Harry Potter and the Northern Star

Harry sighed heavily.

The night had been merciful to him, but it was not enough. Two months had passed since the end of his fourth year at Hogwarts, and every day had been almost unbearable. He remembered a time when the Dursleys had treated him poorly; an insult here, some annoyance there. They had treated him like a disease, and he was almost praying for those times again. Now, the Dursleys didn't treat him at all, like anything.

Dumbledore had sent home a letter to the Dursleys a week after Harry came home, explaining in great detail what had happened. The Tri-Wizard Tournament, the Goblet of Fire, and everything up to Cedric Diggory's death. Vernon's face had sunk like a stone when he read up to that part, and that was when the trouble began. Harry remembered, clear as day, when Vernon quietly got up from the table, and came back with his new Winchester in his hands, with Harry staring right up the barrel. Vernon, with Petunia clutching a gigantic Dudley in her arms, forced Harry up the stairs and into his room, where he had stayed for the past months. As Harry banged on the door, pleading for an explanation, he dimly heard Uncle Vernon thumping down the stairs, muttering, "He's finally done it, Petunia... that little lunatic's been driven to murder..."

Murder. Harry chuckled to himself, not feeling any joy in the laugh. To hear it from any Slytherin would have been fine, but to hear it from his own family... Harry sighed again, letting the hot, sticky night air wash down his lungs. He thought more, thinking of what chance he had of any escape. After Harry was imprisoned, he could still hear the Dursleys downstairs. He heard the sharp, crisp snap of his wand breaking under Vernon's firm grip, and the garbage disposal gurgling and choking on its splinters. He heard Vernon's voice on the downstairs telephone, and screams arose to Harry's throat when he heard Vernon requesting a veterinarian to put a certain owl to sleep... He could still hear his ink being poured down the drain, the bottles clanking in the garbage can. His parchments were ripped to shreds, his books destroyed, his robes lacerated, and from the view of Harry's small window, he could see Vernon hacking away at his trunk with a heavy axe, next to the firewood pile. Harry had no magical way to escape.

Harry put his head in his hands, his eyes devoid of tears. His heart was heavy and sinking still, with each night being full of nightmares. His chest was constantly full of a cold sinking, and his stomach churning painfully. At first, Petunia brought him food twice a day, letting him out to use the bathroom once. Then, food came once a day, then not at all. It was as if Harry had been forgotten. It had been weeks since his last shower, and Harry was beginning to smell something awful.

Harry walked away from the window, and pulled open his broken closet door. A full-length mirror, cracked in one corner, reflected him in the minimal light and Harry stared blankly back at the Harry before him. He had managed to shoot up a good five inches over the summer, and his wiry figure was now shriveled with malnutrition. His once brilliant eyes now stared dully back at him from under heavy, dark circles. He was beginning to look a lot like Sirius Black.

Harry sighed again, thinking on his godfather. Harry ached for him, wishing he could come and rescue him. He cracked a smile when he remembered Sirius in dog-form, how he scratched behind his ears as a joke, and Sirius' long, fierce howl. Harry remembered that noise, and thought for a moment that he could actually hear it. He shook it off, and walked back to the window, gazing at the full, orange moon. Then, a sharp bark sounded across the sky, and Harry's heart leapt when he saw a large, black dog trotting down Privet Drive.

The dog clamored up the Dursleys' immaculate lawn, and it sat down on its haunches, staring up at Harry through the window. Harry stretched a thin arm out the window bars and waved madly at the dog.

"Sirius! Hey, up here!" Harry croaked, having not used his voice in a long while. "Sirius, please! Up here!"

The dog's ears pricked at the sound, and Harry watched in indescribable delight as the dog twisted and faded away, revealed a much healthier looking Sirius Black.

Sirius walked up to the house, straining upward to see. "Harry! Is that you?"

"Sirius!" Harry cried, tears of joy choking him.

"Good Lord, boy, what's happened? When I lost word from you, and my letters weren't answered, I got worried. It's a good thing I got here soon enough..."

"Sirius, please! You gotta get me out of here, the Dursleys are holding me prisoner, I have to get out of here, please!"

"Oh my god, you just stay put. I'll get you out of there, hang tight." Sirius shot one last stare of shock up at Harry, and ran out of his sight. Harry left the window and listened at his door, trying to hear past his madly beating heart. A loud thump, heavy footsteps. Vernon and Petunia's bedroom door squeaking, a loud gunshot, an even louder rapport, two muffled cries and two thumps on the floor. Heavy footsteps, and Harry then felt the doorknob twist and turn violently.

"Harry! Get away from the door," Sirius yelled through, and Harry backed away promptly.

The door slammed open, courtesy of Sirius' large black boot. Sirius stood in the doorway, looking at Harry. Harry had been blinded by the bright hall light, and shielded his eyes.

"Harry, look at me," Sirius said softly. "Look at me."

Harry lowered his arm, and Sirius' breath caught in his throat. His eyes began to tear over. His voice was thick with tears and pity. "Gods, Harry. What did they do to you?"

Harry couldn't answer. Large tears ran down his face, and he wasted no time. He ran forward and grabbed his godfather around the shoulders, hugging him as if afraid he would disappear. Sirius gasped, and warmed to the hug, and Harry could feel his chest spasm with tears. Sirius broke the hug suddenly, and grabbed Harry by the shoulders, looking him dead in the eyes.

"Where's your school stuff, Harry? Where's your wand? We're getting out of here."

Harry hung his head as more tears fell. "It's gone," he muttered, "it's all gone. My wand, my books, Hedwig... it's all gone."

Sirius looked behind him, as if expecting someone. "Come on, Harry. Let's not waste time. You're coming with me, right now." He took Harry by the hand and led him down the stairs and to the front room. Looking around, Harry could piece together what had happened with all the strange noises. Sirius had kicked the door open, but was interrupted by Petunia and Vernon, who had his new Winchester on hand. He had fired a shot, and missed. Sirius attacked him with a Full-Body-Bind, and sure enough, there lay Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, still as statues on the floor. They looked up at Harry with the utmost malice. Dudley had woken up, and was trying to move his father, when he looked up to see Sirius and Harry looking down at him. He squeaked loudly and pressed himself into the furthest corner of the room, trembling with fear.

Sirius looked at Harry, as if asking for permission. Harry shook his head. "Leave him be, let's just go," he pleaded. Sirius nodded.

"You'll have to follow me. I can't walk the streets as this, so I'll have to turn back into a dog again."

Harry nodded, and in the blink of an eye, he was looking down at the huge black dog again. The dog looked at him, and started walking out the door, when suddenly it ran back again. Harry turned to see what was happening, when he saw, to his joy, Sirius lifting his leg by Vernon's head, and getting his revenge. Harry laughed joyfully at this, with Vernon's eyes red with anger. Sirius, having finished, broke away and ran out the front door. Harry, filled with the energy only freedom can bring, launched after him in the darkness.