Chapter Two
The silence nearly killed Harry as they traveled toward their destination. He had been itching to ask his questions since they had left Uncle Vernon's house. Well, it was now or never.
"Um, Head Master Dumbledore?" asked Harry tentatively. Harry remembered how he had been so angry with him last year for keeping him in the dark. A new wave of guilt exploded in his heart when he knew if he had just thought things through he would have understood that Dumbledore had always had nothing but the best of interests at heart when it came to him. Not only that, but the one wizard that Voldemort ever feared had cared about more than he could have ever imagined. "Yes, Harry?" he answered in a kindly voice.
"May I ask where we are going?"
"To see Lhuin."
"So the letter was real? Sirius is alive?" Harry could not help but shoot out his questions without giving Dumbledore the time to answer them.
"I do not know for sure, Harry." Dumbledore replied. "Lhuin is a necromancer." Harry's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "But aren't they." Before Harry could finish the thought, Lupin interrupted. "Usually. They can get really nasty and in truth a necromancer really doesn't bring back the dead back to life. They actually bring the angry and evil sprits that refuse to pass on to inhabit the dead body." "Then, Sirius can't be alive." Harry's heart sank. "Harry, when it comes to death. There are different levels. When a necromancer says that some one is alive, they mean they have not yet passed on to the final level," Dumbledore added, sensing Harry's heartbreak. "So you mean, Sirius might be caught in between life and real death?" "Exactly," replied Dumbledore. "But how can we trust a necromancer?" Harry added. "Because." Dumbledore began. "Yes?" "Lhuin is Sirius' daughter." "Pardon me?" Harry didn't know if he was hearing Dumbledore right. "Lhuin Black is Sirius Black's daughter, your god sister." "What?" Harry was not sure he could take any more of this. "How come Sirius never told me?" "Sirius didn't know she was still alive," Lupin replied sadly. "Perhaps, we should let Lhuin explain the rest," Dumbledore added. "I agree." Remus looked at Harry. "Please be a little more patient, Harry because even we don't know all the details." Harry was about to protest, but kept his mouth shut. Sirius has a daughter?
Lhuin sat in the corner of Three Broomsticks nursing a pint of butter beer. She had her black cloak over her robes with the hood pulled over her head shadowing her face. Lhuin feel the apprehension in the room. She noticed that several of the witches and wizards were giving furtive glances toward her. However, Lhuin understood their anxiety, now that the dark Lord has in fact returned. Thinking she should at least alleviate some of their anxiety, she decided to remove her hood, revealing straight raven hair, amber eyes that almost seemed like the color of gold and a beautiful face. However, she did not dare to reveal her robes or what she had strapped across her chest. She scanned the crowd once more and noticed that a few had relieved looks upon their face. Then her eyes fell on a familiar face, the one she had been waiting for: Remus Lupin. Getting up in an unhurried manner, Lhuin made her way toward Remus. She nodded a greeting at her father's childhood friend. He twitched nervously and gave her a weak smile in return. "You are looking well, Remus." Lhuin said quietly. "You too, Lhuin." Lhuin however, was not paying attention to his reply. She had noticed that he was staring at her cloak. "Still in the family business." "It's not what you think, Remus." Lhuin replied. Remus noted a slight glimmer in her bedazzling eyes, as if that last remark made a ripple, but her countenance remained serious and dignified. "Look, let's get out of here," Remus said hastily. "Where are the others?" "They are waiting for us a further ways down. It would be best if they were not seen with you here." Lhuin gave Remus a sharp glare, but instead of making a retort she only nodded and followed Remus out. Once outside she stopped him. "Meet me at the Howling Shack. I will be near the twisted whippoorwill," Lhuin turned and left Remus alone to get Dumbledore and Harry. As Lhuin stalked away toward the Howling Shack, she had to suppress her anger. The sudden urge to strangle something was rising fast. Cool it, Lhuin. Calm down. Lhuin took a deep breath. Why am I doing this? He never cared about me. Lhuin let her head drop, and silently admitted her defeat. She loved him, even if he didn't love her. She had always loved her father.
Harry did not know what to expect. He never met a necromancer and had never planned to. Harry was sure that he had already created a well-worn track in the soft grass as he paced nervously. Dumbledore remained stoic and calm as ever. Then Harry saw Lupin. "Where is Lhuin?" asked Harry, a sudden surge of panic that this had all been a set up. "She'll meet us at the Howling Shack," replied Remus. Again feeling Harry's anxiety, Dumbledore added, "then, let's be on our way."
The silence nearly killed Harry as they traveled toward their destination. He had been itching to ask his questions since they had left Uncle Vernon's house. Well, it was now or never.
"Um, Head Master Dumbledore?" asked Harry tentatively. Harry remembered how he had been so angry with him last year for keeping him in the dark. A new wave of guilt exploded in his heart when he knew if he had just thought things through he would have understood that Dumbledore had always had nothing but the best of interests at heart when it came to him. Not only that, but the one wizard that Voldemort ever feared had cared about more than he could have ever imagined. "Yes, Harry?" he answered in a kindly voice.
"May I ask where we are going?"
"To see Lhuin."
"So the letter was real? Sirius is alive?" Harry could not help but shoot out his questions without giving Dumbledore the time to answer them.
"I do not know for sure, Harry." Dumbledore replied. "Lhuin is a necromancer." Harry's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "But aren't they." Before Harry could finish the thought, Lupin interrupted. "Usually. They can get really nasty and in truth a necromancer really doesn't bring back the dead back to life. They actually bring the angry and evil sprits that refuse to pass on to inhabit the dead body." "Then, Sirius can't be alive." Harry's heart sank. "Harry, when it comes to death. There are different levels. When a necromancer says that some one is alive, they mean they have not yet passed on to the final level," Dumbledore added, sensing Harry's heartbreak. "So you mean, Sirius might be caught in between life and real death?" "Exactly," replied Dumbledore. "But how can we trust a necromancer?" Harry added. "Because." Dumbledore began. "Yes?" "Lhuin is Sirius' daughter." "Pardon me?" Harry didn't know if he was hearing Dumbledore right. "Lhuin Black is Sirius Black's daughter, your god sister." "What?" Harry was not sure he could take any more of this. "How come Sirius never told me?" "Sirius didn't know she was still alive," Lupin replied sadly. "Perhaps, we should let Lhuin explain the rest," Dumbledore added. "I agree." Remus looked at Harry. "Please be a little more patient, Harry because even we don't know all the details." Harry was about to protest, but kept his mouth shut. Sirius has a daughter?
Lhuin sat in the corner of Three Broomsticks nursing a pint of butter beer. She had her black cloak over her robes with the hood pulled over her head shadowing her face. Lhuin feel the apprehension in the room. She noticed that several of the witches and wizards were giving furtive glances toward her. However, Lhuin understood their anxiety, now that the dark Lord has in fact returned. Thinking she should at least alleviate some of their anxiety, she decided to remove her hood, revealing straight raven hair, amber eyes that almost seemed like the color of gold and a beautiful face. However, she did not dare to reveal her robes or what she had strapped across her chest. She scanned the crowd once more and noticed that a few had relieved looks upon their face. Then her eyes fell on a familiar face, the one she had been waiting for: Remus Lupin. Getting up in an unhurried manner, Lhuin made her way toward Remus. She nodded a greeting at her father's childhood friend. He twitched nervously and gave her a weak smile in return. "You are looking well, Remus." Lhuin said quietly. "You too, Lhuin." Lhuin however, was not paying attention to his reply. She had noticed that he was staring at her cloak. "Still in the family business." "It's not what you think, Remus." Lhuin replied. Remus noted a slight glimmer in her bedazzling eyes, as if that last remark made a ripple, but her countenance remained serious and dignified. "Look, let's get out of here," Remus said hastily. "Where are the others?" "They are waiting for us a further ways down. It would be best if they were not seen with you here." Lhuin gave Remus a sharp glare, but instead of making a retort she only nodded and followed Remus out. Once outside she stopped him. "Meet me at the Howling Shack. I will be near the twisted whippoorwill," Lhuin turned and left Remus alone to get Dumbledore and Harry. As Lhuin stalked away toward the Howling Shack, she had to suppress her anger. The sudden urge to strangle something was rising fast. Cool it, Lhuin. Calm down. Lhuin took a deep breath. Why am I doing this? He never cared about me. Lhuin let her head drop, and silently admitted her defeat. She loved him, even if he didn't love her. She had always loved her father.
Harry did not know what to expect. He never met a necromancer and had never planned to. Harry was sure that he had already created a well-worn track in the soft grass as he paced nervously. Dumbledore remained stoic and calm as ever. Then Harry saw Lupin. "Where is Lhuin?" asked Harry, a sudden surge of panic that this had all been a set up. "She'll meet us at the Howling Shack," replied Remus. Again feeling Harry's anxiety, Dumbledore added, "then, let's be on our way."