Chapter 2: Going Home
"Up, up, up, Harry!" Sirius yelled, bursting through the door.
Harry sat up in surprise, then groaned as Sirius flung back the curtains and let in the blinding sun.
"Why?" he mumbled, still not coherent enough to blink his eyes at the same time.
"We have a busy day ahead of us," Sirius said, annoyingly cheerful so early in the morning, "Just get dressed and come down to breakfast."
With that, Sirius left the room as suddenly as he had entered. Resisting the urge to flop back in bed, Harry dragged himself to his feet, stretching. From outside the window came the early morning noises of Diagon Alley. Harry couldn't believe they'd been there only a week. It seemed like forever, though in a good way. The Leaky Cauldron always had felt more like home than Privet Drive ever would.
After slipping on some of Dudley's old clothes, (still ten sizes too big, but the only thing Harry had) he rushed down the stairs, taking them three-by-three. Sirius was already seated, eating from a breakfast feast set for two.
"So, what are we doing today?" Harry asked, sitting down, "Does it have anything to do you popping in and out of here all the time?"
"As a matter of fact, no, it doesn't," Sirius said, with a hint of a laugh, "Well, let's see… We'll be wanting to get back to Hogwarts for a few things, and of course we have to get some summer clothes for you. No godson of mine is going to wear clothes that once belonged to the world's only living blimp."
Harry smiled.
"We'll do all that later," Sirius added, waving the statement off, "but first…you're going home, Harry."
"You mean you already have a house? I didn't think after Azka-"
"No, Harry. We're going to your home," he said with a soft smile, "I think it's time you saw Godric's Hollow."
Harry froze. "You mean…"
"We're going back together this time, Harry. But, if you want to visit it alone sometime, you'll be more than free to do so.
Sirius gave Harry's shoulder a squeeze, then broke out into a larger smile.
"I've got our mode of transportation," Sirius said, his eyes gleaming, "Can you guess?"
Harry looked puzzled a moment and then it dawned on him. "The motorcycle?! Oh wow, Sirius! Can we fl-"
Sirius quickly clapped his hand over Harry's mouth. "No mention of the extras out in the open like that. Those are some modifications I made back then, but I could still get in trouble now. But yes, we can, once we get on an empty country road."
"I hope it's better than riding a hippogriff," Harry said, with a smile.
"Ug, don't remind me," Sirius said, the very thought of riding Buckbeak enough to make his head ache.
"What do you say we go higher?" Sirius called over the roaring engine and rushing wind.
"Uh…sure…" Harry said, tightening his grip around Sirius' waist.
Apparently, when Sirius said higher, he also meant faster. Harry had to suppress a scream as they tumbled upward, passing through a final layer of clouds and up into blue nothingness. More than once he feared the wind would tear his shirt, now billowing behind him like a mini-parachute, clean off his back.
"There won't be much use for this baby," Sirius called back to Harry, "Especially after you learn to apparate. But it's fun as beats all!"
Harry wasn't sure he'd agree. He knew he definitely preferred a broom. The motorcycle had none of lightness, agility, or awe-inspiring quietude of a broom. Plus, Harry wasn't the one in control.
"Hold on, Harry, we're going cloud-hopping!" Sirius yelled, his blue eyes shining with mischief from behind a pair of round goggles.
Instinctively, Harry clutched onto his black helmet, a twin to Sirius' except without the eye protection. He soon found out that cloud-hopping was just a version of leapfrog—played a couple of thousand feet in the air, of course. They dove up and down, up and down, as if riding some rampaging roller coaster. After Sirius finally pulled the bike into a level flight again, Harry noticed that his mouth was upturned. He was smiling. Even with all the terror that had been wrenching through his stomach, he had to admit it was fun. Plus, he was still on the bike.
"Man, that felt good! Boy, have I missed you," Sirius said, giving the motorcycle a loving pat.
Sirius suddenly did a double take of some of the gears and knobs between his handlebars. "Whoa, we're almost there! Gonna have to do a quick dive landing, Harry," Sirius warned.
Harry gulped slightly. "Can't we just slow doooooooowwwwn…"
They rocketed downward, Harry sure that he had just gulped down more than his fair share of clouds. After a few moments of fluffy white blindness, they emerged from the haze, the ground once again in sight. All below them was woods, the green tops of at least a thousand trees. Nestled among them was a roof, the only one, it seemed, for miles.
It was for this that they headed in their near vertical dive. As the trees grew more and more into focus, Harry clenched his eyes tight. He was sure that he'd be in a thousand pieces when he opened them again. But Sirius quickly pulled out of the dive, and the biked touched down as lightly as a feather. Harry hopped off as though he had suddenly realized the seat was on fire. He stared at the woods around them, taking off his helmet and pulling a hand through his matted and sweaty hair. Staring up and down the deserted dirt road, he wondered where they could possibly be.
"Hey, Sirius," Harry said, turning around. However, Sirius didn't answer. He was staring at the other side of the road, not moving. That's when Harry noticed it.
A short, crumbling brick wall enclosed the area. It was covered in dry patches of yellow-green moss and the spray paint of gangs that had decided a decaying wall was worth claiming. Once upon a time, there had been two beautiful brass lights atop the ends of the wall. One, however, had been completely destroyed, while the other was a mass of twisted metal lying in a pool of broken glass. The gate, rusted beyond recognition of what metal it had been, stood slightly ajar, forever unable to close properly. Written in the metal, a little bent but still legible, were the words "Godric's Hollow."
Harry walked slowly forward, his heart pounding for some unknown reason. He stood looking at the gate a moment, then slowly traced the "G", as though he thought it was an illusion that would simply disappear if he touched it. Some of the rust was loosened, falling to the ground in a red dust. Suddenly, he looked up, gazing through the gate. Beyond it were more trees, but unlike the woods, these were placed artfully around the enclosure. The garden must have been beautiful once, but the plants that hadn't died off by now had grown wild.
And that was it. Harry wasn't sure what he'd been expecting. A mansion, a cottage, any house really, as long as it didn't look like those on Privet Drive. But this… There was nothing. A pathway of large flat rocks that seemed to lead to nowhere, yes, and something that might be a chimney, though Harry couldn't see it well through the trees and bushes, but there was no house.
"So this is Godric's Hollow… This is home…"
"No," Sirius said, coming up next to him and gazing at the lot just as Harry was, his voice just as empty, "This was Godric's Hollow."
Harry pushed the gate opened, it groaning in protest through the deep quiet, and walked down the path overgrown with weeds. Silence seemed to reign over all. Not even the birds sang. Or maybe they did, but Harry was sure not one did so within the wall's enclosure. He walked slowly down the path, looking around at everything as though his parents might suddenly appear from behind a tree. Sirius followed him, looking around also, almost willing everything to go back to the way it was sixteen years ago. Neither got his wish.
As the path got nearer its destination, Harry looked up, finally seeing what they were headed toward. So it had been a chimney. Tall, brown, and dirty, but still standing, a battered memorial to the home it had once warmed. At its feet and the surrounding area was the foundation of a house. The floor was still intact, the carpet too, though worn and dull from things other than scampering feet and family wrestling matches. Here and there the wall jutted out a little higher, a defiant part that refused to fall. The side of one doorframe still stood also. One, two, three steps were there, too, heading off to some second story that no longer existed.
His feet having taken on a mind of their own, Harry walked into the outline of the house, looking around and hoping he might remember what it looked like with walls.
"The house was in ruins when I got here," Sirius said, as though answering a question that hadn't been asked, "Completely unsalvageable. It's a wonder you were still alive. You and your crib were about the only things unscathed. They cleaned away the rubble afterward, trying to recover any possessions still intact."
Sirius walked around and through what had once been a doorway to another room, mostly out of habit, for it would have been quicker to step over the small remains of wall. He stared somewhere off to the right of the fireplace, as if seeing something Harry couldn't.
"This is where they kept your crib," he said, as if giving a tour of some long ago battlefield, "The warmest room in the house, Lily said. When I came here and saw them, I wanted the whole world to end. There didn't seem to be any point to it. But then I heard you crying." Sirius looked up at Harry, the smallest hint of a smile in his eyes. "There you were, bawling your eyes out, but very much alive. And I knew I had to live."
As Harry went over to him, trying to imagine the crib there, Sirius shifted his gaze to the corner of the room. He slowly walked over there, his hand half reached out, trying to hold onto something.
"This is where they kept their Christmas tree," Sirius said quietly, eyes brimming with tears, "They loved Christmas so much… Your first Christmas, I was here, you weren't quite five months old. I gave you a small green and white teddy bear. When I held it out to you and pressed it so it'd squeak, you must have been startled, because the next thing I knew, my hair was the same color as the bear. Heh, I thought Lily and James might die of laughter. They were so proud…"
Harry stared at the corner, certain that he could hear a few cords of "Deck the Halls" playing softly. For some reason, the memory had hit Sirius hard. He stood in silence for a long while, his muscles tensing up now and then to hold back the sobs.
"Did they have an angel or a star?" Harry asked, his eyes fixed on the corner about seven feet up.
"What?" Sirius said, his voice normal but his eyes a little red.
"Every Christmas at the Dursleys, I'd imagine what my tree would look like if my parents were alive. What did they have on top?"
"A star, always a star. The brightest, most beautiful star."
"Good. The Dursleys always had an angel. How I hated that thing."
This took any grief out of Sirius' eyes. Harry smiled back at him a moment, then turned away, walking slowly to the center of the room. He looked around, trying to see what had been there, but to no avail.
"I wish I could remember something," he said quietly, "Anything but that night. I was hoping coming here would remind me, but it hasn't. I don't remember anything…"
Sirius walked over to him, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. "How could you? This isn't the home you knew, Harry. Everything was so different. And you were only one year old."
"I know," Harry sighed, "I know."
"Ready to go?" Sirius asked after a moment, "We have a few more trips down memory lane waiting for us at Remus'."
"Remus'?" Harry asked.
"He's letting us stay at his home. Until we can find our own, at least."
Harry nodded. "Okay. But I'd like a little while more. Just a few more minutes."
"Okay," Sirius said, smiling softly with understanding, "I'll be by the bike."
Sirius walked out of the house and down the path, leaving Harry alone. He looked around the house once more, then slumped on the three remaining steps. That one year of his life he wished he knew best was the one year that was void from his memory. At that moment, nothing in the world mattered but that year he couldn't remember. Heaving a sigh, he buried his face in his hands, pushing his glasses up onto his forehead. They remained poised there for a moment, then clink.
Harry sat up, looking on the stairs a moment, then realizing his glasses must have fallen to the floor. Grumbling slightly, he got on his hands and knees, his vision too blurry to find his glasses any other way. They were right next to the side of the stairs. Harry reached out for them, but stopped suddenly. A tingling had just rushed up his spine. It was the strangest feeling… He closed his eyes, and could almost feel himself being lifted high into the air. And a voice. A playful, laughing voice. "Hey there, little boy, what are you doing with my glasses?"
Harry's eyes snapped open. He was frozen a moment, unable to blink or move. Then slowly, he picked his glasses, putting them on as he stood up. A little shakily, he walked from the house and over to where Sirius was leaning on his bike.
"Sirius?" Harry said as he got to him, "Did I ever play with my dad's glasses?"
"Sure did," he answered with a chuckle, "You had quick reflexes as a kid. Anytime I picked you up, I had to be careful because you were sure to grab hold of my hair the moment I wasn't looking. James' glasses were your favorite. Why do you ask?"
Harry smiled, looking back at Godric's Hollow. "I guess there are just some things you never forget."
~*~*~
A/N: Sappy, yes, I know. It just came out that way. ^-^
Thank you my wonderful reviewers!!!
naavi: Hail the mighty Thesaurus! ^-^ No, this isn't going to be a fic about Lily and James, though it will have many little stories that will appear in the L/J fic I'm writing. (I'm going to start posting that after I finish Harry's 7th year.) Thanks!
Sandrine Black: Thanks!
Raven of Death: Heehee, you're always oh-so-very-interesting when you haven't had your frappichinno. ^_^ Thanks!
phobiac: Eeps! Don't hurt me! *puts up steel wall in front of computer screen* Ha, now let's see you try and get to me! Ah, shoot, now I can't see… Ah well. There are gonna be cliffies, though. In fact, the 2nd to last chapter is a bit of a cliffie. (Really depends on how you look at it, though.) ^_^ Cliffies keep me alive! I must write them! Thanks!
Jeanne: Thanks, Jess! Yes, good guess. As of right now, though, Lily isn't a seer. I'll never say never, though. ^-^ Lily and James will have a lot to do with this fic, though. Not in the real sense, but we'll find out a lot more about them. And 24 years… Well, the unnamed prophecy happened at the start of Lily and James' third year, which (according to my math, though it definitely isn't necessarily correct) would have been 1973. 24 years later, it's 1997, Harry's 7th year. ^-^ *scowls* You can't ignore your fic forever!!! WRITE! No, I won't admit it. ^_^ Go ahead and try and guess who, though. I dare ya. ^-^
yerbroham: *grins* I make no promises. My muse is a very unstable person. She goes off on little whims, and I'm just taken along for the ride. I'll try and talk to her about keeping them alive, though. ^-^ Thanks, Pete!
Allison: Pretty well, actually. ^-^ A very interesting analogy, Allison. It cracked me up, making my siblings give me weird looks. Thanks. But I also must mention here that SOMEONE, who shall remain nameless (::cough:: Allison ::cough::) hasn't even given us a crumb in FOR-E-VER! Tsk, tsk, tsk.
JeezieParcheezie: Thanks!
Star Chaser: Thanks! Um, I withhold that answer. Oh, I definitely can't answer that! Yes, as much foreshadowing as I can fit. ^_^ And definitely more Malfoy! (I really used to hate the kid, but now I kinda like him!) Ah, I so regret killing the Rileys. At least all of them. I wish I had left one alive. *sigh* Oh well. Yah, suggestions! I love reading those! I don't know why, but I really do. ^_^
Princess: Thanks!
Moon Warrior: Thanks! And speaking of new chapters… Post yours! Please!!! *puppy dog eyes* I'm dying for more, and the evil gits not reviewing it are…well, evil gits. Please post!!!!!!
Moon princess: Thanks!
I want to get to the exciting parts! Crikey, I'll have to speed through the summer and get to… oops, not telling.
Be excellent to each other!
-Ady
PS- I'm writing this as a desperate plea! One of the ffn writers I read is holding back a chapter of her latest fic until she gets enough reviews! So, I'm begging on hands and knees, go read Moon Warrior's "The Lili Chronicles Two: Memory of the Future". In fact, read the first of the Lili Chronicles, too! They're so good, and she deserves many more reviews!!!