Chapter Sixteen:
"I've only had three today."
"And you've managed to finish off half a bottle of fire whiskey in the last week."
"It's good shit."
"Language," Remus warned.
"Are you going to let me have a cigarette or not?"
"No."
"Remus!"
"You've got two weeks....TWO weeks until you go back to Hogwarts. Get used to it."
Harry gave him the dirtiest look he could muster and stormed off.
" Mr. Potter, just the man I wanted to see."
"Oh, er...hello Mrs...."
"Mcgonagall. And it's Professor."
"Right. What did I do wrong now?"
Minerva chuckled, "For once Potter it's nothing. I just wanted to give you your OWL
results, and to tell you that you have a chance at being back on the Quidditch team if uh...certain
circumstances are cleared."
"Should I be happy?"
"Thrilled."
"Then thank you," Harry took the envelope from Minerva and walked off.
Minerva watched him trip over a bondage strap on his pants as he went up the stairs.
* * * * * * * * * *
"I see it in his eyes."
"'Mione, I don't. I don't think he's ever going to come back."
"Ugh, stop being like this, Ron! He's your best friend for crying out loud."
"He was."
"He needs us. The least you could do is support him."
"He's a complete stranger now. Harry's gone, 'Mione. Face it."
"Ron, you make me so angry sometimes! I know we'll get him back someday, and I think
it's going to be soon."
"How would you know?"
"Friends know, Ron. Friends know," Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she ran out of
the library.
"Mione! Hermione, I didn't mean to-" she was gone, "to upset you."
He kicked aside a book called History of Potions and sat down on the leather chair behind
him.
"Harry, come back. We're all falling apart without you."
* * * * * * * * * *
"He can't even hold a bloody wand anymore and you expect him to defeat Voldemort!?"
"Why Remus, have you lost faith in him already?"
"No, it's just..." Remus avoided Dumbledore's eyes, "This is so hard. First Lily and
James, then Sirius. I never thought I'd lose Harry too."
"He will come back," Dumbledore said determinedly.
Remus saw the bright twinkle return to Dumbledore's eyes for a moment, "It must be
worse than being dead," he sighed.
* * * * * * * * * *
Harry laid on the bed that once belonged to his Godfather. Of course, he still did not know
it. He was told that this was the bedroom of 12 Grimmauld Place's former master. The man's
name was Sirius, and he died two months ago. Harry had no idea how important Sirius was to
him. Nor did he have any idea that he was now the owner of Grimmauld Place. After finding the
room Harry kept coming back on those many occasions he needed to be alone. This was one of
those times.
"Do something!" Gold and red sparks flew out of his wand.
"Ugh, besides that!"
Nothing.
"Bloody waste of wood this thing is," Harry tossed the wand aside and stifled a yawn.
"Might as well. Got nothing better to do around here." He closed his eyes and fell asleep
quite easily.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Man, I've got to get out more. I keep dreaming of the same place."
He was on the tower.
"Er, I think it's the same place."
But it was never decorated with tombstones, and....
"Red lightning? Huh, that's a first."
"Well, well, Mr. Potter. Glad we could meet again."
Harry spun around.
"Uh...right. Hey, what's with the creepy red eyes? Might want to get that cleared up at the
optometrist, eh?" Harry laughed at his own little joke.
"Stupid boy, do you not know who you are dealing with?"
"Uh..."
"Wormtail!"
A stout man with a rat-like appearance appeared at the other's side.
"Yes, My Lord?"
"Bring me the pensieve." The man bowed and walked away, returning shortly after with a
small black cauldron. It was filled with a slimy gray and red substance that continuously bubbled.
"Excellent. Now, will you come here Potter?"
It was not a question. Harry walked forward under the Imperious Curse.
The Dark Lord took his own wand and prodded the substance in the pensieve. A worm-
like creature was attached to the end of his wand and it writhed, trying desperately to free itself.
The Dark Lord jabbed Harry's temple with wand. The grotesque creature burrowed itself in
Harry's head. The world around him seemed to lurch forward. Harry closed his eyes to prevent
the bile rising in his throat from surfacing. When he opened his eyes again his surroundings were
different.
He stood outside a place called Godric's Hallow. In the blink of an eye he was transported
inside a house. A familiar looking woman screamed. She was holding a small white bundle in her
arms. A flash of green light. The women now lay on the ground, motionless, while a small child
cried by her side. Harry blinked again. What seemed like a younger version of himself was
standing next to a mirror. His reflection smiled back and pulled a red stone out of his pocket.
Now a giant snake lunged at him. A poisonous fang pierced his arm. Ginny Weasley cried for
him. Once again his surrounding were different in the blink of an eye. An old room in an
abandoned house. Ron with a broken leg. Hermione stood with her wand ready for battle. And
the man- Sirius, looking worn and peaky. More images continued to play in his head like a horror
movie. A dead body of a boy in a graveyard. The rebirth of a dark lord, of Voldemort.
*Make it stop! Oh God, make it stop!*
The Ministry of Magic. A group of friends stood side-by-side, defending a small bottle.
Voices calling him from behind a veil. Sirius falling through the veil in slow motion. Harry going
in after him, Remus struggling to hold him back.
~ "There's nothing you can do, Harry-"
*Stop it!* Harry fought against the Imperious Curse.
~ "It's too late, Harry. He's gone. He can't come back because he's d-"
*STOP IT!*
Harry was thrown back by an invisible force, and landed against a tombstone with a crack.
"Disrespecting the dead are we?"
Harry looked down at the broken headstone. It was Cedric Diggory's.
"Murderer," Voldemort smiled, showing off blackened teeth of decay.
"No." Harry slowly stood up, his eyes filled with tears from the pain in his back.
"No? Silly boy, were you not watching? You killed Diggory. You are the reason your
parents are dead. You murdered the last of the Blacks. But fear not, I shall end your guilt right
now. Leave your mudblood-loving friends to deal with it."
"No! It's your fault! All of it!" Harry pointed his wand at Voldemort, "You."
Voldemort began to laugh again but stopped abruptly. A phoenix burst out of Harry's
wand and flew straight at Voldemort. The red eyes filled with terror as the phoenix neared.
"I've only had three today."
"And you've managed to finish off half a bottle of fire whiskey in the last week."
"It's good shit."
"Language," Remus warned.
"Are you going to let me have a cigarette or not?"
"No."
"Remus!"
"You've got two weeks....TWO weeks until you go back to Hogwarts. Get used to it."
Harry gave him the dirtiest look he could muster and stormed off.
" Mr. Potter, just the man I wanted to see."
"Oh, er...hello Mrs...."
"Mcgonagall. And it's Professor."
"Right. What did I do wrong now?"
Minerva chuckled, "For once Potter it's nothing. I just wanted to give you your OWL
results, and to tell you that you have a chance at being back on the Quidditch team if uh...certain
circumstances are cleared."
"Should I be happy?"
"Thrilled."
"Then thank you," Harry took the envelope from Minerva and walked off.
Minerva watched him trip over a bondage strap on his pants as he went up the stairs.
* * * * * * * * * *
"I see it in his eyes."
"'Mione, I don't. I don't think he's ever going to come back."
"Ugh, stop being like this, Ron! He's your best friend for crying out loud."
"He was."
"He needs us. The least you could do is support him."
"He's a complete stranger now. Harry's gone, 'Mione. Face it."
"Ron, you make me so angry sometimes! I know we'll get him back someday, and I think
it's going to be soon."
"How would you know?"
"Friends know, Ron. Friends know," Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she ran out of
the library.
"Mione! Hermione, I didn't mean to-" she was gone, "to upset you."
He kicked aside a book called History of Potions and sat down on the leather chair behind
him.
"Harry, come back. We're all falling apart without you."
* * * * * * * * * *
"He can't even hold a bloody wand anymore and you expect him to defeat Voldemort!?"
"Why Remus, have you lost faith in him already?"
"No, it's just..." Remus avoided Dumbledore's eyes, "This is so hard. First Lily and
James, then Sirius. I never thought I'd lose Harry too."
"He will come back," Dumbledore said determinedly.
Remus saw the bright twinkle return to Dumbledore's eyes for a moment, "It must be
worse than being dead," he sighed.
* * * * * * * * * *
Harry laid on the bed that once belonged to his Godfather. Of course, he still did not know
it. He was told that this was the bedroom of 12 Grimmauld Place's former master. The man's
name was Sirius, and he died two months ago. Harry had no idea how important Sirius was to
him. Nor did he have any idea that he was now the owner of Grimmauld Place. After finding the
room Harry kept coming back on those many occasions he needed to be alone. This was one of
those times.
"Do something!" Gold and red sparks flew out of his wand.
"Ugh, besides that!"
Nothing.
"Bloody waste of wood this thing is," Harry tossed the wand aside and stifled a yawn.
"Might as well. Got nothing better to do around here." He closed his eyes and fell asleep
quite easily.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Man, I've got to get out more. I keep dreaming of the same place."
He was on the tower.
"Er, I think it's the same place."
But it was never decorated with tombstones, and....
"Red lightning? Huh, that's a first."
"Well, well, Mr. Potter. Glad we could meet again."
Harry spun around.
"Uh...right. Hey, what's with the creepy red eyes? Might want to get that cleared up at the
optometrist, eh?" Harry laughed at his own little joke.
"Stupid boy, do you not know who you are dealing with?"
"Uh..."
"Wormtail!"
A stout man with a rat-like appearance appeared at the other's side.
"Yes, My Lord?"
"Bring me the pensieve." The man bowed and walked away, returning shortly after with a
small black cauldron. It was filled with a slimy gray and red substance that continuously bubbled.
"Excellent. Now, will you come here Potter?"
It was not a question. Harry walked forward under the Imperious Curse.
The Dark Lord took his own wand and prodded the substance in the pensieve. A worm-
like creature was attached to the end of his wand and it writhed, trying desperately to free itself.
The Dark Lord jabbed Harry's temple with wand. The grotesque creature burrowed itself in
Harry's head. The world around him seemed to lurch forward. Harry closed his eyes to prevent
the bile rising in his throat from surfacing. When he opened his eyes again his surroundings were
different.
He stood outside a place called Godric's Hallow. In the blink of an eye he was transported
inside a house. A familiar looking woman screamed. She was holding a small white bundle in her
arms. A flash of green light. The women now lay on the ground, motionless, while a small child
cried by her side. Harry blinked again. What seemed like a younger version of himself was
standing next to a mirror. His reflection smiled back and pulled a red stone out of his pocket.
Now a giant snake lunged at him. A poisonous fang pierced his arm. Ginny Weasley cried for
him. Once again his surrounding were different in the blink of an eye. An old room in an
abandoned house. Ron with a broken leg. Hermione stood with her wand ready for battle. And
the man- Sirius, looking worn and peaky. More images continued to play in his head like a horror
movie. A dead body of a boy in a graveyard. The rebirth of a dark lord, of Voldemort.
*Make it stop! Oh God, make it stop!*
The Ministry of Magic. A group of friends stood side-by-side, defending a small bottle.
Voices calling him from behind a veil. Sirius falling through the veil in slow motion. Harry going
in after him, Remus struggling to hold him back.
~ "There's nothing you can do, Harry-"
*Stop it!* Harry fought against the Imperious Curse.
~ "It's too late, Harry. He's gone. He can't come back because he's d-"
*STOP IT!*
Harry was thrown back by an invisible force, and landed against a tombstone with a crack.
"Disrespecting the dead are we?"
Harry looked down at the broken headstone. It was Cedric Diggory's.
"Murderer," Voldemort smiled, showing off blackened teeth of decay.
"No." Harry slowly stood up, his eyes filled with tears from the pain in his back.
"No? Silly boy, were you not watching? You killed Diggory. You are the reason your
parents are dead. You murdered the last of the Blacks. But fear not, I shall end your guilt right
now. Leave your mudblood-loving friends to deal with it."
"No! It's your fault! All of it!" Harry pointed his wand at Voldemort, "You."
Voldemort began to laugh again but stopped abruptly. A phoenix burst out of Harry's
wand and flew straight at Voldemort. The red eyes filled with terror as the phoenix neared.