Sirius Black Comes out of the Closet
By Knowing AngelsSummary: Two teenage Muggles, distraught over the death of a Harry Potter character, are prepared for an average summer, until Sirius Black steps out of the Linen Closet. HP/OC, DM/OC with a little bit of R/Hr (eventually...)
Chapter Five: Secrets and Revelations
"So, this is Number 12, Grimmauld Place," Halia breathed, somewhat awed. She was gazing in amazement at a space in between No. 11 and No. 13.
"'Lia," Derrick said softly in her ear, "there's nothing there."
"That's exactly the point," Viviana snapped at Derrick.
"Right, I'll just shut up and let you two have your moment, then," Derrick replied.
"Thank you," the girls chorused.
"Well," Viviana drawled after a moment, "What now, Sirius?"
Sirius cleared his throat. He hadn't exactly gotten to that point in the plan, yet. He had been so preoccupied on arriving in time for Harry's seventeenth birthday that he had forgotten that he couldn't very well waltz into the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix after being dead for over a year.
Inside No. 12, a bushy haired girl and a tall, lanky boy sat by the window, talking.
"Rotten luck that we couldn't get Harry for his birthday," Ron sighed.
"Yes, I do feel badly for him," Hermione replied sadly. "But Dumbledore's main concern was to make sure he's safe." She turned and gazed out the window pensively. And had to look twice.
"Ron," Hermione breathed in disbelief, quickly rising from her seat. "Ron, tell me I'm not hallucinating!"
"What are you talking about, woman?" asked a bemused Ron.
Hermione simply pointed out the window to the scene on the front lawn. There were three strangers gazing straight into the house; except they appeared to be Muggles, so they couldn't possibly see in. That wasn't the part that gave the two magical teenagers a shock, however. Along with the three teenagers was Sirius Black.
"Bloody hell," Ron murmured. "Wait here. I'll get Lupin and Moody!"
"Professor Lupin," Hermione corrected half-heartedly as Ron dashed away, yelling for their former Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers.
"Well?" Viviana snapped impatiently. "We've gotten this far, Sirius. What now?"
"It isn't quite that simple," Sirius responded in an equally irritated manner. "I can't exactly just knock on the front door. After all, as far as they know, I'm dead."
"Oh, yeah," Viviana replied. It wouldn't do them much good if the Order decided to 'attack first, ask questions later.'
"We can't just wait out here all day, though," Halia protested. "We have to do something."
"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't do anyth-" Sirius began, only to be cut off by a gruff command. "Nobody move. I'm not sure what type of Dark Wizardry is going on here, but I'll be damned if I don't figure it out," said a man with a gnarled face. One of his eyes was small, beady and black but the other was large, blue and spinning dizzily.
"Alastor, wait!" A man with graying brown hair cried, dashing out of a door which was hanging open in the alley between No. 11 and No. 13. "Don't hex them!"
The older man lowered the wand in his hand slightly but still kept it trained on the four, specifically Sirius. "You'd better know what you're doing, Remus," Alastor warned.
"Omigosh," Halia said, eyes wide with fear, "Sirius, don't let them kill us..."
Derrick looked over at Halia with a raised eyebrow. "Overreact much, Halia?"
"Derrick!" Halia snapped, spinning to face him, "there are two strange men who rushed out of empty space with wands at the ready and you're telling me I'm overreacting? We're all going to die, don't you see that?"
"Halia," Viviana hissed, rolling her eyes. "Chill out."
Halia pouted, but obligingly shut up.
"Now," Sirius replied, leveling a glare at the brunette, "you be quiet and let me do the talking. That goes for all three of you." He turned to face the men, who the three Muggles could only assume were Moody and Lupin, and held his hands out, showing his empty palms. "I'm unarmed. Remus, it's me..."
The man in tattered robes gave a short, unbelieving laugh and advanced slowly. He gave Sirius a piercing look. "It's you, is it? I'd gathered as much. But who, exactly, are you?"
Sirius made an annoyed noise, somewhat akin to a growl. "I'm Sirius of course. Or had you forgotten me?" He snapped.
"You," Lupin replied in an even, controlled voice, "are not Sirius Black. He died over a year ago. I saw him with my own eyes."
"I tell you, I'm he!" Sirius cried.
"And I say you lie!" Lupin shot back.
"We believe you, Sirius," Halia assured him with sincerity.
"At least someone does," Sirius barked. As an afterthought he added, "I told you to stay out of this."
"Who said we believed him?" Viviana was already ignoring Sirius' instructions. "We're only open-minded."
"Vivi," Halia replied, "two more fictional characters just jumped out of thin air. How much more proof do you need?"
"QUIET!" Moody roared over the din. Blinking, the five turned to look at the ex-Auror. "Now, Remus," Moody began in a much quieter voice, "you and Sirius Black were close friends. Friends also share secrets...."
"I know that, Alastor," Lupin replied, running his hands through his hair. He still looked at Sirius suspiciously.
"There must be something that only Sirius and you know about. There has to be something that you two never told anyone else about. A story, a place, a joke. Is there anything?"
"I could tell them about what you said when James and Lily named me godfather of Harry," Sirius jumped in. Something about his tone made the girls and Derrick look at him with curiosity. It was almost as if he were goading Lupin on.
Looking back at Lupin, they saw that he had paled considerably. As unwilling as he was to relive that particular moment, he still needed to know if the man in front of him truly was Sirius Black. "Yes? What would that be?"
"You were appalled, Remus," Sirius began, a small smile flitting to his lips. "You couldn't believe that you, the responsible one, had lost the position to me, the 'juvenile delinquent' is the correct term, I believe. You told Lily and James that they were fools for appointing me to such a task. Your exact words, if I recall correctly, were that they 'would be better off appointing a flobberworm.'"
Lupin stood before them, mouth hanging open. "That's him, Alastor. The only people who knew I said that were Lily and James," Remus said, his voice trembling. He took a step forward, looking at his old friend. "Sirius? But how? I watched you die; I held Harry back when he tried to go after you."
Sirius sighed, looking at Viviana. "It's a long story..."
"Well, come inside and tell it, Sirius," Lupin suggested, turning and walking toward the door.
Sirius stalked after him. When Viviana, Halia, and Derrick trailed after him, however, Moody stepped before them. "I don't think so."
Sirius paused and glanced over his shoulder, "I wouldn't suggest leaving them out here alone, Alastor. Those three get into trouble faster than I thought humanly possible. I've only known them three days and they've already broken several laws. They'd give James and me a run for our money. I'd take them in; keep your eye on them."
"Hey!" Viviana protested.
"We take offense to that!" Halia scowled. Viviana nodded her agreement.
"Can you disagree with it, though?" Sirius asked with a bark-like laugh.
"Well, no..." Viviana admitted. "But it's always Derrick's fault!"
"Exactly," Sirius agreed. "And the two of you always go along with Derrick." Turning to Moody he finished, "Like I said, keep an eye on them. It'll be less of a headache later."
Moody turned a mistrustful eye on Halia, Viviana and Derrick. His magic eye swiveled, staring in turn at each of them. There were no circumstances under which he could allow three unknown muggles into the Order's headquarters. Of course, there were no circumstances under which he would expect Sirius to be alive.
Weighing his thoughts carefully, Moody finally pronounced, "I can't."
"Honestly, Alastor, these three, while somewhat reckless, are perfectly trustworthy," Sirius said. Halia gave a small smirk. "They're the sole reason I was able to get to England." At this statement, Remus raised his eyebrows, as if to ask, "Why weren't you in England in the first place?"
"Sirius, while I have my doubts about their reliability, I do not have the ability to let them into Headquarters, as you should remember," Moody replied.
Sirius' face went from frustration to panic within seconds, as if he had seen the Hogwarts Express seconds from running him over. "Get Dumbledore," he said, after realizing that his purpose at that moment was to protect Harry, and not to squabble over whether three Muggles were trustworthy.
"What's the matter?" Remus asked.
"Just get Dumbledore," Sirius replied. "This is important."
"Come with me," Moody said, and began to walk to the house. Halting before he got close, he turned to Remus. "Watch them," he said, jerking his head at the three Muggles, who were still standing on the sidewalk. "I still have a bad feeling about them."
Inside the house, another red-head had walked down the stairs to find Ron and Hermione staring nervously out the window. They had turned from their game of chess (which Hermione was losing) to observe the events unfolding on the front lawn.
"What happened? Somebody try to break in?" she asked, quietly closing the door behind her.
"Shh!" Hermione hissed, pointing out the window. "We're trying to watch, Ginny!"
"And your vision is disrupted by using your sense of hearing," Ginny replied, taking a place on the couch to look out the front window. "Oh my-" she gasped. "Is that..."
"Don't know," Ron said.
"They're coming in!" said Hermione.
Simultaneously, the young witches and wizard jumped off the couch. Ginny opened the door slightly, while the other two peered around the door and into the hallway. Ginny knelt on the floor, and slid toward the door, attempting to peek through, but all available space having been taken by her brother and Hermione.
"Let me see," she whispered, pushing their feet away from the door.
"Ginny, shh," Hermione whispered.
The door opened. Alastor Moody walked through the door, followed by the man who looked like Sirius. "Wait down here," Moody said. "I'll go send an owl to Dumbledore." He paused at the bottom of the stairs, his eye swiveling, and said, "And you three are welcome to say hello."
Hermione jerked open the door. "Ow!" Ginny shrieked, and rubbed her head where the door had hit her.
"What's all the commotion?" a woman asked, throwing open the door at the end of the hallway. "I half expected-" she froze mid-sentence, staring at the once-familiar figure ahead of her.
Hermione quickly turned from Mrs. Weasley to the man standing near the doorway to number 12. "Is it really you, Sirius?" she posed tentatively, staring into the face of a man she believed was dead.
"You think Moody would have let me in if it wasn't?" he grinned.
"It is you!" Ginny shouted, and grasped Sirius in a huge hug.
Sirius braced himself for the shriek of his mother, whose portrait hung behind the curtain near the door. His steeled face waited for a second, then another second. He opened one eye. He opened the other eye. "Where's dear old mom?"
Outside, Remus looked at the three muggles in turn. They didn't seem particularly evil; however, it was a time when appearances could be deceiving. Then again, one of his best friends had just returned from the dead. The day was quickly becoming more and more confusing.
"You're Remus Lupin, right?" one girl asked. Remus nodded. "I'm Viviana." He shook her hand.
"I'm Halia," Halia said and extended her own hand.
"Derrick."
"How did you know my name?" Remus asked, looking again at Viviana.
Viviana bit her bottom lip. She debated how to phrase her answer, while recalling a conversation with Sirius in the taxi. He had asked them to not reveal the books, wanting to wait until he could talk with Dumbledore. "We don't want anyone to be unnecessarily upset," he had said.
"Sirius told us about you," Halia interrupted. "I mean, it was a long flight." She smiled.
"You slept most of it," Derrick said, turning away from the empty area into which Sirius and Moody had just disappeared.
Remus chuckled. "Where did you fly from?" he asked.
"South Carolina- America," Viviana sighed.
"Really? How did he get that far from here?" Remus asked, his interest suddenly drawn in.
"Beats me," Halia replied. Just then her stomach growled. Loudly. "I'm starving," she said.
"I think we guessed that," Derrick replied.
Halia glared. "We haven't eaten anything since dinner last night, on the flight, and that wasn't even edible."
"I'm sure we can find you something to eat," Remus said, "once Dumbledore gets here." He paused. "Why wasn't dinner edible?"
"You've obviously never been on an airplane," Viviana stated.
Miles and miles away, Harry Potter lay on his bed, contemplating his birthday. Today, he though, I am officially a wizard. What would the Dursleys say if I told them I can do wizardry now, without getting in trouble? It didn't really matter, he supposed, since the Order had told the Dursleys never to harm Harry. The Dursleys listened well to wizards' threats.
Harry sighed, staring up at the ceiling. It would still be several days until he would see his friends and the rest of the Order. They never told him exactly when they would show up, just in case the message was intercepted by the wrong person, but it sounded as if it would be within the next two weeks. He could wait that long, he though. Then he would only have two weeks until his final year at Hogwarts.
It was almost unbelievable that in one year he would not return to Hogwarts, nor to Privet Drive. As far away as the end of his final year seemed, the sand was sinking quickly through the hourglass until his education was over. This movement of time only brought him closer to one thing: his showdown with Voldemort.
Knowing your future isn't as wonderful as Trelawney seems to believe, he though. It was agony to know that time was bringing him closer and closer to Voldemort's death – or his own. He couldn't escape it, and he couldn't prevent it. It was destiny. His destiny – to fight Voldemort.
And win? He didn't know.
Soon, at least, he would see his friends again, and return to the one place he could call home – Hogwarts. There he would have some freedom; he would be able to leave his house without Mrs. Figg following him around, and he would be able to talk to his friends without carefully choosing his words in order to protect the Order. And even though he would again be living in a frightened world, so different from the one he had found six years ago, he would be happier than he could ever be in the Muggle world.
A knock came at his door, and his aunt's shrill voice shouted, "Lunch! And hurry up, or it'll get cold."
Harry smiled grimly. At least here, things hadn't changed.
Up a moving spiral staircase, and behind a pair of large, wooden doors, Albus Dumbledore surveyed the damage left on his office the previous day. He flicked his wand, moving the varied silver instruments from the floor to their respective places on his bookshelf.
He sighed, thinking of the circumstances that led to his office being in the state it was. The woman with whom he had been talking had dashed from the room, knocking over a chair that tumbled into his bookshelf.
"Albus, I have to leave," she had shouted as she rushed down the stairs. "She left- she's gone."
"It's too late," a portrait said, shaking Dumbledore from his reverie, "isn't it?"
"I fear it may be," Dumbledore replied. "Though I always suspected this would happen. The cat cannot stay in the proverbial bag forever. After all-"
He was cut off by a head appearing in his fireplace. "Hello Alastor," Dumbledore said brightly. Grabbing a danish off of a plate, he offered it to Moody. "Here, have a pastry. How are things at headquarters?"
The face in the fire frowned. "No thank you, Albus. Not now," Moody replied. "We have a situation here, sir."
"Really?" Dumbledore asked absently. "What is it?"
"Albus, it's Sirius. He's... alive."
Dumbledore frowned slightly. With a sigh, verified that Moody was Moody. Surprisingly calmly, he stepped out of the office, and toward Minerva McGonnagal's office.
One hour later, he strode out the front door of number twelve, having spoken to Moody and Sirius about the Muggles. First, of course, Sirius had warned Dumbledore of the danger that loomed near Harry, and privately, the matter of the books.
"Omigod," Halia whispered. "Vivi, is that..."
"It is..." Viviana replied. "Lia... I think I'm going to faint."
"Girls, it's a man wearing a cloak. Get over it," Derrick chided.
"It's not just any man," Halia replied, glaring at Derrick incredulously. "That's... Dumbledore."
"Hello, all, my name is Albus Dumbledore, as you may have guessed," Dumbledore said with a wink. "And you must be Halia."
Halia stared, her eyes wide and jaw slack. "And Viviana, do you trust Halia?"
"Yes," Viviana squeaked.
"And do you trust Derrick?"
"I shouldn't... but I guess I do," she said after a pause. "But I don't see why-"
"Then I see no reason why we should hesitate any longer," he interrupted her. Thus, he leaned over and whispered into the ears of each Muggle in turn.
As they walked toward the house that sprang out of nowhere in front of them, Viviana leaned over to Halia. "Lia," she said, "any moment I'm going to wake up from this crazy dream."
"Your dreams usually last for several days?" Halia asked. Viviana shook her head. "Then I suggest you stop referring to this as a dream."
Inside headquarters, Moody was throwing a fit. "You just let them in?" he shouted. "Without so much as proof that they are who they say they are? Wouldn't it just be convenient if they were Death Eaters disguised as children?"
"Are you three actually Death Eaters disguised as children?" Dumbledore asked them. Viviana and Halia shook their heads, while Derrick asked, "Death Eaters?"
"See?" Dumbledore said. "I have my reasons for trusting them, which I may inform you of later.
"Now, however, we need to assemble the Order. Information has come to my attention that Voldemort may be planning attack tonight. We need to remove Harry Potter from Privet Drive."
The next two hours passed in confusion, especially for the three Muggles. Wizards and witches were flooding into headquarters. Some of them Viviana and Halia recognized; however, many of them were new faces. All of them seemed very out of breath as they hurried into a room which Viviana, Halia, Derrick, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were not allowed to enter.
"Where are they all going?" Halia asked.
"They're probably deciding on the best way to redecorate the living room," Ginny replied.
Hermione hit Ginny's arm. "They're planning how to get Harry here safely. Though I suppose you might have figured that out." She looked at Halia sideways. "You do seem to know a lot about all of this. Being Muggles and all."
Viviana, standing out of view of Hermione, gave Halia a look that clearly said, "Uh oh," while Derrick's grin seemed to ask how she was going to get out of this one. "We talked a lot on the airplane," Halia said finally.
"An airplane? What's that?" Ron asked.
"I told you to take Muggle Studies. But did you listen?" Hermione muttered.
Before Ron could reply, however, Mrs. Weasley shouted through the kitchen door, "Lunch's ready!" Halia rushed into the kitchen first, not waiting for the other five.
In a small bedroom, in a small house in England, Harry Potter tugged his schoolbooks out from under his bed. Lunch had finished, he had cleaned the kitchen, and he had weeded the garden for the third time that summer. He shook his head as he thought of what was next on his agenda for the day. He was about to start homework early in the afternoon of his birthday.
While he contemplated the birthday cards on his dresser, wishing he could see his friends, a loud crash came from downstairs. Harry's head whipped around, his heart suddenly beating very fast. Though he wanted to believe that Dudley had simply dropped another television in rage, the past few years taught him to always be alert.
He tiptoed quietly down the hallway, stopping at the top of the stairs. Crooking his head slightly around the corner, he spotted the source of the commotion. He let out a sigh. Uncle Vernon was shouting at someone. And although Harry couldn't tell who was on the receiving end of Uncle Vernon's fury, anyone that did not immediately kill the short man was not to be feared.
"Harry, are you coming?" a familiar voice called from downstairs. A head ducked under the overhang and became visible. Remus Lupin was standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking worried and impatient.
"I hadn't thought you were coming today," Harry said. His mood had lightened considerably. "This is wicked, Professor!"
He paused, looking at the scene in the living room. His ex-professor was by far not the only person there. In fact, if Harry had to guess, he would say that more than half of the Order of the Phoenix was standing in the Dursley's living room.
"Why are so many people here?" he asked.
"Not now, boy," said a gruff voice behind him, as Mad-Eye Moody prodded him in the back. "We're in a hurry. You know the drill." Moody's eye swiveled wildly throughout the room, checking every corner for anything suspicious. He was not the only one who seemed to be anxious; every member of the team sent to Privet Drive was scanning the area: the closet, the kitchen, and the street outside.
Harry bounded up the stairs, and hastily threw his things into his suitcase. In went his clothes, cauldron, shoes and textbooks. Behind him, a small clunk sounded as his omnioculars fell off the corner dresser.
Harry whipped his head around. "Sorry, Harry," a female voice said, replacing the omnioculars.
"Tonks?" Harry asked, "Is that you?"
"Nice to see you, Harry," she said with a nod. Although her hair was fluorescent green and her eyes had turned a dark shade of purple, she was still recognizable as Nymphadora Tonks.
"Tonks, why is everyone here? And why are they all so edgy?" Harry asked quietly.
"I'm not sure how much I'm supposed to tell you," Tonks replied, biting her lower lip.
"I'll tell the boy," Moody's voice growled from Harry's bedroom door, "as soon as he's finished packing."
Harry slammed down the lid of his suitcase and grabbed Hedwig's cage from his bedside table. "Done," he said.
"Right, downstairs," Moody said, pushing Harry toward the landing.
"But you said you'd tell me what's going on," Harry responded.
"Information came to our attention that Voldemort plans on attacking you tonight," Moody said in a hushed voice, very unlike his usual roar.
"What do you mean? Who told you?" Harry asked.
"We need to get you out of here. Who told us isn't important," Moody responded, pulling several dirty socks out of his pocket.
"Let me tell him, Alastor," Remus Lupin said, approaching Harry. "He has a right to know. He'll find out soon anyway."
Harry asked breathlessly, "Find out what? What's going on?"
"Harry," Lupin said, then paused. "Harry this is hard to say, and even harder to explain." Again Lupin paused, taking a deep breath.
"Harry, Sirius is alive."
Breath caught in his throat, Harry tried to understand what was happening. "What... But that can't be... I saw him...
"Wait, how do I know you're not all Death Eaters, come to kidnap me?"
"Because," Remus replied, "I know what you said to me at the end of last year." He leaned over and whispered into Harry's ear.
"But... How?" Harry asked slowly, confusion written on his face. "How can he be alive?"
"Dumbledore can explain it all to you once we leave," Moody answered. "Now, the first group will take this portkey back, along with Harry's things, then I'll go in the second group with Harry. The third group will follow."
Harry stared at the scene that lay before him. Having never had a birthday party before, he had nothing to compare it to. Ron and Hermione were standing near a large table, with what appeared to be a cake and several brightly wrapped presents. Members of the Order were everywhere, some gathered in the living room, others trailing into the hallway. And Sirius was waiting in the middle of the room.
"Harry," he shouted, and pulled his godson into a tight hug. "How was sixth year?" Sirius grinned.
"Sirius, you're... alive," Harry said, astonished.
"Harry," a voice whispered in his ear, "before the festivities begin, I'd like to have a word." Harry peered over his shoulder, to find his headmaster's half-moon glasses staring at him. "In the kitchen, if you would. And Sirius," he added, "if you would join us."
Harry pulled out a seat from the large wooden table in the middle of the kitchen. The clock on the wall told him it was almost five, however he felt it had been years since he had left Privet Drive.
"I suppose you are wondering how Sirius came to be here," Dumbledore said.
"I regret that I cannot tell you every detail about how he came back, for some mysteries are never fully understood. I can tell you that he did not die in the Department of Mysteries. No, he passed through the Veil alive. He entered what is known to the few living who know of it as the land of the dead. He eventually found the only exit from this land."
Harry stared across the table at Dumbledore. Then, he slowly turned his head, and looked, slack-jawed, at his godfather. "I don't... How?"
"As I said, I cannot give those details. However, I can tell you that Sirius came back because he had an urgent message for me." At this point he looked to Sirius. After a short pause, Sirius continued.
"Harry, while I was... there," Sirius began, "I learned things, things that only the dead know. I learned that Voldemort planned to attack you tonight.
"So I came back. To warn you." Sirius let out a long breath.
"You may be wondering," Dumbledore continued, "why I chose to bring you here tonight. Why did I choose to remove you from the safety of your aunt's home? Why did I not have you remain in the one place you can be protected?
"In truth, I had doubts about the safety there." Dumbledore sighed. "When Sirius came to me, and told me that Voldemort would attack you tonight, I must admit, I became worried. The land of the dead is generally known to be honest and beyond all else, reliable in their prophesies. The whispers from the curtain, if heard and understood, give us the best clues to the future we could ever hope for.
"Yes, I worried. I worried that Voldemort had found a way to remove the protections, and so I chose the only path I could. I brought you here."
Harry's head seemed to be suddenly weighed down with everything that had happened. He didn't know what to say, so he said the first thing that came to mind. "Where?"
"Pardon me?" Dumbledore asked.
"Where is the exit?" Harry clarified.
"South Carolina," Sirius stated. Across the table, Dumbledore sighed.
"Harry, I regret that I can't explain everything now. Trust me that I would, were it my place. For now, let's enjoy your birthday party. If you'll excuse me, I believe I saw some of Mrs. Weasley's delicious casserole in there." Dumbledore stood up and strode through the door and into the living room.
"Well, happy birthday, Harry," Sirius said, rising to return to the party.
Hermione rushed over to Harry as soon as he entered the room, and gave him a huge hug. "Harry, how was your summer? Did you get your O.W.L. results yet? I've been waiting ages for mine. I can't believe they haven't come yet."
"'Mione, Harry doesn't want to talk about school, it's his birthday!" Ron said.
"I suppose," Hermione said, "we can talk about something else. We'll get our results on the same day, I expect."
"And we'll all bow down to your superiority then," Harry said. "I can't believe how many people are here," he added.
"Hagrid was going to be here, but he's still at Hogwarts. Professor McGonnagal is here," Ginny said, walking up with a plate of food.
"No Professor Snape, though," Ron added with a smile.
"Oh, didn't you know, Ron?" Ginny replied. "He'll be jumping out of the cake soon, sequined leotard and all."
"Bad mental images, Gin," Harry groaned.
Down the hall, Viviana sat next to Halia on a bed they had been given for their stay at number 12. Derrick stood at the other side of the room, searching through dresser drawers.
"Come on Vivi, let's just go down," Halia said.
"Halia," Viviana replied exasperatedly, "I told you. I just feel strange going to the party. It's Harry's party, he shouldn't have to deal with random people he doesn't know."
"And he knows all of the people down there," Derrick said, throwing a random shirt back into the drawer. "Did you see how many people are at the party?"
"Derrick, you just want to go because you think Tonks is hot," Viviana replied. "I guess if you really want to, we can go, but let's just stop down and tell Sirius we're going to leave tomorrow."
"We're leaving tomorrow?" Halia practically shouted. "You don't want to stay?"
"Of course I want to stay! Halia, it's just that... Well, we don't belong here," Viviana replied. "We live in South Carolina. We're Muggles. This entire world is different from ours. We did what we set out to do: we got Sirius here."
"Well, let's at least go to the party, if we're going to leave so soon," Halia said. "Right Derrick?" She looked around. "Derrick?"
"Maybe he went downstairs," Viviana guessed.
"Maybe we should, too," Halia retorted.
"Fine," Viviana said. "Let's go."
"Who're they?" Harry asked several minutes later, indicating the two girls who had just entered the room. One girl was wearing a pair of jeans slightly worn at the knees, and a dark blue tee shirt, the same color as her eyes. Her auburn hair was tied back in a pony-tail. The other girl was, for lack of a better word, cute. She had a younger, more girlish style than her friend, and the contrast was accentuated by their difference in height. While Halia, in her pink shirt and knee-length grey skirt, was only a few inches below five feet tall, Viviana was over five and a half.
"Viviana's the red-head, and the brunette is Halia," Ginny replied simply. "They're the ones who brought Sirius here," she added while refilling her plate.
Harry didn't quite know why, but he suddenly wanted to go over and thank them. So he weaved his way through the many witches and wizards, and spotted the two girls staring at a portrait in the corner.
"I mean, I knew it would move, but it still surprised me," the girl with golden-brown hair said.
"Excuse me?" Harry said, trying not to interrupt.
The two girls turned around. And immediately stopped. Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, the star of a book series, a fictional book series at that, was standing in front of them. And Viviana could think of nothing to say.
"Erm," Harry started. "Hi. I'm Harry Potter." He stuck out his hand.
Viviana stared at it. Harry Potter was standing in front of her. He really does have the scar, she thought. Halia, watching the look of shock on her friend's face, shook Harry's hand and introduced herself. "Halia Grey," she said, then nudged Viviana.
"Viviana Séance," she finally said.
Harry blinked, slightly confused over the girl's reaction. "I just wanted to thank you for bringing my godfather back," he said.
"Oh, you're welcome," Viviana replied. "But all we did was help him get back."
"Well thank you anyway," Harry said. He paused. "So, which school do you go to?"
"We're American. And Muggles," Halia said, and giggled slightly.
Muggles? This day gets stranger by the minute, Harry thought. So Muggles had found his godfather. Somehow it didn't quite make sense.
On the other side of the room, Albus Dumbledore and Alastor Moody were talking in hushed tones. "And you still trust her?" Moody whispered. "Despite this?"
"Alastor, I have no reason not to," Dumbledore replied. "Remember, no one is to know about this." He smiled as another figure walked up.
"Professor Dumbledore," Sirius said. "A good party, don't you think?"
Dumbledore nodded to Moody, who wandered over to Mr. Weasley and Mundugus Fletcher. "It wouldn't have happened without you," Dumbledore replied.
"So long as Harry is alive, I'll be happy," Sirius said. "I had to be back to warn him."
"It's a good thing that you were able to warn us about Voldemort's plan to attack Harry," Dumbledore said, and looked at Harry, who was currently laughing wiith Viviana. As they watched, Vivivana lightly touched Harry's arm, causing both teenagers to blush and glace away. "He should get one day to be happy."
"Okay, so then I call Halia to make sure that I'm in the right place, obviously," Viviana said. "It turns out she wrote the wrong number on the directions, and I was supposed to find apartment 17, not 15."
"Vivi!" Halia shouted from the food table. "What on earth are you telling them about me?"
"Only the truth, Lia!" Viviana replied. "I'll be right back, okay? Which way to the bathroom?" She waited until Hermione pointer her down the right hallway, and made her way toward the door.
"Hermione, what's did she mean, the man was wearing a thong?" Ron asked, confused over Viviana's story. "What's a thong?" Hermione nearly chocked on her pumpkin juice and Ginny dissolved into giggles.
"What did I say?" Ron asked.
Viviana wandered through the dim hallways of number 12, Grimmauld Place. She had passed the elf heads on the walls, but hadn't found the second doorway on the left. She peered around the corner. Maybe it was in down the hallway on her left.
She paused as she reached the door at the end of the hall. Inside, she could hear people shouting. A man's voice floated through the slightly open door. It sounded like Dumbledore.
"She has a right to know," the man's voice sounded stern. "She will find out eventually."
"Not if I have any say," a new voice replied. The second voice was female, and sounded familiar. As Viviana listened, she thought she recognized the voice.
She opened the door slowly, and her suspicions were confirmed. "Mom?" Viviana asked, baffled. "What are you doing here? What's going on?"
"Viviana," her mother said, "Calm down."
"No, this can't be happening," Viviana muttered. Different explanations ran through her head, very quickly. Each scenario, though, led to only one thing.
"Viviana, I know this is hard to believe," Dumbledore said in a soothing voice. "I would like to introduce you to an old student of mine."
"No. No, no, no," Viviana said. "This is some sick joke. My mom can't be a witch. She can't. I can't..." She was breathing hard, and her head was beginning to spin.
"You are," Dumbledore replied, "by all standards, a witch."
"No!" Viviana practically shouted. "This isn't real. This can't be real."
"It is," Mrs. Séance said quietly. "It's true."
"No-" Viviana said. The sheet of glass covering the clock shattered. Viviana stared at it for a moment. "No," she said slowly, staring at the glass. "Oh no. This is not happening."
"Viviana, calm down, honey," Mrs. Séance said.
"No," Viviana replied. "No, how am I supposed to calm down? I find out I'm... something else... that you've been lying to me for my entire life. And I'm supposed to calm down?"
"Vivi," Mrs. Séance said.
"No," Viviana replied, and ran from the room. A house elf's head flew from the wall as she found her way back to the living room, and grabbed Halia's arm. "Come on Halia." A glass exploded in Mr. Weasley's hand.
"Vivi, what's wrong?" Halia asked. A lamp tipped over.
"Just come on." A plate flew off of the food table, scattering cookies across the floor. "We're leaving."
Viviana rushed up to find her suitcase, and threw it out of the window, thankful that her window was not high from the ground. "Vivi, what's happening?" Derrick asked, catching up to the two. A portrait flew off of the wall.
"We're leaving," Viviana replied, and dropped out of the window. "We're getting out of here."
Halia looked out of the window, and then over her shoulder at Derrick. She shrugged. Grabbing her own suitcase, she reluctantly slid out of the window after the red-head.
Derrick looked confused for the slightest of moments. The roles were suddenly reversed, and he was no longer the one in control. He didn't like it, but he crawled through the window anyway.
At the party, most talking had stopped, as everyone surveyed the damage left by a witch's emotions. "What was that about?" Harry asked no one in particular.
A/N:
Angel Black: I think an appropriate title would be The Chapter Delivered by Lucifer Himself. If you didnt notice the abrupt change in writing style, damn we're good. Anyways, about four pages into this chapter I got the worst case of writers block since...well, I cant think of an analogy right now, but it was bad. So I wrote my four pages and left our darling Never Knowing to write the last...oh...twenty. So, yes I know its been forever since weve updated. But good things come to those who wait, no? So enjoy!
Never Knowing: Right, well, the Chapter from Hell is over and done. But the heartache lives on inside. Mostly that's heartburn, though, and the mental damage done by writing this chapter. Special bonus points to anyone who can pinpoint exactly where I started writing this chapter. I thought as an extra treat for everyone, I can list where I worked on and edited this chapter: my bed at my mom's house, in the sunroom at my mom's house, my bed at my dad's house, the family room at my dad's house, in a hammock at AB's house, watching hot college guys paint next-door, in AB's bedroom, in a chiropractic office (where I work), and in the local DMV. Whatever. I quit. Okay, I take it back. I really hope you enjoy this chapter. You better enjoy this chapter, or else I am going to hunt you down and show you the pain this chapter caused me. All 20 pages of pain. You better run, or I'll steal your lunch.
P.S.: Any errors in which a character does something, then does it again in the next paragraph are entirely my fault, because of the stiltedness of when I could write.
Reviewer Thanks/ Replies:
Herb: NK: Update soon... Sorry. Brief pause. I got nothing'. AB: Ah...the title...rather than debating over who owns rights of Sirius and his coming out of it, I think we should say thanks for the review, refer to the end of my general A/N in answer to the update soon and move on, shall we? NK: Agreed.
SOBs 4 Sirius 223: NK: Interesting name. Again. ASAP... As soon as possible. That leaves a conveniently wide gap... AB: clears throat Yet again good things come to those who wait yada yada yada. Thank you for the thank you for the thank you. We sincerely appreciate your politeness. I fear it has been lost on today's society. Damn kids. NK: When I was their age... AB: conveniently overlooks the fact that the authoresses are only recently no-longer children, heading out to the onslaught of the semi-real world commonly referred to as COLLEGE! YIPPEE! NK: COLLEGE! AB: blushes and looks away right...moving on... NK: Um... Exactly.
Andy: AB: Even though Andy failed to review... We will still sing to you! O wait! NK: why? AB: dons sparkly dress with a slit up to her mid thigh and lounges across a piano NK: Pause. AB: ((Description of your slutty dress!!)) NK: Mine? AB: Yes, of course you need one. NK: Um... it's... um... Blue? NK: And sequin-y. AB: sighs and takes over NK's description. NK is wearing a sinfully tight, leather skirt. It's also sinfully short. Because she really is quite the conformist, she's also wearing a poncho-hobo-sweater. And nothing under it. Her make up is downright thuggish NK: Oh please no. Not a poncho. Anything but a poncho. AB: Smirks It's dress like a hobo day! NK: It is? Why didn't anyone tell me? AB: Yes, I just told you. NK: ah. AB: This review has morphed into something quite ugly. So lets sing, shall we? NK: True dat. AB: Fo shizzle. Together:
Where have all the good men gone,
And where are all the gods?
Where's the street-wise Hercules
To fight the rising odds?
Isn't there a white knight
Upon a fiery steed?
Late at night, I toss and I turn
And I dream of what I need.
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero
Till the end of the night.
And he's gotta be strong
And he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight.
I need a hero.
I'm holding out for a hero
Till the morning light
And he's gotta be sure
And it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life.