Chapter 3
Sirius's Message
The folds of the envelope sprang open with surprising force, and instantly the room was filled with a glowing golden light. It seemed as though the entire space was frozen within the sparkling halo.
And then the room changed. The golden light that filtered through the room condensed, swirling closer and closer together until the particles took the shape of a head.
Sirius.
"Hello Harry," the perfect likeness began. Harry was awestruck to say the least. A lump became caught in his throat.
"Sirius, I, er, your-"
"I imagine you have many questions, but I am sad to say I cannot answer them all. I am sure the converselope told you that this is a recorded message. This is only a likeness of me, a recording as well. So don't expect a response to your questions.
"You're probably wondering why I would send a converselope. Firstly, because traditionally, a converselope is what people use to send important information in case of death. So, unfortunately, I'm no longer with you. Secondly, converselopes are the safest way to record information. Scrolls and parchment can be read, no matter how powerful a charm is put on the document. Converselopes hold information on the inside and outside, but most importantly, they limit the amount of people who can understand the information. Only four people know this converselope even exists: I, the writer, Remus, the handler, you, the recipient, and the postmaster, who sells and sends so many of these that I doubt he can remember anything about them.
"So to summarize, converselopes are sent when you want to give people information that no one else can know."
Harry remained silent as he listened, simultaneously absorbing and analyzing the information.
Sirius's image sighed heavily. "There are certain things that you need to know.
"Firstly, Twelve Grimmauld Place belongs to you now. Though it is headquarters of the order, as you know, when Voldemort is defeated and the order disbands, the house is yours to keep-" Sirius smiled bitterly- "though if I were you, I'd either sell it or burn it."
"But what about your family's things-"
"All the possessions of the house can be disposed of," Sirius continued. "But," he said, with a twinkle in his eyes, "you might find some items of interest in my bedroom, a lot of things I've collect over the years.
"My money in Gringotts has been divided amongst several people, including you. Don't try to object, because Remus has already taken care of it. Everything I leave you, feel free to do what you please with it. I trust you."
At Sirius's last words, Harry smiled. That was true indeed. His godfather had always trusted him. And Harry had always trusted Sirius. In fact, Sirius had really been one of the few people in Harry's life who had always trusted him, for better or worse. It was a comforting, but fleeting thought.
"Now, for the most important business," Sirius said, far more seriously than before. "About this war.
"The Order is effective, but not nearly enough as is needed. To be quire honest, Harry, things are not looking particularly good for us. The number of Death Eaters will increase. The old fear will settle in, and people will follow. Despite what you may be told, Voldemort's following will grow as largely as before, if not larger. And we can only hope that our numbers will increase as steadily.
"Times are getting darker, Harry. People you thought you knew will become completely different, perhaps they will betray you. We have told you before to keep a vigilant eye, to be aware. You must do so now more than ever. This is a war, Harry. There will be casualties, injuries, and your emotions will kick in. The only way you will survive it all is to keep a level head. You are used to caring for yourself, but now you'll have to step up as well. There are burdens we cannot lift, pasts we cannot delete, and destinies we may want to avoid, but the biggest part of being adult is knowing that we must acknowledge what we known, embrace it even, and continue on.
"There is something else. No matter what you may feel, no matter how angry they may make you at times, do not distance yourself from Ron and Hermione. You will come to depend on them far more than you do now, and trust me, they will never let you down. But on that note, you must remember to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. In times like these, as odd as it sounds, your enemies could turn out to be your closest allies."
Harry was concentrating hard, letting every sound of Sirius's voice sink in. He had counted on his godfather for advice, and these last pieces were surely lasting words.
"I hope that I've been able to tell you more about your parents up until this point, Harry. Regardless, there are several trunks in my room that will give you a glance of what they were like and how life was at that time. I hope you'll enjoy them, as we enjoyed the times we had together.
"Despite everything that's happened, remember Harry; when you are in doubt, follow your gut. My advice or anyone else's will only do so much. You have good intuition, it will lead you far. Maybe we'll see each other again, maybe not. But I'm always with you, and will be cheering you on to the end. I couldn't have asked for a better godson. I love you, Harry. Goodbye."
The image dispersed into a million golden particles which floated back into the converselope. It sealed itself magically, and lay on the bed placidly, the face quiet and in a deep sleep. Harry simply watched it for a few moments.
And then Remus Lupin stepped into the room.
Sirius's Message
The folds of the envelope sprang open with surprising force, and instantly the room was filled with a glowing golden light. It seemed as though the entire space was frozen within the sparkling halo.
And then the room changed. The golden light that filtered through the room condensed, swirling closer and closer together until the particles took the shape of a head.
Sirius.
"Hello Harry," the perfect likeness began. Harry was awestruck to say the least. A lump became caught in his throat.
"Sirius, I, er, your-"
"I imagine you have many questions, but I am sad to say I cannot answer them all. I am sure the converselope told you that this is a recorded message. This is only a likeness of me, a recording as well. So don't expect a response to your questions.
"You're probably wondering why I would send a converselope. Firstly, because traditionally, a converselope is what people use to send important information in case of death. So, unfortunately, I'm no longer with you. Secondly, converselopes are the safest way to record information. Scrolls and parchment can be read, no matter how powerful a charm is put on the document. Converselopes hold information on the inside and outside, but most importantly, they limit the amount of people who can understand the information. Only four people know this converselope even exists: I, the writer, Remus, the handler, you, the recipient, and the postmaster, who sells and sends so many of these that I doubt he can remember anything about them.
"So to summarize, converselopes are sent when you want to give people information that no one else can know."
Harry remained silent as he listened, simultaneously absorbing and analyzing the information.
Sirius's image sighed heavily. "There are certain things that you need to know.
"Firstly, Twelve Grimmauld Place belongs to you now. Though it is headquarters of the order, as you know, when Voldemort is defeated and the order disbands, the house is yours to keep-" Sirius smiled bitterly- "though if I were you, I'd either sell it or burn it."
"But what about your family's things-"
"All the possessions of the house can be disposed of," Sirius continued. "But," he said, with a twinkle in his eyes, "you might find some items of interest in my bedroom, a lot of things I've collect over the years.
"My money in Gringotts has been divided amongst several people, including you. Don't try to object, because Remus has already taken care of it. Everything I leave you, feel free to do what you please with it. I trust you."
At Sirius's last words, Harry smiled. That was true indeed. His godfather had always trusted him. And Harry had always trusted Sirius. In fact, Sirius had really been one of the few people in Harry's life who had always trusted him, for better or worse. It was a comforting, but fleeting thought.
"Now, for the most important business," Sirius said, far more seriously than before. "About this war.
"The Order is effective, but not nearly enough as is needed. To be quire honest, Harry, things are not looking particularly good for us. The number of Death Eaters will increase. The old fear will settle in, and people will follow. Despite what you may be told, Voldemort's following will grow as largely as before, if not larger. And we can only hope that our numbers will increase as steadily.
"Times are getting darker, Harry. People you thought you knew will become completely different, perhaps they will betray you. We have told you before to keep a vigilant eye, to be aware. You must do so now more than ever. This is a war, Harry. There will be casualties, injuries, and your emotions will kick in. The only way you will survive it all is to keep a level head. You are used to caring for yourself, but now you'll have to step up as well. There are burdens we cannot lift, pasts we cannot delete, and destinies we may want to avoid, but the biggest part of being adult is knowing that we must acknowledge what we known, embrace it even, and continue on.
"There is something else. No matter what you may feel, no matter how angry they may make you at times, do not distance yourself from Ron and Hermione. You will come to depend on them far more than you do now, and trust me, they will never let you down. But on that note, you must remember to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. In times like these, as odd as it sounds, your enemies could turn out to be your closest allies."
Harry was concentrating hard, letting every sound of Sirius's voice sink in. He had counted on his godfather for advice, and these last pieces were surely lasting words.
"I hope that I've been able to tell you more about your parents up until this point, Harry. Regardless, there are several trunks in my room that will give you a glance of what they were like and how life was at that time. I hope you'll enjoy them, as we enjoyed the times we had together.
"Despite everything that's happened, remember Harry; when you are in doubt, follow your gut. My advice or anyone else's will only do so much. You have good intuition, it will lead you far. Maybe we'll see each other again, maybe not. But I'm always with you, and will be cheering you on to the end. I couldn't have asked for a better godson. I love you, Harry. Goodbye."
The image dispersed into a million golden particles which floated back into the converselope. It sealed itself magically, and lay on the bed placidly, the face quiet and in a deep sleep. Harry simply watched it for a few moments.
And then Remus Lupin stepped into the room.