REGRET (the aftermath of the 5th year)
Chapter 5
It had been a week since Harry had left the Dursleys. There had been no reports made in the Daily Prophet about his disappearance. No conversations in the Cauldron that started with "Hey, did you hear? Harry Potter's gone missing." Nothing. It was as if nothing had happened at all. As far as the wizarding world knew, Harry was still safely at home; always ready to fight the good fight against Voldemort. This always made him laugh, finally, something the public didn't know about Harry's life; that he was no longer a part of it.
His new life here was much better, simpler, his own. There were no pressures put on him, except to pay for his room. No one expected him to do anything, or be anything, except himself, or as far as they knew, anything except Cedric Black.
Harry had just woken up. The sun from outside surprised him when he rolled over onto his side. He tried to block the light by closing his eyes even more then they already were, but he only succeeded in waking himself up. He reached out to the small table next to him and began searching blindly for his glasses. When he found them he rolled onto his back and put them on. What time is it? He thought, and then turned his head to look at the square wooden clock on the wall. 11:53 a.m., he'd slept in. He wasn't afraid of sleep anymore. A few days earlier, he just woke up. Not screaming or crying or anything like that, he just opened his eyes, and he was awake. He couldn't remember the dream he had, but knew it wasn't one of his usual nightmares, just a dream. Since then he still hadn't had a nightmare. It was probably because nothing here reminded him of all the bad things that had happened to him.
When he was back at the Dursley's, he would see Lupin almost every other day. Lupin was the one who told Harry that Sirius was dead after he fell behind the vale. So every time Harry saw him, he was reminded of what had happened. It would be on his mind when he went to sleep, and he would have nightmares about it.
But he hadn't seen Lupin in more than a week, and now the nightmares had stopped.
He sat up in bed with his legs over the side, and let out a long yawn. He was still tired but who isn't right when they wake up? He stood up, stretched out his arms, and walked over to his trunk to get clothes to wear. He didn't bother unpacking his things when he arrived, knowing he wouldn't be staying there more that two weeks, he didn't want to leave, but he couldn't stay there forever.
After he was dressed, he threw his black cloak on and put the hood up, like he did everyday, and put his bag of money in his left pocket. He needed to go to Gringotts eventually, considering the money he had when he came here was almost all gone. He didn't want to because that would mean using his real name, so he put it off as long as he could. I'll go tomorrow, he thought, then walked back to the bed and reached into the pillowcase where he had kept his wand while he slept. He put it in the right pocket of his jeans and then adjusted his cloak again so most of his face wasn't showing, along with his clothes, then walked over to the door, to leave the room.
As he closed the door behind him, his stomach growled, "Guess I was hungrier that I thought." He said to himself, and then walked down the hall and down the stairs. When he reached the bottom, he heard a familiar voice yell, "Morning, Cedric!" It was Tom, the innkeeper, one of the only people he really talked to here, "Or should I say good afternoon." Harry turned in the direction of his voice and smiled, then began to walk over to the counter that tom was standing behind.
"Afternoon, Tom." He said with a smile, "Guess I slept in."
"Guess you did," He replied with a laugh, "but hey, there ain't no rule that says you can't sleep as long as you want." Harry smiled, then his stomach growled again loudly, and he quickly covered it with his hand to stop it. "Hungry?" Tom asked.
Harry gave a kind, but sarcastic laugh, "Very." He replied, and Tom laughed.
"Well, then we better get some food in you before you die of hunger. What'll you have?"
"Still got any roast beef?"
"Sure do."
"Then I'll have that if it isn't too much trouble."
Tom chuckled, "No trouble at all, I'll have it in a minute."
Harry smiled, and then turned to walk to the table he usually sat at. "How do you see from under there, Cedric?" Tom asked as a joke.
"Magic." Harry replied and they both laughed. Harry sat down with a smile on his face. He really did like it here; he was so relaxed and happy. He wished he didn't have to leave.
As he looked down at the table, he heard the door to the Cauldron open. He had gotten use to this since people were always coming in and out of here, so he ignored it and examined the table instead.
"Hello, Tom." Said the stranger cheerfully, and lazily also. Still Harry ignored it and didn't look up.
"Remus?! Is that you? You haven't been in here in ages." Harry froze, his heart did too, and he held in his breath. No, he thought, it's not him, it can't be him.
He tilted his head down even more and closed his eyes, with a silent prayer going through his head. He didn't dare look up. Please don't let it be him, he thought desperately, please, please don't let it be him.
***
Chapter 5
It had been a week since Harry had left the Dursleys. There had been no reports made in the Daily Prophet about his disappearance. No conversations in the Cauldron that started with "Hey, did you hear? Harry Potter's gone missing." Nothing. It was as if nothing had happened at all. As far as the wizarding world knew, Harry was still safely at home; always ready to fight the good fight against Voldemort. This always made him laugh, finally, something the public didn't know about Harry's life; that he was no longer a part of it.
His new life here was much better, simpler, his own. There were no pressures put on him, except to pay for his room. No one expected him to do anything, or be anything, except himself, or as far as they knew, anything except Cedric Black.
Harry had just woken up. The sun from outside surprised him when he rolled over onto his side. He tried to block the light by closing his eyes even more then they already were, but he only succeeded in waking himself up. He reached out to the small table next to him and began searching blindly for his glasses. When he found them he rolled onto his back and put them on. What time is it? He thought, and then turned his head to look at the square wooden clock on the wall. 11:53 a.m., he'd slept in. He wasn't afraid of sleep anymore. A few days earlier, he just woke up. Not screaming or crying or anything like that, he just opened his eyes, and he was awake. He couldn't remember the dream he had, but knew it wasn't one of his usual nightmares, just a dream. Since then he still hadn't had a nightmare. It was probably because nothing here reminded him of all the bad things that had happened to him.
When he was back at the Dursley's, he would see Lupin almost every other day. Lupin was the one who told Harry that Sirius was dead after he fell behind the vale. So every time Harry saw him, he was reminded of what had happened. It would be on his mind when he went to sleep, and he would have nightmares about it.
But he hadn't seen Lupin in more than a week, and now the nightmares had stopped.
He sat up in bed with his legs over the side, and let out a long yawn. He was still tired but who isn't right when they wake up? He stood up, stretched out his arms, and walked over to his trunk to get clothes to wear. He didn't bother unpacking his things when he arrived, knowing he wouldn't be staying there more that two weeks, he didn't want to leave, but he couldn't stay there forever.
After he was dressed, he threw his black cloak on and put the hood up, like he did everyday, and put his bag of money in his left pocket. He needed to go to Gringotts eventually, considering the money he had when he came here was almost all gone. He didn't want to because that would mean using his real name, so he put it off as long as he could. I'll go tomorrow, he thought, then walked back to the bed and reached into the pillowcase where he had kept his wand while he slept. He put it in the right pocket of his jeans and then adjusted his cloak again so most of his face wasn't showing, along with his clothes, then walked over to the door, to leave the room.
As he closed the door behind him, his stomach growled, "Guess I was hungrier that I thought." He said to himself, and then walked down the hall and down the stairs. When he reached the bottom, he heard a familiar voice yell, "Morning, Cedric!" It was Tom, the innkeeper, one of the only people he really talked to here, "Or should I say good afternoon." Harry turned in the direction of his voice and smiled, then began to walk over to the counter that tom was standing behind.
"Afternoon, Tom." He said with a smile, "Guess I slept in."
"Guess you did," He replied with a laugh, "but hey, there ain't no rule that says you can't sleep as long as you want." Harry smiled, then his stomach growled again loudly, and he quickly covered it with his hand to stop it. "Hungry?" Tom asked.
Harry gave a kind, but sarcastic laugh, "Very." He replied, and Tom laughed.
"Well, then we better get some food in you before you die of hunger. What'll you have?"
"Still got any roast beef?"
"Sure do."
"Then I'll have that if it isn't too much trouble."
Tom chuckled, "No trouble at all, I'll have it in a minute."
Harry smiled, and then turned to walk to the table he usually sat at. "How do you see from under there, Cedric?" Tom asked as a joke.
"Magic." Harry replied and they both laughed. Harry sat down with a smile on his face. He really did like it here; he was so relaxed and happy. He wished he didn't have to leave.
As he looked down at the table, he heard the door to the Cauldron open. He had gotten use to this since people were always coming in and out of here, so he ignored it and examined the table instead.
"Hello, Tom." Said the stranger cheerfully, and lazily also. Still Harry ignored it and didn't look up.
"Remus?! Is that you? You haven't been in here in ages." Harry froze, his heart did too, and he held in his breath. No, he thought, it's not him, it can't be him.
He tilted his head down even more and closed his eyes, with a silent prayer going through his head. He didn't dare look up. Please don't let it be him, he thought desperately, please, please don't let it be him.
***