CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED
AND FOUR
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-: fifth year :-
── IN WHICH SIRIUS IS
TOLD OF THEIR WORRIES
. . .
"Oh, Sirius, I'm so grateful." Molly gushed, an attempt of her usual cheeriness rather than a overt show of worry about her husband's condition - she may have told everyone in Grimmauld Place that Arthur would certainly be okay, but there was still that potential of him not being. "They think he'll be there a little while and it would be wonderful to be nearer. Of course, that might mean we're here for Christmas, and I would hate to impose."
"The more the merrier!" Sirius cheered with such obvious sincerity that Mrs Weasley beamed at him, threw on an apron, and began to help with breakfast. His eyes landed on Aviana, who was staring sullenly around the kitchen, obviously deep in thought. "I wondered if you would be coming." He said, in a much quieter voice.
"Yes, well, there wasn't a chance for an invite, given that you're a wanted criminal and Hogwarts is developing into a totalitarian state to further the Ministry's mass-surveillance of Harry, so I wasn't just going to show up unannounced." Aviana replied, far too simplistically.
"You're always welcome here... if you want to be here, it's awful." Sirius replied, looking almost nervous. It was the first time they had properly spoken, face to face, and it seemed completely different to their final conversation in summer.
"It's perfectly fine. A little dusty, I should summon some of my house-elves to tidy up a bit, seeing as Kreacher is apparently incompetent, but it reminds me of the manor, so I don't particularly mind it." Aviana replied sharply. "I need to talk to you." She said, quite directly. "In private."
She stood up, to leave the kitchen. "Harry." She added, sharply, gesturing out of the kitchen once more.
"Is she always this demanding?" Sirius asked, all too cheerfully for the matter at hand, as he and Harry followed her out.
"Not always." Harry replied, quite shortly. He cleared his throat, coming to the sudden realisation amongst all the drama and horror of the night, that now Sirius was something other than a godfather to him - he was Aviana's father, the same Aviana who had openly spoken about snogging him in corridors because apparently they were dating. He cleared his throat. "Er - no, not usually. Seems to think she has some kind of reputation to uphold-"
"Ah, but she does." Sirius hummed knowledgably, meeting Harry's eyes as they left the kitchen behind, tapping the side of his forehead twice as he grinned. "To my complete dismay, she's been brought up a Rosier, they have all kinds of preconceived notions about how they should act. All completely full of themselves. I knew Evan more than I knew William, friends with my brother, and if William was anything like him... egos so big they couldn't take a step without tripping over them. Reckon she's a bit more like me than she wants to be though, after hearing about all the Umbridge stuff."
"Yeah." Harry said. "Probably... don't think she's feeling great about the whole thing."
Aviana stood, waiting for them in the drawing room. It remained untouched, but clean, the same furniture that had been there for years beforehand. "Took your time, didn't you?" She asked, her hands on her hips as she looked between them as though awaiting something, before decisively settling expectantly on Harry. "Well?" She asked.
And so, Harry told him about how he wasn't just watching the attack during his vision, but instead that he took the place of the attacker, he was the snake. Sirius listened carefully, before he drew himself up. "Have you told Dumbledore about this?" He asked. Aviana rolled her eyes.
"Yes." Harry replied impatiently. "But he didn't tell me what it meant. He doesn't tell me anything anymore."
The man looked over them both, as though surveying them intently, as though he could read their minds. "I'm sure he would have told you if it was anything to worry about," Sirius said steadily.
Aviana scoffed. It seemed that was a constant habit, regardless of the issue at hand. Sirius turned to look at her. "No, he wouldn't." She said. "He hasn't done anything all year, especially regarding Umbridge-"
"I don't think there is anything he can do against that old hag. She has Fudge behind her." Sirius dismissed, before looking back to his godson. "Harry, it's nothing to worry about-"
"Sirius." Aviana interrupted. "I think it is something to worry about, and I'm not often wrong." It was clear that she was certain of that; and Harry was yet to prove her otherwise - although Sirius's information about the Rosier's constantly being full of themselves was also being proven. "Harry's obviously got a connection with the Dark Lord, whether anyone wants to admit it or not. Similarly, the Dark Lord has this inexplicable connection to his snake. Both can speak Parseltongue, too, which doesn't help the matter."
Sirius leant against a bookshelf. "What are you trying to say?" He asked.
"The Dark Lord is a very powerful wizard." Aviana told him. "I believe that he not only is able to use Legilimency to get into Nagini's brain, but he is also able to project that into Harry's. It wasn't a vision at all, it was a purposeful magical attack on Harry as he slept, just to show that he can and he will."
"You think that Voldemort is using Legilimency from miles and miles away to get into Harry's brain."
"Yes." Aviana replied.
Sirius didn't say anything for a moment. His eyes landed on Harry, for a moment, before he looked away again and began to walk slowly around the room.
"Pacing gives me headaches." Aviana told him, and Sirius stopped. "Much appreciated." Harry grinned, despite himself, and quickly realised what she was saying.
"Elaborate." Sirius told her.
"Fine, if I must. Potter -" she rounded onto him "- what happened in Dumbledore's office?"
Harry stared at her. She had noticed that? Well he supposed it wouldn't be all that hard; the sharp, shooting pains that came from his scar were never expected and he had never been able to hide it. "I..." He frowned. "Just before we took the portkey, for a couple of seconds... it felt as though I was a snake again. I felt like one - my scar hurt like hell when I was looking at Dumbledore... felt like I wanted to attack him."
Sirius's face was shrouded in darkness. He didn't say anything. "It must have been an aftermath of the vision." He said, slowly, in a way that made him seem most uncertain. He glanced over to Aviana, who was pursing her lips. "Your point?" He asked.
"I've had Divination with Harry for the past two years and I know evidently far too much about the Potters to know that he is not a Seer. There is absolutely no chance; he is not having visions." Aviana said. "Harry is not having visions. The Dark Lord is using Legilimency and his creepy connection with his snake to watch what it does and then projecting that into Harry's head. Nagini does what the Dark Lord says, the Dark Lord watches what she's doing, make sure Harry sees it, Harry feels like the snake because he can understand Parseltongue."
Sirius didn't say anything for a moment. "You both need some sleep." He said, decisively, ignoring Aviana's spluttering protests. You're going to have the breakfast Mrs Weasley's preparing, then go to bed, and then you can go and see Arthur after lunch with the others."
"Don't particularly think he wants to see me." Aviana muttered.
"Don't be silly." Sirius dismissed her once more. "Aviana, you need to eat and some sleep... Harry, you're in shock, and you're blaming yourself for something you only witnessed, and it's lucky you did witness it or Arthur might have died."
"But-"
"There's no use worrying over things now. Arthur's alright and that's all that matters." And Sirius clapped Harry on the shoulder and left the drawing room behind.
And left his godson and daughter in the shadows.
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