Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- Chapter 35
Voldemort heard the many *pop*'s as well. Ron and Hermione looked around and Harry struggled to focus on the bead between him and Voldemort. There was shouting and suddenly Voldemort broke the concentration himself. He had jerked his wand upwards and ducked to the side. Harry's disarming curse shot past his head. Voldemort glanced to the left and waved his wand, disapperating. Harry blinked in surprise and looked around. He saw Mad-Eye Moody hobbling over to them. He felt a wave of relief. He looked for Ron and Hermione and saw them getting up slowly. He saw the grateful look on their faces as they took in the Order of the Phoenix members. Harry felt like the world was spinning and he dropped to the ground. Hermione appeared to be having trouble standing so Ron was supporting her weight and had an arm around her waist. They limped over to Harry.
"You alright, Potter?" Asked the real Moody. Harry nodded up at him and looked at his friends who had the same dirty, pale, exhausted looks on their faces, as he knew he did.
Harry heard noises coming from the other side of the floor. Most of the witches and wizards were coagulating there. The rest were combing the area for Voldemort, Pettigrew and Malfoy. Harry saw the blue-eyed older boy in custody. He was being watched over by a dark haired witch and a wizard wearing mahogany robes. The boy appeared to be just regaining consciousness. Harry stood up and slowly the trio moved to the other side of the floor to investigate. Harry had an unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach as he realised that Sirius and Professor Lupin were nowhere to be seen.
"You guys had better not see this." A man intercepted their route.
"Let them see." Harry looked up to see the sad, concerned and depressed blue eyes of their Headmaster.
"Professor?" Harry began, but Dumbledore just gestured to them to see. As they moved into the range of vision Harry froze. He heard Hermione let out a gasp. Everyone else was silent except for the shaking form of Harry's godfather as he wept over his best friend's body. Arabella knelt beside him, gently stroking Remus' hair and sobbing. Most of the Order were in shock. In shock from seeing Remus dead and in shock from seeing Sirius Black before them.
Harry moved cautiously towards Sirius.
"Sirius?" He whispered, gently touching Sirius' shoulder. Sirius turned and saw Harry standing there, unharmed and healthy and burst into another torrent of tears. Harry sank to the floor beside his godfather and let Sirius pull him into a hug. Hermione and Ron had also fallen the ground. Hermione was sobbing uncontrollably and Ron sat looking upset and shocked. He had his arm around Hermione still, as though he was protecting her. Harry looked up with tears blurring his vision and locked his gaze with Ron. They didn't say anything just stared at each other for a moment. Harry heard someone crying beside Arabella and saw Professor McGonagall standing. Harry bowed his head and looked at Remus' lifeless form. He didn't need to be told how he was killed. He knew. He had been there when Peter had been given his silver hand by Voldemort. A silver hand and a werewolf. Of course it was Peter, who else could it have been? Not Lucius, Sirius dealt with him, as with the boy, he was unconscious and Voldemort had been occupied with Ron and Harry. He knew it was his fault. His fault that Cedric died last year and he was responsible, now, for another life. Harry leaned against his godfather feeling empty and cold.
* * *
"Sirius, come on. Easy now. Up you get." Dumbledore helped Sirius to his feet. Harry stayed sitting, staring blankly at Remus' form. Hermione and Ron had got up as well. The members of the Order were leaving the area. Going away. Everything was silent. No one spoke as they disapperated. Arabella, McGonagall, Hermione and Sirius had stopped crying a while ago. Harry was oblivious as people around him walked away, as Sirius, Ron and Hermione got up, as Dumbledore murmured soothingly to Sirius.
Someone put their hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry jumped and turned to the person. He was met with Arabella Figg's sad, red, puffy face.
"Come on. We are taking you guys back to Hogwarts. Can you walk?" She whispered. Harry didn't answer. He couldn't. He remained sitting as some members of the Order came up and covered Remus Lupin's body. Sirius turned sharply away from the sight and waited for Harry to get up. Slowly Harry stood. Hermione and Ron appeared at his side. Hermione looked into his eyes with a look of understanding. Everyone watched as she suddenly broke away from Ron and hugged Harry tightly.
"It's not your fault." She whispered. Harry gently hugged her back and Ron stepped forward as Hermione stepped back.
"Of course it's not, Harry." She said softly. Harry managed a smile at his friends.
"Let's go." He turned to Dumbledore who presented them with a coat hanger.
"In two minutes you will be transported to Hogwarts." He stepped back and watched until the Portkey jerked Ron, Harry, Hermione and Sirius forward and away.
* * *
Harry wobbled and fell as they landed back in Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall, Mrs. Figg and Dumbledore had arrived at the same time clutching a milk carton. Harry stood back up slowly. He felt as though every ounce of energy had left him. He looked over at his friends and saw how exhausted they were. Hermione was leaning on Ron for support because her ankle hurt too much to put weight on it. Ron was supporting both her and his own weight and it was taking everything he had to remain standing. Dumbledore wasted no time and wordlessly lead them to the Infirmary. Harry glanced out a window wearily and saw the grounds bathed in dark. It was the middle of the night.
Dumbledore rapped gently on the Infirmary door.
"Poppy, it's me."
"Albus? What are you doing here so late?" Mme Pomfrey asked as they flung the door open. Her mouth dropped into an 'O' of surprise when she saw the party in the door.
"Come in! Come in!" She ushered them in. She quickly assigned them beds. Mme Pomfrey was stunned to see Sirius Black standing in Hogwarts, his arm around Harry, and Dumbledore treating him kindly.
"Poppy, Sirius, here, is completely innocent. He will be pardoned in a few days, but for now I want you to treat him extremely well." Dumbledore didn't tell her what happened and Mme Pomfrey didn't ask.
"Sit, dear, sit." She helped Sirius into his bed and closed the curtains so he could get changed into some pyjamas. He tried protesting, saying that he wasn't injured, but both Pomfrey and Dumbledore insisted. Ron and Harry helped Hermione onto the bed, since her ankle was almost unbearable. Mme Pomfrey hurried over and ordered them to their own beds and gave them each pyjamas. Harry leaned on his backboard of his bed as Mme Pomfrey bustled about. She made him have a potion, then a dreamless sleep draught and shut the curtains again so he couldn't see the others. She repeated the process with everyone else, except for Hermione. She gave her a bone-mending potion too. Harry felt himself falling into a deep, deep sleep, unable to re- create the night.
Voldemort heard the many *pop*'s as well. Ron and Hermione looked around and Harry struggled to focus on the bead between him and Voldemort. There was shouting and suddenly Voldemort broke the concentration himself. He had jerked his wand upwards and ducked to the side. Harry's disarming curse shot past his head. Voldemort glanced to the left and waved his wand, disapperating. Harry blinked in surprise and looked around. He saw Mad-Eye Moody hobbling over to them. He felt a wave of relief. He looked for Ron and Hermione and saw them getting up slowly. He saw the grateful look on their faces as they took in the Order of the Phoenix members. Harry felt like the world was spinning and he dropped to the ground. Hermione appeared to be having trouble standing so Ron was supporting her weight and had an arm around her waist. They limped over to Harry.
"You alright, Potter?" Asked the real Moody. Harry nodded up at him and looked at his friends who had the same dirty, pale, exhausted looks on their faces, as he knew he did.
Harry heard noises coming from the other side of the floor. Most of the witches and wizards were coagulating there. The rest were combing the area for Voldemort, Pettigrew and Malfoy. Harry saw the blue-eyed older boy in custody. He was being watched over by a dark haired witch and a wizard wearing mahogany robes. The boy appeared to be just regaining consciousness. Harry stood up and slowly the trio moved to the other side of the floor to investigate. Harry had an unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach as he realised that Sirius and Professor Lupin were nowhere to be seen.
"You guys had better not see this." A man intercepted their route.
"Let them see." Harry looked up to see the sad, concerned and depressed blue eyes of their Headmaster.
"Professor?" Harry began, but Dumbledore just gestured to them to see. As they moved into the range of vision Harry froze. He heard Hermione let out a gasp. Everyone else was silent except for the shaking form of Harry's godfather as he wept over his best friend's body. Arabella knelt beside him, gently stroking Remus' hair and sobbing. Most of the Order were in shock. In shock from seeing Remus dead and in shock from seeing Sirius Black before them.
Harry moved cautiously towards Sirius.
"Sirius?" He whispered, gently touching Sirius' shoulder. Sirius turned and saw Harry standing there, unharmed and healthy and burst into another torrent of tears. Harry sank to the floor beside his godfather and let Sirius pull him into a hug. Hermione and Ron had also fallen the ground. Hermione was sobbing uncontrollably and Ron sat looking upset and shocked. He had his arm around Hermione still, as though he was protecting her. Harry looked up with tears blurring his vision and locked his gaze with Ron. They didn't say anything just stared at each other for a moment. Harry heard someone crying beside Arabella and saw Professor McGonagall standing. Harry bowed his head and looked at Remus' lifeless form. He didn't need to be told how he was killed. He knew. He had been there when Peter had been given his silver hand by Voldemort. A silver hand and a werewolf. Of course it was Peter, who else could it have been? Not Lucius, Sirius dealt with him, as with the boy, he was unconscious and Voldemort had been occupied with Ron and Harry. He knew it was his fault. His fault that Cedric died last year and he was responsible, now, for another life. Harry leaned against his godfather feeling empty and cold.
* * *
"Sirius, come on. Easy now. Up you get." Dumbledore helped Sirius to his feet. Harry stayed sitting, staring blankly at Remus' form. Hermione and Ron had got up as well. The members of the Order were leaving the area. Going away. Everything was silent. No one spoke as they disapperated. Arabella, McGonagall, Hermione and Sirius had stopped crying a while ago. Harry was oblivious as people around him walked away, as Sirius, Ron and Hermione got up, as Dumbledore murmured soothingly to Sirius.
Someone put their hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry jumped and turned to the person. He was met with Arabella Figg's sad, red, puffy face.
"Come on. We are taking you guys back to Hogwarts. Can you walk?" She whispered. Harry didn't answer. He couldn't. He remained sitting as some members of the Order came up and covered Remus Lupin's body. Sirius turned sharply away from the sight and waited for Harry to get up. Slowly Harry stood. Hermione and Ron appeared at his side. Hermione looked into his eyes with a look of understanding. Everyone watched as she suddenly broke away from Ron and hugged Harry tightly.
"It's not your fault." She whispered. Harry gently hugged her back and Ron stepped forward as Hermione stepped back.
"Of course it's not, Harry." She said softly. Harry managed a smile at his friends.
"Let's go." He turned to Dumbledore who presented them with a coat hanger.
"In two minutes you will be transported to Hogwarts." He stepped back and watched until the Portkey jerked Ron, Harry, Hermione and Sirius forward and away.
* * *
Harry wobbled and fell as they landed back in Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall, Mrs. Figg and Dumbledore had arrived at the same time clutching a milk carton. Harry stood back up slowly. He felt as though every ounce of energy had left him. He looked over at his friends and saw how exhausted they were. Hermione was leaning on Ron for support because her ankle hurt too much to put weight on it. Ron was supporting both her and his own weight and it was taking everything he had to remain standing. Dumbledore wasted no time and wordlessly lead them to the Infirmary. Harry glanced out a window wearily and saw the grounds bathed in dark. It was the middle of the night.
Dumbledore rapped gently on the Infirmary door.
"Poppy, it's me."
"Albus? What are you doing here so late?" Mme Pomfrey asked as they flung the door open. Her mouth dropped into an 'O' of surprise when she saw the party in the door.
"Come in! Come in!" She ushered them in. She quickly assigned them beds. Mme Pomfrey was stunned to see Sirius Black standing in Hogwarts, his arm around Harry, and Dumbledore treating him kindly.
"Poppy, Sirius, here, is completely innocent. He will be pardoned in a few days, but for now I want you to treat him extremely well." Dumbledore didn't tell her what happened and Mme Pomfrey didn't ask.
"Sit, dear, sit." She helped Sirius into his bed and closed the curtains so he could get changed into some pyjamas. He tried protesting, saying that he wasn't injured, but both Pomfrey and Dumbledore insisted. Ron and Harry helped Hermione onto the bed, since her ankle was almost unbearable. Mme Pomfrey hurried over and ordered them to their own beds and gave them each pyjamas. Harry leaned on his backboard of his bed as Mme Pomfrey bustled about. She made him have a potion, then a dreamless sleep draught and shut the curtains again so he couldn't see the others. She repeated the process with everyone else, except for Hermione. She gave her a bone-mending potion too. Harry felt himself falling into a deep, deep sleep, unable to re- create the night.