeled in front of him. "Yes you are. In this short time, you have learned that you're not alone, that no matter what happens, Sirius and Remus will be there for you. You still have a long way to go, I know it, you know it, Siri and Remy know it, but being five much longer is not going to help anymore. You need to go on as a fifteen year old, or would you prefer to change back just a few days before going to Hogwarts, with barely any time to adjust?"
Harry shook his head sadly. "No."
Lily gently extended her hand. "Then come on, my little one, Sirius and Remus need your help and after that you can have a nice, long, chat with them and continue with healing this depression of yours."
Harry sighed. He knew she was right but he wasn't looking forward to it. Things were bound to be even more confusing if he turned back. Would he still feel compelled to act as a child? Maybe he would be able to repress it again, but he wasn't supposed to do that, it would only bring him more trouble.
Noticing his mother still kept her hand extended to him, he tentatively reached out to touch it. Before his fingers brushed against those of Lily, the woman spoke again. "Remember that I love you, Harry Potter, no matter what happens, remember that. I will be here if you need me, you only need to call out to me."
Harry nodded decisively, it was time to return to his parents, firmly he grasped his mother's hand and everything disappeared again.
He woke up again at the sound of shouts, his head was pounding painfully, and he could feel the jumble of emotions and thoughts trying to drown him. Luckily, the sound of footsteps climbing up the stairs made him focus on what was happening. Quickly he walked up to his desk, trying to suppress the nausea that ran through his body, and from one of the drawers he picked up his wand and his invisibility cloak, that had remained locked in there while he was small. Sighing, he wrapped the cloak around him and went to stand next to the door, just when a group of three Death Eaters entered his room. Harry waited patiently till the black robed men were fully into the room. He wished he had been able to test his magic before having to use it in a fight, but now he didn't have the time anymore. Slowly he raised his wand and muttered the stunning curse. As one the three Death Eaters dropped to the ground, completely unconscious. Harry sighed in relieve, it had worked. Without another look to the three men he quickly made his way downstairs, he needed to help his Dad. Sirius. oh hell, it was beginning! Shaking his head he started to walk down the stairs. Remus and Sirius were fighting back to back against ten death eaters and they didn't seem to have an easy time with it. While trying to keep each other safe and dodging the unforgivables, the two men didn't have the time to shot curses of their own. Well, it was time to make this fight a bit fairer. Bringing his wand up again, Harry took a deep breath and shouted, "Stupefy."
The four Death Eaters that had had their backs facing him fell down instantly, and the confusion that ran through the room was all what Harry needed. He quickly disarmed two other Death Eaters while Sirius and Remus regained their senses and started to stun the remaining men. The fight was over in a few minutes.
After Sirius had stunned the last Death Eater, both men turned to where they had last heard Harry. The young teen nervously let the cloak slid down and faced his guardians, who were by now looking quite shocked. "Er.hy."
To be continued.
A/N: Thanks for all reviews.
Free.
"Harry."
The voice calling him was soft and gentle, but Harry was feeling sleepy and safe and didn't want to open his eyes yet. He could sense a bright light behind his eyelids and the soft music had started again.
"Harry."
Something soft brushed his cheek, trying to get him to open his eyes. Sighing, Harry complied reluctantly, he really was too much at peace to bother with anything else. The small boy gasped sharply at the woman standing in front of him. She had bright red hair and deep green eyes, it was without doubt his mother. "Mommy?"
The woman smiled softly, a few tears appearing at the sides of her eyes. Extending her arms towards her child, she softly spoke again. "Hello baby."
Harry allowed himself to be cuddled against the woman's chest, it was a strange feeling. So much like when Sirius hugged him, yet so different. After a few minutes, the woman gently disentangled his arms from around her neck, chuckling lightly at his disappointed moan, and put him down on the glowing floor. "I'm sorry, baby, but we need to talk."
Harry pouted a bit but instead of arguing, he looked around the room they were in. It was fairly big, completely bare and painted in a deep golden colour. The walls were pulsating slightly, the light they gave out illuminated the whole space. It was a strange room, but it was strangely reassuring. The woman moved, claiming his attention once again.
"Little one, its time."
"Time for what, Mommy?"
"Time to return to your life as it's meant to be. You can't stay like this anymore, they need you."
Harry frowned, he didn't like what the woman was implying. Trying to divert her attention from the subject he asked a question that was bothering him. "Where are we, Mommy? How comes I can see you?"
The woman grimaced, she could tell the small boy was trying to change the subject and that they really didn't have that much time to play twenty questions, but nevertheless she answered. "You got my doll, didn't you? The one James gave me on my seventeenth birthday?"
Harry nodded, wondering what the doll had to do with anything.
"That doll is special, Harry. James charmed it so that if I ever felt lonely or needed help she would bring me in here and I would see James and talk to him, even if it was only a reminder of him, much like the portraits of people that hang around Hogwarts. When you were born I changed the charm slightly and gave you the doll. Every time you got very upset and James and I weren't around whoever was babysitting you would give you the doll and you would be brought in here."
Harry stayed still, he would never have guessed that such a little doll would be able to mean so much to him. "So Dad's also around?"
Lily smiled sadly. "He would be, Harry, but you don't need him."
The small boy looked at her confused. "Of course I need him!" But at the same time he said those words he knew they weren't true. He had Sirius, and Remus, they couldn't replace their mother completely but they sure had taken the role of his father. Bending his head Harry mumbled quietly. "You're right, I'm sorry."
Lily laughed softly. "Oh, baby, there's nothing to be sorry about, I'm glad Siri and Remy are taking such good care of you." Harry nodded, relieve showing clearly in his bright green eyes. Lily once again changed the topic to what she originally had wanted to say. "Harry, you need to regain your older body."
Harry's face saddened. "I can't! I'm not ready."
The woman kneeled in front of him. "Yes you are. In this short time, you have learned that you're not alone, that no matter what happens, Sirius and Remus will be there for you. You still have a long way to go, I know it, you know it, Siri and Remy know it, but being five much longer is not going to help anymore. You need to go on as a fifteen year old, or would you prefer to change back just a few days before going to Hogwarts, with barely any time to adjust?"
Harry shook his head sadly. "No."
Lily gently extended her hand. "Then come on, my little one, Sirius and Remus need your help and after that you can have a nice, long, chat with them and continue with healing this depression of yours."
Harry sighed. He knew she was right but he wasn't looking forward to it. Things were bound to be even more confusing if he turned back. Would he still feel compelled to act as a child? Maybe he would be able to repress it again, but he wasn't supposed to do that, it would only bring him more trouble.
Noticing his mother still kept her hand extended to him, he tentatively reached out to touch it. Before his fingers brushed against those of Lily, the woman spoke again. "Remember that I love you, Harry Potter, no matter what happens, remember that. I will be here if you need me, you only need to call out to me."
Harry nodded decisively, it was time to return to his parents, firmly he grasped his mother's hand and everything disappeared again.
He woke up again at the sound of shouts, his head was pounding painfully, and he could feel the jumble of emotions and thoughts trying to drown him. Luckily, the sound of footsteps climbing up the stairs made him focus on what was happening. Quickly he walked up to his desk, trying to suppress the nausea that ran through his body, and from one of the drawers he picked up his wand and his invisibility cloak, that had remained locked in there while he was small. Sighing, he wrapped the cloak around him and went to stand next to the door, just when a group of three Death Eaters entered his room. Harry waited patiently till the black robed men were fully into the room. He wished he had been able to test his magic before having to use it in a fight, but now he didn't have the time anymore. Slowly he raised his wand and muttered the stunning curse. As one the three Death Eaters dropped to the ground, completely unconscious. Harry sighed in relieve, it had worked. Without another look to the three men he quickly made his way downstairs, he needed to help his Dad. Sirius. oh hell, it was beginning! Shaking his head he started to walk down the stairs. Remus and Sirius were fighting back to back against ten death eaters and they didn't seem to have an easy time with it. While trying to keep each other safe and dodging the unforgivables, the two men didn't have the time to shot curses of their own. Well, it was time to make this fight a bit fairer. Bringing his wand up again, Harry took a deep breath and shouted, "Stupefy."
The four Death Eaters that had had their backs facing him fell down instantly, and the confusion that ran through the room was all what Harry needed. He quickly disarmed two other Death Eaters while Sirius and Remus regained their senses and started to stun the remaining men. The fight was over in a few minutes.
After Sirius had stunned the last Death Eater, both men turned to where they had last heard Harry. The young teen nervously let the cloak slid down and faced his guardians, who were by now looking quite shocked. "Er.hy."
To be continued.
A/N: Thanks for all reviews.