Betrayal of the Best Kind
Hero
By Draco664
Hero
"Fancy meeting you here.", a dry voice whispered from behind.
Heart pounding, Harry squirmed all he could, but his attacker's grip was too strong.
Panicking, Harry lifted his right foot and slammed it down on his attacker's toes. He nodded his head forward before slamming it back hard enough to bring stars to his eyes. Harry felt his attacker's nose break under his assault. The arm holding him loosened enough for Harry to turn and shove the stranger away.
A tall, thin man crumpled to the floor, clutching his nose and cursing. "Nith to thee you too.", he said in a familiar voice.
"Sirius?", Harry exclaimed.
The man nodded. "I'd hade do thee how you welcomb an enemy, ib dith ith how you welcomb me."
"Sirius!", Harry yelled. He ran over and helped his godfather to his feet before embracing him. Sirius returned the hug with one hand, the other stopping blood from running onto Harry's already dirty robes.
"How did you escabe?", Sirius asked.
"I had help. Lie down and I'll fix your nose." Harry ordered.
Sirius didn't move. "Who? Who helbed?"
"You. Let me fix your nose, and that will answer your questions."
Frowning at Harry's cryptic answer, Sirius reluctantly lay down on the broken bed. He closed his eyes as the pain of his broken nose shot through his head. He felt Harry lean on him.
Something liquid fell on his nose, and the pain ceased. He could feel his nose reform and straighten. He let out a yelp of surprise and sat up.
Sitting on his lap was a magnificent phoenix. Its blood-red feathers almost glowed in the low light of the moon outside. Piercing green eyes regarded him thoughtfully. The phoenix tilted his head to one side, and winked. With a faint pop, Harry straddled his godfather's waist, grinning widely.
Sirius was speechless. He pushed Harry off him and stood up, legs shaking. "You, you..."
Harry gave him an innocent look. "Yes, Sirius?", he asked.
"That's impossible!" Sirius exclaimed.
"I'm fairly sure that other wizards have managed to become animals in the past, godfather mine. I even know someone who has done it."
"Not that Harry! Every animagi's other form is a normal animal. Until now, it was thought it was impossible for a wizard to change into a magical creature."
Harry eyes widened. "Sirius, you have to be kidding."
"Nope. It has never happened before."
Harry shrugged. "Well, no one will be able to find me then. A perfect disguise."
Sirius mentally shook himself. "How? I mean, I sure as hell didn't help you become an animagus."
Harry was still smiling. "Yes you did." He reached into his robes and extracted a large sheet of parchment. Silently he handed it to his godfather.
Sirius automatically took the sheet, and read the letter his best friend had written to the young man he considered his own son. Understanding dawned.
"The guide!", Sirius exclaimed in an excited whisper. "I thought this was destroyed when James and Lily... when they... when..." Sirius took a deep breath to hold back tears.
"I understand.", Harry said.
"That little sneak.", Sirius said. "He had already sent it to you. Wanted to make sure you got it, even if Lily disapproved. Ha. He wasn't as whipped as I thought."
"I guess it was just luck that they let me take it with me to Azkaban." Harry said.
"They let you take this with you?"
"Yeah. After they found me guilty," Harry sneered. "I asked if I could 'please take my father's letter with me'. They checked it for magic before sending it to me. Good idea, by the way, masking its magic. I doubt they'd have let me keep it if it was obviously magical."
"We didn't mask the magic, Harry."
Harry blinked in surprise. "Then how?"
Sirius frowned in thought. After a few seconds, his eyebrows shot up. "Harry, have you used the guide since you finished your transformation?"
"No, I haven't exactly had a great deal of free time since I escaped."
"Try it."
Harry took the guide from Sirius, and placed his hand on his heart. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." he said.
Nothing happened.
Harry frowned. Sirius grinned.
Harry gave his godfather an appraising look. "Let me guess." Harry started. "The magic only works for wizards who are not animagi."
"Your brain hasn't rotted while you were away. Good."
Harry smiled. "Professor McGonagall was the one to find and test it. She is already an animagus."
Sirius grabbed a chair and sat down. Folding up the guide he handed it back to his godson. "So, what made you choose a phoenix?"
Harry sat on the floor, and thought back. "Well, the guide taught me in the basic theory that you need to have intimate knowledge of the animal in question. I guess this is why no one has tried to become a magical creature. You need a thorough examination of the magical powers of the creature in question. I have been lucky enough to have seen Fawkes in action. My loyalty to Dumbledore was able to draw him to me. I have been healed a couple of times by him. Fawkes was even able to carry three students and a, ahem, 'professor', out of the Chamber of Secrets. I even got to watch him go through is rebirth."
Sirius' head snapped up. "You've seen a phoenix die? and get reborn?"
Harry nodded. "Scared the hell out of me, I can tell you. I was alone in Dumbledore's office, looking at this pathetic excuse of a bird when it just burst into flames. Dumbledore walked in at that moment, and I was afraid he'd hold me responsible for the destruction of his pet."
"What did he say?"
Harry snickered. "He said, 'About time!'".
Sirius laughed out loud. For the first time in nearly a year, he completely relaxed. Harry was safe and free. For the rest of the night, the pair shared stories of their adventures, deliberately ignoring the fact that they were the two most wanted men in the wizarding world.
It was almost morning before Harry finally got to sleep. Lying next to the only person who believed him made him feel safer than at any other time in his life. For the first time in months, Harry finally entered a dreamless slumber.
Summer, before fifth year
The summer sun was not able to penetrate the thick cloud cover overhead. Harry didn't mind. The last few days had been the most exhilarating he had ever had. He and Cho had spent most of every day together. Even when she had been required to work in her parent's shop, Harry had helped. Over both Cho's and her parent's objections, he had put on an apron and worked around the store. Cho stopped arguing when she realised that with Harry helping, her chores were done so much faster, which in turn meant more time with him. Harry had learned more from Cho's parents about the various magical compounds they sold than he had in four years of potions.
The pair had gone into Gringotts on the morning of the 28th for Harry to make a withdrawal. Cho clambered into the cart behind the goblin without hesitation. For long minutes, the cart sped down, deep into the earth, turning corners on two wheels. Cho stuck her torso over the side the whole way, yelling with excitement.
Despite himself, Harry had been awestruck. Cho's magnificent dark silky hair had streamed out behind her, her face alive with elation. She had looked absolutely beautiful.
Once back in Diagon Alley, Cho told Harry that she had always enjoyed travelling in the goblin's carts, ever since her father had taken her to her family's vault for the first time.
The rest of the day had been spent buying their school supplies and holding hands. Harry summoned enough nerve to tell Cho how her good-night kiss had made him feel. Much of that afternoon had been spent snogging in a secluded corner of a London park.
It was now the 30th. Harry had been invited to dinner with Cho's family the night before, and the discussion had ranged over many topics. One that came up was Cedric's funeral. Harry had been trapped at his relatives house at the time, and had been unable to attend. Cho's grandfather had offered to take them both to see Cedric's grave.
Harry felt guilty holding Cho's hand while standing at the grave of her friend. No matter how many times Cho told him that they had only been good friends, Harry couldn't bring himself to feel comfortable.
Silently understanding, Cho gave Harry a quick kiss on the cheek. "Take your time, Harry. I'll be waiting for you at the car. Slowly she walked away, leaving Harry alone to finally say his goodbyes.
He looked at the fresh grave. The headstone still gleamed, flowers from previous visitors still bloomed.
"Cedric. I, I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I've been beating myself up for the last couple of months with all sorts of 'what ifs'. What if I hadn't taken the cup, what if I'd taken it for myself. Even what if I'd forced you to take it alone.
"I admired you, you know. When your name was drawn from the Goblet first, I was glad you'd been chosen as Hogwarts' champion. After my name was drawn you were the only one who didn't make me feel unwanted. Fleur called me a little boy, and Krum just sneered at me. Madame Maxine thought it was a joke, heh, and Karkaroff would have strangled me if he could have got away with it.
"No one but Hermione and Dumbledore believed me when I said that I hadn't put my name in the Goblet. It was a hard time for me. Then after I found out that we would be going up against dragons, I knew that you would be the only competitor who wouldn't have advanced warning."
Harry stared at the sky and scratched at his neck. "After I managed to get you alone to warn you what we were going to be facing, you looked at me suspiciously. I actually thought then they you didn't understand what I'd said. If you'd seen the dragons, you'd sure as hell would have told anyone who was going to be facing them.
"It actually took me a long time to work up the courage to ask Cho to the Yule ball after that. Silly, isn't it. I was the one sorted into Gryffindor, but I was too scared to ask her. She told me that she was already going with you. I hated you then. I thought you were just another pretty boy." Harry closed his eyes. "I couldn't believe you had done that to me. I'd helped you with the task, and then you go and ask Cho to the ball."
Harry stood silently for a moment, listening to the bird calls.
"I spent the entire ball shooting daggers into you. I couldn't believe how much I hated you. It all seems so petty now. I was such a child, I couldn't understand that the two of you were just friends. I couldn't get my head round the fact.
"I almost didn't follow your advice. I just couldn't bring myself to give you any credibility. I'd told you straight out what we were going to face, and you told me to take a bath. Didn't seem to be a fair trade at the time.
"Myrtle helped, of course. She told me she liked to spy on the prefects as they were in the bath. Ha. I almost swallowed a ton of water when she showed herself." Harry smiled at the memory. "I almost got caught going back to Gryffindor Tower. Snape was angry enough to have me expelled on the spot. I'll bet that had never happened to you.
"I didn't even manage to figure out how to complete the second task. Dobby woke me and gave me some Gillyweed he'd pilfered from Snape's cupboard. By the time I'd got to the bottom of the lake, I'd convinced myself that I'd get the task finished. Until I saw all my friends. Looking back, I'm not sure which of Ron, Hermione or Cho I'd miss most if they were gone. I guess that was easy for the rest of you.
"The third task was just weird. I was proud to be starting with you. When we crossed wands and wished each other luck before heading down separate paths, I felt like I belonged for the first time. Didn't work out that way though. By the time we battled the spider at the end of the maze you had gone through far more than I did.
"There's another reason I didn't deserve to win. Hagrid and Crouch helped me with the first task. You, Myrtle and Dobby helped me with the second. Crouch told me he had hexed and cursed many obstacles out of my way during the last task. I doubt that without help, I'd have been able to complete any of the tasks, yet you managed to complete all three.
"You didn't get to witness what happened after we took the cup. It was a nightmare. Your worst enemy being reborn in front of you, using your blood to do it. Cho has theorised that the psychological effect of having my own blood used makes my subconscious believe that it is my fault. Trust a ravenclaw to use logic to help make nightmares go away.
"I'd had a nightmare nearly every night since the last task, unless I was completely exhausted. Cho has helped me, and I haven't had one in nearly a week. In nearly all of them, you would stand in front of me and tell me that I'm to blame, that I killed you. She made me see that you didn't blame me. That when your shade came out of Voldemort's wand you didn't berate me, or say it was my fault. You helped me, you fought to keep the Death Eaters and Voldemort off me, asking only that I try to bring your body back to your parents in return."
Tears were running down Harry's cheeks. "Your parents. God, how I was afraid to face them. For a couple who had just lost their son, they were more gentle and supportive of me than I felt I deserved."
Harry crouched down to touch the earth on top of Cedric's grave. "I needed to come here for a reason. I need to tell you that you will not be forgotten. I swear to you on the lives of my children and their children. Not while anyone of my blood lives. You will always be remembered, and honoured."
Harry stood, and looked at the inscription on Cedric's headstone.
Son, Friend, Champion
"I hope you don't mind, Cedric, but there is something missing." Harry drew his wand, and etched a single word at the bottom of Cedric's epitaph.
"Goodbye, Cedric. May your sacrifice not have been in vain."
Harry turned and walked slowly to where Cho and her Grandfather waited.
Son, Friend, Champion
Hero
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A/N
Fallen Dragon I'm glad you are enjoying it. I'll hopefully be updating every couple of days.
Gryphnwng Good boy. Sit. Stay. No more sugar. Just for you, I'll try to keep it down to one cliff-hanger per chapter...
katrina Thanks, and well done! I wanted to put one hint in before revealing what Harry's form was. 10 points to your house.
Kim Not my wife. She has the distinction of being the only person I know to have found an spelling error in a dictionary. True! I'm truely glad you are enjoying my fic.