Chapter 10
The Rocks upon Which We Stand
He found himself low on a marble floor, crawling on his belly and slithering towards a man who sat reading a paper in a chair at the end of the hallway in front of a dark door. The lights were dim, and Harry knew he hadn’t yet been detected.
He flicked out his tongue and tasted the air. To his surprise, the man was not reading - he had fallen asleep and hidden himself behind the paper. Harry lowered his head, and swiftly and silently moved past him, pushing the bottom corner of the door so that he could slide past and enter.
He coiled himself and raised his head, all the while tasting the air for enemies, and looked around, searching for something… something important, hoping that his plans had not yet been discovered, that the object of great importance had not yet been removed…
There was no fixed light in the room at all, but the interior shone with a diamond-like sparkling throughout. The vibrations of ticking clocks permeated throughout the room like a thousand soldiers marching to some strange tune, confirming he had successfully reached his destination undetected.
Raising his head further he could see clocks of all makes and shapes occupying every crevice, tabletop, bookcase, stand, desks, and corners of the room. But he was interested in none.
He lowered his head and crawled between several lined desks to the source of the sparkling light at the end of the room. Once there, he raised his head above the stand and gazed at a huge crystal bell jar, in which dazzling and swirling lights of wind spun. And within that, rising and falling through its life cycle - a hummingbird.
Satisfied, Harry began lowering his head until he caught sight of his reflection on the crystal jar and paused. His skin stood waxy and whiter than bone, he reached up to touch his face with long fingers attached to a hand that looked like a large ashen spider. Coming to a sudden realization, he froze.
“Go on and look Harry… I won’t bite,” said a cold high-pitched voice.
Harry looked up to his reflection once more, only to find wide blood-red eyes, gleaming through cat-like slits, gazing at him with mingled curiosity and loathing. He grinned, stretching his gaunt white face and revealing fanged teeth.
“I didn’t know I had company,” hissed Harry’s reflection. He then sent his serpent shaped tongue through the air once more, “And you have brought someone with you I see… A Familiar…yesss, though not yours… Whose could it be I wonder?” he finished, widening his wicked grin and raising his wand with his other hand, twirling it between his long fingers.
Harry was too stunned to speak, certain that somehow he and Voldemort had fused, and his mind franticly raced to recall all the Occlumency blocks Hermione had written - and then, in his chest he felt both a radiating warmth, and a strange low rhythmic rumbling, as if thunder could breath... He felt his mind calm just as quickly as it had panicked, and then was able to drop all thoughts into blackness.
“What’s the matter Harry…cat got your tongue?” smiled Voldemort.
‘Blackness “ blackness “ blackness’, Harry forcefully thought.
“You are a poor conversationalist Harry, and since you won’t play… GET OUT!” yelled the Dark Lord as he thrust one long fingered hand into the side of his head and violently jerked his hand out and away to the side.
Harry felt himself thrown to a cold ground. He quickly turned to face the Voldemort-creature, recognising the serpent at once as Voldemort’s venomous snake “ Nagini.
The viper had coiled in preparation to strike, but then appeared to have been frozen in place - its black unblinking eyes fixed upon Harry, and its tongue flicking quickly about as if not believing what it was sensing.
The rumbling sounds Harry heard earlier, and the warmth he felt, became even more pronounced, and he suddenly lost all coherent thought… He too raised his head with bared fangs, and coiled body, positioning himself to strike the insolent challenger who had dared to invade his territory and threaten his mate…
Dawning comprehension crossed Nagini’s face, “Yessss… of courssse… esssenccce divided…”
Hatred blasted through Nagini’s eyes and he lunged forward with lightening speed to strike at the exact same moment Harry had… They struck each other simultaneously, each sinking their fangs into the others long bodies.
The poison consumed Harry, and darkness quickly followed…
*****
Harry slowly awoke to the loud purring of Crookshanks atop his chest and opened his eyes. The room was still very dark, but the moonlight provided enough light for him to see. His scar lightly throbbed, but did not hurt. He was greatly surprised that he did not wake up in pain. So much so that he began to think that perhaps he had had an ordinary dream… well, ordinary for him at least. It wasn’t the typical nightmares of death he had been having up until several days ago, but it was a nightmare never the less. How could anything with Voldemort not be?
But why had he dreamed about a room at the Department of Mysteries? And why did he dream about Voldemort being there? Surely he wouldn’t return to the Ministry. The prophecy had been destroyed, and he knew that. It didn’t make sense at all… And why were they both snakes? Essence divided? Why would Dumbledore’s cryptic mumbling be repeated in his dream?
He looked over to his alarm clock and saw that it was only two in the morning. Harry closed his eyes once more and sighed heavily. He turned his head and rested back into his pillow and petted Crookshanks softly “ appreciating the warmth and vibrating sensations the ginger cat continued to provide.
It seemed that his mind had chosen a few select events of the past year and jumbled them together in some bizarre fashion… And though the dream was quite vivid, he reasoned that he hadn’t really been inside Voldemorts head at all- thus, the fact that he was not in pain. Harry shook his head and chastised himself. He definitely was beginning to get paranoid…
He looked over to the feminine coat of his best friend, still draped over his chair and pressed firmly against the head of his bed. His heart swelled as he recalled a most unexpected surprise…
*****
After repeated assurances that Moody would have a full recovery in less than two days from Madam Pomphrey, Harry reluctantly left Grimmauld and returned to his room at Privet Drive. As his lessons had ended early, he had plenty of time to finish off the last of the food and deserts Hermione had made for him, and revise his Transfiguration essay for McGonagall.
He had been going through the mental rituals of Occlumency after a couple of hours of revising when there came a soft knocking on his door. Perplexed, he opened it only to find a very nervous and obviously uncomfortable Dudley. His cousin easily stood over half a foot taller than he, and was nearly as wide as a mountain troll. It was almost funny to see him in such a state, but oddly enough to Harry, it just didn’t seem right.
“Yes?” said Harry, noticing that Dudley was doing everything possible not to look at him.
“Ah…Harry…you ah…have a phone call…But you’d better make it quick because Mum and Dad will be home soon and I’m sure to be in for it if they find out I let you on the phone,” said Dudley, the last bit hurriedly before he lost his resolve.
“Oh…thanks…” said Harry in confusion, taking the proffered phone from Dudley’s outstretched hand.
“Just…just leave it outside your door when you’re done and I’ll…I’ll put it away,” he finished, still refusing to make eye contact and turning quickly back down the stairs.
Dumbfounded by both Dudley’s odd behaviour and the fact that he actually had a phone call “ he looked down to the black wireless in his hand, unsure how to proceed… Harry had never spoken on the phone before.
“He…Hello,” said Harry tentatively into what, he hoped, was the proper end.
“Harry!” came Hermione’s excited and vibrant expression, “I’m so happy to hear your voice! I wasn’t sure I’d be able to talk to you… Oh Harry I can’t tell you enough about how very proud I am of you! Dumbledore told me all about your lesson; a binding spell is incredibly advanced magic Harry “ N.E.W.T. level! I wish I could have been there to see Moody’s face, I bet he was actually happy that you had finally gotten the best of him… Honestly though, all those extra training sessions you told me he was giving you in your letters was beginning to get on my nerves. I couldn’t figure out how you were supposed to be learning properly if you were constantly being attacked by him. I had half a mind to go to Grimmauld and hex him myself! But you did it Harry! YOU did it! You got the best Auror there is! And then Dumbledore told me he couldn’t undo your spell! Is that true? I mean wow Harry! Based on what I’ve been reading, that makes you right up there with him!” said Hermione very quickly and seemingly in one breathe.
“I guess,” said Harry, wondering if he was talking loud enough. He remembered Uncle Vernon speaking rather loudly into the phone, but his Aunt and cousin didn’t. So he tried to cast his voice somewhere in between, “Hermione… are you still taking potions… I mean are you still hurt?” Harry asked worriedly.
There was a long pause before Hermione said, “Why would you think that Harry? I’m fine… really.”
“Ron told me he’s seen his Mum sending Hedwig off with potions ingredients,” said Harry, not accepting her answer.
Another long pause, then a heavy sigh, “I won’t lie to you Harry… Yes, I am still a little sore -”
“Why didn’t you tell me Hermione? Why would you keep that from me?” interrupted Harry, incensed.
“Like you don’t have enough on your plate to concern yourself with!” she answered hotly. “Honestly Harry, Madam Pomphrey says that I just need a few more doses and that’s all. I’ll be one hundred percent in no time!”
The uncomfortable thought that he was to blame for her condition stung him deeply. All the warmth he had felt just moments before fled him, and he felt so cold that he shivered “ his ire replaced by remorse.
“I’m… I’m so sorry Hermione…” said Harry quietly.
He turned his eyes to the night sky outside his open window, unfocused and in the beginnings of tears. He knew then and there that he should have followed his initial instinct “ stay away from his friends, and thus keep them safe. He was an incredible danger to them all… especially Hermione. Unlike Ron, she didn’t have a family full of witches and wizards to protect her should she be singled out.
But what if he were to fulfil the terms of the prophecy... After all, Voldemort only wanted him… and Harry was sure he could perform the Avada Kedavra curse if he had to… the problem being that he wasn’t even really sure of what the prophecy meant, though he was positive that if anyone could figure it out it would be Hermione. However, Harry was convinced that this was one particular burden he was not willing to share. The simple fact that he was her friend was burden enough…
Harry found himself wishing that Dumbledore had killed him that night in the atrium of the Ministry, and in doing so, perhaps Voldemort also…
“Harry?” sniffed Hermione softly, interrupting his destructive train of thought. “I know what you’re thinking. Please stop… Please stop doing this to yourself. I want you to know that I… I’m… That I feel safe when I’m near you Harry. It’s when we’re apart that I’m scared… You’ve got to believe me when I tell you that… And I’m begging you not to do anything foolish. I’ll be back in less than a week… Promise me you won’t do anything foolish!”
“Hermione, why would I…” Harry started, cut short.
“Promise me!” demanded Hermione.
Though he did not fully comprehend her meanings, hearing her in such an emotional and panicky state caused Harry to immediately acquiesce, “Yes Hermione… I… I promise…” And upon hearing her attempt to stifle her sobs, he added, “I’ll… I’ll be right here waiting for you… I promise.”
“Thank you Harry… you have no idea what it means to me to hear what you just said,” sniffed Hermione.
Relief washed over Harry now that Hermione seemed to have stopped crying, so he responded with an intellectual “Err…”
“I’ll tell you what… Let’s make a pact,” said Hermione, trying to sound a bit more chipper, “I won’t keep anything from you… and you won’t keep anything from me. What do you say?”
Alarm bells immediately began screeching in the dark recesses of his mind. There was simply no way that he could tell her everything that he was keeping from her. Heck, he didn’t even know what it was that he had been keeping from her in the first place “ aside from the prophecy of course… and maybe the fact that he talked to Crookshanks as if the bandy- legged cat were an actual person who could understand what he was saying… In fact, if he were to admit that in particular, he was certain that she would think he was taking the Mickey.
No. There was no way he could agree to her proposal. So he racked his brain to come up with a way to let her know how much he appreciated her offer, but at the same time, refuse…
“Well… Hermione… You see… the thing is… I… Well I talk to Crookshanks,” Harry blurted intelligently.
There was a moment of dead silence, and Harry’s wide eyed face froze, completely mortified that his mouth had betrayed him so.
Hermione burst into a fit of giggles - and Harry’s expression immediately changed into one of bemusement as he realized that he had never heard her giggle before… His heart gave a leap at the thought that he, Harry, had made his best friend do something that he could not recall her ever doing “ albeit not purposefully, but still… He found himself grinning with pleasure at the sound of her laughter.
“Oh Harry, you’re absolutely hopeless,” she said with a great sigh. “It’s alright though, I’ll wait just a short while longer… and besides, I talk to Hedwig a lot too,” she finished.
“What do you talk to Hedwig about?” asked Harry, both surprised and curious.
“Oh, about a lot of things really “ she’s a great listener…” she paused, then said, “My Great-Grandmother‘s town is beautiful Harry. It’s right on the coast. One day I will bring you here to see the little fishing village and meet her. She’s quite wise and sweet, very funny too. I just know you’d love her. She already has a name for you, she calls you my 'coeurs desirent', and she tells me she can’t wait for me to introduce you to her…" Another short pause, then seemingly to herslef, "This trip has been different for me… I look around at my family, talking, laughing, and loving “ I know you don’t have those things, and I find myself wishing you were here too - To share them with you and you with them. I want you to see the ocean, and feel the spray on your face. I desperately want for you what I want for myself… to be wanted, and not so much needed, to be loved by those who you love… I look around and I realize that you could be lost here with me, no worries, no demands, and no expectations… I desperately want that for you Harry…for us… When we graduate, I will bring you here… that’s a promise.”
A strange and unfamiliar feeling crept into Harry’s centre “ hope for a tangible future. A future he could both see and touch. He wanted to see if he could find the resemblance between Hermione and her Great-Gran, and laugh with her family. He wanted to board one of the fishing boats in the little town, and set sail for the day. He wanted to taste the salt of the ocean, and witness all the reflected colours of the water as the sun set atop the edge of the earth. He was shocked to discover that there were many things he wanted…
“I… I’ve never seen the ocean Hermione…” said Harry softly, “Do… do you really think I’ll like it there?”
“Oh yes Harry, I mean it’s a nice place to visit “ I’m not asking you to sell the house or anything. But I’ve staked out some nice spots for picnicking on the coast, and little restaurants and tea shops I thought you’d like... Did you know that Merlin himself once lived in the woods right behind where I’m now standing? That would make a fine trip,” said Hermione, returning to her old bookish self.
“Merlin?” said Harry, “I didn’t know…”
A loud “thud” at Harry’s door interrupted him and Harry turned to see his cousin winded.
“Dad’s pulled into the driveway… you’d better finish up,” said Dudley, before turning and nervously heading back towards the edge of the stairs.
“I’m sorry Hermione that was Dudley, strange as it sounds “ I don’t want to get him in trouble this time so I must be off… I can’t wait to see you though, so you can tell me in person more about your visit,” said Harry, before quickly adding, “And tell your Great-Gran I can’t wait to meet her either.”
“She’ll be very happy to hear that, I’ll be sure to let her know,” she said happily, then softly, “Do your best Harry, and have sweet dreams…”
“Thanks again Hermione… I don’t know what I’d do without you,” sighed Harry.
“Me either Harry,” Hermione sighed in return. “Now get!” she teased…
*****
The wind was crisp and it stung his face. He didn’t find it unusual at all that he was the only one out at the Quidditch pitch - no one ever seemed to be there when he was. But whenever he would circle about the inside of Hogwarts stadium on his broom, he would always chance a look at where the Gryffindor’s sat; in particular the third seat, front row, to see if someone would be there, perhaps looking back up at him. He felt rather silly doing it. No one had ever appeared…
Oddly however, the golden snitch would. It would always appear at exactly the same time, in that same seat. Though Harry would fly about during the day, he wouldn’t see it until the golden orb flickered in the moonlight, yearning for his attention. He would then be compelled to posses it - instinctively drawn to its shimmering beauty by some ravenous form of magnetism.
And each time it appeared “ Harry, guided by the clear moonlit sky, would dive for it faster than his Firebolt would ever allow. And each time, just as he reached out his hand to grasp it, it would shift slightly - and unable to alter his course or stop, he would crash into the stands at an incredible speed.
Strangely, he would just stand back up, completely uninjured, no worse for wear. And upon looking up, would see his Firebolt continuing the chase - the snitch flying only inches in front of it as if performing some strange and enticing dance amongst the stars “ his broom forever bound to follow.
At first, this time was no different - he flew around in circles, until the night came and the moon shone bright. But then, as he searched the Gryffindor stands for the ever elusive snitch, his heart began to race with some unknown force of anticipation, as a pronounced “rumbling” sound reverberated from the night sky into the stadium - strong and rhythmic, as if the world around him were alive and breathing.
The snitch sat clearly there, just above the seat in the first row. He could see it more clearly now than ever before, and his heart beat so strongly that he felt faint. Harry instantly became worried that he may fall, the pounding growing so strong that it had reached his head, so that he now he also found it difficult to breath. He felt himself slip on his broom, and so gripped it till his knuckles shown white.
The rumbling grew more intense, and Harry felt a surge of warmth course from the top of his chest, down through and into his heart and then back on to his stomach. He focused on the sounds around him until his breathing matched that of the rumbling and his heart slowed.
He released his hold on the Firebolt and looked down once more to the stadium seating. The golden snitch still hovered above the chair he always looked to, patient and waiting. His heart slow and steady, his breathing relaxed and calm “ the rhythmic rumbling sounds and warmth of his chest acted as a cocoon, Harry found himself not on his broom, but Buckbeak.
“Take me to the snitch boy,” whispered Harry, as he wrapped both his arms around the hippogriffs neck.
With wings completely spread out, Buckbeak slowly descended, circling towards the Gryffindor stands until level with the first row. Still high in the air, the mighty hippogriff beat his wings, and hovered in place. Harry looked past Buckbeak’s head and held out his hand, offering it to the snitch.
The one thing that Harry had always chased instead flew eagerly into his outstretched palm. He did not close his hand as he drew it nearer to him. The continued rumbling vibrated his body as he held the snitch inches from his face, memorizing every detail of the alluring orb. He watched as the tiny, feathery wings beat against his palm, noting their softness and their light touch. He examined all the intricate details drawn on the body, every line, every nuance added to its sheer and natural beauty. He watched as it began to dance in some intricate and mesmerizing manner, never leaving his hand.
The snitch was so much more than just a necessary element of some game, more that some pretty thing to seek, it was complex and layered, behaving in a manner he had seldom understood, but found so necessary and longed-for. Harry wondered why he had never noticed this previously - why it struck him so completely and profoundly. This little thing, seemingly so insignificant and unimportant at first… this little thing, that he had been inexplicably drawn to, and pursued ever since he knew what a wizard was… this little thing, in his hand - with all his being - he simply adored, and held above all other things…
“I have been trying to catch you… but it is you that has caught me,” whispered Harry, smiling softly.
The snitch stopped its dance, folded in its wings, and resting atop Harry’s palm - turned into the Philosopher’s Stone. He gingerly closed his hand, and swore to destroy all who would blemish it…
*****
Harry arrived to basement kitchen of Grimmauld via Portkey around noon, just as Dumbledore had arranged, and set Crookshanks down. He spotted Lupin sitting at the overly large table, heartily eating a roast sandwich and drinking from a cold bottle of butterbeer.
“Master Harry Potter sir!” squealed Dobby, “Please sit down! I have made food for eating also for you and your girls’ Crooked!”
Remus chuckled as Harry rolled his eyes, however Crookshanks didn’t seem the least bit offended.
Dobby, still wearing his crimson and gold pillowcase, and several knitted elf hats, pointed one long finger across from Lupin, where an identically ready-made plate and open bottle of drink lay, and then with his other hand “ to a pair of wooden dishes set by the boiler filled with what looked to be milk and some type of chunky fish stew. He then wandered about, putting bags of groceries into the large pantry that appeared to have been recently cleared.
It looked as if the house-elf had begun the extensive work of cleaning the kitchen, as the oven shone in its polished stainless-steel state, and the aged wooden countertops and sinks, and even the grand oak table Lupin was eating on, glistened with the orangey scents of some scouring solution. The house seemed to be slowly but surely returning to its ancient and grand splendour.
“Thanks Dobby, this’ll hit the spot. I finished the last of Hermione’s yesterday night, so I haven’t eaten anything since,” said Harry, taking his seat from across Lupin and acknowledging him. “Hey Remus, you look… good?”
Harry was pleasantly surprised to see that most of the lines that aged the face of his father’s friend just last week had smoothed considerably. Though still in old and frayed robes, he seemed healthier and… happy. Not at all how Harry had expected. Perhaps a solid roof over his head and the regular meals Dobby surely provided were cause of such a drastic improvement. But in truth, Harry hadn’t really seen much of the werewolf at all.
“Hello Harry,” said Lupin in-between mouthfuls of sandwich, and grinning wryly. “I’d say the same for you. In fact, I’d say you look great… well rested and well fed I see.”
Harry took a giant bite of his sandwich, swallowed, and then pensively replied, “Yeah… it’s weird actually, the way the summer started… I would have never thought…”
“I know what you mean,” said Lupin solemnly, nodding his head in understanding.
They sat for a few moments in quiet introspection, both staring at their plates, until Lupin shook his head side to side as if trying to clear a particularly nasty image and broke the silence.
“So… I’ve been asked to create a sort of support group for those like… well… like me I suppose,” said Lupin in an obvious attempt to draw their conversation back to the cheerfulness it had when it first began.
“Yeah…? That’s great!” said Harry, looking back up from his plate and meeting Lupin’s grey eyes, as he attempted to do the same
“Yeah… Arthur told me about a man who was bitten a few months ago. Apparently, he was getting quite suicidal, so when Tonks heard about him she suggested I go and pay the man a visit… You know, with all the advances in magical medicine St. Mungos hasn’t changed how they treat those afflicted with Lycanthropy in over two centuries? They’re still quite barbaric,” said Lupin, shuddering at the thought.
“I’m… I’m sorry Remus, I had no idea,” said Harry apologetically.
“It’s alright Harry; I would have been surprised if you had. Most of those who have always lived in the wizarding world have little or no idea. Worse still, they simply don’t care, and that’s why starting a support group seemed like such a good idea,” replied Lupin as he took another bite of his sandwich.
Harry gave a slight frown of confusion. On one hand, he felt terrible that the man he had come to care and learn so much about sitting across from him had lived such a harsh and unfair life “ through no fault of his own he had grown ostracized, poor, and unable to hold employment. And if not for Sirius and his father, Lupin might have been friendless as well… But on the other hand, Harry felt more connected to Remus than ever. They had both suffered so similarly and unjustly, and they were now both relentlessly judged by people who did not know them, but had preconceived notions of who, or what they were. And it was in that feeling of connectedness, that Harry’s heart grew warm, and he felt a bit stronger.
“We aren’t so different are we Harry, you and I?” questioned Lupin, a smile creeping to his face once more. “Though I’ve heard from Hermione that you should be as studious…” he finished, grinning.
“Yeah, leave it to her to point that particular quality out to you about me,” said Harry, returning a grin and biting into his sandwich, his heart growing warmer still.
“Bet neither one of us could have bested Moody at his own game as well, nor as quickly as you did though,” said Lupin, grinning even more broadly.
“Oh,” began Harry, “You err… heard about that did you?”
“Who hasn’t?” questioned Lupin, “He’s been telling anyone who’d listen since he regained consciousness this morning.”
“He has?” said Harry, “I didn’t think he’d want anyone to know…”
“Yeah, I know. He might have been knocked in the head one to many times, but he knows a good wizard when he meets one, and he is extremely proud of his pupil Harry. When The Order met up with him this morning, he was positively beaming and singing your praises “ at least I think he was… He was missing too many teeth for a proper smile, and his face was rather swollen - so that might account for his high pitched voice…” said Lupin as he trailed off in confused thought.
“Okay…” said Harry, still feeling uncomfortable about the whole thing and wanting to change the subject, “What else have you been up to?”
“Well… umm… Harry… I’ve been meaning to tell you,” said Lupin, looking rather nervous and blushing slightly… blushing?
“Yes,” said Harry, eyebrows raised in curious anticipation.
“I’ve been, well… kind of dating someone that I had met during one of the support group meetings…” said Lupin, who looked like he’d rather of been in a potions lesson with Snape, “and well… if it’s OK with you… I’d like to introduce her to everyone one tonight at Molly’s… and I’d especially like to know what you think of her…” finished Lupin, half pleadingly.
“Why do want to know what I think?” said Harry in amazement. “I only dated once, and that was a complete disaster let me tell you! I don’t understand girls… heck, I don’t know anything about them!”
Lupin smiled and said, “Welcome to manhood Harry, none of us truly understand them… But that’s not what I’m saying at all. What I mean is… it’s important to me that you like the person that I’m with… I plan on being around you for a long time, it would be nice if we all got along wouldn’t it? I would be very uncomfortable bringing around someone who you didn’t like… I’d like to be a surrogate Grandfather someday… What if you don’t let me see your kids because of her?”
“Whoa… Hang on a second! I don’t like where this conversation’s going,” said Harry, throwing up his hands as if to stop an oncoming train. “Firstly, I’m sure that if you like this person, I will too. Secondly, I’m not even DATING anyone, let alone MARRYING anyone as of yet so there’s no sense in even talking about bushy-haired kids galloping about this house!” Harry finished, flustered and strangely red faced by the very idea.
“Yes… OK…” Lupin stated, throwing up his hands in surrender as well, “You’re right of course, I just got a little carried away is all. See what I mean? She’s already got me thinking more about the future I’d very much like to have… and not so much about the past that I didn’t…” finished Lupin, dropping his hands looking down at his plate once more.
Harry’s stomach tightened slightly as he watched Lupin bow his head. He knew it wasn’t easy for Remus to talk so candidly about such things, he seemed to desperately be in need friendship and the understanding that follows… and Harry was struck once more by the thought that he was all that the werewolf had left “ out of the only friends he had ever had in his entire life… He wanted to tell Remus how much he valued and respected him and how he wanted him to be a large part of his life until he grew old and died… but deep down in the pit of his soul - Harry didn’t believe he would live to have the family that both he and Lupin so desperately wanted for themselves.
So, instead he said as kindly as he could, “You said you met her at a werewolf support group. Is she a werewolf too?”
Lupin looked up at Harry once more and replied with another soft smile, “No. Actually, I met her just as I was leaving the meeting…name’s Phyllis. She had accidentally knocked over a patient tray and one of the mediwitches was really laying into her about it. I went over to see if I could help and well… we got to talking, found we had a lot in common and so we sort of hit it off. She’s a very open minded witch actually, fully supports what I’m trying to do. Said one of her best friends is a werewolf and doesn’t mind me being one at all.”
“I’m really happy for you Remus, she obviously makes you happy. For that alone I’m convinced I’ll like her. I’m actually looking forward to meeting her tonight. Does Mrs. Weasley know?” said Harry.
This mystery woman clearly had a positive effect on Lupin’s well-being, and Harry was extremely happy for it… apparently it wasn’t as simple a strong roof and a good meal after all…
“Oh yeah,” nodded Lupin, grinning once again. “Molly’s quite excited actually, you’d think I was introducing her to a future sister in-law… which reminds me, we’re a bit late. We were supposed to Floo over five minutes ago… They’re probably worried,” he finished, standing up and hurrying over to the giant fireplace.
Harry also stood quickly and followed as Lupin grabbed the jar of Floo powder and ignited a fire with his wand.
“I’d better go first Harry… just in case. Don’t forget, your box of jelly beans will Portkey you back here straightaway if there is a problem at the other end,” said Lupin, looking extremely grim.
“I understand,” replied Harry, nodding.
“Good,” said Lupin, throwing a handful of powder into the fireplace, stepping into the green flames and yelling, “The Burrow!” and then disappearing with a flash.
“Wait Harry Potter sir!” yelled Dobby, running out of the pantry and stopping in a huff in front of Harry just as he gathered Crookshanks into his arms and grabbed a handful of Floo powder.
“What is it Dobby?” asked Harry, concerned by the house-elf’s abrupt behaviour.
“Dobby just wants to let Harry Potter know that he has finished with his Wheezy’s and his girlfriend’s rooms so that you may bring them here if you wish!” exclaimed Dobby proudly.
Harry sighed, and then exasperatedly said, “Dobby, how many times do I have to tell you that Hermione is NOT my girlfriend, she’s my BEST friend.”
“If Harry Potter’s girl is his BEST friend, than what is Harry Potter’s Wheezy?” demanded the house-elf as he crossed his arms.
Harry began to both vigorously scratch and coat his head with his Floo-covered hand. He then scrunched up his face in frustration and wondered just how the house-elf could not see and/or understand something that was so blatantly right in front of his face… He could only reason that this house-elf’s mind must simply work differently than his.
“Ok, Dobby… fine. Ron is my best friend and Hermione is my girl… err… best… friend,” said Harry - shaking his head in bewildered defeat, as he turned and hurriedly threw the powder into the fireplace and then backed inside to the bright green flames.
“Tell your Wheezy Dobby has made lots of good eating’s for him!” called the house-elf.
Harry nodded, and then yelled, “The Burrow!” before he too disappeared amongst the green flames…
*****
Chapter 11
Return to the Burrow
When Harry arrived in the Burrow’s fireplace, the first person he noticed was Ron, and to say that he was ecstatic to see Harry would have been like saying Hermione was only slightly upset to have failed a lesson…