Chapter 4 Returning to Hogwarts
The next day they all sat in the kitchen for breakfast and were waiting for a word from Professor McGonagall that she was at Hogwarts so they could all come directly threw the fireplace in the headmistresses office.
It was decided last night that it would be the safest way for all of them to travel by the floonetwork than to apparate in front of the gates of Hogwarts because of Sirius.
So when the flames in the fireplace turned green everybody got up and watched her head inside the flames and tell them they could come when they were ready.
After all of them had gone Sirius and Harry were the last two standing and Sirius got Harry's arm just before he wanted to throw the floo powder in the fireplace.
Harry looked at him and asked. "What is it Sirius, we need to go."
"I just wanted to thank you for believing in me and never giving up." Came Sirius' reply.
Then he took Harry in his arms for a great hug.
"Now go," He said, "I will be behind you in a sec."
Harry threw the floo powder in the fireplace and the flames turned green. He stepped in the flames and said, "Hogwarts headmistress office" and with a whoosh, he was gone.
Seconds later he got out in the office that used to be of Albus Dumbledore and now was the office of the new headmistress of Hogwarts Minerva McGonagall.
Just after he got out the flames turned green again and out came Sirius. When he stepped out of the fire all of the paintings went completely silent.
"How, what is this," Came the voice of Phineas Black, "my great-grandson alive Dumbledore you told me he died saving that boy." As he pointed at Harry. "Now he is standing here right in front of me."
"Sir please," Said Harry, then he turned to face the painting of Dumbledore and spoke.
"Professor how can this be. Sirius is back from the dead and you told me yourself he was really dead because of the bonding between Kreacher and me."
"Yes, I did Harry, and please Sirius do call Kreacher for me if you will." Said Dumbledore.
Sirius looked at the painting and than yelled Kreacher's name.
Nothing.
Three times more Sirius called out for Kreacher but the elf did not come.
"Harry if you please." Said Dumbledore.
"Kreacher." Said Harry and with a crack, the elf appeared.
"Master called Kreacher." the elf croaked.
"Yes," said Harry. "I have a question. Sirius just called you three times and you did not come I just called you once and you are here in a second. Why?"
Kreacher looked at Sirius in shock and than back at Harry.
"Kreacher is very sorry Sir but Kreachers only will hear his master's call, but when master Sirius called Kreacher I isn't hearing him Sir."
The elf dropped his ears and looked again at Sirius.
"Kreacher is very sorry master Sirius and will listen for your call better next time." The old elf told his former master.
Than it was Dumbledore who spoke.
"Kreacher, you will never hear Sirius' calls anymore because when he died you passed on to Harry. Harry is your master now and that is how it should be. The return of Sirius is a wonder yes but that doesn't change the way his will was and should have been carried out."
Kreacher looked freighted at the painting and asked in a small voice, "But master Sirius is here how he can be dead when he is here."
"That is a good question Kreacher." Said Harry and Sirius at the same time.
They looked both at the painting for an answer when in a flash Fawkes came in and rested on Harry's shoulder. Now Dumbledore broke out in a smile and said, "You returned Sirius as a gift."
"A gift?" Came all the voices of people and paintings together.
"Yes a gift," Said Dumbledore, "Fawkes has bonded with Harry now, and to show his affection to him he got Sirius back from behind the veil so that he could be with Harry. He could not get your parents back Harry because they really died when they protected you so long ago but Sirius was another case." Dumbledore started to explain.
"You see he went through the portal of death with his body and mind still together and that was what made it possible for Fawkes to get him, as you know a phoenix is the only creature in all of the world that can go to deaths realm and return safely."
Harry looked at Fawkes and stroked the bird.
"Thank you for this wonderful gift Fawkes." Harry Said in a low voice to the phoenix
The phoenix got off his shoulder and in another flash was gone.
"There is another question I want to ask you Sir," Said Harry.
"You may ask me anything Harry," Said Dumbledore, "You know that. I may not always want to answer but you can always ask."
"Sir is it possible for somebody to be stripped of his or her magic?" Harry asked.
Dumbledore looked worried about this question and thought about it a long time.
"I can recall only one case of where a wizard was stripped of his magic and that was when the four founders just started Hogwarts. There was a local wizard who kept showing people his magic and used it for his benefit. Then but only then it was decided to bind his magic so he could not use it anymore.
Why do you ask Harry?" They all could hear the worry in Dumbledore's voice.
"Because it looks like I lost my magic completely." Said Sirius.
The whole room went quiet again and Dumbledore looked shocked.
"What do you mean lost your magic?" He asked.
So they all explained what had happened the night before and as they talked Dumbledore looked more worried by the second.
When they finished he spoke.
"Minerva please call Poppy here as fast as you can. Tell her to get all her stuff as fast as she can and please tell her the truth about what the problem is and who the patient is."
"Yes of course." She said and she left the office.
Harry looked at his former headmaster and asked, "Sir what's wrong?"
"Harry I have never heard about a person losing his magic completely," Dumbledore told Harry. "There were always the simple spells that could be used. For example when Sirius tried the Wingardum spell the books at least should have moved, if only a little."
Harry looked worried to Sirius and watched as the school nurse came running through the door.
"Why is this man still standing here." She said, as she grabbed Sirius by his arm and sat him on a sofa. She put her bag down and pulled out her wand as she began mumbling some spells in a low voice. She than looked at Harry and said with a small smile, "I should have known that somehow you were involved in this Mr. Potter, because you are always the one who is getting into trouble." Then she continued with her work.
"There is also another thing I want to tell you Sir." Said Harry to the painting of Professor Dumbledore.
"What is it, my boy?" The painting asked?
"Well as you will probably know professor McGonagall has asked me to return for my seventh year and to become a teacher here at Hogwarts." Said Harry.
"Now who would have been giving her the idea to do that." Came the surprised voice of Dumbledore. But his eyes were twinkling with joy.
"I know it was you, sir," Said Harry, "and I want to thank you for the trust you put in me."
"But you didn't want to do it." Said Dumbledore his voice now with a little tone of sadness.
"I can understand Harry that with all that you have been threw last year you have enough on your mind. I was hoping that you would at least return here for your last year but I don't think the minister will have a problem of granting you a full level of NEWT passes on any subject that you want so you can look on to the future."
Now it was Harry's turn to smile. "Well not exactly Sir," He said. "You are looking at a proud seventh-year student of Hogwarts.
I will be returning to do my exams as I should."
Dumbledore smiled and his voice was full of joy. "You got me there my boy you really got me fooled." Dumbledore said. "So you will be returning and finish school. Have you thought about becoming a teacher after you are finished with school? I know they could use a good defense against the dark arts teacher here and I believe that you are perfect for the job."
"Well I was the youngest seeker in a century so how does the youngest teacher sound?" Harry asked.
"That just sounds wonderful," Said Dumbledore, "I hoped you would say yes, but never thought you would."
"Well he had some terms of his own," Said McGonagall, "But I think we can arrange those if we want the best person for the job."
"Well, Potter did it again, another school rule down the drain. Well done Potter how many school rules have you broken by now?" Came the sneering voice of Severus Snape.
Harry turned to face his old potions teachers painting and walked towards it.
He bowed to it and said.
"First professor I want to tell you that I haven't been breaking any rules here because of the fact that I was asked to do this." Harry started. "Second the number of rules I have broken in the past are uncountable but as you know very well were all broken to stop lord Voldermort." Harry looked around the room and than said, "And finally I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the help you have been giving me last year and for keeping all the students here at Hogwarts as save as you could."
The painting of Severus Snape was blushing with all these praise he got and said. "Well, boy at least the last year you got some manners knocked into you. Personally I don't think for a minute you will last in a class full of children to teach them but well it is your head, not mine." He added with a smile.
"I lasted in yours didn't I." Said Harry as he started laughing. Everybody even Snape laughed with him and when the laughter died out Snape started speaking. "I want to apologize Harry. I never should have treated you the way I did but the way you looked was just too hard for me. Every time I looked at you I saw your father and when you looked me in the eyes I saw your mother. Please believe me when I say that I am really sorry about what happened and that I never in my life wanted this to happen." His eyes were full of tears as he stood at the end of his frame. "I treated you the way I did because I hoped it would make you hard not to make you hate me." Snape continued "I see now that your love was your greatest weapon and that if I had put my old feelings aside I could have been a friend of you just like I was with your mother once."
Sirius stood up, "Don't you dare talk about Lilly that way you little snake. It is because of you that Harry has no parents and I went to Azkaban." He looked furious but Harry stood in front of the painting and turned to his godfather.
"Don't you dare," He said, a fire in his eyes Sirius had not yet seen. "Don't you dare tell him what he did and what his fault is. I have seen how you have treated him. I know you were kids but that does not mean you can bully him. He loved my mother. He gave his life for her so don't you dare accuse him of anything." He turned back to the painting tears in his eyes and said. "I forgive you for your mistakes. I know what Voldermort can do to a person and I know that you would never want to hurt my mother. I saw the love you had for her in that memory of yours in the pensive and that time at the occlemency lesson. I saw the hurt in your eyes when you called her a mudblood and understood what you had said. I don't blame you. Yes, we could have been friends but we weren't I hope you can forgive me for my mistakes as well."
Snape looked shocked at Harry and said, "Harry I don't deserve your forgiveness. I hope, I," Than he sat down in the chair that stood beside him in the painting. "You really are as great-hearted as your mother was. Of course, I forgive you Harry but that are just the words of a painting. What good are they?" He asked.
"They are good enough for me." Said Harry.
"I know that you have a lot to think about but please may I come by some time and talk with you." Harry asked.
Snape smiled and said, "Anytime Professor Potter, anytime."
Harry turned back to Sirius who was pushed back in his seat by the nurse and said, "If you have anything to say to professor Snape than I think you should do it now before I curse your bloody ass into next Sunday." Harry didn't need to look at Mrs. Weasley to know that she looked at him to scold him for language.
"You never knew how he felt about my mother, did you. You never knew that she and he were friends before they came to Hogwarts, did you? You wrecked his life with your little jokes and then when it most counted you also ripped his only friend away from him. Think about that will you before you say anything."
Sirius got up again and walked over to Harry and looked him in the eyes.
"I am sorry Harry, He said. "No I didn't know about those things but I also don't think that it would have mattered. He was in Slytherin and we were Griffindors that would never work."
"You didn't even try." Said Harry.
"No we didn't." Said Sirius. Than he walked over to the painting of Snape and said.
"Severus is this all true what Harry just said. Did you love Lilly and that you two were friends before Hogwarts."
Snape looked at Sirius in rage and said. "What's it to you Black need that little more info so you can use it against me another day now do you?"
"No," Said Sirius. "It is just like Harry said. We didn't even try to understand you. We were all so focused on how to get you upset that we didn't look further than our next prank. I am truly sorry Severus, I hope in my heart that you can forgive me someday."
After that, he turned walked towards the school nurse and asked if they could go to the infirmary for the rest of the tests and so they left the office a few seconds later.
Snape was looking shocked, to say the least.
"Mr. Potter," He said, and Harry turned towards him, "Will you please tell Mr.Black that I want to talk to him another time please. We need to talk about our history here at school and yes also about how we go from here."
Harry nodded relieved. He then turned towards Professor McGonagall and asked her if they could talk somewhere private about the details of his teaching and studies the coming year.