Harry Potter and the Crystal of the Founders

Previously: Harry fixes a bad situation, then receives a letter from the Ministry. This letter has serious reprecussions for Harry, and he recieves a beating from his uncle. The next day, Harry gets a visit from Remus Lupin, and he gives the Evans's the solution to their problem. The only other problem is, will they accept it?

Chapter Three:

A Final Goodbye

Harry went straight up to his room when he got back, ignoring the Dursley's completely. He remained in his room for the rest of the night, contemplating whether or not his plan would work, and, with much less enthusiasm, Sirius's funeral the next day.

Finally, needing something to do, Harry rolled off his bed and began searching through his trunk. Eventually, he pulled out his best pair of robes, an inky black, unwrinkled pair of robes with gold stitching.The robes fit him perfectly, despite the fact that he had grown several inches during the year.

Sadly, he folded the robes neatly and placed them on his desk for the morning, along with a Gryffindor tie, a clean white shirt, and a pair of black pants. Black for death and white for life, gold for hope and red for Sirius, Harry thought.

Carefully, he sat down at his desk and dipped a quill in ink. Writing neatly, he filled nearly a whole page. Harry folded the letter over itself, sealed it, and pressed his finger print into the warm beeswax, leaving his unique mark in the scarlet wax.

Finally, Harry drew all over the outside of the paper. Carefully, he detailed a snarling wolf, a giant, shaggy dog, and a noble stag with great, branching antlers, surrounded by an intricate border of vines and lilies. Underneath the animals, he wrote in flowing, delicate handwriting: Moony, Padfoot and Prongs- The Marauders.

On the other side, Harry drew a large Grim that took up most of the paper, with the wax seal on its chest. In the corner, he addressed the decorated paper. To Sirus, from Harry.

That done, he carefully laid the parchment on top of his robes; the sky outside was fading from tropical orange, pink, and red to inky purple faster than Harry would have believed possible. But with the light, his energy was also fading, so he slowly pulled on a pair of pajamas and climbed into bed, falling asleep at once.

The next day, Harry was once again awoken by the unpleasant shriek of his alarm clock. Tiredly, he pressed the button, the fell back into his bed, sighing and closing his eyes. Surely I can sleep in five more minutes. Just five more minutes.

Then his eyes snapped open. No, I can't sleep in. It's today. I'm going to his funeral today.

Groaning, Harry rolled over, but accidentally rolled off the bed giving himself an unpleasant bump when he landed on the floor.

Harry should have slept in, however, because Aunt Petunia did not pound on his door to wake him up, Uncle Vernon did not shout for Harry to get up and bring him the newspaper, and Dudley did not yell for Harry to come downstairs and cook more bacon. It seemed everybody was leaving him alone this morning.

All Harry could do all morning was pace in his room, listening to the Dursleys go about life as usual below him. He was filled with a restless energy; his heart wanted a chance to say goodbye, and his feet wanted to run, to carry him far away from Voldemort, Hogwarts, and Sirius. But at the same time, Harry knew he couldn't do that.

At almost 11:30, Harry put on his shirt, pants, and tie, then tugged his robes over them. Carefully, he smoothed the wrinkles out of his shirt, and pulled at his robes until they were straight. His reflection in the mirror was sad: green eyes flat and dull, messy black hair almost wilting and drooping. As he was still contemplating his image, there came a knock at the front door.

Harry heard Aunt Petunia answer the door, then stifle a shriek. Harry knew who it was. Dully, he gave his hair another useless flattening with his hand, grabbed the letter off his desk, then went downstairs. His aunt gave another little scream when she saw him.

Remus, Tonks, and Mr. Weasley were waiting for him, all three dressed in dark colours. Remus's midnight blue robes were neat and unripped for once, Mr. Weasley's robes were black with silver trim around the edges, and Tonks's robes were dark burgundy red. Tonks's hair hung down to the middle of her back; it was straight and black with very dark red streaks and tips. Harry knew she had made an effort to tone her look down.

Remus and Mr. Weasley were wearing very dark blue cloaks with gold trim on the bottom and on the collar. Both these cloaks had lining made of some kind of bright golden feathers that matched the trim, and Harry could tell that the cloaks weren't what they seemed.

Remus smiled when he saw Harry looking at the cloaks. "Original Order of the Phoenix cloaks," he told Harry. "We deemed it appropriate to wear them today, in honour of Sirius."

Harry nodded, his throat tight. Remus patted him on the shoulder, then said, "Ready to go?"

Harry nodded again, still not speaking. Remus pulled a Rememberall out of his pocket, then held it out to Harry. All four touched a finger to it, and Remus muttered, "Activate. Three, two, one."

There was a flash of light, a howling of wind, a blur of different colors, and then the four people landed in Hogsmeade. Remus put the Portkey in his pocket after muttering, "Dormant," and then led the way to the cemetary.

They had landed right outside the cemetary gates. When Harry looked down the road, he could see the Three Broomsticks sign, creaking in the slight breeze.

The gates were old, black, wrought iron, but not rusted or broken anywhere. There was a path leading up the centre of the graveyard, with smaller paths branching off, leading down the rows. The large path meandered around, eventually leading in a figure eight. The headstones were made of sparkling granite or gleaming marble, and they stood straight and pround in the grassy ground, marking the resting places of their owners.

Willow, oak, and elm trees were planted all around, leaves full and green. On some graves there were flowers planted, these were also in full bloom.

Remus lead them down the path, to the very back of the cemetary, where Harry saw a small knot of people gathered. As they drew nearer, Harry could see that most of these people were wearing the blue and gold Order of the Phoenix cloaks. Studying the back of Remus's cloak carefully, Harry could just make out the sillouettes of the moon, and of a phoenix rising from a burst of flame, both emblazoned in a slightly darker blue. At the bottom, in the same darker blue, was a name: Remus Lupin.

Several people greeted them quietly as they drew closer, and Harry nodded in return, still silent. Harry saw a group of shorter people, slightly removed from the crowd. Harry glanced at Remus, who nodded, and then he hurried over to the group. It was, as he had known, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, and Neville.

All six looked up when the heard his footsteps. "Hi, Harry," greeted Hermione. Ron nodded. Harry smiled weakly in return. All six were dressed as Harry was, except in plain black robes.

Behind him, Harry heard a hush fall over the people. Everyone stopped talking. Harry turned to see Dumbledore walking up the path, right up to the front. Beside Sirius's headstone, he stopped, and turned to face them.

The headstone was made of a black, glossy, smooth stone, with words engraved in it. The stone was unornamented, except for an engraved dog near the bottom, underneath the writing. It was almost more life-like than possible. The dog was simply looking at him, and the eyes, set with two tiny diamonds, seemed alive.

Sirius Black

1960 - 1996

A father, a brother, a comrade, a prankster, an omen.

An innocent man, an amazing person, a selfless and honest friend.

A blessing to all wizard-kind.

Those we love never truly leave us.

Harry and his friends crept up to join the group of people that was watching Dumbledore expectantly. Dumbledore's beard and hair were gleaming silver in the summer sun, and his dark green robes rustled slightly in the faint breeze as he looked at them. He was wearing his Order of the Phoenix cloak, and Fawkes, his phoenix, was perched on his shoulder. Harry saw that the feathers on the cloak, and those of the phoenix were similar, almost identical.

"Greetings, friends, and family," said Dumbledore, his deep voice clearly heard by everyone. "I am glad you could all come, but today is not a happy day. For one of us has left us forever, and can never return. For those of you who do not know, Sirius Black was killed not three weeks ago, fighting the Dark side. The Second War will claim many lives, but this is the first, and one that will cut many of us deeply. Sirius Black was loved by all of us, and gave up his life for the one he loved the most.

"Sirius was a very clever and honest man. He was very loyal to his friends, and whatever else people may say, he was also very considerate and kind. He excelled at many things, and was one of the top students Hogwarts has ever seen. Sirius was also the most infamous prankster ever, to those who knew him at school, equal only to his best friend, James Potter.

"Sirius never had children of his own, but had a god-son, whom he considered a mixture of son, and friend. Sirius loved this person more than words can tell, and left one last message for him. Before he died, he said to me, 'If I don't come out of this alive, tell Harry I love him.' "

There was silence as Dumbledore finished his speech. Harry could see that more than a few people had tears on their cheeks, including Ginny, Hermione, Tonks and Professor McGonagall.

Dumbledore beckoned Remus up to the front, and then walked away from the headstone, and watched Remus from the crowd. Fawkes fluttered away from Dumbledore, and landed on Remus's shoulder. Remus was silent for a few moments more, then began speaking.

"Sirius was the type of person that you can't describe. He was very smart, but never really cared much for academics. Instead, he focused on having fun. Sometimes his pranks weren't funny, but he seemed to like them, and I think that was all he really cared about.

"Sirius once told me the reason he did things the way he did. The reason he was the way he was. It was because he was trying to make the world different. Every time Sirius pulled a prank, he felt that he changed somebody, and in a way, he did. 'If you can't have fun,' he said, 'Then what's the use of living? Sure, you could learn things, but you've only got one life to live, and you better make the most of it.'

"I agree with him. Laughter truly is the best medicine.

"He went to extremes to protect the people he cared about, and he did things he'd rather not have done to make life better for all of us. He was the best friend anyone could have asked for. He went before his time, but he went in a way that would have made him proud. The only way to go. Protecting the people he loved."

There was quiet applause for this. Remus walked back to the crowd, gesturing to Harry. Harry stumbled forward a few steps, then got his feet under him and walked to the headstone a bit more gracefully. He felt a whoosh of air near his ear, and then a light weight settled on his shoulder. It was Fawkes.

Harry's eyes wandered over each and every tear-stained face, and he wondered how to begin. Start at the beginning.

"I regarded Sirius as a person who was a father, a brother, a friend, and a mentor. I know he was my link to my parents and their past.

"I only knew him for a few years, and that wasn't nearly long enough. I did know enough about him to know that he wouldn't want any of us to stophaving fun because he died. Yes, it hurts; yes, I miss him; yes, I'm going to grieve, but he died so I could live, and I'm going to make the most of it.

"A very wise person once told me, 'The ones we love never truly leave us.' I think that's the truth. Each of us is keeping Sirius with us, in our hearts, and that is a place where we'll never lose him. I know we can't see him, but he is here with us, even more than that.

"It's not the body that makes a person, it's the soul that makes the person who they are. His body died, but his soul is still watching us, listening to us, even though it can't respond. One day, each of us will join him, but hopefully, not until we've each grown a beard like Professor Dumbledore.

"This isn't goodbye, it's just for now. I know we'll see him again. And if he isn't still watching us, then wherever he is, is surely a better place than the one he left."

There was silence, and then someone started clapping in the back. Another person caught on, and then more. Everyone was clapping now, and they were still crying, but they were smiling. Harry had spoken the truth, and they knew it. The only person Harry really saw, however, as he was walking back to his friends, was Dumbledore, who was looking at him with distinct pride. I sounded just like him, thought Harry. I sounded like Dumbledore, and I know it. Has his wisdom rubbed off on me? Or is it my own? I'm not sure.

Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Fred, and George were staring at him in awe, but smiling, and clapping, and crying at the same time.

Silence fell once more. Harry looked to see who else was going to speak, and then his eyes narrowed. It was Snape, standing at the front, wearing his usual black, but for some reason, it looked a little different, a little more human, now. He was also wearing his Phoenix cloak. Fawkes was perched on Snape's shoulder, and Harry wondered why. Surely all Snape was going to do was slander and ridicule Sirius? But then Snape surprised Harry, when he spoke. His words weren't sharp and angry, nor full of ridicule, but undeniably sad, and a bit apologetic.

"You may all be wondering why I'm up here. I'm certain you will think this is a joke. It's not. It's the truth.

"Believe it or not, Sirius and I used to be friends. We used to be very good friends, and then I made a mistake, a bad mistake, and it tore us apart. He couldn't trust me because of it, and I began to hate him for that. It hurt at first, and then I simply made myself forget about the good things.

"Ironically, it was only when he died that I realized my mistake; only when he wasn't there anymore that I wanted to speak to him. The point of this is, I am truly sorry for what I did, and I apologize to the people I hurt. Most of all, to Sirius, wherever he is."

There was silence, then a bit of clapping. More and more people were clapping, not as many as before, but the older people, mostly only the people wearing Phoenix cloaks. Everyone else seemed a bit lost, and very surprised.

Dumbledore was at the front again. "Thank you," he said, "To all the people who gave us those words of comfort. They are undoubtedly wise, and we should all remember them, for words can have more impact than anything else, sometimes.

"In closing, I would like to say that Sirius was everything that he was described as, and a great deal more. None of us knew him for nearly long enough, and some of us didn't truly know him at all.

"If nothing else, remember the man who tried to fix what was wrong, and was punished for it. Remember the man who was betrayed and hated by many, for something he never did. Remember Sirius Black."

There was more applause, and then everyone began talking, remembering memories, reliving old times, laughing at old jokes. It wasn't sad, it was happy, a bit nostalgic, but happy. Some people were leaving flowers around his headstone, lots of flowers.

Fred and George had disappeared to somewhere; Ron and Hermione were talking together quietly, and that left Harry, Ginny, and Neville.

Harry pulled the letter out of his pocket, not looking at either one. They didn't say anything, sensing that he didn't want to be questioned. Harry slowly walked toward the headstone, but someone was already there.

It was Remus. He was looking at the tombstone, thinking, maybe remembering, holding a pendant. It was a circular disk on a chain with four letters engraved on it: MWPP. Around the edges more words were engraved: We solomnly swear that we are up to no good.

Another person came up behind Remus, and he looked up at them. It was Snape. His face was not lined with hatred, nor even dislike, it was blank. Remus looked back at him, calculating, then said, quietly, "Did you mean it?"

Snape nodded. "I meant every word I said. I'm sorry I blamed you. I'm sorry I didn't stop him. I'm sorry I got tangled up like this in the first place."

Remus was silent, then he said, "I forgive you."

Harry remained silent, watching.

They both looked at each other for a few moments, and then looked away, Remus at the ground, Snape over at the headstone.

Remus sighed. "Who knew it would be so hard?" he asked, still staring at his feet. "I can't think of one thing to say to you, even though I've thought about this for years. This doesn't feel right, just- odd."

Snape shifted, and rubbed the back of his neck. "I know," he agreed softly, not in his customary dangerous whisper, but a hushed, uncomfortable voice. "It's not the same as it was, and I don't suppose it ever will be."

Remus laughed quietly, though rather bitterly. "I guess not."

Their tones and words were polite, but not quite familiar or comfortable, as they might have been at one time. It was as if they were both uncertain how to act, and that made sense. Harry couldn't imagine them ever being friends, but is was feasible, however farfetched.

An expression that was confusion, doubt, happiness, shrewdness, and discomfort came across Remus's prematurely lined face, as though his features weren't quite sure how to arrange themselves.

There was another of those loud, edgy silences, and then Snape broke it. "Am- are we-" he began, then broke off and gathered himself to try again. "Am I forgiven?"

Remus looked over at the crowd of people, trying to buy time and think it over, but then sighed, brushing his greying hair out of his eyes.

"Forgiven, yes. Friends...no. At least, not yet. I don't think things would work if we tried to force it." He sounded uncertain, and he was still studying the crowd of people as he said this.

"Yes... I suppose so. Can we try?"

Remus nodded. "Absolutely," he said, this time with greater conviction. "Yes, we should. I mean, if it wasn't important before, it is now."

They both nodded to each other, then they walked their seperate ways, each hesitating as if they weren't sure they could go, but hurrying along after they had taken a few steps away. It was odd, that they were reluctant to begin speaking, hesitant to leave, glad to have made up, but almost embarrassed to be seen together.

Harry was confused. He was shocked. He was completely rattled. He had to be seeing things. Harry gave himself a very hard pinch, so hard that he drew blood, and licked the tiny red smear off his fingers, tasting the salty liquid. It was real.

Harry suddenly remembered why he was there. He completed his walk up to the headstone, then knelt down and placed the letter among the multi-coloured daisies, roses, lilacs, lillies, and babies breath. The red seal and black Grim stood out, but that was the way he wanted it.

His breath suddenly caught in his throat, and he was hit by an overwhelming, choking wave of sadness and loss; the ache in his chest, which he had denied and ignored since he had left Hogwarts burst free. The gaping hole in his heart that was Sirius tore larger, the painful scars cut deeper, and his raw emotions pulled at Harry, hurting him with a pain that was almost physical.

Harry was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the brisk, sudden breeze that was tugging at his robes and hair, making people pause and glance around, and sweeping leaves and flower petals around the tree trunks in bright swirls. The sighing wind had a chill edge to it, and the whisper of air through the leaves and grass was mournful, like the trees around Harry were greiving themselves.

These things could have been imagination, but it was certainly no imagining that the branches and limbs of the craggy oaks moved downwards, that the smooth willow trunks bowed inwards,and that the thick elm Fred had been leaning on creaked, making him jump away from it, unmistakably leaning towards the polished granite headstone.

Goodbye, Sirius, Harry thought, and one tear slid down his cheek and onto the grass.

Dear Sirius,

I can't imagine life without you. I can't bring myself to write the truth. If I could see you, I wouldn't be able to look at you. This is my fault. This happened because of me.

I know how you hated being cooped up like that. Dumbledore did that to me as well. I suppose our situations are similar.

At least you were free for a while. At least you got to live life to the fullest before you graduated. I'm glad you did. I promise that I, as a Potter, and as your god-son, will have a bit of fun for you, mum, and dad.

You liked laughing, didn't you, Sirius? You were laughing at Bellatrix when she killed you. Is that how you would deal with your problems? By laughing at them? I might try that some time.

What is death like? Is it amazing? Is there even any life after death? There is. I know there is. I know that you and dad are having a great time up in heaven.

Hogwarts will never forget Sirius Black, I swear. How could anybody forget the Marauders? And if they do, I'll remind them, shall I? Marauder style.

I'll see you again one day, Padfoot. And I'll meet mum and dad, too. I know you were never good at waiting, but I'm going to make the most of the life you three gave me. Sorry, but I'm not going to join you until I grow a beard like Dumbledore. Who knows, maybe Ron and Hermione will grow beards as well. We'll all wreak havoc together, up there.

I know you never meant to, but you really hurt me. You hurt Remus worse, though. He lost you twice. When mum and dad died, you should have been there to comfort him; you should have been there for him, and me. Instead, you achieved nothing, except twelve years in Azkaban.

Then you died, and you hurt him again. Worse, because you can never come back. You're gone. That's it.

Now I have to say goodbye. Can I do that? Will I be able to? I have to.

Sirius, this is my final goodbye.

***

Unknown to the sleeping Muggles all along the street, a small group of four people appeared suddenly and silently on the lawn of Number Four, Privet Drive.

One of these four people suddenly slipped sideways, but was caught before he hit the ground.

Remus straightened, holding Harry up, and then quickly discarded the thought of waking Harry. After all, they were at his house. He pulled out his wand, and flicked it at Harry, muttering, "Wingardium Leviosa."

Harry rose quickly through his open window, and then Remus set him down on his bed as gently as he could. Nodding to McGonagall and Moody, Remus then levitated himself through the window, landing softly on the floor of Harry's bedroom.

Remus flicked his wand again, murmuring a quiet spell, and Harry's robes vanished, appearing in his laundry hamper. Gently, the werewolf lifted the smaller boy, and then tucked him under the covers of his bed. Frowning, Lupin noticed how thin the blanket on Harry's bed were. He waved his wand, and the blanket turned into a thick quilt, which Remus tucked more firmly around Harry.

Lupin hesitated for a moment, then brushed the hair off Harry's forehead, rather like a parent would. A tiny smile appeared on Harry's face, and the sixteen year-old made a noise of comfort.

The ex-DADA Professor straightened up, and turned to the open window. Then he turned back, and, as an after thought, Remus flicked his wand, whispering, "Mundus," and most of the jumbled mess on the floor and desk neatened itself, leaving the room clean in an instant.

Lupin walked back to the window, and jumped out, landing easily on his feet. Moody pointed his wand at the window, and muttered, "Arcanusa. Defendo Fendere."

The window slid shut, glowed gold for a moment, and then returned to normal.

McGonagall looked reproachfully at the ex-Auror. "You didn't need to ward it, Mad-Eye," she said, with raised eyebrows.

"You never know," rumbled Moody, his magical eye spinning around to look behind him. "You never know."

Lupin sighed. "C'mon," he muttered putting his hands in his pockets. "We got him here just fine. We'd better go."

Then all three of them Apparated away, but only two of them appeared at the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.

Lupin landed somewhere in the country, where nobody else was. He could see nothing except the hill he was standing on. He sighed again, and folded his legs under him, sitting down cross-legged on the cool grass. Remus tilted his head back and looked at the moonless sky above him, spreading like black velvet sprinked with thousands of tiny diamonds.

His keen lupine eyes found the brightest star in a moment. How many times had he looked up at the sky and found this little pinprick of light? Too many times to count...

"Sirius," whispered Remus, his voice hoarse. "I wish you were here. We need you. I need you."

But there was no response, and there never had been. Had anyone ever come when he called? Only Sirius and James. And now they were gone...

"How could you leave me alone like this?" the werewolf shouted, suddenly. "You know I can't do this on my own! I need you! How could you leave me?"

No answer came.

"I can't do this alone...." Remus moaned, putting his head in his hands and rocking back and forth gently. Tears began to slip from his eyes, down his cheeks, and onto the grass. His entire body shuddered with grief, and his hoarse sobs were the only sound that could be heard, except the whisper of grass, blown by the faint night breeze.

Suddenly, Remus flung his head back, cupped his hands around his mouth, and a full, deep, howl ripped from his throat, like the cry of a lost wolf. Remus's tears glinted in the starlight, as he bayed his loss and sorrow at the sky, wishing for help, and knowing that his help was gone, now.

The howl rose into the sky, carrying for a long time, and then that too fell silent. Remus sat for a long time, his cheeks glistening with more tears, staring up at the heavens.

And perhaps, if one listened carefully enough, one might hear a faint echoing howl from the stars, a very distant answer to lonely werwolf's cry.