Chapter 3: I don't have to go back?
At twenty five past three that afternoon, Sirius waited at the school gates. Most of the other children had gone already, including Harry's whale of a cousin Dudley, with his mother Petunia. Being Sirius, he went straight for her when he saw her and scared a hell of a lot of people in the process. At last, Harry came out of the classroom looking thoroughly disheartened. His face broke into a happy grin when he saw Sirius, and he ran over to him.
"Hey Padfoot, you're here. I didn't think you would be. Dudley tripped me over in class and a glass smashed. I had to stay behind and tidy up," Harry explained, "I'm glad you're here."
Sirius woofed and gave Harry a lick on the cheek. Harry giggled and he put his hand on Sirius back, and began to walk. Sirius didn't know where he was going, but he guided Harry off path, Harry struggling to keep up with him, as he bounded to a park that Harry didn't know. He led him behind a bush and looked at Harry apprehensively. Was it right to tell him? Well, it had to be. He couldn't lead him all over the country as a dog, Harry needed an adult. He couldn't let him stay with the Dursley's, God knows what would happen to the boy. He thought about alerting Social Services, but he didn't think that would work. Harry would get place with, if at all a Muggle family who knew nothing about the Boy-Who-Lived.
Harry began to wonder why him and an enormous black dog were sitting in a bush in the middle of a park. He decided to voice his thoughts, and he blinked. In the point three seconds his eyes had been closed, Sirius transformed for his enormous black shaggy dog look to his tall, shaggy human form. Harry's eyes widened at the sight of the murderer he had seen on the television a few nights before.
"Your... how... who?... why.... How... who?" Harry stuttered.
Sirius looked at him for a minute before he said, "Sirius Black."
"Aren't you on the run or something?" Harry asked with all the innocence of a five year old.
"Umm, it's not very much fun really." Sirius said.
"I need to go, I mean, you, I'm, I need to go." Harry stood up and felt a hand on his arm. He turned to see Sirius hard cold eyes looking at him in a gesture of warmth and sorrow.
"Harry, please let me explain." Sirius croaked.
Harry looked at him for a moment before he sat down again.
"Well, you know my name, Sirius Black. Wait - first Harry - I need to tell you something. You're a wizard." Sirius waited to see the reaction of the boy. Harry just smiled, a look of dawning comprehension coming over his small, rounded face.
"Well that explains a lot." He said, and urged Sirius to carry on.
"I used to know your parents," Sirius said, "Lily and James Potter, they were my best friends. They were being... hunted by an evil man called Voldemort. Well an old man called Dumbledore said there was a way to keep them safe. It was a charm, and it involved a Secret Keeper. I was going to be it, but I thought it was really obvious so I convinced Pettigrew to do it - "
"Wormtail - " muttered Harry.
"Yes," Sirius said surprised, but suspicious, "Do - do you remember him?"
"No, only from my dreams." Harry said simply.
"Ah. Well he was working for Voldemort and he told them where you, your mum and dad were. So he went to your house. And he killed your parents. He tried to kill you too Harry." Sirius said softly, tears threatening to fall. Harry had tears splashing off his cheeks as well, provoking a stray tear to fall into Sirius' beard.
"It didn't work. You got your scar, and Voldemort died that night. Simple. But I went after Pettigrew. He set me up. I went to curse him, and he yelled about how could I betray Lily and James. Then the street exploded, and Pettigrew transformed and I was charged for him murder and 13 others. But I was innocent. But I saw a photo of you a couple of weeks ago and I knew I had to get out of Azkaban. And I did. And now I'm here." Sirius said, glossing over the nastier points of Harry's parent's deaths and the circumstances around them.
Harry said nothing for a while until he whispered, "I remember. I saw it in my dreams. Him killing Mummy and Daddy and the explosion. At the end I saw a rat. It never made sense until now. I was told Mummy and Daddy died in a car crash."
"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry. Maybe it was a mistake coming here." Sirius said quietly.
Harry's head jerked up, "No. I want you here."
"Really?"
"Yes. You didn't do anything. I want to be with you." Harry said stubbornly.
"Oh Harry, that's fantastic, but it'll be hard. We have to stay out of the way of people. It'll be just you and me for a while. Til the media attention goes down. Then maybe I can get a job. Actually I could probably do some magic and change what I looked like. Then people won't recognise me." Sirius said more to himself than Harry.
"I really don't have to go back to the Dursleys?" Harry asked quietly.
"Oh Harry, of course not." Tears threatened to come again, and Harry found himself pulled into a hug.
"Thank you..." Harry muttered into Sirius' dirty robes, and he sniffled back a sob.
Sirius didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to think, apart from how weird it must look for a grown man - a very strangely dressed man at that - to be sitting in a bush holding a very small child. Sirius hadn't a clue why or how Harry knew all he did. He was astounded at his reaction. But he hadn't known what to expect. Harry wasn't a normal child, far from it. From what Sirius had seen so far he was lonely child. Nothing like his father, not that his father hadn't been loyal. He was very like his mother. Quiet, clever, fiercely loyal - Sirius also wondered about his temper - Lily's had been legendary to say the least... but it was only ever at James.
"Hey, Harry?" Sirius asked quietly, "What do you say about getting the hell out of this bush?"
Harr giggled and nodded, and pulled out of his embrace reluctantly. He quickly dried his tears on his sleeve and gave Sirius a grin - albeit a very watery one. Sirius sighed and said, "Harry I'm going to have to change to Padfoot. I can't be seem, I'm a convicted murderer."
"An innocent one though," Harry said sweetly.
"Very true, but I don't fancy a load of Aurors taking you away after we met 20 minutes ago. OK?" Sirius asked seriously - no pun intended.
"M'kay." Harry sniffled and he walked out of the bush, and was followed by a very large black dog.
"So do you know where were going?" Harry asked quietly, as they walked together down the streets.
Sirius barked and attempted to nod. Harry giggled and said, "OK. I'm glad. I haven't a clue where we are. I've never been to this part of town before."
Sirius was extremely glad at this seen as all of the things down this alleyway were of a very sensitive nature, and Sirius hoped Harry would never have to come into contact with any of them. They walked along silently, until they stopped behind a dumpster. Sirius took a look around to check for people before he changed.
"Y'all right mate?" Sirius asked Harry.
"Yeah," Harry yawned, "A bit tired though."
"Ah OK. We can fix that. Harry there's a homeless shelter here. We're going to go in soon, OK?" Sirius asked nervously. This was the only semi- permanent solution he could come up with. At least until he earned a little money.
"But they might know you." Harry said, slightly hysterically.
"I know. I'm going to put a Glamoire on me. It makes me look different. I'll have to do it wandless until I nick a wand from someone. Harry I might faint or something OK? Don't be worried, just wake me up. I'll be fine." Sirius said reassuringly.
Harry nodded nervously and watched fascinated as Sirius began to mutter some Latin words under his breath. His hair turned a lighter colour to dark brown, and shortened. He himself shrunk a few inches, and he broadened as well. His eyes had turned emerald, on purpose as he would be posing as Harry's father. When he finished chanting he wobbled a bit before he sat down, rather clumsily.
Harry's eyes widened and he rushed to his side, "Are you OK Sirius?"
Sirius opened his eyes and nodded, "Yeah. I'm a bit knackered though. What do you say about going inside?" Sirius jerked his head at the door.
Harry nodded gratefully and Sirius stood up, muttering something about 'being too bloody short for my own good...'. Sirius took Harry's hand and they walked around the corner, into the street of prying eyes and walked into the shelter, hand in hand.
A/N Ta da!! OMG I got sooo many reviews thank you so much!!! By the way if anyone who is reading this is waiting for the sequel to A midsummer Night, it won't be for another week as I forgot to save some of it and I got well pissed off, cos it was about 2000 words long now its only 600!! Help, I'm going to have to write it again!!
At twenty five past three that afternoon, Sirius waited at the school gates. Most of the other children had gone already, including Harry's whale of a cousin Dudley, with his mother Petunia. Being Sirius, he went straight for her when he saw her and scared a hell of a lot of people in the process. At last, Harry came out of the classroom looking thoroughly disheartened. His face broke into a happy grin when he saw Sirius, and he ran over to him.
"Hey Padfoot, you're here. I didn't think you would be. Dudley tripped me over in class and a glass smashed. I had to stay behind and tidy up," Harry explained, "I'm glad you're here."
Sirius woofed and gave Harry a lick on the cheek. Harry giggled and he put his hand on Sirius back, and began to walk. Sirius didn't know where he was going, but he guided Harry off path, Harry struggling to keep up with him, as he bounded to a park that Harry didn't know. He led him behind a bush and looked at Harry apprehensively. Was it right to tell him? Well, it had to be. He couldn't lead him all over the country as a dog, Harry needed an adult. He couldn't let him stay with the Dursley's, God knows what would happen to the boy. He thought about alerting Social Services, but he didn't think that would work. Harry would get place with, if at all a Muggle family who knew nothing about the Boy-Who-Lived.
Harry began to wonder why him and an enormous black dog were sitting in a bush in the middle of a park. He decided to voice his thoughts, and he blinked. In the point three seconds his eyes had been closed, Sirius transformed for his enormous black shaggy dog look to his tall, shaggy human form. Harry's eyes widened at the sight of the murderer he had seen on the television a few nights before.
"Your... how... who?... why.... How... who?" Harry stuttered.
Sirius looked at him for a minute before he said, "Sirius Black."
"Aren't you on the run or something?" Harry asked with all the innocence of a five year old.
"Umm, it's not very much fun really." Sirius said.
"I need to go, I mean, you, I'm, I need to go." Harry stood up and felt a hand on his arm. He turned to see Sirius hard cold eyes looking at him in a gesture of warmth and sorrow.
"Harry, please let me explain." Sirius croaked.
Harry looked at him for a moment before he sat down again.
"Well, you know my name, Sirius Black. Wait - first Harry - I need to tell you something. You're a wizard." Sirius waited to see the reaction of the boy. Harry just smiled, a look of dawning comprehension coming over his small, rounded face.
"Well that explains a lot." He said, and urged Sirius to carry on.
"I used to know your parents," Sirius said, "Lily and James Potter, they were my best friends. They were being... hunted by an evil man called Voldemort. Well an old man called Dumbledore said there was a way to keep them safe. It was a charm, and it involved a Secret Keeper. I was going to be it, but I thought it was really obvious so I convinced Pettigrew to do it - "
"Wormtail - " muttered Harry.
"Yes," Sirius said surprised, but suspicious, "Do - do you remember him?"
"No, only from my dreams." Harry said simply.
"Ah. Well he was working for Voldemort and he told them where you, your mum and dad were. So he went to your house. And he killed your parents. He tried to kill you too Harry." Sirius said softly, tears threatening to fall. Harry had tears splashing off his cheeks as well, provoking a stray tear to fall into Sirius' beard.
"It didn't work. You got your scar, and Voldemort died that night. Simple. But I went after Pettigrew. He set me up. I went to curse him, and he yelled about how could I betray Lily and James. Then the street exploded, and Pettigrew transformed and I was charged for him murder and 13 others. But I was innocent. But I saw a photo of you a couple of weeks ago and I knew I had to get out of Azkaban. And I did. And now I'm here." Sirius said, glossing over the nastier points of Harry's parent's deaths and the circumstances around them.
Harry said nothing for a while until he whispered, "I remember. I saw it in my dreams. Him killing Mummy and Daddy and the explosion. At the end I saw a rat. It never made sense until now. I was told Mummy and Daddy died in a car crash."
"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry. Maybe it was a mistake coming here." Sirius said quietly.
Harry's head jerked up, "No. I want you here."
"Really?"
"Yes. You didn't do anything. I want to be with you." Harry said stubbornly.
"Oh Harry, that's fantastic, but it'll be hard. We have to stay out of the way of people. It'll be just you and me for a while. Til the media attention goes down. Then maybe I can get a job. Actually I could probably do some magic and change what I looked like. Then people won't recognise me." Sirius said more to himself than Harry.
"I really don't have to go back to the Dursleys?" Harry asked quietly.
"Oh Harry, of course not." Tears threatened to come again, and Harry found himself pulled into a hug.
"Thank you..." Harry muttered into Sirius' dirty robes, and he sniffled back a sob.
Sirius didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to think, apart from how weird it must look for a grown man - a very strangely dressed man at that - to be sitting in a bush holding a very small child. Sirius hadn't a clue why or how Harry knew all he did. He was astounded at his reaction. But he hadn't known what to expect. Harry wasn't a normal child, far from it. From what Sirius had seen so far he was lonely child. Nothing like his father, not that his father hadn't been loyal. He was very like his mother. Quiet, clever, fiercely loyal - Sirius also wondered about his temper - Lily's had been legendary to say the least... but it was only ever at James.
"Hey, Harry?" Sirius asked quietly, "What do you say about getting the hell out of this bush?"
Harr giggled and nodded, and pulled out of his embrace reluctantly. He quickly dried his tears on his sleeve and gave Sirius a grin - albeit a very watery one. Sirius sighed and said, "Harry I'm going to have to change to Padfoot. I can't be seem, I'm a convicted murderer."
"An innocent one though," Harry said sweetly.
"Very true, but I don't fancy a load of Aurors taking you away after we met 20 minutes ago. OK?" Sirius asked seriously - no pun intended.
"M'kay." Harry sniffled and he walked out of the bush, and was followed by a very large black dog.
"So do you know where were going?" Harry asked quietly, as they walked together down the streets.
Sirius barked and attempted to nod. Harry giggled and said, "OK. I'm glad. I haven't a clue where we are. I've never been to this part of town before."
Sirius was extremely glad at this seen as all of the things down this alleyway were of a very sensitive nature, and Sirius hoped Harry would never have to come into contact with any of them. They walked along silently, until they stopped behind a dumpster. Sirius took a look around to check for people before he changed.
"Y'all right mate?" Sirius asked Harry.
"Yeah," Harry yawned, "A bit tired though."
"Ah OK. We can fix that. Harry there's a homeless shelter here. We're going to go in soon, OK?" Sirius asked nervously. This was the only semi- permanent solution he could come up with. At least until he earned a little money.
"But they might know you." Harry said, slightly hysterically.
"I know. I'm going to put a Glamoire on me. It makes me look different. I'll have to do it wandless until I nick a wand from someone. Harry I might faint or something OK? Don't be worried, just wake me up. I'll be fine." Sirius said reassuringly.
Harry nodded nervously and watched fascinated as Sirius began to mutter some Latin words under his breath. His hair turned a lighter colour to dark brown, and shortened. He himself shrunk a few inches, and he broadened as well. His eyes had turned emerald, on purpose as he would be posing as Harry's father. When he finished chanting he wobbled a bit before he sat down, rather clumsily.
Harry's eyes widened and he rushed to his side, "Are you OK Sirius?"
Sirius opened his eyes and nodded, "Yeah. I'm a bit knackered though. What do you say about going inside?" Sirius jerked his head at the door.
Harry nodded gratefully and Sirius stood up, muttering something about 'being too bloody short for my own good...'. Sirius took Harry's hand and they walked around the corner, into the street of prying eyes and walked into the shelter, hand in hand.
A/N Ta da!! OMG I got sooo many reviews thank you so much!!! By the way if anyone who is reading this is waiting for the sequel to A midsummer Night, it won't be for another week as I forgot to save some of it and I got well pissed off, cos it was about 2000 words long now its only 600!! Help, I'm going to have to write it again!!