Chapter Fifteen: Who Am I?
In all of Hogwarts, there had never been a stranger looking group. Crookshanks led the way down the stairs and into the tunnel once more. Behind him was Lupin, causing Snape and Ron to float about behind him. Ron, he was careful not to let hit the ceiling, Snape…he was a bit more careless with. Behind those three were Fred, George, and Pettigrew. They had to walk sideways, with Pettigrew in between them. Behind them was Hermione. And Sirius and Harish brought up the rear.
"You could come and live with us," Harish finally said. "Your place is probably gone by now, since you were in prison for so long. I don't know if you would want to, but you could always stay with me and my father."
"Why wouldn't I want to?" Sirius asked.
Harish didn't reply, instead chose to shuffle along. His jaw was moving slowly as he pondered on how he should phrase what he was about to say.
Finally, he replied quietly so that only Sirius could hear, "I was adopted by Lord Voldemort."
"WHAT?!" Sirius shouted, straightening up and banging his head on the roof of the tunnel. Everyone ahead of them stopped and shot Sirius a look of confusion.
Once they started moving again, Harish said, "Yes, now would you please keep it down? It's not like he mistreats me or anything. He actually had grown to care for me over the years."
"Yes, but he killed your parents," Sirius hissed in return.
Harish shrugged. "It honestly doesn't make that much of a difference to me. I mean, I never knew them, did I? I am perfectly happy with my new father."
Sirius took a deep calming breath.
"As surprising as it is," he said. "I would honestly rather live with you and—him than lose you again. So, if you'll have me, I'll stay."
"So you wouldn't mind living with the man who killed your best friend?"
"Well," Sirius said. "I certainly wouldn't like it, but I'd manage to get through. I don't have much against the Dark side. The only reason I went to the Light was because I was wanting to rebel against my family." Harish shot him a questioning look. "My mother wasn't the nicest person."
Harish snorted.
"Plus," Sirius continued. "I wouldn't want to return to the Light side now—Dumbledore knew the whole time I was innocent and left me in prison to rot."
They fell into an uneasy silence.
Then, Sirius broke the silence one last time, "Um—could—would it be all right if I still call you Harry?"
Harish turned to looked at the man—his Godfather—and didn't know what to say. If someone heard the man calling him Harry, they might be able to find out who he really was, but…Harish couldn't say no as Sirius looked at him with hope, resembling a dog that's waiting to be adopted.
"Sure," Harish finally replied.
Sirius's gaunt face broke into the first smile Harish had ever seen upon it. It was startling how much difference that one smile made. Sirius appeared at least ten years younger.
They did not speak again until they had reached the end of the tunnel. Crookshanks darted up first; he had evidently pressed his paw on the knot on the trunk, because Lupin exited without any sound of savaging branches. Once this was realized by everyone else, they all followed. At last they were all out.
The grounds were very dark now. The moon was covered by clouds and the only lights came from the distant windows of the castle. Without a word, they set off. Pettigrew was still wheezing and occasionally whimpering. Harish's mind was buzzing with a mixture of confusion and contentment. He had a godfather…a godfather who knew about his mother, no less…But at the same time Harish wondered: If he wasn't really Harish Blake, but Harry Potter, who was he, really? His whole life had been a lie…
Silently they tramped through the grounds, the castle lights growing slowly larger. Snape was still drifting weirdly ahead of Lupin, and so was Ron. And then—
A cloud shifted. There were suddenly dim shadows on the ground. Their party was bathed in moonlight. At once, Snape and Ron fell to the ground and the twins and Pettigrew collided with Lupin, who had stopped abruptly. Sirius froze and flung out an arm to make Harish and Hermione stop.
Harish could see their professor, silhouetted against the moon. He had gone rigid. Then, his limbs began to shake.
"Oh, my—" Hermione gasped. "It's the full moon! He hasn't taken his potion!"
"He's not safe," Harish finished in a horrified whisper.
"Run," Sirius muttered. "Run. Now."
"What about the twins?" he asked.
"Leave it to me—RUN!"
Harish didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed Hermione and dragged her away, running as fast as he could. Behind them, there was a horrible snarl. Lupin's head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into paws. Crookshanks's hair was on end again; he was backing away.
As the werewolf reared, Sirius was gone, replaced by a huge black dog. The twins frantically back away as Padfoot leaped straight over them and began battling the werewolf.
"Do you have your wand?" Fred asked.
"Not where I can reach it!"
Both boys groaned.
George crawled forward, finding a rock and beginning to hit the chain he was bound with. The chain broke and he reached for his wand. Then, there was a flash of light. Both twins turned in time to see Pettigrew standing there, holding Lupin's wand.
George slashed his wand down, breaking the chain that held his brother, and then they both raised their wands and pointed them straight at Peter's chest.
"Don't move!" they shouted.
There was another flash of light and George fell to the ground beside Ron. A second later, Pettigrew was gone with a flash of a bald tail. Fred turned to see the werewolf bound away into the woods.
"He's gone!" Fred shouted to Sirius. "Pettigrew escaped!"
The dog was bleeding from a slash across his muzzle and a gash on his back, but instantly he scrambled to his feet and was gone in an instant, the sound of his paws faded away across the grounds.
Fred dashed over to George. His eyes were only half closed, his mouth hung open; he was definitely alive, but he didn't seem to recognize his twin brother.
After a moment of decision, he began to run up to the castle. Then, he dropped to the ground as a spell hit him square in the back.
JUST-HARISH-AND-HERMIONE-LEFT
Harish and Hermione ran deep into the forest. Then, they stopped by a rather large tree near the lake, panting heavily.
"What do you think is going on?" Hermione asked. Harish shook his head. "Do you think it is safe to return to the castle."
"I don't know…" Harish muttered. He slid down the trunk of the tree and rested his chin on his knees. Then, there was a howl nearby. Hermione jumped and both of their hearts started pounding in their chests.
"Is that him?" she squealed.
Harish motioned for her to be quiet. Then, he peeked out from behind the tree. Just ten feet away was Lupin. Then, the werewolf bounded away as a horrible cold swept over them once again. Harish ran to where the wolf had been standing. From there he could see the shores of the lake. Lying down there on the rocks was Sirius. He had transformed back into a man.
The two Slytherins walked over to him and the temperature dropped dramatically. Harish then glanced up and saw that there were hundreds and hundreds of dementors swooping down towards them. The familiar icy fog was swirling into his brain, obscuring his vison…
"Hermione, think of something happy!" he said, blinking furiously to try to clear his vision. Then, he began to chant, "Expecto patronum! Expecto patronum!"
He tried, but no memories would come. How was he supposed to be happy if he didn't even know who he was?
"Expecto patronum!" Hermione said, copying his movements. A tiny wisp of silver shot out of her wand.
Black gave a shudder, rolled over, and lay motionless on the ground, pale as death.
"Expecto patronum! Expecto…"
Harish was forced to his knees. Fog was completely clouding his vision. Beside him there was a small thump as Hermione fainted. He was alone…he was completely alone…
"Expecto—Expecto patronum—"
A dementor drew close to him, halted by his small patronus. A small slimy hand protruded from its cloak and it made a gesture, as though to sweep the patronus aside.
"Expecto…"
He could feel them watching him, hear their rattling breath like a horrible, freezing wind around him. The nearest dementor seemed to be considering him. Then, it raised both its rotting hands—and lowered its hood.
Where there should have been eyes, there was only skin, thin scabbed skin stretched blankly over empty sockets. But there was a mouth…a gaping, shapeless hole, sucking the air with the sound of a death rattle.
A paralyzing fear filled Harish so that he couldn't move or speak. His patronus flickered and died. White fog was blinding him…he couldn't see…and in the distance he heard a familiar scream, steadily growing louder…
A pair of strong clammy hands suddenly attached themselves around Harish's neck. They were forcing his face upward…He could feel its breath…It was going to get rid of him first…His mother was screaming in his ears…She was going to be the last thing he ever heard—
And then, through the fog that was drowning him, he saw a silvery light growing brighter and brighter…He felt himself fall forward onto the grass—
Facedown, too weak to move, sick and shaking, Harish opened his eyes. The dementor had released him. The light was blinding…illuminating the grass around him…the screaming had stopped…and then blackness closed in on him as his head hit the ground, and he fainted.