NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Don't Panic Ch4: A Sirius Reunion
Notes: Hopefully you're all enjoying the story, please do let me know your thoughts and suggestions. I'm especially interested in suggestions for Dobby's well-meaning but utterly chaotic antics. (The poor Westerosi won't know what hit them).
This Chapter: Our two powerful and allegedly sane wizards finally re-connect. It's heartwarming. We get some backstory on Sirius's experience. We learn why Sirius didn't ward the stinking latrines. Sirius is stunned by the frankly impossibly large Farm Trunk. Harry learns the Old Tongue. And Dobby helps a friendly Thenn Herbologist with her special project.
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Last Time: ...Sigvald went on to explain how Sirius had spent many moons searching for a way home, a quest that had taken him far and wide across the True North. That was the reason he still joined the hunts.
"Of course, even with his magic, Sirius is one of the worst hunters we have ever seen." Sigvald admitted with a fond smile. "Nonetheless, we allow him to join the hunts for the magical warmth he provides, along with his uplifting spirit, he can certainly brighten even the worst day of hunting."
...Sigvald clapped Harry on the back and suggested, "It seems a grand reunion is due! Sirius will return in just a few days. For now, perhaps you should seek rest and recover from your journey."
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Chapter 4: A Sirius Reunion
The morning of their fourth day in the village dawned crisp and clear, the first rays of the rising sun casting a soft golden light across the village. Sirius was due back today and Harry could hardly contain his excitement, pacing back and forth in front of the main gate as he waited for any sign of his long lost godfather. Dobby stood atop the wall, resplendent in his best socks as he also kept a lookout for Harry's godfather, his large eyes taking in the curious villagers who were beginning to go about their daily tasks.
A short while later, that felt like an eternity to Harry, the hunting party finally emerged from the tree line. There, amongst the men, was Sirius, trotting along unencumbered alongside the more successful hunters, lugging slain deer and rabbit carcases. He had an upbeat air about him, despite the fact that he had utterly failed to catch anything.
As the group approached the gatehouse, Harry couldn't hold it in, with a quick sonorous on his throat he called out to his godfather.
"Sirius! Sirius!" he waved both arms, his voice full of emotion.
Sirius's head snapped up at the sound of his name, and he did a double-take as a black-haired rocket sprinted across the clearing and slammed into him. He stumbled back a step in shock, his mind racing as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing. It couldn't be... how could it possibly be... it was his godson! And was that a house-elf standing on the wall?
"Harry?" Sirius breathed, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Is it really you?"
"It's really me, Sirius. I solemnly swear it" Harry replied, voice thick with emotion as he clung to his godfather. Tears welled up in both their eyes as they held each other tightly, the years of separation and the pain of loss not quite fading away even as they stood there, both clearly alive, in the warmth of their embrace.
Sirius pulled back slightly, looking Harry up and down with a mixture of wonder and disbelief. "What happened Harry? How did you get here?" he asked, his voice cracking.
That opened the floodgates, as Harry sputtered out a ten mile a minute summary of the intervening time since they were last together
"I won the war Sirius. We won. But after all that, I still lost. They never changed Sirius, and they wanted to blame all their failures on me. I had to run. I... I escaped through the Veil. Hermione had a theory... well. Anyway... it worked. And I found this new place. It's cold and wet but the people are nice. And now you're here!" he stopped to breath, having explained practically nothing, yet somehow summarised everything quite well.
Sirius was a bit muddled having tried to follow it all, but figured it was okay, he'd get a better explanation later.
"I caught the gist of that Harry and... and I'm sorry the wizarding world treated you so poorly... but I have to admit" he paused for effect and held Harry out in front of him to get at better look , "I'm so glad you're here! I missed you. Losing you was my greatest regret. I tried so hard to get back..." he paused again, still feeling a bit scarred by the grief of being stuck here, not being able to reach Harry, to protect him, despite his actual goal being right there in front of him.
Sirius took a moment to calm himself, then smiled. "We're going to have so much fun Harry. Have you met the village yet?" he asked putting an arm over Harry's shoulder and dragging him back to the gates.
"Of course you have, what am I saying?" he corrected himself. "Better question, have you had any of Marge's excellent soup yet?" he sprouted a broad grin at that. He'd been helping Marge get her herbs into all sorts of food since joining the Thenn. He may be lousy at hunting, but he liked to think that the Sirius/Marge partnership in hallucinogenic mayhem at least lifted the spirits at mealtime.
Meanwhile, the villagers watched the emotional rollercoaster of a reunion with a mix of curiosity and pleasure. They'd all grown close to Sirius, and Harry was such a nice young man, it felt right that they had each-other again, they clearly had a deep bond, and Sirius had always been a bit down about his lot in life, despite his otherwise boisterous presence. It looks like this is exactly what Sirius needed. And who knows, maybe Harry could convince Sirius to stop helping Marge put her Herbs in the food.
As Harry led Sirius through the gate and towards the tent, Sirius reached out and ruffled his godson's hair affectionately. "I can't believe you're really here, Harry," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you too," Harry replied, blinking back tears. "More than you can possibly imagine."
"Now show me your tent, and please, please tell me you have a proper shower in there!" Sirius added, lifting the mood a bit. Though he was quite serious about the wish for working plumbing. He'd also be thankful for a working toilet. He couldn't for the life of him remember the ward to prevent gasses or smells, which made using the village latrine a horrifying ordeal.
The villagers smiled warmly at the sight before getting back to their tasks for the day. Frankly everything was a lot easier these last few days, thanks to the 150 Children of the Forest puttering around town, or elves as they were now calling themselves. They seemed so strangely keen to help with all the daily chores.
There was so much more time left in the day for hobbies or relaxation. Dobby had even mentioned something about deckchairs, margheritas, whatever that was, and a temporary sunshine spell that had a few of them quite excited.
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Harry and Sirius settled into the cozy living area of the tent, the magical flames providing warmth and comfort. Eager to catch up on each other's lives, they began to exchange stories.
"So, tell me everything, Sirius. How have you been spending your time here?" Harry asked.
Sirius sighed, "Well, it's been an adventure, to say the least" a small smile playing on his lips.
"When I first arrived, I was pretty disoriented, and my wand was damaged" Sirius pulled a cracked and singed wand from his inner pocket, tossing it to Harry. "I've been able to use it for weak spells, but it sparks and burns when I try anything above a first-year spell. I doubt it'll hold out much longer" he sighed.
"With a barely working wand, and absolutely no sign of civilisation I was stuck in this wilderness. I did try apparating home, but obviously that got me nowhere, the magic won't take hold if your destination doesn't exist. I tried to charm a portkey with no success, and even the point-me spell just spun the wand" Sirius looked a bit exhausted just relating all this.
"With no obvious way home, and no sign of where on earth I was, survival became the first priority." At this Sirius looked a bit sheepish. "It turns out I'm not much of a survivalist. Your dad would have been fine, and Remus, was used to living rough. But growing up as a Black, I'll admit I had a lot of dependence on the family elves."
"I was lost for several days before this lot stumbled upon me. I think they could tell I wasn't local. Probably by my lack of furs. Or the fact I didn't even speak their language." Sirius paused for a bit to sip from the firewhisky an elf had set beside him.
"But the Thenns are good people. They took me in and fed me. Merlin am I glad they had food and shelter; I was starving. A faulty wand definitely puts us wizards on the back foot."
"Thank Merlin for the Thenns," Harry said with a small smile, raising his glass slightly in a toast to their new friends, "though, from what Sigvald told me, it sounds like you've made a real difference here, even with limited magic."
Sirius chuckled. "I've tried, Harry. I've been teaching them about better sanitation, helping them preserve their food with rune based wards, and generally trying to improve their quality of life. You know, it' s not all bad being stuck here. The Thenns are a strong, resilient people, and they've taught me a lot about survival and community, especially after how poorly the wizarding community treated me." Harry winced in agreement, neither had been treated well in the Wizarding world. "Though, without a properly functioning wand, it took a while to learn their language to even communicate effectively"
"You've learned their language, then?" Harry inquired.
"Yes, I have," Sirius replied with a hint of pride, "and I can share it with you and the elves using an old Black family spell if you want. Well, I can if you're happy to lend me your wand to perform the spell" he finished with a frown.
To this Harry gave a sly smile, lifted his empty hands, and flicked his wrist, causing a bluebell flame to sit comfortably atop his palm. "I'm not sure I can share my wand Sirius" he added smugly and laughed at Sirius's dropped jaw.
"What... what?!... Harry! Is that wandless?... Since when? How?" Sirius sputtered.
"Ah, yes, the how is a longer story, we can discuss it some other time" Harry replied, not really wanting to dive into the Deathly Hallows saga just yet. "But in short, it's less like fully practiced wandless magic, more like I've absorbed a wand, or become a human wand."
Thinking for a moment he expanded, "The difference being that I didn't have to practice this, and it's not harder or more power intensive. I had been practicing some wandless magic before the change, and I just barely got the summoning spell down. But now" he levitated Sirius's burnt-out wand back to him, "it comes as easily as if I was holding a wand at all times" he finished.
"Only you, Harry, only you" Sirius laughed, "I'm a bit jealous though, I could have used that skill." he grumbled good naturedly.
"You'll definitely be telling me more about this later, but please, please tell me you have at least one spare wand I could borrow?" Sirius asked, with a combination of desperation and puppy dog eyes.
Harry's face lit up with a knowing smile "don't worry Sirius, it seems you're in luck. I brought a whole collection of spare wands with me just in case. I did prepare for any eventuality after all. Or at least the elves prepared."
Harry bounced-up from his cushioned armchair and gestured towards the farm trunk sitting innocuously in the corner. "Let's find one that suits you." At that Sirius also jumped out of his chair and hurried to follow Harry, almost shaking with excitement.
"Merlin Harry... just... thank Merlin you're here. I was going spare without a working wand." Sirius prattled on as he followed Harry into the trunk, before coming to a sudden stop, his eyes wide with shock as he took in the sheer size of the space contained inside.
"This isn't a normal storage trunk Harry! I don't think 'prepared' even begins to cover it. Just how much did those elves of yours fit in here?" Sirius shook himself from his shock and hurried off after his godson, who was laughing softly as he made his way to a small group of storage building a short walk from the entrance.
Harry chuckled at his godfather's shocked expression as he made his way to the building he knew contained an astonishingly large collection of wands. His elves had liberated these wands from the room of requirement and the all the second-hand stores they could find in Diagon Alley, when they knew Harry was leaving to a new world. It was always worth being prepared.
"I told you I came prepared didn't I?" Harry said as they arrived. Swinging the doors open with a flourish, Harry relished the look on his godfathers face as he gazed at the racks and racks of wands. It almost looked like his eyes were actually twinkling with glee.
As Sirius tried wand after wand, searching for a match, Harry shared more of his own time since they were last together. It was not a pretty story, recounting the end of the war, the betrayal he faced and his decision to flee in more detail.
Sirius's expression softened, filled with understanding and sympathy. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Harry. But I'm so glad we've found each other again, you're the only reason I tried to find a way back, and I really did try. Ask the Thenns, I've joined almost every hunting expedition to explore this land for another veil, I tried runic constructs, I even tried divination, nothing worked"
Sirius picked up yet another wand and waved it, before frowning and going for the next. As he did this he looked to Harry, "I can tell you knew this was a one-way trip by your preparation" He vaguely gestured to the storage room they stood in, inside the farm trunk, "so let's put the past behind us. Draw a line under it and make the best of this new start." He grabbed Harry's shoulder reassuringly.
"Sirius, I've honestly never felt so free in my life." Harry declared, really meaning it. "I've been a slave, a saviour and a pariah, in all of that time, I've never really been free, I've never really had a chance to live." He looked to the fields outside where the elves were pottering around.
"We've had a pretty shit time of it these last few years, so I'm with you all the way. Let's draw that line under it all, try to forget it, and start actually living." Harry concluded, smiled, then laughed as Sirius' latest wand attempt left his hair a stunning shade of pink.
Finally waving a wand that spurted golden sparks, Sirius also smiled, "I don't know if you've learnt much about this world yet, but as two fairly powerful wizards from a more modern world, I can't see this going wrong." That seemed a little too overconfident to Harry, especially given his questionable 'Potter luck', but he was willing to accept the sentiment regardless.
Now with a suitable wand, they returned to the living room in the tent. Sirius sat cross legged on the floor, closed his eyes and took a few moments to meditate before initiating the spell to share the language.
Gesturing for Harry to join him on the floor, Sirius touched the tip of the wand to his own temple before drawing it to Harry's, as if passing a memory strand, but one that shimmered more gold than silver and seemed somehow more substantial.
Harry felt an unusual discomfort, which quickly grew into a splitting headache as his grasp on the previously foreign language forcibly established itself within his mind. Even with Occlumency and a well-formed mind palace to help, Harry barely managed to remain conscious.
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Having spent a moment to groan in self-pity, grabbing his now throbbing head, Harry gathered himself and stumbled back to the armchair, collapsing into it and gratefully snatching the pain relief potion from one of the elves, who thankfully always seemed to know just when they were needed.
Sirius had requested a pot of tea from one of the other elves and took time to relax in the warmth while Harry dealt with the pain.
Sirius greedily sipped his tea, having missed it almost as much as Firewhisky; and showed an equal appreciation for the scones with jam and cream that appeared on the side-table.
After getting themselves settled and taking in their tea for a moment, Harry re-joined the world of the living, somewhat. Or at least his head was throbbing a little less.
"So, did you have any plans, Harry? What's next?" Sirius queried. "I've managed to get on with the Thenns, but I've got no obligations. We can do what we want, go where we want, it's really up to you. Obviously, whatever you do, I'm coming along" he added.
Harry took a deep breath before he began to explain his thoughts. "You know, Sirius, I've spent my whole life living up to the expectations of others. I've always been forced to fight battles for people who never really appreciated what I did for them. I want something different now. I want to travel, I want a holiday, I want to experience life without any responsibilities or expectations."
Sirius nodded, understanding Harry's desire "And what of the house elves? They've joined you on this adventure, presumably thanks to Hermione's efforts and your 'saving people thing'. Will they travel with us?"
Harry smiled warmly. "Yes, I still have that 'saving people thing' Hermione always talks about. I owe it to the elves to make sure they're taken care of. They've put their trust in me on this journey, and they're my friends first and foremost, so I'm not completely free of obligations." Harry paused. "With that said, enough of them have expressed an interest in staying here, at least temporarily, that I feel fairly confident leaving them with the Thenns while we travel. We can find a new place to settle once we've had time to properly explore a bit."
Harry looked at Winky, happily sewing at a table in the corner with some of the elder elves. "I also want them to feel their own freedom, and I don't think carrying them around a foreign land in a trunk will be to anyone's liking."
Sirius contemplated Harry's words for a moment "We'll speak to Sigvald, but I think they'll get on well here with the Thenns." Sirius paused again to think. "In-fact, I think we can kill two birds with one stone. If you want to go exploring the world, we may be able to help beyond pure travel for travel's sake."
This seemed to get Harry's attention, so Sirius continued, "the Thenns are doing well enough here, but they live a subsistence lifestyle. They could have a much better life in warmer lands, we could help them grow as a people if we can help them farm, mine and build a permanent base for trade".
Sirius took a sip from his tea savouring it as he thought. "Torvald and some of the others have spoken of the tribe's hunt for safer lands, and especially warmer lands, but they have some sort of trouble with a wall, and the people further south."
"Maybe we can find a place suitable for all of us to settle. Ourselves, the Thenns, and the elves" Sirius concluded, quite pleased with this emerging idea.
Harry hummed. "I see no problem with that. I definitely owe it to the elves, and we really should do something for the Thenns, given everything they've done for the both of us. They basically saved your life when you first arrived after all."
He called for Dobby and Winky, quickly sharing this high-level plan to get their input.
Dobby spoke up first, his eyes wide with excitement. "Dobby thinks this is a wonderful idea, Harry Potter, sir! But Dobby will join you and Master Sirius on your travels." Dobby cast a glance at Sirius before continuing "Dobby is being told by the Thenns that Sirius be banned from kitchens, Dobby doesn't want Harry to starve," Harry raised his eyebrow questioningly at Sirius.
"What? I didn't have a wand, I tried to make a warming potion instead, how was I supposed to know they'd mistake it for the lunch menu. Their fur disappeared after just a few days anyway." He finished unconvincingly.
Winky ignored Sirius' antics and looked thoughtful for a moment before she spoke. "Winky agrees with Dobby, Harry Potter, sir. But Winky and the other elves will stay with the Thenns. There's plenty of work here for the elves, and we can always come to your call if needed." She nodded decisively, flapping her big ears in the process.
With that agreement, and a vague plan to travel, Harry nodded in agreement relaxed and chatted a bit with Sirius on the various changes he'd made to the village. They'd speak with the elders later in the day, and maybe they'd get some maps as well, so they could start planning their trip.
Harry was a bit excited now with plans mulling about in his head. This was his first proper holiday, and he'd have both Sirius and Dobby along with him for the ride. A smile grew slowly on his face as he thought of all the fun, and probably chaos they might encounter in this new world. As the son of a Marauder, he liked to think he was fairly good with a bit of chaos.
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Dobby was having a great time. There was just so much to do, and Harry had given them permission to just get on with whatever they wanted. He'd already offered his help to the nice people in the village laundry and sorted all the socks by number of holes. Harry was always on at him about matching socks, so he was sure everyone would be very pleased with his efforts.
Right now, however, Dobby was showing the Farm Trunk greenhouses to an unusually eager Thenn herbologist. She'd approached him just an hour ago, making some passing comment that she knew he'd be a likeminded sort of fellow given his bight sock collection and multiple hats. Dobby was highly pleased to get such a compliment on his outfit.
He'd spent the last hour sharing all the medicinal properties and effects of the greenhouse plants with the villager, and he'd even allowed her to take a few cuttings to grow her own. Dobby didn't think Harry would mind him sharing some of the more special plants, given they had already outed their magics to the Thenns, and had formed at least a tentative alliance.
Dobby's new friend had been especially interested in the Alihotsy Tree, which Dobby knew was used in pick-me-up potions, and in raw form would cause uncontrollable laughter. Given her choice, Dobby also dug out a spare bag of Billywigs, thinking they might also be helpful for whatever potion the lovely lady was making. He did use gloves, because Winky had warned him that Billywig stings would cause giddiness followed by levitation.
Dobby loved being helpful, and Marge seemed ever so grateful for all the help. She even promised that tonight's dinner would be especially uplifting. Dobby wondered what was on the menu. Dropping the thought, he went in hunt of the next person he could help.
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Chapter 5 Teaser:
... Both Harry and Sirius were shocked to learn that these dragons had human riders. "That was certainly unheard of in the Wizarding World." Harry commented, "It has been tried for sure, but it usually resulted in a crispy wizard."
"No one has ever truly tamed a dragon. In-fact, I was among the rare few known to have survived even attempting to ride a dragon, and that was purely by accident!" Harry noted in an offhand manner, wincing slightly at the memory.
Sirius joined the Elders in throwing Harry an incredulous and somewhat concerned look at that comment. He'd have to get that story from Harry later. Just how does one 'accidentally' ride a dragon anyway?
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