Words of the Unforgiving

Chapter three: Numb

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

Author's Ponderings: Awww man! I CANNOT believe that they have stopped the replies to the individual reviewers! That sucks, BIG TIME! Well, a HUGE thanks to EVERYONE who decided to review my story! To anybody who was anticipating my story, sorry for the long wait! Cross-country training really takes a lot outta ya…

...All I want to do is be more like me and less like you...

Word's haunted Harry's imageless dream, but, the more he heard the words, the more he didn't think it was Voldemort's voice. He couldn't figure out to whom the strange voice belonged. It sounded so familiar, yet whenever he thought of the voice, the name escaped to the depths of his mind.

His scar prickled and stung, waking him up. Grumbling, he rolled over and looked at his newly repaired alarm clock. It read 5.27 a.m.

Harry could've cried! He just wanted to have at least one night's unbroken sleep, so he promptly turned on his side and closed his eyes. When he next opened his stunning green eyes, it was 8.36 a.m. and the sunlight was blasting at him through a crack in the musty curtains, immediately warming his face and blinding him.

An idea quickly flashed through his head, and he frantically searched his room. Finding a pen and a bit of scrap paper, and he scribbled down all the snippets that he'd heard inside his head. Opening his trunk, he found an empty ink bottle and shoved the paper inside.

Flinging himself down on his unmade bed, he sighed contently. This was a glorious start to his seventeenth day at Privet Drive.

After grabbing a quick, silent breakfast, Harry retreated to his room, eagerly counting down the minutes until he saw one of his best friends again.

To try and make the hours fly by, he pulled out 'Quidditch through the Ages' and read it for the umpeenth time. He had gotten through five pages when he looked up only to discover that ten minutes had gone by. He could of sworn that for every three minutes that went by, the clock went back a minute.

After finishing his favourite book, he was re-checkng his trunk to see that he hadn't forgotten anything, when the doorbell sounded.

His head jerked up and every muscle in his scrawny body tensed up. Intrigued and curious, he silently crossed his room to listen in the hall.

"...be one of his lot then?" Vernon's voice carried up the stairs clearly.

"I don't know what you mean by his lot, but if you value your hair, I wouldn't dare say that to me again!" Hermione's icy voice flew - rather than floated - up the stairs to Harry's eavesdropping ear. He sent Hedwig out to meet him at Hogwarts and carried the empty birdcage downstairs.

"And what's more, I've come to take him away with me, so don't try anything," Hermione hissed. "He's too well protected!" Harry could see Vernon falter.

"Harry!" Hermione said brightly as soon as she noticed Harry standing on the bottom stair, all the ice leaving her voice.

"Hey there, Hermione," Harry beamed back at her. "Are we flooing back to the Burrow,or flying?"

Harry grinned at the sight of Vernon's large, purple face glaring at him and turned to see the rest of his family cowering in the hall, far away from Hermione as possible.

"Actually, the ministry's lent us a car," she chirrped.

"Oh," Harry said. Knowing he would pay for his smart-alec comments the following summer, he couldn't resist adding: "I see you've already met my charming uncle."

Hermione grinned and returned Harry's wink. Then, from nowhere, the heads of two identical red-headed boys appeared on each side of Hermione. The effect was incredible! Vernon's eyes bulged until they almost popped out of his head, Petunia screamed and Dudley passed out.

"Hi Harry!" they said in unison, both ignoring the commotion they had caused. Hermione shook her head as they handed two invisibility cloaks to her, revealing the rest of their tall bodies.

"Fred, George," Harry grinned, nodding his head at the two mischievous twins. They both started forward, but Vernon blocked the way with his over-weight body.

"Oh, get out of the way, you fat lump!" grumbled Fred as they pushed Harry's uncle easily against the wall.

"We'll get the rest of your junk, shall we?" George asked, and they both took off up the stairs at a suspiscious pace without an answer from Harry.

Vernon eyed Hermione and Harry with intense dislike, but she only smiled brightly at him.

"Got everything, Harry? Wand? Cauldron? Spellbook?" she asked, immensly enjoying Vernon's face go different shade's of red and purple. Harry smirked and looked away, into the terrified faces of his aunt and cousin, who had been revived after his mother had thrown cold water over his head.

They waited in silence until the twins Apparated with Harry's broomstick and trunk.

"Bye Duddles – I mean, Dudley! See you next summer," Harry snickered as Dudley grew even whiter. "Bye Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon. Have a quiet year!"

All four of them burst into helpless fits of laughter as they approached the awaiting vehicle.

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone turn that shade of purple before!" George gasped.

"I didn't think it was possible!" Fred agreed. "Harry, you might want to be careful when you go back there!"

It only made them laugh harder.

"Oh, Harry, that was so funny!" Hermione giggled. Harry agreed and was startled when she threw her arms around his neck.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're alright!" she mumbled, blushing an extraordinary shade of red.

Once the twins had gracefully thrown Harry's belongings into the boot, they climbed into a mini-van with black windows.

Once Fred and George lounged in the middle and Harry and Hermione had taken the back seats, the ministry official, who'd introduced himself as Mike, sat in the front, driving.

Before Harry could ask, George said, "Ron's back at home, being punished for taking Dad's bewitched bike out and smashing it!"

Fred snickered, and Harry got the feeling that Ron wasn't at fault.

"And before you ask, we are in a muggle car because nobody will be expecting it. Floo's being watched by both sides and the same with Portkeys," Fred said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"We borrowed a squib's car and there are aurors checking us off at different checkpoints. Noody has time to be in one place for very long, so that's why we only have Mike for protection," Hermione told him.

"Hey, and us!" George reminded her.

"Uh, yeah, we have you two as well. I don't know how much protection we'll get though..."

Harry chuckled and quickly stopped when he saw the mutinous looks the twins' were throwing at the two best friends.

So, while the brothers talked about ways to get back at Harry and Hermione over the summer, they talked quietly.

"How are you, really?" she said in a serious tone.

"I don't know," Harry said truthfully. "I don't know if I'm sad that he's gone, or if I'm happy that he's been set free. I'm kinda numb," he added, staring out the window.

"Yeah, we know, mate," Fred said, turning to face them.

"Too right we do," George said quietly.

Harry shivered and Hermione put a protective arm around him, immediately comforting him.

"It's gonna get better, mate, we promise," the twins chorused. Harry smiled gratefully.

Will I always feel numb? He pondered, sadly. Will I ever get over Sirius' death, or will I blame myself until the day comes that I die?

Questions and Answers

Well, again, the band that sings 'A part of me' is Linkin Park! Great band, aren't they?
The emotion that Dudley felt was – remorse! He was starting to feel really bad about hating Harry, but I can't reveal all!

Well, here are some questions to earn more house points for your house:

What does 'Sirius' mean? (10 points)

Once again, who is the band that sings the song 'Numb'? C'mon guys, this is really obvious! (5 points)

Gryffindor: 0
Hufflepuff: 0
Ravenclaw: 0
Slytherin: 0

Oh, and a HUUUUUGE thanks to Boonzie, my beta. Without her, there wouldn't be a story!