Sorry I haven't updated. I've been very busy lately so here's the a very
long chapter to make up for the long delay.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter characters and THIS IS NOT MY STORY IT BELONGS TO BRZYCLOUD FROM THE HARRY POTTER BOARDS!
BACK TO SIRIUS ****************************************
Sirius sat on the end of his bed, his face in his hands. He couldn't believe this was happening. He just couldn't believe it. Dumbledore and Lupin had come over to comfort Sirius and try and track down Harry. They were both gone at the moment. They had each received phone calls from the front desk. Sirius was on the verge of tears. If anything happened to Harry...if he was hurt in anyway, Sirius had no idea what he would do. There was a loud pop and Dumbledore appeared. He hurried over to Sirius. "Jamison McFenner spotted Harry walking down muggle mainstreet, then disappearing down an alley." He said quietly. Sirius lifted his head. His eyes were bloodshot. "Did they find him?" He choked. Dumbledore shook his head. "Jamison didn't see Harry after that." He said quietly. Sirius groaned and dropped his head to his hands once again. Dumbledore sighed. "I do not understand why he left. Harry is such a smart boy..." He said angrily. Sirius sighed. "Because he can't handle living with another Dursley! He'd rather die. That's what he told me!" Sirius choked. Dumbledore stared at him. "You don't think he'd..." He bagan. Sirius brought his head up and stared at Dumbledore, tears running down his face. "No!" He yelled hoarsly. Dumbledore raised his hands. "Okay, okay. Calm down." He said quietly. Sirius was still staring at him. "Jesus!" He choked. He fell backwards onto the bed. Dumbledore sighed and watched as Sirius closed his eyes and took deep, quivering breaths. Just then, the door flung open. Lupin came in. He stared at Sirius for a minute, then turned back to Dumbledore.
"Knight Bus hasn't picked him up. They'll call me if they do." He said quietly. Dumbledore nodded. Sirius rolled over so his face was pressed into the pillow. Lupin sighed and sat down beside his friend. He rested a hand on Sirius's back. "I'm sure he's fine Padfoot. He's probably just blowing off some steam." Lupin said quietly. Sirius sighed.
Lupin was wrong however. Night came and they still had no word from Harry
BACK TO HARRY ****************************************
Harry sat, curled up under his cloak. He could see that it was dark out through the crack the he had come through. Harry shivered. It was much colder in this cave than he had expected. Harry started to shiver. He curled up on the damp floor, thinking warm thoughts. It was dragon dung what they said about thinking warm thoughts, Harry just became more depressed because he wasn't warm! He slowly drifted off into a fitfull sleep.
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Harry woke to the crack of thunder. He opened his eyes lazily. There was another crack of thunder. Harry groaned and crawled across the cave. He peered through the opening. It was pouring down rain. It was coming down in sheets. Harry sighed. At least he was dry. He went back over to his cloak and curled up. His teeth chattered as a harsh breeze circled the cave. Harry wondered what Sirius was doing right then...
BACK TO SIRIUS ****************************************
Sirius stood in front of the window of his hotel room, watching the rain fall. He hadn't slept at all last night. He was hoping he receive word from Harry, but nothing came. Sirius felt helpless. Harry could be lying in a ditch somewhere, drenched with rain. Siruis sighed. Hedwig was going nutters in her cage, hooting and screeching. Lupin let her out. Hedwig flew around the room, screeching. She was obviously wondering about Harry. "I don't know where he is Hedwig!" Sirius snapped. The snowy owl stopped screeching and perched on top of her cage. Dumbledore sighed. He had just returned from a meeting with the Weasleys. "Ron has heard nothing from Harry." He said quietly. Sirius bowed his head. All he wanted was to know Harry was okay. That's all he wanted. "Maybe he went to get back at the muggles." Lupin said quietly. Dumbledore shook his head. "Arabelle has seen nothing to indicate Harry has been anywhere near Privet Drive." He explained. Sirius slammed his fist against the window. "I'm not just gonna sit here!" He spat. Lupin watched as Siruis grabbed his cloak and a blanket. "Sirius, where are you going?" Lupin asked hastily. Sirius grabbed the door handle. "I am going to the only place I can think of that Harry would take refuge at." He said quietly. Dumbledore stared at him for a moment. "You think he would go to Hogwarts?" He asked, doubt in his voice. Sirius nodded, then left the room, clutching the folded blanket.
Sirius was close, but not right. Would he figure out Harry's secret hiding place, or just let it slip his mind?
Sirius apparated to Hogsmade. The little village was empty, do to the downpour. Sirius didn't care though, he was going to find Harry if he was at Hogwarts. The large castle was illuminated against the dark sky. Sirius made his way down the dirt road, the blanket tucked under his robes, safe from the rain. He passed the turnstile and entered the Hogwarts grounds. Sirius sighed. He removed his wand and muttered a finding spell. If Harry was at Hogwarts, a golden bubble would emerge from the end of Sirius's wand. A minute later, a bubble appeared. It wasn't gold though, it was purple. That meant Harry wasn't there. Sirius bowed his head and turned around, making his way to Hogsmade. He figured he'd stop in at the Three Broomsticks and warm up a bit. The little pub was empty, except for Madame Rosmerta, who was scrubbing the counter down. She smiled when she saw him. "Sirius Black.." She said, a grin on her face. Sirius sighed. "Rosmerta..." He replied with no emotion in his voice. Rosmerta was staring at him. "I knew you were innocent." She said abruptly. Sirius glanced at her and sighed. "One of few..." He muttered as he sat down.
Rosmerta sighed, filled a tankard with butterbeer and placed it in front of Sirius. Sirius gave her an appreciative look and drank deeply from the tankard. Rosmerta watched him with interest. "What's troubling you dear?" She asked kindly. Sirius sighed and placed the tankard back on the bar. "I've just got a lot on my mind." Sirius said. He wasn't going to mention that Harry was missing. That would be the highlite of Voldemort's week to learn that. Rosmerta sighed. "Whatever you say Sirius." She said sweetly. She left Sirius and went around cleaning the tables. After Sirius was done his butterbeer, he left a couple of sickles and knuts on the bar and left, back into the downpour. Sirius stood in the middle of the street. He smiled sadly as he remembered when he had hidden in the mountain cave during the Triwizard Tournament. He had been there for Harry...but where was Harry now? Probably wandering a dangerous muggle street... Sirius sighed and disapparated as a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky.
****************************************
When Sirius appeared in the hotel room, he was drenched from head to toe. Lupin stood up quickly. "Any sign of him?" He asked hopefully. Sirius ran his fingers through his soaking wet hair and sighed. "Nothing." He said in a hoarse whisper. He pulled off his cloak and went into the bathroom. He stripped off his robes and stood there in his boxers. Sirius towel dried his hair and ran a comb through it. "Remus, could you throw me some sweats and a shirt?" Sirius asked quietly. "Yup." Remus called back. There was a minute, then he handed Sirius some clothes. A pair of grey sweatpants and a red shirt. Sirius pulled the sweatpants on, then stared at the shirt. It was the shirt Harry had worn just a few days ago. Sirius's hands were shaking as he emerged from the bathroom, holding the shirt. Lupin stared at his friend. Sirius lifted the shirt to his nose and inhaled. It still smelled like Harry. His eyes started to water. He clutched the shirt close to him and stared at Lupin. They were the only two in the hotel room... Lupin could see how upset his friend was. "Padfoot..." He began gently. Sirius clutched the shirt tightly. "I can't do this!" He yelled. Tears splashed down his face. Lupin watched helplessly as his friend broke down. This wasn't how Sirius Black was. This wasn't the tough guy that like to play pranks back at Hogwarts. This was Sirius Black the godfather...the parent. It was eating him up that he had no idea where Harry was. It was killing him.
2 DAYS LATER...JULY 12TH ****************************************
Harry was half asleep under his cloak. He was weak from lack of food and drink. He had been gone four days now. The downpour had continued and Harry's cave now had a small puddle in the middle which was growing rapidly. It appeared there was a crack in the ceiling and water somehow found it's way through. Harry sighed and rolled over, his back to the entrance of the cave. The only thing that was keeping him from crying, was the dark prospect that would lay before him if he left that cave. A lifetime with a Dursley. Compared to that, this was heaven. Harry pressed his knees into his chest and took deep breaths. He had shallow scratches on his face from laying on the cold stone floor and the knees of Harry's pants were torn from crawling around the cave. Harry's hunger pains had stopped the day before. He was way beyond those pains. Harry wrapped the thing cloak tighter around himself. He wish he had some wood so he could try and start a fire. He dare not do anything magically, then the Ministry would know where he was. Harry sighed. He could see his breath hover before him before disappearing. Summer wasn't supposed to be this cold. Harry closed his eyes and drifted off into another hopeless sleep.
Lupin and Dumbledore had taken over the search for Harry. Sirius was completly useless. He spent everyday, staring out the window. A dead look in his eyes and muttering something that only he could hear. Lupin was becoming quite worried. "What if we don't find him?" He asked Dumbledore in a whisper. "I don't think Sirius would recover!" He added. Dumbledore sighed. "We will find him. Dead or alive, we will find him." He said. Lupin stared, dumbstruck as Dumbledore went to check on Sirius. This one boy, this one boy that was merely the offspring of James and Lily Potter, had consumed them all. He had not tried, he had just done it. For some reason, this boy was more important to Sirius Black than anything. Even Dumbledore had a soft spot for the boy. Lupin sighed. He hated to admit it, but he too had a certain place in his heart for Harry. Perhaps it was because he looked like James...or maybe it was just because of the way Harry was. Lupin couldn't explain it, all he knew was that they had to find Harry...alive. Dumbledore rested a hand on Sirius's shoulder. "How are you doing?" He asked quietly. Sirius stopped muttering. He raised his head and stared at Dumbledore. "Four days..." He whispered. Dumbledore sighed. "Four days and I haven't heard a thing. How would you be doing?" Sirius choked. He turned his head back to the window and continued muttering. Dumbledore left him. He returned to Lupin. "I want all of Hogwarts searched again." He said in an undertone. Lupin nodded and hurried from the room. Dumbledore closed his eyes. Suddenly, a vision came into his mind. He saw a boy, huddled under a cloak. He was somewhere dark and damp. The boy shivered. There were slow drops of water in the background. Dumbledore opened his eyes. That boy was Harry, but where was he?
5 DAYS LATER...JULY 17TH ****************************************
Harry lay, barely concious, on the cold stone of the cave. He hadn't eaten in almost ten days. Harry didn't want to die. If he could, he would go into Hogsmade and get a hold of Sirius. But he couldn't. He was too weak. Harry couldn't even lift his head. Despite how sick he was becoming, Harry was still convinced this life...this hungry life, was better than a life with a Dursley. Harry took in sharp, quivering breaths. It didn't matter that the sun was shining outside, Harry was cold. The cave was cold...he was cold. Harry didn't think he would ever be warm again. No one would find him. No one would think to look in that horrible cave. That cave that Harry had grown to hate.
4 DAYS LATER...JULY 21ST **************************************** Sirius lay, curled in a ball on his bed in the hotel room. Harry had been gone for almost two weeks. Sirius was not taking it well at all. Dumbledore and Lupin had organized several search parties, but there was not a trace of Harry. Not a trace until...
Lupin burst through the hotel room door, clutching a piece of paper. Dumbledore, who had been sitting beside Sirius, looked up. Lupin was wearing a look of triumph. "What have you found Remus?" Dumbledore asked. Lupin waved the piece of paper. "Gladys Glockspor saw the famous Harry Potter in Hogsmade about two weeks ago!" He said quickly. Sirius sat up and stared at Lupin. "We searched all of Hogwarts! Harry isn't there!" He said hoarsly. Lupin's eyes were dancing. "But, we didn't check Hogsmade!" He cried. Sirius stared at his friend. "He has no where to stay in Hogsmade." He said slowly. Lupin's eyes dimmed. They were no longer dancing. "You're right." He said quietly. Dumbledore however, was thinking. His mind flashed to the vision he had had. A boy, huddled in the corner of a dark, damp place. The boy shivered. Harry shivered... Dumbledore pieced it together. "Sirius! Where did you stay when you came to keep an eye on Harry for the Triwizard Tournament?" He asked quickly, knowing the answer. "The cave on the hill..." Sirius said slowly. "Did Harry ever visit you there?" Dumbledore pressed. Sirius nodded, then the look of realization spread across his face. "Oh my god!" He gasped. Lupin soon realised what was going on. "Sirius, Remus, go get Harry. I will call Fudge and tell him we've found him." Dumbledore said quickly. Sirius and Remus nodded. Sirius jumped up and grabbed a blanket that had been sitting on the dresser. He and Lupin disapparated quickly, leaving Dumbledore to call everyone that had been helping look for Harry.
Sirius and Remus appeared at the bottom of the rock slide. Sirius dashed ahead, scrambling over the rocks. He had new energy now. Harry was there...he knew it! Lupin lagged behind, but Sirius only quickened his pace. He somehow knew where every rock was and used it to his advantage. By the time he reached the opening to the cave, the back of his shirt was soaked with sweat. He could hear his friend panting behind him. Sirius quickly squeezed through the crack. It took his eyes a minute to adjust to the lighting of the cave. As everything came into focus, Sirius yelled out with relief. His relief soon faded when he saw that the lump he had been so happy to see, did not move. As Lupin squeezed into the cave, Sirius darted forward. He bent over Harry. "Harry!" Sirius begged. He rolled Harry over. He was very pale and his face was all scraped. There were dark circles under his eyes and Sirius could tell Harry was slowly starving. He gently shook Harry. "Come on son..." He pleaded. Harry did not move. Lupin was soon by his friend's side. "Is he..." He began. Sirius did not answer. He pulled the old, now ragged cloak off of Harry and wrapped him tightly in the warm blanket. Sirius slid one arm under Harry's knees, and used his other arm to support Harry's back. He slowly lifted him off the ground. Sirius was sure Harry was unconcious, but he was wrong. For a brief moment, Harry's eyes opened slightly. He stared at Sirius. "Don't send me away." He begged in barely more than a whisper. Sirius felt the tears running down his face. He opened his mouth to reply, but Harry's eyes closed and his head lolled to one side. Remus grabbed his friend's arm. "Let's get him back to Dumbledore." He said quietly. Sirius nodded. He was sobbing and had tears rolling down his face. He, Remus and Harry disapparated back to the hotel.
There was a loud pop in the hotel room. Dumbledore looked up. Lupin and Sirius had appeared...and Sirius was holding something...a body. Tears were rolling down Sirius's face. He looked at Dumbledore, then back at Harry. The tears became larger and came faster. Sirius set Harry down on the bed. His ragged robes were hanging off of him loosley. Dumbledore stared at Harry. He was a mess. He pressed to shaking fingers to Harry throat to check for a pulse. Sirius closed his eyes and waited for the verdict. Lupin was biting his lip so hard, it started to bleed. Dumbledore removed his fingers. "He has a pulse. It isn't as strong as I would like, but he has a pulse." He said quietly. Sirius sighed with relief and hurried over to Harry. Dumbledore and Lupin went out into the hall to talk, while Sirius tended to Harry. Sirius waved his wand and Harry was out of the ragged robes. He was in a pair of pajamas. Sirius sighed. He pulled back the covers on one side of the bed and laid Harry down. Sirius tucked the blankets all around Harry and sat down next to his unconcious godson. The tears came again. Sirius hastily rubbed them away. He rest a hand on Harry's cold cheek. "I won't let you go kiddo. I promise I won't." He said quietly. Just then, Dumbledore and Lupin returned. They watched as Sirius grasped Harry's hand and hastily wiped away some stray tears. "Sirius?" Dumbledore asked quietly. "Yeah?" Sirius croaked, his eyes never leaving Harry. "I'm going to call a doctor. I don't think it is a smart move to take Harry to the hospital." Dumbledore explained. Sirius nodded numbly. He squeezed Harry's hand tightly. Dumbledore grabbed Sirius's arm tightly. "Come on Sirius, Fudge is downstairs. You should talk to him while I call the doctor." Dumbledore said softly. Sirius shook his head. "I'm staying with Harry." He said, his voice shaking. There was a minute of silence. "I'll sit with him Sirius. Go talk to Fudge." Lupin said quietly. "No. I want to stay with him!" Sirius croaked. Dumbledore pulled Sirius backwards. Sirius fought, but Dumbledore got both his arms. "He's back here now. He's going to be fine. What he need you to do is talk to Fudge." He said firmly. Sirius's bottom lip began to tremble. He hesitated, then nodded. Dumbledore ushered Sirius from the room while Lupin sat down on the bed. He stared at the pale boy beneath the covers. It wasn't Harry Potter though...it was a very devastated teenager.
Sirius returned about fifteen minutes later. He hastily thanked Lupin and resumed his place next to Harry. The teenager looked exactly the same. Lupin sat down on the other bed and watched the way Sirius was to Harry. Sirius was grasping Harry's hand and staring at him. There was stray hairs resting on Harry's forehead that Sirius quickly brushed away. After that, he just stared at Harry hopefully. Ten minutes later, the door to the room opened. Dumbledore appeared, along with a man dressed in gray robes. He was carrying a black bag. The man glanced at Harry, then Sirius. "Sirius, this is Dr. Bodenchuck." Dumbledore said. He wasn't smiling. He hadn't smiled in days. Sirius squeezed Harry's hand tighter. Lupin grabbed Sirius under the arm. "Let him check Harry out, Padfoot." He said quietly. A lump developed in Sirius's throat, but he nodded. He slid from one bed to the other and watched as the doctor bent over Harry. He listened to his heart, checked his lungs and that sort of thing. After about ten minutes, he repacked his bag. "He is suffering from mal-nutrition, dehydration and has a very serious case of pneumonia. Unfortunatly, alchemists have not been able to find a cure for any of these." The doctor explained. Sirius stared at him. "So there's nothing you can do?" He asked, disbelieving. The doctor shook his head. "I am very sorry. If his condition worsens, please contact me." He said before disapparating. Sirius was shocked. They had cures for everything in the magical world! Hell, they could regrow a person's arm...but they didn't have a cure for three simple things! Sirius sat down beside Harry again. Dumbledore cleared his throat. "There are several people that are going to want to see-" He began. Dumbledore was interupted however, by a quick, hard knocking on the door. Lupin stared at it, the quickly answered. He had no sooner opened the door than a very panicy voice was heard. "Harry! Where's Harry?!" Mrs Weasley shrieked. Lupin was pushed out of the way and Mrs Weasley, Mr Weasley and Ron appeared. Sirius didn't look up. He didn't move. He just continued to stare at Harry. Mrs Weasley rushed forward, but Dumbledore stepped in front of her. "Molly..." He began. Mrs Weasley was frantically trying to get past the old man. "I need you to remain calm." Dumbledore said loudly. Mr Weasley grabbed his wife and restrained her. Ron however, took a few steps towards his best friend. Ron's eyes were in danger of falling out of his head. Harry looked, well, dead.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter characters and THIS IS NOT MY STORY IT BELONGS TO BRZYCLOUD FROM THE HARRY POTTER BOARDS!
BACK TO SIRIUS ****************************************
Sirius sat on the end of his bed, his face in his hands. He couldn't believe this was happening. He just couldn't believe it. Dumbledore and Lupin had come over to comfort Sirius and try and track down Harry. They were both gone at the moment. They had each received phone calls from the front desk. Sirius was on the verge of tears. If anything happened to Harry...if he was hurt in anyway, Sirius had no idea what he would do. There was a loud pop and Dumbledore appeared. He hurried over to Sirius. "Jamison McFenner spotted Harry walking down muggle mainstreet, then disappearing down an alley." He said quietly. Sirius lifted his head. His eyes were bloodshot. "Did they find him?" He choked. Dumbledore shook his head. "Jamison didn't see Harry after that." He said quietly. Sirius groaned and dropped his head to his hands once again. Dumbledore sighed. "I do not understand why he left. Harry is such a smart boy..." He said angrily. Sirius sighed. "Because he can't handle living with another Dursley! He'd rather die. That's what he told me!" Sirius choked. Dumbledore stared at him. "You don't think he'd..." He bagan. Sirius brought his head up and stared at Dumbledore, tears running down his face. "No!" He yelled hoarsly. Dumbledore raised his hands. "Okay, okay. Calm down." He said quietly. Sirius was still staring at him. "Jesus!" He choked. He fell backwards onto the bed. Dumbledore sighed and watched as Sirius closed his eyes and took deep, quivering breaths. Just then, the door flung open. Lupin came in. He stared at Sirius for a minute, then turned back to Dumbledore.
"Knight Bus hasn't picked him up. They'll call me if they do." He said quietly. Dumbledore nodded. Sirius rolled over so his face was pressed into the pillow. Lupin sighed and sat down beside his friend. He rested a hand on Sirius's back. "I'm sure he's fine Padfoot. He's probably just blowing off some steam." Lupin said quietly. Sirius sighed.
Lupin was wrong however. Night came and they still had no word from Harry
BACK TO HARRY ****************************************
Harry sat, curled up under his cloak. He could see that it was dark out through the crack the he had come through. Harry shivered. It was much colder in this cave than he had expected. Harry started to shiver. He curled up on the damp floor, thinking warm thoughts. It was dragon dung what they said about thinking warm thoughts, Harry just became more depressed because he wasn't warm! He slowly drifted off into a fitfull sleep.
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Harry woke to the crack of thunder. He opened his eyes lazily. There was another crack of thunder. Harry groaned and crawled across the cave. He peered through the opening. It was pouring down rain. It was coming down in sheets. Harry sighed. At least he was dry. He went back over to his cloak and curled up. His teeth chattered as a harsh breeze circled the cave. Harry wondered what Sirius was doing right then...
BACK TO SIRIUS ****************************************
Sirius stood in front of the window of his hotel room, watching the rain fall. He hadn't slept at all last night. He was hoping he receive word from Harry, but nothing came. Sirius felt helpless. Harry could be lying in a ditch somewhere, drenched with rain. Siruis sighed. Hedwig was going nutters in her cage, hooting and screeching. Lupin let her out. Hedwig flew around the room, screeching. She was obviously wondering about Harry. "I don't know where he is Hedwig!" Sirius snapped. The snowy owl stopped screeching and perched on top of her cage. Dumbledore sighed. He had just returned from a meeting with the Weasleys. "Ron has heard nothing from Harry." He said quietly. Sirius bowed his head. All he wanted was to know Harry was okay. That's all he wanted. "Maybe he went to get back at the muggles." Lupin said quietly. Dumbledore shook his head. "Arabelle has seen nothing to indicate Harry has been anywhere near Privet Drive." He explained. Sirius slammed his fist against the window. "I'm not just gonna sit here!" He spat. Lupin watched as Siruis grabbed his cloak and a blanket. "Sirius, where are you going?" Lupin asked hastily. Sirius grabbed the door handle. "I am going to the only place I can think of that Harry would take refuge at." He said quietly. Dumbledore stared at him for a moment. "You think he would go to Hogwarts?" He asked, doubt in his voice. Sirius nodded, then left the room, clutching the folded blanket.
Sirius was close, but not right. Would he figure out Harry's secret hiding place, or just let it slip his mind?
Sirius apparated to Hogsmade. The little village was empty, do to the downpour. Sirius didn't care though, he was going to find Harry if he was at Hogwarts. The large castle was illuminated against the dark sky. Sirius made his way down the dirt road, the blanket tucked under his robes, safe from the rain. He passed the turnstile and entered the Hogwarts grounds. Sirius sighed. He removed his wand and muttered a finding spell. If Harry was at Hogwarts, a golden bubble would emerge from the end of Sirius's wand. A minute later, a bubble appeared. It wasn't gold though, it was purple. That meant Harry wasn't there. Sirius bowed his head and turned around, making his way to Hogsmade. He figured he'd stop in at the Three Broomsticks and warm up a bit. The little pub was empty, except for Madame Rosmerta, who was scrubbing the counter down. She smiled when she saw him. "Sirius Black.." She said, a grin on her face. Sirius sighed. "Rosmerta..." He replied with no emotion in his voice. Rosmerta was staring at him. "I knew you were innocent." She said abruptly. Sirius glanced at her and sighed. "One of few..." He muttered as he sat down.
Rosmerta sighed, filled a tankard with butterbeer and placed it in front of Sirius. Sirius gave her an appreciative look and drank deeply from the tankard. Rosmerta watched him with interest. "What's troubling you dear?" She asked kindly. Sirius sighed and placed the tankard back on the bar. "I've just got a lot on my mind." Sirius said. He wasn't going to mention that Harry was missing. That would be the highlite of Voldemort's week to learn that. Rosmerta sighed. "Whatever you say Sirius." She said sweetly. She left Sirius and went around cleaning the tables. After Sirius was done his butterbeer, he left a couple of sickles and knuts on the bar and left, back into the downpour. Sirius stood in the middle of the street. He smiled sadly as he remembered when he had hidden in the mountain cave during the Triwizard Tournament. He had been there for Harry...but where was Harry now? Probably wandering a dangerous muggle street... Sirius sighed and disapparated as a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky.
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When Sirius appeared in the hotel room, he was drenched from head to toe. Lupin stood up quickly. "Any sign of him?" He asked hopefully. Sirius ran his fingers through his soaking wet hair and sighed. "Nothing." He said in a hoarse whisper. He pulled off his cloak and went into the bathroom. He stripped off his robes and stood there in his boxers. Sirius towel dried his hair and ran a comb through it. "Remus, could you throw me some sweats and a shirt?" Sirius asked quietly. "Yup." Remus called back. There was a minute, then he handed Sirius some clothes. A pair of grey sweatpants and a red shirt. Sirius pulled the sweatpants on, then stared at the shirt. It was the shirt Harry had worn just a few days ago. Sirius's hands were shaking as he emerged from the bathroom, holding the shirt. Lupin stared at his friend. Sirius lifted the shirt to his nose and inhaled. It still smelled like Harry. His eyes started to water. He clutched the shirt close to him and stared at Lupin. They were the only two in the hotel room... Lupin could see how upset his friend was. "Padfoot..." He began gently. Sirius clutched the shirt tightly. "I can't do this!" He yelled. Tears splashed down his face. Lupin watched helplessly as his friend broke down. This wasn't how Sirius Black was. This wasn't the tough guy that like to play pranks back at Hogwarts. This was Sirius Black the godfather...the parent. It was eating him up that he had no idea where Harry was. It was killing him.
2 DAYS LATER...JULY 12TH ****************************************
Harry was half asleep under his cloak. He was weak from lack of food and drink. He had been gone four days now. The downpour had continued and Harry's cave now had a small puddle in the middle which was growing rapidly. It appeared there was a crack in the ceiling and water somehow found it's way through. Harry sighed and rolled over, his back to the entrance of the cave. The only thing that was keeping him from crying, was the dark prospect that would lay before him if he left that cave. A lifetime with a Dursley. Compared to that, this was heaven. Harry pressed his knees into his chest and took deep breaths. He had shallow scratches on his face from laying on the cold stone floor and the knees of Harry's pants were torn from crawling around the cave. Harry's hunger pains had stopped the day before. He was way beyond those pains. Harry wrapped the thing cloak tighter around himself. He wish he had some wood so he could try and start a fire. He dare not do anything magically, then the Ministry would know where he was. Harry sighed. He could see his breath hover before him before disappearing. Summer wasn't supposed to be this cold. Harry closed his eyes and drifted off into another hopeless sleep.
Lupin and Dumbledore had taken over the search for Harry. Sirius was completly useless. He spent everyday, staring out the window. A dead look in his eyes and muttering something that only he could hear. Lupin was becoming quite worried. "What if we don't find him?" He asked Dumbledore in a whisper. "I don't think Sirius would recover!" He added. Dumbledore sighed. "We will find him. Dead or alive, we will find him." He said. Lupin stared, dumbstruck as Dumbledore went to check on Sirius. This one boy, this one boy that was merely the offspring of James and Lily Potter, had consumed them all. He had not tried, he had just done it. For some reason, this boy was more important to Sirius Black than anything. Even Dumbledore had a soft spot for the boy. Lupin sighed. He hated to admit it, but he too had a certain place in his heart for Harry. Perhaps it was because he looked like James...or maybe it was just because of the way Harry was. Lupin couldn't explain it, all he knew was that they had to find Harry...alive. Dumbledore rested a hand on Sirius's shoulder. "How are you doing?" He asked quietly. Sirius stopped muttering. He raised his head and stared at Dumbledore. "Four days..." He whispered. Dumbledore sighed. "Four days and I haven't heard a thing. How would you be doing?" Sirius choked. He turned his head back to the window and continued muttering. Dumbledore left him. He returned to Lupin. "I want all of Hogwarts searched again." He said in an undertone. Lupin nodded and hurried from the room. Dumbledore closed his eyes. Suddenly, a vision came into his mind. He saw a boy, huddled under a cloak. He was somewhere dark and damp. The boy shivered. There were slow drops of water in the background. Dumbledore opened his eyes. That boy was Harry, but where was he?
5 DAYS LATER...JULY 17TH ****************************************
Harry lay, barely concious, on the cold stone of the cave. He hadn't eaten in almost ten days. Harry didn't want to die. If he could, he would go into Hogsmade and get a hold of Sirius. But he couldn't. He was too weak. Harry couldn't even lift his head. Despite how sick he was becoming, Harry was still convinced this life...this hungry life, was better than a life with a Dursley. Harry took in sharp, quivering breaths. It didn't matter that the sun was shining outside, Harry was cold. The cave was cold...he was cold. Harry didn't think he would ever be warm again. No one would find him. No one would think to look in that horrible cave. That cave that Harry had grown to hate.
4 DAYS LATER...JULY 21ST **************************************** Sirius lay, curled in a ball on his bed in the hotel room. Harry had been gone for almost two weeks. Sirius was not taking it well at all. Dumbledore and Lupin had organized several search parties, but there was not a trace of Harry. Not a trace until...
Lupin burst through the hotel room door, clutching a piece of paper. Dumbledore, who had been sitting beside Sirius, looked up. Lupin was wearing a look of triumph. "What have you found Remus?" Dumbledore asked. Lupin waved the piece of paper. "Gladys Glockspor saw the famous Harry Potter in Hogsmade about two weeks ago!" He said quickly. Sirius sat up and stared at Lupin. "We searched all of Hogwarts! Harry isn't there!" He said hoarsly. Lupin's eyes were dancing. "But, we didn't check Hogsmade!" He cried. Sirius stared at his friend. "He has no where to stay in Hogsmade." He said slowly. Lupin's eyes dimmed. They were no longer dancing. "You're right." He said quietly. Dumbledore however, was thinking. His mind flashed to the vision he had had. A boy, huddled in the corner of a dark, damp place. The boy shivered. Harry shivered... Dumbledore pieced it together. "Sirius! Where did you stay when you came to keep an eye on Harry for the Triwizard Tournament?" He asked quickly, knowing the answer. "The cave on the hill..." Sirius said slowly. "Did Harry ever visit you there?" Dumbledore pressed. Sirius nodded, then the look of realization spread across his face. "Oh my god!" He gasped. Lupin soon realised what was going on. "Sirius, Remus, go get Harry. I will call Fudge and tell him we've found him." Dumbledore said quickly. Sirius and Remus nodded. Sirius jumped up and grabbed a blanket that had been sitting on the dresser. He and Lupin disapparated quickly, leaving Dumbledore to call everyone that had been helping look for Harry.
Sirius and Remus appeared at the bottom of the rock slide. Sirius dashed ahead, scrambling over the rocks. He had new energy now. Harry was there...he knew it! Lupin lagged behind, but Sirius only quickened his pace. He somehow knew where every rock was and used it to his advantage. By the time he reached the opening to the cave, the back of his shirt was soaked with sweat. He could hear his friend panting behind him. Sirius quickly squeezed through the crack. It took his eyes a minute to adjust to the lighting of the cave. As everything came into focus, Sirius yelled out with relief. His relief soon faded when he saw that the lump he had been so happy to see, did not move. As Lupin squeezed into the cave, Sirius darted forward. He bent over Harry. "Harry!" Sirius begged. He rolled Harry over. He was very pale and his face was all scraped. There were dark circles under his eyes and Sirius could tell Harry was slowly starving. He gently shook Harry. "Come on son..." He pleaded. Harry did not move. Lupin was soon by his friend's side. "Is he..." He began. Sirius did not answer. He pulled the old, now ragged cloak off of Harry and wrapped him tightly in the warm blanket. Sirius slid one arm under Harry's knees, and used his other arm to support Harry's back. He slowly lifted him off the ground. Sirius was sure Harry was unconcious, but he was wrong. For a brief moment, Harry's eyes opened slightly. He stared at Sirius. "Don't send me away." He begged in barely more than a whisper. Sirius felt the tears running down his face. He opened his mouth to reply, but Harry's eyes closed and his head lolled to one side. Remus grabbed his friend's arm. "Let's get him back to Dumbledore." He said quietly. Sirius nodded. He was sobbing and had tears rolling down his face. He, Remus and Harry disapparated back to the hotel.
There was a loud pop in the hotel room. Dumbledore looked up. Lupin and Sirius had appeared...and Sirius was holding something...a body. Tears were rolling down Sirius's face. He looked at Dumbledore, then back at Harry. The tears became larger and came faster. Sirius set Harry down on the bed. His ragged robes were hanging off of him loosley. Dumbledore stared at Harry. He was a mess. He pressed to shaking fingers to Harry throat to check for a pulse. Sirius closed his eyes and waited for the verdict. Lupin was biting his lip so hard, it started to bleed. Dumbledore removed his fingers. "He has a pulse. It isn't as strong as I would like, but he has a pulse." He said quietly. Sirius sighed with relief and hurried over to Harry. Dumbledore and Lupin went out into the hall to talk, while Sirius tended to Harry. Sirius waved his wand and Harry was out of the ragged robes. He was in a pair of pajamas. Sirius sighed. He pulled back the covers on one side of the bed and laid Harry down. Sirius tucked the blankets all around Harry and sat down next to his unconcious godson. The tears came again. Sirius hastily rubbed them away. He rest a hand on Harry's cold cheek. "I won't let you go kiddo. I promise I won't." He said quietly. Just then, Dumbledore and Lupin returned. They watched as Sirius grasped Harry's hand and hastily wiped away some stray tears. "Sirius?" Dumbledore asked quietly. "Yeah?" Sirius croaked, his eyes never leaving Harry. "I'm going to call a doctor. I don't think it is a smart move to take Harry to the hospital." Dumbledore explained. Sirius nodded numbly. He squeezed Harry's hand tightly. Dumbledore grabbed Sirius's arm tightly. "Come on Sirius, Fudge is downstairs. You should talk to him while I call the doctor." Dumbledore said softly. Sirius shook his head. "I'm staying with Harry." He said, his voice shaking. There was a minute of silence. "I'll sit with him Sirius. Go talk to Fudge." Lupin said quietly. "No. I want to stay with him!" Sirius croaked. Dumbledore pulled Sirius backwards. Sirius fought, but Dumbledore got both his arms. "He's back here now. He's going to be fine. What he need you to do is talk to Fudge." He said firmly. Sirius's bottom lip began to tremble. He hesitated, then nodded. Dumbledore ushered Sirius from the room while Lupin sat down on the bed. He stared at the pale boy beneath the covers. It wasn't Harry Potter though...it was a very devastated teenager.
Sirius returned about fifteen minutes later. He hastily thanked Lupin and resumed his place next to Harry. The teenager looked exactly the same. Lupin sat down on the other bed and watched the way Sirius was to Harry. Sirius was grasping Harry's hand and staring at him. There was stray hairs resting on Harry's forehead that Sirius quickly brushed away. After that, he just stared at Harry hopefully. Ten minutes later, the door to the room opened. Dumbledore appeared, along with a man dressed in gray robes. He was carrying a black bag. The man glanced at Harry, then Sirius. "Sirius, this is Dr. Bodenchuck." Dumbledore said. He wasn't smiling. He hadn't smiled in days. Sirius squeezed Harry's hand tighter. Lupin grabbed Sirius under the arm. "Let him check Harry out, Padfoot." He said quietly. A lump developed in Sirius's throat, but he nodded. He slid from one bed to the other and watched as the doctor bent over Harry. He listened to his heart, checked his lungs and that sort of thing. After about ten minutes, he repacked his bag. "He is suffering from mal-nutrition, dehydration and has a very serious case of pneumonia. Unfortunatly, alchemists have not been able to find a cure for any of these." The doctor explained. Sirius stared at him. "So there's nothing you can do?" He asked, disbelieving. The doctor shook his head. "I am very sorry. If his condition worsens, please contact me." He said before disapparating. Sirius was shocked. They had cures for everything in the magical world! Hell, they could regrow a person's arm...but they didn't have a cure for three simple things! Sirius sat down beside Harry again. Dumbledore cleared his throat. "There are several people that are going to want to see-" He began. Dumbledore was interupted however, by a quick, hard knocking on the door. Lupin stared at it, the quickly answered. He had no sooner opened the door than a very panicy voice was heard. "Harry! Where's Harry?!" Mrs Weasley shrieked. Lupin was pushed out of the way and Mrs Weasley, Mr Weasley and Ron appeared. Sirius didn't look up. He didn't move. He just continued to stare at Harry. Mrs Weasley rushed forward, but Dumbledore stepped in front of her. "Molly..." He began. Mrs Weasley was frantically trying to get past the old man. "I need you to remain calm." Dumbledore said loudly. Mr Weasley grabbed his wife and restrained her. Ron however, took a few steps towards his best friend. Ron's eyes were in danger of falling out of his head. Harry looked, well, dead.