AUTHOR'S NOTES: Wow! So nice when a new story is a hit.
Just a quick thing to note since I'm sure someone will pick up on it, While Hermione has taught Ron to understand sign language he's not great with actual signing.
Chapter 3
That night as Harry and Camille sat in their room, they talked about Lily's return. 'You were happy earlier,' Camille said, looking at her cousin, curiously. 'But you've been broody all evening. I thought you were thrilled about your Mum. Now we don't have to go back to Privet Drive.'
'Mum's been living with us for 2 years,' Harry replied, angry. 'Once she saw me why didn't she show me who she was? She saw what Vernon did to us. She could have helped.'
'Oh, so you're going to give her the silent treatment, then?' Camille asked, smiling.
Harry frowned at her but his eyes were smiling. 'That's not funny, Cam.'
'I thought it was hilarious.' Rolling her eyes, she added, 'Lighten up, Harry. Look, think about it from your mum's perspective. She just found out that her only child can't speak and her niece is deaf. She probably didn't know how to deal with that or even what to say to the two of us. So she did the only thing she could do, which was be there when we needed someone around who wouldn't judge or point fingers.'
'I just wish that we could have grown up with her instead of your mum and dad,' Harry said, bitterly.
'Well, we have a chance now. Just don't push her away, Harry.'
--
The next morning when Harry and Camille came downstairs they smiled when they saw the Weasley family sitting at a table with Hermione Granger, a fellow Hogwarts student and their mutual friend.
Hermione looked up from her latest book and quickly signed, 'Morning! When did you two get here?'
'Few days ago,' Harry replied, sitting next to her. 'Listen… there's something you should know. Yesterday… I found out…'
"Your mum is still alive?" Hermione said out loud, looking over Harry's shoulder.
'How did you know?' Harry asked, confused.
Hermione pointed to Lily Potter who was coming down the stairs followed by a big black dog.
"Good morning, Harry," Lily said, cheerfully. "Morning, Camille."
'Good morning,' Camille and Harry replied.
Lily smiled, but seeing her son so quick with the sign language made her uneasy. She didn't have any idea what Harry was saying…
"Mrs. Potter?" Hermione asked, looking at Harry's mother. "If you like I can teach you."
"Teach me what?" Lily asked. Seeing Hermione's glance at Harry and Camille, she nodded. "Oh. Yeah, that would be great."
"Okay," Hermione replied. "Let's start with some basics."
Watching Hermione and her aunt, Camille was amazed at how quickly Lily was starting to pick up on signing. Even with a tutor it had taken Harry months to learn even the advanced basics.
Harry touched Camille's arm and said, 'You know what this means, don't you? No more secret conversations.'
'If we're not at my parents' place then maybe we won't have to talk in secret,' Camille said, smiling.
'You really hate them, don't you?' Harry asked.
'I just wish they didn't hate me,' Camille replied. 'I'm their daughter! And if they could have gotten away with it both of us would have been chucked to the street when we were 5.'
--
The night before Harry was due to return to Hogwarts, Lily sat in her room with Sirius, the two of them debating what to tell Harry about Sirius's innocence.
"If he's been watching the muggle news at all or reading the Daily Prophet," Sirius said, irritably. "Then he'll know that everyone thinks I'm a psychopath or something. He'll freak out."
"He took losing his voice," Lily said, calmly. "He took finding out he was a wizard. And he took finding out I was still alive. I don't think you're giving him enough credit."
"And what if he asks why I was in Azkaban, Lily?" Sirius asked. "How are you going to tell him that I was the one who was said to have betrayed you and James? You think he's just going to sit there and let you explain?"
"Then what do you suggest?"
Sirius thought for a while. "Look… If Harry asks… then we'll tell him the truth. Otherwise… until we can capture Pettigrew… I think we should lay low."
"Alright," Lily agreed. "I'll stick with being Hedwig the owl for the time being. And as for you…" Lily gave a devilish smile as she raised her wand a fired a spell at Sirius.
--
"Well, well, well…" said the sneering voice of Draco Malfoy as Camille and Harry came though the barrier onto Platform 9 ¾. "If it isn't Deaf and Dumb…"
Camille waited until Malfoy was flanked by Crabbe and Goyle before saying, "Oh, look… It's Dumb, Dumber, and Dumbest."
Harry grinned as Malfoy bristled. Resisting the urge to give the self-proclaimed Slytherin prince a rude hand gesture, Harry turned and followed the Weasleys further down the train to the luggage compartment. Before getting on the Hogwarts Express, Harry reached through the bars of Hedwig—Lily's—cage and stroked her feathers before mouthing, 'I love you.'
Lily hooted softly and gave Harry a little nibble on the finger before he headed onto the train.
Once on the train, Harry, Camille, Ron, and Hermione headed down the corridor finally stopping at one of the last compartments where a man sat asleep, leaning against the outer window.
"Everywhere else is full," Hermione said, shrugging as she gently slid open the door.
Inside the compartment, Harry and Camille sat next to each other and after a very long hesitation Ron and Hermione sat on the opposite seat although they were very determined to maintain their distance.
Pointing at the sleeping man, Harry asked, 'Who do you reckon he is?'
"Professor R. J. Lupin," Hermione said, matter-of-factly. "It's on his suitcase."
'New Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, I suppose,' Harry mused. 'Wonder how long he'll last.'
"Well, he can't be any worse than Quirrell or Lockhart," Ron said, trying to be optimistic.
--
As the day wore on and topics of conversation dwindled, Ron finally said, "So… have you heard about that escape from Azkaban?"
"You mean Sirius Black?" Hermione asked. "It was on the muggle news as well. But no one's going in to real detail on why he was in Azkaban."
Ron looked at Hermione before turning to Harry. "It… it has to do with… you… Harry."
'What are you talking about?' Harry asked, confused.
"Well…" Ron said, unsure of how to say it. "The day Black was captured… He's said to have been in Voldemort's Inner Circle… and the night before he was captured… He… sent Voldemort after your parents."
Harry was in shock at this news. Had his mother known about this? Why hadn't she said anything?
Nudging her cousin, Camille signed, 'Harry? Are you okay?'
'She never said a thing about this,' Harry replied, confused.
'Well, ask her about it later,' Camille said, shrugging.
"Ask who about what?" Ron asked.
Hermione glanced over at Professor Lupin who was still asleep. "Harry's mum… is actually alive."
Ron gaped. "What?! But… where's she been? Does she know about the Dursleys?"
'The funny thing is that she's been around for two years now,' Camille said, smiling. 'It turns out Aunt Lily is an unregistered animagus.'
Ron still looked confused but Hermione caught on quickly. "Not… Hedwig?"
Harry nodded. 'You can't tell anyone. Right now Mum wants to keep a low profile so that—' He broke off when the train lurched to a stop. Looking out the window, there was no sign of the castle just yet. 'What's wrong? Why have we stopped?'
"We're stopped?" Camille said out loud.
"Maybe… we've broken down," Ron suggested, trying not to show that he was worried. "Wait… something's moving outside…"
The lights went out and Harry and Camille felt a new stirring of fear. They could barely see each other, let alone see each other's hands.
The air grew cold and some dark, shadowy figure was slowly gliding towards the compartment opening the door…
Harry's eyes grew wide and he could feel hands against his throat. Mouth open in a silent scream, Harry felt all joyful though leave him as he fell into unconscious, not even sure who was screaming.
--
Camille slowly opened her eyes and saw the smiling face of Professor Lupin looking down at her. The train compartment was silent and for a brief moment, Camille wondered what had happened that she couldn't hear.
"Glad to see you're awake," Lupin said as Camille sat up. "Perhaps you can help us with Harry."
"What… what about Harry?" Camille asked, not really able to focus on reading the professor's lips. "I don't… I don't understand you…"
Hermione waved a hand and seeing Camille look at her, pointed at Harry who was lying on the opposite bench seat. 'Harry passed out. We tried shaking him, slapping him…'
"No," Camille said firmly, going to Harry's side. "Slapping only works on someone who's not used to it. Harry! Harry, it's alright. You're fine… you're safe. Wake up now."
It took the better part of 10 minutes but Harry finally opened his eyes and looked around. Opening his mouth to speak, a look of fear crossed his face when no sound came out.
'It's okay, Harry,' Camille said, helping him into a sitting position. Looking at Lupin she asked, "What the hell was that thing?"
"A dementor," Lupin replied, watching interestedly as Hermione signed the reply to Camille. "One of the guards of Azkaban. It was looking for Sirius Black." After a moment, he dug into the pocket of his robes and pulled out a large bar of dark chocolate which he then broke into pieces and passed around. "Eat… it will help counteract the affects."
Harry ate a bite and immediately the cold, miserable feeling started to go away. But when Lupin left to speak with someone in the front of the train, Harry felt uneasy as Hermione and Ron stared at him.
'What?'
"Harry…" Hermione said, slowly. "Have your aunt and uncle… ever hit you?"
Harry sighed and said, 'After Cam lost her hearing… Vernon was really mad when we got out of the doctor's office. He grabbed me by the neck and started choking me. He could have killed me, but… he ended up destroying my vocal cords instead. Later on… he'd smack me around if I made him mad. Why?'
"You… kept mouthing 'Don't hurt me'," Camille lied, not wanting to admit what she'd said.
After a few minutes, the conversation again turned to Sirius Black's escape.
--
As Severus Snape sat in his quarters waiting for the start of term feast, he thought about two of his students; ironically, neither of which were in his house. Leaning back in his favorite armchair, Snape thought back to when Dumbledore had asked him to find Harry Potter and Camille Dursley.
July 30th
2 Years Ago
"Severus, I need you to run an important errand for me tonight," Albus Dumbledore said with smile.
"And what sort of errand might this be?" Snape asked, not trusting the mischievous look on the headmaster's face. Nothing good happened when the man smiled like that.
"It seems there has been some trouble getting Harry Potter's Hogwarts letter to him. He and his cousin, Camille Dursley have been temporarily relocated," Dumbledore replied, holding out two letters.
"Perhaps… you could send Hagrid instead," Snape suggested. "I'm sure he would gladly fetch Potter."
"Yes, but I have sent Hagrid to handle another matter. Besides…" the headmaster added, still smiling. "I have a feeling you are better suited to fetch them."
--
In a dark, dusty cove Snape found himself standing before a dilapidated house. Going to the door, he decided against pleasantries and raised his wand. "Bombarda!" The door flew into the house and crashed against the wall, making a scrawny boy with black hair jump to his feet along with a heavier boy who looked petrified.
"Who are you, sir, and why are you breaking and entering?" Vernon screamed as he came down the stairs holding a shotgun.
"I am Professor Snape of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and I'm here to collect Mr. Potter and Miss Dursley."
Vernon pointed a trembling finger at Harry and a girl who looked like she was still sleeping. "Take them! Take those freaky brats away!"
Harry looked petrified but after a moment, he knelt down next to the sleeping girl and shook her shoulder.
When the girl started to stir, Snape's eyes widened as Harry's hands started moving. 'Wake up, Cami!' Harry signed quickly. 'It's someone from that school!'
Snape stood, dumbfounded. 'Albus Dumbledore, you manipulative bastard!'
The girl stood and stared at Snape. Turning to Harry, she signed, 'Is he a vampire or something?'
Frowning, Snape spoke as he signed. 'No, I am not a vampire. Now… if you don't mind, we are on a tight schedule.'
A/N: As far as Lily and Sirius, most questions should be answered next chapter. And next time, Lily has a few words with our favorite headmaster and Snape finds out the love of his life is still alive.