Chapter 10: To a New Future

The rest of the week went by in a blur. To Harry's great annoyance he slept most of the time. Madam Pomfrey, however, said this was to be expected after the ordeal he had been through. His frustratingly few wakeful hours were spent talking to Sirius, Remus, Hagrid, Hermione and the Weasleys. Some of the Order members he was more familiar with occasionally dropped by for a quick chat. Once, Harry had awoken from a nap to catch sight of his Transfiguration teacher's back as she hurriedly exited the room. When he related this strange occurrence to his godfather (who had been out house-hunting), Sirius had let out a loud bark-like laugh saying that she was just an old softie at heart. However, this proclamation didn't stop Sirius from cowering in fear when the 'old softie' screamed at him during dinner for jinxing her cloak to flash fluorescent orange whenever she spoke.

At long last, the day arrived when Madam Pomfrey reluctantly pronounced him well enough to go home. Nevertheless, she insisted that he submit to a final examination and a lengthy lecture warning him to keep out of trouble and refrain from overexerting himself. Finally, she drilled Sirius on which potions to give and when to give them, where to purchase more potions if necessary, and what to do if he relapsed (Dumbledore had assured them this was impossible but the matron refused to accept that anyone besides her was capable of caring for her patient). When she started reciting the ingredients for Dreamless Sleep Potion, Sirius managed to convince her that Harry was anxious to have another nap and could she please send any other information by owl. Without waiting for a reply, he threw some Floo powder into the fireplace and shoved Harry through calling, "Willow House!"He hastily grabbed his own pinch of the magical powder and followed, arriving in time to see Harry pick himself up from the floor.

Sirius leant against the wall in exaggerated relief. "We're free!" he gasped. "That woman is a force to be reckoned with! Give me a dragon over her any day!"

Smiling at his godfather's theatrics, Harry took the time to survey his surroundings. They were presently in the living room; several chocolate-coloured couches were positioned against the far wall in a gentle arch, each bedecked with a reasonable number of assorted pillows (no peach this time); it seemed Sirius had gone slightly overboard with the conjuring spell again. In addition to the pillows, he had also obtained three beanbags, seemingly with Harry, Ron and Hermione in mind. Harry was surprised to see a television by the couches; his godfather had never seemed overly interested in Muggle appliances. In fact, Harry distinctly remembered that Sirius hadn't any idea what a play station was when he had written about Dudley breaking one after third year.

The carpet was light tan and looked to be quite soft; Harry had to resist the urge to reach down and feel it. Just right of him was a door to a corridor that led to the rest of the house. To his left there was a large window showing the picturesque view of a wide grassy plain with a river meandering through it. Tearing his eyes away from the tranquil sight, Harry turned to look at the fireplace he had just come through. The flames had died, leaving small traces of ash and kindling in the hearth; atop the mantle were several picture frames displaying various photos. In fact, as he looked around the room again, Harry noticed more photos distributed throughout the room: Harry talking with Ron and Hermione; Harry laughing as the Weasley twins pulled a prank on Sirius; Harry, Ron and Sirius having a pillow fight in the hospital wing; baby Harry being held by his parents as they looked at him adoringly; toddler Harry riding on the back of a familiar black dog as his parents laughed in the background…

Grinning like a loon, Harry turned to his godfather who was waiting anxiously for his reaction to their new home. "It's brilliant, Sirius!" he blurted out earnestly, his eyes shining with excitement. "Can we see the rest of the house?"

"Sure." Sirius started to walk toward the door. He stopped in the doorway, appearing to remember something. "Actually… Madam Pomfrey wanted you to have a nap the minute you arrived…" He laughed at Harry's scandalized expression. "Relax Harry, I was kidding!"

Rolling his eyes, Harry followed Sirius as he walked out of the room and turned down the corridor, pointing out the various rooms. His godfather seemed to be in a hurry to get upstairs; he was almost bouncing on the spot as Harry studied each room in detail, soaking in the welcoming atmosphere that filled the house.

"Come on, if you've seen one laundry you've seen them all. You'll have plenty of time to look around when you're doing our washing." Sirius teased. He seemed a totally different person since he had been freed. Harry supposed being away from Grimmauld Place had helped as well. "Unless you feel the need to examine the soap in the bathroom, we can go upstairs!"

Harry was sorely tempted to pretend to show interest in the soap to make Sirius wait, but his own excitement overrode his desire to retaliate. "I guess I can look at the soap later." He replied seriously as he walked past his godfather toward the stairs. In doing so, he missed the nostalgia on Sirius' face as he inadvertently channeled his father's style of humour.

When Harry reached the landing, he glanced around as he waited for Sirius to take the lead again. There were four doors revealing another bathroom; a guestroom; Sirius' room and Harry's room. The boy beamed as he stepped into his new room; once again his godfather had gone overboard. Gryffindor paraphernalia adorned the off-white walls; a four-poster bed was pushed into a corner sporting a blue bedspread, and at the foot were his broomstick and truck. Opposite the bed was a walk-in wardrobe, the door slightly ajar to reveal an array of clothing items – all new and in his size. A desk was positioned beside a window that opened out onto a balcony overlooking what seemed to be the beginnings of a Quidditch pitch.

Grinning so widely that he was sure his cheeks would split, Harry turned to face his godfather. "Thank you." He said simply, his eyes conveying the depth of his gratitude.

"Is it okay?" For some reason Harry couldn't comprehend, Sirius was nervous.

"Okay?" He asked incredulously. "It's fantastic!"

Sirius relaxed considerably.

"Sirius…"

"What? Oh, no! I knew you wouldn't like the desk, I told Remus it was a stupid idea –"

"No, no. The desk is fine, Sirius. I just wanted to say… thanks for all this stuff, it's great… but I would have been happy living in a cave if it meant you were there with me. You're a great godfather Sirius… just… thank you… you know, for being there for me. It's nice not being alone… and having an adult I can trust."

"That's what I'm here for, Harry." Sirius answered fondly ruffling his hair. "Now… enough with the sentimental stuff. I'm keen to try out that Quidditch field. Do you know where I might find a worthy opponent?"