July 5, 2004
Disclaimer: "It was art spoken with different accents, but with the same message." Also known as, 'same idea, but this one is fanfic.'
Authors Note: Hey all, once again I've taken ages to upload (what's new?) but honestly, I had major writers block on this fic but I think it's slowly starting to come back to me. Who knew? Anywhoo, off you go! Frolic and laugh as you read under the eaves… or roof of your house… :D
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The nurses station of major hospital is never a quiet place save in the very wee hours of the morning. There is a constant bustle about the place that never leaves a feeling of laziness. Even the small shuffle of a few papers always insinuates hard work, a will to help others, a continuous drive to heal ailing members of any community. But on this particular evening, the nurses' station situated across from Room 293 in St. Mungo's hospital was silent with raptured ears listening to a ghostly tale. Eleanor was sitting in a simple office chair, her arms crossed over her chest as if she were very cold as she spoke slowly and carefully of what had transpired between her and the godfather of young Harry Potter only a few short hours ago. Kyren and Larna sat close by, listening in stunned silence as their old friend spoke while the other nurses and attendants sat on the desk or leaned over the counter, all trying to grab every word that was spoken.
Her voice was stone cold and yet somehow seemed distant, as if remembering a different time and she never looked at anybody; she would glance around at the papers and chewed pen caps, but rarely dared to catch an eye. The hidden truth of a dark man only paces away kept her nervous and agitated in her seat while others tried to calm her. The story was old but nobody cared. This new enlightenment made hearts flutter and breaths catch; it was the tale of a lifetime, and a tale they could only hope would end in triumph.
-
It had been a long, horrible, trying day, but not for anyone more than Sirius. The shock of rapid fire changes left him drained, utterly exhausted and with a hesitant hope even though he hated to admit it. The light of day was gone, bringing with it the soulless black sky with stars that sprung tears in the heart of the lonely Animagus. With darkness encroaching over all that lay below, he stepped away from the frosted window pane not even realizing that he should be thankful the rooms were magically heated. He rubbed his burning eyes for what had to have been the hundredth time that day. Stretching his muscles he turned from the darkness and paced the room once, strolling from one corner to the next, past Harry's bed and over towards the window to the hallway. He glanced out as he turned around to retrace his steps and noticed a congregation of aides around the nurses' station. For what, he didn't know, but he could definitely imagine; all of the thoughts that came to mind however, were in no way comforting. He stopped to watch for a moment until a number of the nurses and attendants turned to glance at the room as if they had sensed him spying on them and he quickly continued on his path.
He still hadn't heard from Remus and it weighed on his mind. He had promised to be right back or at least send word but that had been hours ago; he vaguely wondered if Remus had been captured by the Ministry and was being forced to give them information on his whereabouts. He paused his pacing, trying sleepily to retain the majority of his ability to rationalize situations and he convinced himself that Remus would never tell anything to the Ministry if they had him and Dumbledore would surely spring him out before anything happened anyway. But the thoughts still haunted him.
He resumed his pensive stroll and turned his mind to Harry's friends. 'I'll bet Hermione is devastated,' he thought. He never told anybody, but he had once overheard her speaking with a portrait last Christmas about how much she worried about Harry. 'I panic inside every time I hear that something has happened,' she had said. 'My thoughts always jump to Harry no matter what the news is and I just pray that no harm will come to him. I almost died when he came back from the graveyard last year. I thought he was already dead…' Sirius had continued down the hall at that point, not thinking it very polite to eavesdrop on such a heavy topic but he was sure it would continue with her feelings on Harry's vision of Mr. Weasley and her decision to leave her parents behind on the holidays to be with him last Christmas.
'She's a very loyal friend,' Sirius thought. He never doubted that she and his godson would be best friends until their dying day; he even thought it would be cute to see them together romantically but he knew deep down that they would never be more than friends. 'They'll turn to each other for everything, but they'll never break the line of such a beautiful friendship.' He was very sorry that she couldn't be here for Harry now.
Ron also came to mind, of course, and he wondered how he was taking the situation. To Sirius, Ron was like a lit firecracker with no label. Sometimes his emotions would explode and he'd turned a multitude of brilliant and sometimes violent colors. Other times he would give a loud bang! and that would be that; still other times he would act quietly and gently. Sirius assumed it to be the fault of defending himself against so many brothers; a different reaction required for each one to get his point across and be left alone if that be the case. But Sirius knew that Ron had been Harry's first friend ever and he was pretty sure that the same held true for Ron outside of his family. He imagined him being very quiet, possibly withdrawn, unsure of what to say or do.
He imagined Ginny, on the other hand, as being very strong in the situation, taking charge of the two remaining friends by trying to console them however she could. After all, she really didn't know Harry as well as they did; she was not a member of the illustrious trio that broke the mysteries of the old haunted castle before any of the professors could, she had friends of her own.
And then his thoughts turned to himself as he gazed at his ghostly reflection in the chilled window to the wintry world beyond. 'I look so old,' he thought with a melancholy air. 'How did I change from twenty-something and handsome to ninety and sickly so quickly?' In truth, he did not look as old as he felt, his specter-like appearance only a trick of the glass and the pounding veins in his eyes. He hadn't slept in days, the short nap he had tried to take over twenty hours ago had ended abruptly after twenty minutes with the harsh call of his name through the fireplace beckoning him back for more pain and heartache.
He needed two more hours before he could say that he felt Harry was finally safe. In two more hours the memory of sitting on the front porch swing wrapped tightly in his coat and watching the snow fall would be officially a day old. In twenty-six hours, he could say that he had survived one of the worst, most horribly devastating days of his entire life.
He could see how his face was turning red in the dark, snow-flurried window and how his eyes filled up with unshed tears and he wasted no time in banishing them with the sleeve of his robes. It had been a high-stress week for everyone and now they needed to be strong, he needed to be strong for only one reason: the young man behind him that couldn't see or speak or feel. The young man who was being fed through thin tubes and watched with sensors on his heart and his temples; the young man who wanted nothing more than to be just that, a faceless member of a peaceful society with no more care in the world than what he was going to have for supper that night. There was nothing that Sirius wanted more than that, to take away all of his worries or least hold him up while he fought them down on his own. The reflection of the quiet, spent figure behind him made Sirius turn and gently resume his seat next to the one truly misunderstood teenager of the world and he did the only thing he could think of to do. He dropped his head onto the back of Harry's arm and intertwined their fingers whispering silently, "We'll find who did this to you Harry. I swear on my life we'll find them."
He fought as hard as he could against the sleep that began overtaking him, knowing full well that every moment spent unaware was one less moment that he would have with his godson; a sacrifice he was completely against making. However sometimes the will of the body overpowers that of the mind and before he knew it, he was unwilling falling into a swift and well needed sleep.
-
That night found two red heads and a brunette buried in their spell books until the very wee hours of the morning searching relentlessly for spells, charms, curses, anything that could point to Harry's current predicament. Hermione even had Ron reading the first volume of Practical Defensive Magic and It's Use Against the Darks Arts, the first of many books that Harry had received from Sirius and Remus for Christmas the year before to check for questionable incantations. Conversation was slight, only a mixture of findings for Hermione to script on her parchment that they would hand into Snape the next day. Already they had a list two feet in length. Also interjected throughout their research were the names of possibly related students.
As 3:30 in the morning rolled around, Ron felt he would pass out if he had to read another page. After a brief interjection of, "Practical Defensive, Volume 1, page 396, blood chilling spell," he slipped a quill into the spine and closed it with a soft thud. "I don't think I can take much more of this," he said to both of the women at the table.
"Yeah, I agree," and Ginny too marked her page and closed her book. "Who do we have on the list so far?" she added with a stretch to try and wake herself up a bit.
All three of them were exhausted. It had been exactly twelve hours ago that Professors Lupin and McGonagall sat with them in the Defense classroom, carefully telling them of all that had transpired. Since then, their already troubled minds had plummeted and they had all tried to hide it; they would do fairly well around the other students, but they didn't even try to pretend with each other. What would be the point?
Ron was openly worried around Ginny and Hermione, his comment at supper only one of the many questions he had about his best friend's condition. Ginny was actually just as open as ever, but still as worried as everybody else. She was dying for something to do to help and knew that Snape's hidden request was exactly what she needed in order to do her part. She was dying to see him again. Hermione on the other hand was withdrawn around the Weasleys. She was quiet and kept to herself for the most part, yet never lost her air intellect, her silent magical power flooding over the edges of just how much worry and pain she could take. She too, was dying to see Harry again… she had to know, had to see for herself, that her best friend would be okay. She had been fighting back a few small tears ever since they had been informed on Harry's state but they hung on a tilted balance with her anger. Anger that had been unleashed on Professor Snape and was sure to cause more problems then it was worth and with a small sigh she realized that she had no anger at the moment, felt nothing but a will to press on through the library of information before them in the hopes that they could possibly help to save Harry's life.
Blinking roughly to ward off the sleep and the itching of well-hid held back tears, Hermione picked up a sheet of parchment and began to read the names that Ginny had requested to hear.
"We have Malfoy of course along with Crabbe and Goyle although I don't think those two could charm their way out of paper bag much less land Harry in the hospital. Behind them we have Millicent Bulstrode, Pansy Parkinson, Montague, Warrington, and the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team which is followed by Avery, Nott, and much of the Slytherin house in general. Beyond that we have a questionable Zach Smith and Marietta Edgecombe, as well as Dolores Umbridge and Minister Fudge although both of them are questionable as well. Peter Pettigrew is on the list even though nobody will believe us that he is in fact alive, with the Dursley's tagged on the end since Harry was at home over the break."
"Why do we have them on again, though? They're Muggles," Ginny said while leaning back in her chair.
"Yeah, but Harry's uncle has had it out for him since he was little. I wouldn't put it past him to try and find a wizard just to get rid of Harry," Ron repeated from when he'd suggested the loathsome family in the first place. He hated to think of them at this time. Ron was sure that if they had more respect for magic and more fear for Harry's safety, that he would be with them this night, eating Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and talking about how horrible class had been today. He certainly wouldn't be lying soundlessly in 'Mortal Distress' with Sirius hunched somberly in some hidden room waiting for news. Surely he wouldn't be in the same room with Harry; after all, the whole world thought that he was the one that turned traitor and tried to kill Harry in the first place.
"Well," Ginny said thinking dazedly, "what about any of the people that Harry named after the Triwizard Tournament? They were all Death Eaters. Maybe some of them have kids here that are students."
"Well Death Eaters gives us Snape off the bat," Hermione said, "but do you think we should put him on here? I mean, this list is going straight into his hands and if we accuse him of trying to murder Harry there's going to be hell to pay for the rest of our lives."
Carefully Ron said, "I think to be fair we have to. He'll hate us for it, for sure, but he did tell us to write down anybody that has it out for Harry and he does. He's hated him since the day he was born and he is a Death Eater. The list will probably be going to Dumbledore eventually anyway and at least he'll understand the reasoning behind it." With a deep inhale he said, "I vote you write it."
"Me too," Ginny said and even Hermione couldn't deny the logic. Hatred for five years, cruelty, all around vileness… Snape was probably one of the people farthest from actually wanting to see Harry done any harm, but on the surface he more than fulfilled the requirements. Hermione picked up her quill and scrawled his name haphazardly at the bottom of the list with blurry eyes.
"What about Karkaroff, even though he doesn't have kids here," added Ron and Hermione nodded as she wrote.
"Macnair was the one that tried to kill Buckbeak, right?" Ginny asked as Hermione added his name to the list as well.
"Avery and Nott were Death Eaters-" Ron started.
"We've already got their sons on but we'll add the fathers too," Hermione cut in and Ron set to thinking once more. "What about Crouch? Is he even still alive?"
"I don't think so…" Hermione trailed, the early hour skewing her, and their, trails of thought. "Crouch passed away and his son got the Kiss. There's nobody left that we know of."
"What about Winky?" Ron asked despite the knowledge that the suggestion would anger his friend. "She never was happy about what happened to the younger Crouch. Maybe Voldemort somehow got her to do it."
"But she was in the castle over break. The house elves can't leave," Hermione said neutrally.
"We don't know that for sure," Ginny cut in. "Dobby broke away from the Malfoys for a few evenings to save Harry in second year and Winky isn't tied to the castle, remember? She's supposed to be getting paid. Dumbledore said she's free to come and go as she pleases."
After a pause and with regret, Hermione sighed and added the lonely house elf's name to the steadily growing list.
They all sat silently for a few moments, all trying to think of some other person that could have been affiliated in the harm done to their friend. Cautiously Hermione said, "Well, this will sound morbid, I'm sure, but… well, what about the Diggorys? Or Cho? Some, strange vendetta after this last year and half?"
"They left him on such good terms though, 'Mione, that sounds like too much of a stretch," Ron said laying his head on the table, "but go ahead and add them if you want to."
After another obscenely long lull in conversation Ginny said, "Well, if we're on the topic of morbidity, what if this wasn't an act of hate? What if somebody did this because they felt sorry for him and wanted to help him… end his misery?" At that the already silent common room went deathly still as the truth of the possibility ran through Ron and Hermione's minds. The shock hit them like the whips of the Whomping Willow and they felt as if the very air in the room had been sucked out in an instant, leaving them stunned and clawing for a cleansing thought. Hermione especially felt badly stung and she fought with all of her might to keep her composure and not cry. "I mean," Ginny broke the silence, "it could happen."
"That opens up a whole new can of worms, Gin. Do you really think somebody could have done it?" Ron asked, sitting up straight once more.
"I don't know, it was just a thought," she said.
"Well if that was the case," Hermione cut in, "does that mean that even we are suspects? Because I would never want to see Harry dead," she said, more than just a little offended.
"No," Ginny said, "I wouldn't either," and Ron nodded his agreement.
"Who are thinking of then, Ginny?" Hermione asked with just a hint of anger at the comment.
"I don't know, it was just a thought," she repeated with a twinge of apologetic fear in her voice.
"Well, just for arguments sake-" Ron started.
"Don't even do this Ron," Hermione pleaded, a bit of her anger returning.
"-that would give us a number of students, not to mention professors. Hermione, have you noticed the way McGonagall favors him in class lately? I mean, she still pushes him to do his best like she does for everyone else and makes him do assignments and all that, but she's more lenient with his mistakes. She takes more to time to explain things to him than she does with other students and breaks down spells that he doesn't get step by step. She doesn't yell at him or give him extra homework when he falls asleep in class; she just passes by him and even drops the volume in her voice so it doesn't disturb him. And remember the final feast before break? That was the night that he left the tower for her office two hours before supper. He begged her to not make him go back to the Dursley's for the holidays. He begged her, I heard him when I was walking by. I swear she looked at him midway through supper and started crying."
"But everybody knows what a hard time he's had this year already, especially McGonagall. I'm not surprised that she's been giving him breaks and those are hardly reasons for her to want to kill him anyway," Hermione pressed, hiding her welling eyes with one tired hand.
"It could have been Trelawney," Ginny said. "Everybody knows that she's been predicting his death for years now, but you can tell that she really respects and cares about him since last year, especially when she predicted his long life and hundred kids or whatever. But she seemed so spacey the days surrounding break... maybe she was planning something."
"That woman is a nutcase, she's always spacey," Hermione said, "and I'd only add her to the list for that reason. Besides, how would she have reached him on Privet Drive? She doesn't even know where he lives."
Ginny shrugged in return but had to agree. Trelawney wasn't exactly the brightest potion in the cauldron and Ginny seriously doubted that she had enough magical training to boost an attack against Harry by herself.
"What about Flitwick?" Ron asked.
"What about him, Ron?" Hermione asked exasperatedly.
"He has a lot of training in charms and whatnot."
"Well, duh, Ron he's sort of a Professor. I should certainly hope he has a lot of training."
"You know what I mean," he said. "With that much training he's bound to know spells that can do things like that. He could probably kill every one of us right now if he wanted to."
"So could I, Ron. So could you, so could Ginny. Any spell in the wrong hands can be lethal. A banishing charm could force someone into a wall, or off of a cliff. You could use Petrificus Totalis on somebody and leave them in a street to be run over. Just because Professor Flitwick knows a lot of spells doesn't mean that he's a suspect."
"But what about Hagrid," Ron whispered.
"What about him?" Hermione asked, an ungrateful sniffling coming from beneath her hands.
"I was talking to him after class one day before break while you were in Runes and he said something about Harry being happier if he was with his parents again."
"Anybody could have said that though," she argued hopelessly. "Everybody wishes Harry could be with his parents again. We would all want to be if we were in his situation. Besides, do you really think Hagrid would know a spell like that? He didn't even finish the third year!"
"But he's still a professor which means that he has to have had some form of formal education at some time. And he really sounded like he wanted to do something about it."
"Do you honestly think that Hagrid would kill him so he could see his parents again? Hagrid loves Harry way too much for something like that. Besides, he said that he has lived on the grounds since he was expelled and became the gamekeeper when the older one retired. Do you honestly think that Dumbledore would have left his mind to rot when he represents a possible partnership with the full-blood giants?"
"So why couldn't Dumbledore have taught him more advanced magic like that?" Ron challenged.
"Why would he?" she challenged back. "What purpose would Hagrid have for advanced Dark Magic when all he cares about are his creatures? This is so ridiculous Ron! Honestly the next person you're going to blame is Sirius and after him you're going to blame Professor Dumbledore himself!"
"Well what if they-"
"No!" Hermione said loudly. "I'm not going to sit down here and listen to your unfounded Black List grow anymore. You are accusing completely innocent people, Professors nonetheless, of trying deliberately and agonizingly to murder our best friend. I don't even want to think about this let alone talk about it and I - I just can't do it anymore. Any of it! I'm going to bed; I'll see you in the morning." she said, clearly upset, and slammed her book closed with a loud bang. Without even considering looking back, she went swiftly up the dormitory stairs not bothering to silence the slam of her dormitory door that followed the sounds of her tears.
A long moment of silence surrounded the remaining two hunters before Ginny said quietly, "Did Hagrid really say that? That he wanted more than anything for Harry to be with his parents again?"
"Yeah," Ron replied, "but maybe Hermione's right. Maybe he was just feeling bad for him. Maybe I did read him wrong."
"Well maybe that will have to be something you work on, huh?" she teased, trying to lighten the mood and he laughed quietly.
"Yeah, I guess I will."
At that moment they both gave a start of fear as the portrait hole door clicked and swung open, yielding a black and ominous hallway beyond. They sat frozen and still until a kind, old, worn face poked its way in to gently say, "Mr. and Miss Weasley. What are you two still doing up? It's nearly four o'clock in the morning."
Catching up with his breath Ron said, "Nothing Professor Dumbledore, we just couldn't sleep is all."
Dumbledore gave a thoughtful nod before stepping all of the way into the common room, but staying near the door. "You're worried about Mr. Potter I presume?"
"Yes," they replied in unison.
"I am sure he will recover soon and be as good as new. He is in extremely able hands. Now I suggest the two of you get up in bed before the sun rises. I very much doubt that Professors Snape and Vector would be pleased if you dropped off to sleep in their classes."
They both nodded in agreement and still wonder at his sudden inexplicable appearance as they stacked the books on their desk and rolled up Hermione's parchments to place in their schoolbags. They didn't say a word as they turned to mount the stairs but Ron did turn to nod gratefully at the aged, bespeckled man behind them, a nod that was knowingly returned.
"Take heart, young Weasleys," he said to their backs, "he always recovers. Why should this time be any different?"
-
Whatcha think? A little short I think, but you've waited long enough. Drop me a line, por favor. If you do, I may just update sooner!
Tini :D
P.S. Book 6 is going to be called "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" for those of you who missed the announcement on CNN and Mugglenet.com. Whoo hoo!! Maybe that means it'll be coming out relatively soon (aka, within the year)!! Hurray Book 6!!!