Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Dangers in the past:
It didn't take long for the effects of the spray to wear off. They gathered themselves, Sirius sitting a little apart from the others, as they all looked him a tad annoyed.
Sirius focused Harry. The dark haired boy had turned on his side once again and was looking his companions over with a small smile on his lips. Before Sirius could say anything about Harry evading his prank, Ryan caught his eye, looking at him sternly. "What did I say about being carefully with Harry?"
Sirius dropped his eyes in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Sir."
Ryan regarded him a moment longer, even as all other kids were silently looking at the older man reprimanding Sirius. Finally, Ryan nodded. "Make sure that doesn't happen again."
"Yes, Sir."
After a final glance to his godson, Ryan returned to his room with Daniel, leaving a now silent room behind. When the door closed behind them, Harry turned to Sirius and smiled reassuringly at him. "Don't worry too much about Ryan, Sirius. He doesn't really mind pranks, it's just he's a little overprotective."
Ron snorted. "That's the understatement of the year, Harry." The redhead saw the Marauders were still seemed a little uncomfortable and tried to lighten the tension in the room. "Well, you have learned your first lesson, guys? Never try to trick Harry; it never works. Especially not if Ryan's around."
James and Sirius exchanged confused looks. Finally James spoke. "Why shouldn't we try to trick Harry?"
Hermione laughed evilly. "Well, you can try, of course. It's just that after a year of careful observation, we have come to the conclusion that it's safer not to try. It always backfires."
Ron nodded in agreement. "Yeah, if you had seen what he did to my twin brothers the day they tried to turn him into a bat. You really shouldn't try."
"Aw, Ron, you shouldn't say that to them. Let them try. It was hilarious seeing your brothers running around backwards with "I'm a crab" written on their chests."
Both teenagers snickered again at the memory. But quieted down, though, when they didn't hear Harry laughing. Hermione's face softened when she turned to look at her best friend. He had fallen asleep on the couch, one of his arms hanging limply from his side. The Marauders also stopped laughing when they saw, and Ron stood up. "We should go. I'm going to let Ryan know."
Hermione and the others nodded and began to leave while Ron knocked on Ryan's door.
"Come in!"
Ron did so and saw Ryan and Daniel sitting on the bed, talking quietly. They both smiled at the boy when he came in.
"Something wrong?"
"No, Daniel, Harry just fell asleep on the couch, so we're going back to the common room."
Ryan thanked him and the three walked out of the room together. Ron met up with his friends and closed the door behind them as they left. Ryan walked to the couch and gently lifted Harry up into his arms and took him to his room.
Through the following days, Harry was forced to stay in his room, being watched regularly by Ryan or Daniel while he regained his strength. Luckily, this time Ryan allowed him to do some homework and every evening Ron and Hermione came to talk to him for a while, sometimes bringing the Marauders along.
When he finally was allowed to get back to class, Harry understood what Ron and Hermione had been talking about. It was like being 'The Boy Who Lived' all over again. People pointed at him and whispered, talking about all he had done that day not so long ago. Somehow, the fact that he had killed a basilisk over the summer holidays had come out adding to the mounting hero- worship that surrounded him as he walked through the halls. Once again, Ron and Hermione had taken up positions as his unofficial bodyguards, keeping the students at bay, the Marauders usually tagging along although they found all the attention amusing. Harry usually took solace in his room, grateful for the first time that he was not sleeping in the Gryffindor tower.
To Ryan's dismay, however, all the attention caused Harry to become even more withdrawn. He tended to lock himself in his room, either reading or talking to his pets. Ron and Hermione came by as often as they could, but they had been asked to keep an eye on Lily and James so they couldn't stay with their friend as long as they would have liked. Sometimes, they were able to drag Harry out, if he was in a good mood, but it never took long for him to return.
Harry came to the point where he asked Ryan if he was allowed to eat in his room, away from the great hall. His godfather sternly forbade it, and from that day made sure Harry went downstairs to eat. He couldn't let his godson retreat into himself any further.
Ron, Hermione and Harry were making their way to the Great Hall to have dinner when a slight tinge went through Harry's scar. The raven-haired boy stopped short and looked around expectantly, his senses alert. Ron and Hermione had stopped next to him, a grim look on their faces, knowing that Harry thought something was wrong. Before they could question him about it, Harry began to run towards the doors that led outside and without missing a beat they followed him. Harry yanked the doors open and stepped outside. Immediately he spotted a small group of Death Eaters surrounding two students. He began to run towards them when he recognised the students. His father was standing in front of his mother in a protective fashion, shouting to one of the Death Eaters. In a slow motion, Harry saw the leader of the black robed men shout the killing curse and continued to run, faster then he had ever run before. The only thought in his mind was to get between his parents and that curse. With a last rush of adrenaline, he sprang in front of his parents, the green light slamming painfully into his chest. It sent him sprawling towards his parents' feet.
He heard Lily shriek, Ron and Hermione shout, and then nothing.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews, and thanks to my beta readers, Gates and Tanya.
Dangers in the past:
It didn't take long for the effects of the spray to wear off. They gathered themselves, Sirius sitting a little apart from the others, as they all looked him a tad annoyed.
Sirius focused Harry. The dark haired boy had turned on his side once again and was looking his companions over with a small smile on his lips. Before Sirius could say anything about Harry evading his prank, Ryan caught his eye, looking at him sternly. "What did I say about being carefully with Harry?"
Sirius dropped his eyes in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Sir."
Ryan regarded him a moment longer, even as all other kids were silently looking at the older man reprimanding Sirius. Finally, Ryan nodded. "Make sure that doesn't happen again."
"Yes, Sir."
After a final glance to his godson, Ryan returned to his room with Daniel, leaving a now silent room behind. When the door closed behind them, Harry turned to Sirius and smiled reassuringly at him. "Don't worry too much about Ryan, Sirius. He doesn't really mind pranks, it's just he's a little overprotective."
Ron snorted. "That's the understatement of the year, Harry." The redhead saw the Marauders were still seemed a little uncomfortable and tried to lighten the tension in the room. "Well, you have learned your first lesson, guys? Never try to trick Harry; it never works. Especially not if Ryan's around."
James and Sirius exchanged confused looks. Finally James spoke. "Why shouldn't we try to trick Harry?"
Hermione laughed evilly. "Well, you can try, of course. It's just that after a year of careful observation, we have come to the conclusion that it's safer not to try. It always backfires."
Ron nodded in agreement. "Yeah, if you had seen what he did to my twin brothers the day they tried to turn him into a bat. You really shouldn't try."
"Aw, Ron, you shouldn't say that to them. Let them try. It was hilarious seeing your brothers running around backwards with "I'm a crab" written on their chests."
Both teenagers snickered again at the memory. But quieted down, though, when they didn't hear Harry laughing. Hermione's face softened when she turned to look at her best friend. He had fallen asleep on the couch, one of his arms hanging limply from his side. The Marauders also stopped laughing when they saw, and Ron stood up. "We should go. I'm going to let Ryan know."
Hermione and the others nodded and began to leave while Ron knocked on Ryan's door.
"Come in!"
Ron did so and saw Ryan and Daniel sitting on the bed, talking quietly. They both smiled at the boy when he came in.
"Something wrong?"
"No, Daniel, Harry just fell asleep on the couch, so we're going back to the common room."
Ryan thanked him and the three walked out of the room together. Ron met up with his friends and closed the door behind them as they left. Ryan walked to the couch and gently lifted Harry up into his arms and took him to his room.
Through the following days, Harry was forced to stay in his room, being watched regularly by Ryan or Daniel while he regained his strength. Luckily, this time Ryan allowed him to do some homework and every evening Ron and Hermione came to talk to him for a while, sometimes bringing the Marauders along.
When he finally was allowed to get back to class, Harry understood what Ron and Hermione had been talking about. It was like being 'The Boy Who Lived' all over again. People pointed at him and whispered, talking about all he had done that day not so long ago. Somehow, the fact that he had killed a basilisk over the summer holidays had come out adding to the mounting hero- worship that surrounded him as he walked through the halls. Once again, Ron and Hermione had taken up positions as his unofficial bodyguards, keeping the students at bay, the Marauders usually tagging along although they found all the attention amusing. Harry usually took solace in his room, grateful for the first time that he was not sleeping in the Gryffindor tower.
To Ryan's dismay, however, all the attention caused Harry to become even more withdrawn. He tended to lock himself in his room, either reading or talking to his pets. Ron and Hermione came by as often as they could, but they had been asked to keep an eye on Lily and James so they couldn't stay with their friend as long as they would have liked. Sometimes, they were able to drag Harry out, if he was in a good mood, but it never took long for him to return.
Harry came to the point where he asked Ryan if he was allowed to eat in his room, away from the great hall. His godfather sternly forbade it, and from that day made sure Harry went downstairs to eat. He couldn't let his godson retreat into himself any further.
Ron, Hermione and Harry were making their way to the Great Hall to have dinner when a slight tinge went through Harry's scar. The raven-haired boy stopped short and looked around expectantly, his senses alert. Ron and Hermione had stopped next to him, a grim look on their faces, knowing that Harry thought something was wrong. Before they could question him about it, Harry began to run towards the doors that led outside and without missing a beat they followed him. Harry yanked the doors open and stepped outside. Immediately he spotted a small group of Death Eaters surrounding two students. He began to run towards them when he recognised the students. His father was standing in front of his mother in a protective fashion, shouting to one of the Death Eaters. In a slow motion, Harry saw the leader of the black robed men shout the killing curse and continued to run, faster then he had ever run before. The only thought in his mind was to get between his parents and that curse. With a last rush of adrenaline, he sprang in front of his parents, the green light slamming painfully into his chest. It sent him sprawling towards his parents' feet.
He heard Lily shriek, Ron and Hermione shout, and then nothing.
To be continued...
A/N: Thanks for all reviews, and thanks to my beta readers, Gates and Tanya.