Impending Doom
Chapter 7
Harry had to look closely at the man in plum robes that was heading toward them. He looked so much like Dumbledore that Harry suspected he was. He had long flowing silver gray hair, his nose was a bit rounder than Dumbledores and he wore square spectacles.
Stump offered Harry his hand, "Harry Potter, I presume." Harry shook his hand, and noted that his fingers were much shorter than Dumbledore's.
"Yes, sir." Harry said.
"Stump Bloodtree, I am the Black family's lawyer. Have been for nearly one hundred and ten years.", he said drawing himself up proudly. "I am also currently your guardian. At least until the reading of Sirius's will that is."
"Where do you want him?" Moody asked pointing to Phineas.
"Oh, right down there." Stump pointed to a large easel at the bottom of the stairs. He turned to Harry, "Here is my card Harry, call on me if you ever need me."
He handed Harry a card that read, Stump Bloodtree Attorney at Law. There was a photograph of Stump on the card that kept winking at Harry. "Er, thanks.", Harry said placing it into his pocket.
Moody had placed Phineas's portrait on the easel nearly at the center of the room. "Ahem." Phineas cleared his throat. Everyone turned. "I believe we are ready to begin." Phineas said.
Everyone sat obediently. Remus sat next to Harry and Moody sat on his other side. Moody had his arm around Tonks who was crying hysterically. Snape who was on Tonks other side offered her his handkerchief. "Thanks.", she mumbled.
"I thank you all for joining us this morning in saying good bye to my great- great grandson, Sirius Black.." Phineas began.
Harry tried to listen but his eyes kept moving beyond Phineas to the Arch where Sirius had disappeared. He watched as it moved quite suddenly as though someone had just walked by. Sirius? Harry stood and started toward the Arch.
Snape grabbed him and sat him down next to him. "Enough of these suicidal bouts Potter." He hissed quietly.
"Sirius, he is-" Harry started.
"Not coming back." Snape said.
"But-" Harry said.
"There is no coming back from that Arch way, Potter. It is the door way to the, 'Other side', no one comes back after stepping through." Snape said.
Harry nodded. But Sirius hadn't stepped through. He had flown through because of the force of Bellatrix Lestrange's spell.
Snape nudged Harry. "Pay attention." He hissed.
Harry looked at Phineas again. "falsely accused by the Ministry, he was imprisoned for nearly twelve years."
"Harry" a voice whispered to him.
"What?" Harry said quietly looking around.
Snape shot him a dirty look. "I didn't say anything, pay attention."
Harry once again directed his attention to Phineas, "He was disowned by his mother, because he chose not to believe in this mudblood, pureblood nonsense."
"Harry" the voice whispered to him again.
What, Harry thought.
"Come Harry. Come to us." The voice whispered.
Harry had an overwhelming urge to pull aside the curtain, and see who was talking to him. Snape grabbed him again and set him between himself and Tonks. Tonks and Snape exchanged an odd look before they both held Harry's arms in order to keep him still.
"It is safe for you Harry. Come." The voice whispered.
I can't, Harry thought, they won't let me.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden clapping. Everyone was standing and clapping around them. Apparently, Phineas had concluded his speech.
Stump Bloodtree stood and cleared his throat. "Yes, thank you Phineas for that.", he said.
Everyone sat down and leaned forward. They all seemed eager to hear what Stump had to say.
Stump sighed, "Sirius was a good man. I spoke to him days before he was murdered." He emphasized the word murdered and flashed a dirty look toward Mrs. Malfoy. She only smirked.
Stump reached into his robes and pulled out a rather large scroll. "Ahem. Now, for the reading of the will." He set the scroll down on a table and it shot up into the air of its own accord and unfurled.
Sirius's voice boomed out of the scroll. "I Sirius Black am responsible for Harry Potters well being. If I should die, I ask that my dearest friend, Remus Lupin take that responsibility." There was a pause. People around the room gasped.
Stump looked at Remus, "Will you assume responsibility for Mr. Potter?"
Remus stood, "I would be proud to have that honor.", he said.
Stump nodded and turned back to the scroll.
Sirius's voice continued, "If for some reason Remus is unable to take care of Harry, Albus Dumbledore will be his guardian."
People around the room nodded as though they agreed with this decision.
Sirius's voice continued, "I leave Grimmauld Place and the entire Black Family estate to Harry Potter."
Mrs. Malfoy stood, "What? He isn't even a Black!" she shrieked. "I have more right to Grimmauld place than he has!"
Harry recognized that voice! That was the voice he had heard talking to Bellatrix Lestrange in the dungeons when Peter had kidnapped him.
Sirius's voice continued, oblivious of Mrs. Malfoy's out cry. "Albus Dumbledore will be in charge of the estate and the accounts until the time that Harry is capable of doing so himself."
"No!" Mrs. Malfoy screamed.
There was a collective, "Shut up!", from the room. Mrs. Malfoy sat down. Her face was pale and she looked as though she were ready to hex the whole room full of people.
"Harry," Sirius's voice said sadly from the scroll, "I am sorry I could never give you the home you deserved. It isn't much, but I hope one day you can call Grimmauld Place home. I am sorry I won't be there to help."
Harry was crying again, and in front of Malfoy! He rubbed the tears away from his eyes with his sleeves.
"Remus," Sirius's voice said, "I trust you to take good care of Harry. I know that you will make a good father one day. Until then, you can practice on Harry." Sirius's voice sounded quite serious. "Thank you." Sirius' voice said and then the scroll rolled back up and landed on the table with a quiet thump.
"Sirius!" Harry cried standing up. Tonks and Snape both made a grab for him, but missed. Harry ran toward the Arch way, "Sirius! I know you are in there. Please, please come out!" He cried.
He reached the Arch way and pulled back the billowing curtain. There was a collective gasp behind him and he felt something pulling him away; everything went black.
Chapter 7
Harry had to look closely at the man in plum robes that was heading toward them. He looked so much like Dumbledore that Harry suspected he was. He had long flowing silver gray hair, his nose was a bit rounder than Dumbledores and he wore square spectacles.
Stump offered Harry his hand, "Harry Potter, I presume." Harry shook his hand, and noted that his fingers were much shorter than Dumbledore's.
"Yes, sir." Harry said.
"Stump Bloodtree, I am the Black family's lawyer. Have been for nearly one hundred and ten years.", he said drawing himself up proudly. "I am also currently your guardian. At least until the reading of Sirius's will that is."
"Where do you want him?" Moody asked pointing to Phineas.
"Oh, right down there." Stump pointed to a large easel at the bottom of the stairs. He turned to Harry, "Here is my card Harry, call on me if you ever need me."
He handed Harry a card that read, Stump Bloodtree Attorney at Law. There was a photograph of Stump on the card that kept winking at Harry. "Er, thanks.", Harry said placing it into his pocket.
Moody had placed Phineas's portrait on the easel nearly at the center of the room. "Ahem." Phineas cleared his throat. Everyone turned. "I believe we are ready to begin." Phineas said.
Everyone sat obediently. Remus sat next to Harry and Moody sat on his other side. Moody had his arm around Tonks who was crying hysterically. Snape who was on Tonks other side offered her his handkerchief. "Thanks.", she mumbled.
"I thank you all for joining us this morning in saying good bye to my great- great grandson, Sirius Black.." Phineas began.
Harry tried to listen but his eyes kept moving beyond Phineas to the Arch where Sirius had disappeared. He watched as it moved quite suddenly as though someone had just walked by. Sirius? Harry stood and started toward the Arch.
Snape grabbed him and sat him down next to him. "Enough of these suicidal bouts Potter." He hissed quietly.
"Sirius, he is-" Harry started.
"Not coming back." Snape said.
"But-" Harry said.
"There is no coming back from that Arch way, Potter. It is the door way to the, 'Other side', no one comes back after stepping through." Snape said.
Harry nodded. But Sirius hadn't stepped through. He had flown through because of the force of Bellatrix Lestrange's spell.
Snape nudged Harry. "Pay attention." He hissed.
Harry looked at Phineas again. "falsely accused by the Ministry, he was imprisoned for nearly twelve years."
"Harry" a voice whispered to him.
"What?" Harry said quietly looking around.
Snape shot him a dirty look. "I didn't say anything, pay attention."
Harry once again directed his attention to Phineas, "He was disowned by his mother, because he chose not to believe in this mudblood, pureblood nonsense."
"Harry" the voice whispered to him again.
What, Harry thought.
"Come Harry. Come to us." The voice whispered.
Harry had an overwhelming urge to pull aside the curtain, and see who was talking to him. Snape grabbed him again and set him between himself and Tonks. Tonks and Snape exchanged an odd look before they both held Harry's arms in order to keep him still.
"It is safe for you Harry. Come." The voice whispered.
I can't, Harry thought, they won't let me.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden clapping. Everyone was standing and clapping around them. Apparently, Phineas had concluded his speech.
Stump Bloodtree stood and cleared his throat. "Yes, thank you Phineas for that.", he said.
Everyone sat down and leaned forward. They all seemed eager to hear what Stump had to say.
Stump sighed, "Sirius was a good man. I spoke to him days before he was murdered." He emphasized the word murdered and flashed a dirty look toward Mrs. Malfoy. She only smirked.
Stump reached into his robes and pulled out a rather large scroll. "Ahem. Now, for the reading of the will." He set the scroll down on a table and it shot up into the air of its own accord and unfurled.
Sirius's voice boomed out of the scroll. "I Sirius Black am responsible for Harry Potters well being. If I should die, I ask that my dearest friend, Remus Lupin take that responsibility." There was a pause. People around the room gasped.
Stump looked at Remus, "Will you assume responsibility for Mr. Potter?"
Remus stood, "I would be proud to have that honor.", he said.
Stump nodded and turned back to the scroll.
Sirius's voice continued, "If for some reason Remus is unable to take care of Harry, Albus Dumbledore will be his guardian."
People around the room nodded as though they agreed with this decision.
Sirius's voice continued, "I leave Grimmauld Place and the entire Black Family estate to Harry Potter."
Mrs. Malfoy stood, "What? He isn't even a Black!" she shrieked. "I have more right to Grimmauld place than he has!"
Harry recognized that voice! That was the voice he had heard talking to Bellatrix Lestrange in the dungeons when Peter had kidnapped him.
Sirius's voice continued, oblivious of Mrs. Malfoy's out cry. "Albus Dumbledore will be in charge of the estate and the accounts until the time that Harry is capable of doing so himself."
"No!" Mrs. Malfoy screamed.
There was a collective, "Shut up!", from the room. Mrs. Malfoy sat down. Her face was pale and she looked as though she were ready to hex the whole room full of people.
"Harry," Sirius's voice said sadly from the scroll, "I am sorry I could never give you the home you deserved. It isn't much, but I hope one day you can call Grimmauld Place home. I am sorry I won't be there to help."
Harry was crying again, and in front of Malfoy! He rubbed the tears away from his eyes with his sleeves.
"Remus," Sirius's voice said, "I trust you to take good care of Harry. I know that you will make a good father one day. Until then, you can practice on Harry." Sirius's voice sounded quite serious. "Thank you." Sirius' voice said and then the scroll rolled back up and landed on the table with a quiet thump.
"Sirius!" Harry cried standing up. Tonks and Snape both made a grab for him, but missed. Harry ran toward the Arch way, "Sirius! I know you are in there. Please, please come out!" He cried.
He reached the Arch way and pulled back the billowing curtain. There was a collective gasp behind him and he felt something pulling him away; everything went black.
