Recovery
Darkness.
The endless expanse.
An all-consuming void.
Harry felt himself floating in that darkness, for how long he didn't know. But slowly, he began to feel his senses return. He could feel his chest rise and fall with his breathing. He heard voices, but couldn't make out the words. They were distant, hollow, mixed in with furious screaming.
His mind tried to remember what happened before he was lost in this quagmire of oblivion. He remembered a graveyard... Death Eaters... Pettigrew... and Voldemort.
The Dark Blighter had somehow returned.
He wanted to capture Hermione to hurt him.
He wouldn't let them do it.
He fought the bastard.
He nearly won.
He had to flee.
But he captured Pettigrew.
Even in the darkness, Harry could feel satisfaction from that knowledge. Sirius would be proven innocent. Nobody could stop that.
"... recovering..."
'Wait...'
"... magical core was nearly...."
'Those voices...'
"... don't know where the armour went..."
'They're close by...'
"He'll be ready to wake up...."
'I need to find Hermione...'
Harry wasn't sure where he was anymore, but he knew one thing: he was awake. He could only see blurs at the moment, but his eyes were already beginning to adjust. As he looked up, he realized it was the familiar ceiling of the Hospital Wing. Odds were, he was even in his 'Official Recovery Bed.' At least he would assume that were it not for the warm feeling beside him.
Looking down, he was greeted by the sight of bushy brown hair, and the familiar scent of vanilla. Smiling, he reached up and ran his fingers through the familiar locks, causing their owner to stir from her slumber.
"Harry?" Hermione asked quietly, looking up at him with joy and relief in her eyes.
"Hello, love." Harry smiled as he said this, and fought a flinch as he heard a familiar voice in his head.
"MASTER! You're awake! We feared the worst."
Harry offered a slight grunt in response, letting Gnarl know he heard him, but drawing concerned looks from Hermione.
"Are you OK? Should I grab Madam Pomfrey?"
Harry waved off her concerns. "I'm alright, Hermione. Just... feeling a little stiff. How long have I been here?"
"Three days, pup."
Harry and Hermione turned their heads to the source of the voice and saw Sirius Black sitting on a bed directly across from Harry. He looked... healthy. Much more than when he last saw him. He was wearing clean robes, trimmed his hair and beard, and looked all around much better than Harry remembered. He was also grinning cheekily at the sight before him.
"Sirius?" Harry felt hope in his heart when he realized his godfather was sitting there, without worry of being seen.
His godfather nodded, pride shining like the sun from his features. "You got him, Harry. You captured Peter."
"Does that mean...?"
Sirius nodded in response. "I've received a full pardon from the Ministry. I'm officially a free and innocent man." He was smiling at those words, but there was something else behind his eyes. Something that was worrying Harry.
Before he could press the issue, however, the doors to the Hospital Wing opened, revealing Madam Pomfrey as she led Andi, Nymphadora, and Remus inside. Pomfrey took one look at Harry before sighing heavily. "Miss Granger, how many times must I tell you? A young woman exposed to the Cruciatus as much as you were shouldn't be moving about freely."
Harry's eyes widened at her words, while Hermione winced and wrapped her arms around him tightly, refusing to let him go. Wrapping an arm around her in response, he spoke quietly, with a voice closer to the growl of an angry dragon than a human.
"Who did this?"
Startled by Harry's voice, Hermione blinked in surprise, while Sirius had a dark look as he answered. "Corban Yaxley, an Auror and Death Eater."
"Where. Is. He?" Harry's rage was building, remembering how he felt with Voldemort's words. They'd planned to use her against him, and in the process, she'd been hurt. Badly, it seemed. No way in HELL would he allow the bastard responsible to escape him.
"Relax, Harrikins." Nymphadora was smirking as she spoke. "The bugger's in custody already. Your girl here hit him in the chest with a Lightning spell."
When Harry looked at Hermione in surprise, she smiled shyly. "You did a good job teaching me."
Nymphadora grinned. "That's putting it lightly. The bastard was in rough shape since her spell cooked most of the organs in his chest, and Padfoot tore off his hand."
Harry blinked in surprise before looking between Sirius and Nymphadora for any signs of an explanation. Sirius merely grinned sheepishly, while Nymphadora looked smug. Any further talks were interrupted by Madam Pomfrey fussing over Harry and Hermione.
"Hmm... well, Mr.Potter, your magical core seems to be recovering nicely, though I recommend avoiding using complex spells for the next few days. They could be overly taxing on you. As for you Miss Granger, you'll still need to take your potions, but the worst of it is past."
Satisfied with her findings, Pomfrey walked back to her office to gather the requisite potions for her patients, leaving the others to continue their talk.
"So, what's this about Padfoot tearing off a man's hand?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow, looking between Sirius who looked sheepish, and Hermione who looked grateful.
"Well, I was still a wanted man, so I couldn't exactly risk anyone seeing me. Plus, doesn't matter how skilled a wizard thinks he is, nobody wants to get bitten by a dog as big as Padfoot."
"It was very brave, Sirius."
"But what happened after I went into the maze?"
Hermione sighed. "The last thing I remember seeing before falling under the Imperius was your dragon Patronus. After that, I came too halfway between the stadium and the front gates of the school." Hermione shivered at the memory. "That was when the Death Eater, Yaxley, revealed himself. He tried getting me to come with him. I fought back, and he used the Cruciatus on me."
"I heard the fighting and came running. I took a good chunk out of his arm before his hand came off, after which Hermione hit him with the Lightning Bolt. Amy tried getting the Task cancelled afterwards, but by then you had already reached the Cup."
Harry listened intently, taking all this information in. "During the Task, Krum came under the Imperius, and someone blocked us from signalling for help. Could it have been Yaxley?"
Andromeda took this opportunity to answer. "No, Harry, it was another Death Eater, the same one who put your name in the Goblet of Fire and murdered Barty Crouch Sr."
"Who?"
"Barty Crouch Junior." Andromeda practically spat the last part out, drawing confused looks from Harry.
"But... he died in Azkaban."
"It seems Barty and his wife helped break Junior out, with Junior's sickly mother taking her son's place and dying in Azkaban." Andromeda could barely restrain the venom in her voice. "The bastard kept his murderous brat under Imperius ever since, but he broke free thanks to his master, Voldemort. He's the one who entered your name, planning to use the Tournament as a trap. And we fell for it." Andy's face was tense, and her knuckles turned white as she clenched her hands in fists.
"How did nobody notice a presumed dead man walking around? With all the security around this bloody Tournament, how did nobody find him, even by chance?"
Harry was confused by this information. While the Tournament hardly received the same kind of security Hogwarts did after Sirius' escape, the Aurors hadn't exactly been idle. But rather than respond, Remus simply withdrew his wand and pointed it at one of the drawn curtains, pulling them back and revealing... an emaciated man, missing a leg, large patches of hair missing from his head and a very familiar face.
"Is... isn't that...?"
"Alastor Moody. The REAL Alastor Moody." Harry looked at Remus in shock. "Junior was using Polyjuice to disguise himself the entire school year. Whatever you did before returning, Harry, it dispelled the Polyjuice, and Junior turned back in front of everyone. Madam Bones was furious."
Nymphadora snorted. "That's putting it lightly. Especially after Fudge..." She trailed off, looking uncertain if she should say.
"What? What did Fudge do?" At Harry's question, the adults collectively shared a look, before Remus gave Nymphadora a nod, encouraging her to continue.
"Well, after you got back, you beat Pettigrew's face to a bloody pulp, told everyone Voldemort was back, and passed out. After that, Fudge went back to the Ministry, and...
"YOU IDIOT!!" Amelia roared at Fudge, who promptly took a step back, shocked and terrified by the look of unrestrained fury on the normally stoic Bones.
"A-Amelia! How dare you-!" The words died in Fudge's throat as Amelia's glare intensified.
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE!?!?" Amelia pointed to the Dementor floating in the distance, kept at bay only thanks to the Ministry control collars. "Bringing a Dementor into Hogwarts is bad enough but having it kiss two prisoners!? BEFORE THEY'VE EVEN BEEN QUESTIONED!?!?" Amelia's fury radiated off her like a towering Fiendfyre inferno, leaving Fudge with an intense desire to return to his office and cower under the desk.
"J-Junior was an Azkaban escapee! By law, he had to be Kissed!"
"And Pettigrew!? What crime was he convicted of!?" Fudge didn't say anything. "A supposedly dead man all of a sudden appears alive, and your first thought was to have him Kissed!?" Still, nothing, which only served to infuriate Amelia even more as she pressed on. "Well, since we now know Sirius didn't murder Pettigrew, I imagine you'll soon be preparing a pardon for the man."
That got a reaction. "Absolutely not! Sirius Black is a convicted mass murderer! Not to mention he's another Azkaban escapee!"
Amelia's eyes narrowed at Fudge. "He was never convicted, Cornelius. He was thrown into Azkaban without trial, for crimes we can now reasonably assume he did not commit. ESPECIALLY since the man you had Kissed bears the Dark Mark."
Fudge bristled at the mention of the Mark, hissing under his breath, "He is not back! Dumbledore and that boy are delusional! He can't be back!"
Amelia looked annoyed at Fudge, never having brought up Harry's claims of Voldemort's return. Whether she believed them or not, Fudge's' attitude hinted at something far worse under the surface than mere incompetence. With her patience running thin, Amelia decided to make this as simple as possible.
"Minister Fudge," she began, her voice cold as ice and harder than steel, "let me make things perfectly clear for you. You are currently responsible for the execution of a man presumed dead at the hands of Sirius Black, a man who has never been convicted of a crime, and all but advocated for his extrajudicial execution. The same man who holds the primary claim to a Lordship your biggest supporter hopes to secure for his son."
Fudge stiffened at her words, reminded of the legion of reporters he had barely managed to fend off long enough to secure his seat as a judge.
"Now, you have two options. One: you sign an official pardon for all crimes Sirius Black has been accused of, or two: I call for a vote of No-Confidence in your government, and launch an investigation that, best case scenario, leaves you looking like a fool, or worst case, sees you in Azkaban. What's it going to be?"
"Speaking of which," Sirius reached into his robes and withdrew a sheet of parchment, carrying the seal of the Ministry, and Fudge's signature. "This little document makes it official. I'm a free and innocent man."
Harry grinned at the sight, feeling hope spike in his chest. "Does that mean I don't have to return to the Dursleys?" The smile that had dominated Sirius' face faded, giving way to a frustrated look, while Andromeda, sitting on a chair next to Harry, huffed in clear anger. That same hope began to feel strangled until Andromeda spoke up.
"Dumbledore, in his self-professed wisdom, thinks you should remain with the Dursleys..."
"WHAT!?" Harry's voice cut her off before she could continue.
"Yeah, Mum and Sirius had the same reaction." Nymphadora snickered at the memory, drawing confused looks from Harry.
"And... I take it they argued with him."
"For almost a full night. It was actually pretty impressive. Didn't know my Mum knew that many swear words."
"Nymphadora!" Andromeda called out.
"I wrote a few of them down so I wouldn't forget."
"Ohh, can I see them?"
"Sirius!"
"I was hoping Hermoine could tell me what they meant first."
"Don't you dare!"
Harry had tuned out the conversation, resting his head back as he ran his fingers through Hermione's hair. He had hoped this was his chance to finally get away from the Dursleys, now that Sirius was free. He didn't understand why Dumbledore was so insistent on him going back. With a huff, he spoke up.
"What exactly is his reasoning for sending me back?"
"According to him, the house is protected by blood-wards that offer a strong enough form of protection that even Voldemort can't counter," Remus spoke up, seeing that Sirius and Andromeda were distracted by Nymphadora. "These wards were set up by Lily, and even he doesn't fully understand how they work, or how to replicate them."
"And with Voldemort and the Death Eaters on the loose, he's saying it's the safest option for me?"
Sirius spoke up. "Only until I can ensure the wards on any Black property are comparable. My childhood home is a doxy paradise at the moment, but my father installed plenty of wards, I just don't know how they match up."
Harry listened to Sirius, pondering the information in his head. He wanted desperately to escape the Dursleys, but if these blood-wards were strong enough to protect him... how did the Potter properties match up? He wanted to know, and part of him wanted desperately to say 'Bugger all!' and go to Potter Manor, where Gnarl says his father was raised. But after everything that had happened, he wasn't entirely sure what steps to take next. At least not until Gnarl spoke again.
"Sire, while I may prefer you return to your birthright as soon as possible, nothing Dumbledore or the Dursleys do can prevent us from answering your call."
That... was something. Even if he was stuck with the Dursleys, he wouldn't be completely helpless. Which meant...
"How long?" Harry spoke so suddenly that he drew surprised looks from the adults. When no answer came, he looked at Sirius. "How long do you need to get your affairs in order?"
Sirius scratched the back of his head. "I... don't know. Between the state of the house and everything I'll have to deal with at Gringotts... I honestly don't know." Sirius had a determined look as he leaned forward. "But I do know this. In the absolute worst-case scenario, the longest you'll have to tolerate them is until your birthday. I don't care if I have to bite Dumbledore in the arse, that is the longest you will be with them."
Sighing, Harry leaned back, running his fingers through Hermione's hair again. "Well, I've been wanting to get away from them for years now. I can wait a few months. Besides," he continued, looking at Sirius and Remus with a Maruader-worthy grin. "I'm sure I can find some way of making them bearable."
Sirius and Remus saw the grin on Harry's face and were reminded of their childhood friend. Seeing it, they almost felt pity for the Dursleys. Almost.
Before anyone else could respond, Pomfrey arrived, levitating two trays of breakfast, one of which held a variety of potion bottles.
"If you're all finished, my patients need tending to."
With that, the others left to give Poppy time and space to fulfill her duties. She remained huffy about Hermione being curled up next to Harry, but decided against moving her, if only because she knew Hermione was liable to crawl back into bed with Harry the moment she turned around. So, with his girlfriend in his arms, Harry lay back and rested.
He was feeling good right now. Even with the idea of returning to the Dursleys looming over his head, he wasn't alone anymore. He had Sirius, who was getting his affairs in order after a decade in Azkaban. He had Hermione, his girlfriend, who he planned to meet over the summer. And most of all, he had the House Elves. With them, living with the Dursleys might very well be tolerable. He did, after all, have years of payback due, and he'd been in the same House as the twins, not to mention a prankster godfather.
So, with a kiss for his girlfriend, he dozed off, resting and recovering, as he planned his payback for the Dursleys.
After all, as Gnarl likes to say, the Potters will always find a way.
"RRRAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"