Oh dear. It's been a while since I've updated this one and all. Must rectify that immediately.
Shout out to rockchik4evr, V-Gin, Michelle and Moon Fairy2. I love you, and thank you for sticking with this story.
*
Harry woke with a yell and stared at the hangings above him. It took him a few moments to realise that he was in his old four-poster at Hogwarts and not staring at the veil in the Department of Mysteries. He tried to remember the nightmare he'd been having, but the images faded and he could hardly remember a thing. He rose from the bed as his breathing returned to normal and moved to the basin to get a drink of water.
"Alright mate?" mumbled Ron from his bed.
"Yeah. Just a dream. Nothing to worry about." Ron grunted and turned over, and within seconds his snores filled the room. Harry replaced his mug and went back to his bed, curling up on top of the covers.
The one image that lingered from his dream was one of Sirius and Voldemort, laughing as they raised their wands to perform a deadly curse together. Sirius allied with Voldemort. How could it have happened? Sirius was always dead set against anything to do with the Dark side – Harry remembered with a shiver the cold fury emanating from him on that night in the Shrieking Shack when Pettigrew had insinuated that he was Voldemort's spy. No. They must have tricked him, somehow, must have cursed him . . . He'd never have gone to them willingly.
Harry's eyes fell on a photo by his bedside, taken last Christmas, of him and Sirius sat together in front of a huge roasted turkey. They were both wearing paper hats and Sirius was brandishing the carving knife with a wicked grin and a glint in his eye. Tears welled in Harry's eyes and he turned onto his stomach, sobbing silently into his pillow.
*
"Ah, there you are dear boy! So good to have you with us at last!" He opened his eyes and experienced a brief moment of confusion. The last thing he remembered was . . . was what? A battle . . . there had been a battle somewhere . . . lots of light . . . Harry? Who was Harry? He gave up trying to remember, and fixed his eyes on the man striding towards him. He looked familiar – a handsome face framed by long, dark hair, intelligent, deep-set eyes that were twinkling merrily.
"I am Pluto. I am here to welcome you to our lands. I am sure you'll find it more than pleasant."
"Where is this place? How did I come here? I don't remember anything!"
"You will, in time. Trust me." Pluto handed him a drink and he drank deeply, not realising how thirsty he was. It was cool and refreshing, and as he handed the goblet back he was surprised to find strength rushing to his wasted limbs.
"What is it?" Pluto smiled.
"The secret of immortality. Come with me, my son. There is much you need to know."
*
"You alright mate? You look terrible." Harry shrugged. He hadn't told Ron and Hermione what Dumbledore had told him, having gone straight up to bed since leaving the Room of Requirement. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to tell them. It was just too incomprehensible. Surely it was all a big joke?
"Are you sure you're all right? You're very pale." Harry shrugged again, staring down at his bowl of cereal. He was vaguely aware of Ron and Hermione staring at him. He didn't want them to stare at him. He wanted to disappear and be alone with his thoughts. He didn't want to think about anything. He wanted to be left alone. He wanted Sirius back. This bowl of cereal was really very interesting . . .
"Ouch!" Harry looked up as he received a sharp nip on the finger from Hedwig, who had bought him a letter. He stroked her absently as he unfolded the piece of parchment.
Harry –
I'm sorry I haven't had the chance to speak with you yet. Will you be able to stay after the lesson this afternoon? It's important.
Lupin.
Harry smiled as he screwed up the parchment, and looked up to the High Table. Lupin was looking tired and ill, and was bent studiously over his breakfast. He glanced up, caught Harry's eye and sent him a swift, sad smile. Harry nodded and returned his attention to his own breakfast. It would be so good to talk to someone who really understood what losing Sirius meant . . .
"Are you sure you're all right, Harry?" asked Hermione as they left the Charms classroom later that day. "You've been acting a bit odd today. What's the matter?"
"What makes you think anything's the matter?" countered Harry.
"Come off it, mate!" huffed Ron. "You bugger off to see Dumbledore last night and ever since you got back you've refused to speak to us. What did he say?" Harry half wanted to tell them about Sirius, half wanted them to leave him alone. But what he did know for sure was that he couldn't tell them anything until he'd talked to Lupin.
"I'll tell you later," he muttered as they approached the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. He turned to go in the door and collided with someone coming the other way, knocking them flying. Harry apologised automatically and held out a hand to help them up. His stomach flipped when he saw that that person was Malfoy. Malfoy swore loudly and pushed himself back onto his knees, gathering his books and parchment to him. He glared up at Harry, his mouth twisting itself into its familiar sneer.
"I don't need your help, Potter," he muttered, scrambling up and striding off. Harry stared after him, his stomach still squirming. He was still confused about their chance meeting last night, and even more confused at the feelings Malfoy managed to generate.
"Ignore him, he's a git," mumbled Ron, bundling Harry into the classroom.
Professor Lupin was standing at the front of the classroom, leafing through a book and mumbling quietly to himself. He looked up as the class shuffled in and smiled.
"Good afternoon! It's good to see you all again. Now I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ask you to put your wands away please – I know it's boring, but the sooner we get through this the sooner we can get onto the practical stuff, ok?
"Now I understand that Professor McGonagall taught you the basics about the Sipstrassi stones yesterday, right? And she's asked me to go through the Bloodstones with you in greater detail. It means you'll have to put up with me yakking on for most of the lesson but I'll whiz through it as quick as I can."
Harry only half-listened to Lupin's lecture, scribbling the occasional note in between doodling on his parchment. He was busy staring at the dust motes in the light when he heard some words that dragged him back to reality.
"Prolonged exposure to and use of a Bloodstone will subtly alter the user's character. They will at first feel obsessive about their own personal Stone, some never letting it out of their sight even at night. Then, as they become addicted to the rejuvenating properties of the Stone, they will need to replenish it more and more as they use up its power in curing trifling little sniffles and aches. And as they use it more and more – as they will, for immortality is an extremely powerful influence over humans – they draw something of the essence of the Bloodstone inside themselves. All essence of kindness, goodness, compassion – everything that makes us human – is drawn out and replaced with a longing for blood, sacrifice and domination. This is what happened to the Sorcerer-king Pendarric, consuming him until he almost destroyed the world . . ."
Changed. Bloodstones change people. Sirius has changed. Does that mean he has a Bloodstone? Thoughts like these chased themselves through Harry's mind, and he was so absorbed that he hadn't realised the lesson had ended until he felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up into the face of Lupin.
Now that the rest of the class had gone, Lupin looked nowhere near as cheerful as he had seemed when taking the class. His face seemed even more lined, the grey in his hair was ever more prominent, and his eyes were a deep brown well of sadness.
"Harry . . ." he muttered, tightening his grip on Harry's shoulder. As Harry looked into the worn, lined face of Sirius' best friend he felt something give inside of him, and all the feelings that he had kept from his friends over the last twenty four hours came pouring out as he collapsed into tears in Lupin's embrace.