Dedication: I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Pete, aka yerbroham, for giving me some inspiration. I think you'll know how when you read it. ^_^ Sadly, though, this chapter didn't turn out that well, and it's an awful one to dedicate, but I hope you can forgive me, Pete!
Chapter 3: Welcome to The Den
After a long flight and a short ride, Sirius and Harry finally pulled up in front of a house. At least, you might call it a house. It looked more like one of the dreary mansions that always showed up in horror films.
"This is it?" Harry asked, eying the fence of twisted black iron.
Sirius nodded, a little grimly but with a smile.
"You can't be serious."
"Of course I am," Sirius answered, "I'm always Sirius."
Harry chose to ignore the joke, studying the house instead. It was huge, especially for just one person to live in. The wood shingles that coated the walls and roof were gray and rotting. Half the shutters were gone from the windows, and quite a number of panes had been shattered. The porch looked more than a little worse for the wear, and Harry knew he wouldn't bet on the porch swing's ability to hold his weight. On the top of the highest of the many gables was a wrought-iron weathervane in the shape of a dove.
"Sirius, all you need to do is board up the windows and doors, and this could pass for the Shrieking Shack."
"Yeah. Remus' grandmum had very…interesting tastes. You see, she left it to him in her will. Since he can't afford any place of his own, he stays here."
"And so we're staying here?"
"Ah, I'm sure it's a cozy little place once you get used to it."
Harry shook his head, but followed Sirius up the walk and to the door. As Sirius rapped the old iron knocker, Harry noticed a wooden sign nailed up next to the door. It was the only thing of the house that looked the slightest bit new, and on it, in black letters, was painted "The Den."
From inside, they heard the clamoring of footsteps, skidding to a halt. Then the door opened, and out peered Remus Lupin.
"Padfoot, Harry! Come in, come in!" he said, smiling as he held the door open, "I've been doing some last minute cleaning. I've never had to use the guest rooms before. Heh, I haven't even been in half the rooms in this place!"
The two shuffled in, looking around a little warily. The room they were in wasn't any better than the outside. All the furniture was covered in sheets, and a wind blew in through the broken windows.
"I never use this room either," Remus quickly pointed out, "There's another sitting room with all the windows intact. Let's go there, shall we?"
"Um, Remus, where's the loo?" Harry asked, looking around a little anxiously.
"Not so fast, I get it first," Sirius quickly interrupted.
Harry was mortified. "But Sirius, you can't! I've been holding it for ages, and if I don't go soon-"
"Relax," Sirius smiled, looking to Remus, "I'm sure there's more than one bathroom in this big place."
Instead of assuring him, Remus laughed. "You must be joking, Padfoot. Why, if I hadn't got that Defense Against the Dark Arts job, I'd still be using the outhouse. Mamam never was one for progress… By the way, Harry, it's up the stairs, second door on your left."
Harry was gone before Remus had finished his sentence, leaving Sirius wide-eyed. "Now what am I supposed to do?"
Remus was silent a moment, thinking. "Well, there's always the outhouse."
He smiled at the look on Sirius' face, putting a hand on his shoulder and leading him to the sitting room.
"You'll get used to it, Padfoot."
****
Harry had just gotten his toothbrush and toothpaste from the medicine cabinet when Sirius stumbled into the small blue bathroom, shirtless, sleepless, and with a case of bed head worse than those even Harry had had.
"Rise and shine," Harry grinned.
"Shut up," his godfather mumbled back, groping around for the toilet.
"Bad sleep?"
"Are you kidding?! I swear, my room must be on the creakiest corner of the house. I haven't slept a wink in the three days we've been here."
"Consider yourself lucky. The wind comes up through my floorboards, so every morning when my feet hit the floor, they freeze on the spot."
Sirius just leaned groggily over the toilet, trying to stay awake enough to hit his target. Harry started searching for his toothbrush again, not realizing it was in his hand. After Sirius had relieved himself, he seemed much more awake.
"Thank God there are no women living here," Sirius said, catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror, "If any saw me like this, my reputation would be completely destroyed."
"What, your reputation as a mass murderer?"
Sirius gave Harry his I'm-your-godfather-so-watch-it look, then turned his attention back to the mirror.
"Whoops, watch out, coming in," Remus said, opening the door and squeezing into the bathroom.
"Remus, there's not enough room!" Sirius cried, almost tripping over the toilet as the door hit into him..
"Hey, it's my bathroom, remember?"
"Point taken," Sirius nodded, turning his attention to his reflection.
"We doing anything today?" Harry asked, sticking his toothbrush in his mouth.
"Job-hunting," Sirius answered, brushing his hair into place, "At least I am. Of course, I should probably get a wand first."
"You don't have a wand yet?" Remus said, his voice low and disbelieving.
Sirius turned to him, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well, I…no."
"Through all the work we've been doing at Hogwarts, you haven't had a wand? How can you not have a wand?!" Remus frowned slightly, putting his hands on his hips.
"I'm used to doing things without it," Sirius said with a shrug, "Besides, I haven't had time to get one."
"Haven't had—haven't had time to get one?" Remus said, as though the idiocy of the statement made it hard to repeat, "You've been practically living in Diagon Alley for the past week, and you couldn't find five minutes to go buy a wand?!"
Sirius really looked sheepish now. "Well, it's not like I can't take care of myself."
Remus put his hand up to his face, a headache coming on. "But it's not just you, Sirius. What if the one time you needed you wand most, you didn't have it? People could die. Use you head for once, Padfoot."
Harry, his toothbrush halted in his mouth, stared at them through the mirror, watching with a mixture of awe and horror as Sirius transformed from a guilty little kid to a furious full-grown wizard.
"You look here, Moony," he said tensely, his eyes clouded over, "I am not just some careless little teenager. I've survived thirty-seven years pretty damn well, including twelve of which were spent in Azkaban. I think I have a pretty good idea about what's dangerous."
"Well get a better one," Remus said, his eyes narrowing, "You're always jumping without knowing what into. You can't do that anymore. What if something happens to Harry? You've got to protect him, Sirius! I'd think you, of all people, would want to be armed and ready. For Harry's sake, at least."
"'ey, cub oft it. I'b no' a widdle kib," Harry said turning toward them, little flecks of toothpaste flying out of his mouth.
Remus and Sirius stared at him a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Harry, I think you have yet to master the art of persuasion," Sirius smiled, adding, "Since Remus is so adamant that I get a wand, want to come with me?"
"Sure," Harry said after spitting out the paste in his mouth, "Maybe you can get me those clothes you promised me three days ago."
"Sheesh, did someone declare this Point-Out-Sirius'-Faults Day without telling me? I feel left out," Sirius said, pouting slightly, then turning to Remus, "You gonna join us, Moony?"
"I already have a job, remember? Which I might be late for if I don't hurry," Remus said with a sigh, "I hate the muggle workplace. I might catch up with you later, though. I have a few errands to run. Sirius, can I borrow your bike? My car's been acting up, and I don't think my boss would like it if I just popped in."
"Sure thing. Keys are on the counter."
"If he's got the bike, how are we going to get there?" Harry asked after Remus had left, putting his toothbrush back in his mouth.
"Floo powder."
Harry missed the sink and ended up spitting toothpaste all over the mirror. Sirius was paralyzed with laughter.
"Ah, Mr. Black. I've been expecting you ever since I heard about your pardon," Mr. Ollivander said quietly as he appeared from the shop's back area.
"A pleasure to see you again, Mr. Ollivander," Sirius smiled, shaking the man's hand, "I must say, you haven't changed a bit."
"And I see that despite your outer transformation, you're still the same boy underneath. Let's get to finding you a wand."
Harry rather enjoyed being on the observing end of buying a wand. Sirius, however, didn't have as much trouble finding a wand as Harry had. The third one he picked up was his match, sending a stream of bright blue sparks across the room.
"Ah, very good. Dragon heartstring, like your last one; fifteen inches, that's two inches more than last time; and oak instead of maple. Well, shall I wrap it?"
"No, I'll just take it," Sirius smiled.
Mr. Ollivander nodded, turning his clear eyes on Harry. "It's been a number of years since I've seen you, too, Mr. Potter. I must say, you've changed almost as drastically as Mr. Black. And in more than one way…"
Harry raised an eyebrow at that last statement, but Mr. Ollivander bid them good-bye before he could ask about it.
"Never seemed quite right in the head, that Mr. Ollivander," Sirius smiled as they walked down Diagon Alley.
"Yes, definitely."
The woman in front of Sirius suddenly turned quickly around, as if she'd changed her mind about where she was going. She and Sirius collided.
"Sorry," Sirius quickly apologized.
"No, the fault was-" She stopped in mid-sentence, her eyes widening as she looked closer at Sirius. Her mouth wide open, she backed away from and around him, staring, and then quickly looking down as she sped away.
Sirius looked after her, rubbing his chin. "I've been getting that response a lot lately," he mused as they walked on, "It's pretty discouraging. I mean, I've made woman go speechless before, but never with fright."
"Well, not everyone is going to forgive and forget easily."
"It's still discouraging," Sirius sighed, "Listen, Harry. Since I'm going to be going in and out of interviews all day, do you want to stay here? I'm sure you'd have more fun in London than at the Den."
"Sure. Sounds like a plan."
"Good. Here, take some extra floo powder for whenever you want to go home," Sirius said, handing him a leather pouch, "Be back for dinner, okay?"
Harry nodded.
"Oh, and one last thing," Sirius said with a smile, producing a second pouch, "Buy yourself some clothes."
Harry stared at Sirius a moment, then down at the pouch, then back at Sirius. "But I don't know what kids wear…"
"A shirt and pants," Sirius laughed, "Ask the clerk if you're really desperate for help, but I think you can manage."
Saying good-bye, Sirius disappeared with a pop. After exploring Diagon Alley for an hour or so, Harry was feeling a little bored. He knew Diagon Alley better than even Hogwarts by now. However, he never had much of a chance to look at muggle London. So, for the first time since his trip to the Rileys, he stepped out of the wizarding world, becoming just another face in the crowd. Actually there wasn't much of a crowd. Though it could hardly ever be called quiet, London wasn't as busy during midmorning.
For a while, Harry just enjoyed walking up and down the streets watching people. When he finally went into a store to buy clothes, he ended up looking around helplessly for about an hour and then just buying whatever looked good at that moment. After lunch, he once again took to the street, just watching people be people. It was a recent hobby he'd been picking up. After all, you never knew what you could see or hear by pretending you're a fly on the wall.
It was some time, however, before he got the feeling that someone was watching him. He looked over his shoulder and there, among the crowd, was a figure dressed in a dark cloak. He thought this a little odd, but shook it off. After all, he'd seen at the Quidditch Cup how strangely some wizards could dress even around muggles. He walked down the street quite a ways more, and again felt the sensation that someone was staring at him. When he turned around, again, there was that same wizard. The thing that unnerved Harry the most was that the wizard's face was hidden by the cloak's hood.
'He's not following you, he's just walking down the same street,' Harry told himself.
All the same, he had to be sure. At the next crosswalk, he took a left. When he glanced back, he saw the strange wizard do the same thing. Now he felt worried. Harry quickened his footsteps, and at the same time became aware of someone behind him quickening their steps. He didn't have to turn around to know whom. His heart seemed to be pounding in his head, barring him from thinking clearly. The footsteps behind him seemed to be getting closer.
Before he knew it, Harry was at an all out run. He pushed through the crowd, apologizing constantly, but getting rude and disgusted looks all the same. A few people yelled at him to slow down, but all he could here were the rushed footsteps of his pursuer. He didn't know where he was going, and didn't care at that, just anywhere to get away. The footsteps were getting closer, and he was sure that at any second he'd feel a hand grab the back of his shirt. So Harry did something he hadn't done in a long while: he panicked.
With a swift push of his foot, he darted out into the street. The honk of a horn came from Harry's right and he spun around, frozen as a car skidded to a halt in front of him.
"What do you think you're doing!" the female driver yelled from her seat.
"S-sorry. I…I wasn't thinking."
"Well that's pretty obvious. Just be careful next time, okay? Darting into traffic isn't a smart thing to do."
Harry nodded, stepping out of her way and into the median. He looked back at the sidewalk, trying to spot the wizard in the dark cloak, but no luck. He'd vanished. Another honk of a horn made Harry realize where he was, and he quickly ran to the sidewalk, and continued running until he'd gotten to the Leaky Cauldron.
~*~*~
ATTENTION: teen.com folded, so my email address has changed! It is now: adyremard@yahoo.com If anyone has tried to email me since about December 21st, I probably didn't get it or get to see it. (A nasty surprise to come back from vacation and see you have no email addy.) I hope I didn't miss anything important…
A/N: *sobs* Oh, what an awful chapter! Such evil writer's block it caused! My muse was on vacation, I swear! You know how kids sometimes swallow pennies and such, and then the coins turn up a few days later? Well, trying to get this chapter out felt like I would a few days after swallowing a 15-foot poll. Uh-huh, not a pleasant feeling.
Another thing: please don't review saying something like "London is never busy!" or "London is always busy, even midmorning!" I-do-not-know and, at about 2 am, I-do-not-CARE! *zonks out over keyboard for a second, then wakes with a smile*
Okay, my thank-yous!
1: Sure thing. ^_^ Thanks.
Dumbledore's True Love: Thanks! Oh, I hope they don't have restrictions on how many authors and stories we can have as our favorites. I have too many! ^_^
SimonJumper: Thank you. ^_^
yerbroham: I can take a hint. Don't worry, I don't plan on having very many flashbacks. After all, how much could you remember from being 1? The earliest memory I have is at 2, standing on a diving board w/ a little pink tube. ^_^ Odd, eh? Anywasy, thank you, Pete! Especially for the inspiration. Not only the wand thing, but the bathroom scene. After reading "(like morning rituals such as bathing, brushing teeth, & etc.)" from your review, I imagined three guys trying to share one bathroom. One of the few parts I actually enjoyed writing in this chapter. Oh, thanks, I'm glad that chapter didn't seem to drag. I guess when images pop in my mind for the more exciting scenes later on, I just forget that it's JK's characters, not really so much the plot, that makes reading her stuff so enjoyable. (Though plot is always good, too…)
Jeanne: Ah, I'm not cool. *pouts* Oh wait, I'm not supposed to care about that. *grins* (Yeah, odd mood, I know.) I SO thought I'd reviewed chapter 3! I'm so sorry! Will you ever forgive me? *puppy dog eyes*
Sandrine Black: Thank you!
terrence: You know what, I never really thought about the year Voldemort came into power. 1970… Hm, I could use that… ^_^ Thanks!
jessica r.: Good suggestion. You'd think I'd learn by now not to write something and make it final until I'm absolutely sure. (Which I never am since, unlike JKR, I don't have millions of ravenous fans willing to wait centuries for my stuff to come out.) Thanks!
Lady Grizabella: Ah, thanks. Oh, I so need to read the rest of your Draco series! WHY are the holidays so busy?! I haven't even finished my homework, and I go back to school on Wednesday. *cries*
Lupin's Niece AJ: *hugs AJ 'til her eyes bug out* Thank you!
Neville33: Wow, thanks. Er…yeah. The Hermione-Animagus question. Right now, I've no idea. She never told me. But I hope it'll be brought up in this fic! ^_^
jona: You are so NOT a terribly awful person! Well, as long as you keep posting your chapters, that is. ^_^ Ah, yes, "Flick". I have the whole story written, but I want to revamp it, but time is not on my side. *sigh* And I'd hoped to catch up over the holidays… Thanks!
Kelly: Thanks!
NALLEN RIDDLE: Thanks! Draco will come…sometime. I'm not sure when, but he'll be an integral char.
Princess: Thanks!
sweets: Thanks! Oh, don't tell me you've updated! That'll get me all depressed, because I can't read it now since it's getting close to 3 in the morning (ug, my parents would kill me if they knew), and I can't read it tomorrow since the time I don't spend at a party, I'll be spending it doing my homework (yeah, Happy New Year from my teachers. :P), and then I'll be zonked the next day and finishing my homework, and then bloodsucking school's back, and I haven't done my 5 hours of service for NHS and so I'll probably be kicked out, and I need to write to a whole bunch of blasted colleges. *groans* Sorry your "thank you" turned into more of a "listen to me whine." I'll get to your fanfics, I know I will! Not rain, nor snow, nor teacher beast shall stop me!
Liz: Why, thank you! I'd always hoped Azar wasn't a Mary Sue (though the definition of a Mary Sue has always been a mystery to me…). *grins* Oh, I'd so love to read your stories! I'll find time, I swear! *sigh* If only I could stop time for 24 hours, so I could read all the fanfiction that I need to read. Evil school, taking up my precious reading time…
Lady Liberty: Thanks!
Raven of Death: *laughs* Thank you! Reading your reviews always makes me smile, which is nice at…*checks watch* 2:30!!! Oi… I need a cappachinno of ozzz!
Did anyone hear that JKR left 15 chapters out of book 1? FIFTEEN! She said they gave away too much. Boy, would I love to get my hands on those! Actually, no. Finding out what happens, w/o reading it in context, would probably be like getting all the money in the world: I'd just end up disappointed.
Yep, well, frazzled Ady just has a few more words to say. I hope you all had happy holidays! (I could pull a Krusty the Klown right here, but am too tired to.)
Good night, be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes! (Uh, no, I'm not just weird. Watch Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and you'll know what I'm talking about.)
-Ady