Author's Note:
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters or world. All credit to JK Rowling.
Hi guys, I hope that you're continuing to enjoy the story. How will Harry respond to seeing everyone again? Please please please follow, favourite and review; working 3 jobs at the moment and doing this in little time so would be nice to know that its worth it. Thanks so much for reading, I appreciate it :)
Enjoy!
GrumpyBoyBen
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Chapter 6 – Reunions
As Harry stepped through the threshold of Grimmauld Place, he was instantly engulfed in a whirlwind of emotions and familiar faces. His heart pounded in his chest as Ron and Hermione rushed towards him, their eyes brimming with tears of relief and joy. They enveloped him in a tight embrace, and Harry felt an overwhelming sense of happiness at seeing them again, alive and well.
Memories of their deaths in the Battle of Hogwarts flashed through his mind, and he silently thanked fate for granting him this second chance. He squeezed them tightly, savouring the feeling of their warmth and friendship. It was surreal to think that just a short while ago, he had been preparing to face the Dark Lord alone, and now he was here, surrounded by the people he loved most. The house also looked much better than he remembered. Dark and gloomy, yes, but at least it hadn't been ransacked by Mundungus yet.
"Harry, we were so worried!" Hermione's voice was choked with emotion. "You have no idea how relieved we are to see you safe. Dumbledore said there were Dementors spotted in your area!"
"Yeah, mate," Ron chimed in, smiling as he said, "Some seriously stressed-out faces from some of the adults downstairs."
Harry managed a small smile, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Well…I'm here now," he said, his voice steady. "Thanks to Moody and his team."
Amidst the joyful reunion, Harry greeted Fred and George, who gave him their trademark mischievous grins and pulled him into a bear hug, filling the room with laughter. "Good to see you, Harry!" Fred exclaimed, clapping him on the back.
George added with a wink, "You missed some epic pranks, but don't worry, we'll catch you up!"
Harry chuckled, feeling a sense of comfort in their familiar banter. He exchanged warm greetings with Arthur, who patted him on the back affectionately, proud of the young man Harry had become.
Molly Weasley approached next, her eyes brimming with motherly concern. She enveloped him in a bone-crushing hug, and Harry couldn't help but chuckle at her comment about his improved appearance. "It's the first time in a while I don't need to fatten you up," she said, her voice tinged with affectionate scolding.
Harry grinned, feeling a warmth in his heart at Molly's unwavering care. "Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," he said sincerely. "I must admit, I've missed your cooking."
"Oh, you'll get plenty of that now that you're back," she replied with a twinkle in her eye.
As his eyes scanned the room, they landed on Ginny. She had grown up over the summer, both mentally and physically. Her stunning figure that Harry remembered was starting to show, and she was exuding a newfound confidence. Harry's heart skipped a beat at the sight of her, but he knew he had to tread carefully. This wasn't the Ginny he knew from his timeline, and he respected the boundaries of their current situation. Instead of acting on his impulses, he pulled her into a friendly hug, feeling a mixture of longing and contentment in her presence.
"Hey, Ginny," Harry said warmly, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Hi, Harry," she replied, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "It's good to see you."
"You too," he said, his heart swelling with fondness for the girl in front of him.
At the end of the corridor stood Sirius, his eyes locked onto Harry's. It was an intense moment of unspoken understanding, a connection forged through absence more than presence. With a smile that reached his eyes, Harry jogged towards Sirius, who opened his arms wide. They embraced tightly, and Harry took a deep breath, trying to control the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. Sirius was alive, and it was a balm to Harry's soul.
"You alright kiddo?" Sirius murmured, his voice hoarse.
"Yeah," Harry replied, his throat tightening with emotion. "I am now."
They spoke briefly, exchanging a few words filled with shared sentiments, but both understood the weight of their unspoken thoughts. Sirius clapped Harry on the back, a proud glint in his eyes, before they joined the rest of the family.
Finally, Molly asked Ron to show Harry to their room, and the two made their way towards the stairs. As Ron led Harry up to their room, Harry put on a facade of ignorance, pretending to be clueless about the place they were entering.
"What is this place, Ron?" he asked, although he knew very well what it was.
"This is Sirius' house," Ron explained, "He's been kind enough to let Dumbledore use it as the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. We arrived here a few weeks ago, and Hermione joined us just a few days ago."
Harry nodded, feigning surprise, even though he had already expected this arrangement. He kept his emotions in check, knowing that he had to maintain appearances and not reveal the knowledge he had from the future.
"So, how was your summer?" Ron asked, eager to catch up with his friend.
Harry smiled, glad to steer the conversation towards something more light-hearted, and it also provided an opportunity to be slightly more honest with Ron, he didn't want to lie about everything to his best friend.
"It was alright," he replied, "Spent most of my time reading about magical theory"
Ron raised an eyebrow. "Really? You sound like Hermione."
Harry chuckled, "Yeah, she did rub off on me a bit. But it's been helpful, you know. I feel like I'm better prepared for whatever comes next."
Ron nodded approvingly, "That's great, mate. And hey, I've been spending more time with Ginny this summer, and we've actually gotten on quite well. Mainly over Quidditch. We've been talking about trying out for the house team together. I think we both have a good shot at making it."
"That's brilliant, Ron!" Harry exclaimed, genuinely happy for his friend.
Harry remembered that fifth year was Ron's first time playing for the house last time, but things didn't go brilliantly, with things improving the following year. Ginny on the other hand didn't play until Harry got banned from Quidditch by Umbridge.
As they entered their room, Ron turned to Harry with a curious look. "So, how were the Dursleys this summer? Any trouble?"
Harry hesitated, knowing he had to be careful with his words. "They were... as bad as ever," he replied vaguely, "But oddly enough, I got along better with Dudley this time. He seemed interested in the wizarding world and asked me a lot of questions about it."
Ron's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? Dudley interested in magic? That's hard to believe."
Harry shrugged, "Yeah, I was surprised too. Maybe he's changed a bit since we last saw him."
Ron nodded thoughtfully, "Well, that's good to hear, I suppose. And hey, did you see those Dementors the Order reported near Privet Drive?"
Harry swallowed hard, he didn't like lying to Ron, but it was necessary. "No, I didn't see them," he replied, keeping his tone steady. "I heard they were around, but they never came close to me."
Ron nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer. "Well, that's a relief. Dementors are no joke."
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In the chamber of Voldemort's lair, the Dark Lord sat upon a high-backed chair, his crimson eyes gleaming with malice as he gazed at McNairs. The air in the room was thick with tension as McNair knelt before his master, awaiting his orders.
"Report," Voldemort commanded, his voice cold and commanding.
McNair bowed his head respectfully before speaking, "My Lord, progress with the dementors has been promising. Many of them have begun to break away from the Ministry's control and are now under our influence."
Voldemort's thin lips curled into a cruel smile, pleased with the news. "Excellent," he hissed, "Your dedication to our cause is commendable, McNair. Your loyalty will not go unrewarded."
A glimmer of pride crossed McNair's face, knowing that he had earned his master's approval. But Voldemort's next words quickly reminded him that the task was far from complete.
"But the work is not done yet," Voldemort said, his voice low and dangerous. "Breaking Bellatrix and the others out of Azkaban is of crucial importance. We cannot afford to leave them rotting in that wretched place any longer."
McNair nodded, understanding the significance of this task. Breaking Azkaban was no easy feat, but he was willing to do whatever it took to fulfil his master's wishes.
"And remember, McNair," Voldemort continued, "The dementors are greedy creatures. They crave despair and chaos. Let them know that I will bring destruction and suffering upon this world, providing them with an abundance of souls to feed on. It will be a mutually beneficial accord, as I feed their hunger, and they serve me in return."
As Voldemort spoke, his eyes burned with a fierce intensity, and McNair could feel the weight of the Dark Lord's power bearing down on him. He knew that this task would be dangerous, but he had never faltered in his loyalty to Voldemort, and he would not falter now.
"Yes, my Lord," McNair replied, his voice steady, "I will ensure that the dementors understand our arrangement and that they will be well-fed in the days to come."
Voldemort nodded, pleased with McNair's response. "Very well," he said, "You may leave now. Continue with your work, and do not fail me."
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The air was thick with tension as the Order of the Phoenix members gathered for a meeting. The children had all been sent upstairs as Molly deemed the contents of the meeting 'not suitable for them', barking that they were too young.
"Come on Ronald, I don't want to get into trouble with your mother!" An annoyed Hermione said as she tried to drag Ron up the final few stairs.
"But we won't know what's going on!" Ron protested, his curiosity getting the better of him.
As they hesitated, Fred and George, the mischievous twins, appeared, grinning from ear to ear. "Hey, you three! Want to hear what's going on in there?" Fred whispered, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
"We've got something perfect for this!" George added, pulling out a pair of extendable ears from his pocket.
Harry raised an eyebrow. Even though he already knew what they were, seeing the genius of the twins never failed to amaze him. "How do those work?"
"Simple! You just stick one end in the door crack and the other end goes in your ear. You can hear everything!" Fred explained, handing a pair to each of them.
Curiosity overcoming their hesitation, the trio took the extendable ears and followed Fred's instructions. They inserted the extendable ears under the door and listened intently, feeling a mix of excitement and guilt.
The voices of the Order members filled their ears, and Ron, Hermione and the twins listened carefully. The conversation was about security measures and strategies to protect something, which Harry knew was the prophecy. He feigned surprise, just as he had planned, when he heard Snape's voice among the others.
"Snape's part of the order?" Harry said, trying to act shocked. He looked at his potions master in a whole new light this time around. The sight of his memories in the pensieve had been a shocking experience; the thought that a man could deceive Voldemort for years on end was still a bit mind-boggling to Harry, and it forced Harry to respect the man. However, Harry still didn't like Snape – this was still the man who bullied him and hundreds of other students for no good reason. Respected him? Yes. Liked him? No.
"Don't worry, Harry. Dumbledore and the Order trust him, so you should too" Hermione reassured him.
As they listened, the extendable ears worked like a charm, enabling them to catch snippets of important information. But suddenly, Hermione's eyes widened in panic as she noticed Crookshanks, the half-Kneazle cat, prowling nearby. "Fred! George! Watch out!" she hissed, noticing the cat's curiosity piqued by the dangling extendable ear.
Fred and George tried to rescue the extendable ear, pulling it away from Crookshanks, but it was too late. The clever cat pounced and snatched it from their grasp, swiftly retreating with their listening device between his teeth.
"No! Crookshanks! Give it back!" Hermione pleaded in vain.
Fred and George could only stare in disbelief, while Harry did his best to suppress a laugh at the absurdity of the situation, playing out exactly the same way it did last time.
With a mixture of disappointment and amusement, the trio abandoned their eavesdropping mission and retreated to their own room, laughing and shaking their heads at the antics of the mischievous cat. Even though they'd failed in their mission to eavesdrop, they were happy to be back together with each other.
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Late in the evening, Harry and Sirius found a moment of respite from the bustling Order members. Sirius took a seat at the old wooden table, and Harry plopped down beside him.
"So, how was your summer, Harry?" Sirius asked, leaning back in his chair.
Harry scratched his head, thinking back to the time spent with the Dursleys. "Not too bad, I guess. The Dursleys were their usual charming selves. But hey, Dudley surprised me. He actually showed some interest in the wizarding world. Can you believe it?"
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's something, huh? Guess there's hope for him yet."
"Yeah, maybe," Harry replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Anyway, I've been keeping busy. Been reading a lot on defence and exploring some advanced magic stuff. Gotta be ready for whatever's coming our way, right?"
Sirius nodded approvingly. "Smart move, kid. Knowledge is power, and you can never be too prepared."
Sirius leaned in, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Speaking of which, I've been hearing some worrisome stuff about Voldemort recently. But let's save the heavy talks for tomorrow, yeah? Right now, let's focus on better things."
Harry grinned. "Agreed. I'm too tired to talk about that anyways." The two men stared at eachother momentarily, and Harry said, "It really is good to see you, Sirius. Being stuck in this house can't be easy for you."
Sirius let out a mock groan. "Oh, you have no idea. The thrill of being chased by aurors if I even step foot in public does appeal to me, but, I've been advised against it."
Harry chuckled at his joke, happy that he was there experiencing these kind of chats again.
Sirius continued, "Now that you're here, things will be different. I promise. We'll make this place feel like home again. And if you ever need help with anything magic or knowledge-wise, you know I'm here for you. I might not be as powerful as James was, or as clever as Lily, but I'm no slouch, kiddo."
A warm smile spread across Harry's face, as the two embraced before they both headed off upstairs.
As Harry lay in his bed that night, the events of the day swirled in his mind like a whirlwind of emotions. The conversation with Sirius had left him feeling a mixture of relief and elation. Seeing Sirius alive again felt like a dream come true, a precious chance to connect with someone who had been a link to his parents and a person who genuinely cared about him.
Sirius had always meant so much to Harry - a father figure he had yearned for, a confidant who understood him on a profound level. It was a balm to his soul to have that bond reignited, even if it was in this mysterious twist of fate and time travel. He knew he had to cherish every moment with Sirius, knowing how precious and fleeting it could be.
Despite the serenade of Ron's snoring from the neighbouring bed, Harry's thoughts lingered on something else he knew was within the walls of Grimmauld Place - the locket Horcrux. He remembered Kreacher's fierce protectiveness over it, and how upset the house-elf had been when Mundungus Fletcher stole it. It wasn't going to be an easy task to persuade Kreacher to part with the locket, but Harry had a feeling he could succeed.
Another thing on his mind that he couldn't help but ponder, was the wealth of knowledge hidden within Grimmauld Place, particularly the well-resourced Black library. Over the past weeks, he had been diligent in his studies, delving into various magical branches to strengthen his foundation. The more he understood about different aspects of magic, the more confident he felt in his abilities. Now, he was ready to take bigger strides in each respective field and unlock the full potential of his magical prowess.
Among the myriad of topics he wished to explore, Harry's mind lingered on a particular subject - dark magic. While it might seem counterintuitive to some, Harry knew that understanding his enemies was just as crucial as honing his own skills. In the face of the darkness that Voldemort wielded, knowledge of the same magic was a powerful defence.
"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer," he mused, remembering the wise words. If he wanted to stand a chance against the Dark Lord, he needed to comprehend the very magic Voldemort used to sow fear and chaos. Grimmauld Place, being the ancestral home of the Black family, would undoubtedly house a treasure trove of books on various magical subjects, including the darker arts.
As he pondered his mission, Harry's thoughts couldn't help but drift to Ginny. Seeing her again had been both heartwarming and bittersweet. They had shared something special the previous year, and he couldn't deny the depth of his feelings for her. However, he had made a difficult decision to focus on his primary goal - destroying the Horcruxes and defeating Voldemort - before pursuing any romantic relationships.
It wasn't an easy choice, and seeing Ginny in person again tested his resolve. The desire to act on his feelings and express his love was a constant struggle, but he knew he had to stay strong. Sacrifices were inevitable during times of war, and his love for Ginny wouldn't change that fact.
Finally, as the weariness of the day settled in, Harry felt a sense of peace wash over him, and he drifted off to an undisturbed, long sleep.