Death's Gift - Chapter Nineteen
The Attack
Harry sat in his room, staring out of the window while stroking Hedwig's feathers, she'd just come back from hunting. Harry counted down the days in his head until the attack was due to take place, three days, this Saturday. He had to have them gone before noon when the Death Eaters would appear. Harry also had to make sure the he played this right. Tomorrow morning he would start his act, he'd be more flinchy and he had to remember to pretend to zone out at points of time. He'd make it progressively worse, then on Friday night he'd tell Remus and Sirius that they had to leave, taking their most important things with them, that he had a bad feeling about tomorrow at noon. He'd go over and get Hermione who would've likely already caught on, thanks to her quick brain, and she would gather her parents. Harry wasn't sure where they would go yet but the couldn't come back until after three, when the Death Eaters were due to leave if they hadn't already. At that time Aurors would likely still be about, obliviating muggles and repairing any damages. Harry knew that after the attack Remus and Sirius would most likely increase the wards around the house, probably even putting it under a feildus. Either that or they would move again, though Harry had a plan to fight against that if that happened.
. . . . . . .
The next morning Harry made his way downstairs, finding Sirius and Remus to be awake, watching the television. Harry walked over and sat down on one of the chairs.
"Morning Harry." Sirius said.
"Morning." Harry replied.
They all watched the television, some show that Harry didn't recognize, but apparently Remus and Sirius liked it, nonetheless Harry wasn't really paying attention. He was replaying what he had to do over and over in his mind. When he thought it was about time he completely froze, his eyes locked into one place slightly adjacent from the television. Once the episode was done and a commercial came on Remus got up and stretched.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry so I'm going to make some food. Anyone want anything?"
"No thanks, I already ate." Sirius said with a smirk.
Harry was struggling not to burst out laughing as Remus's cheeks turned a light pink, the man coughed.
"Harrison?" Remus asked.
Harry didn't reply, frankly he didn't do anything.
"Harry?" Remus asked again.
Sirius got up from his seat on the couch, "Harrison, are you ok?"
When Harry didn't have any response Remus shook his should, "Cub?"
Harry jumped back to life, looking at Remus with wide eyes. Sirius let out a breath, Remus doing the same.
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"You zoned out." Remus told him, "I was asking if you wanted anything for breakfast."
Harry relaxed, "No... no I'm good."
Remus gave Sirius a concerned look before nodding and making himself some breakfast, they both knew that whenever something was bothering Harry he didn't eat.
During the day Harry made sure to zone out again, and jumped a few times at every day things. He could tell that Sirius and Remus were becoming more worried, and he did feel a little bit guilty for making them worry, but it was the only way that he'd be able to get them to leave on Saturday. He reminded himself that he might feel a little guilty for a day or two, but if he didn't get them to leave and they got hurt, he'd blame himself for it everyday, after all, it would be completely his fault. The next day Harry had a small breakfast, picking at his food and zoning out again, making sure to really jump when Sirius shook him back to reality. Harry zoned out three more times after that, starting to become skittish and paranoid. Hermione had come over that day and noticed the change in Harry's behavior, getting a bad feeling herself. She'd never really seen Harry like this, only when something really bad was about to happen. So on Saturday morning when Harry burst out of his bedroom and ran downstairs, he immediately had Sirius and Remus's attention.
"We have to leave. Now. Somethings going to happen, I don't know what and I don't know when but we can't come back until after three."
Sirius and Remus exchanged a look.
"We have to take everything we value highly with us- The Grangers- I have to tell them too-"
"Harrison." Sirius said, grabbing his arm to prevent him from leaving, concern all over his face, "What are you talking about?"
"Something bad is going to happen today, I can just feel it! We have to leave as soon as possible, we can't be anywhere near here!" Harry told him, his eyes almost pleading.
One look at the boy and Sirius nodded.
"Remus and I will pack things up, go tell the Grangers."
Harry nodded and Sirius let go of his arm, Harry running outside and to their neighbors house, knocking, almost banging, on the door.
Hermione opened it, "Harry? What's going on."
"We have to leave, now. Somethings going to happen, I don't know when and I don't know why but we can't be back here until after three. Pack up everything that you hold of high value." Harry told her urgently.
Hermione's expression became serious, "How do you know?"
"I have a feeling."
Just like that Hermione turned around and started yelling for her parents, telling them what Harry had told her, their eyes widening, after all, everyone knew about Harry's feelings. They started to pack up and Harry told her that he was going back home. When he got there he went straight up to his room, packing up Anemone and Hedwig's things.
*Whats happening?! Why is Harry worried and packing up my things?!* Anemone exclaimed while Harry was shrinking down her bed, along with the stuffed toys he'd gotten her. Hedwig hooting from her cadge.
*We have to get out of here Anemone. Somethings going to happen today and we can't be here.* Harry told her.
*What is going to happen?*
Harry paused at the question, *I don't know.*
Harry continued packing, casting an expansive charm on one of this trunk compartments, shrinking all of his books and putting them in the compartment, closing it. He put Hedwig's and Anemone's things in the next, his quidditch gear, and gifts he'd gotten from people, closing his trunk and shrinking it, making it feather light and putting it in his robe pocket, which Harry had only just put on while packing, solely for the bigger pockets. When he was done he grabbed Hedwig's cadge, Anemone slithering up his arm, wrapping around his shoulders, and made his way downstairs. Sirius and Remus had trunks of their own shrunk into their pockets, Harry could see the indent to the robes, and the three of them made their way over to the Grangers. Harry wasn't sure how they were planning to leave, but he was sure that his parents had a way.
"You ready?" Harry asked Hermione.
"I am, mum and dad are still looking through old pictures, trying to find all of the family history and things like that."
Harry nodded, he'd stashed the photo album he had of his years with Sirius and Remus in his trunk first.
"Found it!" Jean exclaimed, hurrying over and trying to make it fit into a suitcase.
Sirius pulled out his wand and shrunk the things in the suitcase, getting a quick thank you from Jean who set the photo album in it. She zipped it up, Dave coming down the stairs with two more suitcases.
"We're ready." He said.
Sirius nodded and he motioned for them to follow him, they went back over to their house and Sirius enlarged the fireplace.
"When you step into the fireplace say Number Twelve Grimmuald Place, and you'll be taken to our old house." Sirius told them, passing around the floo powder.
"Harrison, you go first. Kreatcher will be more welcome to the rest of us if you are the one to first appear, telling him." Remus said.
Harry nodded and walked into the fireplace with Anemone and Hedwig.
"Number Twelve Grimmuald Place!" He said firmly, throwing down the powder and being enveloped in green flames.
Harry walked into the lounge of Grimmuald Place, memories flying back to him of how he'd wait in here for Sirius to come home with Remus. He shook his head and heard a familiar pop residing through the room.
"What is young Master doing back here?" Kreatcher asked.
"Its a long story Kreatcher but-"
Remus stepped through the fire place.
"Something is going to happen at our new place that we live, something bad. So we had to leave as soon as possible-"
Hermione stepped through the fire place making Kreatcher glare at her.
"Sirius had us come here so we'd be safe." Harry told the house elf.
"What is a mudblood doing in the noble house of Black?!" Kreatcher exclaimed.
Harry could tell that Hermione was about to open her mouth but Harry beat her to it, "Hermione isn't a mudblood Kreatcher. We live in a muggle area without being under a feildus charm, we have to dress and act like we're muggles."
Hermione shot him a look but played along, "It's so dreadful, but alas I have Hogwarts as my escape."
Jean and Dave came through the fireplace.
"Kreatcher, we just have to stay here for a little while. That's ok, right?" Harry asked.
Kreatcher looked skeptically at Jean, Dave, and Hermione, but he nodded, "Kreatcher will allow this for young Master."
Harry smiled as Sirius came through the fireplace, "Thanks."
"How long do we have to stay here?" Jean asked, looking around the room, looking slightly uncomfortable.
"We can't go back until three." Harry said firmly, "It won't be safe until three."
Looks went around the room but everyone was in mutual agreement that no one would be leaving until three.
. . . . . . .
Now that everyone was safe Harry could relax, it felt as if a big weight had been lifted off his shoulders. It had been a few hours and he'd visited his old bedroom, finding that Kreatcher had kept it up. Hermione looked around it and said that the room was much less gloomy then she remembered it being when Harry and Ginny had lived there. Sure they had spruced the place up a bit, but Kreatcher would only let them do so much. Harry had entered the Black library again, grabbing the next book off the shelf and he sat in his chair that he occupied for the first six years of his life, reading. Though Harry didn't stay there long as three o-clock was approaching and he had to be with the others so he could zone out again. He joined everyone in the lounge, engaging in some light conversation. A few minutes before three Harry zoned out, making sure not to move and to stare at one place, trying hard to only blink when necessary.
"Harry?" Hermione asked, being the first to notice since she was sitting right next to him.
When Harry didn't respond she looked around the room, turning back to him, "Harry?" She asked, a little louder.
"Guys, somethings wrong with Harry..." She said, looking to Sirius and Remus for help.
Sirius looked at Harry and sighed, "It's happening again."
Remus got up and walked over to Harry.
"What's happening?" Jean asked.
"He'll zone out for awhile, you can't really do anything to stop it." Sirius told them.
Remus shook Harry's shoulder, "Harrison?"
Harry didn't respond in any way, he had to wait until three.
"Harry! Cut it out! You're scaring me!" Hermione told him, frantically shaking his shoulder.
"Hermione." Remus told her, "Just let him be. He'll come back at some point."
"I don't understand, why is he just zoning out all of a sudden?" Hermione asked.
"It must have something to do with his seeing abilities." Sirius said, "It's only been happening for the past three days, rarely at first, just the closer it got to today the more frequently it happened and the less we could shake him out of it. Seeing as it's almost three I bet this one will be the worst one yet."
Hermione looked at Harry, he wasn't even blinking. It reminded her way too much of when Voldemort claimed he was dead during the battle of Hogwarts. It didn't sit well with her. Remus's grip on his shoulder stayed firm and Hermione even grabbed his hand. Though Harry had to remain unresponsive, as much as he wanted to squeeze Hermione's hand to reassure he knew he couldn't. When the clock struck three Harry blinked.
"Harry?" Remus said carefully. Shaking his shoulder just a little bit.
Harry blinked a few more times before shaking his head and looking over at Remus.
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, hugging him, "Don't you dare scare me like that again or else I will hex you in your sleep!"
Harry laughed at his friend, though his laugh soon faded.
"We can go back now..." Harry said lowly.
Everyone shared a concerned look but they gathered up, Remus was about to grab some floo powder.
"We shouldn't floo, the network might be cut off. We have to apperate." Harry told them.
Sirius sighed but nodded, "I'll take Hermione and Harry. Remus you take Jean and Dave."
The werewolf nodded and the group walked outside, just out of the apparition wards, casting notice me not charms on their group. Hermione grabbed Harry's hand as Harry grabbed Sirius's arm. Feeling a pull on his navel Harry blacked out for a brief moment before appearing on their street. He heard Hermione gasp and he opened his eyes. Some houses were a flame and some were practically destroyed. Aurors were everywhere and the dark mark was prominent in the sky above them. Sirius and Remus bolted into the crowd, their wands out. Hermione covered her mouth and tears started to fall down from her eyes. Harry started walking through the street, he saw Sirius and Remus talking to an Auror, most likely getting a take on the situation, Harry approached his house, noticing that it was the one with the least damage. He looked at the Granger's house, also having minimal damage done to it. Harry turned around, looking at the street, all the fires were put out now but smoke was still in the air, making it seem as though it was dusk. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a body being levitated, looking towards it he felt a pang of guilt. He recognized the man, he was elderly, and was due to die soon anyway, but he'd always been so kind to Harry and Hermione. Forcing himself to look away Harry saw the Aurors busy at work with obliviating the muggles. He saw how Hermione was hugging her parents, all three of them crying. He saw how Sirius and Remus had started helping the Aurors with damage control.
At this point Harry didn't care if the ministry recognized his use of underage magic, which he doubted they would in an area where so much magic was already in use, he pulled out his wand and allowed his magic to drop from his raised shields, his house started to repair itself, crawling beams going back into place, torn furniture being repaired, paint and wall paper being fixed. It was almost as if the house was going back in time.
"Harrison-!" Sirius yelled, seeing Harry walked into the house. He ran after him.
Harry heard Sirius take in a sharp breath when he saw Harry repair the house, his magic fully out and Harry had a sort of glow to him, the sheer power behind his magic filling up the space.
"Harry..." Sirius breathed.
Harry looked over his shoulder at him, the house still repairing itself.
"How-..."
Harry turned away and continued walked, fixing things as he went, he couldn't really explain this yet, Sirius followed him, marveling at his magic. Harry moved upstairs, the whole roof having caved in, with a flick of his wand it flew back in place, seaming together perfectly. Harry paused when he heard Sirius at the top of the stairs, the house being completely repaired now.
"Since when has your magic been this strong?" Sirius asked him, "Not even Dumbledore could repair a whole house in under a minute."
Harry turned around, "Since always? I kept it his behind Occulmency shields. Sometimes it's even overpowering for me."
Sirius gave a quick laugh and shook his head, "No wonder you're the only one ever to survive the killing curse."
"You're not mad are you?" Harry asked cautiously.
Sirius walked over to Harry, kneeling down and putting his hand on the side of his face, he smiled, "I'm not mad, I'm proud."