Privet Drive

Chapter 10 Privet Drive

Harry new he should eat, he wanted too, but his body didn't want to move. The smell of bacon wafted up to his room encouraged him to get up. When Harry dropped himself in to a chair at the table, Aunt Petunia argued that he shouldn't get to eat as he hadn't set the table, but put food in front of him just the same.

Harry mostly ate while they were out on excursions with Dudley, and hadn't had a meal with them in a while. He sat at the table pushing his food around his plate. He had thought he was hungry, but the thought of eating seemed unpleasant, perhaps it was the sight of Dudley shoveling the food in to his mouth. Soon thoughts of his cousin faded and Harry found himself in a strange place. A place he had never seen before. He could tell it wasn't Privet Dr. or Hogwarts.

"He's asleep," grunted Dudley helping himself to Harry's breakfast. Harry was asleep; his head rested in his hands. Uncle Vernon had kept his own head behind the paper, while it pained him not to wake his nephew; he liked to make pretend that Harry wasn't really there invading their holiday time, which was pretty easy considering he spent most the time in his room.

The room was dim Harry could hardly make out the faces of the two men. The enormous room had rugs and matching tapestries, a large fireplace roared at the far end of the room.

"Our sources say Dumbledore has almost completed securing the wards on the school my Lord."

"Good we can take him after they've all returned from Holiday," a high voice answered. "Why wait till he's back, why not take him while he is at home with it?"

"You have always been impatient Wormtail, timing is crucial for this."

"Then why my Lord don't we take it from him now and make use of it when the time is right?" The man shifted his weight from one foot unsure if he was now irritating his lord. "It can't be moved in this delicate stage. In two weeks time the planets alignment will be perfect. It's extraordinary that we'll have this chance at all. Had I not come in to my body before now I would have had to wait another 12 years for such a chance." A hissing sound came from somewhere in the room. Harry couldn't see where.

"She hasn't eaten my Lord." Ignoring him the taller man turned to look at the creature coiled up on the floor.

"Feeding you has become a nuisance while I await our next task, I no longer require you to keep me alive." The large snake arose high in the air its head almost level with the tall man hissing. "Avada Kedavra" Voldemort said effortlessly, the snake crumpled to the floor. Somewhere far away from this scene was a woman screaming as her nephew disrupted their breakfast.

Back in the Dursley 's kitchen Harry screamed and Dudley threw his toast in the air. With a searing pain Harry fell off his chair clutching his scar. Petunia screamed as she watched Harry rocking on the floor in pain.

"He's going to blow!!" Dudley yelled and ran from the kitchen out to the back yard, Iris had been looking for signs of Harry and caught sight of Dudley out side. She opened the window to listen. Vernon's enormous purple head was sticking out the back door.

"Get in here and help me get him upstairs." Dudley shook his head and backed up in to his mother's garden. "What's the matter with you?" his father shouted.

"Get him upstairs!" Harry hardly heard his aunt yell as if she was off a far distance. She looked at Harry as if he was spreading some great disease on her floor. Uncle Vernon picked up Harry from the floor. And carried him up stairs, grunting with every step. Harry's view was coming back in to focus.

"Get off me!"

"Ill not have you be a danger to my family, you should be locked up, unraveled in the head you are, you and your kind." after unceremoniously dropping Harry on the bed he closed and locked the door. Harry backed up on his bed against the wall desperately trying to make sense of what had happened, trying to remember the dream. Once he thought he had most of his thoughts together, he would write to Dumbledore. He thought about writing to Sirius first, but wasn't sure if he was far away or not. Harry could feel the heat in his head rising. It was a struggle to get up. Around the same time he realized he couldn't get up Harry noticed that Hedwig hadn't returned. Even though the days had seemed to blend together but he was sure Hedwig should have been back by now.

The heat continued to rise. In his delirious fever induced state Harry watched the room around him spin. Soon he was spinning on his broom a spiraling decent. Before Harry crashed to the ground the twins appeared and with a wave of their wands he stopped, the twins became four, two George two Fred waving their wands causing Harry to change direction skyward. Rising higher and higher . . .

While Harry was in a fever-induced delusion, Iris stood there at her window frozen by the words she had heard. She watched the woman next door convince her son to get out of the garden and come inside. In the last week she had heard all three Dursley 's scream at one time or another, mostly at Harry but there was a new voice now. Iris was sure she had heard Harry yell out when he cut his foot, but this was so much more, and she didn't want to admit to herself that the new voice might have been his.

In the burrow, Hedwig flew to Ron's shoulder. He tore open the envelope with out looking at the front. He read the first line and reached back to the table for the envelope again.

"This is my letter," Ron said in disbelief.

"Yes it is Ron," Percy said sarcastically. "What does Harry say to you in your letter." Ron pulled a face.

"No you git, it's my letter the one I wrote to Harry. Hedwig brought it back."

On Privet Drive...

Not knowing if she was doing the right thing, but unable to do nothing, Iris closed the widow and ran for the garage. Visions of Harry and Dudley's room in her head as she rummaged through lawn furniture desperately trying to reach the 10 speed in the back. Motivated by the thought of Harry 's window open for two days, Iris got on her bike and took off nearly running over a cat in her path. She rode at break -neck speed slowing only for a moment to check street signs.

In the Gryffindor tower a large black dog rested on Harry's four-poster, grunting when the door opened. Albus smiled, "You have about ten minutes and the last of the wards will be complete." The dog stretched and sat up taking on Sirius' form. "Thank you for your help Sirius" Sirius nodded.

"Are the 'leaving doors' complete?"

"Yes, and the fat lady wanted me to thank you for the safety spell you place on her frame. She may even forgive you for the unpleasant incident last year. Sirius laughed and said his goodbye.

Tossing the bike to the ground Iris tried to catch her breath as she walked up the path of a very non-descript house. Ringing the bell Iris willed her pulse and breath to return to near normal.

"Yes?" answered a woman opening the door slightly.

"Hi, I'm iris", she panted still trying to catch her breath. "Are you Mrs. Figg?"

Harry and his fever continued to rise. Flying his firebolt around the pitch and around the school, his flight took him to the lake as he passed barely above the water he could feel his feet dip into the chilling water making him shiver. Harry lay motionless in his bed cold sweat dripping down his face.

A small green car pulled up in front of #4 Privet Drive. Mrs. Figg got out of the car followed closely by a large black dog. Vernon Dursley opened the door. Not waiting to be invited in, the two entered much to Mr. Dursley 's displeasure.

"What's been going on here Vernon?" Arabella asked firmly.

"The boy is unstable." Vernon stepped back from the large dog. "What do you mean bringing an animal in here?"

"What do you mean unstable?" Arabella asked ignoring his mention of the dog. "Is he still ill?"

"Ill? I was sure he was faking it to get out of chores, but this morning he scares my family half to death screaming and holding on to his face. The boys not right in the head." The dog growled Mrs. Figg remained calm.

"Where is he now?" Vernon gestured up the stairs.

"In his . . . " Sirius bounded up the stairs sniffing out Harry. "...Room."

Vernon, half way up the staircase followed closely by Arabella was met face to face with the dog barking madly, hackles raised. Sirius transformed, the shock nearly sent Vernon backwards down the steps.

"B-Black!"

"Why is there a lock on my Godsons door?" Sirius snarled as he turned to open the door with his wand. Petunia was now at the bottom of the steps watching from a distance, Dudley was nowhere to be seen. Sirius' tirade stopped when he caught sight of his godson on the bed eyes closed, pale, and shaking from fever.

"You agreed to allow the potion. He never should have gotten this sick," Said Mrs. Figg brandishing a finger at Vernon.

"You can just tell Dumfledorm that I . . ." Vernon started, with a bolt Sirius stood with his wand jabbing in to the rolls of Vernon's neck.

"Dumbledore," he said slowly and clearly, "and a promise I made to him is the only reason you're not in -a -lot -of -pain!"

Sirius returned to Harry and picked him up, motioning to Vernon to bring Harry's trunk. Mrs. Figg said a few words and with a wave of her wand the few things that Harry didn't have in his trunk flew to her. She caught the tin of cookies that came from under the bed and the card from Hermione.

"That's everything he has here?" Sirius asked contemptuously. Mr. Dursley nodded and carried the trunk down to the car. Harry was carefully placed I the back seat. Iris watched from her window as a tall dark haired man looked back at her. "Is that her?" Sirius quietly asked. Arabella nodded. Sirius wanted to thank her, but knew better than to approach Iris in front of Mr. Dursley. He settled for a nod and a smile in her direction.

~*~

Sirius placed Harry in a pre-warmed bed. In no time at all Madam Pomfrey had apparated in. She instructed an obedient Sirius to help Harry in to a nightshirt as she gave Harry the once over.

"Who did this?" Madam Pomfrey asked approvingly upon examination of the bandage on Harry's foot.

"Muggle girl, a neighbor," said Sirius as he watched her remove the bandages.

"Iris," said Harry voice barely a whisper. Sirius was unsure if Harry was answering the question or did he think he was still on Privet Drive with the girl.

Having healed Harry's foot Madam Pomfrey prepared an injection as Sirius brought the bedding back over Harry, re-cooling the cloth on his head. Harry raised a hand to touch the hand on his head.

"Hey sleepy head." Harry blinked several times.

"Sirius?" Harry didn't have his glasses on.

"How do you feel?" asked Sirius, Harry was holding on to his arm to see if he (Sirius) was real.

"You're really here?" Sirius laughed and brushed the hair from Harry's eyes.

"I heard you weren't doing so well, I couldn't let that happen," he said with a reassuring smile.

"How did you know?"

"Well about the same time Arthur Weasley realized why Hedwig returned your letter, Arabella Figg had already contacted Albus and myself."

"Mrs. Figg? How did she . . ."

"Iris" Sirius answered simply. Harry's surprised face melted to a smile. Harry looked over to see out his window to Iris' house when he realized he wasn't in his room anymore. "The Dursley' s?" Harry asked not sure of what the real question was. Sirius shook his head, I'm sorry Harry I knew you were upset and I should have fought harder to keep you away from them. You won't be going back."

"There not... I mean what did you . . . What happened?" Sirius laughed "I didn't kill them if that's what you're asking. I promised Dumbledore I would be good." Sirius gave Harry an evil grin. "But if you want, I could go back and . . ." Harry laughed and let in to a coughing fit. Sirius pulled Harry in to a big hug slapping his back.

"Ow Hey!" Sirius released him of the hug thinking he crushed him. Madam Pomfrey wore a guilty smile holding an empty syringe. Harry could feel his fever dropping and his eyes closing. He could just here Madam Pomfrey telling Sirius he should rest and to watch to see if his breathing doesn't improve. With thoughts of not seeing the Dursley' s till next summer Harry drifted off with a content expression. Content to be with Sirius and the knowledge of not being on Privet Drive, it hadn't occurred to him to ask where he was.

*AN: I don't know if Madam Pomfrey knows the story about Sirius, but what are a few plot holes amongst friends?

Harry awoke to darkness. It was late; the curtains were drawn so not even the moon shone in. He noticed that not only was his foot pain free, but that it was warm. He wiggled his toes and felt fur, warm fur against his feet. He hitched his breath when he realized that it was Padfoot 's fur against his feet. But not for long, the large black dog stood up and sniffed at Harry. Harry snorted in protest as the cold nose brushed his own. Padfoot hopped off the bed and transfigured to Sirius, "lumos" he said handing Harry a glass of water.

"You sleep as Padfoot? Is it not safe for you here?"

"We are safe here, and tomorrow additional wards will be put up." Sirius returned the empty glass to the small table beside the bed. He explained that in dog form his acute hearing made it possible to rest and still keep an ear open for Harry. "It's late, go back to sleep" Harry took the wand from him so he could hold the light to Sirius. It was awesome to watch him transform, before he did Harry was sure he heard him mumble something like 'furry footrest'.

The door opened slowly, Padfoot 's ears perked up. A head peered in.

"Do you want to eat breakfast? I'll stay here." He gently stepped off the bed so as not to wake Harry, stretched tail wagging.

A short time later Harry did wake, he realized he hadn't had his glasses on since he arrived, or had a look around the room in the daylight. Not noticing the person sitting on the floor by the foot of the bed, what first caught his attention was the quidditch teams clad in bright orange flying around the poster covered walls. He gasped immediately realizing he was in Ron's room.

"You're awake," said Ron excited to see his friend again. Harry startled when he caught sight of the red head that had spoke to him, he had gasped again, hard causing him to cough.

"Ron!" Harry sputtered. Ron moved up to the side of the bed, refilling the water glass. Ron looked unnerved by Harry's sudden coughing fit.

"Are you alright?" Harry nodded as he drank the water, dribbling it down his shirtfront.

"I didn't expect to see you is all," said Harry eyes wide with the sight of his best friend by the bed.

"Sirius is downstairs eating breakfast. Want me to bring you something to eat?" Harry shook his head.

"Thanks, but I don't think I want to do food yet."

"Harry?" Sirius had heard Harry trying to catch his breath at the shock of seeing Ron and wasted no time in checking on him, hearing his refusal of food as he approached the room.

"When did you eat last?" Harry shrugged he was about to ask what day it is but thought better of it. "How long had you been locked in that room?" Sirius glanced over at Ron who seemed unfazed by the notion that Harry had been locked up, concerned but not surprised in the least. Harry didn't answer he was trying to remember something but couldn't.

"What is it Harry?" Ron asked while moving aside for Sirius to sit by Harry on the bed.

"I can't remember, I feel like there's something, but I don't know what." Sirius helped Harry sit up and poured the last of the water pitcher in the glass.

"I've got a few questions about your week anyway," Sirius said looking concerned, Harry nodded. "Tell me about each day and it might help, it will come to you."

Ron left for a moment and returned with a handful of letters, handing Sirius the first one. "This came before we even got home from kings cross." Ron said and Sirius read.

Harry told him how he convinced his uncle to let him stay home with a well-timed pepper-up potion. Sirius smiled.

"Makes a marauder proud." He told of the walk with Iris and the cat they came across. Sirius nodded knowingly. When Harry got to the part of meeting Iris' mother for the first time his face fell. "What is it Harry?"

"It's nothing really, - Iris gave me a tin of cookies, but I left them under my bed." Sirius smiled,

"It's over there with your trunk." Harry's smile grew.

"Thanks" Harry said. Ron continued to hand Sirius the letters as Harry told his story. Sirius grinned as he read the 'was it this hard before you kissed Hermione for the first time' letter.

"Don't say it" said Ron.

"Sorry about that Ron," Harry said and tried to remember where he left off. "I got out of going with the Dursley' s as long as I got my chores done. Iris kept me company for a while but left when I had to go inside for the laundry, dusting...." Harry absentmindedly ran through the list of chores and some of the letters crumpled in Sirius' hands as his grip tightened around them.

Harry counted on his fingers the days he had reviewed, "Dudley knocked over my potion bottle and that's when I lost the pepper-up, when I got back out of bed I cut my foot . . . "

"Wait a minute" Sirius interrupted. "I think you forgot a few days here. Iris told Figg about when you cut your foot." Ron handed Sirius a new letter, he winced a few times when he got to the parts about him stepping on the glass and the 'I killed Cedric' part. Sirius looked at Harry who was now intent on widening the hole in the blanket on the bed.

"Do you want to talk about this?" Sirius said holding the letter. Harry looked up at him and Ron.

"I never should have sent it I wasn't thinking, I was mad that Ron couldn't read my mind and I realized the letter would upset everyone after I sent it. I - I'm sorry." Sirius shook his head.

"No Harry that's not what I was asking, I'm sure you upset a few people, but the Weasley's love you and I'm sure they'll understand. Ron nodded in agreement. "Is there something else you want to talk about?" Harry didn't meet his eyes. "Ron how about you refill the water pitcher for Harry?"

"Um - yeah ok" Ron said and quickly left the room.

"You didn't kill Cedric, you know that don't you Harry?" Harry didn't look up when he spoke.

"Yeah I know, Pettigrew did, I just delivered him," Harry said solemnly

"So that's it than, I guess you did kill him," Sirius said as mater-of -fact.

Harry cringed, too stunned from the statement to respond, he listened as Sirius continued.

"And of course Mr. & Mrs. Diggory were mad as hell when they saw you. Right?"

"N-no they weren't, they were very nice in fact. Mrs. Diggory wouldn't even let me give them the winnings for the tournament."

Sirius reached into his robe pocket and pulled out an envelope worn and creased.

"This I keep with me where ever I go." He opened the letter carefully not to let it rip at the seams. It's a letter from my Godson," Harry looked up to meet his eyes, "I read it when I'm feeling down, when I let my self get depressed about killing my best friends."

"But you didn't . . ." Sirius cut Harry off with a wave of his hand and continued.

"No I didn't kill them, I just delivered them." Harry winced at Sirius repeating his own words. "In short the letter says that I shouldn't beat myself up anymore, because I did what I thought was best to help my friends and after all that, my Godson still loves me and wants me to be a part of his life as his true family." Sirius folded the letter and placed it back in to his robes. "The way I look at it Harry you have two choices. You can either come to the realization that you did not cause Cedric's death or you can go back to hating me for killing your Mum and Dad." Harry looked dumbstruck. "Which is it?" Harry tried to answer, but the words wouldn't get passed the knot in his throat.

Ron returned with a full pitcher of water to find Sirius giving Harry a big comforting squeeze.

"Someone in the kitchen wanted to see you," Ron said as Hedwig flew from his shoulder down to the bed beside Harry. "Hedwig," exclaimed Harry. "I was looking for you, I was waiting to send a letter to Dumbledore." Harry froze at his own words, holding his scar. He had remembered.

Still holding his scar, "Voldemort."

Ron dropped the water pitcher to the floor.

"Your scar hurts?" Ron asked, completely ignoring the fact that he had just gotten most of the water on Harry. Harry shook his head. "Must have fallen asleep at the breakfast table, Voldemort said he was taking someone from the school and he killed the snake that he had promised to feed me to."

Harry pulled the wet nightshirt away from his skin. "I didn't have the strength to get out of bed to write a letter, than I realized Hedwig hadn't returned, at least not when I was awake. Sirius helped Harry out of the wet nightclothes.

"I thought you said you were at the table when you fell asleep, but then you said you couldn't get out of bed?" Harry thought about that for a bit before answering. It was hard for him to distinguish between what he may have dreamed since the fever had confused him so. It was then that Ron caught sight of Harry and his countable ribs, his eyes wide.

"I remember being in the kitchen but when I knew for sure where I was, my Uncle had been carrying me upstairs." Harry mistook Ron's surprised expression. "Yeah could you imagine that fat git being able to carry a teenager up a whole flight of stairs? Sure he was grunting, but still." Harry said incredulously. Sirius wrapped a blanket around Harry. "Ron can could you get some dry sheets for the bed."

Harry continued to fill in Sirius about any detail of the dream he could remember, soon Mrs. Weasley came up the steps handing Ron a laundry basket. She took the fresh linens off the top of the pile.

"Ron take out what's yours and put them away," Molly said motioning to the rest of the laundry." Harry smiled he hadn't seen Ron's Mum since the end of last term. Harry soon found himself in a tight embrace. "I would have been here to take care of you myself, but I promised to give you time to rest," She said looking at Sirius who was making sure Madam Pomfrey 's orders were enforced. Molly placed the fresh linens on the end of the bed. And pulled a few nightshirts from the laundry basket that Ron was putting away, she looked back at Harry with concern and gave him the smaller of the two. "You get into this and I'll bring you up some thing to eat." Molly said hastily heading for the kitchen.

Harry soon found himself in both a dry bed and nightshirt. It was quite the sight of Mrs. Weasley fussing over him. Harry helped himself to chicken broth with the threat that Molly would spoon-feed him if he didn't. Sirius left Harry in her capable hands so that he could go to the kitchen fire to talk to Dumbledore about Harry's dream.

Arthur ushered all the children out of the area, which led them all up to Harry's room, Ron's actually.

Fred and George told him all about their latest ideas for the joke shop, and that they hoped to be open by next fall. Bill leaning against the doorway nodded and gave Harry a knowing smile. Harry wondered how Bill could know about him giving the money to the twins, but was distracted by Ron holding up his clothes that he hardly recognized. "Where did those come from?" Harry asked.

"There yours, Mum took them in so they'd fit proper. For as much as she took in the pants she could almost make you another pair." Ron teased. Harry held the pants in front of him.

"You could hear what they're saying better if you were to actually come in Ginny," Bill said talking in the direction of the hall. Ginny's slowly appeared in the doorway half behind her older brother.

"Hi Ginny," said Harry with a smile.

"Hello Harry." Ginny's eyes were wide and she smiled at Harry, then here eyes went to the nightshirt he was wearing and she let out a squeak. "I better go help Mum. Um, bye." Ginny's face went pink and she stumbled over Bill's boots as she rushed out the door. "What the matter with her?" said Ron

"The famous Harry Potter in my very house!" swooned Fred. Bill just shook his head grinning.

Harry came out of the bathroom wearing his newly sized clothes. He could have soaked in the tub for hours, he had never had that luxury before at Privet Drive, but didn't take the opportunity today either. It was more appealing to spend time with the Weasley family while they were all together.

"I'll bet Sirius is thrilled to have your mother feeding him."

"Yeah, and Mum has been cooking up a storm what with Christmas and all." Ron said

His older brother brushing by to get to the bathroom interrupted Ron.

"Hi Harry. Ginny! You left your nightgown in the bathroom again!" yelled Percy. Cringing, Harry could feel his face getting hot.

" Hi Percy um, I actually left that in there." Harry had realized why Ginny seemed so freaked to see him in a nightshirt. "Ron, why didn't you tell me I was wearing Ginny's nightshirt?" Ron shrugged.

"I didn't think it mattered, it was mine last year. Mum only sewed on the pink flower to make her feel better about getting bed clothes from her older brother."

"Pink flower?" Harry gasped. "There's a flower on here?" Harry said incredulously as he fumbled with the garment to see the small pink bud that had been sewn on the neckline. He wouldn't have been able to see it while wearing it.

"You look right cute in it too," George taunted peering around the corner. Harry threw the nightshirt at him, still blushing.

~*~To be continued~*~