Well, here we are again. I think I only have one question to answer… well, technically, there were others, but I just don't do future plot hints… sorry. I guarantee that if there are still any questions after the final chapter of this story, I'll answer them in the epilogue or in an author's note with the epilogue.
In the library, Harry just happened to pick up the book with the cure in it and while paging through he saw the page with the cure on it. He didn't stop to read it all right then, but took both of the books so that Remus wouldn't read them and get his hopes up too high.
DISCLAIMER IN CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 28
Healing
Two weeks past before anything interesting happened in Harry's life. He still flew every day, seemingly unbothered by the increase in cold weather as autumn set in. Remus ordered more books than Harry thought that he could ever read, and put Sirius in charge of getting them all from the crates that they were delivered in to the shelves. Harry calmly paid the bill, ignoring Remus' nervousness about the massive amount of money he'd spent. Harry didn't worry about it. It didn't even make a dent in the reparation money that the ministry had paid him.
It was one morning at the usual mail time that something quite out of the ordinary happened. Harry was just enjoying his toast and reading the Daily Prophet when a commotion at the door caused him to look up with concern. A rolling ball of feathers and small elf tumbled through the door and a voice could be heard yelling shrilly. "Bad owl! Bad owl! No! Not go to Master Harry! Stop!" But the owl pulled away and flapped towards Harry, whose jaw dropped as he recognized the blur of white.
The white bird, feathers somewhat out of place after her struggle with Rully, swooped down to flap wildly around Harry's head. "Hedwig!" The bird finally came to rest on Harry's shoulders, hooting softly and butting her head up against Harry's ear.
Sirius watched as a grin nearly tore his godson's face in half. His heart broke at the fact that seeing a look of joy on Harry's face was unusual. Not for the first time, he cursed himself and bleakly thought of the good times that they could have had together if only he hadn't been such a royal idiot. He should have been there for Harry. That was just all there was to it. He should have been there, and if he had been smart enough, loyal enough, it all would have been different. Sirius looked down, biting at the inside of his lip. He should have just stayed away from the Potter family entirely, starting with James. It seemed as if he couldn't cause them anything but pain.
Remus noticed his friend's sudden melancholy mood and stifled a sigh. He wished that there were something he could do to help Sirius, but he couldn't think of anything that didn't require some extremely illegal time travel and the risk of making things much worse. Sirius was firmly holding himself completely responsible for something that so many different people shared the blame for. But every time Remus tried to cheer him up, Sirius only got gloomier, so he'd given up trying to talk his friend out of his moods. Being the more logical of the two, Remus accepted his portion of the blame, but placed most of it on Voldemort. He had been malicious, they had just been stupid. Which didn't excuse it, by any means, but Remus at least had the small relief of knowing that they had never intended another innocent man to be imprisoned in that hellhole called Azkaban.
Harry, meanwhile, was scratching Hedwig's head and nearly bursting with happiness. It was so good to have her back. Then he glanced up and noticed Rully standing nearby, looking very sad. As soon as the small elf noticed Harry's eyes on him, he began to babble wildly. "Rully so sorry, Master Harry! Owl wouldn't stop! Wouldn't give Rully letter to take to Master Harry! Rully try…"
Harry interrupted before the apology got too out of control. "Rully, don't worry about it. This owl belongs to me and we hadn't seen each other for a very long time. She's always allowed to come straight to me, OK?"
Rully looked relieved. "Yes, Master Harry." The elf retreated and returned to the owl room.
Harry turned to Hedwig. "Where have you been?" Then he noticed the letter attached to her leg. Pulling it gently free, he unfolded it curiously, not recognizing the neat handwriting. The date was nearly a week ago.
Dear Mr. Harry Potter,
I don't know whether or not you remember me, but I did have the pleasure of meeting you once. You knew me as Madam Maxime, the headmistress from Beauxbatons, but my given name is Olympe. I hardly know where to start, but perhaps the beginning would be the best.
After your unfortunate incarceration, your owl, Hedwig, was given into the care of Hagrid, who is now my husband of three years. I am writing this letter instead of him because, quite frankly, he's inconsolable at the thought of what happened to you and probably couldn't hold a pen straight to save his very life. I have to admit that if I didn't love him quite as much as I do, I would have kicked him out into the forest by now, because his howling is beginning to grate upon my nerves. But then again, I doubt very much if I would be in any better condition if one of my pupils had been in the same circumstance, especially a student with which I was a close friend. Please be assured that he is very happy to hear the news of your innocence and freedom, and very saddened to think of any part he may have played in your dreadful ordeal.
I know that you are probably questioning the timing of this letter, for unless you have asked someone, it is unlikely that you know that we have only just received notice of the events surrounding your release and subsequent defeat of He-Who-We-Are-All-Glad-Is-Dead. For Hagrid, and in my own right, I thank you for releasing our world from that terror. The debt that society owes you for that alone is irredeemable. However, I digress. Three years ago, just after our marriage, in fact, the Ministry discovered proof of both of our, to put it delicately, questionable heritage. I speak, of course of the fact that both of us have giant blood. The French Ministry managed to get me fired from Beauxbatons, and banned from a further post in that country. Professor Dumbledore offered me a position at Hogwarts, but Hagrid and I both knew that with the racial tensions already high because of the war, neither of us would be able to do much good there.
We are now in South America, working together on a small little school in Argentina. It is very small, but with the two of us and a few local teachers, we are doing well. They had needed a wizarding institution here badly, for many children with magic were going quite untrained, or, at very best, had to attend a school in the United States, which made for an extreme culture shock. And Hagrid is quite enjoying the wildlife. Alas, I digress again. It is a fault of mine, you see.
However, our remote location does put us a bit behind on the news. Hagrid had been quite worried about Hedwig, seeing as she grew increasingly restless over the last few months. After finally hearing of the welcome news, her agitation made perfect sense. She could sense you again after so many years of being blocked by the wards of Azkaban. We immediately set out to write you a letter and return your owl back where she belongs. I normally wouldn't send an owl on such a long journey, but Hagrid assures me that Hedwig's magic is strong. Truly, I'm not sure we could even keep her here much longer, she seems as if she wants to be back with you very badly.
Dear me, this letter's length got a bit beyond what I had in mind. I will leave you with Hagrid's repeated apologies, to which I will add mine as well. If you ever find yourself in the area, you would be most welcome to stop and stay with us as long as you desire. However, be warned, you might find yourself teaching a class or three. I know that if it was at all possible Hagrid would return to England with the express intention of seeing you, but with the school as new and shorthanded as it is, it just is not possible as of yet.
May you find the happiness so long denied you.
Madam Olympe Maxime, Headmistress, Rathriver, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
I'M AWFULLY SORRY, HARRY. HOPE YOU'RE ALL RIGHT NOW. - HAGRID
"Well." Harry blinked in surprise as he tried to assimilate all of the information that it had dumped into his mind. "No wonder you look tired, girl. Ready for some rest?" Hedwig did look exhausted, but she also didn't look as if she wanted to leave her master's side. Harry rose from his seat, careful not to jostle Hedwig from his shoulder, and walked slowly towards the owl room to leave the tired owl in the care of Rully, who would see that she got a good meal and a warm place to sleep.
However, it was another week or so before Harry got the letter he'd been waiting for. The letter was unusually brief, and the handwriting was somewhat shakier than normal, but Harry was just glad to get word from Snape at all. He felt a smile spread over his features as he read the words.
Potter,
It works. Finally. I'll send Wolfsbane as usual. Will need to be there to administer cure. Where the bloody world are you anyway? Owl coordinates or send portkey. Not right now, though, I haven't slept in four days. Will kill any owl that wakes me before noon.
Snape.
Harry felt a flash of sympathy for the students of Hogwarts. The last few weeks must have been very interesting for them. Normal Snape was bad enough, but a sleep deprived Snape? That could inspire especially nasty nightmares. He would send a portkey over, but he would wait until he was sure he wasn't sending either Hedwig, or his new owl, Mercury, into a danger zone.
So it was that Harry walked out past the wards near dusk the next evening and waited for the arrival of Snape to his not so humble abode. Right on time, the letter Harry had sent earlier that day did its secondary duty as portkey, and the potions master appeared, sneer in place already. "So, Potter, you live up a tree. How… fitting."
Harry rolled his eyes and worried slightly that his understanding Snape's rather twisted sense of humor didn't bode well for his sanity in general. He led Snape through the wards and stopped to sneer himself. "Not exactly a tree, but it suffices."
Snape tilted his chin upwards and stared at the looming castle. "You… you didn't build this, did you?"
Harry shook his head and began walking towards the main entrance. "No. I just found out where it was."
"Then… where did you find that piece of information?" Snape followed, still fighting with both his amazement and his curiosity.
Harry shrugged slightly. "Oh, the same place I learned how to do this." He waved his hand smoothly and the heavy door opened soundlessly in front of them.
Snape didn't push for any more answers, correctly judging that Harry didn't want to answer that type of question. Once inside, Harry led the way to his study. Snape commented as he stood by the fire. "Frankly, I really don't remember what I wrote in that letter I sent you, but I gather I included that the potions will work together?"
Harry nodded and poured Snape a shot of Draco Malfoy's birthday gift. "Yes, I gathered that. Dare I even ask how many points Gryffindor has lost over the last few weeks?"
Snape smirked evilly. "Many." He took the glass and tasted the whiskey gingerly. Then his eyes widened with appreciation. "Very nice."
"Thanks, Malfoy gave it to me, for my birthday, no less."
Snape nearly choked. "Draco gave you this?" He looked at his glass in concern. "It's likely poisoned."
Harry shook his head. "Don't worry, I tested it thoroughly."
Snape raised an eyebrow sardonically. "Yes, I imagine you did. You won't have any?"
Harry shook his head again, looking faintly green. "No, I've had some already."
Snape looked puzzled for a moment and then comprehension dawned. "How much, Potter?"
Harry held up the bottle to the light. There was only about a quarter of the bottle left. "Oh, whatever isn't in your glass…" Snape blinked and then, surprisingly, chuckled, a friendly, if somewhat rusty, sound. Harry adopted a somewhat sheepish look. "It really wasn't very funny at the time, as I believe Sirius can attest to." Snape laughed outright at that.
He took another swallow of his drink and looked at Harry questioningly. "Why are you doing this, Potter?" The serious tone in his voice made it clear what he was talking about. Snape couldn't figure out why Harry was bothering to help someone who he had perfectly good reasons to hate.
Harry knew exactly what Snape was asking. He thought for a moment. "There's always more than one reason. But I think that the biggest is that if I didn't, I'm not sure if I'd like what that would make me." Snape looked puzzled, and Harry tried to clarify, searching for words to make his meaning clear. Finally he settled on the blunt approach. "I have a lot of power, Professor. I can't afford to keep my hate." He didn't want to keep his hate.
Snape understood. "Or you risk becoming dark yourself." Harry winced, but nodded, knowing that it was true. Snape looked at Harry for a long moment, seeming to be debating something with himself. When he did speak, he seemed to change the subject completely. "Did you know that the head interrogator during the time that you were arrested was actually death eater? Never marked or anything, but definitely a supporter."
Harry's voice turned cold. "I was never interrogated."
Snape nodded, not seeming surprised in the slightest. "We, the order that is, wondered about that afterwards, once we knew what had really happened. We didn't really know if he had just changed the interrogation report or just made it up entirely."
Harry pondered that for a moment, wondering for an instant what the report had said that he'd confessed to, and then decided that he'd really rather not know. Harry swore silently. "Tom thought of everything, didn't he?" That was the real reason that he was able to even think of forgiving his friends and surrogate family. If they had done it on purpose… but they hadn't. They should have questioned him themselves and not put faith in a ministry that had already failed them, but that was a mistake, not a plot. Harry put the blame squarely where it was due. Voldemort was at fault, and Voldemort was dead. Fitting.
"Except for the fact that you just don't know when to give up and die." Snape blinked, seemed to realize that his statement could be taken as a compliment, and changed the subject. "Well, it's nearly time. The moon has been up for nearly ten minutes."
Harry nodded and led the way to the dungeons. Snape winced at the unlikely harmony of howls that wafted its way up the stairway. Harry was reminded that the potions master did not have happy memories of Remus as a werewolf. And then he wondered why Snape was doing this, but before he could form the question, they had reached the reinforced cell that currently held a very large black dog and an even larger werewolf.
The noise stopped suddenly as both wolf and dog became aware of the newcomers. Moony, while hardly tame, was in control of his mind, and just sat and watched them curiously. Padfoot was a little less trusting and moved in between the bars and his friend, faintly growling and obviously wondering why the two men were invading Remus' privacy. He became Sirius as Harry unlocked the door. "What's going on?" He both looked and sounded concerned.
Snape sneered in his face. "Oh, don't worry, Black, this won't take long…" His tone was hardly comforting.
Harry broke in before the two rivals could attack each other verbally or physically. "Both of you, back off." He was almost amused at how quickly he was obeyed. Maybe he was overdoing the powerful wizard with a bad temper bit.
Snape pulled a dark vial out of his sleeve and poured the liquid into a silver bowl that he brought from an obviously charmed pocket. He added one pinch of some type of dusty substance and then stepped back. Harry grimaced, distinctly glad that it wasn't him that had to drink the ugly potion. As he watched, a large bubble slowly came to the surface and popped, letting off a decidedly foul smell. Snape moved it in front of the still calm werewolf and spoke quietly. "Just drink it, Lupin."
Sirius started forward, but Harry placed a firm hand on his chest and pushed him back. It wouldn't have been enough to stop Sirius from actually moving past Harry if the older man had wanted to, but it surprised him so much that he just jerked to a stop, not understanding the situation or why Harry was actually willingly touching him. "W-what's going on?" But Harry didn't answer.
Moony, still capable of using Remus' logic even while trapped in his lupine form, just looked over at Harry, who nodded. He drank, whimpering only once as the tip of his nose brushed against the silver bowl for a split second. Then he raised his head and sat back, looking at the other occupants of the cell in obvious confusion. Silence reigned as nothing happened for a long moment. And then Moony sneezed.
Everyone blinked slightly at the somewhat unusual sight of a werewolf in a sneezing fit. Then Moony howled once, painfully, and suddenly became Remus. Harry watched as the silver burn on his nose, at first painfully red, slowly faded. Remus just stared at Harry, moonlight washing over his back, a look of hope on his face. "Harry?" He was gasping slightly, as if trying to catch his breath after running hard. "What was that?"
Harry noticed immediately that Remus had been able to use his name painlessly. He checked the bond connection as he answered briefly. "A cure." Sure enough, the thread of power connecting them was now so thin that a first year student could probably have broken it.
Remus looked absolutely stunned. He slowly reached out and with one trembling finger, touched the empty silver bowl in front of him. He recoiled slightly, as if expecting pain, but when none came, he reached out again and held the bowl in his hands, looking as if someone has just struck him in the face with something very heavy. An emotion that could only be described as awe manifested itself in his eyes. Sirius pushed past Harry to kneel beside his friend, sputtering with joy and pulling the former werewolf into a hug.
Harry watched them celebrate as he also watched the last traces of the bond dissolve before his eyes. He snapped out of it as Snape headed for the door, obviously pleased with himself about the success of the potion. Harry followed, and wordlessly escorted the potions master to the edge of the wards again. "Hogwarts is in apparation range, that way." Harry pointed.
Snape nodded, but paused before disapparating. "Let me know if he has any strange reactions, but I'd stake my reputation he won't."
Harry nodded. "Thanks, Professor."
Snape shook his head. "This is going to make me a very famous wizard, Potter." He looked as if he wanted to say something else, but obviously decided against it and disapparated.
Harry turned and faced the castle for a long moment, enjoying the sight of the grounds and towers shrouded in moonlight. Then he heaved a sigh and headed back indoors. Remus and Sirius would have calmed down by now, and would want answers. They would get them.
It was time to get this over with.
COMING SOON: Confrontation time…
Whew… that got longer than I planned, but there was just nowhere to break it up at. Obviously, I'm making assumptions as to the range of apparation, the fact that silver burns werewolves only if it touches them, (not just by being near it), owl magic, and Madam Maxime in general.
Thank you so much for the reviews, opinions and ideas. I may not always use the ideas or necessarily like the opinions, but I LOVE to read the reviews. It's a real rush and I appreciate you all for making my writing experience more fun. -krtshadow
