Part 2: The Manticore's Den
A/N: I promise that I will get to the main action soon. I just want to put in some light-hearted scenes before everything has to get dark. The scene with Remus and Sirius arguing about… various things is rather silly, but what can I say? It wrote itself. Don't ask me to tell you who is who in the argument, I have no idea myself.
Harry's eyes bulged out of their sockets when he saw the building they were approaching. When they landed, he just sat there staring at it. Sirius frowned at this reaction.
"I know it's not much, but…"
"Are you kidding?" Harry asked, "This is great! Is it really yours?"
Sirius smiled in relief, "Of course. It's rather small though, don't you think?"
Harry shook his head, taking off his helmet, "It's perfect."
The house was a little on the small side, but it was just the perfect size for two people. It was a 100% wizard house complete with gnomes shuffling along the lawn and a stone angel guarding the doorstep and combing her hair. Across the front of the threshold was the name of this house: Manticore's Den. To Harry, there was nothing better than this. He now had a house of his own where he would be wanted, a guardian who loved him, and the promise of a new future. Manticore's Den was perfect and he told Sirius so until the man really believed it.
Sirius showed him inside where Harry wished he had another set of eyes. You would think that he had never seen the inside of a wizard's house. But he couldn't get over the fact that this house was really his. Sirius watched him explore the house with a grin on his face. He had hoped the boy would approve. It was all he could do with a tight budget. He would need to get a job soon, he knew that. His family was a wealthy one, but even his inherited wealth couldn't support two for long. He decided he wouldn't worry about that until everything else was settled.
He showed Harry to his room, one that was a little smaller than Dudley's second room. But considering all the room that Dudley's toys took up, Harry had more space in this bedroom. Sirius stood at the doorway, watching as Harry went to a small box lying in the corner. He was a bit tense, not knowing what the boy's reaction would be.
Harry opened the box and kneeled down. Inside were posters of old and new Quidditch teams, pictures of the four Marauders, and a small snow globe among other things. The snow globe was what caught his attention first. The globe had a small crack in it, but it still held small miniatures of four animals playing on the meadow in front of the school as if they had no other care in the world. He could make out a rat climbing on a deer's rack of antlers as a wolf and dog wrestled in the snow.
"Wow," he breathed staring at it, "Where did you get this, Sirius?"
Sirius let out a breath he had been holding, "Your mother loved snow globes. The four of us wanted to give her something special for our last Christmas at Hogwarts and came up with this idea. It was the only one that survived the attack."
Harry stared at the globe more closely. He could see one more animal amongst the group of four. It was a small bird, a sparrow, perched on a branch as she watched the four friends play. He looked over at Sirius questioningly.
"No, she wasn't an Animagus," Sirius said, answering his unspoken question, "But we decided that if she were to be one, above all things, she would be a sparrow. It just fit her personality."
Harry couldn't think of anything to say to this, so he put it down carefully and continued his investigation of the box. There were dozens of pictures, prefect and Head Boy and Girl badges, some jewelry, random things that Sirius had managed to salvage from the wreckage before going after Peter.
"Thank you, Sirius," he said softly, knowing his words were not enough. He hoped Sirius would get the meaning behind them.
"You're welcome, Harry. I wish it were more."
Harry shook his head and waved his hand at the room and box of belongings, "This is the best birthday I've had since I found out I was a wizard. I can't believe you did this for me."
The man shrugged, "You deserve it. It's what you should have had all along."
Harry could think of nothing to say to this, so he looked back down at a picture of Sirius' graduating Gryffindor class. He recognized a boy that looked much like Neville, and he could pick out Lee Jordon's mother from the group. He spotted another woman that looked suspiciously like Padma and Parvati Patil. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs were there as well, with his mother wrapping an arm around James' waist. They were all laughing with pure happiness that only the best of friends can produce. And when Harry looked at young Peter, teasing Remus playfully, he was surprised not to feel hatred toward him. He should hate Peter; he was the reason why he had no parents. But he looked just like another boy. But he wasn't just another boy; he was one of his father's best friends. He could see no sign of the evil, traitorous Wormtail in Peter's light sapphire eyes.
Sirius followed his godson's gaze. He felt a moment of anger that he had been careless enough to leave Peter's pictures in plain view. But there wasn't much of a choice. There was barely a picture, if any, that had one Marauder without the others. They banded together like glue; stronger than glue. They were brothers in the deepest sense. Or so he had thought.
"We can remove him if you want," Sirius muttered, "He doesn't have to…"
"No," said Harry, shaking his head, "Let him stay. He couldn't have been evil all his life, could he? Not when you trusted him like you did."
Sirius conceded. Those possessions were Harry's to do with as he pleased. And the boy did have a point… but that did not excuse Peter nor lessen Sirius' hatred of him.
A sudden bout of shouting interrupted his reverie. It sounded like the stone angel was yelling at someone in the front yard. Apparently, someone was trying to force their way in.
Sirius couldn't see anyone through the window, so he quickly moved to the staircase. "Stay here," Sirius ordered as he walked down to the front door slowly. Harry remained behind at the top of the stairs. Siruis drew out his wand just in case and opened the door. He immediately relaxed, seeing not Voldemort, but a very flustered werewolf.
"Remus, what the hell…" he muttered, shaking in silent laughter. Remus was in the process of sending hexes at the angel who refused to let him enter without the proper password. Sirius had forgotten to tell her to admit the werewolf along with the two owners. Really, the only reason he got her was because of Dumbledore's insistence for Harry's safety.
"It's alright," Sirius told the angel, "You can let him pass without a password."
The angel sighed dramatically as she tried to get her wings to stop changing color from one of Remus' hexes. She looked at Sirius seethingly, "Well what good is a guardian if anyone off the streets can enter?"
"Just do your job and let him do his. Come in, Moony."
"I'm not interrupting anything?"
"Not really. But even if you were, would it matter?"
"No." He beamed when he saw Harry who had gotten up and stood by the kitchen door, "Hi, Harry."
"Hi, Remus. What are you doing here?"
"Just thought I'd stop by. Your godfather mentioned you were coming today. Do you like this better than your aunt's?"
"Yeah, it's great!"
"I was the one who suggested it."
"You did not!" argued Sirius.
"Well what about that place with the swamp, Padfoot?"
"It was NOT a swamp, Moony. It was a Japanese garden. And that was Javen's idea."
"No, Javen suggested that blue house infested with pixies. Manticore's Den was my idea."
As the two argued, Harry found himself grinning. It was like watching a much older version of he and Ron arguing about whether Malfoy would make a better grindylow or a Red Cap. He was so used to seeing the two men so grave and rational, especially Remus, that it seemed almost unbelievable that they were the purveyors of aids to magical mischief-makers.
"…Well, how about the time you hexed off Narcissa's hair in Divination class?"
"At least I didn't call McGonagall an 'old bat' with her standing behind me."
"And the time you enchanted the suits of armor to follow Snape around and call him a greasy git…"
"That was a stroke of true genius. And I recall you polishing the Quidditch trophies right along with me after that."
"And the time you convinced Sybil that you foresaw her going to the graduation ball with Malfoy."
"Well what about the time that you painted the walls of the Slytherin Common Room red and gold?"
"Um, guys?" asked Harry, not really able to follow the conversation. They ignored him.
"…And then you put blue 'All Stay Charmed Paint' in the Hufflepuff girls' showers."
"And the time you switched the Sorting Hat with Mundungus' insulting hat at the beginning of the year…"
"Guys?"
"The first years' expressions were worth all that polishing. Well, what about the time you 'mistook' the kitchen for the laundry room?"
"That was all Lily's idea. I loved the elves' cooking. But you were the one who tricked Mrs. Norris into a broom closet before locking it."
"Guys!"
"It was your idea that we transfigure Rita Skeeter's desk into a giant spider."
"But you told us that it would be a good idea to use the Shrinking Potion on the Halloween pumpkins the day before the feast and that Hagrid 'wouldn't mind'."
"He overreacted way too much. I had the antidote ready for the feast. And what about the time you changed Snape's final exam potion with a shampoo solution?"
"I can't help it if he needs a few hints to start washing his hair. But you were the one who…"
"GUYS!!!" Harry was relieved that he did not need to shout anymore for the two to pay attention to him. Remus and Sirius stared at him in amazement. It was a rare occurrence for them to hear Harry raise his voice. He motioned to the open door with his head and smiled. They had been so caught up in the argument that they didn't notice a man who had managed to argue his way passed the irritated angel.
"Javen? What are you doing here?" asked Sirius. Javen Derios was a tall man with short brown hair and deep blue eyes. He was taller than both Remus and Sirius with muscles to make up for his height. He wore the robes of a Ministry hit-wizard and seemed like a nice enough person from the start. Harry felt himself unconsciously relax under the gentle, youthful gaze of Javen.
"I was wondering if young Harry wouldn't mind if I stole his godfather for a few hours."
"For what?" asked Sirius crossing his arms. He had a look that said he probably knew what Javen needed him for.
"Well, there are still some legal things that need to be taken care of. Mostly concerning compensation for your time in Azkaban."
"I thought that was taken care of. Fudge said…"
"Come now, Sirius," chuckled Javen, "Fudge take care of anything? His head's as good as his name. It's nothing major, but I figured you would want to deal with it as soon as possible."
"Alright, then," Sirius said defeated. Javen smiled sympathetically.
"I know you wanted to spend some time with your godson, but we do need to get going now if we're to reach Diagon Alley before noon. The goblins are unpleasant enough without haggling with the Ministry and late ex-convicts. And there's an issue about the adoption we need to get taken care of. Again, nothing major."
"Go on, Sirius," Remus said, "I'll stay with Harry."
Harry was about to say that he didn't need to be baby-sat, but thought better of it. Remus wouldn't really be baby-sitting, and he knew he wanted to have a chance to get better acquainted with the werewolf.
Sirius nodded, "Don't let Moony destroy the place, Harry. I'm leaving you in charge."
"Ok, Sirius," Harry said, "I've got it covered."
"I'm glad I thought of the place," Javen said distantly as he looked around. He didn't notice the grins that spread across the other threes' faces.
Soon, the roar of a motorcycle drowned out the light whistling of a broomstick as both men soared into the sky. The fire was not ready for Floo travel and Apparation was generally discouraged around Diagon Alley in case Voldemort could track the magic. The entrance of Diagon Alley had since been rearranged and charmed since Voldemort's days so he could never find it. His unknown followers, sure, but not him. Even if they led him through, there would be too many charms to let him pass. At least, it was designed to work that way. It had yet to be tested.
Harry was pleased to note that he wouldn't have to wait days or weeks to hear from his godfather ever again. This time, it was forever. He would see him again in only a few hours and until then, he could spend time with another of his father's best friends. The only thing that would make life any sweeter would be if he had Ron and Hermione with him to share it with. When Hedwig woke up, he intended to write to them and tell them what happened. Maybe he could even convince Sirius to let one or both of them visit over the summer.
Around 4 in the afternoon, Sirius called via fire and said he would be a bit later than he expected. Then he muttered something quite colorful about goblins, the Ministry, and an issue with bartenders and ice cream above other things. He offered Remus the guest room and said he'd be back as soon as he could.
By the time Sirius came home, it was nearly midnight. He found the remains of some funky smelling slop that Remus had insisted for over 20 years was stew in the sink. He quietly moved into the living room, hearing no noise. He found his godson dressed in the night robes he had bought for him curled up on the couch with Remus slumped over sideways on a large chair. His head leaned against the back of the chair and his legs dangled over the side of the adjacent arms.
Sirius quickly guessed what had happened. Remus had first tried to poison Harry with that god-awful stew that no one, not even Snape, should ever experience. Well… maybe Snape. Then the werewolf had tried to corrupt his friend's godson by ordering the boy into his pajamas in exchange for entirely untrue stories about Sirius' rebellious teen years. It was totally despicable for the former professor to warp a young boy's mind with lies that included many hours of grueling detention for something that was not Sirius' fault. Especially not that infamous 'fake full moon' gag that ended with many a week of attempts on poor Padfoot's life.
He decided that Harry had been subjected to Moony's presence long enough. He also decided that any sore neck said werewolf might receive for sleeping like that would be well deserved. So, very carefully, Sirius carried Harry upstairs to his bedroom. He was surprised how light the boy was. For 14 years old, he was not the least bit heavy. Sure, he had Lily's light frame, but he expected a boy over half his own height to be a little harder to lift. Perhaps he had regained all the muscles he thought lost in the wallowing pits of Azkaban. Or, he thought, those Muggles did not feed him like they should have. He figured the latter was the more reasonable conclusion.
He could take care of that, he decided. Not only would Harry find himself the most spoiled child in the wizarding world, Sirius would see to it that he would never have to look at another grapefruit quarter again. He tucked him into the bed and stepped back.
Harry was sleeping as peacefully as he did when he was a baby. James had always accused him of being 'too much of a father' to Harry. He worried that Harry would begin to think that his godfather really was his father by the amount of time Sirius spent at the Potter household. This idea never seemed to bother Sirius any. But he seemed more than satisfied with the honorary title of 'Pa-foo'. The thought still brought a warm smile to his face. Such memories were not allowed in Azkaban for fear of losing their sanity.
'This should be you, James,' Sirius thought eyeing the fallen picture of the Gryffindor class. The image of James smiled up at him and waved. 'Harry is not my son, no matter how much I want him to be. It should be you who can tuck him into bed like he never aged a day past one.'
"Sirius," a voice whispered softly. Sirius whipped around and saw the form of Remus at Harry's door.
He joined him in the hall so they could talk without worrying about waking up Harry. Sirius didn't know he was still holding the photograph until Remus pointed it out. They walked downstairs so the living, breathing mass of stew/slop would not breed and take over the kitchen.
"You gave the box to Harry?" asked Remus.
"It's his only real inheritance besides the gold and cloak," Sirius said, putting the photograph on the counter, "It's the least I can do."
"And the meeting with Javen?"
"We went over compensations and interest with some Ministry agents and goblins. I have enough so that I won't be in a big rush to start work right away. I think I'll start looking after Harry goes to school. And I had to appoint him another godfather incase something should happen to me. Would you…"
"Of course, Padfoot. You don't have to ask."
"I know. That's what I told the agents. They seemed concerned about your lycanthropy, but I told them off. I think I know you and Harry better than they do. How was he tonight?"
"The happiest I've ever seen him," Remus said with his gentle smile, "You really made his year, Sirius. Especially after that Tri-Wizard Tournament incident." They both shared a frown at this.
"Why does all this have to happen to him, Remus? Why can't the world just leave him alone to finish what is left of his already miserable childhood?"
"Life's like that, Padfoot. You already know how unfair it can be. He's not the only one who lost whatever was left of their adolescence all those years back." He stared at Sirius as though willing his friend to realize that he did not deserve to lose all those years of his life. He could still see a tinge of darkness in those otherwise bright, mischievous eyes. In Harry, Remus could see Sirius' salvation. Unable to relive 12 years of a young, promising life again, Sirius looked to the boy for happiness. If anyone was more capable of being a father to Harry than Sirius, Remus would become a full-time wolf.
Neither Remus nor Harry doubted his abilities. Only the man himself did. He was determined to be a good father, but he needed the confidence of a younger, rule-breaking Padfoot in order to be successful. He hoped Sirius was up to the challenge. Raising a child, even one nearly grown up, was not all gifts and laughter. There would be fights and tears too. Bringing up Harry would change Sirius' whole world. And Remus would help them through it the best he could.
End Chapter 2
Japonica: Hey hey hey! I'm glad it's back up too.
Lily Skylo: Welcome to the show, though I doubt you know what you just got yourself into. Ask those poor people I keep torturing with 'Crushed Velvet.' *_~ I suggest you not read that until all of Say Goodnight's chapters are up and running. My other story though, 'Who wants to live forever' is fair game. Fear not for Padfoot's safety, I will take good care of him. Oh, and I totally agree. He will never be dead! He'll come back dammit!
Darkphoenix: Hey, it's good to hear from you again! I've been chugging away at the last chapter of CV and it's driving me just as insane as you. I'm on page 12 of it and I am still finding it hard to just shut up and end it. At the rate it's going, it should be up by Monday at the latest, but don't quote me on that. Keep whining all you want, it lets me know my stuff is still wanted. I know I'm selfish, but hey, it's a living. *_~