A big day
***Warning: There will be mild spoilers for OOP from now on.***
"Come on, then.", Sirius called from the kitchen.
Harry and Dudley shrugged and walked into the kitchen. Sirius had pulled the fruit salad out of the fridge and was opening cupboard s haphazardly around the kitchen, as though he were looking for something.
"So, how do you like your eggs?", he asked them.
Harry opened the proper cabinet and handed Sirius the frying pan. Sirius grinned, "Thanks, Harry."
"I can't have eggs." Dudley said dully. He sat down at the kitchen table and started helping himself to fruit salad. He heaped his bowl full and glanced longingly at the sugar bowl.
"Nonsense, of course you can have eggs! You need protein for muscles. Especially, with what I have in store for you two." Sirius said. "As a matter of fact some toast wouldn't hurt either."
Harry pulled out the toaster and grabbed the bread from the bread-box. He began making toast as Sirius was frying up the eggs. "Dudley, have you taken your diet potion today?", Harry asked.
"Yeah", he answered over a mouthful of fruit, "I have it in my nightstand so I can take it as soon as I wake up. Well, and to keep mum from seeing it."
"Diet potion?" Sirius quirked his eyebrow curiously at Harry.
"Well, it isn't really a diet potion. It is a To Good Health, potion. Snape sent me the recipe. He said it would help Dudley's body adjust to his new diet. Dudley kept loosing weight and his body sort of leveled off, and he stopped loosing weight. Snapes potion should help his body adjust and with his continued hard work he should start loosing weight again." Harry explained.
Sirius placed the eggs on the table and gave Dudley an appraising look. "Well, you don't look like you need to starve yourself. You just need a bit of toning up. Just keep exercising and you should muscle up nicely."
Harry brought over the stack of toast, and began serving himself. He eyed Dudley who didn't touch the eggs or toast Sirius had placed in front of him. He just kept eating his fruit and ignored the tempting smells around him.
Sirius gulped his coffee down and poured himself some more. He too noticed that Dudley was ignoring the plate in front of him. He pushed the plate closer to Dudley. "Trust me, eat."
Dudley sighed and finally gave in. He didn't eat an extraordinary amount, but he did eat.
"So, tell me about this coach Witherspoon.", Sirius said winking at Harry.
Dudley blushed, "Er, not much to say really."
"I understand she is quite the babe." Sirius said grinning.
Dudley choked on his orange juice and stared disbelievingly at Sirius. "How do you know?" He asked incredulously.
"Oh, I have friends in high places. So, tell me about her." Sirius said.
Dudley wiped his face of orange juice and began. "Well, she is beautiful. She has all of us training really hard. But, we think she might be sick or something. She keeps needing to take time off." , he said frowning. "Mike reckons she has cancer and has to keep going to kemo therapy."
Sirius frowned, "Well. it is sort of like that." He looked at Harry as though asking if were safe to tell Dudley the truth. Harry nodded.
"She is a werewolf, Dud. She takes time off, because she is unsafe to be around you all during that time." Sirius explained.
"Wh- what?" Dudley choked on his orange juice again and set it down hard on the table.
Sirius patted him on the back. "She is a werewolf. She isn't dangerous. Only during the time she takes off before the full moon. I imagine that is why she takes that time off."
"Is she a witch like you?" Dudley asked.
"No, that it is why it is even harder on her. Professor Snape is going to provide her with the Wolfs-bane potion. My old Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin, is a werewolf. He is going to be with her during the moon phase." Harry explained.
Dudley stiffened. "Oh. So, does he know Coach Witherspoon?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah, when I told everyone about how she disappeared during the full moon, they went to investigate her. To make sure you were safe."
"So, tell us more about her.", Sirius repeated.
Dudley shrugged. "She used to teach in America, but when the position of fitness teacher came open she applied and came on over. She is a great teacher."
Harry noticed that Dudley was uncomfortable with this subject so he decided to save his cousin by changing it. "So, Sirius, what are our big plans today?"
"Does this place have a cellar?" Sirius asked choosing to ignore Harry's question.
"Right there." Dudley said pointing to the door behind the refrigerator.
"Great!" Sirius said, "That'll make things much easier. Dumbledore said we should stay inside."
"What should be easier and why do we have to stay inside?" Harry asked.
"I am going to teach you two how to defend yourselves." Sirius said picking up the empty plates.
"But-Dudley is a muggle and you know I am not allowed to use magic during the holidays." Harry said looking confused.
"I am gong to train you to fight with out a wand. Muggle self defense. You never know when you will need to defend yourself with out a wand. I thought Dudley could do with a bit of training himself. You never know." Sirius said darkly.
"But where did you learn muggle self defense?" Harry asked.
"Auror training, with your father. A need to know if you should ever get caught with out your wand." Sirius said matter of factly.
Harry dropped the glass of juice he was holding and it shattered all over the floor. "You- you're an auror?!"
"What is an auror?" Dudley asked pulling the mop, broom and dustpan out of the closet.
Sirius laughed at the look of surprise on Harry's face. "An auror is a witch or wizard that tracks down dark wizards and brings them to justice." He managed to explain to Dudley.
Dudley looked up from cleaning the mess Harry had made. "Oh, what is so surprising about that?"
Sirius shrugged, "I imagine it is because I have been in Azkaban all these years." He noticed Dudley's confused look and added, "Wizarding prison."
"My mother wasn't very pleased of course. Mad Eye trained me and she absolutely loathed him." Sirius said.
Harry was just about to ask why Sirius's mother hated Moody when something thumped against the kitchen window. Sirius pullout his wand and pointed it at the window in one swift movement.
Hedwig was fluttering outside the window looking highly affronted. The reason came hurtling into view. Pig was flying around like a drunken bumblebee. Hedwig looked as though she would love to give him a good swat.
Sirius opened the window and Pig flew through and pounded right into Harry's chest. Harry caught him in his hand and noticed a note tied to his leg. Hedwig flew in and settled herself in front of Sirius. She stuck out her leg and hooted softly.
Harry wondered why Hedwig was bringing Sirius a letter and who sent it. He watched as Sirius untied his letter and read it. His face looked quite grim.
"Who is it from?", Harry asked ignoring Pigs insistent hoots.
"Moony.", Sirius said not looking up from his letter.
Harry untied his own note from Pig and opened it. It was from Ron.
Harry got your note. Dumbledore says you can't come to the Burrow this summer. It isn't safe. See you at school. Ron
Harry gaped at the letter in his hands disbelievingly. It looked like Ron's untidy handwriting, but it certainly didn't sound anything like Ron. He reread the letter and crumpled it up in frustration. "Ron says, that Dumbledore said I can't go to the Burrow this, because it isn't safe." He said tossing it into the garbage can.
Sirius continued reading his own letter from Remus with out looking up. "Uh-huh" he said blandly.
Dudley finished cleaning up the broken glass and orange juice. He sat beside Harry at the kitchen table. "I thought, Moody was a follower of that Voldemort guy.", he whispered to Harry.
"Not the real Moody. Barty Crouch drank Poly Juice potion to make him look like Moody." Sirius said folding up his letter and tucking it into his pocket.
"How does it make you look like someone else?" Dudley asked a little more loudly.
"You add a bit of who ever you want to look like to the potion." Harry explained and gave a disgusted look. "It tastes awful."
"How do you now what Poly juice potion tastes like? That is fifth year material." Sirius said grinning at Harry.
"Uh-well- you see-" Harry started nervously. "During our second year we thought that Malfoy was setting loose a basilisk on the school. So, Ron, Hermione, and me used poly juice potion hoping to trick a confession out of him." When he noticed Sirius beaming proudly, he added. "Turned out not to be him and Hermione turned into a human cat. She added a cat hair on accident. She was in the hospital wing for weeks."
"Really?!", Sirius said excitedly and grinning madly. "You remind me so much of your father." He said patting Harry on the back. "Come on, let's go down stairs and start your training."
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
A few hours later Harry and Dudley were sweaty and tired. Sirius had them practicing how to throw someone over their shoulder, punching someone effectively in the nose, and practicing balancing in the horse stance while punching the air.
Dudley seemed to be catching on rather quickly. Harry felt stupid in the horse stance. "Why do we have to stand like this again?", he asked for what felt like the millionth time.
"It helps reinforce your blows and keeps your legs ready for kicking." Sirius said mechanically.
"But, with our legs spread like this people can kick us in the family jewels!" Dudley said in an exasperated tone.
"Not when I am through training you." Sirius said in a business like tone. "After lunch we will continue on blocking punches, and then move on to effective kicks."
On their way upstairs they heard the front door open. "Don't know what was wrong with the stuff. I'll have to send a complaint to the company." Aunt Marge was saying.
Sirius transformed quickly back into Snuffles, and rolled his eyes at Harry. Harry grinned, but not for long. Marge came pounding around the corner and glared at the sweaty boys. "What have you two been doing? Fighting?!", she said glaring accusingly at Harry.
"Uh-", Harry didn't know what to say. If he told them that they were down in the cellar learning how to fight they would have to explain that Snuffles was really Sirius Black...
***Warning: There will be mild spoilers for OOP from now on.***
"Come on, then.", Sirius called from the kitchen.
Harry and Dudley shrugged and walked into the kitchen. Sirius had pulled the fruit salad out of the fridge and was opening cupboard s haphazardly around the kitchen, as though he were looking for something.
"So, how do you like your eggs?", he asked them.
Harry opened the proper cabinet and handed Sirius the frying pan. Sirius grinned, "Thanks, Harry."
"I can't have eggs." Dudley said dully. He sat down at the kitchen table and started helping himself to fruit salad. He heaped his bowl full and glanced longingly at the sugar bowl.
"Nonsense, of course you can have eggs! You need protein for muscles. Especially, with what I have in store for you two." Sirius said. "As a matter of fact some toast wouldn't hurt either."
Harry pulled out the toaster and grabbed the bread from the bread-box. He began making toast as Sirius was frying up the eggs. "Dudley, have you taken your diet potion today?", Harry asked.
"Yeah", he answered over a mouthful of fruit, "I have it in my nightstand so I can take it as soon as I wake up. Well, and to keep mum from seeing it."
"Diet potion?" Sirius quirked his eyebrow curiously at Harry.
"Well, it isn't really a diet potion. It is a To Good Health, potion. Snape sent me the recipe. He said it would help Dudley's body adjust to his new diet. Dudley kept loosing weight and his body sort of leveled off, and he stopped loosing weight. Snapes potion should help his body adjust and with his continued hard work he should start loosing weight again." Harry explained.
Sirius placed the eggs on the table and gave Dudley an appraising look. "Well, you don't look like you need to starve yourself. You just need a bit of toning up. Just keep exercising and you should muscle up nicely."
Harry brought over the stack of toast, and began serving himself. He eyed Dudley who didn't touch the eggs or toast Sirius had placed in front of him. He just kept eating his fruit and ignored the tempting smells around him.
Sirius gulped his coffee down and poured himself some more. He too noticed that Dudley was ignoring the plate in front of him. He pushed the plate closer to Dudley. "Trust me, eat."
Dudley sighed and finally gave in. He didn't eat an extraordinary amount, but he did eat.
"So, tell me about this coach Witherspoon.", Sirius said winking at Harry.
Dudley blushed, "Er, not much to say really."
"I understand she is quite the babe." Sirius said grinning.
Dudley choked on his orange juice and stared disbelievingly at Sirius. "How do you know?" He asked incredulously.
"Oh, I have friends in high places. So, tell me about her." Sirius said.
Dudley wiped his face of orange juice and began. "Well, she is beautiful. She has all of us training really hard. But, we think she might be sick or something. She keeps needing to take time off." , he said frowning. "Mike reckons she has cancer and has to keep going to kemo therapy."
Sirius frowned, "Well. it is sort of like that." He looked at Harry as though asking if were safe to tell Dudley the truth. Harry nodded.
"She is a werewolf, Dud. She takes time off, because she is unsafe to be around you all during that time." Sirius explained.
"Wh- what?" Dudley choked on his orange juice again and set it down hard on the table.
Sirius patted him on the back. "She is a werewolf. She isn't dangerous. Only during the time she takes off before the full moon. I imagine that is why she takes that time off."
"Is she a witch like you?" Dudley asked.
"No, that it is why it is even harder on her. Professor Snape is going to provide her with the Wolfs-bane potion. My old Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin, is a werewolf. He is going to be with her during the moon phase." Harry explained.
Dudley stiffened. "Oh. So, does he know Coach Witherspoon?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah, when I told everyone about how she disappeared during the full moon, they went to investigate her. To make sure you were safe."
"So, tell us more about her.", Sirius repeated.
Dudley shrugged. "She used to teach in America, but when the position of fitness teacher came open she applied and came on over. She is a great teacher."
Harry noticed that Dudley was uncomfortable with this subject so he decided to save his cousin by changing it. "So, Sirius, what are our big plans today?"
"Does this place have a cellar?" Sirius asked choosing to ignore Harry's question.
"Right there." Dudley said pointing to the door behind the refrigerator.
"Great!" Sirius said, "That'll make things much easier. Dumbledore said we should stay inside."
"What should be easier and why do we have to stay inside?" Harry asked.
"I am going to teach you two how to defend yourselves." Sirius said picking up the empty plates.
"But-Dudley is a muggle and you know I am not allowed to use magic during the holidays." Harry said looking confused.
"I am gong to train you to fight with out a wand. Muggle self defense. You never know when you will need to defend yourself with out a wand. I thought Dudley could do with a bit of training himself. You never know." Sirius said darkly.
"But where did you learn muggle self defense?" Harry asked.
"Auror training, with your father. A need to know if you should ever get caught with out your wand." Sirius said matter of factly.
Harry dropped the glass of juice he was holding and it shattered all over the floor. "You- you're an auror?!"
"What is an auror?" Dudley asked pulling the mop, broom and dustpan out of the closet.
Sirius laughed at the look of surprise on Harry's face. "An auror is a witch or wizard that tracks down dark wizards and brings them to justice." He managed to explain to Dudley.
Dudley looked up from cleaning the mess Harry had made. "Oh, what is so surprising about that?"
Sirius shrugged, "I imagine it is because I have been in Azkaban all these years." He noticed Dudley's confused look and added, "Wizarding prison."
"My mother wasn't very pleased of course. Mad Eye trained me and she absolutely loathed him." Sirius said.
Harry was just about to ask why Sirius's mother hated Moody when something thumped against the kitchen window. Sirius pullout his wand and pointed it at the window in one swift movement.
Hedwig was fluttering outside the window looking highly affronted. The reason came hurtling into view. Pig was flying around like a drunken bumblebee. Hedwig looked as though she would love to give him a good swat.
Sirius opened the window and Pig flew through and pounded right into Harry's chest. Harry caught him in his hand and noticed a note tied to his leg. Hedwig flew in and settled herself in front of Sirius. She stuck out her leg and hooted softly.
Harry wondered why Hedwig was bringing Sirius a letter and who sent it. He watched as Sirius untied his letter and read it. His face looked quite grim.
"Who is it from?", Harry asked ignoring Pigs insistent hoots.
"Moony.", Sirius said not looking up from his letter.
Harry untied his own note from Pig and opened it. It was from Ron.
Harry got your note. Dumbledore says you can't come to the Burrow this summer. It isn't safe. See you at school. Ron
Harry gaped at the letter in his hands disbelievingly. It looked like Ron's untidy handwriting, but it certainly didn't sound anything like Ron. He reread the letter and crumpled it up in frustration. "Ron says, that Dumbledore said I can't go to the Burrow this, because it isn't safe." He said tossing it into the garbage can.
Sirius continued reading his own letter from Remus with out looking up. "Uh-huh" he said blandly.
Dudley finished cleaning up the broken glass and orange juice. He sat beside Harry at the kitchen table. "I thought, Moody was a follower of that Voldemort guy.", he whispered to Harry.
"Not the real Moody. Barty Crouch drank Poly Juice potion to make him look like Moody." Sirius said folding up his letter and tucking it into his pocket.
"How does it make you look like someone else?" Dudley asked a little more loudly.
"You add a bit of who ever you want to look like to the potion." Harry explained and gave a disgusted look. "It tastes awful."
"How do you now what Poly juice potion tastes like? That is fifth year material." Sirius said grinning at Harry.
"Uh-well- you see-" Harry started nervously. "During our second year we thought that Malfoy was setting loose a basilisk on the school. So, Ron, Hermione, and me used poly juice potion hoping to trick a confession out of him." When he noticed Sirius beaming proudly, he added. "Turned out not to be him and Hermione turned into a human cat. She added a cat hair on accident. She was in the hospital wing for weeks."
"Really?!", Sirius said excitedly and grinning madly. "You remind me so much of your father." He said patting Harry on the back. "Come on, let's go down stairs and start your training."
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
A few hours later Harry and Dudley were sweaty and tired. Sirius had them practicing how to throw someone over their shoulder, punching someone effectively in the nose, and practicing balancing in the horse stance while punching the air.
Dudley seemed to be catching on rather quickly. Harry felt stupid in the horse stance. "Why do we have to stand like this again?", he asked for what felt like the millionth time.
"It helps reinforce your blows and keeps your legs ready for kicking." Sirius said mechanically.
"But, with our legs spread like this people can kick us in the family jewels!" Dudley said in an exasperated tone.
"Not when I am through training you." Sirius said in a business like tone. "After lunch we will continue on blocking punches, and then move on to effective kicks."
On their way upstairs they heard the front door open. "Don't know what was wrong with the stuff. I'll have to send a complaint to the company." Aunt Marge was saying.
Sirius transformed quickly back into Snuffles, and rolled his eyes at Harry. Harry grinned, but not for long. Marge came pounding around the corner and glared at the sweaty boys. "What have you two been doing? Fighting?!", she said glaring accusingly at Harry.
"Uh-", Harry didn't know what to say. If he told them that they were down in the cellar learning how to fight they would have to explain that Snuffles was really Sirius Black...
