Chapter Fourteen
Sirius Black is Back
"Today we will be doing simple tasks like..." Cameron was cut off when the door opened.
"Miss Riddale," Charlie popped his head in the door, "I need Ron, Harry and Hermione."
Cameron eye's turned red when she heard an interrupting noise, but seeing Charlie's carefree and smiling face her face softened. "Oh, of course Mr. Weasley." She batted her eyes maybe too hard and fast. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss. Granger... you may go."
Charlie scratched the back of his head while he waited for Harry, Ron and Hermione to pack their things. "Thanks Cameron."
"Don't mention it," Cameron moved closer to Charlie. "I hear you are engaged to Black long lost daughter."
Charlie straightened up and grinned wider. Hermione gigged. "Yes I am."
"That's a shame." Cameron said, shaking her head slowly. Charlie stared at her challenging her to say another word. "I mean it's a shame that such a well built, handsome, funny..."
"We need to go mate," Harry gripped Charlie forearm and jerked him out of the room Ron and Hermione scurrying behind.
"Thanks mate," Charlie breathed. "You know, if that bat still didn't have that silly school girl crush on me she more likely wouldn't have let you three out."
"Why that?" Hermione asked.
Charlie chuckled, "She's a lot like you Hermione." She looked hurt, "She has something to say you and feels you need to hear it. Also, she thinks nothing is more important than listening to wise words... if you even call her words wise."
"I don't like her..." Ron puffed, "How long are these darn classes?"
"Only a week bro, only a week with the witch."
"I don't think she that bad." Harry shrugged.
"How can you say that? After what she did and how she embarrassed Draco!" Hermione nearly screamed.
The boys looked at her stunned and as though knowing she had gone too far, she bowed her head and they walked to corridor in silence.
"Charlie! What kept you?" Seri ran up to him and threw her arm around his neck.
Harry looked away as though he should not be watching.
"What are we doing?" Ron asked.
"Well, you and Hermione don't need to be here, Sirius just asked for Harry to sit next to him and I figured you two wanted to be nosy." Seri giggled.
Harry gulped and nodded. Seri looked onto him motherly and pushed open both grand court doors. The room was simply packed wall to wall, ceiling to floor. Mothers rocked their screaming children to their bosoms and men stood silent in the back, faces hidden in shadows. The room ignored Harry's presence, which was a glorious new event for Harry as he could easily slip in beside his godfather and see his joking eyes. I few months ago he longed to see the old eyes, the eyes he knew and grew to find a home in. Now, staring into the old, dead eyes, he longed for the joyful, innocent eye for his godfather when everything was perfect for him.
Sirius wore his stern face. He looked at Harry and forced a smile. "Everything is going to work out... my name will be clear." Sirius whispered.
"What difference does it make now?" Harry leaned forward. "You can't take me away from my worries; you can't give me a home. The Dursleys are dead... I'm too dangerous... you were better hiding without being known you were alive, you could have been our secret weapon."
Sirius looked at Harry with a new sparkle in his eyes, he nodded. "You think your wise Harry, you think because you have been given so little and charged so much that you know the price. Harry, you are the secret weapon... inside you is something you don't even know about making it impossible for them to know."
"Then how do you know?"
"Harry, inside you is heart, and love, and innocence, and goodness, everything everyone today has seemed to forget. You know the stories of good prevailing evil... you are the purest good and Voldemort in the evil. I am not a weapon. I am a pawn in your game of chest against the darkness. Besides, clearing my name proves one think... pride. Pride in my name even though it is associated with evil, and I Harry, Sirius Isis Black is not evil."
"Harry," Ron leaned over Hermione to him, "Why did you say Black this morning?"
"He doesn't have to tell you anything till he is ready Mr. Weasley." Evan pulled Ron firmly back in his seat and patted his roughly on the shoulder. "There, there don't be shaken Ronald."
"Evan, why can't I tell him?" Harry asked.
"He'll learn... but he is not ready."
"Evan, good man, you didn't have to come." Sirius turned and shook his hand.
"Why not Black... you suffer the same name and love experience I do. Does you love still pain you after all these years?" Evan asked glancing at Seri who perked up to hear her father's caring answer.
"Every second it weighs my heart more. Does it ever go away Evan?" Sirius asked, grasping his daughter's hand.
"No," Evan announced simply as Mr. Weasley walked in. "It never lessens or goes away you just learn to love the feeling."
"Minster Weasley will be presiding over this hearing," a boney little wizard said. He pushed is square rimmed glassed up his nose and continued. "Would Mr. Sirius Isis Black please present himself to the court?"
"This isn't a court Reeds, this is a hearing!" a man grunt from behind Mr. Weasley.
"Now, now red... leave Lane alone." Mr. Weasley said sitting slouched in his chair, fumbling his fingers. He seemed totally unaware of what was going on, yet was quick as a whip on response. "Continue please Lane."
"Ye...Yes sir...I mean Minster..."
"Continue... Lane." Mr. Weasley stopped the boney man's stuttering.
"Yes Minster, Mr. Black please." Lane pushed his glasses yet again up his freckly nose and searched the room for Sirius.
"Stand up with me Harry," Sirius hissed.
"Why?"
"Share my lime light."
"I have enough of my own thanks." Harry grinned, but relucently stood as Sirius did. The lime light never shown so bright.
"Sirius Black would you please explain your story to court, explain your actions from the night of the murder of James Potter and Lilian Evans to now." Sirius stood in front of the court, everyone sitting and staring at him bug eyes, patience running thin. Harry had escorted himself to the deepest, dustiest corner of his oak chair. As his parents names were being read out loud by the rail thin Lane Reeds, he closed his eyes... pressing the warn tears from the crease of his eyes. The youthful smiling, faces parents came into his mind... and he saw them in the darkness where no one... no one in the room, or in world could see what Harry was seeing now. He felt tenderly home.
"Well, it all started when we were sitting down for dinner. We were at James's house..." Sirius spoke smoothly letting the story drip slowly into the veins.
Harry eased himself into a half sleep, half awake trance. He saw them there... a well sized house with "Godric Hollow" strung above the door. It was a warm house with a fire lighted living room... the same one Harry remember dreaming about so many nights ago. In the kitchen was a simply set table. Lily, James, Sirius, Angelica, Remus, Peter, Seri and Harry (in a hand crafted pine high chair) sat around a table of warm food and cheerful laughter. It froze in Harry's heart as though this same laughter would never be heard again. He knew this moment... he knew it from tiny ears and the tiny eyes of his one year old self. Halloween decoration where dancing around the house... it was nearing the beginning.
"It was raining, softly and steadily. There was a knock on the door and James just finished his Japanese Golfer joke and Lily excused herself to answer the door, a smile on her face. I miss that smile." Sirius stopped to whip a single tear off his cheek. "I figured out why James fell in love with her... her smile, her heart, she was full of adventure."
Harry saw her stand to answer the door... that smile on her face. He remembered from 15 years ago. Dumbledore didn't wait for the door to be answered. He opened it and brought a chilled wind and rain into the house. Harry let out a wail... everything changed in that moment.
"Harry, what's wrong baby?" James leaned over his wife's chair and held Harry's little hand. Harry looked at him and his eyes swelled in tears yet again. Seri pet his head softly.
Lily came back into view... everything in the room got cold. Dumbledore stood behind her. "What happened Albus?" James demanded. Peter, Remus, Sirius, James, Angelica all stood in readiness.
"There has been news." Dumbledore said solemnly.
"He then told us that Voldemort was after James and Lily. At that time the dinner party was over. I took Seri and Angelica under my arms and we left. Remus and Peter left right after us. The only ones to hear the news were Harry, James and Lily." Sirius trailed off.
"Do you remember it Harry?" Ron whispered.
Harry jumped out of his trance.
"Of course not Ron, he was one!"
"I..." Harry slummed back down and closed his eyes. "I do...."
Ron looked at him in deep amazement but Harry ignored him. "What news?" James said slowly, preparing for the impact.
Lily picked up Harry, who was silent now, and held him close to her chest.
"Someone very close to you is feed the dark side information." Dumbledore said in a whisper. "And Trawnley she... she said something... about Harry."
"Harry? What about my baby?" Lily almost screamed.
"That he will be the down fall of the dark lord and the darkness." Dumbledore said more triumphantly.
"Well, that's great!" James said a proud smile on his face.
"No...no... not if he finds out about it," Dumbledore sat down and shook his head. "He knows and now is more eager to find you, Lily and now your son."
"Oh James." Lily cried, falling to her knees, pressing Harry's dark mop into the nap of her neck.
"Later the next day James sent me an urgent owl to meet him somewhere." Sirius told the court. Harry fluttered his eyes open, this part of the tale un known to him. "He asked me to meet him in an old hide out of mine." Sirius sighed and grinned. "After I ran away from home I stayed with the Potters and once I turned 17 I bought myself a dingy apartment a block or two away from the Potter's manor. It wasn't much, but it was mine. A few years earlier the complex has been condemned by the muggles and was about to fall apart at any stringing blow of wind. I met his in my old apartment. The door fell off the hinges when I opened it and inside was Dumbledore and James sitting at my old kitchen table.
"'Why here?' I asked them. James said because no one except it and neither muggle nor wizard would come close. Dumbledore also safe proved the house. James asked me to be his Secret Keeper. Dumbledore and James got in a fuss and I stayed out of it. The whole matter depressed me and I didn't want to get too deep into it. James said he trusted no one more than he did me; that I would die rather than give him over. Dumbledore shoved a piece of parchment into James's hand and did something I've never seen Dumbledore do. He turned on heel and stormed out of the room.
"I turned to James and he force a James-Potter-this-is-going-to-be- fun grin. He wasn't fooling me though." Sirius sighed and bowed his head. "I could see it dancing behind his eyes... he was scared, hell who wouldn't be! This wasn't a Hogwarts prank that at worst we could get expelled for, this was a dangerous game that wouldn't just cost us our own lives but Harry's, Lily's, Seri's, Angelica's..." Sirius whipped his face and gazed up at Seri who was sitting on the edge of her chair, holding Charlie's hand with both of hers.
Harry whipped his eyes and turned away form Ron and Hermione.
"Continue," Lane said, looking at the Quick Quills repeat what Sirius was saying.
"We left my old flat and made our way to James's. It was sunny and bright outside when I arrived and twenty minutes later it was gray and the tip toe of raining. The sky, the heavens knew." Sirius paused. "When we got to Lily and Harry she already knew what was going on."
Harry almost fainted into his chair. Sirius drowned out and his eyes rolled back.
"James..." Lily whispered.
"Where's Harry?" James said urgently.
Baby Harry came stumbling into the hall on unsteady feet. "Dad-de." He cried joyfully.
James gave Harry a painful, proud grin. "Come here son," James knelt down and Harry moved treacherously into his arms.
"Tat good dad-de?" Harry asked.
"It was great Harry, it was great." Harry gave a full mouth grin showing off growing baby teeth.
Lily whipped her eyes and gave Sirius a hug. "Oh Sirius, are you sure you want to do this?"
Taken aback at first Sirius eased into the hug and hugged Lily back resting his chin on top of her autumn hair that smelled of sweet lemons. "I'd do anything for you and your family Lils."
"But you have a family too!" Lily snapped sadly. "You and they could be killed!"
Sirius dropped his arm from around Lily. "Angelica... Seri..."
Sirius plummeted into a chair and looked shocked. "I can't James... I just can't... what about..." he looked down at his feet.
"They are your family Sirius, never doubt that!" Lily screamed kneeling down to him, taking his large rough hands in his. "You love Angel and she loves you! Seri worships you like a father and you would do anything for her!"
Sirius stole his hands back and whipped his eyes. "James, I can't endanger them... you know that. I am sorry."
'I understand mate," James said softly. Harry was fallen asleep in his arm and Lily under his arm, her arms around his waist."
"Dumbledore?" Lily suggested.
"No, he's angry with us right now." James answered.
"Why?" Lily asked.
"Never mind that."
"Remus?"
"We can't risk it, I'd like to believe it but what if he's part of the Dark Order... you know the werewolf thing and all." Sirius muttered.
"Peter then, it's brilliant!" James exclaimed.
"No one would except poor, dump, weak Peter!" Harry heard a squeaky voice say sharply with an evil laugh to follow. Harry began to cry.
The vision with smoky black and only faint images where seen.
"It's him!" James screamed. "Lily take Harry and run!"
"James, I won't leave you!" Lily clung to James, Harry crying in his highchair."
"Lily, do it!" James yelled at her. "Save Harry!"
Lily was weeping furiously. "Oh James, I love you so much." She whimpered. She threw her arm around his neck and kissed him, deeply.
James shoved her away, his eyes fearful. "Run my love, run."
Lily gave him one more kiss, scoped up Harry and ran from the room.
Harry jumped to his feet in the court, his glasses flying off his face. "RUN DAD! DON'T BE A HARD ASS!"
"HARRY!" Sirius jumped the table and grabbed Harry at the shoulders. "What happened?"
There were flashes of light in the back ground... photographers.
Harry was sweaty and shaking, his eyes glased.
"SILENCE!" Mr. Weasley commanded the court. "Sirius, take Harry to the jury room." Sirius obeyed. "All cameras will be turned into the Minister officials, if you refused to co-operate there will be a week in Azkaban as punishment and if one word is written about Harry's tantrum you will be messing with me personally!"
The jury door closed. "Calm down Harry, it was just a dream, a bad dream."
"Sit him down Sirius." Evan said.
"What?"
Evan directed Harry to a chair and sat him down. He was white and clammy.
"Tell me what you saw."
"NO!" Sirius screamed. "Don't make him do this."
"I saw... mum and dad... before He came." Harry muttered.
"He need to remember it Sirius, he needs to know what happened." Evan ordered.
Sirius, feeling himself grow faint, leaned against the wall and slid down collapsing into his open palms.
"Tell me exactly what you saw Harry," Evan said smoothly.
Harry gripped his fists and slid down in the chair. He was still shaking.
"Darkness," he described. "He was there and dad told mum to leave with me." The picture came back to his eyes. "She wouldn't go; she clung to him and kissed him." Their kiss flashed lovingly in his mind. "Dad pushed her away and ordered her to go and..."
Harry fainted and slid out of the chair, hitting his head on the seat. Sirius jumped to his feet and the last thing Harry heard was Sirius, "HARRY! HOLY SHIT DON'T DIE!"
"Harry," Ginny said softly. He was back in the Order lying in Seri's Gryffindor bed, the covers where warm.
"Where am I?" He tried to raise his head but didn't have the strength. Bandages were wrapped tightly about his head and his glass where on the bed table.
Ginny place the oval specs on his nose and tucked them behind his ears. "You can talk to me you know?" She said after a moment of silence.
Harry stared at her, almost past her. After he blacked out the story finished and it was just coming back to him; he was soaking it up like a freaking sponge!
"Tell me Harry," she said in a concern voice.
Harry look into her eyes this time. Was innocent little Virginia Weasley ready for the rudest awaking of her life? Was losing two of her brother ground for her readiest to know the God awful hatred and torture of the world? Could he trust her?
Harry made a quick decision and looked to the door. Ginny read him like a book, got up and gently shut the door.
"Tell me Harry," Ginny stopped, choosing words. "I want to know."
Harry breathed in deeply and closed his eyes, either trying to picture his mother's face or blink to tears from view Harry didn't know. "It was him." Harry said softly. He left room automatically for dramatic "WHO?!" like Ron and Hermione always did, but Ginny just stared at him intently praying for him to go on. "Dad screamed at mum to take me a run, but she wouldn't leave his side. She wouldn't leave. Finally, he shoved her away and, in tears, she picked me up and ran from the front room. I saw dad looking back at us, tear streaking his face, fear in his eyes, wand gripped tightly and his whole body shaking." Harry froze, whipping his face with the sheet. "That was the last time I ever saw my dad alive."
Ginny stared at him in the same way as before. Her eyes hardened as though telling Harry she would not cry, not in front of him. "Mum ran up the stairs running from room to room. She was quivering and her hands were tightly around me. I had silent tears in my eyes, somehow knowing, even at that age, that I shouldn't scream out. In my heart I knew that was the last time I would ever see my dad. I heard screaming and shout of Latin before the floor board. My mum would whisper a painful 'James' ever time she heard him call out for her. She started to go back once. She laid me in my crib, the furthest room down that hall. She wrapped me tightly in my blanket and draped a white sheet to hide me. Mum started out the door and then I heard her stop and then I knew why. All the screaming and shouting stopped and there was an erring silence. I could feel it... dad was dead."
Ginny took a wad of sheet and gripped it tightly in her hands, but she wavered none in the face.
"I began to cry out loudly, the cold and dead feeling washed over me. Hurried footsteps came up the stairs. Mum ran from the hall, slammed the door and locked it with her wand. She came to my crib picked me up and held me closely to her chest. 'It's okay Harry, dry your tears. Your wake up and be in a better place. Shhh, my darling, shhhh.' Tear where down her cheek, wetting my hair. I closed my eyes and leaned into her, now I stopped crying. Voldemort blasted open the door.
"'Stupid Girl!' he said in his high pitched voice. 'Look what you have done! Just give me the boy and I might let you live.' My mum gripped me tighter. 'Never,' she hissed. 'Stupid girl, I hate to call you my blood.' 'Take my blood away from me then! But isn't Harry's blood your own?' 'Partly' he said, 'and partly my enemy. Now give me the Potter!' Mum sighed and licked her lips. She placed me gently in my crib and tucked me in tightly, then gripping her wand. 'I am a Potter, take me.' She voice was haunting. 'Take me instead of Harry, please, take me instead.'"
Ginny couldn't stop it now, she was gripping Harry's arm. "Don't go on, please." Ginny said, looking down. Tear where forming in her eyes.
Harry nodding seeing the fear her eye now showed. He shutting his tightly and saw the last moment of his mother's life before his eyes. Then Voldemort's wand turn on him, the green the light and blood trickling down his new born face. He felt the scar appear and the snake like face of Voldemort melt into nothing before him. A blob, smelling of rotten eggs, squirmed away. Harry then began to weep, not a loud crying of a one year old, but a pitiful lonely, silent weep of someone who has lost everything before their eyes. He laid their, wrapped tightly into blue blankets and wept. He soon saw the young, panic stricken face of Sirius.
"Oh thank God," Sirius whispered.
"Mummy... daddy..." Harry cried softly.
"Everything alright Harry, Uncle Sirius will take care of everything." Sirius scoped Harry up in his arms. "You can't live you life remembering this." He pointed his wand at Harry and whispered something. Harry fell asleep in his arm.
"Sirius did it." Harry whispered.
"Did what?" Ginny asked.
"He fixed my memory when I was young so I wouldn't remember my parent's death. I mean I was one, able to speak some and walk... I'd remember something like that."
Ginny wiped her eyes. "But what made the spell go away?"
Harry looked at his hands... he first heard the whole story of his parents death when he was eleven... but he didn't remember all this, any of this. It started in his third year... when Sirius Black came back.
"Today we will be doing simple tasks like..." Cameron was cut off when the door opened.
"Miss Riddale," Charlie popped his head in the door, "I need Ron, Harry and Hermione."
Cameron eye's turned red when she heard an interrupting noise, but seeing Charlie's carefree and smiling face her face softened. "Oh, of course Mr. Weasley." She batted her eyes maybe too hard and fast. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss. Granger... you may go."
Charlie scratched the back of his head while he waited for Harry, Ron and Hermione to pack their things. "Thanks Cameron."
"Don't mention it," Cameron moved closer to Charlie. "I hear you are engaged to Black long lost daughter."
Charlie straightened up and grinned wider. Hermione gigged. "Yes I am."
"That's a shame." Cameron said, shaking her head slowly. Charlie stared at her challenging her to say another word. "I mean it's a shame that such a well built, handsome, funny..."
"We need to go mate," Harry gripped Charlie forearm and jerked him out of the room Ron and Hermione scurrying behind.
"Thanks mate," Charlie breathed. "You know, if that bat still didn't have that silly school girl crush on me she more likely wouldn't have let you three out."
"Why that?" Hermione asked.
Charlie chuckled, "She's a lot like you Hermione." She looked hurt, "She has something to say you and feels you need to hear it. Also, she thinks nothing is more important than listening to wise words... if you even call her words wise."
"I don't like her..." Ron puffed, "How long are these darn classes?"
"Only a week bro, only a week with the witch."
"I don't think she that bad." Harry shrugged.
"How can you say that? After what she did and how she embarrassed Draco!" Hermione nearly screamed.
The boys looked at her stunned and as though knowing she had gone too far, she bowed her head and they walked to corridor in silence.
"Charlie! What kept you?" Seri ran up to him and threw her arm around his neck.
Harry looked away as though he should not be watching.
"What are we doing?" Ron asked.
"Well, you and Hermione don't need to be here, Sirius just asked for Harry to sit next to him and I figured you two wanted to be nosy." Seri giggled.
Harry gulped and nodded. Seri looked onto him motherly and pushed open both grand court doors. The room was simply packed wall to wall, ceiling to floor. Mothers rocked their screaming children to their bosoms and men stood silent in the back, faces hidden in shadows. The room ignored Harry's presence, which was a glorious new event for Harry as he could easily slip in beside his godfather and see his joking eyes. I few months ago he longed to see the old eyes, the eyes he knew and grew to find a home in. Now, staring into the old, dead eyes, he longed for the joyful, innocent eye for his godfather when everything was perfect for him.
Sirius wore his stern face. He looked at Harry and forced a smile. "Everything is going to work out... my name will be clear." Sirius whispered.
"What difference does it make now?" Harry leaned forward. "You can't take me away from my worries; you can't give me a home. The Dursleys are dead... I'm too dangerous... you were better hiding without being known you were alive, you could have been our secret weapon."
Sirius looked at Harry with a new sparkle in his eyes, he nodded. "You think your wise Harry, you think because you have been given so little and charged so much that you know the price. Harry, you are the secret weapon... inside you is something you don't even know about making it impossible for them to know."
"Then how do you know?"
"Harry, inside you is heart, and love, and innocence, and goodness, everything everyone today has seemed to forget. You know the stories of good prevailing evil... you are the purest good and Voldemort in the evil. I am not a weapon. I am a pawn in your game of chest against the darkness. Besides, clearing my name proves one think... pride. Pride in my name even though it is associated with evil, and I Harry, Sirius Isis Black is not evil."
"Harry," Ron leaned over Hermione to him, "Why did you say Black this morning?"
"He doesn't have to tell you anything till he is ready Mr. Weasley." Evan pulled Ron firmly back in his seat and patted his roughly on the shoulder. "There, there don't be shaken Ronald."
"Evan, why can't I tell him?" Harry asked.
"He'll learn... but he is not ready."
"Evan, good man, you didn't have to come." Sirius turned and shook his hand.
"Why not Black... you suffer the same name and love experience I do. Does you love still pain you after all these years?" Evan asked glancing at Seri who perked up to hear her father's caring answer.
"Every second it weighs my heart more. Does it ever go away Evan?" Sirius asked, grasping his daughter's hand.
"No," Evan announced simply as Mr. Weasley walked in. "It never lessens or goes away you just learn to love the feeling."
"Minster Weasley will be presiding over this hearing," a boney little wizard said. He pushed is square rimmed glassed up his nose and continued. "Would Mr. Sirius Isis Black please present himself to the court?"
"This isn't a court Reeds, this is a hearing!" a man grunt from behind Mr. Weasley.
"Now, now red... leave Lane alone." Mr. Weasley said sitting slouched in his chair, fumbling his fingers. He seemed totally unaware of what was going on, yet was quick as a whip on response. "Continue please Lane."
"Ye...Yes sir...I mean Minster..."
"Continue... Lane." Mr. Weasley stopped the boney man's stuttering.
"Yes Minster, Mr. Black please." Lane pushed his glasses yet again up his freckly nose and searched the room for Sirius.
"Stand up with me Harry," Sirius hissed.
"Why?"
"Share my lime light."
"I have enough of my own thanks." Harry grinned, but relucently stood as Sirius did. The lime light never shown so bright.
"Sirius Black would you please explain your story to court, explain your actions from the night of the murder of James Potter and Lilian Evans to now." Sirius stood in front of the court, everyone sitting and staring at him bug eyes, patience running thin. Harry had escorted himself to the deepest, dustiest corner of his oak chair. As his parents names were being read out loud by the rail thin Lane Reeds, he closed his eyes... pressing the warn tears from the crease of his eyes. The youthful smiling, faces parents came into his mind... and he saw them in the darkness where no one... no one in the room, or in world could see what Harry was seeing now. He felt tenderly home.
"Well, it all started when we were sitting down for dinner. We were at James's house..." Sirius spoke smoothly letting the story drip slowly into the veins.
Harry eased himself into a half sleep, half awake trance. He saw them there... a well sized house with "Godric Hollow" strung above the door. It was a warm house with a fire lighted living room... the same one Harry remember dreaming about so many nights ago. In the kitchen was a simply set table. Lily, James, Sirius, Angelica, Remus, Peter, Seri and Harry (in a hand crafted pine high chair) sat around a table of warm food and cheerful laughter. It froze in Harry's heart as though this same laughter would never be heard again. He knew this moment... he knew it from tiny ears and the tiny eyes of his one year old self. Halloween decoration where dancing around the house... it was nearing the beginning.
"It was raining, softly and steadily. There was a knock on the door and James just finished his Japanese Golfer joke and Lily excused herself to answer the door, a smile on her face. I miss that smile." Sirius stopped to whip a single tear off his cheek. "I figured out why James fell in love with her... her smile, her heart, she was full of adventure."
Harry saw her stand to answer the door... that smile on her face. He remembered from 15 years ago. Dumbledore didn't wait for the door to be answered. He opened it and brought a chilled wind and rain into the house. Harry let out a wail... everything changed in that moment.
"Harry, what's wrong baby?" James leaned over his wife's chair and held Harry's little hand. Harry looked at him and his eyes swelled in tears yet again. Seri pet his head softly.
Lily came back into view... everything in the room got cold. Dumbledore stood behind her. "What happened Albus?" James demanded. Peter, Remus, Sirius, James, Angelica all stood in readiness.
"There has been news." Dumbledore said solemnly.
"He then told us that Voldemort was after James and Lily. At that time the dinner party was over. I took Seri and Angelica under my arms and we left. Remus and Peter left right after us. The only ones to hear the news were Harry, James and Lily." Sirius trailed off.
"Do you remember it Harry?" Ron whispered.
Harry jumped out of his trance.
"Of course not Ron, he was one!"
"I..." Harry slummed back down and closed his eyes. "I do...."
Ron looked at him in deep amazement but Harry ignored him. "What news?" James said slowly, preparing for the impact.
Lily picked up Harry, who was silent now, and held him close to her chest.
"Someone very close to you is feed the dark side information." Dumbledore said in a whisper. "And Trawnley she... she said something... about Harry."
"Harry? What about my baby?" Lily almost screamed.
"That he will be the down fall of the dark lord and the darkness." Dumbledore said more triumphantly.
"Well, that's great!" James said a proud smile on his face.
"No...no... not if he finds out about it," Dumbledore sat down and shook his head. "He knows and now is more eager to find you, Lily and now your son."
"Oh James." Lily cried, falling to her knees, pressing Harry's dark mop into the nap of her neck.
"Later the next day James sent me an urgent owl to meet him somewhere." Sirius told the court. Harry fluttered his eyes open, this part of the tale un known to him. "He asked me to meet him in an old hide out of mine." Sirius sighed and grinned. "After I ran away from home I stayed with the Potters and once I turned 17 I bought myself a dingy apartment a block or two away from the Potter's manor. It wasn't much, but it was mine. A few years earlier the complex has been condemned by the muggles and was about to fall apart at any stringing blow of wind. I met his in my old apartment. The door fell off the hinges when I opened it and inside was Dumbledore and James sitting at my old kitchen table.
"'Why here?' I asked them. James said because no one except it and neither muggle nor wizard would come close. Dumbledore also safe proved the house. James asked me to be his Secret Keeper. Dumbledore and James got in a fuss and I stayed out of it. The whole matter depressed me and I didn't want to get too deep into it. James said he trusted no one more than he did me; that I would die rather than give him over. Dumbledore shoved a piece of parchment into James's hand and did something I've never seen Dumbledore do. He turned on heel and stormed out of the room.
"I turned to James and he force a James-Potter-this-is-going-to-be- fun grin. He wasn't fooling me though." Sirius sighed and bowed his head. "I could see it dancing behind his eyes... he was scared, hell who wouldn't be! This wasn't a Hogwarts prank that at worst we could get expelled for, this was a dangerous game that wouldn't just cost us our own lives but Harry's, Lily's, Seri's, Angelica's..." Sirius whipped his face and gazed up at Seri who was sitting on the edge of her chair, holding Charlie's hand with both of hers.
Harry whipped his eyes and turned away form Ron and Hermione.
"Continue," Lane said, looking at the Quick Quills repeat what Sirius was saying.
"We left my old flat and made our way to James's. It was sunny and bright outside when I arrived and twenty minutes later it was gray and the tip toe of raining. The sky, the heavens knew." Sirius paused. "When we got to Lily and Harry she already knew what was going on."
Harry almost fainted into his chair. Sirius drowned out and his eyes rolled back.
"James..." Lily whispered.
"Where's Harry?" James said urgently.
Baby Harry came stumbling into the hall on unsteady feet. "Dad-de." He cried joyfully.
James gave Harry a painful, proud grin. "Come here son," James knelt down and Harry moved treacherously into his arms.
"Tat good dad-de?" Harry asked.
"It was great Harry, it was great." Harry gave a full mouth grin showing off growing baby teeth.
Lily whipped her eyes and gave Sirius a hug. "Oh Sirius, are you sure you want to do this?"
Taken aback at first Sirius eased into the hug and hugged Lily back resting his chin on top of her autumn hair that smelled of sweet lemons. "I'd do anything for you and your family Lils."
"But you have a family too!" Lily snapped sadly. "You and they could be killed!"
Sirius dropped his arm from around Lily. "Angelica... Seri..."
Sirius plummeted into a chair and looked shocked. "I can't James... I just can't... what about..." he looked down at his feet.
"They are your family Sirius, never doubt that!" Lily screamed kneeling down to him, taking his large rough hands in his. "You love Angel and she loves you! Seri worships you like a father and you would do anything for her!"
Sirius stole his hands back and whipped his eyes. "James, I can't endanger them... you know that. I am sorry."
'I understand mate," James said softly. Harry was fallen asleep in his arm and Lily under his arm, her arms around his waist."
"Dumbledore?" Lily suggested.
"No, he's angry with us right now." James answered.
"Why?" Lily asked.
"Never mind that."
"Remus?"
"We can't risk it, I'd like to believe it but what if he's part of the Dark Order... you know the werewolf thing and all." Sirius muttered.
"Peter then, it's brilliant!" James exclaimed.
"No one would except poor, dump, weak Peter!" Harry heard a squeaky voice say sharply with an evil laugh to follow. Harry began to cry.
The vision with smoky black and only faint images where seen.
"It's him!" James screamed. "Lily take Harry and run!"
"James, I won't leave you!" Lily clung to James, Harry crying in his highchair."
"Lily, do it!" James yelled at her. "Save Harry!"
Lily was weeping furiously. "Oh James, I love you so much." She whimpered. She threw her arm around his neck and kissed him, deeply.
James shoved her away, his eyes fearful. "Run my love, run."
Lily gave him one more kiss, scoped up Harry and ran from the room.
Harry jumped to his feet in the court, his glasses flying off his face. "RUN DAD! DON'T BE A HARD ASS!"
"HARRY!" Sirius jumped the table and grabbed Harry at the shoulders. "What happened?"
There were flashes of light in the back ground... photographers.
Harry was sweaty and shaking, his eyes glased.
"SILENCE!" Mr. Weasley commanded the court. "Sirius, take Harry to the jury room." Sirius obeyed. "All cameras will be turned into the Minister officials, if you refused to co-operate there will be a week in Azkaban as punishment and if one word is written about Harry's tantrum you will be messing with me personally!"
The jury door closed. "Calm down Harry, it was just a dream, a bad dream."
"Sit him down Sirius." Evan said.
"What?"
Evan directed Harry to a chair and sat him down. He was white and clammy.
"Tell me what you saw."
"NO!" Sirius screamed. "Don't make him do this."
"I saw... mum and dad... before He came." Harry muttered.
"He need to remember it Sirius, he needs to know what happened." Evan ordered.
Sirius, feeling himself grow faint, leaned against the wall and slid down collapsing into his open palms.
"Tell me exactly what you saw Harry," Evan said smoothly.
Harry gripped his fists and slid down in the chair. He was still shaking.
"Darkness," he described. "He was there and dad told mum to leave with me." The picture came back to his eyes. "She wouldn't go; she clung to him and kissed him." Their kiss flashed lovingly in his mind. "Dad pushed her away and ordered her to go and..."
Harry fainted and slid out of the chair, hitting his head on the seat. Sirius jumped to his feet and the last thing Harry heard was Sirius, "HARRY! HOLY SHIT DON'T DIE!"
"Harry," Ginny said softly. He was back in the Order lying in Seri's Gryffindor bed, the covers where warm.
"Where am I?" He tried to raise his head but didn't have the strength. Bandages were wrapped tightly about his head and his glass where on the bed table.
Ginny place the oval specs on his nose and tucked them behind his ears. "You can talk to me you know?" She said after a moment of silence.
Harry stared at her, almost past her. After he blacked out the story finished and it was just coming back to him; he was soaking it up like a freaking sponge!
"Tell me Harry," she said in a concern voice.
Harry look into her eyes this time. Was innocent little Virginia Weasley ready for the rudest awaking of her life? Was losing two of her brother ground for her readiest to know the God awful hatred and torture of the world? Could he trust her?
Harry made a quick decision and looked to the door. Ginny read him like a book, got up and gently shut the door.
"Tell me Harry," Ginny stopped, choosing words. "I want to know."
Harry breathed in deeply and closed his eyes, either trying to picture his mother's face or blink to tears from view Harry didn't know. "It was him." Harry said softly. He left room automatically for dramatic "WHO?!" like Ron and Hermione always did, but Ginny just stared at him intently praying for him to go on. "Dad screamed at mum to take me a run, but she wouldn't leave his side. She wouldn't leave. Finally, he shoved her away and, in tears, she picked me up and ran from the front room. I saw dad looking back at us, tear streaking his face, fear in his eyes, wand gripped tightly and his whole body shaking." Harry froze, whipping his face with the sheet. "That was the last time I ever saw my dad alive."
Ginny stared at him in the same way as before. Her eyes hardened as though telling Harry she would not cry, not in front of him. "Mum ran up the stairs running from room to room. She was quivering and her hands were tightly around me. I had silent tears in my eyes, somehow knowing, even at that age, that I shouldn't scream out. In my heart I knew that was the last time I would ever see my dad. I heard screaming and shout of Latin before the floor board. My mum would whisper a painful 'James' ever time she heard him call out for her. She started to go back once. She laid me in my crib, the furthest room down that hall. She wrapped me tightly in my blanket and draped a white sheet to hide me. Mum started out the door and then I heard her stop and then I knew why. All the screaming and shouting stopped and there was an erring silence. I could feel it... dad was dead."
Ginny took a wad of sheet and gripped it tightly in her hands, but she wavered none in the face.
"I began to cry out loudly, the cold and dead feeling washed over me. Hurried footsteps came up the stairs. Mum ran from the hall, slammed the door and locked it with her wand. She came to my crib picked me up and held me closely to her chest. 'It's okay Harry, dry your tears. Your wake up and be in a better place. Shhh, my darling, shhhh.' Tear where down her cheek, wetting my hair. I closed my eyes and leaned into her, now I stopped crying. Voldemort blasted open the door.
"'Stupid Girl!' he said in his high pitched voice. 'Look what you have done! Just give me the boy and I might let you live.' My mum gripped me tighter. 'Never,' she hissed. 'Stupid girl, I hate to call you my blood.' 'Take my blood away from me then! But isn't Harry's blood your own?' 'Partly' he said, 'and partly my enemy. Now give me the Potter!' Mum sighed and licked her lips. She placed me gently in my crib and tucked me in tightly, then gripping her wand. 'I am a Potter, take me.' She voice was haunting. 'Take me instead of Harry, please, take me instead.'"
Ginny couldn't stop it now, she was gripping Harry's arm. "Don't go on, please." Ginny said, looking down. Tear where forming in her eyes.
Harry nodding seeing the fear her eye now showed. He shutting his tightly and saw the last moment of his mother's life before his eyes. Then Voldemort's wand turn on him, the green the light and blood trickling down his new born face. He felt the scar appear and the snake like face of Voldemort melt into nothing before him. A blob, smelling of rotten eggs, squirmed away. Harry then began to weep, not a loud crying of a one year old, but a pitiful lonely, silent weep of someone who has lost everything before their eyes. He laid their, wrapped tightly into blue blankets and wept. He soon saw the young, panic stricken face of Sirius.
"Oh thank God," Sirius whispered.
"Mummy... daddy..." Harry cried softly.
"Everything alright Harry, Uncle Sirius will take care of everything." Sirius scoped Harry up in his arms. "You can't live you life remembering this." He pointed his wand at Harry and whispered something. Harry fell asleep in his arm.
"Sirius did it." Harry whispered.
"Did what?" Ginny asked.
"He fixed my memory when I was young so I wouldn't remember my parent's death. I mean I was one, able to speak some and walk... I'd remember something like that."
Ginny wiped her eyes. "But what made the spell go away?"
Harry looked at his hands... he first heard the whole story of his parents death when he was eleven... but he didn't remember all this, any of this. It started in his third year... when Sirius Black came back.