Chapter 12

Lunch concluded with Harry eating several pieces of fruit, a grilled cheese sandwich, and a whole bowl of chicken noodle soup, plus a couple of glasses of pumpkin juice. The men at the table were very pleased to see that the still skinny boy had eaten a rather healthy lunch. And much to Harry's embarrassment, they told him so.

Once everyone had eaten their fill, Dobby snapped his fingers and the table was immediately cleared. Harry looked over at Hermione and grinned as he remarked, "I love magic!"

This had everyone in the room dissolving into fits of laughter, a welcome sound to the sounds of pain and grief from earlier in the week. The two young teens quietly excused themselves from the table and walked out into the living room. Hermione grabbed one of Harry's hands and held on lovingly while they seated themselves on the settee. It wasn't long before Harry's eyes had begun to close, his head gently dropping down onto Hermione's shoulder. She reached around and grabbed the afghan that was across the back of the settee and laid it gently over both of them. She then pulled out a book that she had been reading and quietly allowed her boyfriend to get the rest he deserved and needed. It was a shame that he wouldn't rest for long.

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Back in the kitchen, Sirius looked fondly at the retreating forms of the two teens. He and the others didn't fail to notice how Hermione had grabbed onto his godson's hand, and how Harry had latched onto hers. It was a welcome and heartwarming sight for everyone.

Then, Severus began to make some plans about how to bring Minerva to Grimmauld Place to explain to her about Dumbledore's actions.

"I think it would be appropriate for Remus to approach Minerva and see if he thinks she can be trusted. I'm inclined to believe that she can be, but we really do need to be sure," Severus remarked.

"I can do that," replied Remus. "After the last talk we had yesterday, especially when she seemed so fearful of Dumbledore, I really do believe she will be a valuable asset. As a matter of fact, I'll go see her now. Since Dumbledore has been tearing up the castle searching for Harry, I should be able to have an undisturbed conversation with her. If she's willing, do you want me to bring her here?"

Remus looked at Severus, who then looked over at Sirius, since Grimmauld Place was technically his. Sirius gave a nod of affirmative.

"Yes, I think that will work out fine," Severus echoed Sirius's agreement. "Just bring her here, and if it doesn't work out, we'll just have to obliviate her, although I am loathe to do that to her." The potions master looked at the clock. "Hm, it's about one o'clock; I should get back to brewing some more of that nutrient potion for Harry. Sirius, would like to assist me while Remus is speaking with Minerva?"

"Yes, I would be glad to. Remus, be careful, and we'll see you back here later."

Remus made his way to the front door and once out on the porch, he apparated to Hogsmeade, and quickly walked the path to the castle. He began thinking of how to broach this subject with his old friend, and hoped that he wouldn't run into the angry headmaster on his way.

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Sirius stood up to follow Severus downstairs to the potions lab when he halted.

"Let me go check on the kids..."

Sirius had barely begun to step into the living room when he first noticed that Hermione was trying unsuccessfully to hold onto a sleeping but struggling Harry. Even thought the boy was still fast asleep, he had begun to move, gently at first, but as his nightmare gained strength, so did his movements. Then came the agonizing screams of pain and terror.

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Harry and Hermione sat down on the settee and quickly made themselves comfortable. Hermione had curled her legs up under herself while Harry leaned onto her soft, firm shoulder, breathing in her lavender scented hair, an aroma that helped him relax and stay calm. It wasn't but a few minutes of small talk that he began nodding off. Hermione gently rearranged herself and allowed Harry to lay down on the settee, and laid his head in her lap. She then grabbed the afghan off the back of their seat and draped it lovingly over them both. After pulling out a book she had placed in her pocket, she settled in to read while her still recovering boyfriend had a well deserved, and needed, nap. Unfortunately, it wouldn't last.

Moments later...

It had only been a mere half hour before Harry began dreaming, or rather, began having a horrific nightmare. His dreams as of lately had been about the events of that fateful evening that his uncle had almost killed him, but this time, instead of him being hung in the cupboard under the stairs, it was now his beloved Hermione. He tried in vain to get to her, to get that cruel chain from around her already blue neck, to allow her to breathe again. But, he found that he couldn't quite get to her, something was holding him back. He began to struggle furiously, screaming her name and begging for someone to help him, but no one came. All he could hear was his ragged breathing and his uncle's hysterical laughter. Harry finally started screaming to the top of his lungs.

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Sirius and Severus quickly rushed into the room to discover Harry being held down by Hermione, but only barely so. She was terribly panicked, and had tears running unchecked down her flushed cheeks, but she still held on to the young man for dear life, all the while talking to him, hoping that somehow he would hear her voice and wake up.

Severus quickly reached the teens and scooped Harry into an upright position, his hand outstretched to grab the waiting Calming Draught that Sirius had opened up for him. The potions professor quickly poured the contents down the still struggling boy's throat, his screams not quite so loud now, due to his throat being raw from his actions. The draught worked quickly, and within minutes, the young boy had quieted, and was resting silently upon the settee. Hermione had quietly gotten up and dragged a chair over to sit beside the settee, so she could be close when Harry awoke.

Severus then asked, "Hermione, what happened? He was laughing and so happy when you two left the table. Do you have any idea what might have set him off like that?"

Sirius looked at both teens and noticed that Hermione had quietly taken hold of his godson's hand once more, and even though Harry was asleep, he was also gripping her hand like it was his only life line. He smiled to himself, but sobered quickly; he wanted to know if this young woman knew what had happened to his godson.

Hermione thought for a moment, then answered.

"Well, I'm not sure. We talked for only a few minutes, and then I noticed that Harry seemed really sleepy, and he was nodding off quickly. So, when his head fell onto my shoulder, I moved so he could lay down on the settee and I covered us with the afghan, and he fell asleep really fast. It couldn't have been more than thirty minutes before he started moaning, or, calling my name faintly, begging his uncle to stop, and then he just started struggling, like he was trying to get somewhere, but he was unable to. Then he started screaming. I've never heard him scream like that. I've never been so scared before. Why would he scream like that?"

"Did Harry tell you what his uncle did to him once they got back from King's Cross the other day?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, he did. That man is so vile, so utterly despicable. I do hope you are going to press charges against him for trying to murder Harry. It's a wonder that Harry has survived as long as he has while having to live with those awful people." Hermione paused to wipe away a few more stray tears that suddenly appeared on her face. Severus quietly handed her some tissues that had been sitting on a table next to the couch, and she smiled and thanked him politely.

It was at that moment that Harry began to stir and opened his eyes. He looked up into Hermione's chocolate eyes and found them still swimming with a few unshed tears, and noticed her tear-stained cheeks.

"What happened? Why is my throat so sore?" Harry began to cough, and just as quickly, Dobby appeared with a tall glass of cold water to help quench his master's thirst.

"Thanks, Dobby. I really needed that. Now, what happened? I fell asleep, right?" Harry ran his hand through his disheveled hair, making it even more a mess, then flushed a deeper red, suddenly remembering the nightmare he had just had.

"Oh God, I'm going to be sick!" He exclaimed. Severus quickly conjured a wastebasket, and Harry promptly lost his lunch. Hermione held onto his head while he keep vomiting, even through the dry heaves that came afterwards. Sirius had conjured a cold cloth and held it over the boy's forehead, and another one was being held by Severus on the back of his neck. Harry briefly had time to ponder the thought about how wonderful it felt to have so many people actually care about him. That thought helped to further calm him, and after a few minutes, his sickness was over, the wastebasket vanished, and a fresh, clean, cold towel was gently washing his heated face and neck. Another glass of cold water was awaiting him, and he drank deeply, relishing the feel of the cold water as it made its way down his burning throat.

Severus then softly asked, "Harry, can you tell us what you dreamed about? Please, I know it will be painful, but you don't want to keep something that stressful bottled up inside you."

Harry smiled slightly at his potions professor. It was such a nice change from the way he used to be, and Harry knew that he really did care for this man as he was now. He looked up and after a moment of thought, he began to speak, and once he started talking, he just couldn't stop.

Harry told them about how he had started dreaming about being in the cupboard under the stairs, but this time, instead of it being him hanging by his neck, it was now Hermione. He had tried so hard to get to her, but somehow, he couldn't move at all. He could hear his uncle laughing...laughing...and he had started pleading for him to stop and let her down. When all he heard was more laughter, and still being unable to move forward to save his girlfriend, he had started screaming, hoping that someone would hear him and come help. He couldn't get the sight of Hermione's blue face and bulging eyes out of his mind, and it made his stomach leap dangerously to think about it. When Harry's face paled once again, Severus was ready with a Nausea Calming Draught, which he promptly gave to the upset boy. Harry quickly drank the foul potion, and then settled back into Hermione's arms.

When had she moved back to the settee? Harry wondered.

Finally, after a few moments, Harry smiled and muttered a quick thanks to his professor.

Severus replied back, "It's no problem, Harry. I'm sorry that this has upset you so. I can safely say that that fate will not fall upon Hermione. She will never be in that house with that muggle swine, and neither will you. You will never have to lay eyes on that vermin again. Do you understand me, Harry? Sirius and I will never allow you to go back to that house ever again, nor will you ever have to be in the same room with those relatives of yours." He finished his speech with a bit of a snort, thinking of what all he could do to the bane of Harry's existence, something that didn't go unnoticed by Sirius or the two teens.

Harry looked into his professor's eyes, and then over at his godfather, before throwing himself into the arms of the surprised potions professor. The man had been hugged by this boy several times this week already, but he still got caught off guard every time he did it. However, this didn't stop the man from returning the hug warmly, and he took the moment to wrap his long arms around the too skinny boy and pour all the warmth, magic and care into that physical contact, hoping that it would help calm the child and allay the boy's fears for a while.

Hermione looked on in awe as she witnessed her once despised professor warmly hugging the boy he had also despised for the last four years, a couple of joyful tears sneaking out of the corners of her eyes. She discreetly wiped them away, and waited quietly for Harry and the two men to compose themselves.

Dobby suddenly appeared next to the couch.

"Mister Snape, sirs, Mister Remus sirs will be arriving soon with Professor McGonagall. Does Dobby need to clean up another room for her?"

Sirius looked over at his friend, who nodded his agreement. Sirius then gave Dobby instructions to clean a room for Minerva, and to have dinner ready at about seven o'clock. Dobby nodded and quickly popped away to his duties.

Harry then asked, "Is Professor McGonagall coming here? What's happened? Did Dumbledore do something to her?" Harry began to get nervous and excited, but a squeeze from Hermione's hand seemed to help calm him back down quickly.

"Now Harry, it's nothing to fret over," Sirius began. "Remus is just going to go fetch her and we're going to have a bit of a chat to see where she stands, as far as Dumbledore is concerned. Plus, we wanted to let her know what has happened to you, and what has happened to us, all because of Dumbledore's manipulations. If she's still going to blindly follow that man, we'll have to obliviate her and take her back to Hogwarts. So, there's nothing for you to worry about. If she's willing to help us out, then we'll come get you so you can see each other. I happen to know that Minerva thinks very highly of you," Sirius concluded. "As a matter of fact, they should be here any time now. Why don't you two go up to your room and freshen up, and if we need you, one of us will come get you, ok?"

Harry smiled and nodded his agreement, and quietly, he grabbed Hermione's hand and the two walked side by side out of the sitting room and up the stairs to Harry's room, with a smirking potions professor and a grinning Grim animagus watching their departure.

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Within a few minutes of the teens taking their leave, the front door opened and a curious Minerva McGonagall and a grinning Remus Lupin walked in. He gave Sirius a slight nod of his head, a well known signal that all was well, and then quietly escorted the aging Professor to the living room, where Dobby appeared with a tray of hot tea and some blackberry scones. Minerva looked down at the smiling house elf and thanked him warmly for the much needed refreshment, and quickly poured herself a cuppa and daintily broke open a scone and took a bite.

The three men sat quietly while their former professor and friend refreshed herself. She only ate half of her scone, but she did drink down a full cup of tea, and poured herself another before beginning to speak.

"Well, Professor Snape, so this is where you have been hiding yourself this summer? I had wondered where you disappeared to so suddenly after the term had ended. I must say that I'm very surprised. Be that as it may, seeing the three of you in the same room and it still be intact is something that bears an explanation. So, who would like to explain to me about what has been going on?"

The three men all took deep breaths, looking to each other for a signal for who was going to begin, then Severus began to speak; he started with Sirius' request to help him with Harry, and the attempted murder of the boy by his uncle, then moved on to the three of them, the obvious spells that had made them all forget about their friendships, and numerous other oddities that they had discovered. The climax of the conversation came when Fawkes suddenly appeared and perched on Severus' shoulder.

"Hello, Fawkes. Did you come for some petting today? Or do you sense that Minerva has need of you?" The potions master inquired.

Fawkes chirped in the affirmative and began to sing that haunting tune that had cleared the men's minds last week, and suddenly Minerva dropped her teacup and scone. Her face became pale and her eyes had closed tightly. That did not halt the flood of tears that had suddenly began to streak down the older woman's face, and her body began to shake with her rage, her shame, and her sudden realization that her old friend was actually a very cruel and despicable man.

Just as Severus was about to kneel at his colleague's feet, Harry followed by Hermione joined them in the living room.

They had been listening on the steps, waiting for the time for them to show themselves, and now seemed like the appropriate time. Harry knelt down in front of his Transfiguration professor and wrapped his thin arms around her, giving her a hug that hopefully would ease some of the pain she was feeling at being betrayed by Dumbledore. Fawkes flew over and landed beside Harry, and began singing a different melody, this one seemingly erasing the ache in the old woman's heart.

Minerva opened her eyes to see the Boy Who Lived kneeling right in front of her, his face full of life, a smile that reached out and warmed her very soul, and she quickly wrapped the child up in her long arms and returned his hug just as warmly. This, of course, caused a few more tears, but these were healing tears, and very much needed. Hermione then knelt down and wrapped her arms around her professor and her boyfriend, adding her own love and support to the woman.

Minerva then sniffed and wiped her eyes on the tissue that one of the men had ready for her, and once she had composed herself, she smiled warmly at the three men and two children in front of her. She reached down and gave Fawkes a scratch on his head, which earned the woman another happy chirp. Then Fawkes bumped his head with Harry, something he had began doing lately whenever he was ready to leave the boy's presence, and then he disappeared in a blaze of orange and red flames.

Minerva sighed deeply and then asked, "Do any of you have any idea how long this has been going on? How could that man have done these horrible things to all of us? Why did he insist on making sure that Harry went back to those despicable Dursleys every year?"

Harry and Hermione both sat on either side of their professor, as she still looked a bit shaky from all of the knowledge she now had rolling around her brain. But her mind was now clear; due to Fawke's help, she was no longer befuddled or confused, and she would be immune to those spells if they were ever cast upon her again. In fact, Harry, his godfather, Remus and Severus were all immune to those spells meant to confuse or cause memory lapses.

"Minerva, I truly do not know how long this has been going on. The headmaster seems to have been trying to make sure that Harry would be in his total control once he arrived at Hogwarts, and for these past 4 years, it would seem to have worked. As you already know, I've spent the last 4 years nursing a grudge for something that didn't even happen. Yes, James did take me to the tunnel under the Shrieking Shack to see Remus, but not to hurt me, it was for me to see how the man changed into the wolf, so I could perhaps help create a better Wolfsbane for him, maybe even create a cure for Lycanthropy. As best as we've been able to remember, the headmaster reinvented that event to make it seem as if Sirius had lured me there to kill me, and then James saved me at the last minute, thus causing me to hate them all even more. As we now know and remember, that is not how it happened," Severus stated.

Harry was looking down at his feet at the moment, struggling to make up his mind to join in the conversation. He was still having trouble admitting that his uncle had tried to kill him, and that terrible nightmare was still in the front of his mind. He finally took a breath and when he began to speak, it was very softly.

"The only thing I know for sure is that because of what Dumbledore did to me, my uncle almost killed me. If I hadn't sent Hedwig back to school, she would have been killed for sure." The boy paused for a moment, his breath hitching slightly. That was all it took for Hermione to come around to the boy's side of the couch and squeeze in beside of him, then wrapping her arms around his shaking shoulders. He buried his face into her hair, and held on tightly while he tried to reign in his emotions, as well as stop those dratted tears!

Minerva then sat up straighter, and exclaimed, "Oh my! I just remembered something else. The last few days, I've caught Albus in his office muttering under his breath, looking at numerous orbs and scry glasses. It appears that when you disappeared from the Dursleys, Harry, that's when he started acting rather different than usual. He always appeared rather upset about something, like he has lost something and couldn't get it back or find it. And now I see that this is where Fawkes has been staying, that explains about him. Albus was extremely upset about not having his pheonix with him. And, I am to assume that one of you gentlemen left those clues to Harry's whereabouts at Hogwarts? You should have seen him scurrying about, trying his best to find you, Harry."

Minerva's eyes were finally starting to twinkle a bit at the thought of her former friend being led on a wild hippogriff chase. She even let out an uncustomary giggle, which caught both of her young students off guard. Both kids grinned at their professor, and then rose.

"Professor, Harry and I are going to go get some studying done. Plus, I think Harry will need to lay down soon so he can get his rest. He's still not quite 100% recovered yet, and we don't want him to overdo it," Hermione said as she grabbed her boyfriend's hand.

"That's quite alright, children. Go right ahead. I'm sure these fine gentlemen will keep me entertained in your absence."

"Take care, Professor McGonagall. Please watch out for the headmaster." Hermione gave her beloved professor a hug and the two teens quickly walked back upstairs.

Sirius then called out to Dobby. The elf appeared and quickly helped the transfiguration professor to her feet.

"Professor McGonagall, Dobby will take yous to your room so you can freshen up before dinner."

"Why, thank you, Dobby. I would like that very much."

She followed the elf upstairs to her appointed room, and upon passing by what appeared to be Harry's room, she heard Harry laughing, something she wasn't sure if she'd ever heard before. She shook her head slightly, but she knew that she was determined that her "friend" would have to pay for his crimes against this boy. Albus was going to be sorry he had ever crossed one Minerva McGonagall.

Downstairs, the three men sat quietly for a few moments, each thinking deeply about what had brought them all together, and realized that there was so much more to this nightmare than they had even begun to decipher. Sirius had lowered his head into his hands, his fingers desperate to massage away the throbbing pain he felt there. Remus had stood up and begun to pace the floor, shaking his head slightly at everything they had lost because of one man's greed. Severus, still able to remain somewhat calm, finally gave in to his inner turmoil and bowed his head, hoping to hide the grief he was feeling. He suddenly became aware of his two friends kneeling in front of him, and he reached out and placed his hands on each of their shoulders.

"My friends, we have a long way to go to find the freedom we are searching for. I am uncertain of how to proceed at this moment. Sirius, do you need a headache potion?" Severus paused as he summoned a potion from his freshly made stores there in Grimmauld Place.

"Thanks, Sev. I really needed that." Sirius drank the potion down and within a few seconds, felt the much desired relief from the pounding headache that had been plaguing him for the last couple of hours.

Remus sighed deeply and then said, "Why don't we just have a quiet dinner tonight, we'll continue to discuss what needs to be discussed later. Perhaps Hermione will be able to analyze this situation better than we can, seeing as how it hasn't affected her directly. She is looking at this from the outside, we're all on the inside. And, we all know she is quite intelligent. Plus, we know she won't stop until she finds a way to help Harry and to protect him."

Severus nodded his agreement, and stood up.

"I believe I will go check on those nutrient potions for Harry, and then go refresh myself for dinner. Would you gentlemen like to join me?"

Both Remus and Sirius grinned at their friend and all three descended the stairs to the basement and the potions lab. Sounds of manly laughter could be heard outside the door, a sound that could be understood by three very close,dedicated friends.

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Ron looked on as he watched Dursley all but kick his best friend out of Kings Cross and toward his car. Ron couldn't help but worry about his friend. He knew Harry didn't like it at the Dursley's, but he'd never said anything about them going too far, so he tried to forget about it. However, his mind moved to how Hermione had hugged Harry so affectionately, and how it seemed to make Harry perk up just a bit, his emerald eyes brightening up slightly. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy at the memory.

"Why couldn't she have hugged me that way?" Ron wondered as he dragged his trunk up the rickety stairs of the Burrow. "I wonder if we'll have a dance again when school starts again? Maybe I'll ask her to go with me on the first day this time."

Ron made his decision and quickly unpacked his trunk, which consisted of him dumping out the contents onto the still clean and spotless floor. He knew his mum would get on to him about his things all over the floor, but right now, his stomach was rumbling , and he wanted to go find himself a snack as quickly as possible. He set his empty trunk in the corner of his room, and after piling up his school books onto the desk, he left the rest of his belongings on the floor and left the room, closing the door behind him. He quickly made his way to the kitchen and helped himself to a glass of pumpkin juice and a handful of pumpkin spice cookies. Yep, he was going to try to find a way to get Hermione to go with him to the next dance, or least to Hogsmeade.

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Yep, it's me again!!! I'm so very sorry it's taken me so very long to update. No excuses...just have been lazy!! But, I will try very hard to do better!

Here's your next chapter...I do hope you enjoy it and continue to enjoy the story.

Oh...here's a fic rec for you. Try reading the story, The Forgotten Lifetime, by Siriuslover4eva. It's right here on .

Please don't forget to review...it really does help me to stay motivated!!! A huge, huge thanks goes out to Jen (Siriuslover4eva) for betaing and helping me with this chapter. You rock my friend!!!!

And...another huge thanks goes out to everyone who had been adding me to their favorites lists...you have made my day...my lifetime!! I really do appreciate it!!!

Until next chapter...Nita