A glimpse of hope
Many news articles had been spread throughout the Daily Prophet, Quibbler, and many more; nobody had heard any official news about Harry Potter or his current location; just people were speculating here and there. It has been weeks since the boy who-lived was supposed to show up at Hogwarts and expand his learning of magic.
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“James!” Esther calls out, shutting the front door behind her and taking off her coat and shoes. A small boy comes thumping down the stairs. “Hey Miss Lewis,” he greets her, taking the shopping bags and taking them in the kitchen. “I got those pancakes you like,” she tells him, putting on the kettle for some tea. "Thanks, ma’am, I really appreciate the he-" "What have I told you? It’s really no worry. What would I need a second house for? I'm just glad someone can put this old place to use.” She cuts him off, ruffling his hair, then pours 2 cups of tea. “How have you been? Practising more?” She asks, "Good, and yeah, the library upstairs is really helpful, but how can I practice magic without people being notified?” He questions bringing over chocolate digestives to her, “Thanks, lovey, my family had wards on this house; I just never took them down." After half an hour of talking, tea drunk, and biscuits eaten, Esther stands up and says, “I’d best be off. Be careful, yeah? You know where to find me if you need me. See you next week, James." “Goodbye, Miss Lewis,” he bids her goodbye and shuts the door behind her.
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In Dumbledore’s office, the old man is sitting behind his messy wooden desk, stroking Fawkes. He had spent the day trying to track Harry Potter down and see whether he had been spotted anywhere across the world, but there was no sign. He’d not long ago realised the reason he couldn’t pinpoint the boy's location and it was due to some very strong wards, making Albus confident someone was harbouring the boy, but he questioned who was helping him and if no one was involved how had he learned such magic when he spent his childhood with a family trying to stamp it out?
Everything has been a mess at Hogwarts: constant chatter between the students, people trying to guess where and what happened to Harry Potter, and others spending their days in the library looking for spells to help find him. “Maybe he doesn't want to be found,” says Luna, a Ravenclaw student, dreamily. “What if he’s been kidnapped? Has anyone spoken to his family?” someone else claims. The teachers are also clueless, but what could they do about it?
Many meetings between the Order have taken place; each of them get sent out at a time to search for him, but none of them have even seen a glimpse of him yet. Remus Lupin is trying to figure out a way to tell Sirius his only godson is missing. He’s also trying to puzzle information together to prove that his lover is in fact innocent, but he doesn’t have enough to take him to stand trial yet.
It was 1 o’clock on a Tuesday afternoon and Minvera, Severus, Alastor, Kingsley and Remus were sitting around the table, Moody giving out orders to each of them. Remus was scheduled to search an area of London at 4pm, he was practically falling asleep in the rickety old chair, he’d been getting hardly any sleep trying to find Harry and save Sirius but yet there he was. “You look practically dead Lupin, you want me to take your search today?” asks Shacklebolt, nudging him to grab his attention, he sits up straight groaning “no, no it’s fine i want to do it, i have to find him” in his mind all he can think about is his best friends hold their newborn, he doesn’t even know what Harry looks like anymore.
When the clock hits 4 Remus grabs his jacket and slips out the front door, making his way down to a market in London. It’s heaving with people when he gets there, people talking, buying items and cars honking. It is one of the worst places for someone with sensitive hearing like Remus but he’s doing this for James and Lily, he can’t fail them. After a few minutes of searching for something, a sign, anything he takes a minute to just wander through the market. He finds a stall selling CD’s, records, record players and spots one of David Bowie and he just knows he has to get it, old but happy memories playing in his head.
The young man hands over the bag with the record in, giving him a smile an small “thanks” Remus nods his head at the guy and turns away to spot a head of curly black hair he gasps sprinting after him, the boy turns around and Remus gets a good look at his face, tan brown skin, brown eyes hidden behind round framed glasses, it was him. He had found Harry Potter.
Remus realises that Harry must have spotted him staring at him and walked a bit faster and turned into a run. He sprints after him muttering sorry here and there to the people he bumped into, he’s almost caught up to him “excuse me, can i get through, thank you” he stops in his tracks, Harry had managed to slip away. “Shit” he frustratedly yells, wanting to cry and scream at the same time.
Apparating back to the Black house, he sits down at the table sighing. Everyone is chatting amongst themselves “I saw him” the chatter instantly stops. “what?” asks Mcgonagall, “i saw Harry, he slipped away but i saw him” tears dance across his vision, he stands and retreats up the stairs and going into a bedroom labelled ‘Sirius Black’ he lays down on the bed and stares at the ceiling, lost in thought.