Okay, finally, chapter 5. 'Bout time, is probably one of the things that is running through your mind right now. Let me tell you now: I don't want to be in school. I would rather sit at home and do nothing all day. Sadly, I can't do that. So, I don't want to waste your time, let's get right to the author's notes:
Stefanorkle: Was this quick enough?
Marauder Number 5: I love reviews from you. You are so sweet! I'm glad your friend liked my story. I don't know how anyone cannot be a Harry Potter fan, but I have a friend who isn't, also. Each to his own, I suppose. Thanks for liking my stories so much. You really rock!
Apple Blosom: Yeah, you were right. You are like a mind-reader or something. Thank you for the suggestion. And I took your advice. Hope you don't get confused again. Okay, now I know who K'van is. Hi, K'van!
Lilolu: You are like the only one who responded to me putting Harry in a coma. So, I sadly didn't put him in a coma. I'M SORRY! Yes, Sirius, Harry killed you. BE ANGRY! BE VERY ANGRY! Harry and Draco did deserve the laps. And you're next, Snuffles, if you keep sticking your feet on me or my face or any part of my person. Keep your feet to yourself. I don't think I plan on killing Sirius off, but it could happen. Anything's possible. Sirius, just because her finger was injured doesn't mean that she's going to die. I'll try to keep it up. LUV YOU TOO! Lol.
That's it. I don't know when the next chapter will be out. Not making any promises. I haven't even started it yet. I'm lazy. So, without anymore of my talking, here's chapter five.
Old Friends or Old Enemies?
The thing that woke Harry the next morning was loud shouting from another room. The words were fuzzy and he couldn't make anything out. His head gave a particulary painful throb when someone shrieked loudly. But still Harry was curious. He quickly pulled his glasses on and shuffled to the door, completly oblivious to the other person in the room.
Standing outside in the foyer were several familiar faces: Professor McGonagall, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, Fred, George, Professor Lupin, and Sirius Black, all in their pajamas. Sirius was standing in the middle of the floor, his face red, breathing hard, facing a shorter person that had their back to everyone else. The person was female, her long black hair tossed over one shoulder. She was obviously the one that Sirius was shouting at. From the way her shoulders were heaving it was pretty obvious that she was shouting back.
"What's all the noise about," asked a sleepy voice behind Harry. He turned
around to come face to face with Ron Weasley.
"Now look what the two of you have done," shouted Mrs. Weasley. "You just had to wake up everyone in this house, didn't you?! Are you two perfectly happy now?!"
"Stay out of this, Molly," said Sirius. "This is between me and her."
"Honestly, ever since you two laid eyes on one another you've been at each other's throats! You are acting like children," she sighed and turned to Harry. "Hullo, Harry dear. Would you like some breakfast?"
"Who's that Sirius is shouting at," he asked, craning his neck to get a better look at the girl.
"Never you mind, dear," she said softly. "Let them act like three- year- olds. You and Ron walk on over to the breakfast table and get something to eat."
Harry and Ron both stayed rooted in place as the shouting picked up again, this time louder.
"I'm immature," the woman screeched. "Me?! You're the one running around like a carefree juvinelle!! You could have been seen! You could have been caught! But it would serve you right to be thrown back into Azkaban, if you have no better sense than to run around in broad daylight, you being the most-wanted wizard in the world! You idiot!"
"Watch who you are calling an idiot, you reckless woman," Sirius yelled.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're the one who saw fit to burn twelve Death Eaters! In the middle of a Muggle housing development! And then you set the place on fire! And stole Harry away! Then you took him down into a room of vampires! Real smart thinking there!"
"He would have died if I had not shown up! Jealous that I got there first, Black? Upset that you did not get to play the hero this time?"
"Shut up," Sirius snarled. "Just shut up. I'm tired of this. You've woken up everyone in the house, now just--"
"Me?! ME?! It is your thundering voice that brought everyone from their rooms, you meddling snoop! Just stay out of my business!"
"ENOUGH," shouted Mrs. Weasly. "We've heard enough! Now, if you two can't get along, don't talk to each other! Got me?!"
Sirius and the woman turned their backs on one another. This gave Harry a clear view of the woman's face.
It was Hope. Harry could see her better than he'd been able to in the dark cavern. Her face, shining in anger, slowly turned towards him. She tossed a look of triumph over her shoulder at Sirius, a look that he didn't catch, and walked over to Harry's side. There was something different about her this morning, something a bit more friendly.
"Master Potter," she said, her tone more happy. "Good Morning! Did you find your sleep enjoyable?"
"Uh," stuttered Harry. "Yeah, I guess."
"Good, good." She smiled, her white teeth gleaming against the red lips. "Have some breakfast, Master Potter. I'm sure you have to be famished. Have all you wish. You also, young Mr. Weasly."
Behind Harry, Ron jumped in surprise on hearing his name. Mrs. Weasly ushered them along to the breakfast table, snagging Hermione's arm on the way. She made all three of them huge plates of all kinds of food and sat them down at a clean, dust-free dining table.
"If you'll excuse me," Sirius said, grabbing himself a plate and settling down beside Harry.
"Hello, Sirius," Harry said happily. He smiled up at his godfather, who returned the gesture.
"Yeah, what he said." Ron was talking around a mouthful of toast at the time.
"Everyone, have a seat," Hope chirped happily. "Eat all you wish! There's plenty to go around."
Fred and George, Ginny behind them, sat down oppsite to Harry and dug into the food. Everyone else did as Hope had said. The table was soon full of happy, chattering people. Harry felt safe again. He was among his friends.
"So, how do you know Hope, Sirius," Harry asked when he slid his empty plate away from him.
"We're... old friends," Sirius grumbled. Lupin smiled slightly over his tea, chuckling. Harry looked at him questioningly.
"Ask him again, Harry," said Lupin. Sirius shot him a look that clearly stated 'shut up.' But it was too late. Harry's curiousity was peaked and he
turned his questioning gaze to his godfather.
"All right, she's an old girlfriend! Happy, Moony?" Sirius crossed his arms over his chest and sat back in his chair. He glared softly at Lupin.
"Quite," Lupin replied.
"Girlfriend?" Ron whispered to Harry. "How old do you think she is then?"
"Dunno." Harry looked on the other side of Ron at Hermione, who was deeply involved in a book. "What's that you're reading, Hermione?"
"A book on vampires," Hermione said quietly. "Just to be armed with a bit of knowledge."
Ron looked from Harry to Hermione nervously, then to Hope. She was sitting at the head of the table, talking animatedly with Mr. Weasley. Was she really dangerous? After her display of temper this morning, her attempted hexing of Sirius last night, and the way she dealt with those Death Eaters, Harry wasn't sure what to believe anymore. She had said that she was here to protect him...
"About two days," Harry said.
"Been bitten yet," inquired George.
"No. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I have," Fred said. "Come see."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione leaned in closer as Fred pulled down the neck of his turtleneck. A set of two, small neat little holes caught their eyes. George smiled mischeviously at his twin, who smiled back.
"Go ahead and touch it, Harry," George urged. Harry carefully reached out and pressed a finger to the little holes. Fred let out a howl of pain. Blood squirted from the little holes, spraying all over Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sirius, Lupin, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Hope, the twins themselves, and anything and everything within a seven foot radis. The women screamed and Mrs. Weasley nearly fainted. The twins roared with laughter.
"Gotcha!" they managed to cry between their laughs.
"FRED AND GEORGE," Mrs. Weasley shrieked. "WHAT IN THE WORLD DID YOU DO?!"
"I believe, Molly, that they just squirted blood all over us and my dining room," Hope said calmly. She hadn't moved from her seat, looking awfully strange sitting there, arms crossed over her chest, clad in the same leather body suit as before, blood splattered all over her, looking very matter-of-factly around the room. Mrs. Weasley spared her a glare before turning to the twins again.
"What was that?" she demanded.
"Don't worry, Mum," George said, licking away the blood from around his mouth. "It's just an invention or ours. A little something to get a bored student out of class. We call it Porta-Wounds. See?" He carefully peeled the red dots off of Fred's neck. "That's just cherry syrup. Try it."
Carefully, with Ron and Hermione looking at him worriedly, Harry put his finger in a glob of what he had previously thought was blood then stuck his finger in his mouth. None of the Weasley twins' creations were dangerous, but no one wanted to be the one to try it first. Believe it or not, it was cherry syrup.
"You two are going to clean up this mess," Mrs. Weasley said. She conjoured up two mops and a huge bucket of hot water, thrusting the mops into the twins' hands. Grumbling, they set to work.
"Well, this should be an interesting day," said Hope. "Now, Master Potter. I do believe that we still have to have that talk with my family that was interrupted by a certain... someone." At this, she shot a deadly glare at Sirius, who responded with a death look of his own.
"Harry isn't going down there with those blood-suckers again!" Sirius shouted as he jumped up from his seat. "He shouldn't have been down there in the first place! What in the world are you thinking?!"
"I am thinking of saving his life, as if it is any of your business." Hope grabbed ahold of Harry's upper arm and tugged him towards her.
"You'll kill him down there!" Sirius latched onto the other arm and tugged Harry back. This started a tug-of-war match between the two of them causing Harry to be shaken repeatedly. Mrs. Weasley was shouting in the background for them to release him.
To Be Continued...