Title: A Final Farewell
Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to the very talented Mrs. Rowling
Summary: Harry gets a final farewell from Sirius
Author's Note: I felt bad that Sirius and Harry never got to say goodbye, so I wrote this late one night to ease my pain. I hope you like it. Please review. (1-parter)
The boys' dormitories in the Gryffindor common room had been abandoned some time ago. Below, trunks were being loaded into carriages as the students prepared to make the journey to Hogsmeade Station. The end of term had come, and everyone was anxious to get home; everyone, that is, except for Harry Potter.
He, alone, remained in the dormitory. He had told Ron that he needed to pack his trunk and that he would meet him down in the common room, but he couldn't seem to find the strength to move. As he sat on his bed he gazed down into his nearly empty trunk. Then, he spotted it. A small, badly wrapped package was sitting in the corner, partially hidden by one of his school robes. Harry pulled it out and examined it. At first he didn't recall where it had come from, but than he remembered the last day of Christmas holidays.
/Flashback/
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"A way of letting me know if Snape's giving you a hard time. No, don't open it here!" said Sirius, with a wary look at Mrs. Weasley. "I doubt Molly would approve - but I want you to use it if you need me, all right?"
/End of Flashback/
Harry had thought back then that he would never use whatever was inside the package. He hadn't wanted to be the one to lure Sirius from his place of safety. Harry laughed bitterly to himself. A lot of good that had done. In the end, he was the reason Sirius had left Number 12 Grimmauld Place. The reason Sirius was…
Harry choked back tears as he unwrapped the package and threw the paper back into his trunk. In his hands was a small, square mirror. He gazed into it and saw his reflection starring back at him. He flipped it over. On the reverse side was a scribbled note from Sirius.
This is a two-way mirror. I've got the
other. If you need to speak to me, just
say my name into it; you'll appear in my
mirror and I'll be able to talk in yours.
James and I used to use them when we
were in separate detentions.
Harry's heart began to race as he flipped the mirror over again. He took a deep breath and than said clearly, "Sirius Black."
He waited.
Nothing.
"Sirius Black." he said again, this time louder. Still nothing. Just his own reflection.
Harry threw the mirror into his trunk and heard the glass shatter. He dropped his head into his hands and burst into tears. Had he really thought that he'd be able to talk to Sirius again? He'd seen Bellatrix Lestrange hit him with a curse. He'd seen Sirius fall through the veil. But part of him just hoped that maybe, just maybe, Sirius hadn't really left him.
Suddenly, Harry lifted his head from his hands, and his tears began to slow. His mind shifted from that horrible memory in the Department of Mysteries to one of the first conversations he'd ever had with his godfather - about two years ago.
/Flashback/
"I'm sure you're tired of hearing this," said Sirius, his hands on the sides of Harry's face, "but you look so like your father. Except for you eyes. You've got—"
"—my mother's eyes." Harry said, smiling.
"Its cruel that I got to spend so much time with James and Lily and you so little. But know this - the ones that love us never really leave us. And you can always find them," he placed a hand over Harry's heart, "in here."
/End of Flashback/
Harry lifted his hand to his chest and smiled at the memory. He gazed down at the broken mirror in his trunk. He'd have to ask Hermione to fix it for him. It would be nice to have it to remember Sirius by.
As Harry prepared to begin packing his things, something else in the trunk caught his eye. Lying amongst the crumpled brown paper and the shards of glass - was a folded piece of parchment. Harry could think of only one thing that it could be. With trembling fingers, he reached down to retrieve it. After unfolding it, he realized that he was right. In his hands, he held a note from Sirius. He took a steadying breath, wiped his eyes, and began to read.
Dear Harry,
I know that this year hasn't exactly been one of your best. When you were here for Christmas holiday I wanted so badly to just sit you down and offer you some words of encouragement, but every time I tried I could never seem to find the right words. So, I abandoned my failed attempts at parental advice, and grabbed a quill and some parchment.
As hard as this may be for you to believe Harry, I know exactly how you feel. Bloody useless. Like you're just sitting around, waiting for something terrible to happen. You know that it's coming, and that you can't do anything to stop it. And that scares you. But what scares you even more is the thought that you might not be able to do anything when it does happen. That you won't be ready. But don't worry. You will be. How do I know? Because I see a little bit more of your father in you everyday.
Something terrible is going to happen in the near future. We know that. We have to accept it. But don't give up, Harry. You may not have all the answers right now, but when the time comes you'll know what to do. You'll be ready. You WILL be ready.
All my love,
Sirius
Harry starred down at the letter, and couldn't help but feel a little more encouraged. Suddenly, Ron came through the dormitory door, interrupting his thoughts.
"You ready?" he asked.
Harry glanced back down at the letter in his lap.
"Yeah…yeah. I'm ready."
The End