Chapter four: Return to Headquarters
"NOOOOOOO!" screamed Harry as he fell off his bed. He pulled himself up from the hard wood floor. He felt cold sweat running down his back. He also felt a pain on his head. Not only was his scar burning like fire, his temple was hurting just as badly. He turned to look at himself in the mirror and saw a trickle of blood running down the right side of his face.
He quickly wiped the blood off his face with his shirt as he ran downstairs. He ran into the kitchen panting hard.
"What's with you, boy?" growled his Uncle.
"I-I was j-just checking o-on you guys," panted Harry.
"What for?" asked his Aunt Petunia as his Uncle Vernon shook his head.
"I had this dream that, um, well, that Voldemort had come here," said Harry awkwardly.
"Oh," his Aunt said looking down. "Well, dinner is ready, it's 8:30 now so you will have to eat quick," she added, trying to cover up that Harry's dream had no effect whatsoever on her.
The three of them sat down for dinner.
"Wait, where's Dudley?" asked Harry.
"He went to Pierre's house for tonight," said Uncle Vernon, gruffly.
His Aunt and Uncle carried on a conversation about how well Dudley was doing in school. Harry tried hard not to burst out laughing into his dinner.
After Harry was done with his dinner, he cleaned off his plate and put it in the dishwasher. He then ran upstairs and dragged his trunk downstairs near the fireplace. He looked at the clock: 8:59 pm. Harry's heart skipped a beat. He was finally getting out of the Dursley's house.
There was a knock at the door. Harry immediately ran down the hallway and opened up the door to see Lupin and Tonks standing in the doorway, both grinning broadly. Harry grinned back at them as he invited them in.
"Wotcher Harry!" said Tonks brightly who was sporting a vibrant blue mane down to the middle of her back and deep rosy cheeks.
"How are you Harry?" asked Lupin, shaking his hand and winking at him.
"Um, I've been better," he said, but added, "I'll tell you at Headquarters," when he saw their inquisitive looks.
"Ready to go Harry?" asked Tonks.
"Yeah-" Harry said. "Wait! How are we going to get to Headquarters?"
"Flying," said Lupin simply.
"But, Professor Lupin, my Firebolt is at Hogwarts still," said Harry gloomily.
"Au contraire, Harry," said Tonks in her usual peppy voice, "It Is right here." As she said this she flicked her wand and his Firebolt appeared in mid-air.
"Happy belated Birthday Harry," said Tonks.
Harry was shocked to see his Firebolt in front of him.
"Wow, thanks Tonks!" Harry exclaimed. She smiled at him.
"Ready?" Lupin asked.
As Harry was getting ready to turn around he saw his Aunt and Uncle standing in the hallway.
"Er- bye then," Harry said.
"Bye Harry," said his Aunt Petunia softly.
His Uncle Vernon just looked at him and narrowed his eyes at Tonks and Lupin. They then walked to the back of the house in the backyard and got ready to leave.
"We're just waiting for the first signal," whispered Lupin.
"Erm- Professor Lupin?" asked Harry.
"What is it Harry?"
"I, er- had a dream before you guys came," he said.
Lupin and Tonks exchanged looks.
"I dreamt that Voldemort came to my house and tortured my Aunt Petunia for information on my whereabouts," He finished. There was silence. Then Lupin spoke up.
"I'm sure Dumbledore shall have a good explanation for you when we get to headquarters Harry," Lupin said, sounding like he was trying to cover up anxiety.
Blue sparks flew into the air.
"First signal!"
Silver sparks were sent up into the air 5 seconds later.
"Let's go!"
Harry kicked off from the ground and realized how much he missed flying and Quidditch. The cold air whipped his face as he was flying in the middle of Tonks and Lupin. After about ten minutes they started to descend to the ground.
When they landed, Harry saw the familiar lonely looking street of Grimmauld Place.
"Now Harry, think about Headquarters," whispered Tonks.
No sooner had Harry begun to think about Headquarters than a door appeared with the number 12 on it.
"Oh Harry! How are you!" said Mrs. Weasley as she came rushing towards him and hugged him tightly.
"I-I'm fine Mrs. Weasley," said Harry. He began to look around. Everything was different from the last time he had been there. Last time the wall were covered with chipping dark forest green paint. It was now a nice, warm, beige color. He noticed the portrait of Sirius' mother was also gone, along with the different snake-themed furniture that was to be found around the house the last time Harry was here.
Mrs. Weasley noticed him looking around solemnly. She smiled. It wasn't a happy smile, but a sympathetic one.
"Before Sirius died, we got the place finished," she said quietly. "He helped with all the redecorating. I'll show to your room Harry."
Harry then followed Mrs. Weasley up the staircase. When she opened the bedroom door Harry gasped. It was completely different from the dirty floored, old bed room that Harry had slept in previously. It had been transformed into a room that Harry had always dreamed of. His favorite Quidditch team posters were plastered all over the walls. The bed that was there before had been refinished and looked like new. A gas lamp stood serenely on the nightstand. Another one on the desk adjacent to his bed. And-
"A snitch?" Harry exclaimed.
A golden snitch was in fact zooming all over his room.
"I'm glad you like it Harry," said Mrs. Weasley. "We will be downstairs at the meeting. Ron and Hermione will be arriving tomorrow morning. You should get some rest." She smiled at him as she closed the door silently.
Harry walked over to his new bed and sat down. He noticed a note resting against the lamp on his nightstand. It was addressed to him - - In Sirius' handwriting. When he opened it he realized that it had been hastily written.
Dear Harry-
I'm writing this to you as another copy of my will. If you get this I have probably died in service to the Order - - and you. I know we did not know each other for a while but I still consider you like a son to me. You remind me so much of James when he was your age, except for the Snivellus torturing of course. (Harry snorted) When you parents died I hoped to raise you until you turned 17 but that was not Dumbledore's wish. It would have also been hard to raise you from inside of Azkaban wouldn't it?
I love you like a son, Harry. Nothing can change that. I want you to know that I will always be with you.
I am leaving half of everything I own to you, Harry. This means you have to be a responsible teenager. Just joking. (Harry smiled) The house will be left to you if you choose to take it of course. 25% of my fortune will be left to you. The other 50% shall be given to the Weasley's. They have helped me more than they will ever know. I thank them for that.
Have fun at Hogwarts Harry. Don't get into too much trouble. Love,
Sirius
After Harry finished reading the note, he looked away. He was determined not to cry this time. He laid the letter down and crawled into bed thinking about what he had just read. As he shut his eyes to sleep, a single tear ran down his cheek.
"NOOOOOOO!" screamed Harry as he fell off his bed. He pulled himself up from the hard wood floor. He felt cold sweat running down his back. He also felt a pain on his head. Not only was his scar burning like fire, his temple was hurting just as badly. He turned to look at himself in the mirror and saw a trickle of blood running down the right side of his face.
He quickly wiped the blood off his face with his shirt as he ran downstairs. He ran into the kitchen panting hard.
"What's with you, boy?" growled his Uncle.
"I-I was j-just checking o-on you guys," panted Harry.
"What for?" asked his Aunt Petunia as his Uncle Vernon shook his head.
"I had this dream that, um, well, that Voldemort had come here," said Harry awkwardly.
"Oh," his Aunt said looking down. "Well, dinner is ready, it's 8:30 now so you will have to eat quick," she added, trying to cover up that Harry's dream had no effect whatsoever on her.
The three of them sat down for dinner.
"Wait, where's Dudley?" asked Harry.
"He went to Pierre's house for tonight," said Uncle Vernon, gruffly.
His Aunt and Uncle carried on a conversation about how well Dudley was doing in school. Harry tried hard not to burst out laughing into his dinner.
After Harry was done with his dinner, he cleaned off his plate and put it in the dishwasher. He then ran upstairs and dragged his trunk downstairs near the fireplace. He looked at the clock: 8:59 pm. Harry's heart skipped a beat. He was finally getting out of the Dursley's house.
There was a knock at the door. Harry immediately ran down the hallway and opened up the door to see Lupin and Tonks standing in the doorway, both grinning broadly. Harry grinned back at them as he invited them in.
"Wotcher Harry!" said Tonks brightly who was sporting a vibrant blue mane down to the middle of her back and deep rosy cheeks.
"How are you Harry?" asked Lupin, shaking his hand and winking at him.
"Um, I've been better," he said, but added, "I'll tell you at Headquarters," when he saw their inquisitive looks.
"Ready to go Harry?" asked Tonks.
"Yeah-" Harry said. "Wait! How are we going to get to Headquarters?"
"Flying," said Lupin simply.
"But, Professor Lupin, my Firebolt is at Hogwarts still," said Harry gloomily.
"Au contraire, Harry," said Tonks in her usual peppy voice, "It Is right here." As she said this she flicked her wand and his Firebolt appeared in mid-air.
"Happy belated Birthday Harry," said Tonks.
Harry was shocked to see his Firebolt in front of him.
"Wow, thanks Tonks!" Harry exclaimed. She smiled at him.
"Ready?" Lupin asked.
As Harry was getting ready to turn around he saw his Aunt and Uncle standing in the hallway.
"Er- bye then," Harry said.
"Bye Harry," said his Aunt Petunia softly.
His Uncle Vernon just looked at him and narrowed his eyes at Tonks and Lupin. They then walked to the back of the house in the backyard and got ready to leave.
"We're just waiting for the first signal," whispered Lupin.
"Erm- Professor Lupin?" asked Harry.
"What is it Harry?"
"I, er- had a dream before you guys came," he said.
Lupin and Tonks exchanged looks.
"I dreamt that Voldemort came to my house and tortured my Aunt Petunia for information on my whereabouts," He finished. There was silence. Then Lupin spoke up.
"I'm sure Dumbledore shall have a good explanation for you when we get to headquarters Harry," Lupin said, sounding like he was trying to cover up anxiety.
Blue sparks flew into the air.
"First signal!"
Silver sparks were sent up into the air 5 seconds later.
"Let's go!"
Harry kicked off from the ground and realized how much he missed flying and Quidditch. The cold air whipped his face as he was flying in the middle of Tonks and Lupin. After about ten minutes they started to descend to the ground.
When they landed, Harry saw the familiar lonely looking street of Grimmauld Place.
"Now Harry, think about Headquarters," whispered Tonks.
No sooner had Harry begun to think about Headquarters than a door appeared with the number 12 on it.
"Oh Harry! How are you!" said Mrs. Weasley as she came rushing towards him and hugged him tightly.
"I-I'm fine Mrs. Weasley," said Harry. He began to look around. Everything was different from the last time he had been there. Last time the wall were covered with chipping dark forest green paint. It was now a nice, warm, beige color. He noticed the portrait of Sirius' mother was also gone, along with the different snake-themed furniture that was to be found around the house the last time Harry was here.
Mrs. Weasley noticed him looking around solemnly. She smiled. It wasn't a happy smile, but a sympathetic one.
"Before Sirius died, we got the place finished," she said quietly. "He helped with all the redecorating. I'll show to your room Harry."
Harry then followed Mrs. Weasley up the staircase. When she opened the bedroom door Harry gasped. It was completely different from the dirty floored, old bed room that Harry had slept in previously. It had been transformed into a room that Harry had always dreamed of. His favorite Quidditch team posters were plastered all over the walls. The bed that was there before had been refinished and looked like new. A gas lamp stood serenely on the nightstand. Another one on the desk adjacent to his bed. And-
"A snitch?" Harry exclaimed.
A golden snitch was in fact zooming all over his room.
"I'm glad you like it Harry," said Mrs. Weasley. "We will be downstairs at the meeting. Ron and Hermione will be arriving tomorrow morning. You should get some rest." She smiled at him as she closed the door silently.
Harry walked over to his new bed and sat down. He noticed a note resting against the lamp on his nightstand. It was addressed to him - - In Sirius' handwriting. When he opened it he realized that it had been hastily written.
Dear Harry-
I'm writing this to you as another copy of my will. If you get this I have probably died in service to the Order - - and you. I know we did not know each other for a while but I still consider you like a son to me. You remind me so much of James when he was your age, except for the Snivellus torturing of course. (Harry snorted) When you parents died I hoped to raise you until you turned 17 but that was not Dumbledore's wish. It would have also been hard to raise you from inside of Azkaban wouldn't it?
I love you like a son, Harry. Nothing can change that. I want you to know that I will always be with you.
I am leaving half of everything I own to you, Harry. This means you have to be a responsible teenager. Just joking. (Harry smiled) The house will be left to you if you choose to take it of course. 25% of my fortune will be left to you. The other 50% shall be given to the Weasley's. They have helped me more than they will ever know. I thank them for that.
Have fun at Hogwarts Harry. Don't get into too much trouble. Love,
Sirius
After Harry finished reading the note, he looked away. He was determined not to cry this time. He laid the letter down and crawled into bed thinking about what he had just read. As he shut his eyes to sleep, a single tear ran down his cheek.