Chapter Two: "He Isn't Dead!"
Severus drove Harry to Hogwarts, Sirius in dog form was coming with them, and they didn't want to bother with the train, as it might attract unwelcome attention that could be dealt with at Hogwarts.
When Harry and Severus turned up in the doorway of the Great Hall, half of the Professor's nearly fainted in shock.
'We thought you where dead, Mr. Potter!' Squeaked Professor Flitwick.
'So did I, Professor, the Death Eaters came to my house, and I had to leave fast. Professor Snape found me – I got completely lost – and we decided that rather than provoke another Death Eater attack, we should just keep quiet about the whole thing, though I do apologize for worrying you.' Harry said earnestly.
'You are, of course, forgiven. It was the resourceful thing to do.' Dumbledore said, blue eyes twinkling. 'And who's this?' He was looking at the dog. 'A new companion, Harry?'
'Yeah, his names Sirius, I got him from the pound just before they put him down. Hasn't left me since, and I was glad of the company on the journey.' Harry explained. 'Professor Snape didn't seem to think that it would violate the Hogwarts rules, even though they do state that we are only allowed an owl, cat or toad.'
'I don't see why you shouldn't be allowed to keep the dog, you have been through a lot together, I imagine.' McGonagall said her eyes teary.
'Thanks Professor.' Harry said. 'I really appreciate it, you're right, we've been through more than you can imagine, haven't we boy?' the dog barked once and everyone laughed.
'Well, you stay around here, just don't get in anyone's way!' McGonagall said sternly.
'Wouldn't dream of it. Could I go up to Gryffindor Tower?' Harry asked hopefully, and suddenly McGonagall slapped her forehead.
'I had forgotten, you have been made a prefect, but since we didn't know where to contact you, we couldn't send the owl, I trust you got the things that you will need this year?'
'Yeah, Snape got them for me.' Harry said.
'Very well, come with me to my office now and I'll get your badge, the password for the Tower is Dracaena.' Harry nodded him and Sirius hurrying to keep up with her.
McGonagall thrust the badge into his hands and shooed him out of the door, Harry nearly smiled, he was finally really home.
With Sirius at his side, Harry negotiated he way to the Gryffindor Tower and gave the Fat Lady the password, upstairs in the Fifth Year Dormitory, his trunk was placed neatly on his bed, and Harry quickly unpacked it, placing everything neatly away in the draws and glancing every now and then at the new wrist-watch he had bought a short time before, since his old one had stopped working.
'It's good to be back, hey Sirius.' Harry remarked softly to the dog, who nodded happily, though it was unsaid, Harry new that his Godfather would have said that it had been much to long since he had last been here.
After a while Harry slipped down the stairs and headed towards the Entrance Hall to wait for the carriages to arrive to bring the other students.
He got there as the first arrived, and was standing in the open doorway, Sirius' tail waving gently, to greet them all.
Everyone stared at Harry Potter, alive and well! Ron and Hermione came over and greeted him, demanding an explanation as to what had happened over the holidays. Harry smiled to see that they, too, had become Prefects, and not so happy that Malfoy had been as well.
'I'll tell you later guys, in a slightly more private place.' He was glaring at Draco Malfoy as he said that, and Draco Malfoy glared back.
'It's a real pity you didn't die, Potter.' Malfoy remarked in a bored drawling voice.
'Malfoy.' Harry replied calmly. 'I'm sure you're aware that I think exactly the same thought about you. I would warn you though, be careful of Sirius, he doesn't like it when I'm insulted.' Harry nodded to the dog.
'What should I care about a dumb dog, it's not like it could do anything to m-' He was cut off as Sirius' ruff rose threateningly and the dog growled deep in its chest.
'C'mon Sirius, you don't need to waist your time on the likes of him.' Harry said, and led the way into the hall, with a quick smile in Snape's direction that neither Ron nor Hermione caught; they were too busy telling him about what they had done over the holidays.
The Sorting Hat sung its song and Gryffindor got eight new students, four girls and four boys, and the ghosts appeared, startling the new people and chatting to the older ones as the feast began.
Harry ate little, he hadn't needed to eat as much food as he had used too, since he had been hurt… he didn't know why. Harry noticed that the new Defense teacher hadn't arrived yet, and wondered who it would be.
Dumbledore stood up, motioning for quiet, and he got it. 'I am sure that you all realize the danger of the Death Eaters, and I hope that you and your families will be all right, though I very much doubt that we will escaped unscathed.
'You also may have noticed, contrary to all evidence, Harry Potter is still alive and has returned to his place at the Gryffindor Table. He has been keeping a low profile to avoid Death Eater attention…'
Dumbledore continued with the usual warnings about using magic in the hallways and about the forbidden forest, and then bade everyone good night.
Ron, Harry and Hermione led the first years towards the Gryffindor Tower and Sirius remained faithfully at Harry's side the whole way.
Once in the common room Ron and Hermione went up to bed with the other years, but Harry remained for a while, looking at the Doors, as he had come to call them.
Sirius lay beside him, too used to this to become exited or anxious.
Harry knew that future, past and present where one to the doors, and tonight he wanted to see his parents, but of course, the Doors might not wish him to see them, which was the only annoying thing about the doors – they didn't always show him what he wanted to see.
Tonight they seemed to think that he deserved to see them, but did not show him the form they usually did. He found himself face to face with an unmoving image of them standing over a cradle which held him, a baby, fast asleep.
Harry stayed and watched for a little while, then came back and went to bed, sleeping with a smile on his face.
Sirius lay beside his bed, in dog form, and was there when Harry woke in the morning.
Harry had to keep smiling; now his godfather was with him as well! Life couldn't get much better! Of course, Voldemort did kind of ruin it… but what couldn't be cured must be endured.
Harry stood and stretched, Sirius retreated to the common room so as not to impose on Harry's privacy.
Harry dressed and hurried down to breakfast with his friends, Sirius bounding alongside them, completely happy.
This was only slightly dulled by the sight of Malfoy, and it wasn't until they got the time tables and Ron and Hermione groaned because of having double potions with the Slytherins first up, and then double with them again for Defense Against the Dark Arts, that he hadn't actually explained what had happened over the holidays, well, no time now.
Harry looked up at the staff table, to see what Snape was doing – and gaped. Mrs. Figg, an old lady who lived two streets away from the Dursley's and had been a baby-sitter for him almost all his life, was sitting beside McGonagall talking cheerily. Until now, Harry had thought that she was a Muggle … but maybe not.
Dumbledore stood up and introduced 'Professor Figg' to the school and explained that she was to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
When Ron asked what Harry was staring at, the other boy explained his past relationship with Professor Figg quickly.
Sirius looked up in surprise when he heard Harry discussing it, and made an indication that he wanted to speak with Harry as soon as possible, Harry nodded his understanding and returned to eating.
He and his friends left the table early and Harry took them through a secret passageway that would lead out near the Potions classroom to explain what had happened between him and Snape over the holidays and to listen to what Sirius wanted to tell him.
Ron and Hermione where gaping by the end of Harry's swift retelling. 'And you actually made friends with him?' Ron asked Sirius incredulously.
'Yeah, I know! I didn't think that would ever happen!' Sirius commented. 'Harry, are sure that Arabella is the same person who looked after you when the Dursley's where away?'
'Mrs. Figg? Yeah, of course Sirius! Why?'
'Only because she's one of the most famous Aurors ever!' Sirius said. 'She's also, though not too many people know it, a spy. I only know because she was in my year at Hogwarts and we where on the same team at the Ministry, so don't tell anyone about that.'
'Oh!' Harry glanced at his watch, 'come on you guys, we've got to get to Potions. Snape's going to pretend that he's trying to be nice to me on orders – Dumbledore's – but he can't make it look likes he's favoring us too much.' He said, and led the way on, arriving just as Malfoy did.
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Well, sorry that took so long to get up, I've been busy, and I had to do a bit of a re-write so that things made a bit more sense … next chapter will probably be up sooner, but I'm afraid I can't promise anything … sorry.
Thanks to:
Alex Moonlight, Trance Snape, Wyrm, Mikee.
Wyrm – sorry if the dialogue didn't make much sense – I wrote that when I was eleven years ago, I wasn't THAT good at writing then …
Shadows