**Before you read**Before you read**Before you read**
This chapter has an interesting ending, but I want you all to promise me right now that you aren't going to give up on this story after you read this chapter. There's still at least one chapter to go! Maybe two or three. Got it! And no flames please!
Wow, this one just flowed right on out of me...I personally love this chapter I had a good time writing it. It's kind of short, but it ended where I wanted it to end. I went home mid-way through the school day today and got a ton written, as well as a couple hours after school before I had to go to work! Now, I didn't expect to get this one out so soon, so it is possible that the next one will be out by Friday, can't guarantee, but maybe. If not it should be up by next Tuesday or Wednesday.
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"Harry, buddy, time to get up!" Sirius called, practically skipping over the floor to his room. The floor was ice cold and Sirius was not wearing socks, so he was trying to touch the floor as little as possible. When he got to the bed he couldn't take the cold on his feet anymore and he leapt onto the mattress. He dropped to his knees next to his sleeping godson.
Putting his mouth close to Harry's ear he whispered, "Harry?" Then he yelled, "Harry!"
Harry sprang awake and nearly fell off the bed for two reasons. The sound of Sirius's scream had scared the life out of him, as well as the fact that Sirius was sitting almost on top of him.
"Sorry bud," he said with a shrug. "You have to get up though!"
Harry nodded and moaned before burying his face back into the pillow.
"I'm serious bud."
"I know you are," Harry mumbled.
Sirius smacked him gently on the back. "I do not appreciate that twist on my name! You know that!"
Harry lifted his head and smirked.
"C'mon Harry, I've got breakfast ready and everything. We have half an hour to eat and get dressed, now lets go!" Sirius said, hopping back off the bed and then jumping from one foot to the other.
"Why you dancing?" Harry mumbled.
"I am not dancing, this floor is like ice. Lets GO so we can go sit on the couch and eat where it's warm," Sirius mumbled through chattering teeth. His skin was turning a slight blue.
"Maybe if you wore clothes you wouldn't be so cold."
"Excuse me but what do you call these?" Sirius asked pulling on the edge of his bright green boxers with kiwi fruit all over it.
Harry rolled his eyes and tried to get out of bed, but the minute he rolled over he flinched in pain.
Sirius immediately forgot his freezing toes and fingers and asked, "What is it are you still in pain? Do you need me to get you something?"
"I'm fine Sirius, it just hurt a little to turn."
"Can you get up okay?"
"I think so," Harry said and he threw his legs over the edge and stood. He was a little wobbly but managed to steady himself. "This floor is cold!"
"Duh, lets go!" Sirius said and ran out of the room. Harry followed, but at a slightly slower pace than Sirius.
When he reached the couch Sirius picked up one of the blankets he had used last night and wrapped it around Harry's back, so that he was completely covered with its warmth, but could still use his hands. He then wrapped one around himself in the same manner. Quickly he ran and got their breakfast from the little kitchen and brought it back to the couch, where the two ate in the utmost warmth and comfort.
When they had both finished, neither immediately got up to do anything. For a while Harry had looked pretty happy, but now he looked worried.
"What's on your mind bud?" Sirius asked concerned by Harry's facial expressions.
Harry shrugged. "Bad feeling, that's all."
"About...?"
"About today. I feel like its not going to go right....like something's going to happen."
Sirius looked really worried now. "Maybe we should stay here then Harry. The last time you had a bad feeling it was because Azkaban had been attacked. I think, somehow, you're like psychic or something. I don't think we, especially you, should go."
Harry shook his head. "No, I have to go. There's no way I would miss this, Hagrid meant too much to me, I couldn't not go to his funeral." Harry continued to shake his head and then looked tearful. "Please let me go, Sirius."
Sirius closed his eyes tight and shook his head, but he knew he had to let Harry go. "We can still go, but you're to be extra careful. The moment anything out of the ordinary happens you get yourself somewhere safe as soon as you can. I'm not letting you out of my sight today, got it?"
Harry nodded, he still looked tearful, though. Sirius wrapped a blanketed arm over Harry's shoulder and rested his chin atop Harry's head. "We'll be okay, bud."
Again, Harry nodded, but he still seemed choked up. Sirius decided it was time to take his mind off that. "Lets get ready."
"Okay," Harry mumbled, "I'll go back to Gryffindor tower."
"No, you don't have to do that. You can shower in here."
"What about you?"
"I'll go scrubby today. There's no time for you to go there and back again and there's no time for both of us to shower in here. Go ahead. I'll accio some dress robes for you and bring them in for when you're done."
"Thanks Sirius," Harry said before heading in the direction of the bathroom.
"Anytime, bud, anytime."
From his perch on the couch, Sirius summoned his own clothes and changed right there. He then did the same with Harry's and then threw them on the counter in the bathroom.
He then waited patiently on the couch for Harry to finish up what he was doing. Time was getting down there though, and Harry still hadn't come out of the bathroom. Sirius didn't know what was taking so long so he walked up to the bathroom door and knocked gently.
"We have to go in five minutes, bud. Hurry up." After he said this he heard a soft sniffle. He sighed to himself, knowing immediately what the hold up was.
"Harry, out, now!" Sirius commanded.
He watched the door open slowly and then saw Harry's tear streaked face. He walked forward and embraced his godson. Pressing Harry's wet head into his chest with his hand. Sirius didn't bother to ask what was wrong. Harry willingly gave that information.
"I'm not ready to say goodbye, Sirius."
"What do you mean bud?"
"To Hagrid, I'm not ready to say goodbye. This year...I practically ignored him. I didn't go down to see him nearly as much as I used to. I-I don't even know why. I just didn't. He died probably thinking that I didn't like him anymore...that I was mad at him or something. He'll never know that that wasn't the case. I-I think I loved him...and I never told him that....I...." Harry trailed off with sobs.
Sirius rocked him slowly back and forth. "Harry, that's what today's for. He'll be looking down today, watching you, and he'll hear all of that. Today you're going to pay your respects to Hagrid, and you can tell him whatever you want. Whatever you think he needs to know. He'll hear it. Apologize for not being around so much, tell him why. He will hear it. It's now or never, Harry."
He felt Harry nod against his chest. "It's going to be alright, Harry. It's not like he died hating you, he died loving you..."
Harry tried to interrupt there, but Sirius wouldn't let him.
"He did love you Harry, you know it. Whether you want to admit it or not. I think you were like a son to him...like you are to me."
Harry clung tighter to Sirius here and cried a while longer before calming down and drying his face.
"Sorry," Harry said when he was finished.
"No need to be sorry, bud, I completely understand. I've been there."
Harry just nodded.
"Hey why don' t you go get rid of the tear tracks and then we'll go."
He did just that and then they left the room. Harry still wasn't smiling, but there was a definite improvement in his attitude. Sirius put his arm over Harry's shoulder as they walked down the hallways to the hospital wing. Remus was waiting patiently when they arrived, perched in a wheelchair similar to Harry's from the summer.
"Hey guys, thought you left without me."
"Yeah, sorry about that Rem. We overslept, you know me," Sirius lied. Harry grinned at him gratefully. "Now lets go meet those other two and be on our way, shall we?"
Remus and Harry nodded and they left the room. They met up with Ron and Hermione in the Entrance Hall and then stepped outside. They were immediately met with piercing cold wind.
"Ah...Harry, I think we should have brought cloaks," Sirius said, turning his head away from the wind so he could breath.
Harry nodded his agreement while Hermione and Ron, who were completely bundled up, laughed mockingly at them.
"Accio two cloaks!" Sirius yelled and almost instantly two cloaks appeared. Harry gave Sirius a weird look.
"Sirius, whose are these?"
Sirius shrugged and put one on and gave the other to Harry. He then walked off. The one Harry held belonged to a fellow Gryffindor as it had a picture of the Gryffindor lion embroidered over the chest pocket. He noticed that the cloak was heavier than normal but thought nothing of it. He just felt weird wearing someone else's cloak that they had just stolen.
Harry looked around and saw that everyone was waiting for him. He resigned to putting it on. They walked to the gates of the Hogwarts grounds and waited for the carriages to come and pick them up. The funeral was to be held in Hogsmead. Hagrid's favorite place. While they were waiting Harry turned and looked at the Hogwarts grounds. His eyes immediately focused on Hagrid's hut. Smoke was no longer swirling out of the chimney. It brought tears back to Harry's eyes, but he didn't let them fall.
Sirius caught the direction of Harry's gaze and put his arm over his shoulder and ruffled his hair.
"It's completely empty now, huh?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, bud, it is."
"Do you think there will be a new 'keeper of keys and grounds'?"
"I don't think so. I think it was a job Dumbledore gave Hagrid just to keep him around and out of trouble. He did it because he loved him. Anyway, there will never be a groundskeeper as good as Hagrid was. He was so big he could tackle any beast that tried to get onto the grounds. He really was perfect for the job."
Harry smiled sadly, "But there will be a new care of magical creatures professor."
"Yeah, there will be. I think she's already been hired."
"Do you know who it is?"
"No, but I guess she taught you once already, she showed you the unicorns?"
Harry nodded remembering that teacher.
"One more question," Harry said.
"Yeah?"
"What's going to happen to fang?"
"Who's Fang?" Sirius asked.
"Hagrid's dog...he's big, but he's a wimp."
"Maybe we could keep him...would you like that?"
Harry nodded and then continued to look longingly at Hagrid's old hut.
The carriages then came and Harry had to pry himself away from the sight.
With a little effort, they got everyone, even Remus and his wheelchair into one carriage and set off down the road towards Hogsmead. It had been months since Harry had last been there, and he couldn't help but look out the window and reminisce about what he use to do there. He noted that Honeydukes no longer had a sign up and the windows were covered in boards. It looked just like the shrieking shack.
Again Sirius noted the sad look that set on Harry's face and he ran his fingers over Harry's messy hair. Harry didn't even seem to notice.
He looked over at Ron and Hermione whispering in each others ears and realized how out of the loop he was. It was probably his own fault too, but that didn't matter to Harry. He just felt left out and it rather upset him. He tried to forget it and continued to watch the world go by outside his window.
The carriage took them to a part of Hogsmead that Harry had never been to before. They were in front of a large church and could see the cemetery in the back. This was where Hagrid would be laid to rest for all eternity. That thought alone brought the tears back to Harry's eyes, but again he prevented them from falling.
The group filed out of the carriage and stepped inside the church. It was very large, but it didn't need to be. There were very few people scattered throughout the church. It then occurred to Harry that Hagrid died without having any family whatsoever. Harry and his friends were the closest thing to family he had. They were alike in that way, Hagrid and Harry. Harry just hoped that his funeral, whenever it may be, had more people than that. He wanted someone to at least notice he was gone.
Harry led the pack to the front of the church where they sat in the very first pew. He bowed his head and sat in silence waiting for the ceremony to begin, the whole time thinking about how he should have spent more time with Hagrid. He was beating himself down. Sirius saw it, but decided to confront that problem later. He spent the time thinking of his own past with the late Hagrid.
Finally the ceremony began and Dumbledore walked to the alter of the church where he gave a beautiful sermon about Hagrid's life. He chronicled it perfectly, leaving out the bad and telling all the good. It was clear how hard it was for Dumbledore to stay composed through the entire thing, but he managed. Harry saw the tears in his eyes as he spoke.
He told of how Hagrid had always been reliable, though he always had his own way of doing things. He also discussed Hagrid's loyalty to himself and to his friends. He topped it off with some humorous stories about Hagrid in his first year at Hogwarts, and about Hagrid as a teacher. It ended with everyone present no longer feeling sad about his death, but happy about the memories of him. It was closure for most of them, but not for Harry.
The stories Dumbledore told only made Harry miss Hagrid more. He was fighting back tears for the rest of the ceremony and couldn't wait to get out of the church. When it was all over he stood up quickly and headed for the exit, but Sirius stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
Harry gave him a questioning look and Sirius said, "Now's your chance to pay your respects, bud. If you still want to. You can get in line over there." He pointed in the direction of a small line of people in front of a giant casket. Harry nodded, looking sadder by the second and got in line. Ron and Hermione followed him, and Remus and Sirius came up behind them. It didn't take long before it was Harry's turn and he stepped up to the casket.
It was open and Harry for the last time looked at the friendly giants big face. He had a smile on his lips and his eyes showed wrinkles from that smile. Harry couldn't bring himself to understand why Hagrid could be smiling in death. It just didn't make sense. He noticed that Hagrid's usual tangled mass of hair and beard no longer was in complete disarray. Someone, probably the funeral director, had combed it out. It angered Harry to see him like that, it wasn't Hagrid.
Harry's grief turned to anger and he wanted to kick something, anything. The closest thing was the casket, but Harry knew he couldn't kick Hagrid's casket. He turned and left before saying a word to Hagrid. Tears had started streaming down his face. He ran out of the church.
Not missing a beat Sirius ran out behind him. When he got outside he saw Harry angrily kicking a tree. He stepped up close enough so that Harry knew he was there, but decided to let him take out all of his anger on the tree before getting too close. Harry needed to let it all out first.
Sirius could see his anger slowly dissipating with every kick at the tree, until it was gone. With one final kick Harry crumbled to the ground in misery. It was now time for Sirius to take action. He knelt down on the ground next to Harry and pulled him close, slowly rocking him back and forth. Harry sobbed into his neck.
"It's not right Sirius! It's not right!"
"I know bud, I know...but it happened. There's nothing you can do but accept it."
Harry nodded but mumbled, "I don't know if I can accept it Sirius. I was so-so mad in there!"
"I know, I know, I could see that."
Harry dried his eyes but he still looked miserable. Sirius pulled him to his feet and said, "C'mon bud, walk with me."
Sirius put his arm over Harry's shoulder in a fatherly way and walked him through the cemetery.
"I haven't been here in a while," he said. "Over there is where my parents are buried." He brought Harry up to the two headstones, side by side. Orion and Julia Black were there names. Harry didn't know why but he was overcome by sadness at the sight of their graves. Sirius didn't seem affected by it at all. Though he had had a long time to grieve their deaths.
Sirius pulled him away from the graves and they walked a short distance more where they came to another set of graves side by side. Mr. And Mrs. Lupin. "Remus's parents." Sirius said quietly.
Harry nodded. "Why are you showing me these, Sirius?"
"I don't know really...there is a couple that I really want you to see, though. This way," he said. "I've only been able to come to these a couple of times." He stopped in front of the pair and Harry's heart caught in his throat. James and Lily Potter.
"My...my parents?"
Sirius nodded and pushed Harry forward a little. Harry then walked a few steps closer on his own. He looked brilliantly happy for a moment and then he just vanished.
"What the f...!" Sirius said, ready to scream. He didn't know what had just happened. What he did know, however, was that chances were very good that Harry was in some very serious danger.
Sirius's first thought was to run and get Dumbledore, but he thought that would take too much time. Rather he sent permanent red sparks up over the grave so someone would know that something dangerous had just happened. He then did exactly what Harry had done. Not knowing whether or not it would work. Thankfully, it did. Sirius found himself in the graveyard one second and then immediately somewhere else. He looked around and saw Harry wandering around near a crumpled old house.
"Sirius!" he yelled, running up to him. "Where are we? What happened?"
"I don't know what happened Harry," Sirius said swallowing hard, "But I know where we are. Godric's Hollow. That," he said pointing to the ruins of the house, "used to be your home."
"You mean...this is where...where they died?"
Sirius nodded, choked up at the site. He had forgotten how awful the house looked after what Voldemort did, and hoped he would never have to see it like that again. It was a wonder it hadn't been picked up and cleared away.
"Why-why do you think we're here?"
"I dunno bud, but I don't think this is good. Get your wand ready."
Harry did as commanded, but gave Sirius a strange look. "You think we're going to be attacked, don't you?"
Sirius looked at Harry for a moment and then nodded. "I don't think it...I know it. Come here!" he yelled, grabbing Harry's arm and pulling him out of the line of a curse. Deatheaters were filing out of the woods behind the remains of his house. Sirius pulled Harry behind his back and started firing curses at the deatheaters, causing many to fall over, stunned. There were too many, however, and they kept advancing. Sirius kept fighting them, though. One by one going down at the point of his wand. Harry marveled at the skill with which he did it. Sirius must have been well trained before the misunderstanding with his parents deaths.
By the time Sirius had gotten over half of the deatheaters, they stopped firing at him. Sirius stopped too, transfixed by their odd behavior. He soon knew the source of it, though, as Voldemort suddenly appeared in front of them.
"Sirius Black, what an honor it is to see you again," he hissed sarcastically. "You ran away like a child so soon last time we met, that I didn't have a chance to get rid of you...what a shame. I guess I'll have to do that today. But first," he hissed, turning to Harry, "I'm going to get rid of him."
"You will not touch a hair on his head!" Sirius yelled angrily.
"Is that so?" Voldemort said with his traditional high pitched cackle. He stopped suddenly and glared at Sirius. He pointed his wand at Sirius, muttered something and in a matter of seconds Sirius was at least fifty yards from Harry, bound and gagged.
"Sirius!" he yelled in vain.
"He can't help you know Potter. It's just you and me. Just like last year, wouldn't you say? Only this time you won't be getting away."
Harry glared defiantly at Voldemort but didn't say anything.
"I bet you were wondering why you're here, and not somewhere else. Last year I took you to my fathers grave...this time I decided I'd try this where it was supposed to end the first time. This is where your parents died and you should have. This time I will not allow any mistakes. This will be the last time you see your precious Godfather, Potter. The last time you will see the light of day." He then pointed his wand at Harry.
It soon became clear that they wouldn't be playing around this time. Usually Voldemort would pull something before flat out trying to kill Harry. This time it looked like he was going to go straight to work killing Harry.
Quickly Harry looked to Sirius and saw him struggling against his bindings, but there was nothing he could do. Harry wished he could yell to him and tell him to stop struggling, tell him there was nothing he could do, but he couldn't find the energy. He was too scared.
Then, Harry looked straight ahead at Lord Voldemort and glared defiantly. He pulled out his wand and yelled all the curses he could think of. Each seemed to affect him for a second, especially the jelly-legs, but Voldemort ended up just laughing at Harry's unsuccessful efforts
Harry felt ashamed, and gave up. He just stood there facing the dark lord.
"Are those supposed to be curses Potter? Is that what Dumbledore is teaching you in his precious school? Well it's not enough is it Potter? Maybe you should have learned this one...Crucio!"
"Not again," Harry thought to himself as he fell to the ground in sheer agony. He heard a yell from Sirius, but heard a lot more from himself. Voldemort held the curse on him for about 30 seconds and then took it off.
"That was fun, wasn't it Potter? Do you want some more?"
"No, please no," Harry cried.
"Too bad, Potter! If you had just let me kill you last year we wouldn't be doing this now, would we? I didn't think so. Crucio!"
Harry was then rolling on the floor again. He was ready to black out. Voldemort kept taking the curse off and then putting it back on him. Harry thought it would never end.
Meanwhile, there was a procession of mourners trailing solemnly through the cemetery. Hagrid's casket was being carried by a record ten pallbearers. It was actually rather comical to see, everyone present had to admit. But they held their laughter, as laughing at a funeral procession shows great disrespect, and everyone respected Hagrid greatly. Dumbledore was at the head of the procession and he held up his hands as he stepped towards Lily and James Potter's gravesites and saw the red sparks floating above them. Everyone stopped, and the pallbearers had to lower Hagrid's casket to the ground. Dumbledore examined the area and noticed a slight shimmer on the grass in front of the graves. The shimmer could only mean one thing, a transporter was directly over the graves. Harry and Sirius must have been sucked into it, that would explain their absence from the procession. Dumbledore didn't want to think what danger they could be in right then, but had to force himself to.
First, however, he made an announcement. "Everyone must steer clear of this plot of land. It is very dangerous. Take great care to avoid stepping anywhere near it. I must stop here, the rest of you must go on. All of you," he said this last bit looking directly at Ron, Hermione and Remus.
They all did what they were told and Dumbledore waited until they were far away before stepping onto the transporter himself. His suspicions were correct and he was taken to a familiar house, one that he had not seen in a long time.
However, he didn't have time to look around him as he heard screaming coming from behind. He turned and saw Harry writhing in the grass, his face contorted in pain. Tears were streaming down the poor boys face. He looked past the tortured boy at Sirius and found him in tears as well. Fighting with all his might to escape his bindings. Before Dumbledore was directly noticed he shot a counter-curse at Sirius, freeing him. Sirius jumped to his feet and ran to Dumbledore's side. At this point Voldemort again took the curse off Harry and turned to Dumbledore and Sirius.
"So we have another visitor, do we? Hello Albus, would you like to go before or after Black?
"You will never get me, Tom, no matter how hard you try."
"Is that so? Well we'll see about that...though I promised Potter here he'd be first. Lord Voldemort doesn't break his promises....crucio!" Again he sent the painful curse at Harry, and again Harry held on, but just barely. This time Voldemort didn't take it off until he was forced to.
Dumbledore raised his wand and said something neither Harry, Sirius, or most of the deatheaters had ever heard before, "Finite powreos!" Suddenly, with that spell the curse was let off Harry. Voldemort tried to put it back on him, but he could not. Dumbledore had just temporarily stopped Lord Voldemort's magical power.
Then, Dumbledore went at Voldemort with power no one had ever seen before. Slowly he started taking him out, spell by spell. He was saying incantations so quickly that no one could decipher one from the next. Harry stood up weakly and watched his headmaster in awe.
Suddenly Dumbledore laughed, "Tom, you are once again a human being...how does that make you feel? You've built yourself up to be superhuman, but now you're no stronger than anyone here. Do you still think you can win?"
"If I get Potter, then I win," he said, in a much weaker voice than he had previously been speaking in. He no longer seemed like a threat. But Harry knew he was still dangerous. Just like his soul in Professor Quirrel's body, his teenage form and his newly reincarnated self. The battle wasn't over yet, not by a long shot.
"Don't even try it Tom," Dumbledore commanded. Voldemort laughed in his face.
"You hold no command over me! You did once, but that all ended when I left your horrid institution."
Dumbledore just sighed, annoyed. "There's only one more thing I have to say to you Tom, Avada Kedavra!"
At the exact same instant, however, Voldemort pointed his wand at the helpless Harry and said the exact same words. Apparently Dumbledore's finite powreos spell was over. Sirius watched in horror as the ray of bright green light sped towards his godson, hit him in the chest and knocked him over. Harry and Voldemort hit the ground at the exact same time.
"No!" Sirius yelled and he ran to his fallen godson. He dropped to his knees beside his limp body and started crying like there was no tomorrow. "Harry! Harry! No! Harry!" Sirius's sobs were heart wrenching. Dumbledore watched with tears streaming down his own face as Sirius picked up Harry's limp body and hugged him to him. He rocked the motionless body back and forth and buried his face in Harry's hair as he cried. He muttered his name over and over through his sobs. Slowly shaking his head.
Dumbledore watched the deatheaters who were still around leave quickly, and didn't care to stop them. The fight was over. Voldemort was gone for good this time. Yet Dumbledore thought Voldemort was right, he had won. He had claimed the life of Harry Potter. Something he had sought to do for fourteen years.
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So...(author bites lip in worry) what did you...er...think? Now please remember what I said, this story is not over. Next chapter or two may hold some surprises, that you'll either love or hate...but please don't shun sarahpeach for what she just wrote and keep on reading! Thanks : ) Oh yes, and please review, but I repeat, no flames!!!! If you're mad, say so kindly...just promise not to make me cry!
This chapter has an interesting ending, but I want you all to promise me right now that you aren't going to give up on this story after you read this chapter. There's still at least one chapter to go! Maybe two or three. Got it! And no flames please!
Wow, this one just flowed right on out of me...I personally love this chapter I had a good time writing it. It's kind of short, but it ended where I wanted it to end. I went home mid-way through the school day today and got a ton written, as well as a couple hours after school before I had to go to work! Now, I didn't expect to get this one out so soon, so it is possible that the next one will be out by Friday, can't guarantee, but maybe. If not it should be up by next Tuesday or Wednesday.
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"Harry, buddy, time to get up!" Sirius called, practically skipping over the floor to his room. The floor was ice cold and Sirius was not wearing socks, so he was trying to touch the floor as little as possible. When he got to the bed he couldn't take the cold on his feet anymore and he leapt onto the mattress. He dropped to his knees next to his sleeping godson.
Putting his mouth close to Harry's ear he whispered, "Harry?" Then he yelled, "Harry!"
Harry sprang awake and nearly fell off the bed for two reasons. The sound of Sirius's scream had scared the life out of him, as well as the fact that Sirius was sitting almost on top of him.
"Sorry bud," he said with a shrug. "You have to get up though!"
Harry nodded and moaned before burying his face back into the pillow.
"I'm serious bud."
"I know you are," Harry mumbled.
Sirius smacked him gently on the back. "I do not appreciate that twist on my name! You know that!"
Harry lifted his head and smirked.
"C'mon Harry, I've got breakfast ready and everything. We have half an hour to eat and get dressed, now lets go!" Sirius said, hopping back off the bed and then jumping from one foot to the other.
"Why you dancing?" Harry mumbled.
"I am not dancing, this floor is like ice. Lets GO so we can go sit on the couch and eat where it's warm," Sirius mumbled through chattering teeth. His skin was turning a slight blue.
"Maybe if you wore clothes you wouldn't be so cold."
"Excuse me but what do you call these?" Sirius asked pulling on the edge of his bright green boxers with kiwi fruit all over it.
Harry rolled his eyes and tried to get out of bed, but the minute he rolled over he flinched in pain.
Sirius immediately forgot his freezing toes and fingers and asked, "What is it are you still in pain? Do you need me to get you something?"
"I'm fine Sirius, it just hurt a little to turn."
"Can you get up okay?"
"I think so," Harry said and he threw his legs over the edge and stood. He was a little wobbly but managed to steady himself. "This floor is cold!"
"Duh, lets go!" Sirius said and ran out of the room. Harry followed, but at a slightly slower pace than Sirius.
When he reached the couch Sirius picked up one of the blankets he had used last night and wrapped it around Harry's back, so that he was completely covered with its warmth, but could still use his hands. He then wrapped one around himself in the same manner. Quickly he ran and got their breakfast from the little kitchen and brought it back to the couch, where the two ate in the utmost warmth and comfort.
When they had both finished, neither immediately got up to do anything. For a while Harry had looked pretty happy, but now he looked worried.
"What's on your mind bud?" Sirius asked concerned by Harry's facial expressions.
Harry shrugged. "Bad feeling, that's all."
"About...?"
"About today. I feel like its not going to go right....like something's going to happen."
Sirius looked really worried now. "Maybe we should stay here then Harry. The last time you had a bad feeling it was because Azkaban had been attacked. I think, somehow, you're like psychic or something. I don't think we, especially you, should go."
Harry shook his head. "No, I have to go. There's no way I would miss this, Hagrid meant too much to me, I couldn't not go to his funeral." Harry continued to shake his head and then looked tearful. "Please let me go, Sirius."
Sirius closed his eyes tight and shook his head, but he knew he had to let Harry go. "We can still go, but you're to be extra careful. The moment anything out of the ordinary happens you get yourself somewhere safe as soon as you can. I'm not letting you out of my sight today, got it?"
Harry nodded, he still looked tearful, though. Sirius wrapped a blanketed arm over Harry's shoulder and rested his chin atop Harry's head. "We'll be okay, bud."
Again, Harry nodded, but he still seemed choked up. Sirius decided it was time to take his mind off that. "Lets get ready."
"Okay," Harry mumbled, "I'll go back to Gryffindor tower."
"No, you don't have to do that. You can shower in here."
"What about you?"
"I'll go scrubby today. There's no time for you to go there and back again and there's no time for both of us to shower in here. Go ahead. I'll accio some dress robes for you and bring them in for when you're done."
"Thanks Sirius," Harry said before heading in the direction of the bathroom.
"Anytime, bud, anytime."
From his perch on the couch, Sirius summoned his own clothes and changed right there. He then did the same with Harry's and then threw them on the counter in the bathroom.
He then waited patiently on the couch for Harry to finish up what he was doing. Time was getting down there though, and Harry still hadn't come out of the bathroom. Sirius didn't know what was taking so long so he walked up to the bathroom door and knocked gently.
"We have to go in five minutes, bud. Hurry up." After he said this he heard a soft sniffle. He sighed to himself, knowing immediately what the hold up was.
"Harry, out, now!" Sirius commanded.
He watched the door open slowly and then saw Harry's tear streaked face. He walked forward and embraced his godson. Pressing Harry's wet head into his chest with his hand. Sirius didn't bother to ask what was wrong. Harry willingly gave that information.
"I'm not ready to say goodbye, Sirius."
"What do you mean bud?"
"To Hagrid, I'm not ready to say goodbye. This year...I practically ignored him. I didn't go down to see him nearly as much as I used to. I-I don't even know why. I just didn't. He died probably thinking that I didn't like him anymore...that I was mad at him or something. He'll never know that that wasn't the case. I-I think I loved him...and I never told him that....I...." Harry trailed off with sobs.
Sirius rocked him slowly back and forth. "Harry, that's what today's for. He'll be looking down today, watching you, and he'll hear all of that. Today you're going to pay your respects to Hagrid, and you can tell him whatever you want. Whatever you think he needs to know. He'll hear it. Apologize for not being around so much, tell him why. He will hear it. It's now or never, Harry."
He felt Harry nod against his chest. "It's going to be alright, Harry. It's not like he died hating you, he died loving you..."
Harry tried to interrupt there, but Sirius wouldn't let him.
"He did love you Harry, you know it. Whether you want to admit it or not. I think you were like a son to him...like you are to me."
Harry clung tighter to Sirius here and cried a while longer before calming down and drying his face.
"Sorry," Harry said when he was finished.
"No need to be sorry, bud, I completely understand. I've been there."
Harry just nodded.
"Hey why don' t you go get rid of the tear tracks and then we'll go."
He did just that and then they left the room. Harry still wasn't smiling, but there was a definite improvement in his attitude. Sirius put his arm over Harry's shoulder as they walked down the hallways to the hospital wing. Remus was waiting patiently when they arrived, perched in a wheelchair similar to Harry's from the summer.
"Hey guys, thought you left without me."
"Yeah, sorry about that Rem. We overslept, you know me," Sirius lied. Harry grinned at him gratefully. "Now lets go meet those other two and be on our way, shall we?"
Remus and Harry nodded and they left the room. They met up with Ron and Hermione in the Entrance Hall and then stepped outside. They were immediately met with piercing cold wind.
"Ah...Harry, I think we should have brought cloaks," Sirius said, turning his head away from the wind so he could breath.
Harry nodded his agreement while Hermione and Ron, who were completely bundled up, laughed mockingly at them.
"Accio two cloaks!" Sirius yelled and almost instantly two cloaks appeared. Harry gave Sirius a weird look.
"Sirius, whose are these?"
Sirius shrugged and put one on and gave the other to Harry. He then walked off. The one Harry held belonged to a fellow Gryffindor as it had a picture of the Gryffindor lion embroidered over the chest pocket. He noticed that the cloak was heavier than normal but thought nothing of it. He just felt weird wearing someone else's cloak that they had just stolen.
Harry looked around and saw that everyone was waiting for him. He resigned to putting it on. They walked to the gates of the Hogwarts grounds and waited for the carriages to come and pick them up. The funeral was to be held in Hogsmead. Hagrid's favorite place. While they were waiting Harry turned and looked at the Hogwarts grounds. His eyes immediately focused on Hagrid's hut. Smoke was no longer swirling out of the chimney. It brought tears back to Harry's eyes, but he didn't let them fall.
Sirius caught the direction of Harry's gaze and put his arm over his shoulder and ruffled his hair.
"It's completely empty now, huh?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, bud, it is."
"Do you think there will be a new 'keeper of keys and grounds'?"
"I don't think so. I think it was a job Dumbledore gave Hagrid just to keep him around and out of trouble. He did it because he loved him. Anyway, there will never be a groundskeeper as good as Hagrid was. He was so big he could tackle any beast that tried to get onto the grounds. He really was perfect for the job."
Harry smiled sadly, "But there will be a new care of magical creatures professor."
"Yeah, there will be. I think she's already been hired."
"Do you know who it is?"
"No, but I guess she taught you once already, she showed you the unicorns?"
Harry nodded remembering that teacher.
"One more question," Harry said.
"Yeah?"
"What's going to happen to fang?"
"Who's Fang?" Sirius asked.
"Hagrid's dog...he's big, but he's a wimp."
"Maybe we could keep him...would you like that?"
Harry nodded and then continued to look longingly at Hagrid's old hut.
The carriages then came and Harry had to pry himself away from the sight.
With a little effort, they got everyone, even Remus and his wheelchair into one carriage and set off down the road towards Hogsmead. It had been months since Harry had last been there, and he couldn't help but look out the window and reminisce about what he use to do there. He noted that Honeydukes no longer had a sign up and the windows were covered in boards. It looked just like the shrieking shack.
Again Sirius noted the sad look that set on Harry's face and he ran his fingers over Harry's messy hair. Harry didn't even seem to notice.
He looked over at Ron and Hermione whispering in each others ears and realized how out of the loop he was. It was probably his own fault too, but that didn't matter to Harry. He just felt left out and it rather upset him. He tried to forget it and continued to watch the world go by outside his window.
The carriage took them to a part of Hogsmead that Harry had never been to before. They were in front of a large church and could see the cemetery in the back. This was where Hagrid would be laid to rest for all eternity. That thought alone brought the tears back to Harry's eyes, but again he prevented them from falling.
The group filed out of the carriage and stepped inside the church. It was very large, but it didn't need to be. There were very few people scattered throughout the church. It then occurred to Harry that Hagrid died without having any family whatsoever. Harry and his friends were the closest thing to family he had. They were alike in that way, Hagrid and Harry. Harry just hoped that his funeral, whenever it may be, had more people than that. He wanted someone to at least notice he was gone.
Harry led the pack to the front of the church where they sat in the very first pew. He bowed his head and sat in silence waiting for the ceremony to begin, the whole time thinking about how he should have spent more time with Hagrid. He was beating himself down. Sirius saw it, but decided to confront that problem later. He spent the time thinking of his own past with the late Hagrid.
Finally the ceremony began and Dumbledore walked to the alter of the church where he gave a beautiful sermon about Hagrid's life. He chronicled it perfectly, leaving out the bad and telling all the good. It was clear how hard it was for Dumbledore to stay composed through the entire thing, but he managed. Harry saw the tears in his eyes as he spoke.
He told of how Hagrid had always been reliable, though he always had his own way of doing things. He also discussed Hagrid's loyalty to himself and to his friends. He topped it off with some humorous stories about Hagrid in his first year at Hogwarts, and about Hagrid as a teacher. It ended with everyone present no longer feeling sad about his death, but happy about the memories of him. It was closure for most of them, but not for Harry.
The stories Dumbledore told only made Harry miss Hagrid more. He was fighting back tears for the rest of the ceremony and couldn't wait to get out of the church. When it was all over he stood up quickly and headed for the exit, but Sirius stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
Harry gave him a questioning look and Sirius said, "Now's your chance to pay your respects, bud. If you still want to. You can get in line over there." He pointed in the direction of a small line of people in front of a giant casket. Harry nodded, looking sadder by the second and got in line. Ron and Hermione followed him, and Remus and Sirius came up behind them. It didn't take long before it was Harry's turn and he stepped up to the casket.
It was open and Harry for the last time looked at the friendly giants big face. He had a smile on his lips and his eyes showed wrinkles from that smile. Harry couldn't bring himself to understand why Hagrid could be smiling in death. It just didn't make sense. He noticed that Hagrid's usual tangled mass of hair and beard no longer was in complete disarray. Someone, probably the funeral director, had combed it out. It angered Harry to see him like that, it wasn't Hagrid.
Harry's grief turned to anger and he wanted to kick something, anything. The closest thing was the casket, but Harry knew he couldn't kick Hagrid's casket. He turned and left before saying a word to Hagrid. Tears had started streaming down his face. He ran out of the church.
Not missing a beat Sirius ran out behind him. When he got outside he saw Harry angrily kicking a tree. He stepped up close enough so that Harry knew he was there, but decided to let him take out all of his anger on the tree before getting too close. Harry needed to let it all out first.
Sirius could see his anger slowly dissipating with every kick at the tree, until it was gone. With one final kick Harry crumbled to the ground in misery. It was now time for Sirius to take action. He knelt down on the ground next to Harry and pulled him close, slowly rocking him back and forth. Harry sobbed into his neck.
"It's not right Sirius! It's not right!"
"I know bud, I know...but it happened. There's nothing you can do but accept it."
Harry nodded but mumbled, "I don't know if I can accept it Sirius. I was so-so mad in there!"
"I know, I know, I could see that."
Harry dried his eyes but he still looked miserable. Sirius pulled him to his feet and said, "C'mon bud, walk with me."
Sirius put his arm over Harry's shoulder in a fatherly way and walked him through the cemetery.
"I haven't been here in a while," he said. "Over there is where my parents are buried." He brought Harry up to the two headstones, side by side. Orion and Julia Black were there names. Harry didn't know why but he was overcome by sadness at the sight of their graves. Sirius didn't seem affected by it at all. Though he had had a long time to grieve their deaths.
Sirius pulled him away from the graves and they walked a short distance more where they came to another set of graves side by side. Mr. And Mrs. Lupin. "Remus's parents." Sirius said quietly.
Harry nodded. "Why are you showing me these, Sirius?"
"I don't know really...there is a couple that I really want you to see, though. This way," he said. "I've only been able to come to these a couple of times." He stopped in front of the pair and Harry's heart caught in his throat. James and Lily Potter.
"My...my parents?"
Sirius nodded and pushed Harry forward a little. Harry then walked a few steps closer on his own. He looked brilliantly happy for a moment and then he just vanished.
"What the f...!" Sirius said, ready to scream. He didn't know what had just happened. What he did know, however, was that chances were very good that Harry was in some very serious danger.
Sirius's first thought was to run and get Dumbledore, but he thought that would take too much time. Rather he sent permanent red sparks up over the grave so someone would know that something dangerous had just happened. He then did exactly what Harry had done. Not knowing whether or not it would work. Thankfully, it did. Sirius found himself in the graveyard one second and then immediately somewhere else. He looked around and saw Harry wandering around near a crumpled old house.
"Sirius!" he yelled, running up to him. "Where are we? What happened?"
"I don't know what happened Harry," Sirius said swallowing hard, "But I know where we are. Godric's Hollow. That," he said pointing to the ruins of the house, "used to be your home."
"You mean...this is where...where they died?"
Sirius nodded, choked up at the site. He had forgotten how awful the house looked after what Voldemort did, and hoped he would never have to see it like that again. It was a wonder it hadn't been picked up and cleared away.
"Why-why do you think we're here?"
"I dunno bud, but I don't think this is good. Get your wand ready."
Harry did as commanded, but gave Sirius a strange look. "You think we're going to be attacked, don't you?"
Sirius looked at Harry for a moment and then nodded. "I don't think it...I know it. Come here!" he yelled, grabbing Harry's arm and pulling him out of the line of a curse. Deatheaters were filing out of the woods behind the remains of his house. Sirius pulled Harry behind his back and started firing curses at the deatheaters, causing many to fall over, stunned. There were too many, however, and they kept advancing. Sirius kept fighting them, though. One by one going down at the point of his wand. Harry marveled at the skill with which he did it. Sirius must have been well trained before the misunderstanding with his parents deaths.
By the time Sirius had gotten over half of the deatheaters, they stopped firing at him. Sirius stopped too, transfixed by their odd behavior. He soon knew the source of it, though, as Voldemort suddenly appeared in front of them.
"Sirius Black, what an honor it is to see you again," he hissed sarcastically. "You ran away like a child so soon last time we met, that I didn't have a chance to get rid of you...what a shame. I guess I'll have to do that today. But first," he hissed, turning to Harry, "I'm going to get rid of him."
"You will not touch a hair on his head!" Sirius yelled angrily.
"Is that so?" Voldemort said with his traditional high pitched cackle. He stopped suddenly and glared at Sirius. He pointed his wand at Sirius, muttered something and in a matter of seconds Sirius was at least fifty yards from Harry, bound and gagged.
"Sirius!" he yelled in vain.
"He can't help you know Potter. It's just you and me. Just like last year, wouldn't you say? Only this time you won't be getting away."
Harry glared defiantly at Voldemort but didn't say anything.
"I bet you were wondering why you're here, and not somewhere else. Last year I took you to my fathers grave...this time I decided I'd try this where it was supposed to end the first time. This is where your parents died and you should have. This time I will not allow any mistakes. This will be the last time you see your precious Godfather, Potter. The last time you will see the light of day." He then pointed his wand at Harry.
It soon became clear that they wouldn't be playing around this time. Usually Voldemort would pull something before flat out trying to kill Harry. This time it looked like he was going to go straight to work killing Harry.
Quickly Harry looked to Sirius and saw him struggling against his bindings, but there was nothing he could do. Harry wished he could yell to him and tell him to stop struggling, tell him there was nothing he could do, but he couldn't find the energy. He was too scared.
Then, Harry looked straight ahead at Lord Voldemort and glared defiantly. He pulled out his wand and yelled all the curses he could think of. Each seemed to affect him for a second, especially the jelly-legs, but Voldemort ended up just laughing at Harry's unsuccessful efforts
Harry felt ashamed, and gave up. He just stood there facing the dark lord.
"Are those supposed to be curses Potter? Is that what Dumbledore is teaching you in his precious school? Well it's not enough is it Potter? Maybe you should have learned this one...Crucio!"
"Not again," Harry thought to himself as he fell to the ground in sheer agony. He heard a yell from Sirius, but heard a lot more from himself. Voldemort held the curse on him for about 30 seconds and then took it off.
"That was fun, wasn't it Potter? Do you want some more?"
"No, please no," Harry cried.
"Too bad, Potter! If you had just let me kill you last year we wouldn't be doing this now, would we? I didn't think so. Crucio!"
Harry was then rolling on the floor again. He was ready to black out. Voldemort kept taking the curse off and then putting it back on him. Harry thought it would never end.
Meanwhile, there was a procession of mourners trailing solemnly through the cemetery. Hagrid's casket was being carried by a record ten pallbearers. It was actually rather comical to see, everyone present had to admit. But they held their laughter, as laughing at a funeral procession shows great disrespect, and everyone respected Hagrid greatly. Dumbledore was at the head of the procession and he held up his hands as he stepped towards Lily and James Potter's gravesites and saw the red sparks floating above them. Everyone stopped, and the pallbearers had to lower Hagrid's casket to the ground. Dumbledore examined the area and noticed a slight shimmer on the grass in front of the graves. The shimmer could only mean one thing, a transporter was directly over the graves. Harry and Sirius must have been sucked into it, that would explain their absence from the procession. Dumbledore didn't want to think what danger they could be in right then, but had to force himself to.
First, however, he made an announcement. "Everyone must steer clear of this plot of land. It is very dangerous. Take great care to avoid stepping anywhere near it. I must stop here, the rest of you must go on. All of you," he said this last bit looking directly at Ron, Hermione and Remus.
They all did what they were told and Dumbledore waited until they were far away before stepping onto the transporter himself. His suspicions were correct and he was taken to a familiar house, one that he had not seen in a long time.
However, he didn't have time to look around him as he heard screaming coming from behind. He turned and saw Harry writhing in the grass, his face contorted in pain. Tears were streaming down the poor boys face. He looked past the tortured boy at Sirius and found him in tears as well. Fighting with all his might to escape his bindings. Before Dumbledore was directly noticed he shot a counter-curse at Sirius, freeing him. Sirius jumped to his feet and ran to Dumbledore's side. At this point Voldemort again took the curse off Harry and turned to Dumbledore and Sirius.
"So we have another visitor, do we? Hello Albus, would you like to go before or after Black?
"You will never get me, Tom, no matter how hard you try."
"Is that so? Well we'll see about that...though I promised Potter here he'd be first. Lord Voldemort doesn't break his promises....crucio!" Again he sent the painful curse at Harry, and again Harry held on, but just barely. This time Voldemort didn't take it off until he was forced to.
Dumbledore raised his wand and said something neither Harry, Sirius, or most of the deatheaters had ever heard before, "Finite powreos!" Suddenly, with that spell the curse was let off Harry. Voldemort tried to put it back on him, but he could not. Dumbledore had just temporarily stopped Lord Voldemort's magical power.
Then, Dumbledore went at Voldemort with power no one had ever seen before. Slowly he started taking him out, spell by spell. He was saying incantations so quickly that no one could decipher one from the next. Harry stood up weakly and watched his headmaster in awe.
Suddenly Dumbledore laughed, "Tom, you are once again a human being...how does that make you feel? You've built yourself up to be superhuman, but now you're no stronger than anyone here. Do you still think you can win?"
"If I get Potter, then I win," he said, in a much weaker voice than he had previously been speaking in. He no longer seemed like a threat. But Harry knew he was still dangerous. Just like his soul in Professor Quirrel's body, his teenage form and his newly reincarnated self. The battle wasn't over yet, not by a long shot.
"Don't even try it Tom," Dumbledore commanded. Voldemort laughed in his face.
"You hold no command over me! You did once, but that all ended when I left your horrid institution."
Dumbledore just sighed, annoyed. "There's only one more thing I have to say to you Tom, Avada Kedavra!"
At the exact same instant, however, Voldemort pointed his wand at the helpless Harry and said the exact same words. Apparently Dumbledore's finite powreos spell was over. Sirius watched in horror as the ray of bright green light sped towards his godson, hit him in the chest and knocked him over. Harry and Voldemort hit the ground at the exact same time.
"No!" Sirius yelled and he ran to his fallen godson. He dropped to his knees beside his limp body and started crying like there was no tomorrow. "Harry! Harry! No! Harry!" Sirius's sobs were heart wrenching. Dumbledore watched with tears streaming down his own face as Sirius picked up Harry's limp body and hugged him to him. He rocked the motionless body back and forth and buried his face in Harry's hair as he cried. He muttered his name over and over through his sobs. Slowly shaking his head.
Dumbledore watched the deatheaters who were still around leave quickly, and didn't care to stop them. The fight was over. Voldemort was gone for good this time. Yet Dumbledore thought Voldemort was right, he had won. He had claimed the life of Harry Potter. Something he had sought to do for fourteen years.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So...(author bites lip in worry) what did you...er...think? Now please remember what I said, this story is not over. Next chapter or two may hold some surprises, that you'll either love or hate...but please don't shun sarahpeach for what she just wrote and keep on reading! Thanks : ) Oh yes, and please review, but I repeat, no flames!!!! If you're mad, say so kindly...just promise not to make me cry!