Betrayal of the Best Kind
Grow
By Draco664
Grow
The false dawn sunlight brought Harry out of his slumber. Fumbling on the nightstand for his glasses, he clumsily put them on, bringing the world into focus.
The hospital ward Harry was in was quiet and deserted. He had been moved there after a Hufflepuff student had come to see Madam Pomfrey, supported by two of his friends, his ankle shattered.
Harry had slept naked that night for obvious reasons. He stretched and looked down at his again-sixteen-year-old body. He smiled to himself and rose. Rummaging through the backpack Arthur Weasley had brought back from the ambush site, he pulled out a set of work robes. Soon, Harry was dressed.
Debating with himself over whether or not to inform Madam Pomfrey of his leaving, Harry threw the backpack on over one shoulder and left the private ward. In the main ward, the Hufflepuff student with the ruined ankle was tossing in his sleep. Harry recognised the remains of a Skele-grow potion on the student's nightstand. Madam Pomfrey must have removed the bones, rather than fix them.
Quietly, Harry made his way to the nurse's office. Knocking quietly on the door, he entered her work area. "Madam Pomfrey?" He whispered.
In the next room, Harry heard movement. The adjoining door opened, and a dressing gown clad Madam Pomfrey appeared. "Mr. Potter!" she said in surprise. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" she asked irritably.
Harry gave her a smile. "Time for me to leave."
The nurse huffed and pouted a little, but Harry was adamant he was leaving. He thanked her and left, walking as quietly as possible, so as to not wake up the other occupant.
As Harry closed the door behind him, he thought back to the events of yesterday. Snuffles had not been too happy with him.
Harry watched dispassionately as Hermione, Ron and Ginny trudged despondently out of the hospital wing. Dumbledore gave him a disapproving look and also stood, taking Madam Pomfrey out of the ward with him. Cho and his canine godfather shared a look, before she also got up and left.
Sirius popped into his human form and looked down at his godson, now looking about six years old.
"That wasn't a very nice way to treat your friends, Harry." he said, his voice neutral.
"You think they are my friends? Hermione came charging in here demanding answers. Ron hardly said a word to me. Sure they were happy when I was reborn, but they abandoned me. I should just welcome them with open arms?"
"You did with Cho."
"That's different. Malfoy fed her lies about me killing Cedric. She loved me in her heart before she found out I was innocent. Hermione and Ron wanted me back in Azkaban before they knew I didn't kill Crabbe."
Sirius sighed and sat down. "So you are going to just punish them the way they punished you? By abandoning them? By ignoring them?"
Harry looked at his godfather. "You think that doing that makes me as bad as them."
Sirius shook his head. "I think that makes you less than them. Look, Hermione came in here demanding to know what had happened, right?"
Harry nodded. "Nice way of trying to patch up a friendship."
"Harry, most people are angry at those they love when they hurt or frighten them. When you died, Hermione and Ron and even Ginny were crushed. They knew you were innocent and that you had just given your life for them and the whole world. They knew they didn't deserve it. Then you pop up, a grin on your face, and piss on the nurse, like nothing happened."
Harry frowned. "So?"
Sirius sighed. "You scared them, Harry. You petrified them. For two hours until they were given the news of your death, they were outside crying and berating themselves."
Sirius stood and started pacing the length of the ward. "Then you appear alive as if it was all a joke, and they feel angry at you for it. If they didn't love you, they wouldn't be angry."
"Seems a strange way of showing love."
His godfather looked Harry in the eye. "You once scared your mother almost senseless. She was making an enormous pot of soup in the kitchen, when she was called out by James to give him a hand with something. She checked on you, and went to help him. You crawled into the kitchen."
Harry swallowed. As much as he loved stories about his parents, he wasn't sure he wanted to hear this.
"Your parents heard the pot of boiling soup crash to the kitchen floor, and then a scream. They ran out expecting to find you on the kitchen floor, burned and scalded, probably fatally. You looked up at them when they found you. You'd caused the pot to fall because you could smell what was inside and wanted to eat it. You actually summoned it, but it fell on the floor instead of you, on the other side of the room."
Harry blushed in shame. "I don't remember."
Sirius nodded. "Lily yelled at you for hours. You cried the whole time. Do you think your mother didn't love you?"
Harry shook his head, still blushing.
"Do you recall how I treated Remus when he figured out that I was innocent?"
Harry's eyes burned with tears. "Yes," he croaked.
"Your friends love you. They know they were wrong, and want to make it up to you. I'd suggest that they think that it will take a lifetime to do. Pushing them away from you is not going to make the past better, but it will make your future worse."
"I'd better go and apologise," Harry said, starting to get up.
Sirius held him down. "Not just yet. I want you to think on it. Apologise tomorrow."
"But, what if..."
"They aren't going anywhere Harry. Think on what your life would be like if you didn't have your friends."
Harry nodded and sat back in the bed, thinking hard.
Harry made his way through the empty corridors of Hogwarts. It had been over a year since he had walked this path, from the hospital wing to Gryffindor Tower.
All bemused at his thoughts, Harry was in front of the Fat Lady before he knew it. She looked up at his in surprise.
"Hello, dear. I haven't seen you for a long time."
"Hello. Um, I don't know the current password."
The Fat Lady smiled sadly at him. "Then I can't let you in, dear."
Harry frowned in thought, then smiled as he realised he didn't need to enter through the portrait. "That's OK, I'll get in another way. Thanks."
He ignored the painting's gasped objection, and made his way outside. He put the backpack down, and shimmered into his animagus form. The glowing red phoenix grasped the straps of the backpack and launched into the air.
Flying once again brought an exhilarating rush to him. Harry easily gained enough height to look into the windows of Gryffindor Tower. He located the sixth-year boy's dorm, Ron's snore easily identifiable to the incredibly sharp ears of the phoenix.
Harry tossed the backpack through the open window, and landed on the ledge. He strutted through the window and transformed.
A pang of homesickness flooded Harry as he surveyed the room. From Dean's non-moving soccer posters, to Ron's Chudley Cannon's orange decorations, everything in the room reminded Harry of all he had been denied.
Finally, he made his way over to Ron's bed. Harry gently shook Ron's shoulder.
"Geroff!" Ron mumbled, flaying his hands at the unwelcome intrusion. Harry persisted.
"What?" Ron asked, rolling over, his voice thick with sleep. "Harry?" he exclaimed at seeing his friend, sitting up abruptly in his bed.
"Shhh!" Harry said, holding up a finger to his lips. But it was too late.
Mumbled voices asking "What?" came from all over the dorm, followed by shouts of alarm. Dean and Seamus had leapt out of bed and were frantically searching for their wands. Neville had squeaked, but had his wand out and pointing it straight at Harry.
"Relax guys. It's OK. It's just me." Harry tried to calm them down.
Neville broke the stunned silence. "H-Harry? B-b-but you joined V-" he started.
Seamus and Dean had managed to finally get hold of their wands and had leapt out towards Harry with them extended. "Stupefy!" They yelled together.
Harry had been standing still in front of Ron's bed as the first syllable was uttered, but had ducked, rolled and launched himself at the pair by the time they'd finished the incantation.
Ron was hit by the pair of stunning spells, and immediately fell back in his bed unconscious. Harry had closed the distance between himself and Dean in a crouch. He spun and extended his leg, kicking in a wide, low circle. He struck on the side of Dean's right leg, slamming both his friend's ankles together and dropping Dean onto the floor.
Harry leapt up and grabbed Seamus' wrist, forcing it up, pointing his wand at the ceiling. Twisting deftly, the Irish wizard's wand dropped from nerveless fingers. Harry spun again, pulling on the captured wrist to put Seamus' body between himself and Neville, just in time for Neville's stunning spell to strike the middle of Seamus' back.
Harry tossed Seamus down onto Dean, knocking the wind out of his old friend. He quickly stooped, and scooped up both wands. Again, he moved sideways and rolled. Crossing both wands, Harry fired a stunning spell at both the dismayed Neville and the gasping Dean.
Harry stood slowly and let out a deep breath. "Bugger. That could have gone better." he said.
Ron woke suddenly, feeling a flood of energy flow through him. Harry stood over him, a smile on his face.
"Welcome back."
"What happened?"
Ron watched as Harry got off the bed and gestured towards the other three beds in the dorm. Ron looked around and saw his three dorm mates asleep in their beds. He looked questioningly at Harry. "Didn't they stun you?"
Harry shook his head. "I learned too much from Voldy's henchmen to be taken down by surprise. Hopefully, they'll wake up and think they had a dream."
Ron coughed. "Voldy?" he exclaimed. He then shook his head. "Don't bet on it." He looked into Harry's eyes. "Are you speaking to me now?"
Harry nodded bashfully and beckoned Ron to follow him downstairs to the common room.
Hermione, Ginny and Ron sat in one of the lush couches in front of the fire as the sun slowly rose. Harry sat in an armchair, facing the trio.
"I want to apologise for how I treated you yesterday. I-" he began.
"Oh, Harry." Ginny interrupted. "You have no need to apologise. It is the three of us who need to say sorry, for not believing in you."
Harry bit his lip and looked at his hands in his lap. "Sirius pointed out that when Remus figured out that he was innocent, he didn't spend time trying to punish him. They hugged and forgave each other straight away."
Suddenly, a crying young lady crashed into him, hugging him so hard he had trouble drawing breath. "H-Harry! I'm so sorry!" Hermione sobbed, her face buried in his chest.
Harry carefully put his arms around his friend, hugging her back. Two other pairs of arms encircled him and Hermione. "I thought about what it would be like to live my life without friends." said Harry, feeling totally at peace in the confines of the arms of his three friends. "Nothing would be worth doing if that was the price."
The four sat still for several minutes, softly crying at the relief of forgiveness and friendship.
None of them heard the portrait door swing open.
"Ah, Mr. and Miss. Weasley!" Professor McGonagall said. "Good to see you are up. The Fat Lady has informed me that someone looking like Mr. Potter has tried to gain entry to Gryffindor Tower. I would be-" her eyes widened as Hermione got off Harry and she saw who was sitting in the chair.
"Potter!" she exclaimed and whipped out her wand.
Harry rolled his eyes as his friends jumped in front of him, protecting him from his former head of house.
"Get out of the way, Granger, Weasley! Now!" McGonagall yelled.
"Do as she says, please." Harry told his friends.
Reluctantly, the three stepped aside, allowing Harry and Professor McGonagall to lock eyes.
"How did you get in here?" she demanded.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Do you mean 'in here' the common room, or 'in here' the school?"
The stern professor's lips pressed together tightly. "The common room first."
Harry nodded his head towards the boy's dormitories. "Through an open window into the sixth year boy's dorm."
"And how did you get to the window from the outside?" she demanded.
Harry grinned. "You'll love this." he said, and transformed.
Harry ruffled his feathers in front of the stunned professor and flew slowly towards her. He flared his wings just before reaching her and transformed back. Reaching out with one hand, Harry deftly removed Professor McGonagall's wand from her unresisting hand.
"How many OWLs would I have got for Transfiguration, do you think?" he asked cheekily.
Professor McGonagall blinked and stood statue-still, unable to speak. Harry silently offered her wand back. A shaking hand took it from him.
"H-h-h-" she stuttered.
"How?"
McGonagall nodded, still speechless.
"My father was an animagus too. He left me his notes magically stored in the parchment he wrote my letter on. I spent the ten months in Azkaban studying it."
The normally reserved professor gave a soft, startled scream and clutched her hand to her mouth. "He didn't register?" she exclaimed, in the tone of voice which suggested that Harry's father had committed genocide by not doing so.
Harry grinned, and heard Ron laugh behind him. "No, he did not." He turned and gave Ron a thumbs up.
He turned back to the Professor. "As for getting into the school, Professor Dumbledore brought me here. Voldemort almost killed me, but I managed to wipe out nearly all his Death Eaters before he ran."
Professor McGonagall had started to collect her wits before this announcement, but now stood staring at him, a look of profound confusion on her face.
Harry took her unresisting hand. "Come over to the fire, Professor. I'll explain everything once you are sitting down."
Professor McGonagall finally managed to shake off her confusion. "No, I think my office would be a better idea. We won't be interrupted there."
Harry nodded and turned back to his friends. "Why don't you guys get dressed and meet us in the Professor's office." They nodded and went up to their respective dorms. Harry again faced his former teacher. "There may be some people in the corridor at this time of morning. Do you mind if I travel on your shoulder?"
"Travel on my shoulder?" Professor McGonagall echoed, confused.
Harry smiled and transformed. One strong beat of his wings, and he settled on the stern teacher's right shoulder.
Professor McGonagall's hands trembled as she poured herself a stiff drink. With two large gulps, she tossed it down. Coughing a little, she turned back to her former student sitting in her office.
"You are the spy for the ministry who killed all those Death Eaters yesterday. You. My student." she said, trying to wrap her mind around the concept.
"Former student." Harry replied with a wry grin.
McGonagall swallowed and sat down. "I thought... When you left... I didn't..."
Harry leaned forward and took her trembling hands in his. "Professor. If Voldemort didn't show up that night, I would have gone with you. But we thought that if the Ministry found out I was innocent, they would probably keep it a secret and want me to infiltrate his inner circle."
McGonagall shook her head. "I would never condone an action that would put a student in such danger. I wouldn't let the Ministry do that."
Harry smiled. "I know. But when I told the headmaster 'This will fix things for everyone' I hoped he'd tell my, er, our mutual friend. To let him know that I was joining him to spy on the Death Eaters."
"Mutual friend? And before you said 'we thought' when talking about the Ministry. Who is this person?"
Harry smiled. "Someone who never doubted me."
Professor McGonagall tried her best to look stern. The effect was spoiled by her still trembling hands. "Their name, Mr. Potter. What is this person's name?"
Harry sat back and considered his response. He supposed it didn't matter, since Sirius was now in the custody of Mr. Weasley and would be presented to the aurors this morning. He would be given the opportunity to tell his story under veritaserum, and had Dumbledore at his side to testify for him.
"My godfather." he said.
A long pause. "Your godfather?" she finally shrieked.
Harry nodded. "You met him a bit over a year ago." he said slyly.
"Mr. Potter, Sirius Black is a murderer and a follower of You-know-who!"
Harry shook his head. "I just killed all but two of his followers, Sirius was never one of Voldemort's Death Eaters."
"He betrayed your parents! He was their secret keeper!"
Harry held up his hand. "Professor, please just listen." He waited until his former professor calmed down. "Sirius Black is currently in the custody of the Minister. Mr. Weasley is taking him to the aurors today, and will organise to give him a trial, something he was denied fifteen years ago."
"He's been captured?"
Harry smiled and shook his head. "No, he has given himself up now that his story can come out. He will be a free man by this evening."
"What? Free?"
Harry nodded. "He will exonerate himself, and implicate Peter Pettigrew."
"Peter? Peter died fifteen years ago."
"No, I broke Pettigrew's nose less than two days ago. Perhaps it would make more sense if you knew that Pettigrew's nickname is 'Wormtail'."
"Wormtail? That was the name of the Death Eater who helped Barty Crouch kidnap Alastor Moody."
Harry grinned broadly. "You remember. I told you that my father was an animagus, he was a stag. His nickname was 'Prongs'. Peter was also an animagus, he took the form of a rat. His nickname was, of course, 'Wormtail'."
"Peter didn't have the talent to become an animagus without help." McGonagall said.
"Do you remember who my father was friends with? Close friends I mean."
McGonagall nodded. "He hung around with Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black."
Harry raised his eyebrows. "What do they all have in common?"
A frown crossed the face of Professor McGonagall briefly, before her eyes shot wide open in realisation. "Sirius Black is an animagus too!"
Harry grinned and nodded. "Remember the end of the third task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, the big black dog Professor Dumbledore asked you to get from Hagrid's hut?" Harry watched as more realisation dawned in the professor's eyes. "The three of them would join Remus, or 'Moony', on his monthly excursions. They were able to keep control of him so he didn't hurt himself or others, and kept him company. Sirius and my father helped Pettigrew to become an animagus."
McGonagall looked even more shaken. "And how did you learn?"
Harry reached into his robes and extracted the guide. "Do you remember this?"
She nodded. "Your father's letter. You wanted to take it to Azkaban. I checked it for magic."
"It only works for people who are not already animagi."
McGonagall stared at him. "I gave you the means to learn to become an animagus?"
"Yes." he said simply.
A knock on the door interrupted them. McGonagall said, "Enter!" and Harry's Gryffindor friends entered.
Hermione looked as though she was about to burst into tears. "Harry!" she cried. "Something bad has happened to Sirius!"
Harry leapt out of his chair and grabbed the copy of the Daily Prophet from her hand.
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