NOTE: CHAPTER ONE WAS EXTENDED!

And I could still use a beta...I'm obviously having minor motivational problems and when I do get into the mood to write, I can't seem to find an appropriate place to stop! Grammar and Spelling mistakes are common for me so please forgive any errors. As for issues with names and spells and such, be aware that I am far from home and do not have copies of any of the books on hand...I will mess up with out guidance...

You know, I realized while writing this chapter, I have no idea how to write Dumbledor. I can't get the correct amount of manipulative fanaticism . Damn those twinkly eyes!

Oh, and birds can and do hiss, especially birds of prey. It's kinda this open beaked warning spat. I know this because I have volunteered at an animal sanctuary on several occasions as well as been the unfortunate owner of several less wild variety of fowl. Bloody messy creatures...the smaller they are, the messier they are too. Probably why I find Pig so amusing!

Well, I just wanted to thank the five people who reviewed and say that I really had not expected such encouraging words on the first chapter. Most reviewers never get out more than "Update soon" or some other useless platitude, so I must thank you guys for taking the time to actually respond to the story! Your responses give me the motivation to keep writing.

On to chapter two.

Hide-n-seeker


Chapter two: Between the lines

Several days later, Harry woke to find three owls camped out on the headboard above his bed. Three sets of wide yellow eyes stared at him with unblinking patience. It was one of the few habits of owls, Hedwig in particular, that rather unnerved him. They could stare for hours without so much as ruffling a feather. And the owls that were bonded to the magical world through their human partner tended to have eyes that glowed even in the weakest light.

As soon as they noticed that he was awake, those stares turned into glares. Even Hedwig was giving him the evil eye. Harry ran a hand through his mussed hair and glared back. "I didn't do it," he muttered at them without bothering to find out what had them in such a state first.

Hedwig hooted at him haughtily and lifted her leg to shake a large parcel at him. The other two birds, who Harry recognized as Errol and Hermes, two of the Weasley's owls, mimicked Hedwig and soon a flurry of feathers were floating through the air. Harry took a closer look and blinked in astonishment. The two male barn owls were both tied to the same package...no wonder they were pissed off.

Harry threw his covers aside and relieved them of their burden, receiving several sharp nips in the process. "Ouch! That is hardly necessary," he informed Hedwig when she swatted him in the head with one large wing. He looked at the snowy owl who was now looking rather pleased with herself and set the packages aside. "Where have you been, girl? I've missed you."

Hedwig fluffed her feathers up and bobbed her head, pleased that her human was so attentive to her. Most owls were not so lucky. For Harry, she was more than a servant, more than a pet. She was his companion and his friend. It was one of the quirks about the boy that she loved so much. Harry gave his affection to anyone and everyone that would let him, regardless of race or species and Hedwig could only imagine what the boy would be like when he ever fell in love. It would be a very special person who, she would make certain herself, was deserving of her master's attentions.

She hustled the other two intruders from her perch and sent them on their way with a sharp nip at their tail feathers and ignored their affronted screeches with practiced skill. She had babysat them enough both on the flight over here and while they waited for Harry to wake up since she forbade them from waking him themselves. She had seen the tired circles under his eyes and was worried for him. Of course, with the way he attracted trouble, Hedwig was always worried about him.

Harry watched the white owl as she preened herself for several minutes before running a tired hand through his hair again. "I suppose I should open these," he sighed and fingered the brown paper covering the first package. "I suppose they were all at Grimmauld Place?" he asked referring to his friends and his surrogate family.

Hedwig bobbed her head again in affirmation before returning to her task to clean her feathers.

"Right, then," he straightened up and tried to hide the growing feeling of dread behind a false bravado. He knew Hedwig wasn't fooled when she clicked her beak at him several times. "Okay," he hastened to assure her. "I'll open them."

Grabbing the smaller of the two, he ripped at the paper until a scrap of parchment fell out and the edges of a box were exposed. He recognized the parchment as the same piece that he sent out several days earlier to Ron and Hermione and cringed when he remembered the less than satisfactory line he had scribbled to his friends.

With slightly shaking hands, he unfolded the ragged edges and found his original message still scrawled across the top, just above his signature. He stared at the words miserably and wished that he had been able to say more, though what he could have added would have been just as cryptic and still not enough to really say what he wanted. His own words stared back at him. Three little words, the same ones he repeated time and time again with out knowing how to explain the extent of the meaning behind them. I am sorry, he read, green eyes skimming over the plain script over and over again.

Almost against his will, Harry found his gaze traveling down the length of the parchment to find the returned message and was surprised to notice that the letter back to him was just as short. Hermione's elegant script curled across the middle of the parchment and was followed with not one, not two, but what he would guess to be a dozen signatures below. Harry snapped his eyes to Hermione's response and quickly read the words. He had to read it several times before the meaning sank in and he couldn't help but smile when her return message became clear.

We all are, he stared at the message and grinned. For the first time since school had ended and he had begun to deal with his grief, Harry didn't feel so alone. He wasn't the only one who missed Sirius or the only one thinking about him. Hermione's message was followed by signatures of everyone who fondly remembered his god father and several of the DA members that had been there in the Department of Mysteries with him. Neville, Luna, all of the Weasley's with the exception of Percy, Dumbledor, Minerva McGonagall, Mundungus Fletcher, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Nymphadora Tonks ( who signed in a bizarre shade of florescent orange), Lupin and Hermione herself had all scratched their mark on the tattered page.

Harry felt, rather than heard, Hedwig flutter over and then her familiar weight settled on his shoulder. He barked a short laugh and rubbed a thumb across the parchment. "Hedwig," he informed the proud owl, "I do believe that I will keep this," he reached up and stroked her soft feathers and quietly thanked her. He reached over and found his family photo album that had been spelled to never run out of space, and a tucked the scrap of parchment into the back page where it would remain as a reminder that he was never alone, even in his grief.

Hedwig simply settled herself more firmly on her master's shoulder and encouraged him to open the rest of the box. Harry allowed himself to laugh at her antics and set aside the picture book and at her insistence, tore into the package. With exaggerated care, Harry reached in and lifted out what appeared to be a lidded onyx cauldron that was decorated with unfamiliar symbols and runes. Harry set the bowl in his lap and checked to make sure that there was nothing remaining inside the box before proceeding and was rewarded with another letter, this one longer and more specific and written in Remus Lupin's blocked letters.

Harry,

This gift comes from all of us and is of a more personal nature than any gift we have ever given you. We realize that Sirius will never truly leave us as long as we remember him in our hearts. This just makes things a bit easier for all of us. We all contributed and were comforted by its making and hope that it can offer you as much in the receiving. We tried to give you more than the best by allowing you to see Sirius as he was, including the parts that may have been a bit rough about the edges. For all his flaws, Sirius loved you, and so do we. Happy birthday, Harry.

Yours,

R. Lupin

Harry let the letter fall to the bed and with shaking hands, he took the cauldron up in a white knuckled grip. He had a feeling that he knew what this was and if he was right, he wanted a more stable place to set it down before he removed the lid. He slid into the three legged chair at the desk and firmly set the onyx bowl in front of him. He played with the edges of the lid until Hedwig dug her claws into his shoulder with uncharacteristic impatience.

"Okay, okay!" Harry twisted the top a few measures to the left until several more of those little squiggles matched up to continue the pattern of unfamiliar runes and the lid was released from the bowl with little coaxing. Inside, a pearlescent liquid swirled about in deep eddies like fog on the moors. Harry recognized the lustrous material as copies of memories set in what he now was sure was a pensive; memories of Sirius Black.

Harry swallowed hard past the thick lump blocking his throat and sucked in a ragged breath. He found the need to press the heals of his palms to his stinging eyes in the effort to hold the tears that he successfully kept back until now. For all his mourning, Harry had not allowed himself to cry for his godfather the way he should have long ago. A muffled sob was buried into those same hands when Harry found that this time, there would be no holding back the tears.

Hedwig clutched the shaking shoulders under her talons and plucked the skewed glasses from his head. She chirped softly in her masters ear, playing with his hair and attempting to sooth him. She had known that her master had been holding his hurt inside and was glad that he had finally found it necessary to let it out. If he allowed himself to mourn properly, he could then heal. As much as he might hurt now, it would get better as he faced his grief.

Harry couldn't have stopped the flow of anguish any longer and was slightly disappointed to find that this time, he didn't want to. In some ways, Harry still believed that he had no right to actually grieve for the man he had led to his death. With the guilt of his actions came the weight of culpability. He still felt that he didn't deserve to mourn for his godfather.

He cried for what seemed like hours and only lifted his head when his aching eyes were swollen and red rimmed, and he couldn't find the energy to do more than force his body to breathe past the hic-coughs that accompanied his sobbing. He gathered the pensive in his arms and rested his forehead on the rim opposite him, so that he was gazing mere inches away from the swirling mass of memories.

"Sirius," he called softly to the glowing mist. "Sirius, I'm so sorry."

It was not lost on Harry just how often that phrase was slipping past his lips lately. He knew that what he held was more precious than any other gift they could have given him. His friends had given him memories of Sirius Black that would never fade, never wear, and never lose their intensity. And Harry loved them for it.

Harry heaved a heavy sigh and made a gesture to the other box with one hand while the other replaced his glasses. "Is there anything in there that I need to get out right away?" He asked the owl still perched on his shoulder. "I would like to..." He gestured at the cauldron unable to articulate his need.

Hedwig took the hint and assured her master that anything in there could wait and left his side for her perch in the corner beside her cage. Another thing that she appreciated from Harry was that he never caged her unless he had no choice. The Dursley's had left off complaining about her coming and going this summer and Harry had taken that to mean that she was free to move about as long as she stayed in his room and was careful not to be seen whenever she left the house. Needless to say, both were enjoying that little reprieve. They had the day to themselves, with out interruption.

Harry watched the snowy owl tuck her head under her wing and settle her grip on the wooden perch where she slept. He smiled at her still form and shook his head, wondering how he had been blessed with such a smart bird. Sometimes he found that she knew what he wanted before he did. With one last glance in her direction, he determined to feed her some of her special treats tonight before bed in thanks. Then he pushed himself closer to the desk and took a deep breath before plunging his mind into the swirl of thoughts collected below his nose. He knew it would be several hours before he would resurface.


"Ronald Bilius Weasley! You come down here right now and explain this!"

Ron winced, knowing that whatever his mother was screaming about now was certain to land him in trouble. She only called out his full name when she was especially pissed at him. He quickly rehearsed several all purpose excuses before dragging his feet toward the main hall. The most common was "Gred and Forge did it," and was generally excepted without further comment.

The Noble House of Black had been invaded by a mass of Weasley's as soon as the school term had ended. Ron didn't mind so much that they were here instead of the Burrow, but without Harry, it just wasn't the same. Hermione had helped relieve the boredom when she had arrived only two weeks into the holidays, but she was not Harry. As much as he loved her, there was only so much of Hermione he could take when she was firmly set in study mode, which had been as soon as the library had been deemed habitable. She was in there now, helping Remus sort out the Dark Arts books from their safer counterparts. Yes, without Harry, Ron was absolutely bored.

So far this summer, contact with Harry had been close to non-existent. They had all tried to write to him and had gotten little to no response until a few days past when his letter had come with Hedwig. They had all gathered around the table when it arrived and waited for Hermione to read it aloud. Everyone here at Grimmauld place was worried about him. With Sirius gone, and isolated as he was with those muggles, who knows what Harry was going through. Imagine their surprise, Ron shook his head when he remembered Harry's last letter. I am sorry, he had written...and that was all. After a summer worth of worry and stress, and three words caused the whole house to let out a breath of relief. Harry was going to be okay. Or so they said.

Personally, Ron figured that the others just wanted to believe that. Hermione's response hadn't made much more sense but no one listened to him. He figured that Harry would be more interested in knowing that Umbridge's mandates had been lifted, and that Ron was currently watching over his firebolt for him. Instead, she writes we all are, and everyone rushed to sign it like it was some literary masterpiece (not that he had ever read one), well, everyone except for Snape. Though the potions professor had contributed to Harry's birthday present without complaint. As a matter of fact, he insisted that he take part to "make sure Potter knows what that mutt was really like," though he didn't dare say so in front of Remus.

"RONALD!" Molly Weasley screeched up the stairwell.

Ron cringed again and followed the echo over the landing until he could look down on his mother through the spindled rails. His already slow steps began to drag more when he caught the look on her face. Molly Weasley's face was flushed about the cheeks and her blue eyes glittered brightly amongst all that red. Her hair frazzled wildly out of its tie as if she had been running, which, given the way she was huffing and puffing, was likely.

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered to himself with a scowl.

"I heard that young man."

Ron gave his mother a sheepish look and ducked his head as she glared. "Uh, Gred and Forge...?" he began hopefully.

"Not likely." Molly said uncrossing her arms and waving a pale envelope at her youngest son. "Do you know what this is!"

Ron followed the wildly fluttering parchment in his mother's fingers with his eyes and announced after several moments. "No, and I won't if you can't hold it still long enough for me to read it."

"None of your cheek, you hear?" Molly scolded him. "This," she announced waving the letter around more vigorously that ever, "is your OWL results."

Ron paled, "OWLs?" he squeaked.

From somewhere several floors up and two halls over, a door slammed against its frame with a bang, followed by the sound of steadily running feet on the wooden floor boards. A pause marked the person's progress to the stair well, followed by further stomping along. Before Molly could respond to Ron's hesitation, a head of bushy brown hair appeared over the railing one floor up from where Ron was standing.

"Did I hear you say that our OWLs were in!" Hermione breathed excitedly. She didn't wait for an answer, rather, she dashed down the next set of stairs. She grabbed Ron by his arm as she passed, and dragged him to the main level where Molly was holding a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing at the sight of Hermione's slight form dragging her much taller blushing son behind her.

When all three were standing more or less on the same level, Molly smiled and handed the envelope to the poor girl literally bouncing on her toes. "Here you go dear. Your scores, and Harry's are here as well."

Hermione let out a squeal that most girls reserved for the purpose of attracting (or repelling) the opposite sex and tore the seal off in one smooth motion.

Ron blinked, his horrified gaze traveling from his crush to his mother and back again. He whimpered at the scowl his mother flashed at him and slowly sank down till he was sitting on the stairs. Wait, the letter was still sealed, so she couldn't possibly know his results yet, could she? So what was she so mad about? Oh yeah, that screaming match he had with Snape yesterday...

"Oh, Ron," Hermione sighed, brown eyes widened comically . She had pressed one hand to her chest, as if warding off an impending heart attack before looking up.

"That bad?" he grumbled. Suddenly with more cheer he added, "I must of done better than the twins though, right?"

"Ron," Hermione shook her head at the red head in exasperation.

"You better have," Molly growled and re-crossed her arms.

Ron looked desperately at the head of bushy hair bent over the next page with a frown curving over her lips. She paid him no mind and traced her finger over the dark blue ink as she read. "'Mione," he grunted at her.

Hermione's head shot up and met his pleading blue eyes, her own honey brown softening in response. "You did rather well, Ron." she told him with a little grin. "I'm proud of you."

"Did well?" Molly repeated and quick as a flash, she had Ron's scores in her hand. She bent to her task, eyes moving frantically back and forth over the page without comment until the very end. When she looked up again, her eyes were suspiciously wet. "Oh, my," she gave her son a watery smile and lurched forward to embrace the taller red head. When she gave him a sloppy kiss on his chin, as she was now too short to reach his cheek, Ron went from general confusion to absolute bewilderment.

"Wha..?"

Molly Weasley released her son and skipped from the room, Ron's scores still clutched firmly in her hands.

"'Mione, what just happened?"

"Really, Ron, didn't you read it all the way through?" she answered absently, still examining her own scores. "It explains the whole system at the top of the page."

"I didn't even get to hold the bloody envelope!" he exclaimed, pointing at the evidence still in her hands. "What was my score? Must of been okay since Mum isn't yelling her head off..."

Hermione blinked in surprise at Ron. She glanced down the hall where Molly had disappeared and a tiny smile curled her lips. "Nine, you got nine OWLs. Ron, and an award for the placing in the top five highest scores in Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"They give awards for top scores at Hogwarts?" Ron asked, his scores not quite sinking in.

"Not top scores at Hogwarts, silly, top scores in all the European wizarding schools for this school term. Of all the fifth years that took those tests, you scored in the top five. Quite an accomplishment! That means that you got an honorary O for defense as well as the double OO for outstanding work in both practical and written exam." Hermione shuffled the papers in her hands and handed over her own scores. "See? I got in the top five in Transfiguration, and in the top ten for Charms and Arithmancy."

"Bloody hell!" Ron scanned the proffered pages, gawking at Hermione's fourteen OWLs and her Honorary O in Transfiguration. "Do you get points for the Charms and Arithmancy?"

"No, but it is still a distinction that I can put on my resume when I search for jobs." Hermione replied.

"What about Harry?" Ron asked quickly, surprised that he had done so well, but not all that shocked at Hermione's scores.

Hermione grinned and held out the other parchment. "Twelve," she replied. "And awards for placing in the top ten for both Charms and Transfiguration, and two Honorary O's for placing First in DADA."

"No surprise there. So, you have fifteen, Harry has fourteen, and I got ten?" Ron clarified.

Hermione nodded, her eyes shining.

"Bloody brilliant!" Ron swooped forward and grabbed Hermione in a swift hug, swinging her around in a circle while she laughed. "Wait till Harry hears this! We were so sure that we screwed up, what with all that had happened with Hagrid and all."

"Scores were adjusted for students that were disturbed during testing. I believe that they curve the grading scale up a bit." Hermione explained once Ron let her down.

"I should hope so!" Ron nodded. "I can't wait to tell Harry...hey, Mione? What do you think he's doing right now?" Ron asked.

Hermione sighed, her glowing excitement fading a bit. "I don't know, Ron. But Dumbledor said that he was going to contact Harry this week. Maybe he'll be joining us here soon."

"Well, its about time," Ron agreed.

"Yeah, I miss him too."

"I didn't say I missed him!" Ron protested. "That sounds so...so... "

"Don't worry," Hermione said dryly. "Your fragile male sensibilities aren't threatened by admitting to missing your best friend."

Ron just grunted irritably at her.

"Come on," she demanded, grabbing his hand again. "Lets go show Remus!"

Hermione pulled Ron back up the stairs and through the numerous halls, and he made sure to protest, though not too loudly, her hand clasped around his as she marched him through the house.


It was two days before Harry emerged from his room for longer than the few minutes it took to use the bathroom. He fell, more than walked down the stairs, and stumbled along the hallway, the walls acting as bumpers and directing him on the right course.

He grimaced at the Dursley's, made a grab for some of the sausages and toast still sitting on the table and wandered back out of the room before they could protest. His first mission had been food. His second was a long hot bath to work out the kinks that had settled in his joints from sitting at the desk for two days straight, hanging over the pensive. He had gone through every memory, some more that once, determined not to miss a thing. He had managed to grin, laugh, and even cry again before he made it through the mass of images. He no longer felt quite like the emotional train wreck. The numbness of his loss was more or less gone now. Instead of the gaping hole, Harry felt that he had somehow reestablished a connection of sorts with Sirius, by sharing him with those that knew him.

Harry wasn't as naive about certain things as others tended to believe him to be. Part of that was his persistent childish look, brought about by his short height and large eyes. He doubted he'd ever be able to completely throw off the innocent look that seemed to have permanently settled on his face. Though that had its advantages too, something his Slytherin side was very aware of.

Harry shuffled through the livingroom on his way back to the staircase when a large owl with the Hogwarts crest emblazoned on its leg band swooped out of no where and made itself comfortable on the banister. The tawny wings folded back upon themselves and the owl waited patiently for the sleepy teenager to take its note before sailing back out from where ever it had gotten in.

Harry turned the fresh parchment over in his hands, examining the crest pressed into the wax seal. Figuring that it was his OWL results finally in, Harry flicked the flap open with his thumb. Instead of the scores he expected, Harry found himself scowling at the spidery handwriting of the Headmaster, who he was still fairly pissed at. He briefly considered tossing the message without reading it, but figured that would be too childish of him. It was possible that the old man had actually given him some real information, not likely, but possible.

Harry leapt the last two stairs and sauntered over to his room, casually flicking the locks still hanging on the outside of door with his middle finger as he passed through the frame. His arrival back was greeted with a friendly hoot by Hedwig, who received her share of the sausages and toast with enthusiasm. "Well," Harry told her, "that meddling old man finally sent me something. What do you think it is, Hedwig?" he asked the distracted owl. "Belated condolences? More unexplained orders? Another years worth of lies, all nicely compacted into a travel sized scrap of parchment?" Harry snorted when Hedwig screeched her agreement and flapped her long wings in righteous anger. She had taken a distinct dislike to Dumbledor after her master had been almost killed due to his meddling. And she had liked Sirius Black, if only for the sole reason that he made Harry happy. As far as she was concerned, they could do better on their own rather than allowing themselves to be played like chess pieces in a war they wanted no part of. Not, of course, that they had any choice.

Harry nodded at her and tucked the letter away. "You're right, as usual." he complimented her. "I better wait to read this when I am more awake. Besides, I still have that other package to open."

Harry dragged the long box over to his bed and lifted it with little difficulty. He had expected it to be heavier, considering it's size. He ripped through the wrapping with more enthusiasm than he had showed the other night and found to his delight that there were several smaller parcels inside the large box. Of course, on top was fastened another note, this one no more than a hasty scrawl to explain the contents.

Apparently the updated wards around the house made certain that no magic could be preformed at Private Drive without setting off the alarms. This included timed shrinking spells, so they had been forced to send his birthday gifts as is. The larger box was charmed to remain light no matter what was placed inside, and since the magic on it was actually cast somewhere else, it would not disturb the surveillance surrounding him.

Harry set the large box back on the floor and dug through the assortment of gifts. The twins had sent him the updated version of all their products. Ron had given him the newest Cannon's poster. Mrs. Weasley's care package contained her homemade fudge and several items that would keep for some time without spoiling. Hermione had given him a book on ancient runes so that he could learn about the odd marks etched on his pensive. Professor Lupin had sent a suspicious book simply called Where To Find It which was filled with blank pages that reminded him of Riddle's Diary from his second year. Dobby had even managed to sneak in a set of multicolored toe socks, one a pastel knee high while the other came clear to his hip in jewel tones. Harry laughed out loud and pulled the odd socks off and tucked them into his trunk.

When he had finished examining his presents, Harry reluctantly pulled Dumbledor's letter back out and attempted to read it.

Hedwig clacked her beak in disapproval as her master's face went from sickly pale to an angry flushed as his green eyes scanned across the sheet of parchment. The way that the teens fingers had tightened, she was rather surprised that the paper had not ripped apart. When Harry had finished, he violently twisted the poor sheet into a ball and threw it against the wall where it bounced back at him. He scooped it up and mangled it some more before angrily slamming it against the opposite wall again.

"That bastard!" Harry hissed, sounding too disturbingly snake like for Hedwig's taste. She hooted at him quietly, hoping to see him calm before he hyperventilated. He was doing a poor job of regulating his breathing to an acceptable rate and she grew increasingly concerned as he tottered toward the bed and fell into it.

"I can't believe him, Hedwig," Harry told her in a tired voice. "He's doing the same thing, the manipulative fool..."

Hedwig abandoned her perch and fluttered to a stop near Harry's out-flung arms. She nipped at his fingers until be began to stroke her smooth feathers with the work calloused digits. It served to calm them both down.

"Can you believe that he has forbidden me from being there when they read Sirius's will? Apparently I am the main beneficiary, and I can't even attend the memorial they have scheduled as soon as the ministry finalizes his death with no contestation. Apparently they aren't even clear on what, how, or if the Veil actually kills its victims or if it just takes them...somewhere else." Harry growled low in his throat as he thought about the unfairness of this decision. "Says that he'll accept the responsibility of claiming the inheritance on my behalf. Like he's doing me a bloody favor! Top that off with him telling me that I have to stay here till term begins, without the opportunity to take the Express to Hogwarts as it's "unsafe" for me. I have to be accompanied by a professor at all times. Merlin, its out of one prison and straight into another!"

Hedwig bobbed her head and made soothing noises in the back of her throat while she played with the loose folds on his oversized shirt. Harry seethed in silence for a long time, pausing only to remind himself that there had to be some way to get out from under Dumbledor's thumb.


Hedwig comforted her master till he fell into a fitful sleep, obviously still disturbed by the news sent by the Headmaster. Hedwig nudged Harry's arm off of her back and hopped awkwardly to the window. Grateful to find it open, she leapt from the sill and soared over the roof top, dipping her wing in greeting to the day and following her instincts on a course to the very object of her ire.

Several hours later, something told her to coast right and she noticed the faint outline of the hidden shelter of the Most Noble Family of Black right were it always was. It figured that she would find her prey here of all places...

The window to the escaped hippogriff's room was open to allow for some ventilation on the hot summer days. She coasted in, ignoring the curious half-bird on principle and sought the quickest route down to the lower levels of the mansion. She found her entrance through a small window over the doorframe and levered herself carefully through it. Once inside, she followed the magical tug that told her that she was headed in the right direction and burst into the kitchen in a flurry of white feathers.

All of the humans looked up at her comically when she landed a bit less gracefully than normal in the middle of the diner table. She ignored the upset drinks and the spilled dishes with an aloof snobbishness only cats and owls possessed.

"Hedwig!" Hermione gasped out, immediately recognizing Harry's faithful bird. The Snowy owl didn't even look at her. She seemed to be glaring rather intensely at Professor Dumbledor.

"Oh dear!" Molly exclaimed, attempting to save the remains of the meal, though most had already finished eating.

"Do you have a message from Harry?" Ron asked the bird eagerly. He was ignored just as fully as Hermione had been.

Hedwig spread her wings in a threatening manner, opened her beak and hissed at the silver bearded man watching her with a startled look on his face. She screeched her displeasure at him loudly and continued to give him a piece of her mind until she ran out of energy. With a sharp bob of her head that everyone interpreted as the rude gesture it was meant to relay, she turned her back on the entire table and flew to the rafters where she let out an occasional loud hiss to remind them all that she was severally pissed.

"Great Merlin, Albus," Molly fanned her face. "That is one very unhappy owl. Whatever did you do to get her riled like that?"

Dumbledor shook himself from his light stupor and smiled reassuringly at the Weasley matriarch. "I merely informed Harry of a few additional precautions that will be taking effect this next term. I suppose that he did not take the news well."

"What did you do now?" Snape sighed from the other side of the table. He received a sharp warning glance from the Headmaster for his trouble and his natural scowl intensified.

Hermione and Ron shared a look. They had been aware that Harry and Professor Dumbledor had not parted on the best of terms two months past, but the never would have expected that animosity to spill over onto Hedwig, of all creatures. "Hedwig," Hermione called hesitantly to the irate bird. "Is Harry alright?"

Hedwig glared down at the bushy haired girl in silence. She wasn't here to exchange pleasantries, nor was she here to reassure these fools. Besides, she'd be lying if she implied that Harry was just fine. Really, this human was supposed to be smart. Hedwig huffed and let out another angry shriek when Dumbledor stood up.

"What additional precautions?" Remus's quiet voice drifted over the noise with little effort. The rough timber in the werewolf's tone was easily distinguished.

Dumbledor sighed and inclined his head. "Perhaps this can be discussed at the order meeting at the end of the week," he began as if he were graciously granting them some divine offering.

Remus narrowed his eyes at the older wizard and stood slowly, his chair scraping back across the floor with a loud rattle. "Perhaps," he agreed. "But as this involves Harry, and Sirius appointed me as his caretaker if anything should happen to him, I believe that I have a right to know now."

Snape shuddered at the dangerous warning hidden in those yellow beast eyes. Dumbledor was frowning at the werewolf, his own twinkling blue eyes fading a bit. "Remus, this is hardly the time..."

"I won't keep you for any longer than necessary," the wolf growled, unrelenting. Harry was the last of his pack and he would do anything for the boy.

Dumbledor heaved a put-upon sigh and gestured for the werewolf to follow him from the room and swept out the door in his usual dramatic fashion. The others watched them go, all curious for their own reasons about the conversation they were missing.

Another loud screech reminded them that Hedwig was still seething above them. Tonks tried to coax her down with the remains of Ron's dinner, but she continued to act as if they didn't exist. Molly tried to pretend that everything was fine and set about clearing up the trashed remains of supper.

"I've never seem Hedwig act like that," Hermione whispered. "Do you think that Harry is okay?"

She asked Ron.

"I'm sure he's fine, 'Mione. She's mad, not panicked. She wouldn't leave Harry if he was in trouble." Ron assured her.

Hermione searched his face and glanced worriedly at the white bird again before the door slammed open and Remus stalked back inside. He was followed by a slightly more ruffled looking Headmaster and everyone moved back to avoid being between the two of them.

"You knew, you knew how he would take that," Remus accused, collecting his coat from the back of his chair. "After leaving him to deal with his grief alone all summer, you-" Remus paused and shook his head. He slipped his arms into the sleeves of his light coat.

"It's for the best." Dumbledor frowned at he werewolf. "Where are you going, Remus?"

"Don't worry, Sir," Remus responded. "I won't be breaking any of your new rules. Since I am going to be teaching again this year, I fit your criteria for escorting Harry out of that muggle hell hole."

"That's a bit harsh," Dumbledor flinched at the wolf's low growl. "The Dursley's have always kept Harry safe enough in the past."

"Safe from what?" Hermione heard Remus mutter under his breath as he passed her. She watched with wide eyes as he glared at the leader of the light.

"And where will you take him?" Dumbledor persisted. "I doubt he will want to come back here so soon after Sirius's death."

Remus grinned without humor, more a showing of white teeth than a smile. "Oh, I'm sure we'll make do."

"Remus, I must insist-"

"Harry is going to be free of that place tonight, Albus. Work with me on this, or stay out of it completely." Remus snarled.

Several tense minutes passed in awkward silence before Dumbledor finally gave in to the werewolf while still placing his own restrictions on the decision. "Fine, Remus. But I insist that you remain with Harry at the Leaky Cauldron where there will be at least two other Order Members on guard at all times. It is for his safety as well as yours."

Remus considered his options before nodding once in agreement. "Molly, thank you for another wonderful dinner," he nodded to the red head as he bid them all goodbye. Hedwig finally came down from the rafters to perch on the werewolf's broad shoulders in approval. "I'll see you at the Order meeting," he added and paced from the room.

Hermione and Ron watched him go, still slightly bewildered at the randomness of this night's dinner.

"Professor," Ron finally chanced asking, "Does that mean that Harry isn't coming here?"

Dumbledor just sighed again and perched lightly on the edge of his own chair without answering. He completely missed the concerned looks shooting about the room between the other occupants.

Now he would have to wait and see how this developed, just like everyone else. Perhaps some plans needed to be pushed ahead of schedule. There was too much at stake to lose control of the game now...Dumbledor made his way to the floo and began his journey to Hogwarts, Snape on his heals, where he could continue his own plotting in the relative peace of his office.


A slight wind ruffled through the leaves and the tall grass, dancing through the long white fur of the newest resident of Private Drive. She sniffed the air, careful to remain out of sight, as the wards bent slightly as the same snowy owl as before swooped from the upstairs window. The midday sun glinted off of the white wings, reflecting brightly back upon the Earth.

Fur as white as those feathers took that same light and swallowed it, as she tried to remain hidden in broad daylight. She had not moved far from her den in the grass, now bent under her weight, while testing her new bond with Harry.

She had only attempted to contact him once so far, when his magic had spiked with his emotions. The boy's sadness had washed her world grey and it had been near two days before color had returned to her vision. She had found that he was not yet responsive, or even aware of her, and she had settled for feeding him regular bits of her own magic to sustain him as he released his own into the atmosphere.

His growing wild magic still had no purpose, no direction, so she watched it gather in clumps inside the barrier. She thought about nudging the pockets of energy into doing something, but Harry's raw magic was still too unstable to play with.

The wards that she had spent endless hours picking apart were now back in place, but cast more firmly on this plane and with would release less backlash upon the fabric of this reality. The knot was gone and in its place a polished shield now stood. Not her best work, she snorted to herself, but better that it had been. The brightly colored glittering strands of wizards magic was now woven into a suitable tapestry that hung in the air. It no longer gave her a headache to look at it, which she was very grateful for.

A huge yawn revealed a mouth full of pointed fangs and her long pink tongue curled behind them. She flicked her pointed ears at the irritation of a buzzing fly and considered the state of her dignity if she were to lift her back leg and scratch behind her right ear. Every day had been like this. She had been camped here in this yard for a week with out so much as a second glimpse of the dark haired youth. Her napping was becoming tedious.

Just when she thought that it would remain another uneventful day, she felt an electric shock dance down the link between her and her charge. Her fur stood on end, making her appear at least three times larger that she actually was. Her connection told her that Harry was the source of this new vibration, or rather, his anger was fueling another massive leak of his wild magic. She whined softly, wondering if she should neutralize the boy's magic or simply let it settle on its own.

She watched the tendrils of magic intently as they sought out something to bond to, and settled back when they latched on to one of the overgrown flower beds. The plants withered and died in minutes, the stalks sinking to the earth where they lay in disarray. Apparently, Harry was feeling a bit destructive. She briefly considered reviving the blooms but decided that it wasn't worth her attention. She had other things to be thinking about.

If Harry's magic continued to fluctuate, it could damage him irreparably. She decided to keep a closer eye on her charge and set about strengthening their bond again. If her mistress had allowed it, she would have approached the boy by now. As it was, she was under orders to remain in the shadows until he approached her. Personally, she didn't see the difference, but it wasn't her job to question the Lady.

Turning her head to the north, she followed the snowy owl's flight path with her extended senses until the hour passed and she grew bored again. The boy was sleeping, the humans were entertaining themselves with the noisy picture box, the neighbor's collection of cats and kneazles had scattered into the wind when she had introduced herself, except for one, which was odd since most magical creatures generally liked her.

The remaining feline was a flat-faced orange ball of fuzz, more kneazle than cat, who seemed to be sent on the same job as she had. They exchanged general pleasantries before going back to their own brand of Harry watching. The occasional yawn or flick of the tail were the only things betraying their continued presence to the other.

A shimmer of light in the threads of magic alerted her to a change in the surroundings. The wards she had faugh to cleanse and straighten latched on to the lone wizard who was attempting to gain entrance to her charges territory, and set about judging him. Apparently the magic was satisfied because they fell away from his tall figure nearly as quickly as they had grasped on. Except for the brief pulling sensation that stepping through the wards caused, the man had felt nothing. If he had been here to harm Harry, he would already be dead. So her skills were still as sharp as ever, she congratulated herself and relaxed back onto the ground.

She placed her head back on her paws, stretching her legs both in front and behind when some other thing tickled her senses. With her head cocked to the side, she scented the air, and with a dogie grin, identified the wolf...


Well, there is chapter two. I hope you enjoyed it...please consider giving me any constructive feed back, as I have yet to find a beta to help me trudge through this. Any and all help is appreciated...

Thanks

Hide-N-Seeker