Truths
By Neurotica
Eighteen
"Well?" said a cold drawl as Wormtail scurried through the office door.
"T-they have been sent," Wormtail stuttered, wringing his hands together nervously.
"And?" Lucius Malfoy sneered, surveying the man before him with disgust.
"I-I don't know what has h-happened yet."
Malfoy rolled his eyes. "What of our other—deed?" He shuffled his papers around as Wormtail continued to stutter and stammer.
"H-he is gaining strength." Wormtail gulped. "H-he w-wishes to see y-you."
Malfoy sighed heavily. He should have known this moment would come sooner rather than later, though he would have preferred later. "Very well," he said softly, unconsciously rubbing his left forearm. "I shall arrive there at midnight tomorrow. It would do us no good for any—Muggle—to realize something is going on."
Wormtail nodded furiously. "I will i-inform him."
Malfoy returned to his paperwork and looked up only when he noticed Wormtail was still standing in the door frame of his study. "Why are you still here?" he growled, pointing his wand at Wormtail. "OUT!"
Wormtail jumped in alarm and Apparated back to Little Hangleton.
Malfoy continued on with his paperwork as if nothing had occurred.
Night had fallen upon the home of Sirius, Remus, and Harry hours ago, and it wasn't much better than the day that had passed. Far from being pleasant, the day had been the exact same every hour: Harry would drift off to sleep and—Dreamless Sleep Potion or not—would wake up screaming no more than thirty minutes later. Remus and Sirius had a shrewd idea of what was troubling Harry—his past would give anyone nightmares—but since he wouldn't tell them about the nightmares, they couldn't be certain.
As a result, neither Remus nor Sirius had gotten much rest throughout the day. They had been taking turns comforting Harry when he woke, while the other would have a moment of restless relaxation.
Remus walked quietly from Harry's bedroom, leaving the door wide open. As he went into the living room, he noticed Sirius wasn't on the sofa he had been on when Remus left him. Instead, he was pacing around the living room with his hands linked behind his head. Remus collapsed into the sofa and watched his friend for a moment, but after a while, it only made Remus want to pace as well. "You're going to wear a hole into the floor if you keep that up, Sirius," Remus said softly.
Sirius jumped; he hadn't realized Remus had reentered the room. He stopped his pacing, sat next to Remus on the sofa, and ran a tired hand through his long hair. "How is he?" he asked, staring at the fireplace opposite him.
"Same," the other replied with a sigh. "He still won't say what his nightmares are about. And now he wants the desk lamp on before we leave."
Sirius nodded and reached into his robes. "Dumbledore owled," he said, handing the letter out to Remus.
Remus looked up quickly from the spot on the carpet he had been staring at and took the parchment from Sirius. He read it to himself.
Dear Remus and Sirius,
Just after I left your home last evening, I immediately spoke with Madam Bones. She sent a team of Aurors to Azkaban and discovered that three dementors had indeed left their posts in the past days.
They did not, however, say why they left. The Azkaban wizard guards are under the impression that the three dementors have merely strayed from their posts, happened to cross the sea, and found Sirius and Harry in the forest.
Madam Bones wants to believe this as well.
I, on the other hand, do not think such things. This could mean many different things at the moment. Things I do not wish to voice aloud or on parchment just yet. The Minister has assured me that they will continue working day and night to discover the 'true' reason of the attack. Until that time, be on your guard—in the immortal words of Alastor Moody: Constant Vigilance. Please send word if you require absolutely anything.
My best to Harry.
Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
Remus reread the letter to make sure he didn't miss anything—perhaps something was written in invisible ink? His brow furrowed in frustration. "Well, this didn't tell us anything we couldn't have figured out on our own. Except that Azkaban needs new guards..."
"I know," Sirius muttered. "Do you think Dumbledore has any idea what's going on?"
"I hope so. If he doesn't, we're all screwed. I don't care what Amelia Bones wants to believe, or what those damn wizard guards think happened. Dementors don't stray unless they are ordered to do so. They don't act on their own free will," Remus said angrily.
"That's not true, though. That's like saying werewolves don't act on their own free will, and we all know you have a better mind than half the wizards in this country. Dementors may be foul, filthy creatures, but they knew what they were doing. How do you think Voldemort persuaded them to the dark side during the war?"
Remus rubbed his hands over his face. "I know all that. And don't compare a werewolf to dementors... that's an insult... The dementors are supposed to be under Ministry control. There was a two-page article in the Prophet not long after Voldemort disappeared covering it."
"Must have missed that edition," Sirius replied under his breath. Remus sent him a sharp look. "All I'm saying, Remus, is that dementors are not mindless creatures. They seem to know just who their favorite prisoners are." Sirius shuddered. "Dementors have the power to act on their own free will, my friend."
Remus shook his head. "No, there's a bigger explanation for all this. Something big is going on."
"Maybe they just didn't want to let me go so easily, and have only just found me," Sirius replied thoughtfully.
"That's not funny, Sirius," Remus said firmly.
"Wasn't supposed to be," Sirius replied darkly. "What do you think they were doing here?"
Remus thought for a moment, forming his thoughts aloud. "The dementors haven't been out of Ministry control since Voldemort's days. Maybe this means..." Remus trailed off looking horrified at the conclusion he had formed.
Sirius narrowed his eyes. "What? You think he's coming back?"
Remus said nothing as he stared at the empty fireplace.
"Remus, listen to me. Voldemort's not back. He's not coming back. There is some other explanation that we are just looking over. There has to be," Sirius added pleadingly.
Remus took a deep shuddering breath and opened his mouth to reply when Harry's screams cut through the room.
Sirius stood immediately and practically sprinted to his godson's room. He turned on the overhead light and went to Harry's side. The boy was drenched in sweat and tears, and was very pale. Sirius sat on the bed with Harry and the child instantly latched onto Sirius for comfort.
"Shh, it's okay, Harry," Sirius said soothingly, rubbing Harry's back. "It's all right. We're here, we're safe."
After ten minutes or so, Harry's heavy sobbing became lighter, but he still held onto Sirius tightly.
"Harry?" Sirius whispered. Harry groaned slightly, showing he was awake and attentive. "You want to tell me what you were dreaming about?"
They'd been asking this question throughout the day, and the response hadn't changed since the last time Sirius had asked. Harry shook his head and buried himself deeper into Sirius' chest.
Sirius sighed. "Okay. Just remember, Remus and I are here if you want to tell us, okay?"
Harry barely nodded.
An hour later, Sirius still hadn't returned from Harry's bedroom. Curious and concerned, Remus stood from his spot on the sofa and went back to check on them. Sirius was fast asleep on Harry's bed, with one leg dangling to the floor. Harry was curled up comfortably practically on top of him. Remus covered the two of them with a blanket Harry had kicked of the bed sometime during the night, shut off the overhead light, and went back to the living room. He stretched out on the sofa once more, and was asleep in a matter of minutes.
The next morning, Remus awoke to the fragrance of bacon and French toast. Curious, he stiffly stood from the sofa and crossed into the kitchen, stretching.
Sirius stood at the stove, fully dressed in new robes, cooking breakfast. Remus raised an eyebrow. He had only seen Sirius cook on one other occasion, and that had resulted in James' kitchen being temporarily destroyed.
Remus sat at the kitchen table and watched Sirius' back for a moment. "Since when do you cook?" he asked with a smile.
Without turning around, Sirius replied, "Since when aren't you up at the crack of dawn?"
Remus chuckled and looked at the kitchen clock. It was 10:30 in the morning. He sighed. "Lack of sleep does that. How's Harry?"
Sirius placed a few slices of French toast and bacon on a plate and handed it to a grateful Remus. "Still asleep, thank Merlin. Poor kid's exhausted." He went back to the stove to make his own plate, and retrieved a jug of pumpkin juice from the fridge.
Remus nodded. "I can't say I blame him. Wasn't exactly a day at the park was it?"
Sirius snorted humorlessly as he crossed the kitchen to sit across from Remus. "Worse than being back in Azkaban."
"How so?" Remus asked skeptically. He didn't believe anything was worse than being in Azkaban.
"For one, you come to expect a dementor to come at you from behind in Azkaban. For two," he hesitated, "the memories were worse this time. And for three, Harry was there. If I would have been just a little slower with my patronus…" Sirius trailed off, staring at the table.
Remus sighed. He had been so wrapped up in Harry's experience, he hadn't stopped to think of the effect the dementors would have had on Sirius. "Well, you weren't slow," he assured his friend. "And Harry's going to be just fine. Pomfrey said—"
Sirius interrupted. "What do you think his worst memory is?" he asked quietly, knowing the answer.
Remus was taken aback by the question. "Er—well, I suppose it would be Halloween..."
Sirius nodded slightly. "Yeah, that's what I thought too."
"Did he tell you anything?"
"No," Sirius said thickly through his bacon. "Wouldn't say a word."
Remus nodded. "Maybe he'll tell us today." He took a bite of his French toast and smiled. "Not bad, Padfoot."
Sirius smiled into his pumpkin juice. "It's not too hard when you have a wand." He smiled more broadly. "And James isn't trying to 'help' you."
Remus laughed. "So why are you so dressed up this early in the morning? Normally you're in your pajamas until noon."
"I have to meet with Mad-Eye today to discuss going back to the Ministry."
"Today?"
"Well, it was supposed to be yesterday, but I Flooed Auror Headquarters while you were asleep, and he told me to come today instead," Sirius explained.
Remus nodded. "Maybe I'll take Harry and go talk to Dumbledore while you're gone, see if he has any new news."
"Okay," Sirius said, standing and taking his plate to the sink. He turned back around slowly to face Remus and cleared his throat. "Er—Remus? Are we—you know—okay, after the other day?" he muttered anxiously.
It was the closest Sirius had ever come to apologizing in all the time Remus had known him. He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, of course. I'm sorry, too. Just forget about it, Sirius."
Sirius smiled in relief. "Brilliant. Well, on that note, I must be going. I've got to be there by eleven." He walked from the kitchen to his bedroom and returned a minute later. "Here, take my two-way mirror, I've got James'. Let me know if anything happens." Remus took the mirror. "You do remember how they work, right, Moony?" Sirius said, grinning.
"Har har. Get the hell out of here." Remus laughed. "Talk to you tonight."
"See you," Sirius said before he Disapparated with a pop.
Two hours later, Remus arrived at the Hogwarts gates with Harry in his arms. Harry hadn't said much since he had awoken. He only asked where Sirius had gone, and would only answer questions with a nod or shake of his head. Remus had offered him breakfast, but Harry wouldn't eat.
Remus sat Harry gently on the ground, and the six-year-old immediately took a tight hold on his elder's hand. His other arm was wrapped tightly around his stuffed stag. Together, they walked across the grounds to the large castle doors. They may have seemed heavy at first sight, but Remus pushed them open without any difficulty. The wizard attempted to spark a conversation with Harry about the portraits they were passing to no avail. Harry kept his head down and allowed Remus to lead him through the Hogwarts corridors.
They reached the stone gargoyle and Remus said the password ("Ice Mice") that Dumbledore told them to use if they needed to see him. Up the spiraling staircase, Remus raised his fist to knock just as the door swung open. Remus allowed Harry to walk in first, but kept a reassuring grasp on his hand.
"Remus, Harry, what a surprise," Dumbledore said, standing.
Unfortunately for Remus, Dumbledore was not alone in the office, and Remus recognized the back of that greasy head instantly. He groaned inwardly. "I, er, hope we're not interrupting anything, Albus," Remus said as he and Snape exchanged looks.
Snape's lip curled as he spotted Harry.
"Not at all, Remus," Dumbledore said cheerfully, ignoring the blatant animosity between his former students. "Severus and I were just finishing our discussion about his lesson plans for the coming year. Please, have a seat."
Remus led Harry to the sofa next to Dumbledore's desk and sat. Harry crawled into Remus' lap and buried his head in Remus' cloak a second later.
Dumbledore raised his eyes in concern, and turned back to Snape. "I will come by the dungeons later this afternoon to resume this conversation, Severus."
"Very well, Headmaster." Snape stood and swept from the room, but not without a final look of hatred shot towards Remus.
"What can I do for you this afternoon, Remus?" Dumbledore asked, taking his seat once again.
Remus pulled his eyes from the door, adjusted Harry slightly on his lap, and sighed. "I was just wondering if you'd heard anymore word on the dementors, sir."
Dumbledore's eyes flashed at the door Snape had just gone through for half a second, and looked back to Remus. "I have not. There is still no word from Azkaban as to why they left in the first place, and I have come to no further conclusions."
Remus nodded pensively, looking at an empty portrait of a former headmaster on Dumbledore's wall. "I had a thought, sir," he said hesitantly.
Dumbledore's eyes surveyed Remus. "You believe this may signal the return of Voldemort." Remus snapped his eyes back to the old wizard in surprise. Dumbledore sighed heavily. "I myself have gone over that option as well."
Remus waited for Dumbledore to continue, but the elder moved his eyes to Fawkes who was sleeping on his golden perch. "And what do you think, sir?" Remus asked quietly.
"I do not know," Dumbledore replied still looking at his faithful bird. "I have been attempting to gather more information on the matter, but at the moment, I am as out of the loop as you are, as the saying goes."
They two wizards shared a long thoughtful silence. Harry stirred once, making himself more comfortable, and pulling his stag closer to his chest. Remus looked down at his surrogate godson and ran a comforting hand across his back.
"Sir, would you mind if I asked you a question? Please, tell me if you can't answer, but I was curious about something." Dumbledore nodded for Remus to continue. With another look at Harry's scruffy head, he began hesitantly. "Well, Sirius and I were explaining things to Harry—things about Voldemort, and Lily and James. Sirius mentioned something to me concerning Harry. Something about a prophecy..." Remus trailed off with a look at Dumbledore's face.
The Headmaster sat back in his chair, his fingers laced beneath his chin and beard. "Sirius knows of the prophecy?" he asked quietly.
"Er, yes, James told him of it after you told him and Lily."
"I see. And I suppose you would like to know what that prophecy says," Dumbledore stated.
"If you can't tell me, I understand," Remus said quickly.
Dumbledore slowly shook his head, and with a heavy sigh, he rose from his chair and crossed his office to a large cabinet. Dumbledore retrieved a stone basin that Remus recognized as a pensieve. Carefully, Dumbledore brought the pensieve back to his desk and sat back down. He looked at Remus with sad eyes. "I believe you have a right to know what this prophecy says and means. It will make things simpler, and you can explain it to Harry once he is older."
Remus looked on in eager curiosity, a slight feeling of foreboding forming in his stomach, as he watched Dumbledore raise his wand to his temple and retrieve a shining strand of thought. He placed the silvery tip of his wand to the pensieve and swirled the contents.
"Just over six years ago, I met with an applicant for Divination professor. By the end of this meeting I was sure the entire day was a mistake. As I was walking out the door, the applicant began to go into a trance," Dumbledore explained.
A figure rose from the gray mist of the pensieve, and Remus looked on as Sibyll Trelawney began her first ever Prophecy...