@hatcdhim gets a starterÂ
The giant black dog bounded into the room and raced toward Harryâs bed. Hagrid had come to find him--Hagrid, who did not yet know that a man truly occupied the body of the beast heâd allowed to rest in his pumpkin patch, who had been hanging around his house for the past few days, daringly close to the castle because despite all the dangers that lay there, the possibility of being caught, Sirius would not leave Harry. Not now. Not ever again. The fourth task had been impossible to watch, and Hagrid had said nothing to relieve Siriusâ worries as heâd led the dog up to the hospital wing, so when he spotted Harry in a bed, saw the state of him, it became quite impossible to get to him fast enough.
In fact, the dog had sprinted so quickly to Harryâs bedside, eyes honed in only on the boy, that it was not until Harry was tiredly petting his head--assuring Sirius that he was alive, that he would be okay--that he finally looked around the room. Siriusâ heart did a backflip, leapt in excitement and plummeted all at once. For it would appear that, standing at the foot of Harryâs bed, tired and upset, but alive and whole looking, were Lily and Jamesâ potter.Â
But it couldnât be. Lily and James had died nearly thirteen years ago. Sirius had seen the mess, all that was left of their home, had seen Harry, a tiny baby, crying and alone in the wreckage. How could they be here now? What had he hit his head on to be hallucinating this? And why was Harry looking up at them like he saw them too, like this was not all some wild dream?Â
Sirius did not know how much time passed--Dumbledore filtering into the room, ushering the four of them, Harry, Sirius as Padfoot, Lily and James, up to his office, forcing Harry to tell the story of all that had happened, of the Dark Lordâs return, marveling at all the spell Harry had created, Priori Incantatem, had brought his parents back. It all happened so quickly.Â
Finally alone in the Hospital Wing, Harry asleep, James snoozing in a chair beside his bed, Madam Pompfrey locked back in her office, Sirius transformed back into a man and slumped back into a seat by Harryâs bed, his eyes huge. He looked to Lily, Dumbledoreâs confirmation ringing in his head, but still he had to ask, âAre you real?â
