Chapter Three
As they drew near, Harry saw the cloaked figure waiting near the ominous twisted tree. It looked like it was in pain every time he saw it. When Harry was finally able to see Lhuin, he was completely caught off guard. She was beautiful. Harry believed she was no more than five years older than him. Harry had half-expected some ugly witch with a crooked nose and a huge wart on the end of it with a chain of human bones around her neck, because how can anything evil look good. But then again, neither Lupin nor Dumbledore ever said she was evil, Harry had assumed that all necromancers were bad. Stopping nearly a foot away from her, Harry was greeted by a cold flash of her golden eyes. "You certainly have grown since I last saw you, Lhuin," Dumbledore said with the barest hint of affection. Lhuin remained speechless. She had no idea that Dumbledore even remembered her. "Of course I remember you. You made quite the impression on me." Lhuin chuckled as what appeared to be a fond memory finally found its way back to her consciousness. "I never meant to put that chocolate frog in your hat, sir." Harry saw a twinkle of mischief in her honey-golden eyes. In fact, Harry was quite taken by the color of her irises. He had never seen a person with eyes that color. "We better get going. The faster we do this the better the chance of getting Sirius back." Lhuin's tone was completely all business now, as if she wasn't trying to save a father, but was merely there to do them a favor. "Certainly." Dumbledore indicated for Lhuin to lead the way. Lhuin however, did not take a single step in any direction. Instead, she pulled out from within her robes, a small onyx statue of a cat. "It's a port key. It will save us a vast amount of time." Dumbledore, Lupin and Harry touched the statue. "Ready?"
It never was a question to be answered. Ready or not they were all going to go. Harry felt the instant pull of the port key as it drew him in, middle first. He felt his knees buckle as he warped to their destination. "Where are we?" asked Lupin. "My home," answered Lhuin. "At least for the time being." Lhuin removed her cloak and revealed a dark blue robe with very odd symbols embroidered in gold, trimmed on the hems of her sleeves and neckline. Around her waist was a well-worn black leather belt that held her long sword and a small, sheathed dagger. Both were elegantly made and Harry noticed that they too were engraved with the same, strange markings. But what really had Harry baffled was what she wore across her chest. It was a rich-brown, leather bandolier. It appeared as if they held bells of varying sizes, seven to be exact, in order from the smallest to the largest. The bell handles were made from well-polished mahogany wood. "Follow me."
Lhuin led them into a small well-lit room toward the back of the house. As the four of them shuffled into the room, Harry's eyes only noticed one thing in the entire room. There, on a simple wooden cot was the body of Sirius. A mix of hopelessness and despair filled his heart as his mind began to say that Sirius couldn't possibly be brought back. On the other hand, Harry felt as if he would give anything to bring him back. It was then Harry realized that Lhuin had returned from somewhere and had brought back another cot. She laid it beside the other and sat on the edge. Lhuin then noticed the apprehension in Harry's eyes. She felt a slight twinge of guilt for her cold demeanor toward him in their initial meeting. It was clear to her, Sirius meant a lot to Harry. "Harry, I strongly believe I can bring him back. But dealing with death is always a very uncertain thing. However, I know that you and Sirius were close. That is going to help me greatly in bringing Sirius back to life and it will help Sirius find his way back." Then Lhuin leaned in more to whisper something only for Harry to hear, "your heart will know, Harry." Lhuin gave Harry a quick kiss on his forehead, near his scar. She then choose the sixth bell on her bandolier and held it silent with her other hand. "Sirius can't be too far. He is holding on to your memory, which is what is keeping him from passing on completely. He knows the future holds great danger for you." Harry could not speak. He felt his throat tighten with fear and grief. So he only nodded. Lhuin gave him one last reassuring smile and laid back into the cot. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Harry watched with wonder as her breath condensed as if it was in the middle or winter and not in the mist of a heat wave. Her beautiful face suddenly drained of color and turned deathly pale. All he could do now was wait. The minutes ticked by at a snail's pace and were just as torturous. Icicles have now formed at the corner of Lhuin's eyes and her skin was covered in a thin layer of frost. Suddenly, her lips moved. "Call to him, Harry." Her voice was thin and strained, but it was still clear. "Sirius?" Harry felt a little awkward. "Keeping calling him." "Sirius, it's me Harry. Can you hear me? Sirius?" At that instant, Sirius' eyes snapped open. Harry nearly fell back from surprise. He backed away as Sirius sat up. Harry watched as the newly animated body looked around and then settled on Harry. He smiled. Harry wanted to rush over to him, but something held him back. He did not know what it was, but it was like a nagging presence. Then Harry knew that it was something about the eyes. They seemed different. They seemed empty, soulless. Nothing in them gave any hint that this thing was human. "Harry," the thing spoke. It had Sirius' voice, but like its eyes it was lifeless. "Harry, step back." Lupin and Dumbledore were already poised with their wands. It stood up and came toward them. Before Lupin or Dumbledore could even utter a spell, Lhuin had come from behind and tackled the imposter. In the mist of their struggle, Lhuin managed to pull out another bell and rang a note, pure and true. "Sleep!" Lhuin commanded. Harry struggled to fight off the sudden urge to fall asleep on his feet. When Harry finally cleared his head, he noticed that both Lupin and Dumbledore were doing the same. Of course, Dumbledore had recovered faster than all of them, but Sirius' body lay on the floor with Lhuin's beside it. They had gone back into death.
As they drew near, Harry saw the cloaked figure waiting near the ominous twisted tree. It looked like it was in pain every time he saw it. When Harry was finally able to see Lhuin, he was completely caught off guard. She was beautiful. Harry believed she was no more than five years older than him. Harry had half-expected some ugly witch with a crooked nose and a huge wart on the end of it with a chain of human bones around her neck, because how can anything evil look good. But then again, neither Lupin nor Dumbledore ever said she was evil, Harry had assumed that all necromancers were bad. Stopping nearly a foot away from her, Harry was greeted by a cold flash of her golden eyes. "You certainly have grown since I last saw you, Lhuin," Dumbledore said with the barest hint of affection. Lhuin remained speechless. She had no idea that Dumbledore even remembered her. "Of course I remember you. You made quite the impression on me." Lhuin chuckled as what appeared to be a fond memory finally found its way back to her consciousness. "I never meant to put that chocolate frog in your hat, sir." Harry saw a twinkle of mischief in her honey-golden eyes. In fact, Harry was quite taken by the color of her irises. He had never seen a person with eyes that color. "We better get going. The faster we do this the better the chance of getting Sirius back." Lhuin's tone was completely all business now, as if she wasn't trying to save a father, but was merely there to do them a favor. "Certainly." Dumbledore indicated for Lhuin to lead the way. Lhuin however, did not take a single step in any direction. Instead, she pulled out from within her robes, a small onyx statue of a cat. "It's a port key. It will save us a vast amount of time." Dumbledore, Lupin and Harry touched the statue. "Ready?"
It never was a question to be answered. Ready or not they were all going to go. Harry felt the instant pull of the port key as it drew him in, middle first. He felt his knees buckle as he warped to their destination. "Where are we?" asked Lupin. "My home," answered Lhuin. "At least for the time being." Lhuin removed her cloak and revealed a dark blue robe with very odd symbols embroidered in gold, trimmed on the hems of her sleeves and neckline. Around her waist was a well-worn black leather belt that held her long sword and a small, sheathed dagger. Both were elegantly made and Harry noticed that they too were engraved with the same, strange markings. But what really had Harry baffled was what she wore across her chest. It was a rich-brown, leather bandolier. It appeared as if they held bells of varying sizes, seven to be exact, in order from the smallest to the largest. The bell handles were made from well-polished mahogany wood. "Follow me."
Lhuin led them into a small well-lit room toward the back of the house. As the four of them shuffled into the room, Harry's eyes only noticed one thing in the entire room. There, on a simple wooden cot was the body of Sirius. A mix of hopelessness and despair filled his heart as his mind began to say that Sirius couldn't possibly be brought back. On the other hand, Harry felt as if he would give anything to bring him back. It was then Harry realized that Lhuin had returned from somewhere and had brought back another cot. She laid it beside the other and sat on the edge. Lhuin then noticed the apprehension in Harry's eyes. She felt a slight twinge of guilt for her cold demeanor toward him in their initial meeting. It was clear to her, Sirius meant a lot to Harry. "Harry, I strongly believe I can bring him back. But dealing with death is always a very uncertain thing. However, I know that you and Sirius were close. That is going to help me greatly in bringing Sirius back to life and it will help Sirius find his way back." Then Lhuin leaned in more to whisper something only for Harry to hear, "your heart will know, Harry." Lhuin gave Harry a quick kiss on his forehead, near his scar. She then choose the sixth bell on her bandolier and held it silent with her other hand. "Sirius can't be too far. He is holding on to your memory, which is what is keeping him from passing on completely. He knows the future holds great danger for you." Harry could not speak. He felt his throat tighten with fear and grief. So he only nodded. Lhuin gave him one last reassuring smile and laid back into the cot. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Harry watched with wonder as her breath condensed as if it was in the middle or winter and not in the mist of a heat wave. Her beautiful face suddenly drained of color and turned deathly pale. All he could do now was wait. The minutes ticked by at a snail's pace and were just as torturous. Icicles have now formed at the corner of Lhuin's eyes and her skin was covered in a thin layer of frost. Suddenly, her lips moved. "Call to him, Harry." Her voice was thin and strained, but it was still clear. "Sirius?" Harry felt a little awkward. "Keeping calling him." "Sirius, it's me Harry. Can you hear me? Sirius?" At that instant, Sirius' eyes snapped open. Harry nearly fell back from surprise. He backed away as Sirius sat up. Harry watched as the newly animated body looked around and then settled on Harry. He smiled. Harry wanted to rush over to him, but something held him back. He did not know what it was, but it was like a nagging presence. Then Harry knew that it was something about the eyes. They seemed different. They seemed empty, soulless. Nothing in them gave any hint that this thing was human. "Harry," the thing spoke. It had Sirius' voice, but like its eyes it was lifeless. "Harry, step back." Lupin and Dumbledore were already poised with their wands. It stood up and came toward them. Before Lupin or Dumbledore could even utter a spell, Lhuin had come from behind and tackled the imposter. In the mist of their struggle, Lhuin managed to pull out another bell and rang a note, pure and true. "Sleep!" Lhuin commanded. Harry struggled to fight off the sudden urge to fall asleep on his feet. When Harry finally cleared his head, he noticed that both Lupin and Dumbledore were doing the same. Of course, Dumbledore had recovered faster than all of them, but Sirius' body lay on the floor with Lhuin's beside it. They had gone back into death.