Sirius and Harry followed the goblins out of the ornate office and down the flights of stairs. They reached the carts that led to the thousands of vaults. They got into the carts but instead of going the usual way, the cart moved in the opposite direction. Sirius observed that this section was darker and colder than the rest of the bank. It was nearly impossible to make out anything in the darkness.
The cart rattled along the creaky rails and they went zooming downward. He felt Harry shaking against him; from the cold or fear of what was about to happen– he wasn't sure. The carts came to an abrupt halt in front of a massive oak door. It was a double door with a huge wrought iron handle in the centre. They jumped out and followed Arnok.
The goblin placed one gnarled hand on the door and murmured something. There was a grating sound as the doors opened. The interiors did nothing to calm him down. The place was as large as the office they had previously exited. It didn't have any decorations or anything. The entire place was constructed from stone, lit with fire torches. In the centre, a huge circle had been made from some powder like substance on which the legendary weapons had been arranged. He shivered involuntarily and he felt his father's arm pull him closer and was thankful for it.
"We are ready to begin any minute now. Lord Black, you will have to let go of Mr. Potter."
Harry was terrified of the pain that was about to come. At that moment, it didn't matter that he was a Gryffindor. He was afraid. Plain and simple. He threw himself against Sirius, locking his arms around the man's waist in a death grip. "Please don't go." He wanted to do this but that didn't change the fact that he was scared.
"Sshh. I'm right here. I'll be watching the whole time. I'm not leaving you, kiddo." Harry nodded against him and pulled away. He needed to be strong for this. His father kissed his forehead and offered him a warm smile. "I love you, pup. Never forget that."
"Love you too." Harry whispered before turning to the goblins. He knew that if he protested, Sirius would take him home. But, he had to do this. "I'm ready." He told them, hoping that his voice sounded steady enough. He stepped into the circle as indicated and stood in the centre, trying to stop his knees from shaking badly. He got a good look at the weapons now. One of them was the sword of Gryffindor; the second one was a jewel-encrusted dagger. There was a sabre and lastly, a spear.
"Mr. Potter, please lie down." He took one last look at Sirius who nodded reassuringly and got down on the floor. It'll be fine. He told himself. There was absolute silence for two minutes. Then, the chanting began. Initially, he felt nothing other than a mild prickling sensation all over his body. The pain began. At first, it was a moderate sting but soon escalated. Raw pain shot through every part of him. His scar was burning; his arms were already starting to feel sore and his chest felt trapped.
Suddenly, it felt like a knife embedded itself in his chest. At least that's what it felt like. A heart-wrenching scream ripped through his throat. He couldn't take it; it hurt. Then, two knives were driven into both his shoulders, at once. Another into his stomach; his legs, arms and finally; his scar. A burning stripe was laid across his chest: a whip. And so the torture continued. The small rational part of his mind was able to process the knowledge that it wasn't really the knives. It was the pain that Arnok had spoken about.
Harry screamed, sobbed and writhed in pure agony. He twisted in every possible way, begging for the pain to stop. The invisible knives and whips didn't let up for even a second. It hurt so much. He didn't know if he'd make it. Tears had blurred his vision and by now, all he could make out was the dim glow of the candles that hung from the ceiling. He heard voices– people's pain and suffering at the hands of Voldemort. He heard them begging for mercy and Voldemort's corresponding cruelty towards them. Their screams, sorrow and the heartache in their voice: Harry heard it all.
"No, not my sister! Please let her go!"
"She's of no use anymore. Avada Kedavra!"
"I swear I d-don't know anything. Please, have m-mercy!"
"You lie, Mudblood! Crucio!"
"Master, I don't know w-where they a-are. N-Not yet."
"And once again, you've failed me Wormtail. Crucio!"
"P-Please, spare h-him. He's just a b-baby. Take me i-instead."
"Step aside silly girl!"
His hand shot up to cover his scar when it was too much to bear. The chanting had risen and the mixture of physical agony coupled with the mental anguish and distress of innocent souls was getting out of control. When he thought that he was actually going to die, the pain began to recede. The assault by the imaginary whips and knives finally stopped. The chanting slowed down and came to a halt. He didn't even try to sit up because it hurt too much.
Every part of him was aching. His breaths came out in short pants and the flow of tears never stopped. He was sure that he looked like a bloody mess, sobbing on the floor with a runny nose but he was too tired to care. He was relieved that the horcrux was finally gone but the pain was driving him crazy. He was finally free of the horcrux but he had paid a high price for that freedom.
Seconds later, he felt a pair of arms lift him up and he didn't have to look to know who it was. Harry gave into the exhaustion and rested his head on Sirius' shoulder. He heard his father saying something but was too disoriented to make out the words. To his utter mortification; he just couldn't stop crying. It hurt too much.
"Dad?" It came out as a sort of desperate whimper. Once again, Sirius said something that he wasn't able to grasp. A minute later, he found himself falling asleep and welcomed the temporary solace that the darkness brought from the pain.
Sirius mumbled a sleeping charm and watched as Harry slipped into unconsciousness. He cradled his pup closer and shut his eyes for a moment. It had been so difficult to watch as his son went through that seemingly endless torment. He could count on one hand the number of times he had felt truly helpless. Today had been one such time. It had taken every bit of self-restraint to not rush past the circle and pull Harry away.
"It may take a while, Lord Black, but the boy will definitely heal. The pain will subside within a few days, as will the weakness." Arnok assured him. Sirius wanted to snap and tell him that a few days of pain wasn't something to be taken lightly. But, he simply nodded and walked out of the room after a quick 'thank you.'
He apparated home and went straight to Harry's room. He gently set the pup down on the bed. He heard footsteps and knew that it was Regulus. "What happened?" He asked, looking worried. Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "The goblins helped, but the aftermath almost makes me wish they hadn't." Sirius replied as he stared at his son.
He gave his brother a quick run through of the day's events and watched as Regulus' face morphed into a concerned expression. He knew that even his little brother had developed a soft spot for Harry. It was just impossible to not like him.
"He'll be awake in two hours or so." He said, settling himself against the headboard. "Alright. I'll be around. Just call if you need me." Regulus said and walked out after casting one more look of concern at Harry.
Harry's eyes fluttered open to the familiar ceiling of his room. It was over. The horcrux was really gone. The unbearable pain was no longer there; instead it was a dull but steady ache all over his person. He tried to sit up and immediately winced. He'd greatly underestimated the extent of the pain that shot through him. He remembered the voices he had heard. The last one had definitely been his mother. He was certain of it. All too soon, the tears returned. Harshly, he shoved them down. He'd done enough crying for the day. He groaned as his body ached all over. "Take it easy, pup. Arnok said it's going to take a while."
Harry felt relieved when he saw his father. He was safe. Sirius helped Harry into a sitting position, trying his best to not jostle the boy. He must've noticed the miserable expression on Harry's face and tried to cheer him up. They talked a little, and Sirius managed to get him to crack a genuine smile or two. His mind was diverted from the voices that he'd encountered. They ate lunch after that although his dad had to feed him most of his. It was so embarrassing to be unable to even eat one's own lunch.
"This is quite a change you know," Sirius commented casually. "A few years ago, there was more food on you than in you, pup. Heck you even managed to get some of that baby food on me as well. You were quite the little troublemaker, even as a baby. You had this habit of throwing food at whoever fed you." His father told him, chuckling at the memory.
Harry smiled softly, feeling slightly better already. When Sirius turned his head, with a mischievous grin, Harry picked up a small piece of carrot and flung it at his father, catching him squarely on his cheek. The man sharply turned back and glared at him with mock anger. "Why you rascal!" Said Sirius, giving Harry's ear a little tug.
Harry giggled slightly but immediately stopped because it hurt his torso. There was a knock on the door and a moment later, Regulus came inside. "Hey mate. How are you doing?" The younger Black asked, tousling Harry's hair. "I've been better." Harry replied grumpily. "You'll be alright in no time, kiddo. With my overprotective big brother hovering over you like a mother hen, you will be back to normal sooner than you think." Said Regulus but yelped when Sirius smacked him lightly on the back of his head.
"Ouch! Bloody hell! Don't look at me like that. You are an absolute mother hen. Don't even try to deny it. First me and now young Harry has to face the same fate." Regulus insisted, rubbing his head. "Harry agrees with me, don't you?"
Harry first looked at his dad and then at Regulus. "Oh he definitely is. Worse than Madam Pomfrey." He said with a grin. Sirius gave him a betrayed look at that. "You wait. Just you wait. I may not be able to tickle you right now, but once you're better, I'll make certain that Padfoot teaches you a lesson." Sirius threatened playfully.
Harry grinned and shielded his ribs protectively. "Now be a good lad and rest for a while. You'll need to take a few potions after some time."
The next few days passed in a similar manner. He needed his father's help for almost everything. Initially he had felt greatly embarrassed but he'd managed to get over it. When Sirius had no qualms about helping him, then he had no reason to feel bad. He still felt excessively tired when he tried to do too much on his own.
For the past couple of days, after the removal of the horcrux; one particular thought had been constantly bugging him. The pain he had felt that day; he'd honestly thought he would die. After the horrible pain had subsided; the thought had occurred to him. What if he'd died that day? That's when he had realised that he wasn't ready to die. He was afraid. After years of hoping and wishing, he finally had someone who loved him. Harry wasn't ready to give that up. Not now, not ever. Another cause for his sadness was his mum. He'd silently wallowed in his room, remembering his mother's pleas.
"Do you plan to burn a hole into your blanket? Because if that's the case, tell me now." Harry saw Sirius standing against the door and wondered how long the man had been there. A smile made its way to his lips. It was just not possible to remain glum when you had a father like Sirius Black. "I came up here to say goodnight and saw you trying to torture your poor comforter." His father grinned and settled down next to him. "The blanket tried to strangle my legs. It's only fair if I get even."
"True. Now, will you tell me what's bothering you?" Sirius asked, looping his arm around Harry's shoulders. He looked at his dad disbelievingly. How in the world was Sirius able to read him so well? As if reading his mind, the man replied: "Pup, you're an open book. It's easy to tell when you're upset, angry, sad or bothered. You get all quiet and broody, play with your food and stare into space. The other day, when I offered to help you downstairs, you preferred to stay up here. That is so unlike you. It's easy to tell. So, what's wrong?"
The gentle tone made him want to unburden everything. "It hurts." He sniffled. "Where does it hurt, little one?" On any other day, Harry would've objected to that particular endearment; but at that point, he found it oddly comforting. "Everywhere."
"I'm right here, pup." That was all that was needed. Harry threw his arms around his father's neck and held on tightly, unable to contain himself any longer. Throughout his brief torture session, he had wanted nothing more than to run to his dad but he hadn't been able to. He didn't care about the mild pain that flared in his limbs because of this action. He'd tried his best to not let the pain show during the extraction but was sure that he had failed. He felt himself being lifted into the man's lap and didn't object. "It's alright, puppy. Just let it out, I've got you now."
Harry didn't need anymore reassurance than that. He gripped his father and told him all that he had heard when the horcrux was being removed. He told Sirius about the innumerable people who had been tortured and killed by Voldemort, he spoke of Pettigrew's punishment at the hands of the Dark Lord and his voice broke when he talked about how he had heard Lily Potter beg Voldemort to spare his life. Sobs wracked his form as he spoke about it. He felt Sirius hug him tighter and whisper soothingly into his ear. "It hurts." He finally whispered brokenly, his head firmly tucked in the crook of Sirius' neck. "It isn't fair."
"I know, puppy. It's not fair at all. It is what it is." Sirius replied sadly, running his fingers through Harry's hair. He felt his heart shatter when Harry had mentioned Lily's last moments. She had been the sister he never had.
"I thought I would die." Harry whispered. "When they were taking out the horcrux, I honestly thought that the pain would kill me." He elaborated quietly. "Oh kiddo." He felt his father's hand rubbing his back and relaxed. "I know it's a stupid thought and that I wouldn't have died, but at that point, I was afraid."
"It isn't stupid in the least. Grown witches and wizards would have quaked with fear at the mere mention of this extraction. You handled it very well, pup and I'm incredibly proud of you." Said Sirius and Harry felt warm. "I'm sorry you had to go through all this. But, I'm also relieved that he's out of you. You didn't let him get to you. You're stronger than you think, Harry. It's alright to be afraid."
"I don't want to lose you. I was afraid that I'd die and never see you again."
Harry's quiet admission caught Sirius off guard. He wrapped his arms more securely around his son's form, holding him tightly. "You're not going to lose me, pup." He fiercely said. "Listen to me. Voldemort can't hurt you now. He's weaker than ever, his control over your mind is nearly gone and he is in no position to do any harm to anyone. You're safe, pup."
He pulled back and playfully tapped the child's nose with his finger. "Now you need to go to bed and stop worrying about all this. I'm not going anywhere." Feeling considerably reassured, Harry shifted position and rested his head in Sirius' lap. "Please stay." He mumbled softly, closing his eyes.
The man caught the other meaning of the words and ran his fingers through Harry's hair. "I'm not going anywhere, pup." He said once again. You're stuck with me."
"No... please, Dad, no more. I've learnt my lesson. Please... please stop." Harry giggled uncontrollably, trying in vain to escape but Padfoot was stronger. He lay on the carpet in the living room, trying to get away from his 'merciless torturer'. He tried to wriggle away as Padfoot's nose tormented his ribs.
He was giggling to the point where tears of laughter were sliding down his cheeks. "I'm sorry okay! You—Dad, not my sides—are not a mother hen. You're the coolest, most brilliant and—not the stomach!—wonderful dad on this planet."
Sirius transformed back and smirked at Harry, although there was a fond affection in his eyes. " You're not quite there yet but you're getting there." The man said before continuing his 'assault'. At that moment, Regulus came down the stairs grinning at the scene before him. "The day has just begun and you're already torturing the poor boy? Have you no mercy Sirius?" He asked with a grin as he helped himself to a cup of coffee.
"Regulus, help!" Harry looked at the other man, as best as he could. "Sorry, mate. No can do. I've been in your current position far too many times. You must overcome this situation by yourself. You're on your own, kiddo."
After some more (lot more) flattery, Sirius finally released Harry. It was great to see his pup back to normal. The past few days had been hard for both of them. He knew that he would do anything to keep that innocence and childlike happiness alive in Harry for as long as he could.
Hope you liked it! As for how the plot will continue, I have a couple of ideas in mind. Horcruxes, more father-son bonding and something else that I might work on. Like always, I'll try and update as soon as I can.