A/N: Thanks to my reviewers!
Potter Reader - I think you'll like how I get the truth to them.
carpathia1 - Thanks! I'm glad you like it.
David M. Potter - Thanks.
tropic - Thank you.
Iniysa - Oh me too! SC's are wonderful.
ress - Thanks. I'm not that creative when it comes to names, but I
rather liked that one, too!
'these' are thoughts
**this** is parseltongue
*~*~*~*~*~*~ is a new perspective or scene
Chapter Four: A Pensieve Moment
Harry stood on the sidewalk in front of Number Four Privet Drive, fidgeting nervously. He knew his aunt and uncle didn't like people from his world, and yet, here were three, professors at his school even, who were dressed in robes. Glancing at Professor Dumbledore, the only one wearing robes, Harry cleared his throat.
"Professor, umm... They, my relatives, they don't like wizards and witches. And they don't like the way we dress... cou-could youmaybechangeyourrobesornotbeseen?" he finished in a rush.
Snape sneered at him. "Come, Potter. They can't dislike our world that much. They do have you, after all. Surely the 'Pride of Gryffindor' could make a good impression?"
Harry scowled back at the man. "No, sir." he gritted out through his teeth. "They hate magic. Have since mum got her letter." That said, he determinedly walked towards the house and through the front door, only to stop short when his aunt's shrill voice came from the kitchen.
"Boy! Get in here right now!"
With a sigh, he moved towards the kitchen door, unaware of the three presences behind him. "Yes, Aunt Petunia."
Pushing the door open, he entered the kitchen.
"Well, boy? Where are the things I sent you for?"
Harry paled slightly. 'I forgot all about the store! How am I going to get out of this one?' Before he could formulate a response, though, his aunt continued.
"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" she shrieked. Harry whirled to see Snape and McGonagall in the doorway, Dumbledore barely visible behind them.
"We are here to collect Mr. Potter and his belongings. He will be returning to Hogwart's with us." Snape's silky voice intoned.
"Freaks! All of you! Fine, then. Take the boy and go!" Harry fished out the money his aunt gave him to shop with and placed it on the counter before running from the kitchen, pushing past his professors, and bounding up the stairs.
With his trunk packed, all he had to do was throw in his new books, and was doing so when Snape entered behind him. Picking up the book Harry had been most recently reading, he smirked. "Potions: What to expect on your N.E.W.Ts? If I recall correctly, Potter, you didn't get an Outstanding on your O.W.L., so how could you possibly expect to use this?"
Harry merely took the book from the Potions Master's hands and stuffed it into his trunk. He glanced up at his most hated professor. "Sir, how are we getting to Hogwarts?"
Dumbledore's voice answered from the doorway. "We will Floo from Arabella's house to Hogsmeade and walk the rest of the way."
"Professor Dumbledore," came Harry's voice from the floor as he lifted the loos floorboard under his bed. "I still have to get some things for school. Is there any way..." he trailed off, pulling his invisibility cloak and a leather photo album from the depths of the floor. Placing these on his bed, he returned to pull a large stack of letters from under the floor as well. Every letter he had been written that summer, plus all the letters he had from Sirius. Replacing the floorboard, he stood up, dusted himself off, and placed everything into his trunk before shutting and locking it.
"Ah yes, Harry. I believe that with the three of us with you, you shall be quite safe for a stop in Diagon Alley."
"Thank you, sir." With one last look around, Harry grabbed Hedwig's cage, letting her out to fly, before moving towards the door. A tapping at his window halted his progress, and he turned to see a large, black eagle owl waiting with a letter. Opening the window again, he let the bird in. Pulling the letter from it's leg, it flew off as he carefully opened the envelope. Unfolding the heavy parchment, his breath caught in his chest and he started shaking. There, at the bottom of the page, where there should have been a signature, was a skull with a snake protruding from the mouth. "Voldemort." Harry breathed, before reading the letter.
Harry Potter, (the letter read)
I hope, for your sake, that that Muggle loving fool can keep you
safe this year. (Harry could just imagine the sarcasm that went into
THAT line)
May your mudblood friend be as safe as you.
Harry gasped, "Hermione!" as the letter fell from numb fingers. As the parchment fluttered to the floor, Snape saw the Dark Mark and knew that this was from Voldemort.
"The Dark Lord. How?"
Dumbledore picked up the letter and read through it quickly. "Harry, I am afraid we cannot go to Diagon Alley today. Minerva, come with me. Severus, take young Mr. Potter back to Hogwarts. With a nod, the two professors left, and Snape took just a little time shrinking Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage before slipping them in his pocket.
"Come, Potter. We haven't got all day." Harry nodded dumbly and followed Snape down the stairs and all the way to Mrs. Figg's. He barely had a chance to say goodbye before they were through the fireplace and in Hogsmeade Village. From there, they slowly walked the path back to the school, and through the great oak doors into the entrance hall. Remus Lupin was waiting for them.
"Severus. Where's Minerva? And Harry!? What is he doing here?"
"It was not safe for him, Lupin." snarled Severus. "Minerva is with Albus. I believe they went to get the Granger girl." Snape pulled Harry's trunk and cage from his pocket, returned them to normal size, and left in the direction of the dungeons. "Why don't you help Potter get his things to his dormitory, Lupin?"
Remus watched Severus disappear, then pulled out his wand and pointed it at the trunk. "Locomotor trunk!" and had the trunk following them as they made their way up to Gryffindor Tower, Harry carrying Hedwig's cage and telling Remus everything that happened. When they arrived at the dorms, Lupin gestured Harry inside, and told him he'd be right back.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Harry was sitting on a couch in the common room when Lupin returned, this time with a box in his hands.
"Here, Harry. I was... cleaning out Sirius' personal effects when I found this." His face was contorted into an expression of pain, matched only by the equally painful look on Harry's own face.
Looking at the box, he saw a familiar scrawl that read: For Harry's sixteenth birthday. From Sirius.
Tentatively opening the box, Harry found a pensieve, the swirling white strands already there, and a note from Sirius.
Harry,
I hope this clears up any problems you may be having.
The changes are natural, let them come. But be careful.
Sirius.
Remus watched as Harry read the note, then leaned forward to look inside the pensieve. He didn't know what memories Sirius had stored in there, but he hoped Harry would be a bit more restful after he saw them. He knew Harry blamed himself for Sirius' death, as much as he blamed himself for Cedric Diggory's. And Harry didn't look as if he had been sleeping well, either.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Harry felt his body fall into the pensieve, a part of him grateful that
Lupin was there to pull him out. But as Sirius' memory unfolded before
him, he let out a sharp gasp. This couldn't be...
A/N: I hope you like it so far. Let me know. Please review!