Post by Sirius Black on Apr 16, 2009 8:52:37 GMT -5
The two men stood speechless in front of the blown out building. They were poles apart but united in grief. The first was a huge, towering mass of wiry beard and ruddy face, his shoulders shaking as his body was racked with sobs. The second man wasn't short, but was dwarfed by the giant beside him. This man was standing stock still, his eyes glazed as he took in the scene before him.
The whole of the front of the building was blown out, and they could see straight into the front room. The top floor was also mostly gone, with a single room still left standing. Sirius and Hagrid had arrived within minutes of each other, and they were both standing, at a loss for words. They stood there for a long time as the moon climbed slowly through the inky blue sky, speckled with a few stars. Slowly, Hagrid's sobs gave way to shuddering breaths and finally stopped. Sirius had been standing still, staring, horror struck, at his best friend's house. They looked at each other and Sirius cleared his throat, walking through the charred remains of the Potters' front door. He pushed the living room door open, and it fell off it's hinges, leaving Sirius staring around, appalled.
James Potter was lying, half covered in rubble, looking like he had been thrown backwards with the force of the spell. A small trickle of blood had made it's way down his face and his glasses had blown off, the glass smashed. Sirius felt a lump rising, and he turned around, looking up into Hagrid's face. "James." he said hoarsely, looking lost and frightened. Hagrid looked like he was about to cry again, but he patted Sirius on the back. Sirius' knees buckled under him and he slid down, his eyes bright with un fallen tears.
"He were a great wizard, Sirius, him an' Lily had great lives." Hagrid tired his best, but he knew what this would be for Sirius. The young man was as pale as a sheet. Paler. The anguish on his face was plain for anyone to see. They both looked up sharply as they heard a noise; Sirius whipped out his wand and Hagrid raised his umbrella. The noise came again and Sirius frowned. It sounded like a crying noise. The men looked at each other.
"Harry." Sirius said, and charged up the stairs, which were thankfully still standing. He made his way to the bedroom, shuddering. It looked like James had made a stand while Lily fled upstairs whit their one year old son, Harry. By the looks of things, Voldemort had cornered Lily in Harry's nursery. Lily was lying on the floor by the cot, her red hair vivid against her pale face. Hagrid moaned as Sirius brushed her hair out of her closed eyes. Then he stood up slowly and peered into the cot. A pair of shockingly green eyes peered back at him from under a tuft of messy black hair. And just under the hair…
"My god…" Sirius breathed, standing back to let Hagrid see. Hagrid let out an oath and looked at Sirius, awestruck. Under the hair was a small scar, shaped just like a lightning bolt. The boy was still alive. Both men looked around, but it seemed Voldemort had gone. Sirius reached one finger into the cot, and Harry grabbed it, gurgling happily. "Mama?" he inquired, looking around, "Dada?" Sirius' eyes welled up as Hagrid gently lifted the infant out of the cot and carried him downstairs. When both the men were back in the night air, there was a sense of something happening. Something had ended, and something was just about to begin.
"Give him to me, Hagrid, I'm his godfather, I'll look after him." Sirius said, his voice cracked. Hagrid shook his head. "Dumbledore's given me orders. I'm te take him straight ter him, he'll live a' his aunties." Sirius hesitated, then nodded. He waved his wand at his bike, which grew several times until Hagrid would comfortably sit on it.
"Take that, you'll get wherever you're going faster." Hagrid nodded and gripped Sirius' arm. Sirius' eyes waterd, and he winced as Hagrid let go.
"Hagrid?" Sirius called as Hagrid walked away. The giant man turned. "Does this mean Voldemort-" Hagrid jumped and let out a low moan "-is gone?"
"I don' know. Dumbledore reckons so, for a while at least, he won' be around tha's fer sure. I don' reckon he's dead, bu' he's surely gonna be lyin' low. Goodbye, Sirius."
"Goodbye Hagrid." Sirius watched the bike out of sight, then closed his eyes and went back in. The tears which were welled up in his eyes now fell, as he cried and cried. He went upstairs and picked Lily's body up and carried it gently downstairs, lying her in the front room. Then he pulled James carefully out from under the rubble and replaced his glasses on his pale face. He clasped both their hands in his.
"I'm so sorry. James, I'm so, so..." his voice broke and he begun to cry, the tears making tracks down his dirty face. "I can do one last thing for you…" he said, putting their hands together. He stayed with them, crying, waiting, talking….
"..he'll be a great son, I know it. I can tell, James, he'll be a great seeker, he'll be such a good wizard, he'll do you proud, I promise it. And he'll be kind, Lily, just like you, his eyes… he has his mothers eyes.."
He stayed with them both that long night, until, as the sky became paler, and a glow appeared, ministry representatives apperated a few meters from the house. He stood up and took one last look at their faces. They were pale - his pinched, skinny, but good natured, full of fun and warmth, hers, kind and full of love - love for James, love for Harry, love that shone out of those startlingly green eyes, closed forever. He whispered one word into the night and disappeared with a soft pop.
"Goodbye."
The whole of the front of the building was blown out, and they could see straight into the front room. The top floor was also mostly gone, with a single room still left standing. Sirius and Hagrid had arrived within minutes of each other, and they were both standing, at a loss for words. They stood there for a long time as the moon climbed slowly through the inky blue sky, speckled with a few stars. Slowly, Hagrid's sobs gave way to shuddering breaths and finally stopped. Sirius had been standing still, staring, horror struck, at his best friend's house. They looked at each other and Sirius cleared his throat, walking through the charred remains of the Potters' front door. He pushed the living room door open, and it fell off it's hinges, leaving Sirius staring around, appalled.
James Potter was lying, half covered in rubble, looking like he had been thrown backwards with the force of the spell. A small trickle of blood had made it's way down his face and his glasses had blown off, the glass smashed. Sirius felt a lump rising, and he turned around, looking up into Hagrid's face. "James." he said hoarsely, looking lost and frightened. Hagrid looked like he was about to cry again, but he patted Sirius on the back. Sirius' knees buckled under him and he slid down, his eyes bright with un fallen tears.
"He were a great wizard, Sirius, him an' Lily had great lives." Hagrid tired his best, but he knew what this would be for Sirius. The young man was as pale as a sheet. Paler. The anguish on his face was plain for anyone to see. They both looked up sharply as they heard a noise; Sirius whipped out his wand and Hagrid raised his umbrella. The noise came again and Sirius frowned. It sounded like a crying noise. The men looked at each other.
"Harry." Sirius said, and charged up the stairs, which were thankfully still standing. He made his way to the bedroom, shuddering. It looked like James had made a stand while Lily fled upstairs whit their one year old son, Harry. By the looks of things, Voldemort had cornered Lily in Harry's nursery. Lily was lying on the floor by the cot, her red hair vivid against her pale face. Hagrid moaned as Sirius brushed her hair out of her closed eyes. Then he stood up slowly and peered into the cot. A pair of shockingly green eyes peered back at him from under a tuft of messy black hair. And just under the hair…
"My god…" Sirius breathed, standing back to let Hagrid see. Hagrid let out an oath and looked at Sirius, awestruck. Under the hair was a small scar, shaped just like a lightning bolt. The boy was still alive. Both men looked around, but it seemed Voldemort had gone. Sirius reached one finger into the cot, and Harry grabbed it, gurgling happily. "Mama?" he inquired, looking around, "Dada?" Sirius' eyes welled up as Hagrid gently lifted the infant out of the cot and carried him downstairs. When both the men were back in the night air, there was a sense of something happening. Something had ended, and something was just about to begin.
"Give him to me, Hagrid, I'm his godfather, I'll look after him." Sirius said, his voice cracked. Hagrid shook his head. "Dumbledore's given me orders. I'm te take him straight ter him, he'll live a' his aunties." Sirius hesitated, then nodded. He waved his wand at his bike, which grew several times until Hagrid would comfortably sit on it.
"Take that, you'll get wherever you're going faster." Hagrid nodded and gripped Sirius' arm. Sirius' eyes waterd, and he winced as Hagrid let go.
"Hagrid?" Sirius called as Hagrid walked away. The giant man turned. "Does this mean Voldemort-" Hagrid jumped and let out a low moan "-is gone?"
"I don' know. Dumbledore reckons so, for a while at least, he won' be around tha's fer sure. I don' reckon he's dead, bu' he's surely gonna be lyin' low. Goodbye, Sirius."
"Goodbye Hagrid." Sirius watched the bike out of sight, then closed his eyes and went back in. The tears which were welled up in his eyes now fell, as he cried and cried. He went upstairs and picked Lily's body up and carried it gently downstairs, lying her in the front room. Then he pulled James carefully out from under the rubble and replaced his glasses on his pale face. He clasped both their hands in his.
"I'm so sorry. James, I'm so, so..." his voice broke and he begun to cry, the tears making tracks down his dirty face. "I can do one last thing for you…" he said, putting their hands together. He stayed with them, crying, waiting, talking….
"..he'll be a great son, I know it. I can tell, James, he'll be a great seeker, he'll be such a good wizard, he'll do you proud, I promise it. And he'll be kind, Lily, just like you, his eyes… he has his mothers eyes.."
He stayed with them both that long night, until, as the sky became paler, and a glow appeared, ministry representatives apperated a few meters from the house. He stood up and took one last look at their faces. They were pale - his pinched, skinny, but good natured, full of fun and warmth, hers, kind and full of love - love for James, love for Harry, love that shone out of those startlingly green eyes, closed forever. He whispered one word into the night and disappeared with a soft pop.
"Goodbye."
