Disclaimer: I own EVERYTHING!!! No, actually, that's a lie....Lifehouse lyrics and err...well, that's about it...
A/N: Wow, I got a lot of reviews for that last one...Thanx people! I really appreciate it! Well, anyway, here's chapter five. Sorry for the delay! Please r/r.
***
The Edge of Forever
Chapter Five: Falling Apart Again
***
~Have you ever felt like your secrets give you away~
Harry came awake with a yawn, brining his hands up to rub his eye's only to find them connecting roughly with hard plastic. He sighed. Falling asleep with his glasses on was not something he liked doing, but he'd been so exhausted last night. Harry blinked several times, taking in the room around him. It took him a minute to realize where he was and why, but when he did he glanced at the clock beside him and nearly toppled out of bed.
"Twelve thirty!?" He exclaimed, throwing the covers back and his feet over the bed all in one collective motion. He'd wanted to be gone by now. He still had a ways to go and really didn't want to have to fly through the night again. Biting back a bitter sigh, Harry slumped out of bed a drew Russell's clothes (A pair of too-long jeans and a large gray tee shirt) on slowly, his annoyance at getting up so late that morning making the boy sluggish rather than rushed.
Harry watched his dragging feet as he headed out of his room and down the large staircase. The sooner he was out of there the better, but he didn't want to leave without at least saying good-bye to Mrs. Lawson. Judging by her performance last night she was going to be very sorry to see him leave, and Harry didn't want to be rude about the whole thing after she'd been so nice. He was just outside the kitchen door when he heard Russell's voice coming from the room. He didn't seem any less 'grumpy' then he did the night before and Harry suddenly didn't want to enter the room at all.
"You didn't even make him pay?" Russell's astonished voice picked up some volume as he asked the question. "Mum, you don't know anything about this kid! He probably a thief. And I think he's in some sort of a gang or something. Did you see that bruise on his face? Probably hiding out from the lot!"
"Russell, will you calm down for a moment?" Mrs. Lawson exclaimed exasperated. "Ron happens to be a very nice boy. He's quite polite and humble, you could learn a thing or two from him."
"Yeah, like how to rob us blind!"
"He would never do a thing like that." Mrs. Lawson insisted.
Russell gave sigh which sounded more like an ironic laugh. "How do you know that?" He asked, his voice much calmer now. Harry thought that he all most sounded kind of concerned. "God, mum, you always do things like this, you're too damn trusting."
"You could learn to be a little more trusting, Russell." She told her son softly, so that Harry almost couldn't hear.
"One of these days you're gonna be wrong, you know?" He said, ignoring his mother's sincere statement. "One of these days you're gonna get hurt. I swear, if that kid isn't who he says he is...if he does something to hurt you..."
The conversation broke off then and Harry blanched as he realized Russell was walking towards the kitchen door. Nearly tripping over his dragging pants Harry turned and ran to the other end of the hall and up a few stairs, turning around just as the door he'd been standing at burst open. Russell stalked out of it, wearing a rather blatant scowl and shaking his head. When he saw Harry on the stairs he stopped and glared up at him.
"Nice of you to grace us with your presence." The man said coldly, cool blue eye's boring into the boy.
"I...er...slept a bit longer than I meant to." Harry said uncomfortably. He felt more than a bit awkward under Russell's hard stare.
"Obviously." Russell grumbled, scoffing slightly as he passed Harry on the stairs, arms crossed stiffly over his broad chest.
Harry watched cautiously as he disappeared upstairs before making his way to the kitchen door for the second time that morning. When he pushed it open he saw Mrs. Lawson sitting at a small table, resting her head in her hands. There was a thoughtful look upon her face, she was obviously going over her son's unpleasant words in her head.
"Mrs. Lawson?" Harry said carefully, feeling a bit guilty the argument she'd just had with her son.
"Oh, good morning, Ron." She said when she stirred, glancing up at him and giving him an obviously sincere smile despite her troubling thoughts. "Did you sleep all right, dear?"
Harry nodded, returning her smile with a tiny one of his own. "Yeah, I was fine." He told her. "Thank you for having me, but I really do need to be going now."
"So soon?" The disappointed tone her voice had taken on last night came back with a vengeance, and Harry's brief smile quickly vanished. "I thought you'd at least stay the rest of the day."
"I'm sorry." He said, looking away to avoid her stare.
"Don't apologize, hun, you haven't done anything wrong." She said in a strange tone of voice, that held an interesting mixture of sternness and kindness. "Where are you off to, anyway, if you don't mind my asking?"
"I...err..." Harry bit down on his lower lip, brows furrowing in confusion. As a matter of fact he did mind her asking, but he couldn't tell her that! "I'm visiting my godfather." He said honestly, glad that truth didn't really sound that suspicious.
"Really? Well, that's nice." She said, and Harry could tell she was going to start into another lengthy conversation if he didn't stop her soon.
"Yeah, but I have to get going." He said, taking a step back. "It was really nice meeting you. Thank you for-"
"Don't think I'm going to let you out of here without putting something in your stomach." She cut him off quickly, getting to her feet.
"No really, it's OK." Harry said desperately. "I'm not hungry."
"You look half starved!" Mrs. Lawson shook her head as she gazed down at him. "No, I'm not letting you out of here before you eat something. You've already missed breakfast, but I'll have lunch on the table in a half an hour. You can go right after you eat."
"But I-"
"No buts, Ron. My guests don't go hungry." She told him firmly, but smiling all the while. "Why don't you go watch some television to pass the time. That old set could stand to be used once and awhile. Go on then, I have to get lunch ready."
Harry sighed as he was ushered out of the room. He liked Mrs. Lawson, he really did, but he had a feeling that if he didn't get out of there soon she'd never let him go. He made his way slowly into the living room anyway, finding the sun lit room completely deserted. He didn't really care for watching TV anymore, but there really wasn't much else to do. Might as well humor her a bit.
Sinking comfortably into an overly large arm chair, Harry turned on the television and began flipping through the channels carelessly. Nothing was really grabbing his attention, so he settled for a popular soap opera that Aunt Petunia liked to watch. He'd often caught glimpses of it while cleaning up the house, and though he wasn't exactly a fan he at least knew a bit of what was going on.
The storyline was just picking up when the show was cut off abruptly by what called itself a "Very important news brief." Harry almost laughed for a moment as the it came onto the screen. He could all most hear his aunt screaming at the television, frustrated that her show had been interrupted. It certainly wouldn't be the first time.
But, as usual, Harry's happiness was short lived, for the grin on his face disappeared immediately at the mention of his godfathers name.
"...convicted murder Sirius Black has been at large nearly two years now, but police, it seems, are finally closing in on him. There is evidence that a boy named Harry Potter, Black's teenage godson, has been in contact with the man and may well know of his whereabouts. Unfortunately Potter's gone missing as well. Whether Black has kidnapped the boy, or he went of his own free will has yet to be determined, as his relatives were said to be very disoriented when police came to question them. Potter was last scene wearing a large, faded red tee shirt and a pair of baggy jeans. He stands about five foot four, has black hair, green eye's and a thin scar on his forehead that resembles a bolt of lightening. If anyone has any information on where the boy might be, or if he's OK, please contact police immediately. Here's a recent picture of Harry, and one of Black as well for those of you who..."
Harry's stomach constricted painfully and he jumped out of the chair as he listened to the report, oddly transfixed by each terrible word. Each terrible, horrible, incriminating word. And then, just as suddenly as they began, the sentence trailed off and the words were replaced by something far worse. His eye's went wide with horror as his own face filled the screen. This was it, he told himself sardonically. This was the end...
He couldn't believe what he was hearing, believe what he was seeing. Was that really him they were talking about? But this was the muggle news, why would they put him on the muggle news? Was Fudge really that desperate to get information on Sirius? Harry shuddered to think about the publicity this would all be getting in the wizarding world.
In any case, he had to get out of there. He had to get out of there now! If anyone recognized him...He'd be done for. Sirius would be done for. They'd force him to tell them everything, and then even Professor Lupin and Dumbledore would find themselves in a bind. This couldn't be happening, it simply wasn't fair! All he'd wanted was to get away from the Dursleys, how could he have let things get so out of hand like this? If only he hadn't sent Sirius that damned owl! He had to get out of there.
"Watching something good there?" An unfamiliar voice came from behind him, and Harry froze, barely able to thumb the power button on the remote. "You hear me kid?" The voice came again when he didn't speak or turn around.
"No." Was all he could get out at first, turning around slowly to face a short middle-aged man with balding brown hair. "Nothing special."
"Mind if I watch a bit?" The man asked, taking a step closer and leaning against the chair Harry'd just been occupying. "My name's Ralph, by the way. You must be that Ron kid Russell was mumbling about."
Harry nodded. "Yeah." He said, sounding more than a bit to nervous. "That's me."
"Nice to meet you." Ralph said, extending his hand. Harry shook it cautiously. "But if your not watching anything, would you mind? There's a show I like to watch coming on in a few minutes."
"Oh. Yeah. Here." Was all that the boy said, slowly handing Ralph the remote and crossing his fingers behind his back as the man turned on the television. Harry gave a great sigh of relief when it turned on and he was greeted by the credits to the soap opera he'd been watching. The news bulletin was over, he still had some hope. "Well, good-bye."
"See ya, kid." Ralph replied, not looking up.
Harry gave a very forced smile as he turned and ran out of the room. He was up the stairs and back in his room faster then he thought possible, making a mad grab for his sack of gold. He had to get out of there. He had to get out of there now.
But when he reached the stairs again, he stopped dead in his tracks at the foreboding sound of Russell's voice at the bottom of the steps. Harry stepped back into the shadows of the hallway to avoid being seen.
"I told you, mum. I TOLD you!" Russell exclaimed, staring down at a very confused looking Mrs. Lawson. "That kid's been lying from the moment he stepped in that door. He's in cahoots with that escaped murder Sirius Black. We're lucky to still be alive!"
"Russell, I know you don't like the boy much, but that's quite an accusation." Mrs. Lawson replied incredulously. "Ron just doesn't strike me as the type-"
"His name's Harry, mum, I've already told you." Her son cut her off, sounding quite frustrated. "Harry Potter."
"All right, Harry then. He still doesn't seem like he's-"
"Oh, I can't take this anymore!" Russell cut her off again. "You'd defend that boy if he tried to murder you right now. Well, I'm not gonna let that happen, I've already called the police. They'll be here any minute."
Harry's breath caught abruptly in his throat, his heart beating wildly. "No." He whispered to himself, shaking his head slowly in disbelief. He'd been caught and Russell had called the police. They'd be here any minute. And with them would come Fudge, and then Harry would be forced to tell them everything. EVERYTHING! This couldn't be happening. Not when he was this close. Not when his godfather's life was on the line!
He'd never be able to live with himself if Sirius was caught, and especially under such circumstances. If Sirius was caught it would be all his fault. If he'd only been rational the other day, if only he hadn't sent that owl. But he had been reckless, and he'd practically signed his godfather's death sentence. How could he have been so stupid?!
But did all that really matter now? Did anything other than getting away? He had to stop being so damn pessimistic! Maybe he could still get away. Perhaps if he was quiet...
Taking a deep breath, Harry came out of his shadowed sanctuary and crept slowly, quietly down the stairs. He was nearly out when he realized he'd forgotten something very important. 'My wand!' Harry stopped dead in his tracks, he'd left his wand in the still damp pocket of his old jeans. Turning around hurriedly, mentally cursing himself all the way, Harry flew back up the stairs and into his room. His pants were just were he'd left them, hanging up in the bathroom to dry. Reaching in and pulling out the contents of his pocket, Harry tore from the room, back down the stairs and to the door. If he could just get out that door without anyone noticing.
A tiny smile appeared on his face as he reached for the knob, turning it slowly in his firm grip. He was going to be okay. Freedom was just out side that door, all he had to do was open it. Everything was going to be all right.
Or not.
Harry gasped then, emerald eye's wide with a mix of bewilderment and horror. "There he is!" Russell was saying, pointing at him from the end of the porch where he stood flanked by two anxious looking muggle police officers. "That's him, Harry Potter!"
His heart sank. That was it. And any plans he'd had of escaping faded faster than the wan smile on his face...
A/N: OK, another chapter down! Hope everyone liked it!! Thanks again for all the awesome reviews! You guys are great!! Wow, that's a lot of exclamation points... ;)
Starlette: Actually, I don't know anyone named Betty Lawson, lol, the name just seemed to fit her. Thanx for the review!!
SweetPnut731: Hey, I'm glad you like it! And that the last chapter was ok ^_~ Thanx a lot!
Marcela86: Thank you very much! Again, I'm definitely glad to hear that this isn't too cliched! Thanx!!
Katie: OK, you caught me in a plot hole...Your right, Harry does seem to be wandering around aimlessly. He is going to Remus', but I guess I never actually mentioned that. Oops! Err...anyway though, Thanx for the review! And, yeah there'll be a lot of Sirius in the later chapters ^_^
kateydidnt: Thank you!
Lilas: Thanx! Don't you love it when that happens? :) I'm glad you like my Harry so much. I can't stand it when people make Harry out to be such a pushover, he's a lot stronger than that! Even when he's all depressed about tuff he bounces back from it relatively fast. I thinks it's just cause the 4th book ended so angstily (yeah that's not really a word...^_~;;). But anyway, yes Sirius will play a big role in the coming chapters. Dumbledore'll be there too, but his part wont be so be. And as for Hexing Fudge...^_^
Lady Game: Yes! Criticism! Wow, yeah, my grammar/spelling sucks! I am working on it though. After reading your review I actually started reading PoA again (It's been a little while since I've read it myself) and the beginning of that really is kinda like this. Or rather this is kinda like it...Anyway, than you for your honesty! I really do appreciate it!!
Dark Blood AKA hermionegranger: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Ms. Issues: Thanx for the review!
A.Dee: Harry isn't think half the time in this fic, that's his problem :) Thanx!
lee: lol, thanx :)
Vanessa: Thank you!!
Aeryn Alexander: I'm glad you like it! Thank you for reviewing!!
Camel Socks: Yay! Another return reader! Glade you still like this! It's not more reviews that I need to keep this thing going though, it's an end to my everlasting writers block, lol. Arigato ^_^
wonder: Wow, I really surprised you? That's great!! *Grins* Thanx for letting me know! It's little facts like that, that really get me excited about writing this! I really appreciate your review!!
A/N: Wow, I got a lot of reviews for that last one...Thanx people! I really appreciate it! Well, anyway, here's chapter five. Sorry for the delay! Please r/r.
***
The Edge of Forever
Chapter Five: Falling Apart Again
***
~Have you ever felt like your secrets give you away~
Harry came awake with a yawn, brining his hands up to rub his eye's only to find them connecting roughly with hard plastic. He sighed. Falling asleep with his glasses on was not something he liked doing, but he'd been so exhausted last night. Harry blinked several times, taking in the room around him. It took him a minute to realize where he was and why, but when he did he glanced at the clock beside him and nearly toppled out of bed.
"Twelve thirty!?" He exclaimed, throwing the covers back and his feet over the bed all in one collective motion. He'd wanted to be gone by now. He still had a ways to go and really didn't want to have to fly through the night again. Biting back a bitter sigh, Harry slumped out of bed a drew Russell's clothes (A pair of too-long jeans and a large gray tee shirt) on slowly, his annoyance at getting up so late that morning making the boy sluggish rather than rushed.
Harry watched his dragging feet as he headed out of his room and down the large staircase. The sooner he was out of there the better, but he didn't want to leave without at least saying good-bye to Mrs. Lawson. Judging by her performance last night she was going to be very sorry to see him leave, and Harry didn't want to be rude about the whole thing after she'd been so nice. He was just outside the kitchen door when he heard Russell's voice coming from the room. He didn't seem any less 'grumpy' then he did the night before and Harry suddenly didn't want to enter the room at all.
"You didn't even make him pay?" Russell's astonished voice picked up some volume as he asked the question. "Mum, you don't know anything about this kid! He probably a thief. And I think he's in some sort of a gang or something. Did you see that bruise on his face? Probably hiding out from the lot!"
"Russell, will you calm down for a moment?" Mrs. Lawson exclaimed exasperated. "Ron happens to be a very nice boy. He's quite polite and humble, you could learn a thing or two from him."
"Yeah, like how to rob us blind!"
"He would never do a thing like that." Mrs. Lawson insisted.
Russell gave sigh which sounded more like an ironic laugh. "How do you know that?" He asked, his voice much calmer now. Harry thought that he all most sounded kind of concerned. "God, mum, you always do things like this, you're too damn trusting."
"You could learn to be a little more trusting, Russell." She told her son softly, so that Harry almost couldn't hear.
"One of these days you're gonna be wrong, you know?" He said, ignoring his mother's sincere statement. "One of these days you're gonna get hurt. I swear, if that kid isn't who he says he is...if he does something to hurt you..."
The conversation broke off then and Harry blanched as he realized Russell was walking towards the kitchen door. Nearly tripping over his dragging pants Harry turned and ran to the other end of the hall and up a few stairs, turning around just as the door he'd been standing at burst open. Russell stalked out of it, wearing a rather blatant scowl and shaking his head. When he saw Harry on the stairs he stopped and glared up at him.
"Nice of you to grace us with your presence." The man said coldly, cool blue eye's boring into the boy.
"I...er...slept a bit longer than I meant to." Harry said uncomfortably. He felt more than a bit awkward under Russell's hard stare.
"Obviously." Russell grumbled, scoffing slightly as he passed Harry on the stairs, arms crossed stiffly over his broad chest.
Harry watched cautiously as he disappeared upstairs before making his way to the kitchen door for the second time that morning. When he pushed it open he saw Mrs. Lawson sitting at a small table, resting her head in her hands. There was a thoughtful look upon her face, she was obviously going over her son's unpleasant words in her head.
"Mrs. Lawson?" Harry said carefully, feeling a bit guilty the argument she'd just had with her son.
"Oh, good morning, Ron." She said when she stirred, glancing up at him and giving him an obviously sincere smile despite her troubling thoughts. "Did you sleep all right, dear?"
Harry nodded, returning her smile with a tiny one of his own. "Yeah, I was fine." He told her. "Thank you for having me, but I really do need to be going now."
"So soon?" The disappointed tone her voice had taken on last night came back with a vengeance, and Harry's brief smile quickly vanished. "I thought you'd at least stay the rest of the day."
"I'm sorry." He said, looking away to avoid her stare.
"Don't apologize, hun, you haven't done anything wrong." She said in a strange tone of voice, that held an interesting mixture of sternness and kindness. "Where are you off to, anyway, if you don't mind my asking?"
"I...err..." Harry bit down on his lower lip, brows furrowing in confusion. As a matter of fact he did mind her asking, but he couldn't tell her that! "I'm visiting my godfather." He said honestly, glad that truth didn't really sound that suspicious.
"Really? Well, that's nice." She said, and Harry could tell she was going to start into another lengthy conversation if he didn't stop her soon.
"Yeah, but I have to get going." He said, taking a step back. "It was really nice meeting you. Thank you for-"
"Don't think I'm going to let you out of here without putting something in your stomach." She cut him off quickly, getting to her feet.
"No really, it's OK." Harry said desperately. "I'm not hungry."
"You look half starved!" Mrs. Lawson shook her head as she gazed down at him. "No, I'm not letting you out of here before you eat something. You've already missed breakfast, but I'll have lunch on the table in a half an hour. You can go right after you eat."
"But I-"
"No buts, Ron. My guests don't go hungry." She told him firmly, but smiling all the while. "Why don't you go watch some television to pass the time. That old set could stand to be used once and awhile. Go on then, I have to get lunch ready."
Harry sighed as he was ushered out of the room. He liked Mrs. Lawson, he really did, but he had a feeling that if he didn't get out of there soon she'd never let him go. He made his way slowly into the living room anyway, finding the sun lit room completely deserted. He didn't really care for watching TV anymore, but there really wasn't much else to do. Might as well humor her a bit.
Sinking comfortably into an overly large arm chair, Harry turned on the television and began flipping through the channels carelessly. Nothing was really grabbing his attention, so he settled for a popular soap opera that Aunt Petunia liked to watch. He'd often caught glimpses of it while cleaning up the house, and though he wasn't exactly a fan he at least knew a bit of what was going on.
The storyline was just picking up when the show was cut off abruptly by what called itself a "Very important news brief." Harry almost laughed for a moment as the it came onto the screen. He could all most hear his aunt screaming at the television, frustrated that her show had been interrupted. It certainly wouldn't be the first time.
But, as usual, Harry's happiness was short lived, for the grin on his face disappeared immediately at the mention of his godfathers name.
"...convicted murder Sirius Black has been at large nearly two years now, but police, it seems, are finally closing in on him. There is evidence that a boy named Harry Potter, Black's teenage godson, has been in contact with the man and may well know of his whereabouts. Unfortunately Potter's gone missing as well. Whether Black has kidnapped the boy, or he went of his own free will has yet to be determined, as his relatives were said to be very disoriented when police came to question them. Potter was last scene wearing a large, faded red tee shirt and a pair of baggy jeans. He stands about five foot four, has black hair, green eye's and a thin scar on his forehead that resembles a bolt of lightening. If anyone has any information on where the boy might be, or if he's OK, please contact police immediately. Here's a recent picture of Harry, and one of Black as well for those of you who..."
Harry's stomach constricted painfully and he jumped out of the chair as he listened to the report, oddly transfixed by each terrible word. Each terrible, horrible, incriminating word. And then, just as suddenly as they began, the sentence trailed off and the words were replaced by something far worse. His eye's went wide with horror as his own face filled the screen. This was it, he told himself sardonically. This was the end...
He couldn't believe what he was hearing, believe what he was seeing. Was that really him they were talking about? But this was the muggle news, why would they put him on the muggle news? Was Fudge really that desperate to get information on Sirius? Harry shuddered to think about the publicity this would all be getting in the wizarding world.
In any case, he had to get out of there. He had to get out of there now! If anyone recognized him...He'd be done for. Sirius would be done for. They'd force him to tell them everything, and then even Professor Lupin and Dumbledore would find themselves in a bind. This couldn't be happening, it simply wasn't fair! All he'd wanted was to get away from the Dursleys, how could he have let things get so out of hand like this? If only he hadn't sent Sirius that damned owl! He had to get out of there.
"Watching something good there?" An unfamiliar voice came from behind him, and Harry froze, barely able to thumb the power button on the remote. "You hear me kid?" The voice came again when he didn't speak or turn around.
"No." Was all he could get out at first, turning around slowly to face a short middle-aged man with balding brown hair. "Nothing special."
"Mind if I watch a bit?" The man asked, taking a step closer and leaning against the chair Harry'd just been occupying. "My name's Ralph, by the way. You must be that Ron kid Russell was mumbling about."
Harry nodded. "Yeah." He said, sounding more than a bit to nervous. "That's me."
"Nice to meet you." Ralph said, extending his hand. Harry shook it cautiously. "But if your not watching anything, would you mind? There's a show I like to watch coming on in a few minutes."
"Oh. Yeah. Here." Was all that the boy said, slowly handing Ralph the remote and crossing his fingers behind his back as the man turned on the television. Harry gave a great sigh of relief when it turned on and he was greeted by the credits to the soap opera he'd been watching. The news bulletin was over, he still had some hope. "Well, good-bye."
"See ya, kid." Ralph replied, not looking up.
Harry gave a very forced smile as he turned and ran out of the room. He was up the stairs and back in his room faster then he thought possible, making a mad grab for his sack of gold. He had to get out of there. He had to get out of there now.
But when he reached the stairs again, he stopped dead in his tracks at the foreboding sound of Russell's voice at the bottom of the steps. Harry stepped back into the shadows of the hallway to avoid being seen.
"I told you, mum. I TOLD you!" Russell exclaimed, staring down at a very confused looking Mrs. Lawson. "That kid's been lying from the moment he stepped in that door. He's in cahoots with that escaped murder Sirius Black. We're lucky to still be alive!"
"Russell, I know you don't like the boy much, but that's quite an accusation." Mrs. Lawson replied incredulously. "Ron just doesn't strike me as the type-"
"His name's Harry, mum, I've already told you." Her son cut her off, sounding quite frustrated. "Harry Potter."
"All right, Harry then. He still doesn't seem like he's-"
"Oh, I can't take this anymore!" Russell cut her off again. "You'd defend that boy if he tried to murder you right now. Well, I'm not gonna let that happen, I've already called the police. They'll be here any minute."
Harry's breath caught abruptly in his throat, his heart beating wildly. "No." He whispered to himself, shaking his head slowly in disbelief. He'd been caught and Russell had called the police. They'd be here any minute. And with them would come Fudge, and then Harry would be forced to tell them everything. EVERYTHING! This couldn't be happening. Not when he was this close. Not when his godfather's life was on the line!
He'd never be able to live with himself if Sirius was caught, and especially under such circumstances. If Sirius was caught it would be all his fault. If he'd only been rational the other day, if only he hadn't sent that owl. But he had been reckless, and he'd practically signed his godfather's death sentence. How could he have been so stupid?!
But did all that really matter now? Did anything other than getting away? He had to stop being so damn pessimistic! Maybe he could still get away. Perhaps if he was quiet...
Taking a deep breath, Harry came out of his shadowed sanctuary and crept slowly, quietly down the stairs. He was nearly out when he realized he'd forgotten something very important. 'My wand!' Harry stopped dead in his tracks, he'd left his wand in the still damp pocket of his old jeans. Turning around hurriedly, mentally cursing himself all the way, Harry flew back up the stairs and into his room. His pants were just were he'd left them, hanging up in the bathroom to dry. Reaching in and pulling out the contents of his pocket, Harry tore from the room, back down the stairs and to the door. If he could just get out that door without anyone noticing.
A tiny smile appeared on his face as he reached for the knob, turning it slowly in his firm grip. He was going to be okay. Freedom was just out side that door, all he had to do was open it. Everything was going to be all right.
Or not.
Harry gasped then, emerald eye's wide with a mix of bewilderment and horror. "There he is!" Russell was saying, pointing at him from the end of the porch where he stood flanked by two anxious looking muggle police officers. "That's him, Harry Potter!"
His heart sank. That was it. And any plans he'd had of escaping faded faster than the wan smile on his face...
A/N: OK, another chapter down! Hope everyone liked it!! Thanks again for all the awesome reviews! You guys are great!! Wow, that's a lot of exclamation points... ;)
Starlette: Actually, I don't know anyone named Betty Lawson, lol, the name just seemed to fit her. Thanx for the review!!
SweetPnut731: Hey, I'm glad you like it! And that the last chapter was ok ^_~ Thanx a lot!
Marcela86: Thank you very much! Again, I'm definitely glad to hear that this isn't too cliched! Thanx!!
Katie: OK, you caught me in a plot hole...Your right, Harry does seem to be wandering around aimlessly. He is going to Remus', but I guess I never actually mentioned that. Oops! Err...anyway though, Thanx for the review! And, yeah there'll be a lot of Sirius in the later chapters ^_^
kateydidnt: Thank you!
Lilas: Thanx! Don't you love it when that happens? :) I'm glad you like my Harry so much. I can't stand it when people make Harry out to be such a pushover, he's a lot stronger than that! Even when he's all depressed about tuff he bounces back from it relatively fast. I thinks it's just cause the 4th book ended so angstily (yeah that's not really a word...^_~;;). But anyway, yes Sirius will play a big role in the coming chapters. Dumbledore'll be there too, but his part wont be so be. And as for Hexing Fudge...^_^
Lady Game: Yes! Criticism! Wow, yeah, my grammar/spelling sucks! I am working on it though. After reading your review I actually started reading PoA again (It's been a little while since I've read it myself) and the beginning of that really is kinda like this. Or rather this is kinda like it...Anyway, than you for your honesty! I really do appreciate it!!
Dark Blood AKA hermionegranger: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Ms. Issues: Thanx for the review!
A.Dee: Harry isn't think half the time in this fic, that's his problem :) Thanx!
lee: lol, thanx :)
Vanessa: Thank you!!
Aeryn Alexander: I'm glad you like it! Thank you for reviewing!!
Camel Socks: Yay! Another return reader! Glade you still like this! It's not more reviews that I need to keep this thing going though, it's an end to my everlasting writers block, lol. Arigato ^_^
wonder: Wow, I really surprised you? That's great!! *Grins* Thanx for letting me know! It's little facts like that, that really get me excited about writing this! I really appreciate your review!!