The last chapter was quite short, I know, I try I really do, but sometimes I have to do things in small increments. Anywho here's chapter 12 hope you enjoy it!
I do not own Harry Potter! (slaps the fool that suggested it)
It had been a week since Dumbledore and Attica had brought Sirius back to Grimmauld Place and Harry didn't know whether to be happy or upset. Although he had his Godfather back, Sirius could remember nothing of his past despite the number of times he had been told.
The others seemed to take this in stride, a simple obstacle that could eventually be overcome, but Harry could only think of what would happen if Sirius was stuck not knowing who he really was for the rest of his life, always wondering if he used to know that person, or if he'd been to that one particular place. The only thing he could compare it too was the time after he had just been told he was a wizard. He had been scarred of what the future might hold, what with all those people expecting great things from him because he had done something he could hardly remember!
Harry sighed, picking up the dishtowel next to his elbow to start drying the plate he held in his hands. He and Ginny were washing dishes from dinner, having both drawn the duty the night before. Mrs. Weasley had started delegating the tasks of the household chores to the daily residents of Grimmauld Place, mainly being Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.
He set the dried plate at the top of a nearby stack, so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't even realized that the plate had been the last dish.
"Is that everything?" He said turning to Ginny.
"Yeah." she answered. "I hope Mum feels guilty that she's making us do the dishes the last night before Term."
Harry forced himself to grin, knowing she was only trying to keep the conversation light. He appreciated how well Ginny could always read his mood. Just then Mrs. Weasley bustled into the kitchen a clean table cloth wrapped in her arms.
"Oh are you finished Harry dear?" He nodded. "Do me a favor and tell Ron to start packing, all of his clothes are still lying on the floor." She set the table cloth on the table and left the kitchen.
"I'm done too you know." Ginny mumbled and this time Harry smiled for real, wished her a goodnight and went to find Ron.
He climbed the stairs to his room, pausing for only a second at Attica's door having heard what sounded to be a heated argument between several people. He could distinguish Lupin's voice among them and wondered vaguely when he had shown up but didn't wait around to hear what they were saying. They had all been at their wits end about what to do with Sirius and Harry did his best to stay out of it wanting simply to spend time with Sirius.
He reached his room to find Ron already there picking up a pair of worn jeans off the floor and sitting on Harry's bed talking to Ron was Sirius.
"They told me that I was an Ani- Animagus?" He asked uncertainly.
"Yeah." Ron said grinning. "You can turn into a great black dog. Its pretty cool." Sirius looked nonplussed at the news as if the idea of turning into a creature of another species was hardly thrilling to him. Ron looked up to see Harry standing in the doorway. "Hey Harry, dishes done or was Mum merciful for once and let you off?"
"No, Ginny and I did them." He responded automatically. "Your Mum told me to tell you that you need to have all your stuff off the floor and packed up tonight." Ron snorted.
"Right, like that's going to happen, look at this room!" Sirius gave a bark like laugh at Ron's exclamation making Harry smile. That was one thing about Sirius that had stayed the same; his laugh.
"Well I'm off to bed." Sirius said standing up making his way to the door. "Goodnight." He said, clapping a hand on Harry's shoulder on his way out.
"Night." He answered dully.
When the door was shut Ron looked over at Harry while haphazardly stuffing school robes into his trunk.
"You know he really is trying hard to remember." Ron said matter-of-factly.
"I know."
"I'm just saying, cause you seem to get mad at him or something. He can't help it Harry."
"I know." He said again. "Dumbledore was right though, he isn't the man we used to know. Even if he does get his memory back, he probably won't ever be the same." Harry flopped onto his bed dejectedly, ignoring Ron who seemed at a loss for words.
The bolt of red energy slammed forcefully into his chest, taking him off guard and causing him to lose his footing. His eyes widened in surprise, when he realized he was going to fall. He looked frantically around for his attacker in the split second he had left and his gaze locked with excited eyes of his hated cousin Bellatrix. Growling in frustration and pain he twisted around and felt the soft touch of velvet against his cheek before darkness wrapped tightly around him.
He sat up quickly in bed, entangled in his sheets and drenched in sweat. His breathing came hard and fast as if he had been running from something. Eyes open fully he glanced wildly around for Bellatrix's laughing face. Then it hit like lightening.
"Bellatrix?" He whispered to himself, straining to remember every detail of the dream. It had been so real and vivid, like it had actually happened.
"But it did happen." He said out loud in a hoarse whisper, knowing it was true and for the first time since he had woke up in that dark cell, Sirius Black remembered a part of his past.