"Hey Harry!"
"Oliver!" Harry yelled over the wind, pulling his broom up level with his old Quidditch captains.
"Hiya, sorry our last conversation got so abruptly ended! You know Pomfrey, she likes to make sure her patients don't have room to breathe without her deciding if the air is quite clear enough!" Oliver smiled good naturedly. "So how have you been? I've been looking for you but you haven't slept in the Gryffindor tower for quite a few nights now it seems, care to share?"
Harry was deeply grateful for the ice cold air disguising his rising blush.
"I'm doing. . ." Harry though for a second, trying to conjure up the least painful answer, "I'm alive." He said finally.
"That's the most we can be right now mate." A brief flash of sadness ghosted across Oliver's face, soon to be replaced by a mischievous grin. "So, who's been depriving you of your sleep then?"
"I've been getting enough sleep thank you." Harry resisted the urge to stick out his tongue to complete the tone he was using.
"Oh," Oliver laughed knowingly, "Soooo, tell me!"
"How come you've suddenly come over all gossipy?"
"I'm not, just wondering who could be perfect enough for Hogwarts star seeker, and do they have an older sister?" Harry smirked.
"I'm not sure if he has an older sister, I doubt it, besides it would be a younger sister you'd want, he's a bit older then me."
"Aw come on Harry, I even threw in a bit of shameless flattery, you have to tell me!"
"Fine, but you can't ever tell anyone," Harry's face became grave, "I mean it, there's a lot at stake so you have to keep it a secret, got it?"
"Harry, I wont do anything to get you in trouble, the way I see it it's a war, rules don't count."
"Ok, it's Severus." Harry was avoiding Oliver's gaze, not wanting to see the reaction. After a moment of heavy silence Oliver spoke.
"Really? You're laying a teacher, Harry? Well, the twins would be on the floor in hysterics by now I think, I'm not so sure about it being Snape though. Does he make you happy?"
"Yes." Harry answered automatically.
"Then I'm happy for you mate, but if he hurts you, you know I'll beat him over the head with a broomstick!" They both laughed at the image of Oliver chasing the foreboding potions master with a broom around a Quidditch pitch in all his billowing black robes.
"Thanks Oliver, I needed a good laugh."
"S'ok Har, but I'm being serious, we gotta stick together, a lot of people aren't around any more," Harry was eternally grateful he didn't say the dreaded D word, "And the rest of us, we gotta stick together, just make sure he's worthy of you Har." Harry decided the speech was vaguely reminiscent of Oliver's pre-match pep talks when things weren't going so well.
"I will Oliver."
"Well, I've got to get back, poor Poppy will be having kittens, I promised I'd only come out for a couple of minutes, but I just couldn't resist flying for a while."
"I'm surprised she let you out at all!"
"I'm not, I practically had to fight my way out."
"Well, see ya."
"Yeah. Will you be going to the funeral?" Oliver's voice was soft.
"What? Whose?" Harry's stomach was curling itself up at the look of concern that Oliver wore.
"Ron's. . . I suppose you haven't been told because no one could find you." Harry bit back a sob unable to say a thing.
Warm arms encircled him when they finally reached the ground and with a protective arm slung around Harry's shoulders the two boys bade there way up to the Hospital wing in silence.
"Ah, Harry." The Medi-Witch looked at Harry. "Have you come to see Sirius?"
"Um, no, I actually just was just walking Olli back. Is it possible for me to see him?" Harry wondered briefly if Severus had bothered to come up at all, but then realised that no one would expect Harry to even be able to hold civil conversation with the man.
"I'm not sure at the moment Harry, he's still radiating magic, it might be quite dangerous, soon though." Radiating magic? That was something a wizard only did when he was in a coma. The truth hit home like a Bludger to the stomach.
"He's, he's in a coma?" Her demeanour softened at Harry's question.
"Oh, I thought someone would have told you by now. Harry, he is quite alright, he just lost a lot of magical and physical strength; I'm actually quite surprised you didn't experience something similar. He just needs time to recover. While he's in the coma he will simply absorb magic from his surroundings and radiate all the magic in his system that he can't use. You should know that, we covered it in the middle of 5th year." Her tone was reassuring and almost motherly, almost.
"Yes." Harry sighed, 'my godfather was going to be alright' he chanted silently to himself. "How's Remmy?"
"We don't know Harry."
"But, but Se. . . But I was told he was lying low in the muggle world," Harry corrected himself, "surely you can tell me if he's OK I'm not asking where he is or anything." Harry was doing his damndest not to whine, but he hated the strict secrecy rules in the Order.
"Harry, I'm not keeping anything from you, during the last battle Mr. Lupin transformed, and killed a great many people, a few from our side, he was last seen in exchanging his money into Muggle currency in London, the Order doesn't know any more than that."
"But, that's impossible, it wasn't the full moon! It wasn't even close, and Remmy would never kill anyone from our side!"
"Harry, calm down or I will have to ask you to leave."
"Sorry, but how is it even possible?" Harry walked to the nearest empty bed and lay down, before sitting up again, and watching Poppy closely and she arranged bottles by the side of the bed, obviously from her last patient.
"No one is sure, the theory is that with so much death and blood about Remus couldn't control the wolf inside of him, and well, without the potion he had no way to stop from doing what he did."
"But why did he run?"
"We all have different ways of coping Harry, he did a lot of things his conscience has to contend with, give him time, I'm sure he'll come back."
"Thank you Madame, I'd better be off"
"Harry, how many times do I have to tell you, it's Poppy to you. God knows, you've probably spent more time in my care than the rest of the whole of Gryffindor and Slytherin put together."
"Yeah, most likely. I'll be back to see Siri again soon." As Harry mad his way out Poppy called to him
"Everything will be ok Harry, it always is." Though the words were meant to be comforting, they disturbed Harry a little, he just couldn't place why. He suspected that it had something to do with the fact that the usually very clinical and scientific woman had been reduced to something as flimsy as hope.
Harry wandered up to the Gryffindor tower. He realised that people had probably began to wonder where he had been for the past few days and that all his post would have been left up here for him.
The common room was empty. It was an odd sight, to see the once bustling room devoid of life, there wasn't even the usual blazing fire that always seemed to fill the room with life. After a moment's contemplation Harry left it un-lit, he had grown used to the cold of the dungeons.
There was a foreboding air as he mad his way to the seventh year dorms. Three of the beds in the room had been striped bare, the Chudley Cannons posters Harry had given Ron in 6th year were gone, Neville's trunk had gone, the heavy red curtains were gone and the sheets and pillows on all the beds had been cleared away too.
Harry made his way over to his own bed. There were scrolls piled on his comforter, obviously left there for him to read as soon as possible.
The first was a note informing him that Seamus had been transferred to Beauxbatons because his parents had felt it too much of a risk for him to be anywhere near Harry.
Harry tried to distance himself from it, tried to pretend it didn't hurt. He moved on to the next letter mechanically, a short note from Dumbledore to say Sirius was in a coma, Remmy had run away to the Muggle world, and that classes would be resuming in a few days. Short to the point and devoid of care. Harry scrunched up the letter and through it aside. There was a short scribble from Oliver, it simply said that he had come looking for Harry and he'd be back later, that was obviously from before the meeting on the Quidditch pitch. A tiny smile graced Harry's lips, but it could have been missed in a blink of an eye.
The next two letters looked important, one was a thick cream parchment with an ebony seal and ribbon, the other was pure white, with a iridescent green wax seal that had an actual moving dragon imprinted on it. Harry set the cream one aside, knowing what it would be and set to work easing open the White envelope, curious as to whom else he knew that was still alive.
Potter,
You and I haven't been on good terms since first year when you scoffed at my offer of friendship. I'm not offering that anymore, but perhaps a truce.
I have seen you lately, a worthier Slytherin -bar myself of course- I doubt you could ever wish meet, for the last year, you have walked around, as cold and untouchable as stone, I have witnessed those moments when your mask slips, you are a Slytherin at heart, I can feel it. You are the only one who can beat him, but perhaps not on your own.
I have spent my whole life being told that the dark Lord was the most powerful being on the planet, and that when he returned, I would be the youngest Death Eater in history, and favoured beyond dreams. He is nothing. I see my father, a proud man, on his knees before him like a Muggle. I have more respect for myself than to kiss the hem of a Mudbloods robes.
One day, ether my father will get his wish for me or Voldemort will die they are the only options, nether I control. One day someone will decide my fate for me. Until then I can only say that I do not wish to be a Death Eater. I hope that I may be able to prove that.
My mother died in that fight Harry. And no, you didn't kill her, a Death Eater did. She turned to your side at the end you know. In the last fight she couldn't bring herself to kill. She had never had to before, so instead she tried to heal people, anyone, from ether side, I don't think she cared in the end, she just hated the death I think.
Do you know which Death Eater killed her? My father did. He saw her as a Malfoy weakness and killed her. How do I know he won't do it to me one day too?
You, at the last count, killed 56 in that little outburst of yours, but Voldemort didn't have all his followers at that battle, there are ones loyal to him you didn't get.
56? That was almost double what Harry had guessed. He continued to read, his vision blurry, the almost non-existent heat in the Gryffindor tower becoming stifling.
I hear much from my 'father' as he wants me to become the next Malfoy in Voldemort's service, it may prove of use. I will only share this information if you promise me that once you finally drive that son of a bitch into the ground where he belongs you will vouch for my loyalties and keep me from Azkaban.
This parchment is charmed so only you may read it, show it to anyone else and it will be nothing but a recipe for a Shrinking Solution. I am risking a lot with this Potter, I do not wish this to get back to Dumbledore, I will not kiss Voldemort's robes, but I will not blindly follow the Muggle champion ether.
Awaiting your owl.
~D.M.
Harry was dumfounded. He had gotten bored of his rivalry with Draco in fifth year, he had lost interest in there petty fights, he had after all, got a war to fight, but it was still a revelation to find Malfoy coming to him for help. He agreed with not telling the old meddler, but he would have to talk to Sev about it, though he doubted Draco would mind Harry telling the Slytherin Head of house.
Putting the letter aside he slowly picked up the black sealed letter, tears streaming down his face before he had even opened it. A request for his presence at Ron's funeral.
~*~*~TBC~*~*~
AN: OK, I finally got Oliver in! I don't know where the letter from Draco came in, but when my muse gets an idea it just won't shut up till I write it so there you go. I hadn't planned for him to have anything to do with it. Oh well.
Anthenakitty: LOL I have no idea if Harry 'n' Sev are gona get married, there just don't tell me things like that! But as for the rest you'll have to keep reading!
Xikum: LOL, I didn't really clear anything up in this chappy, but I promise, it will come eventually!
Andia: Well, Dumbledores daughter is important, but she won't be in the story. She has been mentioned briefly in the HP books, but I'm using some of that magic authors licence to make her Dumbledores daughter.
Katy999: Thanks for sending this chappy back so quickly! I wondered bout that too I'm curious if even in the books he's not all that good really.
Snape Coolgirl: LOL, here ya go, new chappy! I'm glad you're enjoying it!