Chapter Five
"What?" Remus asked, coming up to Harry. He suddenly looked more concerned at Harry's pale expression. "Harry, what is it?"
"It's Sirius," Harry managed to get out. "He's gone."
"What?" Remus's eyes scanned the room. Harry was right; Sirius was gone. "Where could he have gone to?"
"I don't know," Harry said, stepping into Sirius's empty room. "No windows are open, we would've known if he went out the front or back door. It makes no sense…"
"All right, what if he's hiding in the house somewhere?" Remus suggested. (A/N: Ah, LittleCrazy1 :-D)
"I don't think so," Harry replied. "We would've heard the door open. And we'd also hear Sirius—you know how noisy he is."
"True," Remus agreed. "I just don't know where he could've gone to. He can't apparate; he wouldn't know how to."
Realization washed over Harry like a wave. It wasn't Sirius. "I'm sorry," He said out loud to Remus. "I should have believed you when you said that it wasn't Sirius—"
"What are you saying?" Remus interrupted. "That that wasn't Sirius?"
"It looks that way," Harry responded, feeling a lump in his throat. "I—I just wanted it to be Sirius. I…I couldn't imagine losing him, and now I have—"
"Shh," Remus instructed softly. "No more, Harry."
"It's just so obvious now," Harry said, sniffing to keep the tears back. "He was someone using a wand or potion to change their appearance."
"Do you think it was a Death Eater?" Remus asked.
"Yeah," Harry agreed. "I do. At least… I think I do."
"AH!" A scream from outside the bedroom door made Harry jump. The only name came to mind—Sirius.
"Sirius?" Harry called, rushing out of the bedroom and to the kitchen.
"H-Harry?" Sirius called back, a note of fear and pain was palpable in his voice.
"Sirius? Where are you?"
"I'm sorry," Sirius called up from a place that was unknown to Harry. "I tried to leave, and I got my foot caught!"
Harry peered down into the black darkness of the basement. "You went down in the basement? Why?" There was a pause of hesitation before Sirius replied.
"I thought there was a way to get out from down here."
"Why didn't you just crawl out of the window or something?" Harry called back down, shrugging inwardly. It was what he would've done.
"I don't know!" Sirius called up exasperatedly. "Just come down and help me!"
"All right," Harry muttered, taking two steps downstairs.
"Harry," Remus said. Harry looked up questioningly. "Why don't I go down? Just in case—"
"I'll be fine," Harry interrupted with what he hoped was a reassuring smile, though his face felt stiff. He wasn't convinced at his own words, he had to admit. "Don't worry."
"With you, it's hard not to," Remus replied with a grin. Harry just shook his head, a faint smile playing on his lips as he made his way down the steep stairs.
"Sirius?" He called into the darkness.
"Over here," Sirius replied gruffly.
"Over where?" Harry asked. "And don't sound like that—it doesn't sound like you."
"Sorry," Sirius apologized, though he sounded anything but. "I'm in pain, I'm not exactly going to be patient and calm."
"Well, try to," Harry replied, he held his hands out in front of him, making his way down into the basement. A flashlight would be really handy in this situation, Harry realized. He shook his head, stumbling as he tripped over something.
"Sirius?" He asked. "What are you doing on the floor?" Without any hesitation Sirius stood up from the ground, though when he looked Harry in the eyes, Harry found he had hard, cold grey eyes instead of the warm, laughable, welcoming blue eyes that the real Sirius Black had.
"You're not Sirius," Harry said in a whisper.
"How very clever of you," the man (which Harry realized was Lucius Malfoy) said.
"REMUS!" Harry yelled at the top of his lungs before Lucius could say anything or do anything. "HELP! IT'S NOT SIRI—" By now, Lucius had clamped his hand over Harry's mouth. Getting angrier by the minute, Harry bit Lucius's hand until the older man had to let go. "IT'S NOT SIRIUS! HELP!" His grey eyes blazing, Lucius put his hand back over Harry's mouth.
"Shut up," he hissed. And before Harry could do anything, or bite Lucius's hand again, he felt something hard come down on his head, and he knew that consciousness just didn't want him anymore.
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A/N: Sorry if it's a bit short, but I wanted to live you all hanging. A story just wouldn't be good without any cliffhangers! Though, sometimes cliffhangers are annoying. With me, though, you probably know how instantaneously and contiguously I update, so it shouldn't be that annoying.
Anyhow, thank you for the reviews and I hope I'll be seeing more of them!