A/N: Stares in amazement Wow… L-look at all the r-reviews… Oh my, I'm so touched! Thank you guys (and girls)!!! I'm sorry I didn't put a response to your reviews but I did enjoy them and I'll try to respond to them next time. Oh! And I'm so sorry this wasn't up earlier. I was hit with a writer's block. ^^;;;; Darn thing!
Any way on with the fic!
The Return of the Phoenix
Chapter 3
(Can't think of a title! ^^;;)
A/N: This takes place two days after the last chapter ended.
****
The bed Sirius Black lay on was warm and soft, a welcome but a change that took some getting used to. Twelve years of mostly 'sleeping' on a cold stone floor, then wherever he could when he was on the run, had left him used to hard surfaces. The man rolled over, stared out he window for a moment, gaining his bearings.
I'm at Moony's, he thought. Yes, he had been at his Remus' since around the time Hogwart's had let out of school. Hogwart's… Harry… Sirius closed his eyes against the wave of emotional pain that swept across him at the mention of his godson. He'd left Harry in his time of need. He knew in essence he had had to leave, to warn the others of Voldemort's return, but it still hurt. He still felt he had abandoned him.
It had come as small comfort, when Sirius had received a letter from Dumbledore informing him that Harry had gone to the Weasley's for the rest of the summer. Almost anywhere was better, he knew, then Harry's relatives' house. The answer on the subject of why Harry had had to return to those… people, had alluded Sirius. Dumbledore had somehow directed all conversations away from it.
Sirius slowly rose, stretching his limbs, before clambering out of bed. The house was empty, which was to be expected. Remus was out at the job he had managed to obtain, and wouldn't be back until late into the afternoon.
The innocent convict took a deep breath of the smell of the meal that had been left to him by Beryl, a house-elf on loan from Hogwarts that Lupin had insisted on keeping around to help with Sirius. (Especially since Remus did feel like coming home to find that he had no home, because Sirius had burnt the house down.) The house-elf in question was bouncing up and down in excitement, her ears flopping around her head.
"Master Sirius is up! Master Sirius is to eat!" The creature bounced around Sirius, and began pushing him towards the table. Sirius chuckled, lightly swatting her away, but still obeying. "Ok, ok, I can take a hint." He said. She stared at him with dubious violet eyes. "Master Sirius is sure? Master Sirius will eat?" Sirius nodded vigorously, taking a bite of the food to prove his word. Satisfied, Beryl disappeared upstairs.
He was just enjoying the last of his orange juice when he caught movement outside the window out of the corner of his eye. Curiously he looked at the window, and almost choked when he saw a flash of black and white. Instantly, his suspicious nature made the assumption that it was a Death Eater. Never did it accure to him it could be anyone else.
"Beryl!" He called, dropping his utensils onto the table and hurriedly got up. His house elf companion appeared beside him, looking a little upset. "Master Sirius, there is many men outside house!" Sirius turned on her sharply. "There's more than one?" He started making his way upstairs before she could answer. Beryl bobbed along beside him. "Yes, five men in white masks! They is closing in when Beryl looked out window. Almost saw Beryl! Terrified I is."
Sirius reached the top and dashed for his room, and after rummaging around found what he was looking for: A bag he could carry in dog form that was magicked to hold an endless amount of stuff. He was stuffing it with some cloths when he said, "Beryl, go back to Hogwarts. I'll try to get out threw the window." Beryl immediately shook her head. "Beryl is to stay with Master Sirius, I is. Professor Lupin says stay with Master Sirius at all times."
Sirius made a frustrated noise, and then unexpectedly scoped the house elf up. "Hold on tight. When I get to the ground I'm going to make a dash for the woods. I don't want to have to come back for you." She nodded and moved into a semi-secure position on his back.
After he was sure she wouldn't fall, the animagi moved to the window and peered out. He couldn't see anyone, and found out why when a door creaked downstairs.
They were inside.
Sirius took a deep breath and climbed out, careful not to hurt Beryl in the process. Outside there was a small ledge, and then one would come to a good nine-foot drop. Silently he thanked Remus for have grass planted in the back, before strategically dropping. He landed with a barely audible *thud*. Not wasting a moment, he was canine and heading for the woods.
****
The first sensations Harry felt upon waking up were warmth, softness, and that he was lying down. Groggily, he opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling attempting to remember why he was lying down. He remembered coming to Hogwarts and Dumbledore calling up to his office to tell him about… Harry shoot up in bed, looking around frantically… then slumped against the backboard when no one was in the room with him.
He must he been dreaming, he rationalized. He must have been daydreaming and fainted or dozed off; yes, that was it. There was no possible way his father could have been there… hugging him… For some reason this hurt. Badly. He cursed himself for allowing himself to believe it in the first place that his father had— His train of thought was cut off, and the one person he'd been trying to convince himself didn't exist, walked in not paying him any attention.
Harry felt all his emotions drain in something beyond relief as he watched the man currently messing with something on the couch. Oh God, he was there. He was alive. Harry didn't realize tears had welled up in his eyes.
James felt eyes on his back and turn, hoping Harry was awake, and started when he saw him crying. "Harry?"
"Y-you're alive." The raven-haired boy whispered. "I thought I was dreaming…"
James had little warning, for suddenly he found himself sitting on the floor, his raven-haired son's face buried in his robes. Harry breathed in his father's sent; wilderness, mischievousness, if it had had been able to be expressed to the sense of smell, and life itself, it seemed. It was somehow familiar, yet alien all the same. "I can't believe you're here! You're real! But- But how?" Harry exclaimed once he pulled back. "I thought that the dead couldn't-" his voice wavered slightly here, "Couldn't be brought back to life?"
James blinked trying to get his bearings. "Um, actually, I believe the phrase is no spell can bring the dead back. Potions are different matters all together," he blushed slightly, which Harry found curious, "As for how I'm here, that well, was a total accident." At his son's questioning look he said, "I knew a girl named Whenzy back in school, even saved her from- well- something, and for her safety," he paused briefly, "Ok, out of sheer panic, Sirius placed a memory charm on her, and we got her to the hospital wing. She never found out we'd done what happened thankfully.
Anyway, turns out she tore part of my invisibility cloak, and used it in the potion, and here I am!" James could have sworn Harry muttered, "Sheer dumb luck" under his breath, but wasn't too sure.
"How long was I a sleep?"
"I believe it has been two days? Yes, I would have woken you earlier but you seemed to need the sleep…"
Harry looked mildly horrified. "Oh noRon and Hermione are probably going insane wondering where I am."
Harry scrambled off the floor. He paused at the door when he realized James wasn't behind him, instead still sitting on the floor watching him. Harry smiled brightly at him as he said, "Would you like to meet my friends?" James slowly returned the smile, nodding.
"And besides," James had said as they walked out the door. "I must hear how things have changed."
*
"So, tell me," said James, as they made their way down to Gryffindor common room. "How's McGonagall fairing? I heard she's still here." Harry considered before explaining that if she had been strict back when James went to school, then she hadn't changed much. James chuckled in amusement, and said she would never change.
"What about Hawthorn? Does he teach Potions still? I'd rather not know if the old bat, Trelawny, is still here." Harry snorted. "Oh she's here all right." He said bitterly. "You don't sound happy. Let me guess, she's been predicting deaths again." Again Harry answered in a bitter tone that it was only him she predicted the death of. He then noticed a mischievous gleam in his father's eyes, and smirked. Oh the old coot would be getting it this year…
"Hawthorn, you never said if he was still here…"
"No… He's not here…"
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this…?"
"Snape teaches potions."
James stumbled, managed to catch himself before he got to know the ground first-hand, and turned to stare at him. "Snape?" He stammered. "Severus Snape?? Why on earth is he here?!?"
"He teaches potions, like I said." Harry said disgustedly. "Absolutely no one, but the Slytherins, likes him."
As he regained his composure and they began walking again, James said, "It's no wonder. Back when I knew him he was nothing but a slimy git, who had no life." He heard Harry mutter: "Hasn't gotten any better…" He raised an eyebrow at him. "I take it Snape doesn't like you very much."
Harry bitterly laughed. "Doesn't like me is putting it mildly. Every year him not somehow getting me expelled is a surprise. Stupid Death Eater." He added under his breath. James though, didn't hear it, he was to busy planning revenge.
They both stopped. Before them was the Fat Lady's portrait. Both blinked. That was short, James thought, usually it felt it took forever to get to the portrait…
"Um, er, …Dad?" Harry stammered. Feeling awkward and a little foolish on not know what to call his father. James looked at him, and Harry took it as an 'ok' to call him that. "Did someone tell them about you?"
James considered it. He doubted Dumbledore wouldn't have warned them. Personally, he didn't think the headmaster would enjoy the hospital wing full of students thinking they'd lost their minds. "I would think so… Yes." James said slowly. Harry nodded in agreement. It was most likely.
"Nothlith," James said to the Fat Lady, who was still in a state of delight over his return, and swung open. Taking a deep breath, Harry entered the room followed shortly by his father.
***
(Somewhere in Wales…)
The room in which the Dark Lord sat could have, even if seen by a muggle, been called evil, yet beautiful all the same. The walls were made of marble, white as snow, the dozens of pillars that supported the ceiling the same color. The silver and green drapes hung in the one window of the room, closing it off from the rest of the world.
In the center, seated on an exquisite, high raised throne, Voldemort watched them with a ghost of a smile on his lipless mouth. The Death Eaters had returned. "I take it at least one of your groups were successful?" He hissed
A death eater stepped forward, bowing low. "Yes, my lord," came the silky smooth voice of Lucius Malfoy. "We were able to capture our target."
Voldemort turned to the leader of the other group. "And you, Avery? Were you successful in your capture?" Even with the robes, the wizard beneath could be seen trembling. There was a murmur in reply. Voldemort glared down at him. "Am I to take it you didn't capture Black, Avery?" He savored the way the pathetic man shuddered. "…N-No, my," a pause were a swallow could be heard, "my lord."
He didn't even see it coming. "Crucio!" Avery fell to the ground screaming, and twitching; pulling into himself as if it would relieve his pain. But of course it couldn't, and it didn't.
Soon Voldemort grew bored of the wizard's screams, and released him. "Let this be a warning to you, next time I shan't be so lenient. Now get this worthless… thing out of my sight." Two nameless death eaters scrambled forward to take the hapless Avery away from the Dark Lord's sight before he changed his mind.
"Crabbe, Goyle," Voldemort beckoned, "Bring the prisoner forward. I wish him to know what part he will be playing soon.
Two rather large, bordering on huge death eaters dragged an unconscious man forward and non-to-gently dropped him at the foot of Voldemort's throne. Lazily the serpentine man pointed his wand at the body, and said, "Enervate."
The man stirred, blinking dazed blue eyes. Everyone, well every one of the Death Eaters anyways, watched with bated breath, as the man slowly raised himself on shaky arms, and moved his knees beneath him to sit on them. When he finally raised his eyes, everyone saw his mouth open in a faint gasp, and his eyes widen in terror.
The Dark Lord Voldemort smiled cruelly. "Welcome to my home, Remus Lupin, for you'll never leave it alive."
To be continued…Sirius: You enjoy doing that to him, don't you?
Miss Sera: Well….
Sirius: First you have sugary-sweet reunions, then you somehow mange to get three cliffhangers in one chapter!!
Miss Sera: …Technically your part wasn't a cliffhanger…
Sirius: scowls Whatever, all I'm going to say is, you'd better not get Remus killed.
Miss Sera: Do I look the cruel? Sirius just looks at her. Sighs Never mind. Ta, Ta till next time everyone!
