Harry Potter and the New Start: Screams of the Child
Hello, everyone, thanks for the reviews that you sent in for the last chapter. I realize I left you all with a bit of a cliffhanger, hehe.
A lot of the reviews stated that you guys were confused about how Peter could see the house. It is explained by Sirius's thoughts at the beginning of the story, but it might not have been that clear, so I'll try to do it again.
Basically, Emerald Palace's name is its…codeword almost. Only the heir to the Potter family can tell someone where it is by saying the name, at which point you'll know. So it wasn't like Sirius could have told anyone and had it be a risk, only Harry could because the house belongs to him now. When Sirius had Harry say that whole speech with Peter overhearing the Emerald's Palace part, because Harry had said it, he knew where to find it. I hope that clears up the questions.
---------------------------------Emerald's Palace
Harry cracked open a single eyelid, losing his grip on sleep in the process. He blinked a few times, getting used to the dark of his bedroom. Somehow, it had never seemed more scary. Fear wasn't a feeling he was accustomed to, but it was practically all he could feel at the moment.
Sirius's soft breathing was right next to him, and an arm was gently draped over him. Normally, Sirius's presence alone was all that was required to help him feel safe. But for some reason, it just wasn't enough.
Shadows danced on his walls, creating horrifying pictures of gnarled faces and wild animals. He and Sirius had talked a lot about monsters and make believe, so Harry knew it wasn't real. But he couldn't make himself tear his eyes away, lest they move towards him without him knowing. The formerly quiet house had new creaks and noises that hadn't been present the night before.
Even if they had been, it was last night that he was safe. Tonight he wasn't.
Harry didn't know why he was so afraid, he should be. He was home again, away from that crowded street full of strange people. He and Sirius weren't at that headquarter place anymore. No one was threatening Sirius, and no one was telling Harry that he needed to get away from his godfather.
They were okay, and he was supposed to be asleep. Sirius was, he was peacefully sleeping next to Harry. Obviously Sirius wasn't afraid of anything.
Harry only wished he could be the same way.
-------------------------------Downstairs
Peter crept silently in the dark. He could transform back into his animagus state, but walking on two legs again was too appealing to let go. He'd have to stay that when he got the kid anyway, because there was no way the son of James was just going to be kidnapped peacefully.
He was sweating and shaking with nerves. He was no match for Sirius, and Peter wasn't stupid enough to think otherwise. What he was hoping for was a big gap between their bedrooms, but he knew that Sirius would be right next door.
What he would have to do was make sure he kept Harry quiet. But again, that sounded easier said than done, considering his parentage and the one he'd been raised by.
They also needed a place that Sirius would never think to look for them. And luckily, Peter knew exactly what that place would be.
Sirius Black wouldn't find them in time.
-------------------------------Harry's Room
Harry had never been more tempted to wake Sirius up in his life. But they'd both had a bad day, and Sirius didn't need to be woken up for Harry's overactive imagination. He was a big boy, and big boys did not get scared of the dark.
He almost wished that he were a little boy again.
The creaks of the house only grew, and Harry was convinced a monster was coming up towards his room. It would be a big, ugly, green monster with three arms and seven claws on each hand. It would have tail with spikes, and horns on it's head. And it's eyes would be a dark red, and they'd flash when it got hungry.
Images of such a creature floated through his mind, becoming more and more fearsome as the seconds ticked by. What was a monster with horns on it's face soon had tusks dripping with blood added to it's green skin.
But there were no such things as monsters, Harry told himself repeatedly. Sirius said so. But had Sirius ever actually seen one? Maybe he just hadn't seen a monster before, and that was why he said that they didn't exist. And if Sirius only believed in what he could see, then of course he didn't believe in monsters. They could be real.
His mind worked a mile a minute as he reached his horrible conclusion that there might be a big green monster at his doorway. But Sirius had seemed so sure of what he'd promised about make believe…
He had to go downstairs and check.
---------------------------------Downstairs
Peter quietly opened and closed various doors, hoping to either see Harry, or at least figure out which floor they were on. He'd know that for the place to be called Emerald's Palace, that it had to have been pretty large, but not quite the almost Hogwarts sized castle that it had turned out to be.
He'd be searching forever, and he'd have to hide straight away at the first sign of light. He could snatch the boy away during the day, but there were too few opportunities in the light, and Sirius would no doubt be with the brat at all times.
From above him, he heard a small creaking noise. At once he ducked down behind a bookcase that afforded a little coverage. Sirius had heard him prowling around. Peter almost cursed himself for not being quiet enough.
He listened as the quiet – almost nonexistent – steps proved that they weren't on the floor above him, but down the hall. There seemed to be a corner in the direction that the sound was coming from, and it was most likely coming from around it.
The noise was almost imperceptibly becoming louder, but had he not had his animagus abilities – hearing being one of them – he would not have noticed. The steps were making such noise and Peter was surprised. Sirius, James and Remus had always had some innate ability to walk about undetected. Sirius couldn't have gotten that out of practice, could he?
Peter was left to contemplate this new question as the figure rounded the corner. He squinted his already narrowed eyes to make out the black on black outline of someone.
Someone who was far too short to be the tall Sirius Black.
This person was shorter than Peter had been during school, easily. He smiled nastily when he realized that the child had walked willingly into a trap.
-------------------------------
Harry had slipped out from under Sirius's arm with the utmost care. He didn't want to jostle his godfather into wakefulness. He had to face his fear by himself, because he was either going to find his monster, or find that there was no such thing.
He was praying for the latter.
The halls of his home had never seemed darker, but he knew his way perfectly. He knew the house almost better than the house elves did. And he definitely knew it better than Sirius. The house was almost like an alive extra occupant, and he knew that if he got lost he could find his way out.
That thought in mind, his steps became less tentative and more sure. He padded down the hallways as quietly as he could, working far enough away from his room and closer to around the area where he'd heard those noises. It seemed that it was almost right next to the front landing to the second floor – the same floor that had his bedroom on it. And if it wasn't there, then it might be in the next hallway over, depending upon how loud the noise had originally been. But Harry didn't think it would be that far away, because it was pretty quiet at first.
In his haste to face his fears, Harry didn't realize that the noises had stopped.
He also didn't notice the man crouching behind the bookcases that were lined up at the end of the hallway.
----------------------------
Beady eyes followed the child, who was growing more and more clear as he walked closer. Just as he had in the clearing by the ministry, Peter marveled at how similar the boy looked to James. They knew he would, with one look at the newborn's face at the hospital when he was born. But it was still unnerving to see.
The boy moved closer, oblivious to the danger. Peter slowly rose up from his hiding spot.
---------------------------Harry's Room
Silvery blue eyes snapped open, breathing harshly. What had woken him up? Sirius sat up in bed, listening to see if Harry had been calling for him. The boy's room was close enough that he could hear him when he called.
Sirius leaned over to the lamp at his bedside and frowned when his hand only hit air. His lamp had walked away? Clambering out of bed, Sirius walked up to the wall and flicked the light switch.
His room was scarlet, but this bedroom was deep blue.
The memories of his night rushed back to Sirius as he realized he was in his godson's bedroom. He'd had to sleep with Harry after the little boy had woken up with a nightmare. A nightmare caused by his foolish decision to rush off and go to the auror headquarters. He could see now that it hadn't been smart of him. But rational thinking was not his forte. Especially when he was upset.
But now, in present time, Harry was nowhere in sight. Sirius knew he wasn't in the bathroom, for he would have come out if he'd seen the lights come on. Where would a little boy have to go in the dead of the night? Sirius calmly started searching the room. But he'd only gotten as far as the closet when all semblances of calm fell to the wayside. The little boy was not in his room, and that much was clear.
He raced into the bathroom, just to be sure. "Harry…" he muttered. Sirius wracked his brain for a hiding space or a reason why Harry would have gotten up.
A scream – a child's cry – tore through the silence of the castle and effectively chased all thought from the animagus' mind.
Instinct took over and Sirius flew out the door. "Harry! Baby, where are you?" he yelled, repeating himself many times over. He ran through the halls, his feet barely touching the ground as yet again, he heard a scream.
"Shut up, brat!" A man's voice thundered, and as Sirius rounded the corner he knew exactly who it was.
Harry' reached his arms for his godfather just as the man's eyes grew dark with fury. "Wormtail." He hissed. Peter said nothing, but Sirius did. "You let him go, you bastard, you let Harry go right now."
Peter shook his head, and whipped out his wand with lightening speed. Sirius almost smiled, he could duel Peter. But that wasn't what the rat intended. With a quick muttering of hushed words, he cast his spell. Sirius watched the light fly above his head, missing him entirely. He almost taunted the man about it, but he was cut off when a panel from the ceiling fell down on his head.
"Sirius!" Harry screamed as he watched in horror as his godfather drop to his knees heavily. An expression of surprise and desperation flew over Sirius's face. He had to get up, but the stars in his field of vision swam dizzily and Sirius felt the floor rushing up to meet him.
He could see, through darkening vision, as Wormtail dragged the screaming child away. Harry reached for his godfather again and screamed even more.
"H-Harry…no…" he whispered, as they left his sight. Harry's screams morphed slowly into a ringing noise.
His last thoughts were of his precious godson.
You knew it was coming, don't say otherwise! Wags finger at readers
Sorry for the delay, I've been having some computer issues. I've been delaying letting my father get his hands on my computer, but it's only a matter of time. I can't be at home all the time to protect my beloved computer.
Note to Return of the Father Readers : You guys are next, don't worry. I'm halfway done with the next chapter! More than halfway maybe.
Okay, back to this story. Sorry for the awful cliffy, but I'm sure you'll all forgive me…eventually. Maybe.
Hopefully.
Let me know what you think!
Stars Enchantress