Harry Potter and the Forest of Shadows

Harry Potter and the Forest

Of Shadows

Night was firmly setting in as Remus and Sirius washed the dishes. Harry had gone upstairs, shaken at what the film had shown while Kammy was curled up in one of the studies, her memory stirred as she stared at old photographs.

Sirius placed a dish slightly too hard in the sink and it shattered. Remus quickly got rid of it with a flick of his wand.

"What were all those clips doing on there?" he asked, sitting at the table.

"Rosy made it," Remus said quietly. "I lent her the rebisco a while ago. She had to have done it."

"But how did she get the one of Lily?"

"You know she always had those weird visions. She was probably getting them out of her head."

"It's not a pensieve! You don't just put your thoughts where everyone can see them."

"Maybe you should be talking to Harry. He's going to be asking who Kaylie was sooner or later."

"Well for that matter, let's hope it's later," Sirius muttered and walked up the stairs.

Harry was lying on his side, facing the door and staring blankly at it. Sirius quietly closed the door and sat down on the bed. Harry sat up, a look of hesitation etched on his face.

Fear flashed momentarily across Sirius' mind- what if some scars ran deeper than the marks engraved on his arms.

"Harry," he said quietly to his godson who was staring down at his hands. "You know what your uncle did was wrong, right?"

Harry looked up at Sirius briefly than lowered his head again, surprised at him for bringing up the topic of what had happened earlier that summer. He nodded.

"And you know that's not how real families act. You can talk to me or Remus, or Rosy for that matter, anytime you need to. We would never hurt you."

"I know that," he said hurriedly. He couldn't stand Sirius not thinking that Harry trusted him.

Harry pulled his knees up to his chest and continued in the same dead tone, "What's going to happen to the Dursleys?"

Sirius suddenly frowned, looking very unhappy about what he was saying. "Your uncle left the country. As long as he's never detected in England again, the Ministry's leaving it as a cold case. Your aunt and cousin, however, are having their memories swiped and are going to be given new identities."

"Oh," he responded quietly, the hurt evident in his eyes.

"Harry," he said, moving to the top of the bed and slid an arm around his godson's shoulders, "I know it hurts to lose family... no matter how crummy they are. Trust me, I do know."

"Thanks," Harry murmured into Sirius' chest.

"For what?" he asked.

Harry shrugged. "For being my family."

Remus and Kammy had come in with them, Kammy lugging with her a large scrapbook with papers and pictures sticking out. Harry flipped to the center of it where hundreds of pictures were stuck. He fingered a picture of the fifteen year old versions of Lily and James.

Lily was on James' back, smiling with a sucker in her mouth, wisps of red hair falling into her face from her two braided plaits. A girl walked from the edges of the picture. She had black hair just below her shoulders and dull blue eyes. Lily hopped off James and hugged her. After, she walked to James and he hugged her tightly and kissed her.

"Who is she?" Harry asked, pointing to the black-haired girl.

"Her name was Kaylie," Remus said quietly.

"Kaylie Black," Sirius finished for him quietly.

"Black...?" Harry trailed off.

Sirius took a picture of the page of her face and held it up to his own. Harry wondered how he hadn't seen it before. Both had the same color of hair and eyes. The shapes of their faces were the same and they had the same smiles.

"You're a twin?" Harry asked faintly.

"Yup," Sirius said in a light cheery tone. "She was best friends with your mother until the end of our fifth year."

Harry didn't need to be told what had happened then.

"Oh my God. Sirius, look at this picture."

Harry looked as Sirius took the photo from Kammy who was laughing. Harry, too, found himself snickering at the picture, while Sirius scowled as Remus got a glance of it.

A sixteen year old Sirius was sitting, on what Harry presumed was a girl's dormitory bed, in his boxers, shaking. Lily was shuffling cards, speaking to him as she smirked. He threw his hands up in surrender and walked out of the room.

"I was hoping we could forget about that," Sirius muttered as he placed the picture back in the book. "I really can't believe you idiots put that picture in there," he trailed off.

As they reached towards the end of the scrapbook door burst open and Rosy walked in.

"Uh, hi Rose."

"Kammy, can I talk to you for a moment?" she said, dragging her out of the room.

Harry noticed the look of apprehensiveness on Remus' face as Sirius rolled his eyes and said, "Just go you idiot."

He walked out and Sirius closed the book with a dull thud. "Good night," he said pulling the covers over Harry and settled down at his feet, willing himself into a dog.

"Y'know," Harry said tiredly as he closed his eyes, half-asleep, "it'd be nice to become an Animagus."

Rosy quickly walked through the halls of Mullins Manor, leading Remus and Kammy.

"So you did find her?" the worried mother asked.

"She will be fine," Rosy assured as they reached a door.

Inside was a simple four poster bed with a desk and chair, wardrobe, and dresser. The windows were open letting in the cool night air.

Inside was a simple four poster bed with a desk and chair, wardrobe, and dresser. The windows were open letting in the cool night air. A small child lay in the bed, smiling through the cuts and bruises on her face.

"Mummy!" she said hoarsely.

Kammy walked to her youngest daughter, looking at all the injuries.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, taking Cassy up in a hug.

"It's not your fault," she said gently with the wisdom of those much older than herself.

Kammy laughed and moved so Remus could see her.

"Uncle Remus! What're you doing here?"

"We're staying here for a short while."

"Oh. Tell me, where is he? I need to speak with him."

"Who is 'he'?"

"The boy who saved my life..."

Everyone still had blank looks on their faces.

Cassy made an impatient noise in the back of her throat. "Harry!"

"Wake up!"

Harry groaned, pulling the covers over his head to block out the dawn's bright rays which had just entered the room by someone pulling back the heavy curtains.

"Come on, Harry! Wake up!"

That was definitely a feminine voice. He felt a tug at the cocoon of comforters, but Padfoot's large body kept the covers over Harry.

Sirius however was awakening and he yawned loudly getting to his paws and bounded onto the lump that was his godson.

Harry gave an "umph" as the gigantic dog came down upon him.

"Sirius!"

"Serves you right." And that was definitely Ginny. "Now get up, lazy bones. Remus made a wonderful breakfast and it's getting cold. Oh, and your O.W.L. results came today."

And with that she walked out the door. "Ginny!" she shouted after her, feeling his freezing feet. "Where're my socks!"

She poked her head back in the room and shrugged. "My feet were cold."

Harry laughed and threw the covers over the huge dog. A growl came from beneath the linens.

Remus, who was in the kitchen, heard the raucous upstairs and shook his head as he sipped at his coffee.

"Why did I ever agree to live here?"

Ginny bounced on the balls of her feet with excitement and Harry, Ron and Hermione opened their results.

Hermione squealed and said with delight, "Eight, I got eight!"

"Six," Ron said slightly less excited, but was still smiling.

Harry however was staring silently at his results.

"Harry," Ginny said, waving a hand in front of his face. "What did you get? It can't be worse than Ron's."

Ron threw a glare at his sister. Hermione took the sheet from Harry and looked over the results for herself. Her jaw dropped.

"Oh my... Harry, you got twelve. Fourteen O.W.Ls! That's just as many, if more, than Dumbledore!"

Sirius and Remus looked at it next while Ginny subtly entwined he fingers with Harry's. He gave a small smile at her.

"Harry," Remus said with a grin, "these are the grades they want when you, or if you do, apply for Auror training. Five in Defense Against the Dark Arts... two in Potions... three in transfiguration... and two in Charms. That's outstanding!"

Harry smiled and in a sheepish tone muttered, "It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" Sirius shouted. "You go more than Dumbledore! For crying out loud, of course it's a big deal!"

Harry muttered something else incoherently and continued to eat his breakfast in silence.

"Hermione," Harry said as all four of them walked around the grounds of the manor, "What would you say if I became an Animagus?"

Ron and Ginny smiled at Harry's question but Hermione frowned in confusion.

"An Animagus? I don't know. I guess it would be okay... if you registered."

"I would, I would."

"Then sure. That would be pretty interesting."

"Are you going to become an Animagus, Harry?" Ginny asked, sliding her arms in his.

"I was thinking about it," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist like Ron had with Hermione.

"I mean, it would come in handy, wouldn't it?" Ron said helpfully.

"Of course," she said. "An easy getaway!"

Harry lightly pinched her and she kicked him.

"Harry!" Sirius called, "come in for a minute. Someone wants to speak with you."

He looked over at his two friends, eyebrows raised accusingly. They shrugged in a clueless manner.

"We didn't set anything up," Ron confirmed.

They walked back to the house. "In the kitchen," Sirius shouted.

When they walked in the first thing he noticed was Rosy was back, smiling at him and Kammy was sitting in a chair with a small girl on her lap.

Harry vaguely recognized her, but when he did he blanched and knew he was pale. He felt sick to his stomach as she looked at him with haunted eyes in a scarred face.

"Hello, Harry," Cassandra Waller said.