Disclaimer: see chapter 1
~*~*~*~
Chapter 3 - Outbursts
Harry stumbled out of the fireplace, coughing and gasping. The sandy-haired man brushed soot off his clothes, which Harry eyed thoughtfully. They were very strange clothes, he thought.
The sandy-haired man sat down on a nearby chair. He seemed to be waiting for someone.
Harry looked around the room he had tumbled into. It was very large, much larger than his cupboard, and seemed to be an office of some sort.
Circular in shape, the beautiful room contained lots of strange little silver contraptions that were making funny whirring noises and puffing out smoke.
Portraits lined the wall, and with a start Harry realized that they were moving. In the corner an old, shabby, pointed black hat sat on a stool.
He jumped when he heard the man sigh. "What am I going to do?" He asked the wall, which remained mute. This didn't seem to discourage Remus because he - Harry blinked, startled. Wait a minute - did he just call him Remus? How on earth did-? Harry shook his head, startled.
"It's been six years and I've tried everything. Well, almost everything." Remus grumbled. "What do I do now?"
"Having a nice time talking to yourself?" a voice sneered. Harry jumped when he realised it was a painting talking.
"Oh shut up Phineas," Remus snapped "It's your great-great-grandson where talking about here"
"Touchy eh?" Phineas taunted
"That will be enough Phineas!" A wizened man with a long silver beard and hair, and piercing blue eyes crossed the room.
"Fine then," Phineas shot back "just make sure that this lunatic here gets on with the job, Merlin knows he's taking long enough. I'd rather not have a vacant great-great-god son you know." And with that he crossed his arms, stuck his nose in the air, and marched out of his frame.
Albus Dumbledore made his way over to his gigantic, claw-footed desk.
*How did I know that?* thought Harry *Oh well*
"Hello Albus" Remus greeted him rather dully.
"Now Remus, you know Phineas was making that up!"
Remus snorted "Merlin knows he was close enough to the truth."
"Remus." Dumbledore warned
"What?" snapped Remus "He was right, and you know it. I'm taking far too long."
"No you haven't, its quite under-"
"WHEN DO YOU THINK 'FAR TOO LONG' WILL BE ALBUS? WHEN SIRIUS IS 65? IT'S BEEN 6 BLOODY YEARS! IS THAT NOT LONG ENOUGH?!"
Remus was on his feet, screaming at the old man before him.
"HOW CAN YOU BE SO CHEERFUL? HOW CAN YOU BE SO OPTIMISTIC?"
Dumbledore just sat there.
"I AM LOSING ALL MY FRIENDS ALBUS! ONE OF IS DEAD, ANOTHER IS IN AZKABAN! SIRIUS IS ALL I HAVE LEFT AND HE'S FADING! HOW CAN YOU TELL ME THAT IT WILL BE FINE? HE DOESN'T TALK, HE DOESN'T RESPOND! HE'S DYING, ALBUS, AND YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO TELL ME THAT 6 YEARS IS ALRIGHT? I'M RUNNING OUT OF TIME!"
Remus collapsed into his chair, breathing heavily.
Dumbledore sighed. "Remus -"
"Don't give me any more of your crap"
"I'm not going to," he replied calmly, "you said nothing you tried will work?"
Remus just glared at him.
"Then I have the necessary papers here, you may collect Mr Potter in the morning"
Remus was in mid-glare when he realised what Dumbledore had said
"huh?" he asked dumbly "you mean I can get Harry?"
"Yes Remus" "Thankyou" he said with relief "but don't think I'm not mad at you. I'm still absolutely furious" he fixed Dumbledore with another icy glare, then strode towards the fireplace, and disappeared into the flames.
"Well," remarked Dumbledore, "that was an interesting experience"
Harry stared, dumbfounded, as fog swirled around him, and took him away.
~*~*~*~
Sorry *sheepish grin* I know I said 10 minutes, but then ff.net went all psycho and wouldn't let me in to post this :( *Arrrrrr*
~*~*~*~
Chapter 3 - Outbursts
Harry stumbled out of the fireplace, coughing and gasping. The sandy-haired man brushed soot off his clothes, which Harry eyed thoughtfully. They were very strange clothes, he thought.
The sandy-haired man sat down on a nearby chair. He seemed to be waiting for someone.
Harry looked around the room he had tumbled into. It was very large, much larger than his cupboard, and seemed to be an office of some sort.
Circular in shape, the beautiful room contained lots of strange little silver contraptions that were making funny whirring noises and puffing out smoke.
Portraits lined the wall, and with a start Harry realized that they were moving. In the corner an old, shabby, pointed black hat sat on a stool.
He jumped when he heard the man sigh. "What am I going to do?" He asked the wall, which remained mute. This didn't seem to discourage Remus because he - Harry blinked, startled. Wait a minute - did he just call him Remus? How on earth did-? Harry shook his head, startled.
"It's been six years and I've tried everything. Well, almost everything." Remus grumbled. "What do I do now?"
"Having a nice time talking to yourself?" a voice sneered. Harry jumped when he realised it was a painting talking.
"Oh shut up Phineas," Remus snapped "It's your great-great-grandson where talking about here"
"Touchy eh?" Phineas taunted
"That will be enough Phineas!" A wizened man with a long silver beard and hair, and piercing blue eyes crossed the room.
"Fine then," Phineas shot back "just make sure that this lunatic here gets on with the job, Merlin knows he's taking long enough. I'd rather not have a vacant great-great-god son you know." And with that he crossed his arms, stuck his nose in the air, and marched out of his frame.
Albus Dumbledore made his way over to his gigantic, claw-footed desk.
*How did I know that?* thought Harry *Oh well*
"Hello Albus" Remus greeted him rather dully.
"Now Remus, you know Phineas was making that up!"
Remus snorted "Merlin knows he was close enough to the truth."
"Remus." Dumbledore warned
"What?" snapped Remus "He was right, and you know it. I'm taking far too long."
"No you haven't, its quite under-"
"WHEN DO YOU THINK 'FAR TOO LONG' WILL BE ALBUS? WHEN SIRIUS IS 65? IT'S BEEN 6 BLOODY YEARS! IS THAT NOT LONG ENOUGH?!"
Remus was on his feet, screaming at the old man before him.
"HOW CAN YOU BE SO CHEERFUL? HOW CAN YOU BE SO OPTIMISTIC?"
Dumbledore just sat there.
"I AM LOSING ALL MY FRIENDS ALBUS! ONE OF IS DEAD, ANOTHER IS IN AZKABAN! SIRIUS IS ALL I HAVE LEFT AND HE'S FADING! HOW CAN YOU TELL ME THAT IT WILL BE FINE? HE DOESN'T TALK, HE DOESN'T RESPOND! HE'S DYING, ALBUS, AND YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO TELL ME THAT 6 YEARS IS ALRIGHT? I'M RUNNING OUT OF TIME!"
Remus collapsed into his chair, breathing heavily.
Dumbledore sighed. "Remus -"
"Don't give me any more of your crap"
"I'm not going to," he replied calmly, "you said nothing you tried will work?"
Remus just glared at him.
"Then I have the necessary papers here, you may collect Mr Potter in the morning"
Remus was in mid-glare when he realised what Dumbledore had said
"huh?" he asked dumbly "you mean I can get Harry?"
"Yes Remus" "Thankyou" he said with relief "but don't think I'm not mad at you. I'm still absolutely furious" he fixed Dumbledore with another icy glare, then strode towards the fireplace, and disappeared into the flames.
"Well," remarked Dumbledore, "that was an interesting experience"
Harry stared, dumbfounded, as fog swirled around him, and took him away.
~*~*~*~
Sorry *sheepish grin* I know I said 10 minutes, but then ff.net went all psycho and wouldn't let me in to post this :( *Arrrrrr*