The next few weeks went past quietly. Harry concentrated on his school work and Quidditch practice trying not to think about the possibility of Sirius' return as he didn't want to be disappointed if it came to nothing. There was no more news of developments except that Dumbledore was still working on a plan.
One morning Harry and Hermione made their way to the Potions classroom not looking forward to another lesson with Snape only to find him not there. Talitha was standing at the front of the class.
"Where's Professor Snape?" Draco demanded
"As far as I know he will be unavailable for a few days, that's all I know" Talitha told the class. "Unfortunately he has been unable to leave any work for you to do so we are going to have a revision session. I have the instructions for six different potions here. I am going to hand them out and you will spend the rest of the lesson making the potion that I give you. You may work in pairs" Talitha walked around the class handing out the piece of parchment. She stopped in front of Harry and Hermione and shuffled through the pieces of parchment. She placed one on the table in front of them and muttered 'Wolfsbane' to them. Harry looked at her puzzled until Hermione nudged him and pointed to the piece of parchment where Talitha had written on the bottom.
For Mooney
After the lesson Harry and Hermione held back after everyone else had left.
"Thanks for making that" Talitha said "I'm so busy at the moment because I'm taking Snape's classes as well as my own. I just haven't had time to make it and Remus is useless at making potions so it isn't even worth him making his own"
"Why are you taking Snape's classes?" Hermione asked
"I really don't know where he is" Talitha told them "Dumbledore just said he's had to go and do something for the Order at short notice"
Three days later was the first Quidditch match of the year. Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw. Ron was nervous about his first match as captain
"You're bound to win" said Hermione trying to reassure him "Charlie's refereeing"
"Yeah but just because he's a Weasley and he was in Gryffindor doesn't mean he'll be biased towards us" said Ron
"Charlie's very fair" added Ginny "He'll call it right down the middle"
The Gryffindor team put on their robes and walked out onto the pitch. They now had Oliver Wood's younger brother Cameron and Seamus Finnagen as chasers along side Ginny.
Harry glanced towards Ron who looked like he was going to sick. Harry smiled at him encouragingly as the Gryffindor crowd started chanting 'Weasley is our King'.
Gryffindor easily won the match, Two hundred points to thirty. Harry catching the Snitch. Talitha and Hermione ran over to congratulate them.
"I said you could do it" Hermione told Ron. Harry saw Professor McGonagal walking over to them
"Congratulations everyone" she said and then spoke quietly to Talitha before returning to the castle.
"Harry, Professor Dumbledore wants to see us straight away" She said
"What about?" Harry asked as they made there way to Dumbledore's office
"I don't know" Talitha answered
"Do you think it's about Sirius?"
"It might be, but don't get your hopes up just incase"
"Maybe he's worked out how to get him"
"Harry! Just wait till we get there"
They reached the door to Dumbledore's office.
"Chocolate Limes" Talitha said and the door opened. Harry looked in the room and saw that Dumbledore wasn't there.
"Maybe he's…" Harry didn't finish speaking because he saw someone standing at the window. Harry grabbed Talitha's arm as the man turned round. A smile crept to Talitha's face.
"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled and ran towards him. Sirius threw his arms around them both. Harry could see that he was trying not to cry. Tears were falling down Talitha's face.
"Merlin's beard! I don't believe it. You're really here" she said. Sirius looked even worse than he had before he had fallen through the veil. He was thinner and paler. The spark that was usually in his eyes had almost gone. Harry wouldn't have thought it possible for him to look this bad if he hadn't have seen it for himself.
"Dumbledore didn't even tell us he had worked out how to get you back" Talitha said
"I didn't want you worrying" a voice said from the door way. Harry and Talitha looked round and saw Dumbledore smiling.
"How's Alastor?" Talitha asked
"He'll be fine. He is in St. Mungo's at the moment but nothing serious. As is Severus"
"Snape?"
"Yes Harry, Professor Snape assisted Alastor in returning Sirius to us" Dumbledore explained "Now, I will leave you to catch up" he said and disappeared again.
"Snape helped save you?" Harry asked again. Sirius nodded.
"I don't think he really had a choice when Dumbledore asked him to. Dumbledore didn't want Moody going alone"
"I'm so glad you're back" Harry told him.
"I'm glad to be back" Sirius replied as he hugged Harry again. He then turned and hugged Talitha and then kissed her.
"So what's happening now? Has Dumbledore said?" Harry asked
"I'm to stay in the hospital wing for now. Dumbledore says I'm not to go anywhere until my health improves"
"So we can come and see you every day?" asked Harry
"Yeah" replied Sirius "but remember I'm still in hiding so be careful what you say to anyone"
"Come on let's get you to Madam Pomfrey while everyone is in the great hall eating lunch."
Harry and Talitha spent the rest of the day sitting at Sirius' bedside, Madam Pomfrey had put him in a private room. It was late in the evening when Talitha made Harry go back to Gryffindor Tower to get some sleep.
"And no sneaking down here tonight with the invisibility cloak on. I'll find out" Talitha said to him as he left the hospital wing. Harry caught Sirius' eye and they both laughed.
When Harry reached the common room it was very noisy. The Gryffindors were still celebrating their Quidditch victory.
"Where have you been?" Ron yelled to him
"Get Ginny and come up to the dorm" Harry said as he looked round for Hermione. When they were all in the boys' dorm, Harry told them the good news.
"Can we go and visit him?" Hermione asked
"I'll ask tomorrow. He's very weak. We had to almost carry him to the Hospital wing but Madame Pomfrey says he'll be ok as long as he gets lots of rest"
The next morning, as soon as he woke up, Harry ran down to see Sirius. Talitha was still there from the night before. She was asleep, lying on the bed next to Sirius. Harry stood at the door looking at them and smiled, it was good to see them both happy. Sirius opened his eyes and smile at Harry, his arm around Talitha. He looked a little better than the day before. Still pale and thin but he looked less tired and he looked a little less haunted. Harry went over and sat in the chair next to the bed.
"She fell asleep about two o'clock this morning and I didn't want to wake her" Sirius whispered to him. Harry noticed that every time Sirius looked at Talitha the spark returned to his eyes.
"Alright Padfoot" a cheery voice came from the door. Sirius looked round.
"Moony. I wondered when you were going to put in an appearance" he smiled weakly
"I would have been straight here yesterday if it weren't for the fact I was covered in hair and had a tail" Remus laughed. Harry noticed that Remus was also looking tired and pale.
"That's not much of an excuse is it?" Sirius joked back.
"You look terrible mate" said Remus
"Not looking so good yourself" said Sirius
"You two are terrible" Talitha smiled sleepily as she woke up. Harry laughed. A small cough came form the doorway.
"Can we come in?" asked Hermione "Madam Pomfrey said it was ok as long as we didn't make too much noise" Ron and Ginny were standing behind her.
"That depends if you've brought any chocolate with you" Sirius replied. Ron grinned and held up a big bar of Honeydukes best chocolate.
"In you come then"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N sorry had to do bring him back as he's my favourite character!
One morning Harry and Hermione made their way to the Potions classroom not looking forward to another lesson with Snape only to find him not there. Talitha was standing at the front of the class.
"Where's Professor Snape?" Draco demanded
"As far as I know he will be unavailable for a few days, that's all I know" Talitha told the class. "Unfortunately he has been unable to leave any work for you to do so we are going to have a revision session. I have the instructions for six different potions here. I am going to hand them out and you will spend the rest of the lesson making the potion that I give you. You may work in pairs" Talitha walked around the class handing out the piece of parchment. She stopped in front of Harry and Hermione and shuffled through the pieces of parchment. She placed one on the table in front of them and muttered 'Wolfsbane' to them. Harry looked at her puzzled until Hermione nudged him and pointed to the piece of parchment where Talitha had written on the bottom.
For Mooney
After the lesson Harry and Hermione held back after everyone else had left.
"Thanks for making that" Talitha said "I'm so busy at the moment because I'm taking Snape's classes as well as my own. I just haven't had time to make it and Remus is useless at making potions so it isn't even worth him making his own"
"Why are you taking Snape's classes?" Hermione asked
"I really don't know where he is" Talitha told them "Dumbledore just said he's had to go and do something for the Order at short notice"
Three days later was the first Quidditch match of the year. Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw. Ron was nervous about his first match as captain
"You're bound to win" said Hermione trying to reassure him "Charlie's refereeing"
"Yeah but just because he's a Weasley and he was in Gryffindor doesn't mean he'll be biased towards us" said Ron
"Charlie's very fair" added Ginny "He'll call it right down the middle"
The Gryffindor team put on their robes and walked out onto the pitch. They now had Oliver Wood's younger brother Cameron and Seamus Finnagen as chasers along side Ginny.
Harry glanced towards Ron who looked like he was going to sick. Harry smiled at him encouragingly as the Gryffindor crowd started chanting 'Weasley is our King'.
Gryffindor easily won the match, Two hundred points to thirty. Harry catching the Snitch. Talitha and Hermione ran over to congratulate them.
"I said you could do it" Hermione told Ron. Harry saw Professor McGonagal walking over to them
"Congratulations everyone" she said and then spoke quietly to Talitha before returning to the castle.
"Harry, Professor Dumbledore wants to see us straight away" She said
"What about?" Harry asked as they made there way to Dumbledore's office
"I don't know" Talitha answered
"Do you think it's about Sirius?"
"It might be, but don't get your hopes up just incase"
"Maybe he's worked out how to get him"
"Harry! Just wait till we get there"
They reached the door to Dumbledore's office.
"Chocolate Limes" Talitha said and the door opened. Harry looked in the room and saw that Dumbledore wasn't there.
"Maybe he's…" Harry didn't finish speaking because he saw someone standing at the window. Harry grabbed Talitha's arm as the man turned round. A smile crept to Talitha's face.
"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled and ran towards him. Sirius threw his arms around them both. Harry could see that he was trying not to cry. Tears were falling down Talitha's face.
"Merlin's beard! I don't believe it. You're really here" she said. Sirius looked even worse than he had before he had fallen through the veil. He was thinner and paler. The spark that was usually in his eyes had almost gone. Harry wouldn't have thought it possible for him to look this bad if he hadn't have seen it for himself.
"Dumbledore didn't even tell us he had worked out how to get you back" Talitha said
"I didn't want you worrying" a voice said from the door way. Harry and Talitha looked round and saw Dumbledore smiling.
"How's Alastor?" Talitha asked
"He'll be fine. He is in St. Mungo's at the moment but nothing serious. As is Severus"
"Snape?"
"Yes Harry, Professor Snape assisted Alastor in returning Sirius to us" Dumbledore explained "Now, I will leave you to catch up" he said and disappeared again.
"Snape helped save you?" Harry asked again. Sirius nodded.
"I don't think he really had a choice when Dumbledore asked him to. Dumbledore didn't want Moody going alone"
"I'm so glad you're back" Harry told him.
"I'm glad to be back" Sirius replied as he hugged Harry again. He then turned and hugged Talitha and then kissed her.
"So what's happening now? Has Dumbledore said?" Harry asked
"I'm to stay in the hospital wing for now. Dumbledore says I'm not to go anywhere until my health improves"
"So we can come and see you every day?" asked Harry
"Yeah" replied Sirius "but remember I'm still in hiding so be careful what you say to anyone"
"Come on let's get you to Madam Pomfrey while everyone is in the great hall eating lunch."
Harry and Talitha spent the rest of the day sitting at Sirius' bedside, Madam Pomfrey had put him in a private room. It was late in the evening when Talitha made Harry go back to Gryffindor Tower to get some sleep.
"And no sneaking down here tonight with the invisibility cloak on. I'll find out" Talitha said to him as he left the hospital wing. Harry caught Sirius' eye and they both laughed.
When Harry reached the common room it was very noisy. The Gryffindors were still celebrating their Quidditch victory.
"Where have you been?" Ron yelled to him
"Get Ginny and come up to the dorm" Harry said as he looked round for Hermione. When they were all in the boys' dorm, Harry told them the good news.
"Can we go and visit him?" Hermione asked
"I'll ask tomorrow. He's very weak. We had to almost carry him to the Hospital wing but Madame Pomfrey says he'll be ok as long as he gets lots of rest"
The next morning, as soon as he woke up, Harry ran down to see Sirius. Talitha was still there from the night before. She was asleep, lying on the bed next to Sirius. Harry stood at the door looking at them and smiled, it was good to see them both happy. Sirius opened his eyes and smile at Harry, his arm around Talitha. He looked a little better than the day before. Still pale and thin but he looked less tired and he looked a little less haunted. Harry went over and sat in the chair next to the bed.
"She fell asleep about two o'clock this morning and I didn't want to wake her" Sirius whispered to him. Harry noticed that every time Sirius looked at Talitha the spark returned to his eyes.
"Alright Padfoot" a cheery voice came from the door. Sirius looked round.
"Moony. I wondered when you were going to put in an appearance" he smiled weakly
"I would have been straight here yesterday if it weren't for the fact I was covered in hair and had a tail" Remus laughed. Harry noticed that Remus was also looking tired and pale.
"That's not much of an excuse is it?" Sirius joked back.
"You look terrible mate" said Remus
"Not looking so good yourself" said Sirius
"You two are terrible" Talitha smiled sleepily as she woke up. Harry laughed. A small cough came form the doorway.
"Can we come in?" asked Hermione "Madam Pomfrey said it was ok as long as we didn't make too much noise" Ron and Ginny were standing behind her.
"That depends if you've brought any chocolate with you" Sirius replied. Ron grinned and held up a big bar of Honeydukes best chocolate.
"In you come then"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N sorry had to do bring him back as he's my favourite character!