Disclaimer: Nothing in this belongs to me. Everything belongs to their
respective owners
A/N: It's been a long time, I know, but I had exams right after Christmas holiday . . . Anyway, it's here. Special thanks to Rawiya, my wonderful beta-reader!
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Chapter 11 A Message from The Dead
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A tall man in his Death Eater's robes apparated inside the blazing Leaky Cauldron. He quickly performed a bubble spell on his head so that he wouldn't breathe in all the dense smoke. He carefully crept around the inn and after a short while, found the Death Eaters who had been expected to bring Harry Potter back to Voldemort's lair instead they lay beaten on the floor of the blazing inn.
Not that he really cared about the lives or the well-being of these stupid men who failed to carry out the simple task of capturing a teenage boy. However, it just wouldn't do to have these Death Eaters captured by the Aurors that he knew would be arriving at any moment. He had to move fast because not only were the Aurors coming, but the inn was bound to collapse.
After gathering the unconscious Death Eaters in a heap with the levitating spell, he performed a complicated transport spell and the unconscious Death Eaters disappeared in a flash. The man smirked as he thought of a raging Voldemort who awaited their return to the lair. But then something else caught his attention. There was a weird-shaped pen lying on the floor. However, what truly caught his attention was the magical aura radiated from the pen. He bent down and tentatively touched the pen. When no harm came flying his way, the man quickly picked up the pen and pocketed it.
Just as the inn's roof began to collapse with a deafening crack, the man disappeared with a faint pop.
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"My GOD!. . . Not happening. . . it's not happening." Harry clenched his fist and held even tighter onto Sirius' wand. He slowly raised one hand to cover his face.
"Not happening. No. . ." His finger tangled with bands of his dark hair that stuck limply on his forehead and pulled at them desperately. His vision blurred with tears.
"Harry."
A voice rang behind Harry. Never had Harry once in his life been so grateful to be called. It was finer than the finest music, as if his frozen world had suddenly become reanimated. . . it was as if the whole world came back to life after an ice age. Relief rushed through his fragile body as Harry turned around towards the unmistakable voice. Tears fell as the most welcoming and comforting sight appeared before his eyes, his godfather.
Sirius was standing with the support of Haruka with a vague expression. Whether it was happiness, relief, exhaustion or all of them combined, Harry couldn't tell. He just concentrated on the task of bringing himself towards Sirius, towards the godfather that he thought he had lost.
Sirius also stepped forward as Haruka tentatively withdrew her arm and stepped aside. Both Sirius and Harry took a few unsteady steps to close the distance in between them. Sirius lay his hands on Harry's shoulders as Harry tilted his head to study Sirius. Harry blinked away his tears very quickly to clear his vision, but only more tears welled up as Harry could tell without doubt that the man before him was indeed his godfather. It was not an illusion. Perhaps during these two days the amount of tears Harry had shed was more than the amount combined in the rest of his life. He threw his arms around Sirius and embraced him tightly.
"Sirius, I thought you were. . .you were. . ."
"I'm here now, Harry. I promise you I won't leave you again. Not if I can help it." Sirius wrapped a tired arm around Harry's quivering shoulders.
After a moment of silence, Harry finally controlled his raging emotions and pulled back. He noticed that Haruka was watching them all the time from behind. Sirius also turned towards Harry's direction of attention.
"Thank you so much for bringing Sirius back."
"You're welcome." Haruka smiled at Harry. She was glad to witness their reunion.
"Here! Come quickly!" Someone shouted across the street, drawing their attention back to the inn. Both Sirius and Harry tensed in alarm as they noticed that more than ten wizards and witches in brown robes in standard uniform of Aurors had just apparated outside the inn that had nearly been razed to the ground. The fire was still blazing and the Aurors kept showering spells to the inn to put out the fire.
Sirius with one of his arm still over Harry's shoulder, turned and led Harry deeper into the alleyway. Haruka followed them but felt suspicious of their reaction.
"Why are you turning away? I suppose the people over there are some sorts of law enforcers? Why do you seem afraid of them?" Haruka asked but they kept going and turned around a corner before stopping.
"It's difficult to explain. . . " Harry could not think of any easy way of explaining the sophisticated predicament Sirius was in with a few words. Harry looked up to Sirius, who had lapsed into silence for a while, and then looked down in contemplation. Then Harry noticed that Sirius' wand was still in his hand.
"Sirius, take your wand back. . ." Harry held out the wand and spotted something wet on his hand and realized that it was blood, Sirius' blood.
"Sirius! You're bleeding!" Harry shouted, finally noticed that the pressure applied by Sirius' arm on his shoulder had increased because of his weakened state.
"I'm OK. It's just a few minor scratches." Sirius said with a faint wave of his hand and a grimace on his face, "We cannot stay here anymore. We have to get away from here."
"But we have to get your wound tended first!" Such an amount of blood could hardly pass as "minor scratches". Harry was worried about Sirius - he could not keep running around with his wound untreated like this.
"No, Harry. We have to get you to some place safe first. There may still be Death Eaters in the area. And the Aurors. . . "
Haruka stepped in at that moment. "You have to get away from here, right?" she asked Sirius and Sirius nodded. "And Sirius has to get medical treatment, right?" Haruka said as she turned to Harry, who nodded anxiously, his grip on Sirius arm tightening.
"What about catching a taxi to my hotel? You can get some medicine and rest there before deciding what to do next."
It then suddenly appeared to Sirius that there was a crucial problem - who was Haruka? Why was she helping them? Although his concentration was becoming harder to maintain due to his blood loss, he still found himself asking, "Who are you? Why are you helping us?" It could be a fatal mistake to trust anyone rashly. Sirius had learned that a long time ago with a terrible loss.
"Sirius! She saved you! I think we can trust her."
"No, Harry."
"I think you really don't have much choice now, do you?" Haruka reasoned calmly. "They will start searching the area for the Death Eaters soon."
Sirius bit his lower lip and frowned. His brain was not properly functioning . . . Why did he want so much to simply give in and trust this woman? Why did Harry trust her so easily? What did the woman want?
Before Sirius could make a decision, Haruka impatiently slipped an arm around Sirius' shoulder to support his weakened body and looked forward with a fierce determination. "Harry, lead the way to the nearest taxi station. Explanation comes later."
Harry gratefully nodded. And so the three of them moved again.
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Douglas Anderson pushed open the door to the Shell's Dream, a popular wizard's bar in London. He stepped in and shut the empty night street behind him with a soft "bang" of the wooden door. Dragging his tired body, he made his way to one of the few deserted seats at the counter and threw himself into a battered wooden chair.
The Shell's Dream was a medium sized bar where wizards and witches liked to hang out in groups after work. It was Douglas and his Auror friends' favorite relax place after a day's or several days' worth of stressful Auror work. However, today Douglas just didn't feel the usual relief of having finished his work.
"Hey, Douglas, overtime again? What big things happened again?" a barman clapped Douglas shoulder and put down his usual mug of beer in front of him.
"Nothing. It's really a miracle that you don't already know. Just see for yourself for the more colorful version on the Daily Prophet tomorrow." Douglas answered in an uncharacteristically un-cheerful voice and the barman shrugged before walking away to get orders from the other patrons in the bar.
Douglas sipped the beer slowly and sank even deeper into the chair. Too much had happened in these two days. First was the murder of Arabella Figg, a well respected old lady and Auror. Harry Potter was also attacked and was now missing. Then he discovered Sirius Black's involvement and then was informed of his innocence by Dumbledore. Today he had just been back form a meeting with Dumbledore and knew more about the truth behind James and Lily Potter's death when alarm of attack and fire at the Leaky Cauldron was raised. Causalities were worse then expected as more people then usual were waiting in the inn. Douglas and twenty more Aurors were sent to search the area for any escaping Death Eaters. None had been found, which wasn't surprising.
Douglas had signed in relief when he found out that no one had caught sight of Harry Potter or Sirius Black. He was sure that they had been the reason for the attack, specifically Harry Potter.
The murmur of the people in the bar slowly lured him to close his eyelids. The usual laughter and cheers were lacking . . . who would have a cheerful mood after something so disastrous happened? Friends and families and colleagues were lost. If only Voldemort had not been resurrected . . . if only he could rid the world of these horrible Death Eaters . . . Douglas brushed the stray brown hair from his forehead and sighed.
"Mind if I sit here?" a low silky voice rang above Douglas. He raised his head and found a man in his mid-thirties standing just behind his chair.
"Of course not."
The man sat down in the chair next to Douglas'. The man was tall, thin and with pale skin that seemed to glow faintly in the dimly lit room. His hair was sleek black with traces of white and gray among it. The pale gray eyes seemed luminous, and made Douglas consider the possibility that he was in the company of a vampire. However, there was something about the man that eased Douglas' mind and he discarded his initial impression.
A barman approached the man. "Sir, the usual?"
The man gave a small nod to the barman and smiled at the barman gratefully - this gesture made the man looked more human and approachable. The man noticed Douglas studying him and smiled. Douglas very naturally grinned back. But what the man said next surprised him.
"You must be Douglas Anderson?" the man asked.
"Yes, I am. Sorry, sir, but . . . do I know you?"
"No, you shouldn't. I'm Jacob Castor. I'm also an Auror. I work at the Intelligence Division and the Dark Arts Detection Division, so you don't have much chance of seeing or hearing about me."
"Oh, so you're collecting information for our side.Your division must be suffering under huge pressures these days."
"Yes. . . the Dark Art detection system is not working properly. Complaint letters, howlers and reporters are all flooding the departments over our delay in detecting the Death Eater attack immediately. I'm lucky to be able to sneak out to get a drink."
At that moment, the barman returned with a mug of beer and put it in front of Jacob.
"Me too. We just finished the search for the Death Eaters in that area. But I suppose no one would be able to get another day off, now that the Dark Arts are rampant again."
The expression on Jacob's face seemed to darken and he shoved his seat closer to Douglas that their shoulders touched. He leaned closer to Douglas and said in a low voice, "People are saying that You-Know-Who is back. Do you think so?"
"I think that it is clear that he is back. Why else would those Death Eaters suddenly come out of their dormant state and attack in such an organized way? There is no one else who can do this but him." Douglas replied. He didn't really want to talk about Voldemort at the moment, the mere thought of the evil man cause a dull ache in his head.
"I forgot to ask, how do you know me?"
"Oh, that." Jacob leaned back into his chair, "I've seen you several times in the Headquarter. It's just that you don't remember." No wonder Douglas felt that Jacob was familiar to him. "Many Aurors have heard of you back in the last few years - a brilliant newcomer who excelled the study of Dart Arts. There was an article about you in the Prophet just a few months ago, wasn't there?"
"That article was about the group of Aurors studying advance Dart Arts theories, not only me . . . and I'm not that great at all. You know the Prophet likes to exaggerate."
"No, I know that you deserve the praise. Don't be so humble. I can see great things waiting for you in the future." Jacob lay his hand on Douglas' shoulder and patted him several times. "Go ahead, young man. I'm sure you will have great achievements."
Douglas smiled a bit embarrassedly at Jacob. He couldn't explain why, but he seemed to have taken a liking to Jacob.
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Haruka opened her eyes and wondered where exactly she was. Her body ached all over. Perhaps she should have a slow jog around her favorite park and let the soft wind sooth all her pain. Haruka yawned, stretched, and then realized that she was not in the bedroom in the house she shared with her friends. The still unfamiliar surrounding of the hotel room reminded Haruka once again that she was no longer in Japan. Instead she was in London and in the previous day she had just met Harry Potter and Sirius Black.
Haruka got up from the bed and walked to the window. The sun shone brightly in the mid-sky. She threw the window open and let the soft breeze caress her skin and her short blond hair gently. The wind had always been comforting to her, almost like a part of her nature. Sometimes she just wanted to leave all her worries and duties behind and melt into the wind and simply fly away.
But Haruka knew she couldn't. She turned from the window and went for a brief bath, then went to the next room to check on the two occupants there. Both of them - Harry and Sirius - were in deep slumber on the same bed, with Sirius' one arm wrapped around Harry's shoulder, as if trying to shield his godson from the evils of the world even when he slept. Haruka really didn't want to admit to herself, but the two of them looked . . . adorable together. What was she thinking? She scolded mentally.
She realized something else as she continued to study the two. Harry's youthful face, for the first time since Haruka had met him, seemed truly in peace. How it contrasted with the utmost desperation and fear on his face yesterday. It made Haruka's heart ache faintly. What kind of ordeal and torment had been inflicted on the boy for such kind of tiredness to be shown? Surely the death of his parents was only one of them. And the boy's godfather, Sirius, with his long and soft black hair and pale complexion, also seemed much more relaxed than when they were in the burning inn. And again Haruka couldn't help but noticed that the man was handsome . . . Haruka had not really been that interested in man for years, but this man seemed . . . different.
What should she tell them when they awoke? And there were so much for her to ask. She wanted to know more about Harry and Sirius. Also, what should they do next? It was beyond doubt that the evil man, Voldemort, really wanted to get to Harry, but why? And what about the weapon that James and Lily told her about, the one that held the power to destroy Voldemort? But above all these, would Sirius and Harry trust her enough to let her help them?
"Ms. . . Ms Tenoh? . . . Hello? Haruka!" the deep voice jerked Haruka out of her trance, and Haruka suddenly found herself under the intense gaze of Sirius Black.
"Sorry. I was lost in my own thoughts." Haruka lent Sirius a hand as he tried to heave himself up from the bed.
"I can see that," He replied in a low and hushed voice, apparently trying not to wake his godson from his peaceful slumber.
Haruka led Sirius to her room so that he could have wash up. She ordered some food for him and they ate the meal in silence. When Sirius put down his teacup on the polished wooden table, both knew that now the inevitable questions were going to start.
"How are you feeling? Does your wound still hurt?" Haruka asked.
"No, I feel better. You did a pretty good job on the bandaging."
"I have to thank you. You must have gotten that wound when you shielded me back in the inn."
"Never mind. You have also saved my back back there, so we are even, alright?"
Haruka nodded, and they lapsed into momentarily silence.
"So," Sirius said, staring intently at Haruka's eyes, "Who are you, and what do you want?"
"Tenoh Haruka is my real name. And I guess I'm not a witch. But I have special powers. I will explain about that later, at least when Harry is awake." Haruka paused. If she were to gain his trust, she had to be careful about what she said next. But maybe the best course of action would be to simply tell the truth. "My purpose of coming to London is . . . Harry."
Sirius' pale blue eyes narrowed.
"I was asked to find Harry and protect him. Then I should aid him in bringing about the end of Voldemort."
"You were asked? By whom?" As the conversation went along, it was as if Sirius could feel where it was leading to. His heart leapt faster and faster after the question left his mouth and as Haruka hesitated.
Haruka paused because she knew the names of his two dead friends would be a great shock to Sirius, but sooner or later, he had to know. So she blurted out the names of James and Lily Potter.
Sirius' stomach gave a painful lurch when the names of his two dead friends left her lips.
Sirius' mind almost went numb. Could he trust her? Should he trust her about this? Oh, how desperately he wanted to believe in her! To believe that his dear friends had not completely passed away and turned away from the affairs of the mortal world. To believe that finally, after fourteen long years, they mingled in the affairs of the living again. And to believe that there was still a chance that he could meet them again.
How tempting such thoughts were! How enticing it was to believe her! But it would be equally outrageous if Haruka was only trying to deceive him. It would be totally unforgivable if she tried to use their memory . . . to use his respect and longing for them. However, Sirius could feel her sympathetic gaze on him . . . perhaps she felt guilty to bring up such a matter.
Sirius covered his eyes with his hands in a vain attempt to clear his mind up a bit. He had thought that it would be less painful to think of them. Their memory should be resting in peace in his mind. How stupid and naive he was. Hardly a day had gone by without him thinking about their past, their ruined house, and the sight of their bodies. The pain of losing them had not been lessened, and the guilt he felt in failing them by no means had faded. However, he should be strong for Harry. He should be strong to protect his godson.
'Get a hold of yourself, Sirius Black!' he thought and squeezed his eyes shut. Then he felt a comforting pressure on his shoulder and removed his hand. Haruka had departed from her seat and knelt in front of him. She looked at him determinedly in the eyes, her dark teal blue ones unwavering.
"I'm no good in comforting people, really. But I understand how you feel about your friends. I understand that their memories are sacred to you. No one should tamper with them," she said.
Sirius could tell that Haruka was struggling inwardly to phase her words truthfully. Could he trust her?
She continued, "And that I've no solid proof of what I've said - I've no means of proving that I've indeed met the ghost of James and Lily Potter. All I can do is . . . ask you to trust me."
Sirius found himself nearly drowning in the pools of dark blue eyes which were deeper than the midnight sky. In them Sirius could not find a trace of untruthfulness.
For a seemingly very long period, both of them just lost themselves in each other's gaze. Sirius finally found his voice, "Why should I trust you? And why do you want me to trust you? Why are you helping us? " He said almost in a whisper.
"I . . . because," Haruka rose form her kneeling position of the floor and pulled a chair near and sat down before turning her gaze back to Sirius. Her expression was unreadable. "Frankly, you've asked the one question that I've no answer. It just seemed the right thing for me to do. When James and Lily asked me to help Harry, I just felt that I have to do it. It was kind of . . . kind of a crossroad in my life. I've reached a point where I can't move on without a new purpose. I don't know how to put it into words, but I just want to help Harry . . . and you." Haruka looked tentatively at Sirius, "So do you trust me?"
Sirius really felt baffled. It was full of thoughts of James and Lily, of Harry, and Haruka's words. How should he decide? How? If it were only himself, Sirius wouldn't hesitate. But now he had Harry in his care. He could not take any chances. He couldn't let any harm come to Harry. But if Haruka was really there to help . . . "God. I'm such a poor godfather! And to think that tomorrow is Harry's birthday. I can't even guarantee him peace on his birthday!" Sirius blurted out in frustration. He had never been this indecisive. He ran his hand through his disheveled hair.
"It's just your rational side telling you not to misplace your trust, especially where Harry's safety is concerned Let's face it, Sirius Black, you're not a poor godfather at all. You're now talking with me, a woman you know may pose a threat to you and your godson, in a perfectly civil manner. It's because deep at heart, you already trust me. You're accepting my help."
Sirius began to see her logic and realized that he did trust her. But yet . . . he couldn't afford the consequences of placing his trust wrongfully again. 'James. Lily. Please tell me what to believe . . .'
As if sensing his thought Haruka said. "And before I forget, there's a message for you from James and Lily Potter, " Sirius immediately listened to her in rapt attention. Haruka suddenly seemed a bit uneasy about being stared at so intently. Her reaction was weird. It just didn't seem her usual cool and collected demeanor.
"You should note that what I'm about to say is word for word of what James said." She paused and studied Sirius for a while, then said, "Please tell Sirius, Harry's godfather who may be a black dog nicknamed Padfoot, that we don't blame him - "
Haruka's voice was interrupted by Sirius' own thoughts, "That's so predicable. Oh, James. I know you would tell me that it's not my fault. I know that you two would not say that you blame me."
"and we are grateful for what he has done for Harry."
Sirius felt his eyes stinging. He could almost hear the words from James' mouth . . . this was the exact tone James would use when he was serious . . .
Haruka cleared her throat up a bit and took in a deep breath. And yelled.
"Tell that stubborn man STOP blaming himself!!"
Haruka's voice seemed to ring through the room and left a resonance there. After a moment of silence, Sirius couldn't help but chuckle, which triggered something inside of him to break loose, and he laughed. He laughed so hard that his shoulder, his body, and his whole being shook uncontrollably. He covered his eyes with his trembling hand before tears started to roll down freely. "James! Oh, James . . ." he choked through his laughter and tears. It was as if something monstrous had been lifted from his inner soul. . . it was as if he could breath freely for the first time since that faithful Halloween night fourteen years ago.
It also left no doubt in Sirius's mind that Haruka had indeed met James and Lily Potter.
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A/N: It's been a long time, I know, but I had exams right after Christmas holiday . . . Anyway, it's here. Special thanks to Rawiya, my wonderful beta-reader!
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Chapter 11 A Message from The Dead
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A tall man in his Death Eater's robes apparated inside the blazing Leaky Cauldron. He quickly performed a bubble spell on his head so that he wouldn't breathe in all the dense smoke. He carefully crept around the inn and after a short while, found the Death Eaters who had been expected to bring Harry Potter back to Voldemort's lair instead they lay beaten on the floor of the blazing inn.
Not that he really cared about the lives or the well-being of these stupid men who failed to carry out the simple task of capturing a teenage boy. However, it just wouldn't do to have these Death Eaters captured by the Aurors that he knew would be arriving at any moment. He had to move fast because not only were the Aurors coming, but the inn was bound to collapse.
After gathering the unconscious Death Eaters in a heap with the levitating spell, he performed a complicated transport spell and the unconscious Death Eaters disappeared in a flash. The man smirked as he thought of a raging Voldemort who awaited their return to the lair. But then something else caught his attention. There was a weird-shaped pen lying on the floor. However, what truly caught his attention was the magical aura radiated from the pen. He bent down and tentatively touched the pen. When no harm came flying his way, the man quickly picked up the pen and pocketed it.
Just as the inn's roof began to collapse with a deafening crack, the man disappeared with a faint pop.
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"My GOD!. . . Not happening. . . it's not happening." Harry clenched his fist and held even tighter onto Sirius' wand. He slowly raised one hand to cover his face.
"Not happening. No. . ." His finger tangled with bands of his dark hair that stuck limply on his forehead and pulled at them desperately. His vision blurred with tears.
"Harry."
A voice rang behind Harry. Never had Harry once in his life been so grateful to be called. It was finer than the finest music, as if his frozen world had suddenly become reanimated. . . it was as if the whole world came back to life after an ice age. Relief rushed through his fragile body as Harry turned around towards the unmistakable voice. Tears fell as the most welcoming and comforting sight appeared before his eyes, his godfather.
Sirius was standing with the support of Haruka with a vague expression. Whether it was happiness, relief, exhaustion or all of them combined, Harry couldn't tell. He just concentrated on the task of bringing himself towards Sirius, towards the godfather that he thought he had lost.
Sirius also stepped forward as Haruka tentatively withdrew her arm and stepped aside. Both Sirius and Harry took a few unsteady steps to close the distance in between them. Sirius lay his hands on Harry's shoulders as Harry tilted his head to study Sirius. Harry blinked away his tears very quickly to clear his vision, but only more tears welled up as Harry could tell without doubt that the man before him was indeed his godfather. It was not an illusion. Perhaps during these two days the amount of tears Harry had shed was more than the amount combined in the rest of his life. He threw his arms around Sirius and embraced him tightly.
"Sirius, I thought you were. . .you were. . ."
"I'm here now, Harry. I promise you I won't leave you again. Not if I can help it." Sirius wrapped a tired arm around Harry's quivering shoulders.
After a moment of silence, Harry finally controlled his raging emotions and pulled back. He noticed that Haruka was watching them all the time from behind. Sirius also turned towards Harry's direction of attention.
"Thank you so much for bringing Sirius back."
"You're welcome." Haruka smiled at Harry. She was glad to witness their reunion.
"Here! Come quickly!" Someone shouted across the street, drawing their attention back to the inn. Both Sirius and Harry tensed in alarm as they noticed that more than ten wizards and witches in brown robes in standard uniform of Aurors had just apparated outside the inn that had nearly been razed to the ground. The fire was still blazing and the Aurors kept showering spells to the inn to put out the fire.
Sirius with one of his arm still over Harry's shoulder, turned and led Harry deeper into the alleyway. Haruka followed them but felt suspicious of their reaction.
"Why are you turning away? I suppose the people over there are some sorts of law enforcers? Why do you seem afraid of them?" Haruka asked but they kept going and turned around a corner before stopping.
"It's difficult to explain. . . " Harry could not think of any easy way of explaining the sophisticated predicament Sirius was in with a few words. Harry looked up to Sirius, who had lapsed into silence for a while, and then looked down in contemplation. Then Harry noticed that Sirius' wand was still in his hand.
"Sirius, take your wand back. . ." Harry held out the wand and spotted something wet on his hand and realized that it was blood, Sirius' blood.
"Sirius! You're bleeding!" Harry shouted, finally noticed that the pressure applied by Sirius' arm on his shoulder had increased because of his weakened state.
"I'm OK. It's just a few minor scratches." Sirius said with a faint wave of his hand and a grimace on his face, "We cannot stay here anymore. We have to get away from here."
"But we have to get your wound tended first!" Such an amount of blood could hardly pass as "minor scratches". Harry was worried about Sirius - he could not keep running around with his wound untreated like this.
"No, Harry. We have to get you to some place safe first. There may still be Death Eaters in the area. And the Aurors. . . "
Haruka stepped in at that moment. "You have to get away from here, right?" she asked Sirius and Sirius nodded. "And Sirius has to get medical treatment, right?" Haruka said as she turned to Harry, who nodded anxiously, his grip on Sirius arm tightening.
"What about catching a taxi to my hotel? You can get some medicine and rest there before deciding what to do next."
It then suddenly appeared to Sirius that there was a crucial problem - who was Haruka? Why was she helping them? Although his concentration was becoming harder to maintain due to his blood loss, he still found himself asking, "Who are you? Why are you helping us?" It could be a fatal mistake to trust anyone rashly. Sirius had learned that a long time ago with a terrible loss.
"Sirius! She saved you! I think we can trust her."
"No, Harry."
"I think you really don't have much choice now, do you?" Haruka reasoned calmly. "They will start searching the area for the Death Eaters soon."
Sirius bit his lower lip and frowned. His brain was not properly functioning . . . Why did he want so much to simply give in and trust this woman? Why did Harry trust her so easily? What did the woman want?
Before Sirius could make a decision, Haruka impatiently slipped an arm around Sirius' shoulder to support his weakened body and looked forward with a fierce determination. "Harry, lead the way to the nearest taxi station. Explanation comes later."
Harry gratefully nodded. And so the three of them moved again.
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Douglas Anderson pushed open the door to the Shell's Dream, a popular wizard's bar in London. He stepped in and shut the empty night street behind him with a soft "bang" of the wooden door. Dragging his tired body, he made his way to one of the few deserted seats at the counter and threw himself into a battered wooden chair.
The Shell's Dream was a medium sized bar where wizards and witches liked to hang out in groups after work. It was Douglas and his Auror friends' favorite relax place after a day's or several days' worth of stressful Auror work. However, today Douglas just didn't feel the usual relief of having finished his work.
"Hey, Douglas, overtime again? What big things happened again?" a barman clapped Douglas shoulder and put down his usual mug of beer in front of him.
"Nothing. It's really a miracle that you don't already know. Just see for yourself for the more colorful version on the Daily Prophet tomorrow." Douglas answered in an uncharacteristically un-cheerful voice and the barman shrugged before walking away to get orders from the other patrons in the bar.
Douglas sipped the beer slowly and sank even deeper into the chair. Too much had happened in these two days. First was the murder of Arabella Figg, a well respected old lady and Auror. Harry Potter was also attacked and was now missing. Then he discovered Sirius Black's involvement and then was informed of his innocence by Dumbledore. Today he had just been back form a meeting with Dumbledore and knew more about the truth behind James and Lily Potter's death when alarm of attack and fire at the Leaky Cauldron was raised. Causalities were worse then expected as more people then usual were waiting in the inn. Douglas and twenty more Aurors were sent to search the area for any escaping Death Eaters. None had been found, which wasn't surprising.
Douglas had signed in relief when he found out that no one had caught sight of Harry Potter or Sirius Black. He was sure that they had been the reason for the attack, specifically Harry Potter.
The murmur of the people in the bar slowly lured him to close his eyelids. The usual laughter and cheers were lacking . . . who would have a cheerful mood after something so disastrous happened? Friends and families and colleagues were lost. If only Voldemort had not been resurrected . . . if only he could rid the world of these horrible Death Eaters . . . Douglas brushed the stray brown hair from his forehead and sighed.
"Mind if I sit here?" a low silky voice rang above Douglas. He raised his head and found a man in his mid-thirties standing just behind his chair.
"Of course not."
The man sat down in the chair next to Douglas'. The man was tall, thin and with pale skin that seemed to glow faintly in the dimly lit room. His hair was sleek black with traces of white and gray among it. The pale gray eyes seemed luminous, and made Douglas consider the possibility that he was in the company of a vampire. However, there was something about the man that eased Douglas' mind and he discarded his initial impression.
A barman approached the man. "Sir, the usual?"
The man gave a small nod to the barman and smiled at the barman gratefully - this gesture made the man looked more human and approachable. The man noticed Douglas studying him and smiled. Douglas very naturally grinned back. But what the man said next surprised him.
"You must be Douglas Anderson?" the man asked.
"Yes, I am. Sorry, sir, but . . . do I know you?"
"No, you shouldn't. I'm Jacob Castor. I'm also an Auror. I work at the Intelligence Division and the Dark Arts Detection Division, so you don't have much chance of seeing or hearing about me."
"Oh, so you're collecting information for our side.Your division must be suffering under huge pressures these days."
"Yes. . . the Dark Art detection system is not working properly. Complaint letters, howlers and reporters are all flooding the departments over our delay in detecting the Death Eater attack immediately. I'm lucky to be able to sneak out to get a drink."
At that moment, the barman returned with a mug of beer and put it in front of Jacob.
"Me too. We just finished the search for the Death Eaters in that area. But I suppose no one would be able to get another day off, now that the Dark Arts are rampant again."
The expression on Jacob's face seemed to darken and he shoved his seat closer to Douglas that their shoulders touched. He leaned closer to Douglas and said in a low voice, "People are saying that You-Know-Who is back. Do you think so?"
"I think that it is clear that he is back. Why else would those Death Eaters suddenly come out of their dormant state and attack in such an organized way? There is no one else who can do this but him." Douglas replied. He didn't really want to talk about Voldemort at the moment, the mere thought of the evil man cause a dull ache in his head.
"I forgot to ask, how do you know me?"
"Oh, that." Jacob leaned back into his chair, "I've seen you several times in the Headquarter. It's just that you don't remember." No wonder Douglas felt that Jacob was familiar to him. "Many Aurors have heard of you back in the last few years - a brilliant newcomer who excelled the study of Dart Arts. There was an article about you in the Prophet just a few months ago, wasn't there?"
"That article was about the group of Aurors studying advance Dart Arts theories, not only me . . . and I'm not that great at all. You know the Prophet likes to exaggerate."
"No, I know that you deserve the praise. Don't be so humble. I can see great things waiting for you in the future." Jacob lay his hand on Douglas' shoulder and patted him several times. "Go ahead, young man. I'm sure you will have great achievements."
Douglas smiled a bit embarrassedly at Jacob. He couldn't explain why, but he seemed to have taken a liking to Jacob.
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Haruka opened her eyes and wondered where exactly she was. Her body ached all over. Perhaps she should have a slow jog around her favorite park and let the soft wind sooth all her pain. Haruka yawned, stretched, and then realized that she was not in the bedroom in the house she shared with her friends. The still unfamiliar surrounding of the hotel room reminded Haruka once again that she was no longer in Japan. Instead she was in London and in the previous day she had just met Harry Potter and Sirius Black.
Haruka got up from the bed and walked to the window. The sun shone brightly in the mid-sky. She threw the window open and let the soft breeze caress her skin and her short blond hair gently. The wind had always been comforting to her, almost like a part of her nature. Sometimes she just wanted to leave all her worries and duties behind and melt into the wind and simply fly away.
But Haruka knew she couldn't. She turned from the window and went for a brief bath, then went to the next room to check on the two occupants there. Both of them - Harry and Sirius - were in deep slumber on the same bed, with Sirius' one arm wrapped around Harry's shoulder, as if trying to shield his godson from the evils of the world even when he slept. Haruka really didn't want to admit to herself, but the two of them looked . . . adorable together. What was she thinking? She scolded mentally.
She realized something else as she continued to study the two. Harry's youthful face, for the first time since Haruka had met him, seemed truly in peace. How it contrasted with the utmost desperation and fear on his face yesterday. It made Haruka's heart ache faintly. What kind of ordeal and torment had been inflicted on the boy for such kind of tiredness to be shown? Surely the death of his parents was only one of them. And the boy's godfather, Sirius, with his long and soft black hair and pale complexion, also seemed much more relaxed than when they were in the burning inn. And again Haruka couldn't help but noticed that the man was handsome . . . Haruka had not really been that interested in man for years, but this man seemed . . . different.
What should she tell them when they awoke? And there were so much for her to ask. She wanted to know more about Harry and Sirius. Also, what should they do next? It was beyond doubt that the evil man, Voldemort, really wanted to get to Harry, but why? And what about the weapon that James and Lily told her about, the one that held the power to destroy Voldemort? But above all these, would Sirius and Harry trust her enough to let her help them?
"Ms. . . Ms Tenoh? . . . Hello? Haruka!" the deep voice jerked Haruka out of her trance, and Haruka suddenly found herself under the intense gaze of Sirius Black.
"Sorry. I was lost in my own thoughts." Haruka lent Sirius a hand as he tried to heave himself up from the bed.
"I can see that," He replied in a low and hushed voice, apparently trying not to wake his godson from his peaceful slumber.
Haruka led Sirius to her room so that he could have wash up. She ordered some food for him and they ate the meal in silence. When Sirius put down his teacup on the polished wooden table, both knew that now the inevitable questions were going to start.
"How are you feeling? Does your wound still hurt?" Haruka asked.
"No, I feel better. You did a pretty good job on the bandaging."
"I have to thank you. You must have gotten that wound when you shielded me back in the inn."
"Never mind. You have also saved my back back there, so we are even, alright?"
Haruka nodded, and they lapsed into momentarily silence.
"So," Sirius said, staring intently at Haruka's eyes, "Who are you, and what do you want?"
"Tenoh Haruka is my real name. And I guess I'm not a witch. But I have special powers. I will explain about that later, at least when Harry is awake." Haruka paused. If she were to gain his trust, she had to be careful about what she said next. But maybe the best course of action would be to simply tell the truth. "My purpose of coming to London is . . . Harry."
Sirius' pale blue eyes narrowed.
"I was asked to find Harry and protect him. Then I should aid him in bringing about the end of Voldemort."
"You were asked? By whom?" As the conversation went along, it was as if Sirius could feel where it was leading to. His heart leapt faster and faster after the question left his mouth and as Haruka hesitated.
Haruka paused because she knew the names of his two dead friends would be a great shock to Sirius, but sooner or later, he had to know. So she blurted out the names of James and Lily Potter.
Sirius' stomach gave a painful lurch when the names of his two dead friends left her lips.
Sirius' mind almost went numb. Could he trust her? Should he trust her about this? Oh, how desperately he wanted to believe in her! To believe that his dear friends had not completely passed away and turned away from the affairs of the mortal world. To believe that finally, after fourteen long years, they mingled in the affairs of the living again. And to believe that there was still a chance that he could meet them again.
How tempting such thoughts were! How enticing it was to believe her! But it would be equally outrageous if Haruka was only trying to deceive him. It would be totally unforgivable if she tried to use their memory . . . to use his respect and longing for them. However, Sirius could feel her sympathetic gaze on him . . . perhaps she felt guilty to bring up such a matter.
Sirius covered his eyes with his hands in a vain attempt to clear his mind up a bit. He had thought that it would be less painful to think of them. Their memory should be resting in peace in his mind. How stupid and naive he was. Hardly a day had gone by without him thinking about their past, their ruined house, and the sight of their bodies. The pain of losing them had not been lessened, and the guilt he felt in failing them by no means had faded. However, he should be strong for Harry. He should be strong to protect his godson.
'Get a hold of yourself, Sirius Black!' he thought and squeezed his eyes shut. Then he felt a comforting pressure on his shoulder and removed his hand. Haruka had departed from her seat and knelt in front of him. She looked at him determinedly in the eyes, her dark teal blue ones unwavering.
"I'm no good in comforting people, really. But I understand how you feel about your friends. I understand that their memories are sacred to you. No one should tamper with them," she said.
Sirius could tell that Haruka was struggling inwardly to phase her words truthfully. Could he trust her?
She continued, "And that I've no solid proof of what I've said - I've no means of proving that I've indeed met the ghost of James and Lily Potter. All I can do is . . . ask you to trust me."
Sirius found himself nearly drowning in the pools of dark blue eyes which were deeper than the midnight sky. In them Sirius could not find a trace of untruthfulness.
For a seemingly very long period, both of them just lost themselves in each other's gaze. Sirius finally found his voice, "Why should I trust you? And why do you want me to trust you? Why are you helping us? " He said almost in a whisper.
"I . . . because," Haruka rose form her kneeling position of the floor and pulled a chair near and sat down before turning her gaze back to Sirius. Her expression was unreadable. "Frankly, you've asked the one question that I've no answer. It just seemed the right thing for me to do. When James and Lily asked me to help Harry, I just felt that I have to do it. It was kind of . . . kind of a crossroad in my life. I've reached a point where I can't move on without a new purpose. I don't know how to put it into words, but I just want to help Harry . . . and you." Haruka looked tentatively at Sirius, "So do you trust me?"
Sirius really felt baffled. It was full of thoughts of James and Lily, of Harry, and Haruka's words. How should he decide? How? If it were only himself, Sirius wouldn't hesitate. But now he had Harry in his care. He could not take any chances. He couldn't let any harm come to Harry. But if Haruka was really there to help . . . "God. I'm such a poor godfather! And to think that tomorrow is Harry's birthday. I can't even guarantee him peace on his birthday!" Sirius blurted out in frustration. He had never been this indecisive. He ran his hand through his disheveled hair.
"It's just your rational side telling you not to misplace your trust, especially where Harry's safety is concerned Let's face it, Sirius Black, you're not a poor godfather at all. You're now talking with me, a woman you know may pose a threat to you and your godson, in a perfectly civil manner. It's because deep at heart, you already trust me. You're accepting my help."
Sirius began to see her logic and realized that he did trust her. But yet . . . he couldn't afford the consequences of placing his trust wrongfully again. 'James. Lily. Please tell me what to believe . . .'
As if sensing his thought Haruka said. "And before I forget, there's a message for you from James and Lily Potter, " Sirius immediately listened to her in rapt attention. Haruka suddenly seemed a bit uneasy about being stared at so intently. Her reaction was weird. It just didn't seem her usual cool and collected demeanor.
"You should note that what I'm about to say is word for word of what James said." She paused and studied Sirius for a while, then said, "Please tell Sirius, Harry's godfather who may be a black dog nicknamed Padfoot, that we don't blame him - "
Haruka's voice was interrupted by Sirius' own thoughts, "That's so predicable. Oh, James. I know you would tell me that it's not my fault. I know that you two would not say that you blame me."
"and we are grateful for what he has done for Harry."
Sirius felt his eyes stinging. He could almost hear the words from James' mouth . . . this was the exact tone James would use when he was serious . . .
Haruka cleared her throat up a bit and took in a deep breath. And yelled.
"Tell that stubborn man STOP blaming himself!!"
Haruka's voice seemed to ring through the room and left a resonance there. After a moment of silence, Sirius couldn't help but chuckle, which triggered something inside of him to break loose, and he laughed. He laughed so hard that his shoulder, his body, and his whole being shook uncontrollably. He covered his eyes with his trembling hand before tears started to roll down freely. "James! Oh, James . . ." he choked through his laughter and tears. It was as if something monstrous had been lifted from his inner soul. . . it was as if he could breath freely for the first time since that faithful Halloween night fourteen years ago.
It also left no doubt in Sirius's mind that Haruka had indeed met James and Lily Potter.
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