Chapter Eighteen: The Fall of Silence
The next morning Harry woke to find himself in the hospital wing, the previous night's events a blur of images.and pain. Rubbing his chest, he encountered Ginny's Liefgema and his hand recoiled sharply, before he grabbed the chain and pulled it out. The gem was giving off enormous heat, but it wasn't warmth, instead it was raging and uncontrolled.
* * *
'I don't care,' Ginny snapped at Fred. 'I don't care what he says, I hate him.'
'Would you hate me too?' George asked. 'Ron thought Harry had hurt you Gin, he just did what any of us would have done - you're our little sister!'
'We all love you,' Fred continued, 'and we'd do anything to protect you.'
'Harry was protecting me!' Ginny whispered fiercely. 'Why can't you accept that?'
'Because you'll always be our little sister!' George replied. 'No matter how old you are we'll always feel responsible for you that way. I know Harry's like a brother to Ron, but that doesn't mean the same thing.'
'He's like a brother to all of us,' Fred added, 'but that doesn't mean he knows what a brother feels.'
'He's more than a brother to me,' Ginny replied quietly, her eyes sparkling as more tears fell. Before Fred or George could respond, Ginny got up from the breakfast table and ran out of the hall, not even noticing the jeering Slytherins as she left. Rising angrily, George began to head for their table, but Fred's hand pulled him back down.
Further down the table, Ron sat inconsolable, Hermione beside him. She kept trying to look him in the eye but he just ate automatically. Around them sat the rest of the fifth year Gryffindors, all of them watching him out of the side of their eyes, and all of them avoiding the space where Harry normally sat opposite Ron.
* * *
'Up I see,' Madam Pomfrey remarked as she walked into the ward from her office, but her voice was not the usual sharp tone she used. Walking over to Harry's bed she pressed a palm to his head but found no temperature. 'Try and say something,' she instructed softly, holding a finger to his throat but not pressing down.
Harry gulped as he tried to speak, moving his mouth and shaping his throat he found that while he was shouting a word, no sound came out. 'Stop, Harry,' the nurse interrupted as he drew in a breath, 'that will only make it hurt.' Letting out a sigh she picked up a cup of liquid and gave it to him. He took it without explanation, so far Madam Pomfrey had never been wrong about a cure. 'Your vocal chords have been paralysed,' she explained as he sipped the liquid, as he looked up she answered the question in his mind.
'I don't know why, but if you'd care to enlighten me.?' she held out a quill and parchment, but was unsurprised at the one word Harry wrote. 'He'll be here soon,' she replied softly, then left him to replace the medicine in a cupboard. When she returned he was sleeping once more.
The scrap of parchment in his hand fell to the floor, the name scribbled on it read: Sirius.
* * *
'Where is he, Albus?' Sirius demanded as he practically fell through the door into the Headmaster's office.
'The hospital wing, ' Dumbledore replied, and with a flick of his wand he shut the door as Sirius tried to run through it. 'A minute, if you could spare it please, Sirius?' His voice was calm and polite, and although Sirius wanted to go he nodded and sat at the chair by the headmaster's desk. 'I don't know what caused this to happen, but after Christmas I am guessing we believe the same culprit to be responsible?'
'Who else?' Sirius replied, his voice steady but eyes flashing. 'I told you we couldn't trust him.'
'Severus has my trust,' Dumbledore replied, his own eyes glinting back at Sirius, 'and I recall that you gave him your own last year.' Before Sirius could object Dumbledore raised a palm, 'I ask that you don't confront him, after all, his persuading Julian to return could be the only thing that protects Harry this year.'
Sirius slumped back, pinching his eyes and letting out a deep breath before he looked back up at the Headmaster. 'You're right, as always,' he added with a wry grin. 'I'll stay out of Snape's way - but keep him away from me.'
'I will,' Dumbledore replied, 'and now that you are going, may I suggest that it be Snuffles who visits Harry - until you are alone at least? None of the other students are aware of your innocence yet, after all.'
'I'll be careful,' Sirius promised, aware that the sight of a convicted murderer running around the school would not improve Dumbledore's standing with the Ministry. With that he left the office, letting Dumbledore sit alone in the silence, broken only by the soft wheezes of the ex- headmasters. After a while, Dumbledore turned and removed the Pensieve from the cabinet, placing the dish in front of him and staring into its murky depths.
Taking a few strands from his head, he let them fall into the liquid, and after a few seconds a figure formed out of the swirling mass. Tears running down her face, Ginny's trembling form began to speak to him again, telling him all that had happened.
'Let her be wrong,' he whispered to himself when she was done, looking at the staff portrait he had had taken, in particular at the grim-faced Snape. 'Please, let her be wrong.'
For the first time in years, Dumbledore felt the weight of defeat on his shoulders.
* * *
Harry awoke to a soft whining, and found a wet nose nuzzling his hand gently. A smile crept onto his face and he made to speak the name he had written, but once more his own voice had deserted him. 'I'll leave you now,' Madam Pomfrey said, not even blinking an eye as Sirius reverted to human form, but true to her word she locked the ward's door, and returned to her office.
Watching her close the door, Harry turned back to Sirius who was now sitting on his bed. There was a worried expression on his godfather's face, but a warm smile there anyway. Shifting so that he sat on the bed, he was unprepared for Harry's hug, but held the boy close as he trembled in his arms. Holding him gently, Sirius let his mind wander, back to the last time he remembered holding Harry, with Lily and James watching carefully in the background.
After a few minutes, or it could have been longer, Harry pulled away from his godfather, his fear temporarily washed away by the reassurance and warmth he felt there. 'So, what the hell happened to you?' and as he asked, Sirius produced a piece of paper and a quill, pulling a wry face as he did so. 'It's the only way I know of,' he replied seeing Harry's sour look, but grinning nonetheless.
Taking the quill Harry scribbled quickly, then gave the sheet back to Sirius, a look of expectation on his face. Sirius took in the name, nodded once and then returned the paper to Harry who shot him a confused and frustrated look. 'I knew,' Sirius replied, and beneath the calm, Harry detected a firm strength. 'Don't worry, I'll take care of this.'
He paused for a minute, then let a smile settle in his face. 'How's other things been going?' Harry titled his head in puzzlement, and Sirius held out a hand in reply. 'Can I see your birthday present?'
Harry flushed in reply, but took out the Liefgema and handed it to Sirius. He didn't seem that surprised that it wasn't the same one. 'What happened?' he asked Harry, a large grin on his face, it grew even large when Harry scribbled; 'Long story' on the parchment. Sirius just nodded again, but Harry didn't mind, somehow he knew that Sirius had already worked out where his Liefgema had ended up.
'Seeing as I wasn't here for Christmas,' Sirius continued, reaching down to lift a bag that he'd been holding in his mouth as he arrived. 'Sorry about the tooth marks,' he said with a lopsided expression, 'canines are a bit of a hindrance sometimes.' Making a wheezing chuckle of a sound Harry took the bag and opened it, revealing a horde of sweets, several of which were scuttling around looking for a way out of the bag. 'They'll stop moving once you catch them, and they're all made of jelly' he added, watching a beetle run over the top, 'well, the label said they were all made of jelly.'
'I have to go now,' Sirius said abruptly, 'I needed to check on you though, but that,' and he waved at Harry's scribbled note, 'changes some things.' Harry could guess what, so nodded in reply, then hugged Sirius once more as his godfather returned the Liefgema. 'You'll be fine,' Sirius said fondly, rubbing Harry's already scruffy hair, 'spouting rubbish again in no time.'
Harry grinned, and the smile stayed even after Sirius had gone.
* * *
Ginny had never felt more alone, lying on her bed as tears flowed freely down her face. She had been there since breakfast, sometime sleeping and sometimes just staring - not even her friends had tried to disturb her. Even as her dormitory door squeaked open she ignored the sound, not even moving when she felt the person sit down on her bed beside her.
Face stitched with worry, Ron reached for his sister's shoulder, but stopped when he noticed her deep breathing. Resolving himself, he tried again to stir her shoulder to wake her, but stopped himself short. Silently, he stood and left the room while Ginny remained still, her eyes wide open and focused on the wall opposite the door.
A few minutes later the door squeaked opened again, this time the footsteps were soft and sure, not nervous like Ron's had been. Again, Ginny ignored the weight of the person sitting on her bed, until a tear shaped gem swung down in front of her eyes.
Sitting up, she turned to see Harry's face, smiling but apologetic, and with a small cry she collapsed into his arms. Once more, tears flowed down her face as they embraced, but this time, they were tears of joy.
* * *
Ron was staring at the ceiling of his bed, just lying awake as his thoughts returned to the day and the previous evening. Each time he flinched, Hermione let out a small moan of complaint, but then continued dozing softly beside him. He couldn't remember when she'd come into the room and climbed onto the bed beside him, but her embrace could not shake the pain that Ron felt in himself - or the pain that he'd caused in others.
The door opened and he turned his head, then sat bolt upright as Harry and Ginny walked in, both smiling at him. With a gentle push from Harry, Ginny ran forwards and embraced her brother as he stood up to meet her, hugging her back fiercely. 'I'm sorry,' he mumbled, the words burning fiercely in his throat.
'I am too,' Ginny whispered, 'you're my brother and I love you, no matter what I say.'
'I know, Gin, I love you too.' After holding her for a few minutes, Ron let her go and pulled back, smiling at her as she beamed back at him. Walking over to Harry, he held out his hand. 'I'll never do that again,' he said, 'I should have trusted you.' And to Ron's embarrassment, Harry ignored his hand and embraced him warmly, provoking a small giggle from Ginny as Ron tried to push him off, then gave in and returned the friendly hug.
'How about we go get something done then?' Ron asked, getting a nod from Harry, and a squeeze of his hand from Ginny. With a grin on his face Harry lifted the wriggling bag of jelly insects that Sirius had given him. 'I hope they're not what I think they are,' Ron replied.
'I already ate the spiders,' Ginny said. 'There might be a couple hiding in the darkness though,' she added teasingly, then began giggling manically and dodged out the door as Ron made a playful grab for her.
And so the three of them left the dormitory, mostly quiet apart from Ginny's giggling, and closing the door to leave Hermione sleeping into the night.
The next morning Harry woke to find himself in the hospital wing, the previous night's events a blur of images.and pain. Rubbing his chest, he encountered Ginny's Liefgema and his hand recoiled sharply, before he grabbed the chain and pulled it out. The gem was giving off enormous heat, but it wasn't warmth, instead it was raging and uncontrolled.
* * *
'I don't care,' Ginny snapped at Fred. 'I don't care what he says, I hate him.'
'Would you hate me too?' George asked. 'Ron thought Harry had hurt you Gin, he just did what any of us would have done - you're our little sister!'
'We all love you,' Fred continued, 'and we'd do anything to protect you.'
'Harry was protecting me!' Ginny whispered fiercely. 'Why can't you accept that?'
'Because you'll always be our little sister!' George replied. 'No matter how old you are we'll always feel responsible for you that way. I know Harry's like a brother to Ron, but that doesn't mean the same thing.'
'He's like a brother to all of us,' Fred added, 'but that doesn't mean he knows what a brother feels.'
'He's more than a brother to me,' Ginny replied quietly, her eyes sparkling as more tears fell. Before Fred or George could respond, Ginny got up from the breakfast table and ran out of the hall, not even noticing the jeering Slytherins as she left. Rising angrily, George began to head for their table, but Fred's hand pulled him back down.
Further down the table, Ron sat inconsolable, Hermione beside him. She kept trying to look him in the eye but he just ate automatically. Around them sat the rest of the fifth year Gryffindors, all of them watching him out of the side of their eyes, and all of them avoiding the space where Harry normally sat opposite Ron.
* * *
'Up I see,' Madam Pomfrey remarked as she walked into the ward from her office, but her voice was not the usual sharp tone she used. Walking over to Harry's bed she pressed a palm to his head but found no temperature. 'Try and say something,' she instructed softly, holding a finger to his throat but not pressing down.
Harry gulped as he tried to speak, moving his mouth and shaping his throat he found that while he was shouting a word, no sound came out. 'Stop, Harry,' the nurse interrupted as he drew in a breath, 'that will only make it hurt.' Letting out a sigh she picked up a cup of liquid and gave it to him. He took it without explanation, so far Madam Pomfrey had never been wrong about a cure. 'Your vocal chords have been paralysed,' she explained as he sipped the liquid, as he looked up she answered the question in his mind.
'I don't know why, but if you'd care to enlighten me.?' she held out a quill and parchment, but was unsurprised at the one word Harry wrote. 'He'll be here soon,' she replied softly, then left him to replace the medicine in a cupboard. When she returned he was sleeping once more.
The scrap of parchment in his hand fell to the floor, the name scribbled on it read: Sirius.
* * *
'Where is he, Albus?' Sirius demanded as he practically fell through the door into the Headmaster's office.
'The hospital wing, ' Dumbledore replied, and with a flick of his wand he shut the door as Sirius tried to run through it. 'A minute, if you could spare it please, Sirius?' His voice was calm and polite, and although Sirius wanted to go he nodded and sat at the chair by the headmaster's desk. 'I don't know what caused this to happen, but after Christmas I am guessing we believe the same culprit to be responsible?'
'Who else?' Sirius replied, his voice steady but eyes flashing. 'I told you we couldn't trust him.'
'Severus has my trust,' Dumbledore replied, his own eyes glinting back at Sirius, 'and I recall that you gave him your own last year.' Before Sirius could object Dumbledore raised a palm, 'I ask that you don't confront him, after all, his persuading Julian to return could be the only thing that protects Harry this year.'
Sirius slumped back, pinching his eyes and letting out a deep breath before he looked back up at the Headmaster. 'You're right, as always,' he added with a wry grin. 'I'll stay out of Snape's way - but keep him away from me.'
'I will,' Dumbledore replied, 'and now that you are going, may I suggest that it be Snuffles who visits Harry - until you are alone at least? None of the other students are aware of your innocence yet, after all.'
'I'll be careful,' Sirius promised, aware that the sight of a convicted murderer running around the school would not improve Dumbledore's standing with the Ministry. With that he left the office, letting Dumbledore sit alone in the silence, broken only by the soft wheezes of the ex- headmasters. After a while, Dumbledore turned and removed the Pensieve from the cabinet, placing the dish in front of him and staring into its murky depths.
Taking a few strands from his head, he let them fall into the liquid, and after a few seconds a figure formed out of the swirling mass. Tears running down her face, Ginny's trembling form began to speak to him again, telling him all that had happened.
'Let her be wrong,' he whispered to himself when she was done, looking at the staff portrait he had had taken, in particular at the grim-faced Snape. 'Please, let her be wrong.'
For the first time in years, Dumbledore felt the weight of defeat on his shoulders.
* * *
Harry awoke to a soft whining, and found a wet nose nuzzling his hand gently. A smile crept onto his face and he made to speak the name he had written, but once more his own voice had deserted him. 'I'll leave you now,' Madam Pomfrey said, not even blinking an eye as Sirius reverted to human form, but true to her word she locked the ward's door, and returned to her office.
Watching her close the door, Harry turned back to Sirius who was now sitting on his bed. There was a worried expression on his godfather's face, but a warm smile there anyway. Shifting so that he sat on the bed, he was unprepared for Harry's hug, but held the boy close as he trembled in his arms. Holding him gently, Sirius let his mind wander, back to the last time he remembered holding Harry, with Lily and James watching carefully in the background.
After a few minutes, or it could have been longer, Harry pulled away from his godfather, his fear temporarily washed away by the reassurance and warmth he felt there. 'So, what the hell happened to you?' and as he asked, Sirius produced a piece of paper and a quill, pulling a wry face as he did so. 'It's the only way I know of,' he replied seeing Harry's sour look, but grinning nonetheless.
Taking the quill Harry scribbled quickly, then gave the sheet back to Sirius, a look of expectation on his face. Sirius took in the name, nodded once and then returned the paper to Harry who shot him a confused and frustrated look. 'I knew,' Sirius replied, and beneath the calm, Harry detected a firm strength. 'Don't worry, I'll take care of this.'
He paused for a minute, then let a smile settle in his face. 'How's other things been going?' Harry titled his head in puzzlement, and Sirius held out a hand in reply. 'Can I see your birthday present?'
Harry flushed in reply, but took out the Liefgema and handed it to Sirius. He didn't seem that surprised that it wasn't the same one. 'What happened?' he asked Harry, a large grin on his face, it grew even large when Harry scribbled; 'Long story' on the parchment. Sirius just nodded again, but Harry didn't mind, somehow he knew that Sirius had already worked out where his Liefgema had ended up.
'Seeing as I wasn't here for Christmas,' Sirius continued, reaching down to lift a bag that he'd been holding in his mouth as he arrived. 'Sorry about the tooth marks,' he said with a lopsided expression, 'canines are a bit of a hindrance sometimes.' Making a wheezing chuckle of a sound Harry took the bag and opened it, revealing a horde of sweets, several of which were scuttling around looking for a way out of the bag. 'They'll stop moving once you catch them, and they're all made of jelly' he added, watching a beetle run over the top, 'well, the label said they were all made of jelly.'
'I have to go now,' Sirius said abruptly, 'I needed to check on you though, but that,' and he waved at Harry's scribbled note, 'changes some things.' Harry could guess what, so nodded in reply, then hugged Sirius once more as his godfather returned the Liefgema. 'You'll be fine,' Sirius said fondly, rubbing Harry's already scruffy hair, 'spouting rubbish again in no time.'
Harry grinned, and the smile stayed even after Sirius had gone.
* * *
Ginny had never felt more alone, lying on her bed as tears flowed freely down her face. She had been there since breakfast, sometime sleeping and sometimes just staring - not even her friends had tried to disturb her. Even as her dormitory door squeaked open she ignored the sound, not even moving when she felt the person sit down on her bed beside her.
Face stitched with worry, Ron reached for his sister's shoulder, but stopped when he noticed her deep breathing. Resolving himself, he tried again to stir her shoulder to wake her, but stopped himself short. Silently, he stood and left the room while Ginny remained still, her eyes wide open and focused on the wall opposite the door.
A few minutes later the door squeaked opened again, this time the footsteps were soft and sure, not nervous like Ron's had been. Again, Ginny ignored the weight of the person sitting on her bed, until a tear shaped gem swung down in front of her eyes.
Sitting up, she turned to see Harry's face, smiling but apologetic, and with a small cry she collapsed into his arms. Once more, tears flowed down her face as they embraced, but this time, they were tears of joy.
* * *
Ron was staring at the ceiling of his bed, just lying awake as his thoughts returned to the day and the previous evening. Each time he flinched, Hermione let out a small moan of complaint, but then continued dozing softly beside him. He couldn't remember when she'd come into the room and climbed onto the bed beside him, but her embrace could not shake the pain that Ron felt in himself - or the pain that he'd caused in others.
The door opened and he turned his head, then sat bolt upright as Harry and Ginny walked in, both smiling at him. With a gentle push from Harry, Ginny ran forwards and embraced her brother as he stood up to meet her, hugging her back fiercely. 'I'm sorry,' he mumbled, the words burning fiercely in his throat.
'I am too,' Ginny whispered, 'you're my brother and I love you, no matter what I say.'
'I know, Gin, I love you too.' After holding her for a few minutes, Ron let her go and pulled back, smiling at her as she beamed back at him. Walking over to Harry, he held out his hand. 'I'll never do that again,' he said, 'I should have trusted you.' And to Ron's embarrassment, Harry ignored his hand and embraced him warmly, provoking a small giggle from Ginny as Ron tried to push him off, then gave in and returned the friendly hug.
'How about we go get something done then?' Ron asked, getting a nod from Harry, and a squeeze of his hand from Ginny. With a grin on his face Harry lifted the wriggling bag of jelly insects that Sirius had given him. 'I hope they're not what I think they are,' Ron replied.
'I already ate the spiders,' Ginny said. 'There might be a couple hiding in the darkness though,' she added teasingly, then began giggling manically and dodged out the door as Ron made a playful grab for her.
And so the three of them left the dormitory, mostly quiet apart from Ginny's giggling, and closing the door to leave Hermione sleeping into the night.
