Runaway Home

Chapter Eleven:

In Too Deep

"Sirius!" This time Harry wrenched free of Dumbledore's grasp and ran to his godfather's side. His young eyes were wide as he grasped Sirius' arm and shook it hard. "Wake up, Sirius, wake up... please..."

Remus felt something in his chest pull sharply as he watched the pitiful little scene.

Pomfrey and McGonagall seemed wholly unsure of what to do next, faced with a hysterical child, a grieving werewolf, and a dead, if newly proven innocent, convict.

"Remus, why don't you and Harry go down to the kitchens and get something to eat?" suggested Dumbledore quietly.

Harry ignored him, burying his now tear-streaked face into Sirius' side. Remus simply glared at Dumbledore and turned back to his cadaverous friend.

And noticed that he was still breathing.

Shallowly, but still, he was alive.

"Harry, it's ok. He'll be ok." Remus felt relief wash over him and set a hand on Harry's trembling shoulder.

Harry sniffed and turned to look up at Remus wonderingly. "He will? But he's..."

"No, no, he's alive, look." Remus bent to Harry's level and pointed at Sirius' barely-rising chest. He heard Pomfrey and McGonagall gasp behind him. "You see?"

Harry nodded, still looking worried. "He'll... he'll be okay?"

Remus hesitated; Sirius certainly didn't look like he was going to be okay.

"He'll be fine, Harry. Madam Pomfrey will fix him right up; won't you, Poppy?" Dumbledore turned a rather wry look on the poor nurse; she still looked torn between her instincts that Black was a murderer and the evidence she'd just seen.

She paused for a moment before sighing in defeat. "How am I supposed to work with all of you hanging about? Out! Out!"

Remus laid a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder as they were shooed from the room. The boy seemed more frightened than before, sending wide-eyed glances over his shoulder at Sirius. He seemed to wilt a bit as the heavy doors closed behind McGonagall and Dumbledore.

McGonagall looked at a loss; she didn't seem to be sure as to what to do with the boy. "Albus, classes will be letting out soon..." she hinted nervously.

"Indeed... Harry, Remus, why don't the two of you come with me?" Dumbledore didn't wait for a response before sweeping off in the direction of his office.

Harry hesitated, looking back towards the doors that separated him from his godfather. He moved forward only when Remus put a prompting hand on his shoulder.

"He'll be alright, Harry, don't worry." Remus smiled comfortingly down at the boy as they walked. Of course he had no idea if Sirius would be alright, but he'd say so, for Harry's sake.

For both their sakes.

***

"Sit down, sit down," Dumbledore said cheerily. He seemed oblivious to the anxious, preoccupied looks of his guests. "There are a couple of matters I would like to discuss with the two of you."

He watched Remus and Harry fidget in their seats for a moment before moving on.

"Remus, I wish to know more about your friends and how they became Animagi. How, and when?"

Remus wondered blithely how the subject had seemed so worrisome earlier; now, anything that got his mind off the situation at hand was welcome conversation material. He told about his friends' plan, and how they'd studied and practiced nonstop until each had perfected his form.

"And did they have any idea how illegal what they were doing was?" asked Dumbledore.

"Most likely," Remus said with a shrug. At a hard look from Dumbledore, he went on. "I know, I should have stopped them; I should have told them how utterly stupid and dangerous it was, and how many laws they were breaking, and how if something went wrong, it'd be my fault. Well, I did! They wouldn't listen to me! They said it was worth it, if they could keep me company during..." He choked softly, and looked away. He couldn't stand the sympathetic look Dumbledore gave him.

"I never said I blamed you, Remus. Indeed, there is nothing to give blame for; I'm merely amazed that they were able to successfully complete the transformation so young." Dumbledore smiled gently. "I'm not angry at you, or Sirius. Nor would I have been, had I found out. To wish to help a friend is only natural, and it would have been cruel to intervene."

Remus wiped a hand roughly across his eyes. He was a grown man, he shouldn't be crying...

Dumbledore affected not to notice and turned to Harry, who was still fidgeting nervously. "That clears up one of the matters I wished to discuss. Now for the other.

"You told me that Sirius jumped upon your uncle when he came to your house that day; he didn't want to see you hurt, you said. Why did he have reason to believe you might be hurt?"

Harry ducked his head hesitantly. "I... I don't know, sir."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "You don't know?"

"Well... no. I was just taking some bacon out to the rubbish bins, and Sirius was there, and I guess I took too long doing it because Uncle Vernon came out and was angry..."

"Wait, wait. Why were you taking bacon out to the garbage in the first place?" Remus shot a bewildered look at Dumbledore.

"Well, I burnt it," Harry said sheepishly.

"You were cooking?" Remus wasn't sure if this made a difference, but it seemed off; a seven-year-old cooking bacon?

Harry glanced at each of the older men in confusion. "Of course I was cooking. The Dursleys always had me do it."

"And what else did they have you do, Harry?" Dumbledore leaned forward slightly; now he was getting somewhere. Of course Harry would think it natural to have to do his family's cooking, if he'd never known anything else.

Harry was even more confused now, but he didn't dare not answer. "L-lots of things," he said nervously, afraid to say the wrong thing. "Laundry, dishes, gardening. B-but sir, why does th-this matter?"

"It doesn't," said Dumbledore lightly, though he shot a meaningful glance at Remus. "Tell me, Harry, how did your aunt and uncle treat you when you were with them?"

"Well... they..." Harry felt embarrassed; no one had ever taken such an interest in his life before, except Sirius. "They treated me alright; so long as I did my chores and kept quiet, they mainly just left me alone."

There was a moment of silence as both the older wizards thought about that bit of information. Then...

"Will I have to go back?" Harry asked in a timid voice. He looked despondently at Dumbledore, expecting the worst; "Sirius s-said I never would, but n-now that he's..." The boy choked back a small sob. He wasn't exactly sure what Sirius was- hurt? or was he gone entirely?

"You won't." Remus laid a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder. "We'll-"

But what exactly Remus was about to say was cut off by a sharp rap at the door.

Fudge didn't wait for an answer before he burst in triumphantly, followed closely by two Aurors.