Unlikely Situation

Last time in chapter 1…

    “Sirius?” Harry asked since his godfather was still in the invisibility cloak.     

    “Sirius?” Harry called again.

     “Hummph” came a groggy reply.

     “ Sirius please wake up.” Harry said with a pleading in his voice.

     “Okay… okay I’m up I’m up.” Sirius said. He then took the cloak off his head so Harry could see him. “ What is it?”

     “ Sirius I don’t feel so good.” Harry answered him. Sirius sat up, took the wand and said

    “Lumos” He looked at Harry, the boy was in a cold sweat and he looked pale.  Sirius put his hand to his godson’s forehead and registered that he was indeed running a temperature. “ Where do you hurt?” he asked hoping it was something that could be taken care of with muggle measures since there was no way he could get help from the wizarding world. 

     It had been two hours since Harry had woken up ill and Sirius had done everything he could to make his godson comfortable.   He had given Harry some muggle aspirin to reduce the fever and hopefully some of the ache in his godson’s body. Sirius was now watching his godson sleep as he adjusted the thin blanket around his body. ‘Oh Harry I hope this is just a small bug for if it’s something more there isn’t much I can do about it.’  As he thought this he turned his attention to the window. Hedwig had been gone almost twenty-four hours Hedwig should be there by now.  He turned his attention back to Harry ‘Hopefully you won’t have any nightmares tonight’ Sirius thought as he adjusted the invisibility cloak around himself. He then transformed himself back to his animagus form ‘Just so it’s easier to hear if Harry needs me’ with one last check of the cloak Sirius settled down to hopefully have a few hours of sleep. 

  

  Two eyes popped open ‘Oh *&*&!!* (a/n insert your own explanatory remark here) I fell asleep I don’t believe it. How stupid can I be, I was only supposed to wait the fog out and I fell asleep. Oh Hedwig you stupid…stupid girl.  Hedwig thought as she flew off in a huff. Some friend I turned out to be to my boy. He needed me to get this letter through and here I am catching forty winks. Hedwig you stupid girl fly faster.’ She admonished herself as she flew as fast as her wings would carry her. She saw a small field mouse below her ‘Nope no food for you until your job is done. Don’t even think it Hedwig. Oh my boy I’m so sorry. I will get there and back to you without fail, don’t you worry. Of course nothing ever works smoothly that would be too easy. Since when was life supposed to be easy for my boy? He’s had enough. I just hope after this he will be able to be happy. I will be there soon my boy don’t worry.

     Back on Privet Drive Harry had woken to a more intense pain than he had experienced the previous day. The pain that had woke him from the nap Sirius had told him to take. The ache in the rest of his body had subsided somewhat.  He sat up and the room around him spun. He groaned as he put his head in his hands. A moment later he felt a paw on his knee. He looked up slowly and saw a blurry black face; unfortunately that small movement nauseated him.

     “ I’m gonna be sick again.” He groaned as he stumbled to the bathroom. Sirius had changed back to his human form by the time Harry had come back. 

     “ Harry come lay back down.” Sirius instructed in a tone that was no nonsense yet caring.  Harry didn’t argue with him. The moment he was laying back down Sirius put his hand against Harry’s forehead. His fever was back on the rise. Sirius put the cloak back on and disappeared from the room momentarily returning with more muggle aspirin. “ Here take this Harry it will help.” Sirius said as he gave the aspirins to Harry.

     ‘At least the bad pain vanished after I tossed my cookies’ Harry thought as he took the asprin. He didn’t want to endanger or worry Sirius anymore than necessary. By three am Harry was asleep again. Sirius re-adjusted the cloak again and as before had turned back into his shaggy dog form.

       A few hours later yelling was heard from downstairs.

     “ Harry Potter are you awake yet? If you are not down here in five minutes you will have no breakfast.” His Aunt Petunia said quite loudly.  “ Do you hear me?” she added shrilly. Harry groaned as he started to get up. The room was already starting to spin around him. He felt an invisible hand go to his brow and then a whispered voice

     “ Harry I am sticking with you like how would the muggles say it? Like glue today. If you think I am going to allow you to work yourself silly and get worse you have got another thing coming.” Sirius had tired to put as much authority as he could into the whisper. Harry just gave a small nod, though he closed his eyes immediately after as the movement made his world spin yet again.

     “ Just don’t make me eat. I don’t think I can hold it down.” Harry answered back.  Sirius put on the cloak and followed Harry down the staircase into the kitchen where the rest of the Dursley’s already were sitting down eating breakfast. Harry just sat once again as he looked at his plate and swallowed hard. Dudley was looking at his cousin’s breakfast again. Harry didn’t make a move as piggy hands grabbed at the grapefruit quarter in front of him.

      “ Well seeing as you are finished…here” Said Vernon as he added one more thing on a piece of paper and shoved it in Harry’s direction. Harry groaned as he looked at the list.

      “ What did you say boy?” Vernon said with a small smile on his lips. 

       “ Nothing Uncle Vernon.” Harry replied tiredly.  Vernon stood up and collected his brief case for work.

        “ Well boy why are you just sitting there? Get a move on you have a lot to do today.”

Harry got up to put his plate in the sink and went outside to start what would surely be a long day of chores.

       “ Harry I don’t care if your uncle or aunt do see magic today. I am not letting you do all of this.” Said Sirius from somewhere off to the side.

      “ Sirius please, I promise I’ll work slow. We just can’t do it right now. Aunt Petunia spies on the neighbors until about noon when Dudley complains he’s hungry for lunch.” Harry explained. 

      Harry started doing the chores and Sirius not only stayed close to him but also helped wherever he could.  It was about eleven thirty and Harry felt the pain again. It had gotten worse even from the night before.  It made him feel sick to his stomach, he didn’t want to tell Sirius but the pain didn’t want to go away. Sirius however had noticed Harry’s abrupt stop and was next to him in an instant. Harry felt a hand go up to his brow.  

      “ Harry this is enough. I will not tolerate any more of this.” Sirius said sternly. Sirius then said a few well placed spells and the work was finished. Harry started to walk back into the house and his aunt caught him coming in.

      “ Harry Potter!! What do you think you are doing back in this house before your chores are finished?” she squeaked.  Harry winced as the squeak went through his head. 

     “ My chores are finished Aunt Petunia.” Harry said as he headed up the stairs. He saw the look on her face and was amused by what he saw. Her mouth was working up and down with no sound coming out as she glanced out the window. As he reached the top of the staircase he could hear her muttering about giving him more chores tomorrow.

      Once they were back in his room Harry without being told headed straight for the bed. Once there he curled up into the fetal position to try to get the pain to go away. He just tried to concentrate on the crack on the wall. After a moment it had subsided but he knew

Sirius would be asking him any moment now and he couldn’t keep lying about it. Then he thought of something to distract Sirius’s line of thought momentarily.

     “ Thank you.” Harry said trying not to let his voice let on that he was hurting. Sirius however wasn’t deterred from his thoughts at all.

     “ Harry…please, I know you think that by keeping what’s bothering you to yourself you are keeping me out of danger.  Need I remind you that I am your godfather and I am here because I care about and want to help you; now with that said where are you hurting?”

     Harry turned over to look at him. He locked his eyes with Sirius for a moment and thought ‘ He knows. I can’t let him get caught by anyone. I am not going to let it happen. But it hurt so badly. I don’t think I can keep it in much longer.’ Harry made up his mind that the next time it happened he would tell him.  So he just decided that for the moment he would just say “Sirius, it’s just my head. Do you think it’s okay for me to sleep for a while?” Sirius stared at his godson. 

     ‘Does he really think I am going to buy that? Oh James he acts so much like you. I just hope the good sense his mother gave him comes back to kick him soon, so he will tell me’ Sirius just nodded his head yes. Surprised a bit that Harry actually wanted to sleep.  Sirius turned his attention to the window. ‘Hedwig should be on her way back by now. I need to get a letter out to someone who can get me medical help for Harry. This is no little bug.’

     Hedwig was flying and saw her destination in the distance.  ‘ Oh finally. I am almost there. All I have to do is give this letter to the addressee wait for a reply and then get back to my boy…my poor boy. I hope that man is taking good care of you while I am away.’ Hedwig started her decent for a landing while she was lost in thought. She never saw the dark figure with the wand only heard the voice that yelled

     “Stupify!” which was followed by laughter as the owl plummeted down to the ground. The figure picked up the owl and disiperated.

     Back on Privet Drive Harry was in the throws of a nightmare.  He was back in the graveyard. The scene was playing itself out again.

     ‘ Harry just hit the ground after the priori incantatum spell ended. He was trying to run towards Cedric’s body but he felt a shooting pain in his body and felt he couldn’t make it. He started falling towards the ground. Voldemort’s followers were able to get to Harry. They started shouting curses and hexes faster than he could get out of the way.’

     “ Noooooooooooooooo!” Harry shouted as he bolted upright in the bed and cried out in pain again. Sirius took off the hood to the cloak and took his godson in his arms. Before anything could be said Sirius was telling Harry in his ear.

     “Cedric’s death wasn’t your fault Harry. You couldn’t have….”Sirius was cut off by Harry.

     “ It’s not that Sirius. It hurts so badly. I can’t keep it anymore.” Harry said quietly his voice sounded pained.

     “ Where does it hurt Harry? I can’t help you until you tell me.” Sirius answered holding his godson at arms length to look at him.

     “ It hurts terribly here.” Harry said pointing to the spot that was causing the pain. Sirius looked at him and put his hand up to Harry’s brow. ‘ He’s burning up again! I have to do something for him now. I can’t wait for Hedwig anymore’ he thought as he looked out the window.

      “Harry we are going to get help for you right now. Come on can you stand?” He asked him starting to get the books out from under the loose floorboard. Harry got shakily to his feet. The pain didn’t want to stop though. He was almost doubled over in pain. “Harry is this everything?” Harry nodded. Sirius then proceeded to levitate the trunk and helped Harry down the stairs.

     “Ahhhhhhhh…. who’s that?” Dudley screamed “Mum..mum Harry has another weirdo with him.” Dudley ran screaming out of the living room.  Sirius did a quick spell to get rid of the boards that holed up the fireplace. Then using the wood that used to board it up lit a fire with his wand. He then groped around in his robes and found his little box. Taking a pinch out he grabbed Harry and got in the fire and shouted.

     “ Remus Lupin” As loud as he could. Petunia barely had time to shriek as Sirius and Harry vanished in the flames.

     Remus Lupin was sitting in his parlor sipping at a piping hot cup of tea and pouring over the day's Daily Prophet, the wizarding world's newspaper.  He wasn't paying attention to his surroundings so when his fire sprang up and two forms tumbled out, he was so startled that the tea went flying out of his hands and all over himself.  He muttered a curse as he only did when he thought no one was listening and then he glanced over at the fireplace to see who had come.  He was quite shocked and asked       

     " Sirius?? Is that you?? You have Harry with you? What on earth is happening?"  All of this was stated in a rush and a rise in crescendo. Before Sirius could answer Remus started in again by saying " Are you daft?? You must be daft.  Do you have any idea what will happen when Dumbledore finds out?? You'd better hope he finds out before the ministry does.  If he does he may cover for you so you won't be given directly to the dementors, but really this is a chance…And then you don't even send an owl to let me know anything after the time you said you were going to stop by and see Harry…Sirius, really, what has gotten into you?" 

     While Remus was doing his ranting, Sirius helped Harry to the couch and lay him down on it.  Then he turned to Remus. Obviously his friend had now run out of questions but the last thing that was asked struck him as odd.

     "Remus, first of all if you had looked when we first came in you would see that Harry is ill.  I think he may need a doctor and only you can help us with that.  His aunt and uncle couldn’t care less. I was with him for over two days Remus, and what did I see? I saw them running him ragged with chores. He stopped eating and had horrible nights and they didn't even ask if he was all right. They didn't so much as stop their own lives for even a moment to see to Harry. Not to mention that Harry told me that his uncle gets physically abusive with him sometimes. I even witnessed it once. I used a memory charm and his uncle left him alone. And I did send word. I sent Hedwig out to you as soon as I saw what was going on. That was two nights ago. You mean to say that she hasn't gotten here yet?"  Remus just shook his head no as he walked over to Harry and placed a hand on his forehead.

     "Sirius he's burning up." Remus said as he left Harry's side to move to the kitchen.

     " Didn't I just say that?" Sirius said to no one in particular. He then moved to sit by Harry. "Harry, how are you feeling? Does it still hurt badly?" Harry just nodded his head yes as he tried to shift his position to lessen his pain.

     " The other times it went away. This time it's just staying." Harry said softly as Remus was coming back into the room. He brought with him a small basin with water in it, while over his shoulder was slung a cloth.  He set the basin down and dipped the cloth in the bowl.  He then proceeded to put the wet cloth over Harry's forehead. He then said

     " Hello Harry, I am going to ask you a few questions alright?" He got an affirmative nod from Harry. Then he began his questioning.   "Now then, Harry where do you hurt?" Again Harry pointed to the spot. Remus looked quickly to Sirius and then back to Harry. The ex-professor then proceeded to prod the area. As soon as Remus's hand touched the spot, Harry gasped. " It hurts that much?" When Harry nodded yes Remus stood up and motioned with his head for Sirius to follow. 

     " Professor, did you say that Hedwig never reached you?" Harry asked with a mix of surprise and fear. 

     " Now Harry, don't you worry.  Hedwig is a smart owl. I'm sure she will be here any minute." Remus said as he patted Harry's shoulder. "We'll be right back, you just lay quiet alright?" At that, the two maraurders left the room. Harry wanted to hear and tried to get up, but as soon as he tried the pain got to be too much and he was forced to stop.

     Out in the hallway Remus turned to Sirius and looked at him in a serious way. 

     " Sirius how long has it been like this?" he asked. Sirius shook his head.

     " At least overnight. He woke me last night saying he didn't feel well. But if I had to guess I'd say from the first day I was with him. He had gotten dizzy the first day outside. I thought it was from weariness and from heat but I'm not sure. What do you think?" He said a bit nervously.

    " Well I think you’re right about the medical attention and I understand why you didn't want to bring him to Hogwarts. Sirius, really I am not a doctor but if it is what I think it is, we need to get him to a doctor straight away." Remus answered starting to think deeply about what to do next.

      " Remus, what do you think it is?" Sirius asked after a quietly tense moment.

     " I think it may be appendicitis that may have just turned acute. If that's the case it has to be taken care of immediatelybefore it bursts." Remus answered. He then looked at Sirius' panic striken face at the news. " Now I'm sure we can get him help in time. For what it's worth you did the right thing." Remus said as he turned to go back into the room. Sirius followed closely behind. 

     " But Remus, who can we call?" Sirius asked as he reached Harry's side.

     " Why who else but Attivus?" Remus said with a small grin. " Oh Sirius, don't give me that look.  You know as well as I do that Attivus would never betray you. If it makes you feel better you can always appear as your other form shall we say."  Sirius nodded alright. " Right then you may want to do your disappearing act now though. I am going to firewall him." There was the sound of a pop and gone was Sirius Black now replaced by a four footed big black dog.  "Good boy." Remus joked as he turned to the wall. A faint growl was heard and Remus chuckled a bit.  He then took a dark colored powder from above the mantel and threw a pinch into the fire. " Dr. Attivus Attlewart, a word please." Remus waited for a moment but no one answered. "Dr. Attivus Attlewart" Remus stated a bit louder this time. " Humm maybe he's not in. I'll apparate over to his place and see if he's there. Poor Mistofolees. Hates it when people appirate over, doesn't like the sensation I guess. I'll be back momentarily. " he said and with another pop he was gone.

     Meanwhile, a hooded cloaked person appeared in front of Lord Voldemort.  He held in his hands an unconscious snowy owl.

     " My lord I have Harry Potter's owl as you have commanded me to get. I intercepted her not far from the warewolf's home. I have the letter that was written."