On the Run
Chapter Thirty One
Testifying
Harry was working on his homework. He was still staying in the Headmaster's private rooms; currently he was at the desk trying to finish his History of Magic homework. Sirius' latest trial date had happened over a week ago. Harry had been told it had gone well.
Knock! Knock! Harry looked up toward his door. Sighing he said, "Come in."
The door opened to reveal Hermione and Ron. "Hey," Ron sad as he sat on Harry's bed.
"Hey." Harry answered back with a smiled. He closed his History book and pushed it to the top of the desk. He was glad to have a distraction from it.
"We've come to ask you something." Hermione announced. "You have been avoiding answering this question." Hermione reminded him. "Are you really an Animagus?"
Harry sighed. He didn't really want to answer it. He knew it was very odd for a child to become an Animagus, especially on their own. "Yes." He finally answered.
"Was that you?" Ron asked looking Harry in the eyes. "Were you that puppy out by the changing rooms?"
Harry sighed again and nodded. "Yes." He confirmed.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Ron asked. "We wouldn't have told." He sounded slightly hurt.
"Sirius said it was best not to tell anyone." Harry answered. "I didn't want it to somehow slip. Though I managed that on my own." Harry added under his breath.
"How did you become an Animagus?" Hermione asked interestedly.
Harry smiled. Hermione loved to know everything! "I don't know. I've been able to change since I was little."
"That's so cool!" Ron announced.
Harry smiled slightly bitterly. It was cool that he could change into Burrow sometimes, but others, it was a downright pain.
"You don't think so?" Hermione asked noticing his expression.
"It's not something I can fully control. I knew it was not normal when I was little. My relatives forbade me to change; I got into trouble every time I did." Harry explained. "If I panic I change into Burrow." Harry finished.
"Burrow?" Ron asked.
"That's my name." Harry answered smiling at Ron. "Sirius came up with the name after I first changed in front of him."
"Why did you change in front of him?" Hermione asked confused. She had always thought Harry felt safe with Sirius, not frightened.
"It was shortly after I came to live with him. I was in the middle of a nightmare and he woke me and I changed." Harry answered. "I thought he would be mad."
"Why?" Ron asked confused.
"I had been taught by the Dursleys that it was freakish to be able to change into a dog." Harry answered.
"It's not though." Ron said factually.
"To Muggles it is." Hermione informed Ron.
"Could you teach us to become Animagus'?" Ron asked eagerly.
Harry shook his head amusedly. "No, sorry. I don't know how I learned."
The rest of their discussion continued about Animagus'. Ron most especially wanted to become one. Harry was happy and relieved that they weren't upset or unnerved by him being an Animagus. He was glad Draco Malfoy's big mouth hadn't lost him any friends.
A Month Later – The Ministry
Harry smiled as the Auror opened the door to the room Sirius was in. Seeing Sirius he lunged at him excitedly. "Hey, Kiddo." Sirius said ruffling Harry's already messy hair.
Harry scowled. "Hey! I don't need people to mess up my already messy hair. I worked on getting it less messy this morning for thirty minutes!"
Sirius smiled fondly at Harry. "Sorry." He said as he lifted his hands in a surrendering gesture. "Are you nervous?" Sirius asked looking intently at Harry.
Harry sighed and nodded. "Yes!" He answered exasperated.
"Don't be, it'll be fine, just be honest." Sirius said soothingly to Harry. Today Harry would be testifying. He knew his godson was nervous and maybe even a little scared.
Harry nodded. "What if this doesn't turn out how we want it?" Harry asked in a quiet voice. "What if they don't let me live with you?"
"I'll be honest with you they may still send me to Azkaban, and they may not let you live with me." Sirius answered looking strait into Harry's emerald eyes. "But I will by no means be out of your life. If I do get sent back to Azkaban I still may get custody of you after my release. I won't be there long. We'll just have to see how things go."
"But if I don't get to live with you, then this was all for no reason." Harry said quietly.
Sirius thought before he spoke. In some way's he felt the same way. There was nothing more he would like then to be with Harry all the time, but that was no life for Harry. "If you don't come to live with me, you will be going somewhere where you'll be safe and be able to have a normal life." Sirius finally spoke. "And I'll still be around. I will still be able to visit you."
"But I want to live with you." Harry said quietly burying his head in Sirius' shoulder.
"We'll just have to see how this turns out." Sirius said quietly.
They looked up as the door opened. "It's time to go to the court room." The Auror who would escort Harry to the court room informed them.
Sirius nodded. "I'll be okay, Harry. Just be honest." Sirius repeated as he hugged Harry closely. Harry nodded into his chest and begrudgingly left the room.
Remus squeezed Harry's hand reassuringly as Minister Fudge asked him to sit in the chair in the middle of the court room.
"Hello, Mr. Potter." Mr. Wilson said as he stood in front of Harry.
"Hello." Harry answered.
"Can you answer a few questions for us?"
Harry nodded. "Yes."
"What's your full name?" Mr. Willis asked. Mr. Willis and he had met before he had spoken to Sirius to prepare him for the court room.
"Harold James Potter." Harry answered calmly.
"What is your birth date?"
"July 31." Harry answered.
"How old are you now?"
"Fifteen."
"How long have you been living with Mr. Black?"
"Since I was five." Harry answered diligently.
"How did you meet Mr. Black?" Mr. Willis asked.
"He found me at the Dursleys." Harry answered growing a little nervous. He didn't like to speak about his relatives. He avoided speaking about them usually, but if it helped Sirius he would tell them anything.
"Where did he find you?" Mr. Willis coaxed Harry.
"In my cupboard." Harry answered nervously. "Uncle Vernon had locked me in there earlier."
"How often were you placed in this cupboard?"
"All the time. It was my bedroom."
"How long had you been living in this cupboard?"
"Since I could remember." Harry answered bluntly.
"Why had you been placed in this cupboard?" Mr. Willis prodded gently.
"I got into trouble earlier. I had been working in the garden and Dudley, my cousin, had been picking on me and he tripped over a hose. Uncle Vernon came out and I got punished."
"Punished?" Mr. Willis asked gently. "Did he hurt you?"
Harry nodded as he felt heat creep into his face. He knew he was blushing. "Yes." He answered quietly.
"How?" Mr. Willis asked.
"He…" Harry paused. He really didn't want to talk about this. "He hit and kicked me."
"Did he hurt you often?" Mr. Willis asked.
Harry nodded again. "Yes."
"How often did he hurt you?"
"I'd usually get whacked across the head if I said or did something they didn't like, or if I was in the way." Harry answered in a quiet and slightly faltering voice.
"When you were 'punished' what would they do?" Mr. Willis probed.
"I'd get a beating." Harry answered bluntly.
"Did your aunt or cousin ever hurt you?" Mr. Willis asked.
Harry nodded. "My aunt would hit me over the head or grab my ears when I did something wrong. Dudley was often picking on me and getting his friends to beat me up."
"How often were you fed?" Mr. Willis asked.
"Usually I was given a piece of bread and some water once a day." Harry answered. "Some times I'd sneak some table scraps or leftovers though."
"Were you ever not fed?" Mr. Willis asked.
Harry nodded blushing again. "Yes, usually when I was in trouble."
"How often would you go without food?" Mr. Willis asked calmly.
"Three or four days."
"What sort of things did you get into trouble for?" Mr. Willis probed.
"Being in the way. Not cooking the food right. Not doing my chores right. Saying something wrong. Getting better grades in school then Dudley." Harry listed.
"Did you often do chores?" Mr. Willis asked.
Harry nodded. "Every day until I started school. After school started I had only a few chores on non-school days and on weekends I had chores."
"What kind of chores were you given?"
"Doing the laundry, cooking meals, doing the yard work and garden, cleaning the inside." Harry listed off.
"Did your cousin have to do any chores?" Mr. Willis asked.
"No." Harry said bluntly.
"Did he ever help you with your chores?"
"No." Harry answered again shaking his head.
"Why did you go with Mr. Black when he found you?" Mr. Willis asked.
"He was nice." Harry answered. He didn't know how to explain it exactly. He was little and didn't really know much better.
"Did Mr. Black force you to leave with him?" Mr. Willis asked.
"No." Harry answered. "Sirius asked me if I wanted to go with him."
"And you told him yes?" Mr. Willis asked.
Harry nodded. "Yes."
"Where did you go after you and Mr. Black left your relatives?"
"Some bank I think." Harry answered a little unsure. He'd slept most of the way, and he told Mr. Willis as much.
"What did Mr. Black tell you?" Mr. Willis asked.
"He told me he had broken out of a prison, Azkaban, and that he was on the run. He told me he didn't do the crimes he'd been arrested for, and that he wasn't supposed to have me." Harry answered.
"And you weren't afraid of him?" Mr. Willis asked.
"No." Harry answered truthfully.
"Why?" Mr. Willis prodded.
"Because just about anywhere had to be better then the Dursleys." Harry answered.
"Where have you and Mr. Black been living?"
"All around America." Harry answered. "We moved often."
"How did you keep from being recognized?" Mr. Willis asked.
"We changed our names." Harry answered. "Sirius went to these people who gave us new identities."
"Were you happy living with Mr. Black?"
Harry nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. Very much."
"Why were you so happy living with him?" Mr. Willis asked calmly.
Harry smiled a little. "He's always been nice to me. If I got into trouble we discuss the problem and I don't get hurt. He's funny and always knows how to make me feel better. He takes care of me and has always been there since I was five." Harry finished. He didn't know how to explain why he was happy with Sirius. He just knew he was. He loved Sirius as if Sirius was his parent; Sirius felt like a parent to him.
"Has Mr. Black ever hurt you?" Mr. Willis asked.
"No!" Harry said mad at the question. "Sirius has never hurt me."
Mr. Willis continued. "If you had the choice, who would you live with?"
"Sirius." Harry answered without hesitation.
"Thank you Mr. Potter." Mr. Willis said as he sat back down. "I have no more questions."
"Mr. Potter," Minister Fudge addressed Harry. "Thank you, you can go back to your seat."
Harry nodded and stood; glancing at Sirius he smiled and Sirius smiled back, then he sat down next to Remus.
They arrived back at Hogwarts by floo travel and Harry sat down next to Dumbledore on the couch. Remus had a class and couldn't stay. "Are you okay, Harry?" Dumbledore asked as he eyed the quiet boy.
Harry looked up and nodded. "Yeah."
"A sickle for your thoughts?" Dumbledore asked hoping to garner a smile out of the boy.
He wasn't disappointed as Harry smiled and looked over at him. "I've never heard that before. In America it's 'penny' for your thoughts." Harry informed Dumbledore, after a moment he continued. "Do you think today went well?"
Dumbledore nodded. "I think it went as well as it could have." He answered truthfully.
Harry nodded. "I'm glad I got to see Sirius today."
"I'm glad you did too." Dumbledore said smiling sadly at Harry. He knew this was hard on him. "Why don't you get your school robe so we can head to dinner? I hear the elves are making vanilla pudding tonight." Dumbledore said and Harry nodded and left the room.
Dumbledore watched as Harry left the room. "Please let thing's turn out well." He whispered under his breath.
End of Chapter Thirty One
A/N: I hope you like the latest chapter of On the Run! I'm updating this so soon because of my delay on the last chapter. Please REVIEW! And thank you for reading!
Next Chapter: Mostly Harry. I'll try to have it very soon. I have it planned out!