Chapter 13
• The Sorting •
Harry walked into Dumbledore's office, unsure as to the reason that he had been summoned. Did it have to do with Virginia, or the spell? He hadn't done anything wrong lately, nothing that would get him sent to Dumbledore's office. As he ascended the stairs leading to Dumbledore's office he bit his lip, based on everything else that had happened today this wasn't going to be good. He had to deal with Snape in the halls while class was in session (he'd had to run back for a book he forgot) then after losing dozens of points for various reasons he had been taken out of the only class he was enjoying today, Charms.
Harry knocked softly. "Professor Dumbledore? You wanted to speak to me?"
No sound came from the office at all and Harry wondered if Dumbledore had heard him. Slowly he opened up the door and slipped into the room, Dumbledore wasn't there. Why had he been summoned here if no one was here anyway? Perhaps he should wait, but then again, if another teacher caught him up here alone it wouldn't be good. Curiosity got the better of him, Dumbledore had called him, and maybe he was just running behind.
A gentle hum, which sounded like an echo of a beautiful, far off sound, caught Harry's attention. Harry turned, seeing the bird again; this time sure it was a phoenix. Its plumage glowed a fiery red and it seemed majestic, not like when he had been in the office before. "You're the first phoenix I've ever seen. You're beautiful did you know that? Would you mind terribly if I touched you?"
Harry slowly reached out, wanting to show that he had no ill intensions. "I read about you last week, in a book one of the older students left laying about in the common room. I know you're cautious, but I don't mean you any harm, I just want to pet you." Harry hoped that the phoenix would let him touch it. He'd read a lot in the book, trying to get his mind off other things, Virginia mostly. The phoenix was powerful and if it could be befriended a dedicated friend. It could also easily slip away from anyone, having the ability to relocate itself should it sense danger or for any reason it felt fit.
A weak sensation passed through his head, as if he his heart was pounding in his head. It passed and then, as Harry took another step closer came again. I sudden feeling of trepidation filled him and he pulled back his hand, away from the phoenix. He took a moment and tried to focus, tried to clear his thoughts but it came again, stronger, with pain this time. Glancing up, Harry watched as the phoenix disappeared before his eyes and then he closed them and sunk to his knees.
"It hurts." He mumbled as if someone where standing in front of him. "Stop it, please."
A voice came, a response, from somewhere else. It echoed through the room and sounded tranquil, as if lulling Harry asleep. "It's life, this pain. It's regretful you have to feel it, really, but it's something we all must feel and it will help you understand."
"Understand what?" Harry could barely sense anything else around him accept for the pain and the voice.
A hollow laugh followed his question, it sounded queer, almost like the pain should be enjoyable. "Life is painful, there is nothing else."
Harry shook his head, the voice was wrong. "Life isn't painful, it's hard sometimes but it's not like this."
"Oh, but it is. You see, I was the recipient of it, the pain, until I fought back and pushed it onto others." The voice was loosing its lull and becoming potent. "Can you feel it, the pain others bring upon you?"
Another voice, from off in the distance resounded in his head and cut away the pain and the voice. Harry found himself on his knees, on the floor, his eyes closed tightly and his hands clutching his forehead where his scar lay. "Harry?"
"What?" Harry opened his eyes; disorientated and wincing from the pain his scar was giving off. It took him a minute, but he remembered he was in Dumbledore's office waiting for something.
"Harry, are you alright?" The voice came again, this time easily recognizable and sounding like a melody compared to the voice that had filled his head.
"Virginia... er... Ginny. Yeah, my scar was hurting and there was this voice..."
"I know." Harry finally looked up at her, standing just inside the doorway, her hand covering her forehead as well. "I'm sorry."
Harry, confused and unaware of exactly what had and was happening, didn't know what to say. Virginia took a step forward and started to collapse. Harry, reacting before thinking leapt to his feet and tried to stop her fall but found his disorientation was too much and he also lost his balance, crashing onto the floor next to Virginia.
There was a long moment that nothing happened, the disorientation and the scar pain lulled, Harry could hear Virginia next to him, her breathing becoming deeper as if the same thing was happening to her.
"Ginny, Harry, are you two alright?" Four voices, all familiar, called out and then several hands helped both to their feet.
What had been an empty room now was filled with several people, all the others having particularly bright red hair. Harry sat quietly; letting his mind adjust while the four Weasley's looked between them. Virginia spoke up. "We just were a bit light-headed, we're fine now."
Harry trusted her to make the best excuses for her brothers to accept. A question popped into his mind and he blurted it out without thinking, which was highly unusual. "Why are you all here?"
Ron answered a bit more pointedly than usual. "You wouldn't expect us to miss something like this would you? The first underage student at Hogwarts in three centuries and it's our sister. We're here to see Ginny be sorted. I suppose that you're here for the same reason?"
Perhaps that was why he had been summoned, but if this was the case, why hadn't he been told? He hadn't heard anything further of her sorting from Dumbledore, but maybe there was reason for that. Harry glanced around the room again, trying to determine what their feelings were about him being there. Ron seemed irritated, the twins showed no emotion and Percy eyed him warily; he didn't like Harry at all it seemed.
Harry glanced back towards the corner where Dumbledore seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Harry eyed the wall, trying to determine if there was a secret passage leading into the room, but was unable to see anything. "Hello Professor."
The rest of the group turned to him; surprised he had entered the room without their noticing.
"I see that everyone has made it, let's continue with her sorting without delay, I have much to do today." He moved over to the shelf were the sorting hat sat, looking out of place even in his office, like a piece of trash that was there only for sentimental value.
As Dumbledore grasped the hat it awoke and the crack above the rim opened up. "Yes, Yes, it's not been a year has it? I'm loosing track of time as I age."
Dumbledore chuckled. "No, you've not lost a year of time, we have a new student coming in and she needs to be sorted."
"A new student after school starts, I don't recall that happening for years and years and year... Not since Regallis the Reaper was around."
"Well, she's a special student, I don't think I need to tell you to judge her carefully. You'll find out her secrets soon enough." Dumbledore smiled and gestured for Virginia to take a seat.
As she sat on the stool Dumbledore sat the oversized hat on her head, it fell over her head and rested on her shoulders. The hats mouth opened again. "She's young, you're sure you want me to sort... Ah..."
The rip closed again and Harry could hear muffled sounds coming from beneath the hat, perhaps the hat speaking with Virginia. For a long time no other sounds came from the room accept for the breathing of the others. Harry had an odd sensation and shook his head,
"And what's this?" Harry blinked and looked at the hat, it hadn't opened its mouth, was he dreaming the voice? No, it came again. "Harry Potter? Now this, this is interesting there are many things that you've kept hidden. It seams you've both been a little mischievous haven't we? Now let's see about that hidden little traits. You've definitely got Weasley blood, but there is more, your path isn't so easy to discern as it once may have been. You've got a thirst too prove yourself worthy to... oh that's interesting... You've a good head and loyalty, but that's been given hasn't it? Well even with your other traits I see that your courage stands out above all the others. It seams that you've got a future if you're careful. I trust that... wait a second..."
The voice was gone and Harry shook his head, what had just happened? He couldn't have just heard the hat speaking to Virginia, that wasn't possible. "GRYFFINDOR!" the hat yelled out, bringing Harry back to what was happening. He had heard it, the hat speaking to Virginia, but how?
Dumbledore smiled brightly and lifted the hat from Virginia's shoulders, placing back in its former resting place. "You've a great deal to live up to, are you ready for it?"
Virginia was staring at Harry, trying to decide something. "Yes, I'm ready." She blinked and her gaze shifted to her brothers who were hooting rowdily, all but Percy. Harry meant to clap or cheer, even congratulate her but nothing came, he stared blankly at her unsure of what to think. Something slipped onto his shoulders and Harry looked to see whose hand was there but found instead of a hand the golden phoenix was perched there.
"Now's a fine time to let me touch you, what caused you to leave earlier?" He whispered gently as he stroked the soft feathers of the bird.
The room quieted and Harry saw that Dumbledore was escorting the other boys out of the room while they spoke excitedly between themselves, something about a party. Dumbledore turned, winked and then followed them down the stairs.
"Harry–" Virginia hesitated for a second. "When you called me Ginny... why did you do it?"
Harry looked at her, surprised that she would bring that of all things up. "Isn't that what you've always wanted me to call you, what you want everyone to call you?"
"Yes... but."
"But what?"
"But you never called me that before. I don't want you to call me Ginny, I like it when you call me Virginia, and it makes me feel special. No one else calls me Virginia, I want you to call me Virginia because you're my exception." Virginia blushed. "So don't call me Ginny alright? When you do it makes me feel like you don't like me anymore, like we're not friends."
"But I am your friend aren't I?"
"I thought we were, but you hate me now because I won't tell you about the spell."
"Virginia, just because we have an argument doesn't mean we are not friends anymore. I know that I was mad that you wouldn't tell me, but someone helped me understand that I may have done the same thing if it was that important to me. Virginia, we will always be friends, wasn't that what the spell was for, to make us friends forever?"
You really mean it, it's water under the bridge?" Harry nodded and Virginia pounced on him, the phoenix squawked and Harry felt it leave his shoulders while at the same time he was tackled by Virginia. "It's all alright then, it will all be alright."
Harry knew from the feeling of her voice and the look she gave him, the twitch in her smile, that within the words she had said lay something else, within those words held a key to the secret she kept. "That's what it's supposed to do right, make us friends forever?"
Virginia sat up on him and nodded, tears of happiness falling on Harry. "Yes, that's what it's supposed to do. We did promise each other we would be friends didn't we?" She hesitated for a moment. "Harry I wa... I lo..." she hesitated again, as if trying to make something out that didn't want to come. "I had thought, even after everything I did, we did, to stay friends, that maybe it hadn't worked."
The look that came next surprised Harry, he didn't recognize it, and he didn't understand what it meant. It was as though she saw something she wanted and could have but refused to reach out and take it as her own.
"Let's go. I think Fred and George are going to throw me a party and introduce me to all the Gryffindors."
Harry nodded and followed her out the door, glancing back to see the phoenix resting again on his perch.
•
Why did it have to be Snape's class? Everything last night had gone all right and she had gotten all of her things but away in her new room. She had left the little celebration that was for her and wandered of with Harry onto the grounds. Everything had been perfect, just like before, Now, now she was going to have to face Snape for her first teacher.
"You know, I don't think he's going to like you."
Virginia looked up from across the hallway where she sat. "I haven't done anything wrong."
Harry smiled. "You're an exception to the rules because you're an underage student, you are a Gryffindor and to top it all we're friends."
"And he'll hate me just for that?" Virginia looked surprised, as if no one were like that.
Harry nodded. "He'll find more, that's just to start with."
"Fred and George always used to complain about him to mum but I never thought that what they said had an ounce of truth."
Harry couldn't picture Fred and George complaining, they were the sorts that pulled pranks for revenge and didn't say a word otherwise. The hallway lapsed into silence again and Harry closed his eyes, he wanted to get some more sleep but would most likely get points taken away for sleeping in front of Snape's door when it was opened.
A soft clicking on the stone made Harry open his eyes again to see Malfoy approaching, surprisingly missing his two bodyguards. Harry got up and moved across the hallway, sitting at Virginia's side in case Malfoy decided to do something stupid.
"Well who've we here? Another Potter fanatic?" Ha stopped for a minute and stared at Virginia. "Who's this Potter, I don't recognize her from the sorting or any of my classes." Virginia was wearing school robes, Hermione had offered her a set until she was able to get her own so Malfoy could tell she was a student.
A hand extended out and Virginia looked up. "Ginny Weasley, I'm new here."
"Another Weasley? My Potter, you do seam to attract that sort of crowd. Why is she coming here, her parent's not able to afford to keep her around the house?"
Harry looked over at Virginia awaiting a response; he had noticed that she and Ron were very much alike; they both had tempers that were easily inflamed. She however surprised Harry and didn't say anything; she didn't even acknowledge his presence at all.
"I see that Hogwarts really isn't much of a school, its standards are lowering everyday. You know, if I were your father I might have tried to get rid of you too. Potter, I don't think that you should associate yourself with Mudbloods and muggle-lovers, they leave a lasting smell."
Malfoy took a step closer to Virginia and Harry was on his feet, ready to stop him should he try anything. Malfoy wavered from whatever it was he had been going to do. "She doesn't even have a wand I bet."
"She does have one Malfoy." Harry could hear Virginia take an uneven breath, she was listening, and wasn't aware that she had one Harry hadn't told her yet. He had two extra wands now, the one from his father and the one from his mother, Sirius was using Murdock's wand. He had kept them packed away in his trunk should he ever need an extra wand for anything.
"Well, that doesn't make her anymore a witch than giving a wand to a muggle. I bet she's just here because Dumbledore feels sorry for her." Harry ignored Malfoy, and slipped back down to besides Virginia. Malfoy took this as an insult and continued with his insults, first about Virginia's parents, then her older brothers, when he came to their lack of money Harry thought for sure she would respond, it was one of Ron's easiest points to target, but alas, nothing. Malfoy finally came to insulting Harry. "You know Harry's not much of a wizard, no one that allies themselves with Mudbloods and muggle-lovers could have much power at all. You should..."
At this point Virginia leaned forward and stood, surprising both Harry and Malfoy. She didn't say anything but stared right at Malfoy, eye to eye. Harry blinked and as his eyes came open again his eyes caught her hand moving towards Malfoy. Smack. The sound echoed through the hallways seemingly getting louder as it continued down the halls.
Harry coughed and almost laughed out loud. Virginia just slid back down to her seat on Harry's books. Malfoy stood there like an oaf, in complete disbelief of what had happened. "You... you..." he stuttered.
"She hit you Malfoy, and I'd say it looks as though it hurt." Malfoy's cheeks finally started regaining what color they had and it slowly became redder, eventually even turning purple, almost a plum color. "It sure looks as though it will leave a mark for a while."
Malfoy reached up and touched his cheek ever so softly. "NO ONE hits a..." his hand swung away from his face, down towards Virginia. "Malfoy."
Harry was aware of what Malfoy was doing and reached out quickly, catching his wrist before he came close to striking her. "Don't." Harry spoke quietly, trying not to call down anyone else upon him.
Malfoy's eyes lit up and his other cheek grew almost red enough to match the first.
"Do I perceive a problem?"
Harry halted, fully aware of what it looked like, he holding Malfoy's wrist and Malfoy with a mark across his face. Dropping Malfoy's hand he looked up at Snape who was sneering, as if knowing that he would soon be able to deduct further points from Gryffindor. His eyes moved away from were their hands had been up to Malfoy's face, they stopped and his sneer turned to surprise as he observed the slap mark. His eyes traveled slowly down to Harry next, determining what role he played, then finally to Virginia where they stopped.
Slowly the corners of Snape's mouth turned up forming into a half-choked smile, not malicious at all. Harry was surprised, it seemed he thought what Virginia did was funny, it wasn't the sort of smile that got points taken away, in truth even if he didn't know Snape for terribly long he couldn't remember him ever even hinting at a real smile.
"Malfoy, quit playing with these children and come inside we need to speak about the deterioration of your potions work of the last two weeks."
"But Severus she..."
"NEVER call me Severus, you are to refer to me as Professor Snape as all the other students do, it is a form or respect and you will respect me," Snape grabbed a hold of Malfoy's ear and yanked, "do you understand?"
Malfoy nodded unhappily, he wasn't getting anything out of Snape at the moment.
"Now," Snape yanked on Malfoy's ear, dragging him behind him, "let's go inside."
Harry watched them both go into the classroom and went over the details of what had happened in his head. It didn't go right, not that he was complaining, but it didn't go the way it should have. Snape should have taken points for sitting in the hallway, blocking the door, the mark on Malfoy's face, Harry's part in it by grabbing Malfoy's hand, there were more things but it easily meant at least fifteen points off Gryffindor, and nothing, nothing had happened.
"See Harry, he wasn't all that bad."
"No... he..." Harry wasn't sure what to say, that had definitely been Snape but it hadn't been him, he was different.
Virginia stood up and offered Harry her hand. "Let's go to class now."
Go to class? Snape was surely speaking about things that needn't be heard unless you felt you wanted to endanger yourself, he had to be if getting Malfoy in the room had been more important than deducting Gryffindor points. "We can't."
Virginia looked down at him and a sly smile spread across her face. "You're not scared are you?"
She was questioning his honor, his courage. "Of course not, we just..."
With out letting Harry finish she grabbed his hand and pulled him around to the door, then in after her as she entered the room. Harry heard a conversation die away as they entered but couldn't make out anything specific.
Snape leered at the new comers. "Is there anything I can do for you Ms. Weasley?"
"Nope, we just wanted to make sure we got good seats, I have a lot to learn to catch up and I can't miss anything." She said it happily, as if knowing it would anger Snape. Harry groaned and covered his face, waiting for the words to come but nothing happened. He pulled his fingers apart and looked at Snape who nodded towards the seats in the front. "Fine, take your seats and read up on the potions work we are working on this week. If you need help and Potter can't help I'm sure Malfoy could be of service."
That was it; Snape turned back to Malfoy after putting a silence spell around them and spoke to him again. Harry didn't know what was happening, it wasn't like it was supposed to be. He eventually was led by Virginia to a chair were she questioned him about several things that they had been working on that week. Harry offered what answers he could remember, which were most, but Virginia took a moment and figured out the rest herself.
Slowly the room crowded with other students and Snape and Malfoy split apart, Malfoy taking the furthest chair away from Virginia as he could possibly and sat, looking as though he where sulking.
The class itself went quickly and Virginia was very adapt at potions considering it was her first class, she made a few mistakes but nothing that Harry didn't spot and correct. When class was dismissed Harry walked out between a crowd that engulfed him, he couldn't ever remember a single occasion in class were he had at least been chided for doing something wrong, today Snape had left him alone completely.
"It seems we have a new student." Ender was the first teacher to actually make a not to the class about it. All the Gryffindor's knew of course but of all four classes it was the first that actually had any mention at all of her.
"Ms. Weasley would you please stand and tell the class a little about yourself."
Virginia stood up, she was seated at Harry's table and he watched her look around the class for a minute. "My name is Ginny Weasley, I am a new student here and am underage. Professor Dumbledore thought that Hogwarts would help me with some difficulties I'm having and so he let me come to school a year early." She looked over at ender. "That's all you need right professor?"
He smiled. "Yes Ms. Weasley, that's all I need, and please, don't call me professor, call me Ender." Virginia nodded and sat down next to Harry and dipped through the pages of his book, reading on what they were currently working on. Ender started the class as usual and pulled Harry away once everything he needed to say was out of the way.
"Harry, I've spoken to Dumbledore about her and decided that she needs to be taught a few spells, for her own safety, I'd like to know if you know them."
He outlined them, one was a protection spell that Harry knew and the other was a meditation spell, something to help calm the mind. Harry had never heard of it but understood the basics of it relatively quickly. "Ender, why does she need these?"
Ender smiled and shrugged his shoulders, "Don't know. She might, but you'd have to speak to her about them." Ender paused. "You know Harry, I've recently acquired proof that Sirius Black is still alive, I thought you might want to know." Again he paused. "But you knew that didn't you, you were more aware he was alive than anyone else, you were there."
Harry hid any emotion, didn't let any sign show that what the professor was saying could be true. "I don't know what you're talking about professor."
"You do, you were there, I knew someone had to have helped him if he lived. But how, how did you get there? You couldn't have been in class and there at the same time, unless... no, that isn't possible. Harry, you know that we need to bring him in, if he's innocent it will all be cleared up."
"And if he isn't, what then, will they kill him?" Harry asked fiercely, it didn't matter if he was innocent or not he had obviously spent his life trying to make up for anything he did by raising Harry.
Ender looked very seriously at Harry. "Is he innocent Harry?"
"Yes."
"Then that's all I need to know. And he's alive isn't he, you saved him?"
Harry didn't answer that, he didn't want to lie but he wouldn't confirm it either. Finally ender nodded, accepting that he wouldn't get the answer. "Alright, go back to the tables. Virginia is to be in your group, she needs to catch up quickly, that means that he will be coming to the meetings with you, is that understood?"
Harry nodded and went back to the table, trying to get his mind sorted out. If Ender knew he must have found out from Birdie, who would have found out from Remus most likely, but maybe it extended further, it sounded as though he knew it for a fact and Remus' nose wasn't enough for the Aurors to base truths on, no, there were other things, other people that knew too.
Virginia didn't seem to mind the extra work load that was placed upon her by all the teachers, to catch up with the other students. Harry had spent most of his time helping her understand some of the work. Hermione had also joined them and spent a great deal of time helping too. Virginia worked tirelessly, unlike Harry, who was glad to hear when dinner was ready.
Virginia took a few moments to put away her things while Harry and Hermione waited. Everyone else left all hungry because dinner had been detained for over an hour due to a confusion with the food supplies. Blaise, Ron and Neville were all working in Snape's class because Neville and Blaise had been fooling around and caused Ron's potion to explode. Ron had been with Dean who had gotten severely burned.
After Virginia finished they walked down to dinner. "Harry," Virginia asked on the way down, "this wand you gave me in Transfiguration, whose is it?"
Harry hadn't told her, he had simply supplied it to her when McGonagall was having them do some work in class. Virginia had taken it and had no problems at all using it at all.
"It's mine, you don't think I stole it do you?" Harry smirked, it was such fun to tease Virginia.
Virginia heaved a breath, exasperated. "Yes I know it's yours now, but whose wand was it?"
Harry smiled, wondering if he should tease her more, eventually deciding against it. "It was my mothers. When Sirius took me he went back and got their wands, it's what he's used since it happened."
Harry slowed, feeling overwhelmed by the feeling of thinking of his parents, that hadn't happened in years and years. "They would have wanted me to keep them, don't you think?"
Virginia turned and nodded, "of course they would have. Harry, if Sirius used this one then what is he using now?"
"Murdock's. When your brother pulled me out I had it with me. He took it when he left, I have my fathers too, incase."
Hermione, who knew generally what had happened was aware of who Murdock was and what had happened to him, looked at Harry interested in further information. "You know Harry, having more than one wand is against the Wizarding laws, if an Auror found you with multiple wands you might be taken in for trial, it's punishable for up to 3 years in Azkaban.
"Well, you're not going to tell anyone are you?"
"No."
"Then I don't think I have anything to worry about, it's not like I have Auror's regularly going through my trunk." Harry smiled, "anyway, let's eat." Just ahead was the great hall and Harry was suddenly very hungry. Both girls smiled and nodded.
Harry pushed open the door which swung easily, even if it probably weighed more than a Hippogriff. Harry heard someone's voice as they stopped talking and noticed that everyone was staring at them entering. Dumbledore was in front of the school. "As I was saying, I would like you all to meet the new Gryffindor, I know that it is contrary to this school's rules to accept underage students but due to some special circumstances Ginny Weasley has been accepted. Please treat her like any other student, and," his eyes sparkled. "should you find her wandering the halls aimlessly without any sense of where she might be, please give her a hand."
Harry could hear a few students chuckling and he headed towards the Gryffindor table, Virginia hiding as best as possible from the crowd. As Harry sat down he noticed that in the far corner, as inconspicuous as possible was Birdie, smiling directly at Harry and Virginia. Harry smiled and nodded her direction, he wanted to talk to her, maybe she would reveal what the other Aurors knew about Sirius.
Harry sat down, looking at her, he needed to pull her to the side before she could get away. Their food appeared and Virginia started eating, Harry had completely forgot his hunger. "You'll have to excuse me, I have to go do something." Harry stood again, surprising Hermione and the rest of the group who had saved them seats. Virginia however didn't seam at all surprised, she continues eating her food as if nothing were different.
Harry turned away, heading to Birdie. Birdie, seeing him coming discretely exited the side door where Harry followed. When he came outside she was waiting for him. "Yes Harry?"
"You... know about Sirius don't you?" She nodded. Harry closed his eyes, worried about Sirius. "Are they after him again?" Again she nodded.
"Harry, they will always be after him unless he can be proven innocent. You can't do that can you?" Harry looked away, if only he could maybe he could free Sirius and himself maybe everything could be better.
"No. He didn't do it though, you believe me don't you?"
Birdie looked at Harry for a long time before shrugging. "Harry, my job is to bring him in, it doesn't matter if he did it or not."
She didn't believe him, she wouldn't, something was preventing her from even questioning the possibility. "Why don't you believe me Birdie?"
Birdie looked at him for a long time again. "Harry, you know how he escaped, how everyone thought he had died?" Harry did know but she didn't know he did so he said nothing. "He killed someone that was very much like him, and then he let him burn in the fire so that we might think that it was him."
Harry shivered, they had it wrong, so very wrong. "How do you know, how do you know it wasn't him?"
Birdie looked at him surprised, as if she hadn't questioned that the person wasn't him once she had been told that. "They have seen him, and so they checked the remains with some special tests and it wasn't him Harry. It was someone he knew as a child his name was..." Birdie paused, trying to remember.
"Murdock." Birdie looked at him surprised.
"Yes, that's it, how did you know?"
"I was there." Harry admitted, maybe she would believe him then, maybe if she knew the truth.
Birdie looked stunned. "Harry, you couldn't have been there, it was... you were here, sick."
Harry shook his head. "No, I was there. Murdock and Sirius were in the shack when I went in. Murdock told him he was going to take him to Voldemort, that he would receive recognition if he did. I was under an invisibility cloak so he couldn't see me but when he tried to hurt Sirius the wrestled, I stunned him."
Birdie shook her head. "Harry you couldn't have been there, I saw you in the bed while Peter was gone."
"Peter came soon after, with more Death Eaters, apparently they didn't know one of their own was already there. I hid him under my cloak with me, so that the rest of them wouldn't see me. Peter came in he talked for a long time, saying that a special person had been watching the place incase Sirius returned. Sirius asked for him to leave me be but Peter made fun of it, telling him about how bad of condition I was in from taking the Veritaserum. Sirius swore at him and then spit in his face."
Harry stopped for a second, taking a breather. Birdie started to say something again but he wouldn't let her. "Peter was angry and send the rest of the Death Eaters out. Sirius got scared but couldn't do anything because Peter petrified him and left as well, telling him that no one would hear his screams if he couldn't scream. He started a fire on the wall near the door. I knew he wasn't coming back in so I came out and took off the spell but it didn't work so I tried to drag him out. Something hit me and that was the last thing I remember, I woke up in a bed at Hogwarts, a friend saved me."
"No. No. No. You were at Hogwarts the whole time, you weren't there."
Harry tried to think back, something that Peter might have done or said, a gesture something had to give him proof. "The person who was watching the house, I've seen him before, he came after us when we were in London. His name was..." Harry thought back, everything was sketchy. Kurt? Carlen? Catlin. "Catlin, he's a blonde man who is about 30, he was the one that Peter nodded towards when he said someone he trusted was watching the house."
Birdie looked surprised. "You couldn't have known that... He had just been transferred to that station and only six people know he was there at all."
"He's a Death Eater or at least working for them. Birdie, please listen to me. Peter was the one, he replaced Sirius as my parent's secret keeper, he was the one who betrayed them. Why do you think he was so unconcerned for me after he hurt me like he did, giving me that Veritaserum."
"NO!" Birdie turned and was gone, turning into a small bird again, Harry couldn't keep up with her she was far too fast to keep up with.
• Edited 2004.09.18 •