Interwoven

In the dim and cold Chamber of Death, where its echoes of silence could be heard all around, but furthermore the murmerings of the veil in the center of the room, its whispers beckoning all to come closer.

In front of it kneeled a sole figure, one Harriet Aquila Lilian Potter-Black Peverell.

Furiously writing her latest findings upon a piece of parchement, she stared at it for a moment, before her forever youthful  face frowned in frustration, and she once more crumpled it into a ball and trew it towards a mountain of its predecessors behind her. 

It was a wonder she even had place to walk around, what with the countless bits of parchment and books she had laying around the room.

This room has been her torment and unending purgatory over the years, she doesn’t even know how long its been now, since she decided to stop gracing her presence to the public. 

It was after Teddy’s death when she had officially closed herself in the the chamber, located deep within the Department of Mysteries. It could have been a century or more, she didn’t care, for time was meaningless to her now.

Death made it certain for her, here, she grabbed at the front of her chest, where her heart was located, where she knew the mark laid upon it, forever reminding her that she could not be separated from the being, who calls her their beloved Mistress in fondness, but also derision. 

Even now she felt their presence, but within the veil now, Death was always gazing at her,  awaiting for something. 

Something she cares not for, for her sole focus is upon only one thing now.

Finding Sirius. 

Even through all these years, she still blamed herself for what had happened to him, him and the others of course, but furthermost- him. 

Her papa.

Her eyes then turned towards it, the core source of her grief and suffering, but also hope . 

The translucent fabric of it then rippled upon having her attention, at the sight of it , her mind once more turned into a labyrinth of thoughts and memories. Something that would have sent her into another depressing spiral, but not this time.

She didn’t feel anything then, but perhaps- a sense of resolve.

“One last ditch then,” Harriet then exhaled in thought, a cold determination then settled over her, for there was only one path left now, a final gamble one could say.

A twisted smile then formed on her lips, standing up, she then walked towards the veil.

Standing in front of it, she closed her eyes after she felt a familiar cold graze upon her face, before she nonverbally set the Killing Curse on herself, the familiar colour of poisoned green then engulfed her vision, even with her eyes being closed, before fell into the awaiting arms of the dark Abyss beyond.

Before Harriet opened her eyes, once more expecting death to put her back where she was before, once more whole to their liking- but there something different now, for a thick smell of pollution hit her nose, and a cacophony of sounds  reached her ears, making her grimace at it all, for her senses were heightened compared to a normal person, even her own kind. 

Finally opening her eyes, she sees that she is stood in the center  of a bustling city street. By the sounds of the accents surrounding her, she deduces that she is in America. 

Walking over to a nearby Newspaper stand, she then sees that it is the year 1993, which has her widening her eyes for a fraction.

“You buying anything?” The harried looking man behind the stand then rudely asks her with a frown, and seeing her shake her head, he then dismisses her with a huff. 

But it didn’t concern her in the slightest, for her mind then froze on one thought-

‘Could Sirius be here?’ She thought, with the bitter taste of hope once more reaching her throat. 

If he was, then she would find him, she wouldn’t let this chance slip her away. 

Not again.

John was twelve, a little grown, but still frightened as before. 

And he was in the Red Room again.

The light of the room glowed dimly as always, it painted scary shadows in the rooms, he sometimes sees it move- and often times to him, like how it would when he would have a nightmare…he had a lot of those.

Most of the dreams, weren’t really dreams but what had happened to him, before, during the tests the doctors put him through.

They hurt a lot. And when he would ask them to stop it, they never did, no one seemed to care if he was hurt…

They would always tell him that it’ll be alright, and that he is doing this for the better, to make the world better, or whatever it was they would say…

But well, the day was getting rather late, which means that the last of the people working from outside, the janitor he thinks, would be leaving by now. 

But something strange happened when the door had closed after the whistling man, his door, he realised- it wasn’t as closed up as it would normally be…Was this another test then? He thought in alarm, all the while he bit his lip.

His heart was pounding quickly in his chest then…especially when he felt the ghostly pains of the burning feeling from before…fear filled him then, his body quivered in response to it, which he tried to stop it from doing, but it didn’t stop, until he finally reached a shaky hand towards the door, expecting something to happen, a punishment most especially of some kind, but even then- John was just too curious to see if it was really open…

He wanted to see what the outside world looked like…if it was like those movies had shown!

He moved cautiously after he opened the door, but not before he went back for his ratty blue Vought blanket.

He heard the usual hum of the machines from before in the room outside of his own, where the doctors would sit and write down stuff in their notebooks or the like, but well John’s attention wasn’t on that in the moment, no, it was on the lift at the end of the hallway in front of him.

His pace then quickened towards it, all the while he glanced at his shoulder to make sure no one was there, even though his hearing did not detect any movement or breathing in the place, it was empty. 

Pressing the button, a soft ding then echoid in the silence of the room, and the doors of the lift then opened a moment after, which he quickly stepped into with a gulp of nervousness, for what he was about to do- he was going outside!

A part of him, the more frightend part of him, yelled at him not to do it, that he would disappoint them. But the other part, the adventurous part of him won, for he really wanted to see if the outside world was as all those American movies had shown.

Especially about New York!

With a shaky finger he then pressed for somewhere in the middle of the building, which he hopes wouldn’t have much people around, that might notice him…he would make it quick, it was just a look! He then excitedly told himself, all the while he then waited for the doors to the lift to open to the other level then.

And with nervousness he then stepped outside the lift after it opened, using his senses, he then realised that no one was around, except for the floors completely downstairs somewhere, but it didn’t matter, for he then quickly searched for the toilets.

He was going to escape from there and fly!

Squeezing through the opening of the small window, all the while his heart pounded away in his chest, he then awkwardly tumbled from the ledge, before he got a hold of himself and finally, flew!

It was amazing! He felt free like the birds he glanced at from beside him, who only greeted him with a chirp.

He couldn’t believe it, he was outside!

His rather long hair kept on fluttering in his face, but John didn’t care, for he was really outside! 

The sky was beautiful. It was everything he imagined it to be!

And with newfound energy, he then spread his arms out and launched himself even more into the air.

He giggled then, completely exhilarated by the rush he then felt.

And then he saw it- the Big Apple!

The city stretched out below him, it was big, he noticed in awe.

So many towers, or well skyscrapers as they’re called. 

He saw tiny dots moving around the city, people.

There were so many people, even at this time of the day…

He then moved closer towards a spot where there wasn’t as much people than in the other places, which was good, seeing as he didn’t want to let them see him fly, not yet. He thought, for it wasn’t the time yet until he would officially make his debut, as mister Edgar had once told him in passing, the man scared him the most, what with his knowing and stern gaze…

But well, he wouldn’t think of that man now, for he was really in New York now! He realised, all the while he walked on the streets and gazed around the city with wide eyes.

But then, when he krept closer to the center, he then noticed the noise, and most especially the sheer volume of the people around him, who were bypassing him, but also pushing into him, without any apology- as though he was nothing.

People were swarming everywhere…it was getting a bit too much, panic then welled inside him, he felt his chest suddenly tighten, it hurt.

But furthermore, he felt like he was drowning…

The world, which seemed exciting before, then seemed to close in around him in this moment then, he was panicking.

And no one noticed, nor did they care if they did.

Then, amidst it all, a voice then suddenly pierced through it all, it was a woman’s voice.

“...Breathe, come on, love. It’s alright,” He heard the woman softly say, it calmed him, and like a lifeline, John gripped on it.

He then felt a soft touch on his back, it felt alien to him, but the movements were gentle, every circular movement slow as before, and gradually- the world then came back into focus, and he then found himself staring into a pair of the most prettiest green eyes ever.

Not that it was the only pretty thing he noticed, he then realised with a blush, especially by how close she was to him- she was really pretty.

His angel. For she must be! He always wished for one to help him, to save him…And now here she was! He then thought in awe, all the while his eyes gazed at her soft looking dark curly hair, and bright smile, she looked to be in her 20s? He thought. 

She really was pretty, very pretty. And her voice as well. It sounded very warm, but also accented? 

She was from England he then realised, seeing as he heard of a similar funny then accent, but she really sounded pretty.

He then realised that she was talking to him.

“Good job, see? It’s alright, isn’t it?” She then told him, her expression was kind, and also understanding, it made him feel at ease.

But also good, at her praise of him, which he blushed even more at.

So he then simply nodded to her, tongue tied.

“I’m Harry, what’s your name, love?” She then asked him, and his heart then stuttered at the term of endearment- love.

“I-I’m John.” He then shyly answered, which the woman, his angel,  Harry, then smiled at. 

She had a very pretty smile.He thought with a small smile of his own then.

“Well, well met, John, are you here with your parents?” She then asked him, which made him then freeze on the spot then, before he answered her truthfully, seeing as he felt safe around her, and he felt that she wouldn’t send him back to the labs.

So he then shook his head, which she gave a small smile in answer to him then, her eyes, he realised, seemed to be full of understanding then, which John’s heart pounded at. 

She understood?

How?

But before he could ask, he was then surprised by her next question.

“Alright then, that’s alright. But well, are you hungry ?” 

And John’s stomach then seemed to grumble in answer for him, which made him look at the ground in embarrassment then, toeing his white shoes on the ground.

He then nodded.

Something then hung around him, it was warm.

Quickly looking up, he then realised that it was some kind of dark cloak, it was soft, and light. He then realised in awe.

“There, now, shall we search for a good place to eat? I’m a bit new in the area,” Harry then chuckled, which made John quickly look at her in surprise then, at the sound of it, for it sounded really nice, but also her kindness.

John wasn’t used to such a thing…

“Thank you.” He then softly said, all the while he felt his eyes the tear because of the simple action of kindness  from her.

Which must not be much to her, but to him?

It was everything.

And she didn’t mock him for it as well, his supposed weakness, as he would sometimes hear the doctors whisper to themselves in amusement, all the while they did their horrible tests on him.

No, she was kind, and gentle. 

Especially now, as she gathered him in her arms, and told him that it’s alright, which made him curl into her arms then.

He then realised with a start that she picked him up, and that they were walking to a straight direction then, while he knew that he was quite smaller than her, he was still surprised that she could pick him up.

“...Aren’t I heavy?” He then curiously asked her, his blue eyes meeting her green ones, all the while he rubbed the stray tears from his eyes with one arm which hung beneath the dark and comfy cloak that she gave him.

“Not at all, don’t you worry, I’m quite strong, you know.” She then told him with a wink, which he smiled at then in wonder.

He didn’t remember the last time someone willingly picked him up…which was never really, now that he thought about it, nor did they cradle him towards them so protectively as Harry did right now, which he blushed at.

It felt good.

And laying in her arms right now, while looking at the people and places around them- John didn’t feel as scared as before.

“Ooh I see a pancake place over there, shall we go?” Harry then asked him with a smile, which startled John a bit, before he looked at the place she was pointing to- a pancake restaurant, as the place suggested.

It looked nice. 

And he never really had pancakes before, he only ever saw them on the movies, which the people within them seemed to really like, and being curious about the taste of them, he then shyly nodded his acceptance to Harry.

His angel.