Author's note: I am so very sorry that this has taken me such a ridiculously long time to post. I owe huge thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, and especially to Lara for her suggestions and to Samantha Black for reminding me that there are still people who are patiently waiting for me to pull my finger out :0) I don't deserve any of you.
This chapter is a bit shorter than I had intended but I have the next almost finished so I should have that out by next week….honest!!
Chapter Five:Remus opened his mouth, and then closed it again several times in succession as he stared at Harry, his mind whirling; one half was busy berating himself for leaving the wallet in his coat pocket in the first place, whilst the other half was busy frantically trying to come up with some sort of reasonable explanation, all the while uncomfortably aware of Harry's furious gaze.
This was yet another thing that Remus had not been prepared for; 'Just whatever you do' Snape had warned him the night before, 'don't corner the boy. Just find out what's going on in that had of his, why he ran away in the first place. Do that softly softly thing you do so often to keep Black in line, whatever is necessary. Just don't give the bloody idiot reason to run away again.'
Right, thought Remus, steadily but unconsciously backing away from Harry and towards the wall, don't corner him.
"Er." He finally managed, somewhat eloquently, "I'm not going to hurt you."
Harry's response was a rather derisive snort, not that Remus could blame him. It was, after all, a bit of a stupid thing to say whilst cowering in thinly veiled fear against a wall.
"Why don't you just answer my question" Harry demanded again. "Where did you get my wallet?"
Remus sighed and finally came to some sort of decision. If he was gong to mess this whole thing up then he might as well make sure that he did a thorough job of it.
"Your Godfather gave it to me."
It was an answer that Harry clearly had not been expecting. His whole being seemed to freeze an expression of surprise and confusion etched onto his pale face. He opened his mouth as if to speak, closed it, blinked twice heavily and tried again.
"What?" he finally managed, his voice quiet and slightly hoarse sounding.
"Your godfather gave it to me." Remus repeated, feeling that this whole experience was starting to get slightly farcical. "Look why don't we sit down and I'll explain everything properly, I promise."
Without waiting for a reply he crossed to the same chair he had been sitting in previously and plonked himself down with a heavy sigh. Harry remained where he had been standing for several seconds before first looking once more at the wallet he still had clutched in his hand and then back towards where Remus was now sitting.
"I don't have a godfather," he said slowly.
"Don't you?" Remus asked, raising his eyebrows, feeling slightly more at ease now that he knew there was no danger of his legs giving out. "Are you sure?""
"Yes!" Harry exclaimed, and then shook his head. "No. I" he broke off frustrated. "Who are you? What do you want?"
"My name is Remus Lupin" The older man replied. "I didn't lie to you about that. I am your godfather's best friend and I was also close friends with your parents for man years."
Harry just gaped at him for several minutes before sitting rather abruptly on the edge of the coffee table.
"You're lying" the younger man muttered desperately. "You gave to be."
"I'm not" Remus replied striving to keep his voice calm. "Harry, tell me, do you remember where you went to school. Where you grew up?"
Harry just shook his head, his expression strangely blank. "No" he said emotionlessly "I don't remember anything that happened before eight years ago."
Remus sighed and closed his eyes. He had thought as much but at least he actually knew now for certain. Harry was suffering from some kind of amnesia. Opening his eyes he looked at the young man who was still sitting on the edge of the table amidst several piles of papers, looking totally lost but still clutching both his own wallet and Remus' own coat. Well, the older man thought, might as well see if we can push him right over the edge.
"Harry" he said at length and took a deep breath, "I have to tell you…. you're a wizard."
There was a pause, Harry lifted his head and looked hard at the other man. Then he started to laugh. Loudly.
"I knew it!" he cried, springing to his feet. "You are crazy. Totally bonkers in fact. God for a minuet I almost believed you. I hoped.." he stopped and for a brief second his anger seemed to fade, Remus jumped at the opportunity.
"Harry, I'm not lying, why would I have reason to? You have to believe me. In fact, I'll prove it" and with a flourish he produced his wand from the side pocket of his trousers. He pointed it at one of Harry's mugs and with an imperceptible flick and a muttered incantation the mug slowly but surely lifted off the table and hovered there. Remus glanced back up at Harry and was startled to see that, instead of looking confused or surprised the young man was instead red with anger once more, Their eyes locked for a second and then before Remus could even blink Harry's hand had swept out and sent the mug crashing to the floor, the remaining coffee quickly spreading a stain across the carpet.
"You're crazy." He repeated "and I don't have time for parlour tricks. Now tell me the truth or I'm going to arrest you."
"Arrest me?" Remus echoed "On what grounds?" His mind was whirling trying to work out when things had turned so sour and how he could salvage the situation. There was only one remaining option and he put his hand in his pocket drawing out a small flat pebble that he had been given 'for emergency use only.'
"Look "he said "I can't seem to make you listen so I'm going to take you to someone who can. And with that he tossed the pebble straight at Harry who caught it reflexively.
Remus had a second to register the startled look on Harry's face as he glanced down at the pebble he had just caught before he disappeared with a faint pop!
Bursting rather ungracefully through the door to Severus Snape's office and startling the current occupants, Remus leaned heavily against the doorframe and tried to catch his breath his eyes quickly scanning the room. After Harry had unknowingly touched the port key which should have brought him to this very place Remus had himself apparated safely into Hogsmede, as close as it was now possible to get to the castle, and then proceeded to run the rest of the way back.
"Where is he?" he finally managed to gasp out only to be met by three very confused stares.
"Who " Snape asked, calmly leaning back in his chair, fingers tapping faintly on the edge of his desk.
"Harry" Remus clarified before repeating "Where is he?"
"Harry?" The question came from Hermione who Remus finally acknowledged with a quick nod of his head. She glanced quickly from Sirius' white face, to Snape's frowning one before settling back on Remus.
"Remus" she asked, her voice trembling only slightly "What are you talking about?"
Without answering Remus stumbled across the room into a hastily conjured chair and sat heavily, still scanning the room with his eyes, before finally turning to Snape.
"I found Harry" he said, without preamble and heard Hermione gasp. "But I think I really cocked it up. It seems that he has completely lost all memory of his childhood, so I was trying to get him on side but I still had his wallet in my pocket, I should have left it behind, I know but…anyway, it fell out when I took my coat off and of course Harry picked it up and well, I panicked. I didn't have a clue what to do, so I tried to tell him the truth…" He broke off helplessly. Snape sighed and rubbed his hand across his forehead but did not say anything. Remus took a deep breath and continued. "he didn't believe me of course, who would, and he's a policeman which makes him naturally suspicious I think, he said he was going to arrest me so in the end I tossed him the portkey you gave me Severus. It should have brought him into this office." He looked around again "You're sure he's not here?" he asked stupidly.
"Positive." Said Snape shortly "unless he's hiding under the desk." Abruptly the other man got to his feet and began to pace. "I made that portkey myself. If he's not here then someone must have interfered with it. You definitely saw him go?" he asked Remus, who simply nodded wordlessly in return, trying not to look in the direction of either Sirius' or Hermione's pale faces.
"Hmmm" was Snape's only response as he continued to pace brow furrowed deep in thought.
"Oh but…" Remus finally turned to look at Hermione who was now looking frantically between the three men in the room."He could be anywhere" she said wringing her hands and voicing what had been thinking since he had discovered the young man missing. There was a noise behind him, and Remus turned once again but this time to see a strangely silent Sirius get unsteadily to his feet before moving across the office to stare out of the wimdow. Sighing Remus moved to join his friend, ignoring Snape and Hermione who were now talking in low voices.
"Sirius" he said quietly, attracting the other man's attention.
"Was it him Remus?" Sirius asked, without turning his gaze from the grounds."Was it really him?"
Remus nodded his head and managed a small smile "Yes Padfoot" he said and reached out a hand to squeeze his friend's shoulder. " It IS" he said emphatically, "It couldn't be anyone else."
