Reunions
A/N: Whoa! Sorry about the long wait. I had a lapse in Harry Potter enthusiasm. I'm still kind of in it, so don't expect the next chapter any time soon. But hey, I got "The Red" by Chevelle, which partially inspired the end of this story, so things are looking up somewhat. Also, happy belated (wow I use that word a lot. I might make that my new pen name...) Mardi Gras to everyone!
Disclaimer—because I haven't done one in a while—I don't own Harry Potter; JKR does; what else is new?
After taking Sirius out of his pocket, Harry changed into his pajamas and lie down in his bed. He had no intentions of going to sleep, though. He needed to think of how he would escape, but he knew that someone would be checking up on him.
After a long time, it came to him. It was so simple and obvious that he couldn't see it at first, but he did now. He would have to use the door.
He would get a pair of Extendable Ears to listen to the Order, find out what time they were least likely to be about the entrance hall. Then, minding the creaky floorboards and steps, he would sneak out under his invisibility cloak. Once out o the door, he would fly off to Gringotts.
But what about Moody?... He would have to leave when he was out or asleep. Come to think of it, did Mad-Eye sleep? Harry chuckled at the thought. His windows of opportunity would be slim and few.
It would be much more difficult than his first option, but he would have to do it, for the safety of his friends.
Satisfied with his sketchy plan, Harry allowed himself sleep.
A few hours later, Harry awoke to the bright rays of late-morning sun that managed to finally make it past all of the chimneys and rooftops of London, through the window and directly into his closed eyes. He rolled over and buried his face into the pillow, trying to savor those blissful, lingering moments of sleep that he had not felt for weeks. Eventually, he turned over and opened his eyes slowly, but immediately shutting them due to the intensity of the light. He rubbed them, and then opened them to a squint, reaching a groping hand to his bedside table for his glasses.
He pushed back the covers, stood up, then stretched as he yawned. He put on his glasses and rubbed his head sleepily as he walked over to his trunk to get out a set of clothes for the day.
There was a chuckle from the other side of the room and Harry turned to face it while rubbing the sleep crud out of his eyes.
"Oh that's attractive." Said Sirius, earning him a glare and causing the portrait to laugh again. "Not a morning person at all, like James." Harry threw his pajama shirt at him and proceeded to dress. Just as he opened it, he noticed something that he didn't before. Above the desk, invisible from Sirius's position, was the portrait of Phineus.
Harry snorted. They didn't trust him any further than they could see him. He went down his ladder to breakfast.
He opened the kitchen door to find nearly all of the Weasleys and a few of the original members from his last summer seated around the kitchen table, breakfast plates long abandoned. He had forgotten that they were coming. It was a few moments before anyone realized that he was in the room, but as soon as they did he was pulled into a life-threatening hug, courtesy of Mrs. Weasley. Once she let go, she immediately began to fuss over him and told him that she had saved some breakfast for him.
Harry sat down between Fred and Ron as Mrs. Weasley warmed his breakfast.
"Hello, mate." Ron said.
"The muggles weren't too horrid to you, were they? Because we may have something that could er, change their attitude if they were." Said Fred with a mischievous grin that would've made Harry nervous if he didn't know him so well.
"No, not too terrible. Moody had a little chat with them at the station."
"Too bad, because I would've loved to see the look on your fat uncle's face as—"But George was cut off by the look on his mother's face.
"Here you are, Harry dear." Mrs. Weasley said as she set a plate of eggs, sausages, and bacon in front of him.
After breakfast, Harry, Ron, and the twins went up to the room that Harry and Ron had shared during the previous summer. It was now occupied by Ron and some other member of the order which they had not met yet. Fred and George lived in a flat above their store.
"Look, Harry." Ron said ignoring a hoot from Pig, "That painting is gone. The one that used to hang over your bed."
"I know where it is now..." Harry muttered under his breath.
"Where are you staying this time, anyway?" Fred asked as he changed Pig's feathers from white to green, earning another hoot from the owl.
"In the attic." He replied.
Fred and George began to laugh but Ron looked confused.
"So...the took you out of your cupboard at you uncle's house, then put you in the attic here?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, but it's not like—it's a room. Not a regular attic."
"Oh, okay." Ron said.
"Still, kind of ironic." George said.
"Why in the attic, though? I mean, couldn't they've just kicked this guy—who ever he is—up there and let you stay down here?" Ron asked, frowning at the bed opposite of him.
"I dunno, I guess they thought I'd like it better up there." Harry shrugged.
"Yes, I suppose they thought you'd feel much more at home amongst the spiders and dust." Fred said with a grin.
"Can we go see it?" George asked.
"Err..."
But just then, Ginny walked in and plopped herself down on the bed next to Fred.
"What's up, I'm bored." She stated matter-of-factly.
"Thank you for that enlightening bit of information." George said sarcastically from the bureau.
"Yes, I do believe my life is more complete now." Said Fred, feigning compassion.
"You're welcome. Now, come on. Let's go do something." She whined and dragged them out of the room. In the end, they wandered into the kitchen and were lassoed into washing the dishes and tables.
"Are you happy now? We're doing something." Fred asked while attempting to scrape dried porridge off of the table with a spatula. Ginny just glared in reply.
"Wow! I've never played until the entire deck was used before." Ron said, marveling at his card house of Exploding Snap.
"Very good, ickle Ronniekins! You're getting to be such a big boy!" Fred said mockingly.
"Shut up." Ron said with little enthusiasm or care; he knew he wouldn't listen. "Harry, do you have any Exploding Sap cards I could borrow?"
Fred and George began to nearly cry with laughter, and Harry looked up from his Chudley Cannons book and chuckled. Ron had that ever-present look of confusion on his face.
"No, I don't have a set of Exploding Sap," Which only made Fred and George laugh harder. "But I might have Exploding Snap."
"Oh, I get it." Ron said and snorted at himself. "But it's not that funny."
"Mental...images..." Fred gasped, and began laughing again.
Harry shook his head and left the room.
As Harry returned from his room with the cards, he heard a noise. It was a small, sniffling voice, coming a hall closet around the corner. The voice was familiar... He crept closer, wand ready.
"...more and more nasty, filthy, wretched mudbloods in Mistress's house. Taking all the precious things from their places and throwing them away! Kreacher tried to save them, mistress!"
A wave of anger overcame Harry as recognition registered. Abandoning his wand, he threw open the door and grabbed the house elf by the neck. Wrapping both hands around the elf's neck he began to press his thumbs in, so as to choke the creature. It began to kick and squeal, as Harry pressed harder. Then, for the second time that day, Harry found himself surrounded by the Order. This time, it was Mr. Weasley who spoke first.
"Harry, put Kreacher down." He said slowly. Harry continued to hold it up against the wall, hatred blinding reason.
"No." He said simply.
"Harry, please." Mr. Weasley said as if Harry were holding a bomb.
"He killed Sirius!" He almost shouted.
"Killing Kreacher won't solve anything." Remus said.
"Oh, yes it will." Harry mumbled.
"Harry." Lupin said sternly. Harry dropped Kreacher, who scuttled off cursing mudbloods, children, and humanity in general. The crowd cleared away, leaving Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, and Harry standing in the stairwell, Ron's face covered in ash and the former four holding questioning looks in their eyes, but reasoning that it was better not to ask Harry just then.
A/N: long chapter, lots of dialogue, too. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang kindled this small spark of HarryPotteritus—I'm still trying to figure out that subconscious connection...Anyway, look for a HPoS chapter along with this, but no promises. Review, and there might be something in it for you (Such as a faster update, maybe?)
Oh, one last note! This chapter is dedicated to A.M.Bookworm247, because her reviews fanned the flame. -Liseli
A/N: Whoa! Sorry about the long wait. I had a lapse in Harry Potter enthusiasm. I'm still kind of in it, so don't expect the next chapter any time soon. But hey, I got "The Red" by Chevelle, which partially inspired the end of this story, so things are looking up somewhat. Also, happy belated (wow I use that word a lot. I might make that my new pen name...) Mardi Gras to everyone!
Disclaimer—because I haven't done one in a while—I don't own Harry Potter; JKR does; what else is new?
After taking Sirius out of his pocket, Harry changed into his pajamas and lie down in his bed. He had no intentions of going to sleep, though. He needed to think of how he would escape, but he knew that someone would be checking up on him.
After a long time, it came to him. It was so simple and obvious that he couldn't see it at first, but he did now. He would have to use the door.
He would get a pair of Extendable Ears to listen to the Order, find out what time they were least likely to be about the entrance hall. Then, minding the creaky floorboards and steps, he would sneak out under his invisibility cloak. Once out o the door, he would fly off to Gringotts.
But what about Moody?... He would have to leave when he was out or asleep. Come to think of it, did Mad-Eye sleep? Harry chuckled at the thought. His windows of opportunity would be slim and few.
It would be much more difficult than his first option, but he would have to do it, for the safety of his friends.
Satisfied with his sketchy plan, Harry allowed himself sleep.
A few hours later, Harry awoke to the bright rays of late-morning sun that managed to finally make it past all of the chimneys and rooftops of London, through the window and directly into his closed eyes. He rolled over and buried his face into the pillow, trying to savor those blissful, lingering moments of sleep that he had not felt for weeks. Eventually, he turned over and opened his eyes slowly, but immediately shutting them due to the intensity of the light. He rubbed them, and then opened them to a squint, reaching a groping hand to his bedside table for his glasses.
He pushed back the covers, stood up, then stretched as he yawned. He put on his glasses and rubbed his head sleepily as he walked over to his trunk to get out a set of clothes for the day.
There was a chuckle from the other side of the room and Harry turned to face it while rubbing the sleep crud out of his eyes.
"Oh that's attractive." Said Sirius, earning him a glare and causing the portrait to laugh again. "Not a morning person at all, like James." Harry threw his pajama shirt at him and proceeded to dress. Just as he opened it, he noticed something that he didn't before. Above the desk, invisible from Sirius's position, was the portrait of Phineus.
Harry snorted. They didn't trust him any further than they could see him. He went down his ladder to breakfast.
He opened the kitchen door to find nearly all of the Weasleys and a few of the original members from his last summer seated around the kitchen table, breakfast plates long abandoned. He had forgotten that they were coming. It was a few moments before anyone realized that he was in the room, but as soon as they did he was pulled into a life-threatening hug, courtesy of Mrs. Weasley. Once she let go, she immediately began to fuss over him and told him that she had saved some breakfast for him.
Harry sat down between Fred and Ron as Mrs. Weasley warmed his breakfast.
"Hello, mate." Ron said.
"The muggles weren't too horrid to you, were they? Because we may have something that could er, change their attitude if they were." Said Fred with a mischievous grin that would've made Harry nervous if he didn't know him so well.
"No, not too terrible. Moody had a little chat with them at the station."
"Too bad, because I would've loved to see the look on your fat uncle's face as—"But George was cut off by the look on his mother's face.
"Here you are, Harry dear." Mrs. Weasley said as she set a plate of eggs, sausages, and bacon in front of him.
After breakfast, Harry, Ron, and the twins went up to the room that Harry and Ron had shared during the previous summer. It was now occupied by Ron and some other member of the order which they had not met yet. Fred and George lived in a flat above their store.
"Look, Harry." Ron said ignoring a hoot from Pig, "That painting is gone. The one that used to hang over your bed."
"I know where it is now..." Harry muttered under his breath.
"Where are you staying this time, anyway?" Fred asked as he changed Pig's feathers from white to green, earning another hoot from the owl.
"In the attic." He replied.
Fred and George began to laugh but Ron looked confused.
"So...the took you out of your cupboard at you uncle's house, then put you in the attic here?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, but it's not like—it's a room. Not a regular attic."
"Oh, okay." Ron said.
"Still, kind of ironic." George said.
"Why in the attic, though? I mean, couldn't they've just kicked this guy—who ever he is—up there and let you stay down here?" Ron asked, frowning at the bed opposite of him.
"I dunno, I guess they thought I'd like it better up there." Harry shrugged.
"Yes, I suppose they thought you'd feel much more at home amongst the spiders and dust." Fred said with a grin.
"Can we go see it?" George asked.
"Err..."
But just then, Ginny walked in and plopped herself down on the bed next to Fred.
"What's up, I'm bored." She stated matter-of-factly.
"Thank you for that enlightening bit of information." George said sarcastically from the bureau.
"Yes, I do believe my life is more complete now." Said Fred, feigning compassion.
"You're welcome. Now, come on. Let's go do something." She whined and dragged them out of the room. In the end, they wandered into the kitchen and were lassoed into washing the dishes and tables.
"Are you happy now? We're doing something." Fred asked while attempting to scrape dried porridge off of the table with a spatula. Ginny just glared in reply.
"Wow! I've never played until the entire deck was used before." Ron said, marveling at his card house of Exploding Snap.
"Very good, ickle Ronniekins! You're getting to be such a big boy!" Fred said mockingly.
"Shut up." Ron said with little enthusiasm or care; he knew he wouldn't listen. "Harry, do you have any Exploding Sap cards I could borrow?"
Fred and George began to nearly cry with laughter, and Harry looked up from his Chudley Cannons book and chuckled. Ron had that ever-present look of confusion on his face.
"No, I don't have a set of Exploding Sap," Which only made Fred and George laugh harder. "But I might have Exploding Snap."
"Oh, I get it." Ron said and snorted at himself. "But it's not that funny."
"Mental...images..." Fred gasped, and began laughing again.
Harry shook his head and left the room.
As Harry returned from his room with the cards, he heard a noise. It was a small, sniffling voice, coming a hall closet around the corner. The voice was familiar... He crept closer, wand ready.
"...more and more nasty, filthy, wretched mudbloods in Mistress's house. Taking all the precious things from their places and throwing them away! Kreacher tried to save them, mistress!"
A wave of anger overcame Harry as recognition registered. Abandoning his wand, he threw open the door and grabbed the house elf by the neck. Wrapping both hands around the elf's neck he began to press his thumbs in, so as to choke the creature. It began to kick and squeal, as Harry pressed harder. Then, for the second time that day, Harry found himself surrounded by the Order. This time, it was Mr. Weasley who spoke first.
"Harry, put Kreacher down." He said slowly. Harry continued to hold it up against the wall, hatred blinding reason.
"No." He said simply.
"Harry, please." Mr. Weasley said as if Harry were holding a bomb.
"He killed Sirius!" He almost shouted.
"Killing Kreacher won't solve anything." Remus said.
"Oh, yes it will." Harry mumbled.
"Harry." Lupin said sternly. Harry dropped Kreacher, who scuttled off cursing mudbloods, children, and humanity in general. The crowd cleared away, leaving Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, and Harry standing in the stairwell, Ron's face covered in ash and the former four holding questioning looks in their eyes, but reasoning that it was better not to ask Harry just then.
A/N: long chapter, lots of dialogue, too. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang kindled this small spark of HarryPotteritus—I'm still trying to figure out that subconscious connection...Anyway, look for a HPoS chapter along with this, but no promises. Review, and there might be something in it for you (Such as a faster update, maybe?)
Oh, one last note! This chapter is dedicated to A.M.Bookworm247, because her reviews fanned the flame. -Liseli