Harry stepped off the Hogwarts Train on Platform 9 ¾ looking around
for Reena. He couldn't find her in the crowd of families picking up their
children for the Christmas holiday. Hermione wished Harry a Happy Christmas
and went to meet her parents on Platform 9. Ron met Charlie on Platform 9 ¾
and left quickly. The crowd hadn't thinned very much when he heard his name
being called out. He looked around and saw Reena trying to get his
attention.
"Hello Harry! How are you?" Reena asked as she approached her godson.
"Great, thanks," Harry answered. Reena took and ahold of his arm and they disapperated. They appeared in a beautifully furnished parlor.
"Er, Reena, where are we?" Harry asked carefully.
"This is Sirius' house. He asked that we spend Christmas here. He's going to try and come."
"This is his house, yet he lived in a tiny London flat?" Harry asked in a puzzled voice.
"This is his inheritance," Reena told Harry. "Shall we put your things away?"
Harry nodded and picked up his suitcase. He followed Reena to the second floor.
"There are 8 bedrooms up here. The one off the landing belonged to Sirius' mother. That one on the right-" Reena pointed to the 3rd door on the right, "was Sirius'. You can choose any other room."
"What about you?" Harry asked.
"I dropped my things off just before I came to get you. I haven't chosen a room yet."
Harry opened the door next to the bedroom Sirius had as a child. He put down his suitcase and went back down stairs. He found Reena in the kitchen.
"Hungry?" Reena asked.
Remembering that he hadn't eaten anything since the early morning, he nodded. Over a plate of and sandwiches, cookies, and hot chocolate, Reena and Harry talked about the plans for the holidays.
"Remus will be coming on the 24th. I think he's going to stay for a few days," Reena informed Harry.
"What about Sirius?"
"As far as I can tell, he's going to try his best to come by Christmas Eve," Reena told him softly.
"Oh," Harry said, looking a bit crestfallen. Sensing that Harry was looking forward to seeing his godfather, Reena added,
"I'm sure he'll be able to come. You know he has a perfect sense of timing."
Harry just nodded.
Reena and Harry didn't have much to talk about, but they managed a comfortable co-existence. After a quiet dinner, Harry struggled with a question he had been dying to ask Reena.
"Reena," Harry piped up as they played a game of wizard's chess.
"yeah," Reena responded without looking up.
"Do you know if my parents are ghosts?" he asked slowly.
Reena looked up from the chessboard. "Why?" she asked cautiously.
"I don't know. It's somethings that been in the back of my mind since I met Nearly Headless Nick. I mean, if he's dead, but I can still talk to him, why can't I do the same with my parents?"
Reena thought about her answer carefully before responding to Harry.
"This is going to sound like a really Muggle answer, but it's the truth. The ghosts that you and I see are 'unsettled'. They either are holing onto something, or have a purpose to fulfill. It's a good thing you haven't met your parents as ghosts."
"In my fourth year, I saw their figures coming out of Voldemort's wand, did that 'unsettle' them?"
"They weren't really ghosts. That was a . . . well, it wasn't their ghosts. It was more like an apparition of them or a short window where you could see them," Reena explained gently.
"Do you know if there is any magic where I could summon my mum and dad?" Harry asked curiously.
"I'm sorry Harry, but that's strictly classified as dark magic, and for good reason too."
"What reason?" Harry asked, sounding disappointed.
"If your parents aren't ghosts, it means their spirits are 'settles' and they've gone to heaven. Summoning them would mean you've ripped them out a beautiful and peaceful place. If the summoning doesn't go well, in short, it can be quite disturbing. But you know, your mum and dad are watching over you. They never really left you alone," Reena added as an afterthought.
Harry nodded, but didn't say anything for a few minutes.
"Dumbledore told me something similar a few years ago," he said.
"I know. I was told the same thing when my parents passed away," Reena said kindly.
They quietly finished their game and Harry went to his room. Reena worked on some paperwork from the Ministry for a while, before retiring to her own room.
The quietness of the suburban neighborhood was strange to Reena. She was used to the nightly noise of London. It took her a long time for her to fall asleep. She was in the void between wake and sleep when a creaking floorboard woke her up. Reena clutched her wand and "Lumos". She held up her wand and looked around the room. The towering figure of Sirius was at the far end of the room. He looked like a rabbit caught in headlights.
"Hello Harry! How are you?" Reena asked as she approached her godson.
"Great, thanks," Harry answered. Reena took and ahold of his arm and they disapperated. They appeared in a beautifully furnished parlor.
"Er, Reena, where are we?" Harry asked carefully.
"This is Sirius' house. He asked that we spend Christmas here. He's going to try and come."
"This is his house, yet he lived in a tiny London flat?" Harry asked in a puzzled voice.
"This is his inheritance," Reena told Harry. "Shall we put your things away?"
Harry nodded and picked up his suitcase. He followed Reena to the second floor.
"There are 8 bedrooms up here. The one off the landing belonged to Sirius' mother. That one on the right-" Reena pointed to the 3rd door on the right, "was Sirius'. You can choose any other room."
"What about you?" Harry asked.
"I dropped my things off just before I came to get you. I haven't chosen a room yet."
Harry opened the door next to the bedroom Sirius had as a child. He put down his suitcase and went back down stairs. He found Reena in the kitchen.
"Hungry?" Reena asked.
Remembering that he hadn't eaten anything since the early morning, he nodded. Over a plate of and sandwiches, cookies, and hot chocolate, Reena and Harry talked about the plans for the holidays.
"Remus will be coming on the 24th. I think he's going to stay for a few days," Reena informed Harry.
"What about Sirius?"
"As far as I can tell, he's going to try his best to come by Christmas Eve," Reena told him softly.
"Oh," Harry said, looking a bit crestfallen. Sensing that Harry was looking forward to seeing his godfather, Reena added,
"I'm sure he'll be able to come. You know he has a perfect sense of timing."
Harry just nodded.
Reena and Harry didn't have much to talk about, but they managed a comfortable co-existence. After a quiet dinner, Harry struggled with a question he had been dying to ask Reena.
"Reena," Harry piped up as they played a game of wizard's chess.
"yeah," Reena responded without looking up.
"Do you know if my parents are ghosts?" he asked slowly.
Reena looked up from the chessboard. "Why?" she asked cautiously.
"I don't know. It's somethings that been in the back of my mind since I met Nearly Headless Nick. I mean, if he's dead, but I can still talk to him, why can't I do the same with my parents?"
Reena thought about her answer carefully before responding to Harry.
"This is going to sound like a really Muggle answer, but it's the truth. The ghosts that you and I see are 'unsettled'. They either are holing onto something, or have a purpose to fulfill. It's a good thing you haven't met your parents as ghosts."
"In my fourth year, I saw their figures coming out of Voldemort's wand, did that 'unsettle' them?"
"They weren't really ghosts. That was a . . . well, it wasn't their ghosts. It was more like an apparition of them or a short window where you could see them," Reena explained gently.
"Do you know if there is any magic where I could summon my mum and dad?" Harry asked curiously.
"I'm sorry Harry, but that's strictly classified as dark magic, and for good reason too."
"What reason?" Harry asked, sounding disappointed.
"If your parents aren't ghosts, it means their spirits are 'settles' and they've gone to heaven. Summoning them would mean you've ripped them out a beautiful and peaceful place. If the summoning doesn't go well, in short, it can be quite disturbing. But you know, your mum and dad are watching over you. They never really left you alone," Reena added as an afterthought.
Harry nodded, but didn't say anything for a few minutes.
"Dumbledore told me something similar a few years ago," he said.
"I know. I was told the same thing when my parents passed away," Reena said kindly.
They quietly finished their game and Harry went to his room. Reena worked on some paperwork from the Ministry for a while, before retiring to her own room.
The quietness of the suburban neighborhood was strange to Reena. She was used to the nightly noise of London. It took her a long time for her to fall asleep. She was in the void between wake and sleep when a creaking floorboard woke her up. Reena clutched her wand and "Lumos". She held up her wand and looked around the room. The towering figure of Sirius was at the far end of the room. He looked like a rabbit caught in headlights.