AN: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed! Most of the questions that were asked about Harry's magic (and Sirius') will be answered in the chapter after this.
Fire of the Angel: How is Harry being too vulnerable? And what about the characterizations? In order to address these questions, I'll need them to more in depth than just 'I think this isn't correct. Please fix them.'
Chapter 9
Siri held down his panic as he felt Harry slump against him. Across from him, Ron and Hermione's eyes widened. Hermione recovered first and leaned towards Ron, blocking the view from the Slytherin table. Siri looked up at Remus and waited to catch his eye, every second seeming to take an hour. Remus finally looked his way, Dumbledore standing once more. Siri nodded his head towards Harry.
Remus' eyes widened, and he leaned over to speak to McGonagall, across Snape. Siri barely acknowledged Snape's scowl as he watched for McGonagall's reaction. The Transfiguration professor looked their way, a startled and worried look on her face, and hurriedly spoke with Dumbledore.
The headmaster sent a quick note down the table to where Sinistra was sitting at the end. The Astronomy professor's eyes widened, and she looked up at Siri. She held up a white noted that was balled up. A quick throw and it landed in Siri's lap. He unfolded it quickly to reveal a knut. Grabbing Harry's shoulders, Siri took hold of the knut and felt the tug at his navel that signaled use of a portkey.
They landed on the floor just inside the door to the infirmary. Siri carefully stood up. "Mobilicorpus," he said, pointing his wand at Harry. Even in his near-panicked state, he could remember the last time he used the spell - Snape in the Shrieking Shack. He was much more careful this time as he guided Harry onto the nearest bed.
Madam Pomfrey came through just as Siri had gotten Harry comfortable.
"What's the problem with Mr. Potter this time?" the nurse asked as she came forward.
Siri shrugged. "I have no idea," he said. "He got really stiff during the Sorting Hat's song and then he just slumped against me as Professor McGonagall finished reading the names of the first years."
Pomfrey nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Greystone. Professor Dumbledore will be up here soon to talk with you and Mr. Potter."
He nodded and stood off to one side, wondering what had happened to make Harry pass out like that.
Dumbledore joined him forty-five minutes later, Dobby tottering behind him with a tray loaded with food. His eyes twinkled as he said, "I thought you would appreciate a bite to eat, Mr. Greystone."
Siri gave a wry smile. Trust Dumbledore to remember he hadn't eaten.
Madam Pomfrey came out of her office and bustled over to Harry's bed.
"How is our patient?" Dumbledore asked the school's nurse.
Pomfrey huffed. "Mr. Potter has somehow managed to become magically drained between the time I talked to him this afternoon and the feast."
"What?!" Siri exclaimed, as the headmaster nodded.
"Is there a cause?"
The nurse shook her head. "Nothing showed up on my scan."
Siri leaned over to take hold of Harry's hand.
Dumbledore sighed. "I suspect it may have been a case of a Legillimancy attack, then." He caught Siri's eyes. "He obviously beat it off, but Harry must have used a little too much energy in repelling Voldemort's attack."
Pomfrey flinched, and Siri reflexively clenched Harry's hand tighter.
"Not so tight, Siri," a voice came from the bed.
"You feeling okay?" Siri leaned over and asked.
Harry smiled up at him. "Good. Bit of a headache, though."
Pomfrey humphed. "I see how it is, Mr. Potter," she said, startling both Siri and Harry. "I believe I will have to have Mr. Greystone here so that I may learn what is wrong with you." Siri held back his laughter at Harry's scowl. "You are one of the most stubborn people - patient or otherwise - I have ever met."
Dumbledore gave a hearty chuckle at that, his eyes still twinkling. Once he calmed down, he sat down on the other side of Harry's bed from Siri.
"I'm afraid that I must ask you if it was Voldemort or not, Harry," the headmaster asked.
Harry carefully nodded his head. "Yeah, it was. I could feel it...."
:1:1:
Harry curled up against Siri, feeling his warmth. Once Dumbledore had been satisfied, Madam Pomfrey had wanted Siri to go up to Gryffindor tower. Harry had protested, finally using his 'not feeling well' card. Siri had then curled up beside Harry, and he had felt his body relax into sleep. Harry had been unable to sleep, though, his mind still whirling with a hundred dozen thoughts.
Dumbledore had listened to Harry with a steady face, but the twinkle had shown up at the end of Harry's explanation. That was frustrating, because Harry didn't understand why the headmaster was happy.
Harry certainly wasn't happy.
"'Ry?"
Siri's sleep-hoarse whisper roused him from his brooding.
"Need to sleep, Harry," he continued, pulling Harry tighter against him. Siri pressed a light kiss behind Harry's ear. "Worry in the morning."
Harry put his hand over Siri's, twining their fingers together. "I will, Siri. I will."
Harry sighed as he sat on his bed, tired after his busy day. September had flown by faster than he ever could have imagined. After getting out of Madam Pomfrey's clutches, he and Siri had met up with Ron and Hermione, who had refused to look at each other.
Harry had tried for a week to get them to say what had happened, but they refused. So Harry had gone off with Siri, glad that he could use this as an excuse to 'get closer' to Siri. Ron had been hurt at first, but Harry had told both he and Hermione that he wasn't going to play favorites between his two best friends while they themselves were fighting.
Two weeks into school and Harry had had enough of it. Luring them to the Room of Requirement, he'd made it so that they only way Ron and Hermione could leave was if they made up. Harry shoved them in, closed the door, and pulled Siri off to a dark corner in the library to talk, but they'd ended up having what Siri called a 'make-out session.'
Ron and Hermione had sheepishly crawled into the Gryffindor common room and apologized to Harry.
Harry had then made them squirm as the rest of the Gyrffindors watched on as they explained they had been fighting over Harry's collapse and what they should do. Ron had wanted to wait until Harry was ready to talk about it - and Harry had silently agreed with this argument - while Hermione had wanted to ask the next morning. From there it had escalated to who knew best for Harry.
He felt loved, really he did, but it was a bit overwhelming to know that he was the reason his friends were fighting.
Harry and Siri had paired up in most classes. While Ron had been a little hurt, he'd listened to Harry when he said to use this as an excuse to get closer to Hermione. Now those two were almost as inseparable as Harry and Siri were.
Harry did feel a little guilty, every once in a while, about not being able to tell his friends. It was safer for them not to know, though. Siri had helped where he could in that respect - even if it led to scrunching together in a closet to escape Filch on the way to the kitchen. Most night they never made it that far.
Now it was the last weekend of October, and Harry was gearing up for the first Quidditch game. It was against Ravenclaw, and Harry wondered how Cho was going to act around him. So far she had avoided him, except for DA meetings. The two they had held so far - with Dumbledore's full permission - had consisted of Cho hanging in the back and not looking at either Harry or Siri. Harry didn't feel any guilt, because he knew they'd both been to blame.
Ron smacked him on the shoulder and almost knocked Harry over with the sudden movement.
"Ready, Harry?"
Harry glared at him, but couldn't hold the expression at the excitement in his friend's eyes. He wasn't going to let Ron down after the disappointment of tryouts.
"Harry?"
He smiled at Ginny as she made her way to the entrance to the pitch. Behind her were the other new chasers: Natalie McDonald, who was a third year, and Roman Scaerplius, a second year. Kirke and Sloper finally left, revealing Siri standing in the doorway.
Ron laughed and hit his elbow into Harry's side. "Look, Harry! Your boyfriend's worried about you," he razzed.
Harry smacked a fist into Ron's shoulder, then smiled at Siri. "A minute, then?"
Ron nodded. "Sure thing. You've recited your pep talk about a billion times. I think that I could say it in my sleep." He laughed as he left the room.
Siri moved towards Harry. "I'm sorry to have to do this, Harry, but Remus thinks he's gotten a credible lead on where Wormtail is."
Harry stepped back in shock. "What?" No, Sirius could not be doing this. It was not possible that he was doing this now, ten minutes before Harry's quidditch game.
Siri's face drooped. "He wants me to go with him, Harry."
Harry closed his eyes and clenched his fists tightly.
"Harry," Siri breathed into his ear. He was close enough that Harry could feel his body heat. "I won't leave unless you want me to."
Something unfurled in Harry's belly. He was being selfish, wanting Sirius to watch his match. There would be other matches, but there might not be another chance to catch Wormtail for quite a while.
Harry enveloped Siri in a hug. "Go. And good luck on the rat hunting." He tightened his arms in a brief squeeze.
"You sure?" Siri asked, returning the hug.
Harry nodded. "Go on now, and catch the bastard." Harry gave Siri a shy kiss on the cheek.
"You bet I will." Siri pecked his lips and pulled away. "Have a good game, Harry."
He watched Sirius walk out the door and said, "I will" as Ron yelled for him to get moving.
Sirius tiredly rubbed his hand across his eyes and looked across their little encampment at Remus. The amber-eyed man was dozing lightly and seemed to twitch at every little sound in the vicinity. Sirius himself had just woken up and was readying himself to take over watch from Tonks.
Remus had discovered a hiding place of Wormtail's, and now they were keeping watch on it for the next time he came to it. Dumbledore had sent Tonks after a couple of days, to help relieve the two men. The headmaster had been concerned at the lack of action, but also the fact that neither Sirius nor Remus were getting the rest they needed when Wormtail finally appeared.
The bad part about the youthfulness that Harry had wrapped around Sirius was that the puppy named Monster couldn't track smells very well. As Padfoot, Sirius had been able to track three to four scents at a time. Monster's form, however, couldn't quite distinguish scents as well. Still, Sirius had persevered with using Monster's nose to track their quarry to the apparition point Wormtail used when coming to this particular hiding place.
This was the spot they were now watching, and Sirius knew it was only a matter of time for his old friend to make an appearance. The intelligence they had received about Voldemort's activities indicated that he was using Wormtail as a go-between the various Inner Circle Death Eaters. Sirius knew that Wormtail would take any opportunity to get away from Voldemort, yet still be in the man's employ.
Was he a man? Sirius thought as he nodded at Tonks, sitting down next to her at the appointed time. Or was he now some odd type of demon that Harry had described from the Muggle fairy tales he'd read in grammar school?
A smile crossed his lips as he thought of Harry. When Tonks had arrived, she had told he and Remus that Gryffindor had smashed Ravenclaw into the ground, winning with the score 370 to 90. She had also added that Harry had done the perfect Wronski Feint, which had led to Cho Change burying her broom handle into the pitch when she tried to follow. Sirius wondered if she'd been annoying Harry so much that he'd resorted to such a move. He knew the past between those two, but he knew that Harry would never try to harm her, even if Sirius himself wanted her to know what she'd done to Harry.
Sirius would take back everything he'd ever said about Harry being a fine flyer, just as James had been. He knew that Harry was a much better flyer than James ever was, and much better than anybody else at the school. He was still the smallest of the seekers, but not by much. The Hufflepuff seeker had shot up to rival Ron's height. Judging by Harry's performance, it was only a matter of time before the pro scouts would come calling.
A snap of a twig alerted him to movement, off to the left. Sirius roused himself from his musing and looked in that direction, only to see a ghostly outline in the almost-full moonlight. The pale light glinted off of a silver hand, its unnaturalness emphasized by the fact the rest of the outline was flesh by comparison.
Sirius saw that Wormtail's appearance had deteriorated even further since the last time he'd seen him in the Shrieking Shack. The once pudgy man had lost weight rapidly enough to leave great masses of flabby skin hanging from his chin and arms. The dark mark stood out on his pale skin, glittering menacingly in the moonlight.
That was when Sirius realized that it was the first night of the full moon. It was the night when Remus was most like a wolf, trapped in a man's body. He silently hurried back to their camp, worried about Tonks. He arrived to find Tonks petting Remus' hair like one would a favored dog. She gave a bewildered grin before it changed to questioning.
"What is it?" she asked.
"He's here," Sirius stated grimly.
She jumped up, startling Remus from where he'd practically been laying against her legs. It seemed to jolt him enough to where he had human awareness.
"What's the problem?" Remus asked, sounding as if he wasn't all there. "Is he here?"
Sirius nodded.
Remus straightened, his face and demeanor changing to one heading off to defend their family. Sirius supposed that this situation was exactly that, so he didn't say anything. Instead, he grabbed hold of his wand - which he really appreciated Dumbledore getting for him - and gathered the cage that McGonagall had transfigured and Flitwick had charmed. It was unbreakable, and Wormtail would be unable to change into the other form, no matter which one they caught him in. Sirius was personally hoping for his rat form, so that Monster could take a bite. Or two.
Wormtail neared the small cottage he had been using, the front door swaying drunkenly to one side, while the roof had a couple of gaping holes to let the elements inside. He swung his silver hand about, like he was using it to light up the area.
Wormtail pulled a small bag closer and stepped foot onto the decaying porch, just as Remus came flying from the right, ripping the bag away and slugging the rat animagus across the nose. Blood spurted as Wormtail's head hit the wooden porch. Sirius and Tonks came upon them just as Remus landed another punch, this time in the jaw.
Sirius moved forward to pull Remus off. After all, he wanted to get a couple of smacks in on his former friend as well. Didn't he deserve it after twelve years in Azkaban because of the stinking rat?
He had just placed his foot on the porch when Wormtail recovered lightning quick. His silver hand grasped Remus around the neck, burning the werewolf's skin. Wormtail turned a fierce face in Sirius and Tonks' direction.
"Once step closer, and I'll kill him."
Sirius narrowed his eyes. He wasn't about to let his friend be killed, and he certainly wasn't about to let the rat go free. Not after all this time.
He suddenly jumped forward, pushing his wand through the silver hand, as if it were a skewer, with all his weight behind it. Wormtail was forced to let Remus go as he screamed in pain. His beady eyes looked up at Sirius with hate as he tried to move Sirius off of him.
Sirius pulled his wand out of the silver hand, a gooey, silvery essence weeping from the wound.
"You disgust me, filth," Sirius spat, making sure he hit Wormtail in the face with his saliva. "You sold your friends out for what?"
Wormtail reached out with his wounded, silver hand and tried to get it around Sirius' neck. Sirius smacked it away and wrapped his own hands around Wormtail's neck.
"I'm going to make you pay," he raged. "You'll pay for what you did to James. What you did to Lily. And especially for what you did to Harry!" He watched with a kind of glee as Wormtail's eyes bulged and his face began turning a pale blue. Sirius barely felt the fingers digging into his arms, the silver hand still having a powerful grip even with it being wounded.
He literally growled when Tonks pulled him back. She stepped back as she said, "You can't kill him, Sirius. If you do, you won't ever be free."
Sirius looked at the now unconscious form of Wormtail, then at Remus. His friend slowly and painfully shook his head 'no.' Sirius conceded the point, thinking of how happy Harry would be to publicly be able to acknowledge him, but he would prefer it without the bit about Sirius really being his godfather.
He smiled just enough to scare his companions before blacking out from the pain in his arms.
:1:1:
Sirius shuffled into the Gryffindor sixth year boys' dormitory, exhausted all through his body. Remus and Tonks had sent him back to Hogwarts two hours earlier. The last week had been hard, with this last night being the worst. He still couldn't believe that they had finally captured Wormtail.
The pain in his left arm would be sure to remind him of that fact for a while.
He'd stopped by the headmaster's office to give their report, while Remus and Tonks headed off to the ministry, where they would meet up with Kingsley and Amelia Bones. There they would set up a hearing with the Wizengamot without Fudge's knowledge. From there, it was only a matter of time before Sirius Black would be free.
Until that time, though, he wouldn't waste his time thinking about it. All Sirius wanted to do at this moment was to climb into his nice, soft bed and pretend he hadn't spent the last week in a musty tent that had shoddy plumbing. Dumbledore had sent him off to bed with a vial full of generic pain-reliever and had told him to see Madam Pomfrey in the morning. Sirius hadn't argued with that, because he wanted to see Harry rather than the inside of the hospital wing.
He crept in silently, using the almost-full moon to guide him to Harry's bed. Pulling open the curtains, Sirius discovered it empty, with the covers unslept upon. He started to panic, thinking that Harry was once again under Pomfrey's care, but it was quelled when he noticed someone lying in his own bed.
A smile crept onto his face as he moved towards the bed. Harry lay curled in a ball, and the only thing visible above the duvet was a mop of extremely messy black hair. Sirius closed the curtains and slipped under the covers, wrapping his arms carefully around the reassuringly warm body. Harry seemed to automatically nestle into Sirius' arms, the action bringing home the reality that Sirius was here and alive and well on his way to being free.
He lay quietly, snuggling up tight to a sleeping Harry, whose warm breath brushed against Sirius' neck in an even cadence. Sirius relaxed to the rhythm and it eventually soothed him to sleep.
Sirius was woken up by something tickling his nose. He scrunched and twisted it, trying to get away from the sensation. When he couldn't, he pried one eye open and found he was looking at a bunch of tousled, black hair. A smile played upon his lips and held there even as he pressed a kiss to Harry's head.
Sunlight was edging through a small gap in the bed curtains, but not enough to tell what time it really was. That didn't matter at the moment, though. Not with Harry securely in his arms. Although he could definitely use some more sleep.
The curtains were suddenly ripped apart as Ron Weasley yelled, "Rise and shine, Harry!"
Siri snickered at the shocked expression that contorted Ron's face when he caught sight of the two wrapped in each other's arms on the bed. The red head's face broke out into a smile.
"You're back! Harry's going to be happy."
Harry mumbled into Sirius' jaw.
"What's that, Harry?" Ron asked in a still-too-loud voice.
One angry, sleep-filled green eye opened as Harry moved his head up enough to glare at Ron. "I said," he began in a steady voice, "that I would be even happier if you were quieter in the morning."
Ron guffawed as Harry pulled away from Siri enough to throw the bed's lone pillow at the red head. As he left, Harry waved a hand at the curtains, closing them. He looked down at Siri from where he was half-sitting and smiled.
Siri smiled back, almost overwhelmed at the happiness on Harry's face.
"When did you get in?" Harry asked as he lay back down.
He waited until Harry was nestled against him once more, their noses barely an inch apart. "Late," Siri finally answered. "But we got him, Harry."
Harry's face lit up. "Really?"
Sirius nodded.
"Where's he now?"
He grinned when he realized just where Wormtail was at the moment.
"What?" Harry asked.
Sirius felt his grin grow wider as he said, "Right about now, Tonks and Kingsley should be holding him in custody as a trial is set before the Wizengamot and the Minister. Remus said that he would let Amelia Bones right away, and I myself let Dumbledore know last night before coming to bed."
Harry smiled at him. "Good."
Sirius looked, really looked, into the green eyes across from his own pale blue ones. In them lay happiness, love, and just the slightest be of uncertainty about what was going to happen next. It struck him suddenly that he was reading Harry's feelings. He had never done anything like that with any of the people he'd been with when he was younger.
He leaned forward, brushing his lips against Harry's. Sirius could feel Harry's emotions with his mouth, a strange yet wonderful sensation that poured through his body. He let himself sink deeper into the kiss.
When they finally parted, Siri felt like he could float to the heavens. He felt complete in a way he had never felt before, just by being with Harry like this. A beatific smile cross Harry's lips, stretching both the feeling and the moment. Sirius returned it as he pulled Harry closer to him once more, content to bask in this feeling.