AN: The long-awaited concluding chapter is here! Those readers with little time to spare can skim over the psycho-technical part in the kitchen and move on to the exciting confrontation in the studio. Oh, excuse me, I forgot to disclaim ownership of Harry and his friends and enemies … though I feel as if I carry him in my heart. You guys, I am ASTOUNDED at the response!!!! I was determined to keep this short, but maybe I will add more chapters. I have some ideas. They need to stay in Grimmauld Place for now, as this chapter makes clear. I encountered a story here with a similar idea (after I had started mine) called "The Lost Painting." Can't remember the author.
2. Hindsight
In the morning when Harry came down to the kitchen, the bread and cheese had reverted to their original moldy state, and then some. Lupin looked discouraged. "The Refreshing Spell can only be used a few times on the same food," he said. "Its effects wear off more quickly each time. And eventually the food just … Fresco!" he said without much hope, and the bread and cheese gave a small sigh and crumbled into dust.
"I see what you mean," said Harry. "You got anything else?"
"I've never been any kind of a cook," said Lupin, rummaging in a cupboard. "We're certainly not bringing in any more house-elves. And the past few days I've been wrestling with Sirius' portrait, so I haven't even gone shopping. Tonks promised to bring something next time she comes; we're having a meeting tomorrow." He pulled out a dusty box of cereal bought from a Muggle supermarket. "How about this?"
"No milk, I reckon," said Harry.
"No, we can't get milk delivered here," said Lupin. "Too risky."
Harry took a fistful of flakes out of the box and munched on them cautiously. They were stale and gummy and stuck to his teeth. "How many times have you done these?" he asked.
"Never, actually," said Lupin. "I forgot they were here." So they had dry cereal, washed down with butterbeer, but at least it tasted fresh. While they were eating, Lupin placed a portfolio full of sketches and studies on the table. "I wanted to show you these, if you're interested."
"Sure," said Harry. "Remus …"
"Yes, Harry?" said Lupin.
"I was thinking about all this last night. It seemed so real, talking to Mum and Dad and Sirius … both of him …"
"I take that as a high compliment to my work, Harry."
Harry nodded and frowned. "Almost too real. I kept forgetting it wasn't. And it makes me wonder if I'm losing touch with reality or something. Maybe it's a trap. Dumbledore warned me in my first year about the Mirror of Erised, that it was dangerous to keep going there night after night …"
"But yesterday, you had to leave after a few minutes," said Lupin. "It wasn't comfortable, was it?"
"No," said Harry. "It was …. "
"Surreal, would you say? Harry, let me show you these and tell you a bit about them. You're old enough to decide for yourself what you want to do." He opened the portfolio, and Harry heard faint, murmuring voices. "Most successful portraits are painted from life, and that makes it fairly simple to catch the spirit of the subject. In unskilled hands, sometimes the result is a bit … one-dimensional." Harry knew that Lupin was thinking of the portrait of Sirius' mother upstairs, with her endless tirades.
"I had only photographs to work from, which is more difficult," Lupin went on, "but I knew the subjects intimately. I could sense when I was on the right track." He spread out a few of the pictures so Harry could study them. "Thanks to you, I had a good photograph of James and Lily and you when you were nearly a year old. I tried including you in the painting, but when I did, James and Lily couldn't keep their eyes off their baby for more than a minute." He pointed to an oil sketch painted directly from the photograph, which Harry remembered well from his album. Most of it was rough and lacking detail, but the faces and hands were carefully rendered. Harry watched his parents cuddle him and talk baby talk to him. Some of the names his mother called him were nearly as bad as Aunt Petunia's Dudley-diminutives, but not quite. "They were crazy about you, Harry," murmured Lupin. "I only needed to shift their attention outward, so they could relate to the real you in the present."
Fanning out several studies of Sirius, Lupin went on, "Capturing Sirius as he was when he died turned out to be my greatest challenge. I almost didn't finish in time. I had no photographs of him since his escape from Azkaban. I had to call on my memories, and to help me do that I painted Sirius at different times in his life. This is the first portrait I made of him during his time in prison."
It was the same young Sirius Harry had seen in the studio, as handsome as ever, but wild-eyed and desperate, still stunned by the hideous turn of events; painted jerkily, with sharp, jagged brushwork. His haunted eyes fastened on Lupin. "Remus? I couldn't save James and Lily … You know I'm innocent, don't you?" he whispered hoarsely. "You have to believe me! Let me explain …Wormtail …"
"I know what happened, Sirius. You're not to blame," Lupin told him steadily.
"You don't know what it's like here, Remus … I have to hold on!"
But before Sirius' eyes could turn toward him, Harry impulsively covered the picture with a pencil sketch of his parents. Lupin looked up, and Harry shook his head. "I can't … not yet," he said in a strangled voice, feeling oddly breathless.
"That was one of my more successful attempts," said Lupin, "but I didn't have the heart to frame it. It cuts too near the bone. Still, it gave me great insight into Sirius' character." His lips tightened and the lines etched themselves deeper in his face.
"How did you stand it?" Harry's heart was pounding and his hands felt icy. He had lost interest in eating.
Lupin smiled grimly. "Ravenclaws seek knowledge without counting personal cost, and I was determined to learn all I could, as the last surviving Marauder on our side. In some ways I know Sirius better now than I ever did in his lifetime, and that alone makes all of it worthwhile."
"You did it for yourself as well as for me, then," said Harry. "It's more than just … a birthday present." Somehow that made it weigh a little less heavily on him.
"Exactly, Harry. I'm thinking of asking the four upstairs if they'd like to be re-inducted as honorary members of the Order of the Phoenix, and join us for some of our meetings. With your agreement of course."
"Only if I can join too," said Harry, thinking that at last he had a decent bargaining chip.
"Fair enough. I'll get back to you about that." Lupin gathered up the pictures and placed them back in the portfolio, which he offered to Harry. "I want you to have these too, Harry. I hope you find them useful."
Harry took it, thinking hard. "I think I'm ready to see the portraits again now, Remus," he said. "You know, I trust this thing more because it didn't come easily to you. There's more to it than just magic."
"Blood, sweat and tears as well, you mean? Very wise of you, Harry," said Lupin, getting up and replacing the cereal box in the cupboard.
"Have you ever thought of making a career out of this kind of thing?" asked Harry, also rising from the table. "With your talent?"
"Well, I expect you think I certainly could use one," said Lupin as they started up the stairs, "but it's not something I could do on commission, for anyone willing to pay. This was a labor of love."
"But if you had a chance to do it again for the Order …"
"Maybe for the Order," Lupin conceded.
* * * * * * * *
"Good morning, Harry," the portraits greeted him as he and Lupin entered the studio. (Harry still wanted the other's company, and he could tell that Lupin was pleased to be asked.)
"Erm … hi," said Harry. Although he was a bit more prepared this time, he still felt as if someone had fetched him a clip to the pit of the stomach.
"So," said young Sirius in a businesslike way, "what's the topic for today?"
"Almost being sorted into Slytherin," said Harry promptly. He had thought about it ahead of time and decided on this line of questioning. "Sirius, did you actually tell the hat you didn't want to be in Slytherin? I did."
"Told it I'd stuff it down the toilet if it tried to put me there," said young Sirius, nodding.
Harry hesitated before coming out with his next question. "Pettigrew was a Slytherin, wasn't he?"
The older Sirius' face darkened. "Yes, but we trusted him anyway. James and Lily paid for it with their lives, and you with your scar, Harry."
"And you with your freedom, Sirius," said Lupin.
"But are there any—" Harry began, and broke off as the door to the studio burst open and Professor Snape appeared.
—decent Slytherins? Harry had been about to say.
"Remus, I have a most urgent report for you," began Snape before he saw Harry. "What are you doing here, Potter?"
"Harry's my guest, Severus," said Lupin mildly. "I'm afraid I must not have heard you knock. Welcome to my portrait studio."
Snape caught sight of the pictures, and recoiled visibly. "So this is what you've been doing for the past month, Remus?" Lupin nodded. "I might have known you would find a completely useless way to occupy your time," he scoffed.
"Still the same old Snivellus," observed the younger Sirius. "Hasn't improved with age, has he?" Lily looked daggers at him, and judging by the sudden yelp he gave, must have succeeded in stomping on his foot.
Snape ignored the presence of James and the two Siriuses. "Good day, Miss Evans," he said to Lily, with a sneering emphasis on the surname.
"It's Mrs. Potter now, Severus. But call me Lily, for heaven's sake." She added ominously, "James and Harry both have something to say to you, Severus."
"We do not," said Harry and James in unison.
"Yes, you do," Lily insisted. "This is a perfect opportunity, and if you pass it up I won't let either of you forget it." James looked uneasy; he must know from experience what that meant.
"He doesn't want to hear it," said Harry.
"It'll only make him mad," added James.
"That makes no difference," Lily maintained. "It's the right thing to do."
"Easy for you to say," said Harry bitterly. "You don't have to go to school with him anymore."
"He has a point, Lily," said the older Sirius.
Snape looked affronted and deeply alarmed. He made a move toward the door, muttering, "I haven't got time for this—" but Remus Lupin stood in front of it, saying, "When you barge in without knocking you have to take the consequences, Severus."
"My report—" began Snape.
"Don't go yet, Severus," said Lily sweetly. "One or two things need clearing up."
"This I have to see," crowed the younger Sirius in high delight.
Painting or not, Lily was a most determined person. Harry began to think that getting it over with might be the simplest thing under the circumstances. He paused to find words that wouldn't make matters worse, and looked Professor Snape straight in the eye for the first time in over a month. "Professor Snape, I apologize for—" he wished he could say "messing with your mind," or "acting like a Slytherin" (he hated to waste such a good one), but settled on "—entering the Pensieve against your wishes." But you never told me not to, he couldn't help thinking resentfully.
Before Snape could react (he was struck speechless), James chipped in hastily, "And I apologize for, er, making it necessary for you to use the Pensieve in the first place, Severus. So sorry, old chap." Neither of them sounded very sincere, Harry thought; James sounded downright sarcastic. Obviously they were both speaking under duress: the outcome was likely to be messy.
And it was. For a moment more Snape stood silent, choked with rage, his eyes bulging with it. "Potter, did I not expressly forbid you discuss what you saw with anyone?" he whispered murderously.
"Yes, sir," answered Harry faintly.
"You agreed that you would not, and yet you have, haven't you, Potter?" Snape went on, his voice raspy with contempt.
"Yes, sir, but not with anyone who didn't already know—I had to understand why my own father would do such a—"
But Snape cut him off. "Oh, he didn't need a reason, Potter. Just an itch to be scratched at whim." Turning to the paintings, he hissed, "So you've all been talking about me—dissecting my humiliation—mocking and pitying me—so smug and superior and patronizing—and you think that a forced apology will improve matters!" He advanced on the double portrait, shouting, "I don't need your help, Lily Evans! I can deal with the Potters without any interference from you!"
Snape pulled out his wand, pointed it at James and Lily, and roared, "Evanesco!"
"NO!" screamed Harry, grabbing for Snape's wand hand an instant too late. The picture vanished, but James had seen the spell coming, grabbed Lily's wrist, and ducked them both out of the frame just in time. A moment later they reappeared in the painting of young Sirius. The canvas and frame got wider to make room for them, and Sirius put an arm around each of his friends. "You bloody bastard," he said through his teeth, glaring at Snape. "Coward! You won't even stand up to a painting!"
Remus Lupin put a shield-spell on the two remaining paintings, and a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry was shaking so hard with rage that he couldn't speak; he had to leave it to his allies to put his feelings into words. They were making some headway.
"I take every word of it back," said James through stiff lips. "You deserve the worst I ever did to you."
But Lily was bent on retribution. Her green eyes blazed with fury, and her voice cracked like a whip. "Your turn, Severus. You will apologize to Harry for that."
Snape appeared truly taken aback by the results of his impulsive behavior. He had only made the fire hotter for himself in trying to extinguish it. "I don't take orders from—" he started, and broke off.
"From a painting, I hope you were about to say," said young Sirius softly. "Because if it was Mudblood—"
"You're so strong and brave, you thought you could get rid of them in one fell blow, didn't you?" snarled the older Sirius. "It's not enough for you that they've already been murdered! Oh, but you still think I'm the one who did it, don't you? So why didn't you try to send me to blazes first?"
"This isn't about me or James, it's about Harry," said Lily. "Our portraits belong to him; they're for his use. They're Remus' gift to him. You're supposed to be a grown-up now, Severus. You can't go around destroying property in a fit of pique."
"Property!" exclaimed young Sirius, his arm tightening around her waist. "You may think of yourself as just a painted woman, Lily, but you're nobody's property, and neither are the rest of us!" James gave Sirius an incredulous look and started wheezing with laughter.
"Harry is waiting, Severus," said Lily sternly. Lupin was still blocking Snape's escape, and Harry wasn't about to let him off the hook either.
Snape evidently decided that there was no getting out of it.
"I beg your pardon, Potter," he growled without looking at Harry.
"Right," said Harry coldly, giving Snape a look of pure venom. Yet he noticed in himself a most unexpected flash of fellow-feeling with his least favorite teacher, about how annoying and embarrassing it was to be made to apologize when both of you knew perfectly well that you didn't mean a word of it and it wouldn't do any good.
"I think perhaps Remus deserves an apology too, he's worked so hard," said Lily. "James and I watched him tie himself in knots over his second portrait of Sirius …"
For the first time Lupin looked a little abashed. "That's quite all right, Lily. You and James have been a great help, and I'm sure Harry will be happy to go halves with me in that department."
"No problem," said Harry with a straight face.
"Remus, I must give you my report without further delay," said Snape, his face rigid. "I have many demands on my time."
"Very well, Severus," said Lupin, opening the studio door. "All right if I leave you here, Harry?" Harry nodded, and Snape and Lupin exited together.
Harry staggered to a chair, sat down heavily, and wiped his forehead on the sleeve of his T-shirt. "Well, better out than in, as Hagrid says. But I'm not so sure it's always true."
"Never again," said James furiously. "That's the last time I will ever apologize to that … Now do you see why it wasn't a good idea, Lily?"
She smiled. "I agree that once was enough, James."
Harry got up and came close to the two paintings. "Dad," he said. "You saved Mum for me."
"It's what I'm here for, Harry," said James. "Your mother often acts with a lofty disregard for consequences. Lucky I'm around to pick up the pieces." Lily gave him a look that Harry wondered if he was meant to see. "I wish I could really have saved her for you, Harry."
"I know," said Harry. "And Sirius, it's a good thing you were here to give Mum and Dad a place to stay."
"Glad to return the favor," said young Sirius. "My frame's always open."
Harry said to Lily, "Mum, you're amazing. You really did save me, you know."
"Remus told us," she said, stretching out a hand as if to trace his scar with her finger. "But I don't know how I did it."
"I think I do," he told her. He turned slowly, almost reluctantly, to the other painting, to the Sirius who knew him, the friend he had lost. He put a hand on each side of the frame.
"Sirius," said Harry. "Oh, God, Sirius … It's really you, isn't it?"
He badly wanted to hear, "Don't be an ass. Of course it's really me." But what the older Sirius actually said was, "As far as I can tell, Harry, except for the obvious." (His eyes swivelled to his younger counterpart.) "But it's up to you to decide. Test me in any way you like." He grinned. "And if I pass the test, it's Moony you should thank, Harry. You're lucky to have him."
"'Do the dead we loved ever truly leave us?'" quoted Harry, looking into Sirius' eyes. "Dumbledore said that to me once." And then it hit him. He said, "Full marks on that question, Sirius. And ten points to Gryffindor!" The three in the other painting clapped and cheered, and Harry joined in.
Remus Lupin was waiting outside the door. "Professor Snape left," he said as Harry appeared. "I saw him out the door ten minutes ago." Lupin searched Harry's face for a moment, then pulled him into a fierce hug and said in his ear, "Real enough for you, Harry?"
"Real enough, Moony," choked Harry into Lupin's shoulder.
**************
AN: And so they all saw the error of their ways and repented of their sins and lived happily ever after. I love sappy endings. Thanks to Leona da Quirm for the chapter titles.