Chapter Eleven

The Walk

Harry stuck his hands into his pockets as he continued his brisk pace. He knew he shouldn't have left the house but needed to clear his head. He pondered the idea of writing to the Order and asking them to get him out of Privet Drive but then he'd have to say why. He shuttered at the idea. Telling people about the treatment would just get people to pity him and he would NOT like that. He got too much attention as it was.

He bit his lip with was thoughtful sigh. Maybe if Sirius was around to talk to he could tell people. But he's not here is he? That damned voice reminded him. As he wondered about he kept getting the feeling he was being followed. He gasped when he spotted a Grim but he blinked and it was gone. The forth time it happened he turned around, heading back towards the house. He kept his eyes to the ground as he walked, determined not to imagine that Sirius was following him. Sirius was dead. He had to keep reminding himself. A noise in the alleyway caught his attention.

Immediately he reached for his wand. "Hello?" he asked peering into the darkness.

"Harry?" familiar gruff voice came to his ears. No, that's impossible. He thought, hope and pain surging through him. "Harry, what are you doing out here by yourself?" the person stepped into the light confirming Harry's suspicion and horror. Sirius Black stood before him.

She burst out of the house with alarming speed. He was going to be tricked. She had to find him. There was no way he wouldn't trust the person. She had had the same tactic used on her when she went back into training after He died. She had been dumb and fell to pieces when she had to 'destroy' Him. She had no idea what Harry would do, he didn't have the training she had had.

She raced down the street as fast as she could, looking at the mirror periodically. "Damn it, this is stupid," she cursed stopping. "Point me," she said to her wand and followed it, praying she wasn't too late to save Harry.

"S, S, Sirius?" Harry stuttered as the person smiled weakly. "Is it really you?"

"Harry, you're a damned fool, wondering about on your own." Sirius leaned against the wall but the look of anger was on his face.

"You, you, you fell. They said you were dead." Stuttered Harry, trying miserably to keep his guard up, knowing it might be a trick.

"Yes well, life does have all sorts of surprises now don't it?" Sirius asked with a grin. Harry just stared at his godfather, the moonlight bouncing off his glasses. "You just gonna stand there? This may be a great adventure and all for you but you're being a fool. Walking about alone,"

"Where have you been?"

"Away, hidden."

Harry glanced to the side and then snarled. "Dumbledore,"

Luckily (or unfortunately) Harry was looking away long enough to see Sirius have the same sort of distaste on his face. "Yes, he said it was better for everyone to think I was dead."

Harry looked back at Sirius, tears shinning in his emerald eyes. "Even me? You couldn't have written! Done something! You let me go on all this time thinking you were dead!"

"I'm sorry, my boy. It wasn't my choice."

"Dumbledore," came the word from the boy's mouth again. This time it was more of a question. Sirius gave a small nod. "What are you doing here now?"

"I can't tell you in the open, come here, Harry, I need to take you somewhere safe," Sirius held his hand out to Harry.

Harry looked at it cautiously. "How can I be sure you're not here by Voldemort to trick me?"

"Harry," Sirius scolded him. "Aren't you happy to see me?" he asked after a moment, doubt flickering across his face for a moment.

It took all of Harry's willpower not to race towards him. "Of course I am, but how can I be sure?" he knew his wand-hand was shaking.

"Harry," Sirius said with a sigh. "Look," He transformed suddenly into a large black dog. Harry's hand fell down to his side. The dog disappeared and Sirius' gaunt form took its place. Polyjuice wouldn't cause the person to have the ability to transform. Harry was reeling from the shock. "Convinced?"

"Yes," the gasped tearful voice replied, a strange smell wafting in the air as he spoke it.

"Then come here boy and give me a hug," the gruff voice said with amusement.

Harry, without even thinking, felt his legs start to walk forward. He threw his arms around the waist of the man and buried his face in his robes. "Sirius," he whispered, tears spilling freely down his face. He felt Sirius rub his hand up and down his godson's back before pulling away. "You're real,"

"Yes, of course I am, Harry. Did you think you were seeing things?"

"Wouldn't be the first time," he admitted softly.

Sirius wiped at Harry's tears. "Now we'll have none of that,"

"What happened to you? Why weren't you there? I needed you," he whispered, pain in his eyes.

"I was watching you, but I couldn't get to you," Sirius said with a kind grin, a spark in his eyes. "Now, come on, I have to get you back to you aunt and uncle's house."

Harry grimaced. "Do I have to?"

Sirius laughed. "Of course you have to, sorry that you do, though." Sirius ruffled the mop of black hair. He pulled Harry towards the shadows. "We can't take the open roads, can't be seen. Fool boy, you're gonna get yourself killed."

"But can't I stay with you?"

"No, Harry. You can't stay with me, you're not even supposed to know I'm still alive." Sirius said with a shrug.

Harry smiled broadly. "I just can't believe it. I've, I've missed you so much." He admitted softly as Sirius lead him down the alleyway. Darkness closed around them as Sirius still lead him deeper. "This isn't the way back," Harry said after moment.

Sirius smiled. "Yes it is, I've found a new way back. Just trust me Harry."

"I do," the response was immediate.

"Good," the voice was less gruff and, well, slyer than anything else.

The grip on Harry's arm became tighter. Harry started to recoil when a strange feeling filled the air, turning the air cold. "S, S, Sirius?" Harry recognized the feeling that was turning his insides into ice.

"Don't worry," Harry was beginning to recognize the voice as the grip was tightening. Harry wrenched his arm away whirling around; the alleyway back was blocked by Dementors.

She cursed at her wand turning the corner fast. "Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn!" she cursed again. She looked around and then at the mirror. Her face was the only thing reflected now. "Shit, this isn't happening." Only one thing could prevent her spells from getting through and if that was surrounding Harry right now, she had no time to spare. She had to get to him.

"Sirius! Come on, we have to go," Harry said turning around but freezing when he saw another line of Dementors behind them. Sirius' arm clamped down on Harry's shoulder. "We're trapped," Harry whispered softly.

"Don't worry," the sly voice came through again.

"Harry!" a shout came from behind the Dementors as he started to waver, the cold feeling overcoming him. The same voice then shouted to his surprise, "EXPECTO-PATRONUM!" a burst of silver light blinded him as a dragon of all things soared at the line of Dementors.

She fled towards the alleyway, finally feeling the evil laying there. She spotted the line of Dementors and someone on the other side. "HARRY!" she shouted distracting the Dementors for a moment. She, dropping her wand praying the raw magic will work better. "EXPECTO-PATRONUM!" she shouted, hand extended.

The force of the magic exerting from her palm caused her to stumble back as her dragon flew at the line. The Dementors let out a scream the nearly deafened her. She raced through, sending the line scattering and disappearing. Fear seized her heart as she saw Sirius Black holding Harry as the boy collapsed to his knees.

From her research she knew he hated Dementors but that wasn't what gave her the tremors clutching at her heart. She knew the person holding Harry was not Sirius Black. She pointed her hand and the dragon flew in the other direction, scattering the other line of Dementors, forcing them to disappear. She smiled at the person as Harry blacked out completely.

"You have something that belongs to me for the summer," she said as her wand flew back into her hand. "I'd like it back."

Sirius' gruff cackle turned into the silky voice of Lucius Malfoy. "No,"

She smiled at him with a nod. "Really, that's too bad." Confusion flickered momentarily on the man's face as he changed back into his real form. "Because, I don't take no for an answer."

"It's time you learn."

"I think not." She said before whispering the Flipendo Jinx. Lucius flew backwards, slamming into the wall behind him. "Give him back."

He winced. "Furnunculus!" Lucius shouted.

She dogged the boils curse and flashed one of her ever-so witty grins. "Is that all you got? Please don't go easy on me."

"Crucio," came the silky response.

She started to doge the curse when she realized it wasn't for her. Harry let out a series of screams as the curse hit him. "Serpensortia!" A black cobra flew from her wand at Lucius. He ducked it. "Don't attack someone unable to fight back." She said firmly.

He grinned and sent a cutting hex at her. She dogged it but a little too slow, part of it hitting her on the arm. She whirled around and shouted the burning hex at him. He tried to doge it but it hit him on the arm. The snake hissed at him, barring its fangs as Lucius stumbled to the side.

She flashed him a smile as her snake hissed at him, snapping at his ankle. "Having fun?"

"Expelliarmus!" She flew backwards, her wand flying towards Lucius. Unable to stop herself, she slammed into the wall, a gash appearing on her head causing blood to spill down her face. Lucius smirked at her. "Not so brave without your wand, now are you?" he asked watching her touch her cut.

"Incase you didn't notice, you idiot," She said rolling to her feet. "When I walked up," She stepped in front of Harry. "I didn't use my wand." Panic fleeted across his snowy white face. "Expelliarmus!" His wand flew towards her. "Too fast for you?" she asked grinning. "Petrificus Totalus!" Lucius went straight as a board collapsing. "Sorry, but I'll be leaving you here, maybe you'll get free before the Order can find you. Oh, one more thing, obliviate." His eyes went blank. "Can't have you remembering me."

She turned to Harry, falling down by him. "Lumos." Both their wands lit up. "Harry? Harry, come on, don't you go crazy on me. I ain't gonna fail another job."

Harry heard someone saying his name through a haze. He tried to place the voice but couldn't, it didn't sound like anyone he knew. He tried to force his eyes open. Slowly his vision came into focus for a moment to reveal a young woman leaning over him, her head illuminated by a light from unknown origin. He blinked. Who was she? An angel? His head rolled to the side as he gave up, unable to hold onto the conscious world.

"Stupid Harry, why the hell did you have to go for a walk?" she asked standing up. "Incarcerous." She said to the blonde. "Bye, Mobilicorpus." Harry lifted up.

She disapparated to Privet Drive with a loud pop, the sound bringing the Dursleys out. She stomped up the steps and into the house without knocking. She rolled her eyes at their appalled look. "Yeah, yeah, I'm a witch, no you never knew me when I was younger, now out of my way you damned pigs." She ordered hurrying up the stairs.

"What?" Vernon gasped as the spell planting the memories of 'River Jacobson' disappeared.

"Out of the way, I need to get his things." She said firmly.

"Who are you?" Vernon gasped out.

She rolled her eyes. "Someone who can curse you to hell and back again if you don't get out of my way." Vernon stepped back immediately. "Thank you," she said levitating Harry onto the couch. "Where are his school things?" she asked turning around.

"Who are you?" sneered Petunia half hidden by Vernon.

"You're worst nightmare if you don't tell me where his things are," she snapped.

"Closet," came a squeaked voice behind her.

Without realizing it she had trapped her amorous 'boyfriend' in the living room. She looked at him flashing him a smile. "Thank you," She retrieved the things and then summoned anything else that belonged to him to her. She shrunk it and put it into her pocket. She turned to Dudley who recoiled into the chair, frightened, obviously, of her. "Oh, one more thing, pig, you are disgusting and really need to loose some weight you spoiled whale."

"How dare you speak to my son like that!" snapped Vernon.

She looked at him. "And you, spoiling your whale of a son well starving and BEATING your nephew! Lord, if torturing muggles wasn't against the law you'd be begging for mercy." She spoke with hate and it was obvious she was fighting her temper but she spoke with a purpose.

"River," Dudley pleaded with her.

"My name isn't River you pig. And if you ever touch a hair on this boy's head again, I won't restrain just because of a law." She threatened levitating Harry without so much as magic word. "Goodnight," she said walking out and disapparating to her house.

She threw the green powder needed to Floo into the fireplace after conjuring up flames. She looked at Harry and sighed. "Two for number twelve Grimswald Place." She whispered to the flames, which sparked up as if to answer her. She pulled Harry to her hand threw two handfuls of powder into the fire as she stepped into it. "Number twelve Grimswald Place."

She hated traveling by floo and now was reminded why. She clung to Harry as they spiraled towards the fireplace they needed. She stumbled out coughing, realizing the shower she had taken was pointless now. She looked at the shocked faces and rolled her eyes.

"Don't just stand there," she snapped before they jumped into action, taking Harry out of the room.

She looked at the startled faces, placing each face. Remus Lupin, Albus Dumbledore, Alastor Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, Severus Snape, Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Bill Weasley, Fred and George Weasley, Ronald Weasley, Ginny Weasley, and Hermione Granger, all but one had raced out after Harry, Snape. His face wasn't smirking, in fact he wasn't even doing anything but staring at her.

"Ran into some problems did you?"

She flashed a grin at him. "Me? No, Harry, yes." She said walking to one of them many empty chairs at the table where Severus Snape sat.

"Your head and arm are bleeding," commented Snape summoning a wet cloth.

"It's nothing." She said as he handed her the cloth. She studied it and then accepted. "Thanks."

She pressed it to her head, mopping up the blood as the people began to file back into the room. She heard an argument out in the hall about coming with them. Apparently the kids won out because everyone seemed to be squeezing into the tiny kitchen. Dumbledore sat down calmly across from her and she flashed him a smile.

"Wonder Boy all right? Lucius hit him with Crucio."

"Fine," Dumbledore assured.

"Good." She said genuinely.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" demanded Ronald Weasley half shouting.

"Ronald!" scolded Mrs. Weasley.

"What?" he asked indignantly causing her to smile.