Hey, I'm back. Sorry for not putting anything up for so long but it's been buisy. I just started grade 11 so...tough. Really tough.
Chapter eight: Welcome to my house of horrors
"Mr. Potter's scans are positive. For all intensive purposes he seems completely fine. Except, there was one thing we were concerned about." Harry's senses were on over drive. He could hear the strange voice booming in his head like he was talking on a loud speaker. The loud voice was making his head hurt and all he felt like doing was slapping him. Could he just get peace and quiet or was that a total impossibility?
"What do you mean, a concern? What concern?" Sirius asked. He seemed really close but not all that loud. Just slightly blurry. Harry suddenly became aware of someone's hand in his. As his senses began to pick up, he realized the hand had a wedding ring. It was his mother.
"Yes. He suffered a major electrical shock. Do you have any idea where that may have come from? Our curseologist thinks that it was probably a very badly used knock back jinx but, the most un- qualified wizards would know how to use that spell. We doubt, therefore, that it was a jinx. It may have been an imbalance in his system."
"An imbalance?" Lupin's voice suddenly said. Harry, though he was groggy and weak, couldn't help but feel guilty that he'd taken Sam and Lupin from their honeymoon. "An imbalance did that! Look, when we found him..."
"Who was around him? Anyone?" There was silence and Harry heard an odd ringing in his ears as the silence slowly deepened. It was like the silence was a noise...an annoying wrath buzzing around in his ears.
"Look, is my son going to be okay?" Lilly asked. There was a shifting of paper and a few sniffs. From some distant place, Harry could hear the talking of people in the hall and a few weird beeps. Beeps that sounded too familiar...but so bizarrely strange.
"From all indication, yes." The healer said, for that's who Harry believed to be the strange voice's owner. He tried to open his eyes but they were glued shut and his head was pounding. The scary thing, however, was not any of this but the realization that he couldn't feel parts of his body. "Now, when he wakes up we'll know for sure. Someone else will be in to give him a second dose of potion in an hour and then...we'll see where it goes from there."
"Thank you." Lilly said. Harry struggled to open his eyes again but his conscience was slipping backwards into sleep, one place he didn't want to go at the moment. That thing might get him again. "Well, you two should go, you have to be in France by tomorrow."
"No, we can stay. The hotel can wait, I'm sure." Sam's voice said. Harry swore, he'd forgotten they were going to France.
"No, I insist. Harry's going to be fine. I have Sirius and Lynn and...James whenever he shows up, so...go, please."
"Alright Lilly." Lupin said. Harry heard a kissing sound and the rustle of clothing as they said goodbye. Then there was silence and he felt someone stroking his hair.
"Did you find anything?" Lilly asked. Someone was sitting on the other side of his bed, he could feel a hand take his.
"No." Sirius said, "I couldn't find anyone or anything. James says he saw a dark shape?"
"Yes, it took off, away from Harry when James found him. He says it looked like an animal of some kind." There was a shake in her voice. "Harry's been acting so weird lately, you don't think he's in trouble with someone do you? Who else would send something to attack him?" The hand was gone and Harry heard Sirius walking around the foot of the bed to join his mother. "I mean, the healer said he'd been through major trauma! What's wrong with him?"
"Nothing." Sirius said, but Harry could hear it in his voice, the sound of a secret fighting to get out. "Nothing, he'll be fine. I'm sure he's in no trouble Lilly, please. Trust me."
"I do." Lilly said, "I just wish life were different, you know? What would have happened if I had excepted you're proposal that night? What would have happened if it had been you who had saved me and not James?"
"You wonder that?" Sirius asked. Harry realized this was not a conversation he should be listening to but he couldn't tune it out or risk falling back into the waiting void. "Why? Lilly, don't, it'll make you go crazy. Well, crazier then you are." Lilly laughed lightly. "Look, if you had excepted, Harry and Lynn would never have been born and you don't want that, and neither do I. I love them, life is the way it is for a reason, you can't change it. Everything happens for a reason. Harry's meant to do something great, Lynn's meant to cause as much trouble as possible." Lilly laughed.
"And me?" She asked.
"You are meant to be the mother of two amazing children. James is meant to be a prat and I'm meant to be godfather. You know, the Muggles have a whole movie line on a godfather. It's very violent though." Lilly smiled.
"I know." She said simply. "It's just...I love James, but he doesn't love me anymore and I can't make him look at me or touch me or wanna be with me. All I can do is wait and I am getting so tired of waiting."
"Why don't you go and get a coffee? Find Peter and Lynn and tell them that nothing's changed. I'll stay here for now. Don't worry."
"Thank you Sirius." Lilly said. Harry heard her leave her chair and listened to her footsteps go to the other end of the room, stop for a moment and then leave only to fade down the hallway and eventually die. There was silence all around him except for the shifting of Sirius in the chair Lilly had occupied.
Harry tried to speak but it only came out in a hoarse crook. "Harry?" Sirius asked. Harry could feel his weight suddenly on the side of the bed and he sensed him move closer, bending over him. "Harry? Are you awake?"
"Yes." Harry croaked. "Gone...back. Saw...Weasley...Grim...place."
"Oh yeah." Sirius said quietly. Harry knew he had no clue as to what was going on. "Well, I'm happy for you Harry, for whatever."
"Told...you...already." Harry croaked, annoyed that he couldn't get his thoughts across. "Not...listen."
"I am listening Harry." Sirius said quietly, "But, you've been with me the entire time. We found you in the parking lot near the hall. Do you remember?"
"I...back...woke...Weasley." Harry muttered, mind slipping back to it's dream state. Sirius sighed, exasperated.
"Okay. You went back to where you belong?" He asked. Harry couldn't answer so he continued. "And saw...Weasley? Which of the hundred are you talking about? Ron?"
"No...Mrs...."
"Oh! Okay, Mrs. Weasley. You saw her at my brother's house?" He was quiet for a moment. "In your time, my brother's house was my house right? A safe haven for the...order of the something or other."
"Phoenix." Harry muttered. He tried to open his eyes again but couldn't. "Where...I?"
"St. Mungo's. You're safe. Who attacked you? What did you see?"
Before Harry could answer, however, he fell into the dream world again. He dreamed he was in a dark room, sitting behind an ornate wooden desk. With a sharp knife, Harry slowly carved the words into the desktop, "kill Potter." Over and over again until the wooden surface was all but devoid of polished oak.
A man came into the room through a door at the far end, walked swiftly across the woolen carpet and fell to his knees, bowing before Harry's desk. Harry ignored him and continued to carve. Finally, the man looked up.
"My lord, Wormtail has returned." He said. Harry's eyes lifted slowly and he watched the other for a long moment before he sighed.
"Does he have any news?" Harry's voice was high and cold, devoid of any human emotion or kindness. "I feel him, I just don't sense him." The man's face blanched.
"No my lord, no new news. The one in the house looks like the boy...but Wormtail says he smells different. Like a stranger."
"That's because he is different. He is a stranger. Now that they have moved him from St. Mungo's, has Wormtail been able to find the place?"
"No." Harry suddenly felt angry. How could the child have escaped? He could still feel him in his head! He was here but not.
"I know Dumbledore knows where he is." Harry hissed. He let the knife fall onto the table top with a clatter and stood, flexing his long fingered white hands. "But, I'm sure no one else does."
"We have another piece of useful information. We captured him in a small suburb of London. We may be able to ask him a few questions."
"Him?" Harry asked, his voice full of vehemence. "Him...he's here?"
"Yes my lord. We found him, you were right." Harry felt his spirits soar.
"Take me to him." Harry instructed. The man lifted himself off the floor and led the way through the room and to the door. Two death eaters stood outside but Harry ignored them and continued behind his guide, wending his way through dark halls and down long staircases. Outside the few windows was a dark sky, turbulent ocean and sheer rocky cliffs. No trees or vegetation grew here as tornadoes wended their way through the rocks. Harry took in the sweat smell of despair through his slit like nose and sighed, pleased. This was definitely the perfect place to live.
They entered the lower levels of the building where there were only dark cells. Here and there a dementor stood, flanking a door but, other then that, most cells were dank and empty.
"Here my lord." The man said, stepping aside. Harry came to the door and a dementor opened it. Harry's sharp eyes bore through the gloom and he smiled.
The shape of a human sat huddled in the dark corner. It was hard to make out the person but Harry knew who it was.
"Welcome." Harry said slowly, the human in the corner looking up. "Welcome to my little house of horrors, it's nice to see you Mr...."
Harry flew awake, his body jerking him forward into a sitting position. "SIRIUS! SIRIUS!" He was alone in the hospital room, the lights all dim. It was evidentially late at night. He'd been talking to Sirius and then dozed off. Where the hell was he? "SIRIUS!"
Harry flipped out of bed and took off for the door, wrenching it open and knocking over a worried looking Healer. "Hey! Mr. Potter! Security!"
Harry ran as fast as he could, flying around corners at Mach two, disoriented and confused with only one clear thought in mind. He had to find Sirius and tell him what had just happened. He exited the ward through a heavy pair of doors and caught a glimpse of a security guard coming down the hallway to his right. Now he was on the stairs. He stopped, wondering where to go and deciding on the teashop. That was on level five.
Harry ran like there was the hounds of hell on his heels and burst onto level five at least two floors above the security wizard. This floor was festively decorated with a few signs hanging from the ceiling. There were four hallways, one to his right, one to his left, and two in front going off two diagonals. Running out of time, he ran down the left hand one, not reading the signs and ended up in a library.
"MR. POTTER, PLEASE STOP!" The security wizard yelled. Harry looked over his shoulder for only an instant and ran into a table. Pain rippled through his stomach but he couldn't stop. Kicking a chair over, he ran between a row of books on invisibility and pounded up a small flight of stairs to a balcony that looked over the rest of the library.
There was another hallway here. He skirted the corner and took off, behind him yells of "STOP THAT KID!" could be heard but no one tried anything and Harry came again into a divide. The teashop was right. Forcibly reminded of the maze at the Ministry's department of mysteries, Harry bolted down this hall and entered the teashop.
There was a bunch of tables and chairs, couches and benches here and there, ranging from different colors and sizes. "Harry?"
Harry whipped around and collapsed into Sirius's arms just as the security wizard came puffing around the corner, sweat on his face.
"That god you caught him." He puffed, breathing deeply. "That kid can sure run."
"Yes, I know he can." Sirius said quietly. "I have him, thank you." The security wizard nodded and walked away. Slowly, Sirius pushed Harry away to arms length and rubbed the sweat off his face. "Anxious to see me or what?" He asked, smiling. Then, he caught the look on Harry's face and frowned. "Lets get you back to you're room."
"Where's my mom...and Lynn?" Harry asked, looking around as Sirius led him back to the library.
"Well, I convinced them that you wouldn't be waking up until tomorrow at least and that they should go home." He laughed softly. "I was wrong to say the least."
"Yeah...I'm sorry." Harry apologized as they entered the library. Around him, people watched him with scandalized expressions on their faces mixed with relief that he'd finally been caught.
"What for?" Sirius asked, ignoring the people and leading Harry down the balcony steps. "It's not your fault. None of this is your fault." Harry sighed and they were silent until they reached his room again. It was small, much like the one Mr. Wesley had only he was alone and the window was bigger. When he'd been settled back in bed the healer he'd knocked over came in and smiled.
"I'm glad you're feeling better Mr. Potter." He rubbed his shoulder. "You sure can move when you want to." Harry smiled weakly and waited for the healer to do whatever he had to do. When he was done and had left, Harry turned to Sirius.
"I was Voldemort again. In my dream, only I know it was real." Sirius looked at him worried.
"Harry, how is it possible that you can traverse both ...universes or what ever at once?" Harry shrugged.
"I don't know. But I was Voldemort. It seems the other me...Harry, isn't in any immediate danger. They know he's not me and now he's at Grimwald place so he's safe." Sirius looked releaved for a moment.
"Let's get to what happed to you. What did you see?" Harry thought back and got fuzzy images.
"Well, I was outside sitting around and then I went the long way to go back inside." Harry began. Sirius held up a hand to silence him. "What?"
"Why where you outside?" He asked suspiciously. "And I know it wasn't to get some air." Harry grinned despite himself.
"I saw Dumbledore and I made to follow him." Sirius suddenly looked more worried. "What?"
"Dumbledore? Are you sure?" Harry nodded and lifted an eyebrow. "Harry, Dumbledore's been dead for fifteen years." Harry's heart leapt and he felt a sudden clench in his stomach. Dumbledore was dead? How could that be? "There was no way you could have seen him."
"But, that's impossible!" Harry stammered. "He's the headmaster of Hogwarts School! There's no way he's dead!"
"Harry, trust me, Dumbledore is dead. He died mysteriously when you were a year old. Cornelus Fudge is the headmaster at Hogwarts School."
"No." Harry breathed. "I saw him. He wasn't a ghost, he was real...I saw him!" Sirius shook his head.
"There's no way Harry. Unless he, like you're subconscince can travel both sides of the..." Sirius's words stopped and he gasped. "You don't think your Dumbledore..."
"Maybe." Harry said, smiling, "I wouldn't put it past him to. Everything here is so screwed up!" He buried his face in his hands and rubbed his eyes really hard.
"So, you went outside because you saw Dumbledore...who's dead. Then what?"
"I sat on the benches for a while and...thought. Then I walked the long way...you know, through the trees beside the hall." Sirius smiled and nodded. "I was at the edge to come onto the parking lot when I heard breathing. It was an animal of some kind but, in the shock I lost my glasses and when it stood over me I couldn't see it properly. Then I passed out. When I woke up I was in Grimwald place with Mrs. Weasley. We talked then I blacked out again. I had this dream about Voldemort...I saw a person in the cell but I can't remember who at the moment then I woke up."
Sirius nodded pensively and sighed. Suddenly he looked gray and exhausted. "Okay. You were attacked by a thing. Not very credible Harry, not credible at all." Harry rolled his eyes. "Okay, we'll discus it later." He stood up and tucked Harry in. "I want you to get a good night sleep and I'll see you in the..." He stopped and watched the door.
James stood there, ghostly white, his eyes bloodshot. "Sirius, could you give us a moment?" Sirius smiled and nodded, looked back at Harry once and then pushed past James into the hall, closing the door behind him. By the look in his eyes, it was time to have a long over due heart to heart, father son chat.
"Welcome," Harry said under his breath as his father drew closer. "Welcome to my house of horrors." And, as he finished the sentence an insane smile lit his lips. It was almost if, for a second, he was a completely different person. And, the scary part was...he liked it.
Nikki101: yeah, I was just writing and decided on the spur of the moment to bring in a scary thing in the trees. It happens. I'll explain later. Dumbledore...Dumbledore...I'll tell you don't worry. It'll come back...later. Thank you.
Laughing Dragoness: Hey, how's it going? I hate homework and school! It takes away from my social life and I hate it! Wait, I said I hated it twice...well, I really hate it then. Well, please keep reading. Thanx.
Gallandro-83: Hey, thanks for reviewing me. I appreciated it. Find everything out soon? There'd be no fun in that...for me. I like to drag it out because suspense rules. Piper and Harry sitting in a tree...k-I-s-s-I-n-g. Keep reading please.
DragonHunter200: Good Morning! Playboy Sirius? Cool...yeah, with the heaven thing it confused me to...and I wrote it! I'll explain Dumbledore don't worry. Yep, wigs really do start on fire in my weddings (Family, not mine personally). There's more but a lot of it involves drinking and crudeness, none of which you'll want to know. Yeah, a marshmallow and I lost my eyebrows because of flame and gasoline. It was my bro's fault. Yeah, I like 3 and I will get it when it comes out...I just don't know when that will be. Keep reading and look after your killer kittens for me. Say hi to them.