Content Harry Potter Miscellaneous
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Sirius levitated Peri’s bed down the hall and into Remus’ master bedroom, where Remus and Ray lay on the double bed, the boy’s face against the man’s chest. Aletha sat in a chair to one side with Meghan on her lap, the two of them talking quietly together. Hermione, cross-legged in a corner, had her eyes shut and was moving her hands as though sculpting a landscape from clay. Harry paced along the bottom of the bed, the only available bit of floor.

Remus let go of Ray and carefully climbed over him to help Sirius maneuver Peri onto the double bed. Ray watched them, worry most prevalent in his eyes, though sorrow, anger, and fear were all jockeying for second place.

Poor kid. No eight-year-old should be thinking about the stuff Ray’s been through these last couple days. But if this works, maybe he’ll be back to normal. Maybe we can put this all behind us and just have our lives again.

He stepped back to let Remus arrange Peri tenderly on the bed. "Back to normal" might not be the best way to put it. We won’t ever be the same as we were.

But maybe we’ll be better.

He could hope, anyway.

xXxXx

Remus took Peri’s hand in his and held it for a moment. "I’ll see you soon," he said quietly. "I hope."

"Moony?" said Ray behind him, making him turn. The boy was looking uncertainly around the room, and his body language and scent indicated he’d prefer there be fewer people present at the moment.

We can do something about that. Remus fumbled out his wand, let it rest in his hand for a moment to calm himself, then cast a Privacy Spell around them. "Yes?"

Ray looked back at him with sudden naked fear in his eyes. "I don’t want to die."

Remus pulled him close and held him, feeling desperation in the way Ray’s arms clutched at him. "I know you don’t," he said. "That’s why we’re doing this. Because none of us want you to die."

"But we’re going closer to it. To dying." Ray glanced around Remus’ shoulder at Peri. "What if I end up like Peri? What if it doesn’t work, and I can’t ever wake up again?"

Remus lifted Ray and set him down between himself and Peri, buying a little time to think about his answer. "I wish I could tell you that wouldn’t happen," he said finally. "I wish I could tell you I know this will work, and it will make everything all right again. But I hate it when people lie to me, even if they’re trying to make me feel better."

Ray nodded slowly. "It won’t work, then," he said, closing his eyes. "It won’t help."

"No—I did not say that, and kindly do not put words in my mouth." Remus shook his boy gently between his hands. "What I said was, or would have been, that we don’t know if it will work or not. It might help you, it might not help you. We don’t know, and we can’t know until we try it."

"I’m scared."

"So am I." Remus let one hand slide past Ray’s back to take Peri’s cool one. "I just got you. I don’t want to lose you so soon. But that’s why I’m willing to do this. To take this chance. Because I want to keep you here with me, Ray, you and Peri both."

"And the baby?"

"And the baby." Remus smiled. "What do you want? A sister or a brother?"

"I don’t know. Brother, maybe. Then we’d outnumber the girls."

"True, very true. Though with Sirius on your side, numbers don’t matter so much anymore. And it might be good to have a secret agent."

"Secret agent?" Ray was relaxing as the innocuous conversation continued. "You mean like a girl who did boy things, but would still sometimes go play with the girls, and then come back and tell the boys about the girl things?"

"Yes, just like that." Remus recalled his school days and hid a smile. "I knew a girl like that once. She liked being with the boys the best, but she could be just as frilly and pretty as any girl when she wanted to be."

"Letha," Ray said surely.

Remus sighed dramatically. "I can’t hide anything from you, can I?"

Ray shook his head. "I think I’m ready now," he said, sitting up with a wince. Remus quickly supported him. "Thanks, Moony."

"Anytime, Ray." Remus squeezed the boy in one arm once more, then removed the Privacy Spell. "All ready on this end," he said.

"So are we," said Aletha as Meghan hurried over to climb onto the bed.

"Me too," said Hermione, starting to get up. Sirius bent down and scooped her into his arms, making her squeak a little, and deposited her on the bed. "Padfoot!" she scolded, smacking his arm. "Don’t do that!"

"Sorry," Sirius said, grinning. "Just enjoying being able to pick things up again." He looked at his hands with an expression half-wistful, half-ludicrously happy.

"And what you choose to pick up is other women?" Aletha asked in a mock-dangerous tone, making Hermione and Meghan giggle and Harry and Ray snort behind their hands. "Really, now, Sirius, I knew you didn’t have much judgment, but this..."

"Let’s not go there, please," Sirius said, starting around the bottom of the double bed. "Let’s go here instead." He sat down on the bed Peri had been lying in and held out his hands to Aletha.

"If you insist." Aletha tucked up her robes and climbed nimbly across the bottom corner of the bigger bed. Harry slid up behind her, tucking himself into a ball at Ray’s feet. Hermione had wiggled between Ray and Peri, and Meghan had found some space near Remus’ knees.

"Who wants to start us off?" Sirius said, scooting around so that he lay on his side looking up at Remus over Aletha’s head. "You, me, who?"

"I can do it," Aletha volunteered. "It’s my area."

"True enough," said Remus. "Whenever you’re ready, then. Hermione?"

"I’m ready." Hermione’s eyes were closed, her hands grasping Ray’s. Harry had a hand on Ray’s bare leg, as did Meghan. Their other hands were clasped together, and Meghan’s ankles were tangled around one of Hermione’s legs.

Aletha drew her wand and waved it in the air three times, murmuring a song-like incantation. A fine mist showered from the tip and drifted down around everyone.

Here we go. Remus took a deep breath and felt sleep begin to take hold. Hold on a little longer, love, he thought towards Peri, turning so that her face would be the last thing he saw. Just a little longer. We’re going looking for the answer. As soon as we have it, we’ll use it.

Just a little longer.

Darkness.

xXxXx

Hermione clung to the image she’d built from Meghan’s stories and her own imaginings. Cool gray light, a chill salt-smelling wind, pebbles sliding underfoot, the slap of the waves as they rose and fell...

Darkness covered her, but only for a moment. Then she was standing on the beach, still holding Ray’s hands. "You can look now," she said. "We’re here."

Ray opened his eyes and looked around. "Cool," he said, shivering. "Where’s everyone else?"

"Coming." A strong burst of heat beside them, and Harry appeared, hand in hand with Meghan. "Hold on, I might need to help the grown-ups a little..." She touched Meghan’s shoulder and shut her eyes. I need her parents, she told her magic. Bring them here.

A rush of red, a hint of blue, and Padfoot and Letha stood behind them, Letha looking a bit shaken, Padfoot less than happy. "Where’s Moony?" he asked.

"I’m getting to him." Hermione let go of Meghan’s shoulder and reached into herself, into the small and wistful part of her that guiltily longed to live as a wizard’s daughter, but not just any wizard...

A tiny pop and another flush of warmth over the group marked Moony’s arrival. "Am I the last?" he asked.

"We weren’t exactly expecting Peri to come, so yes," Letha said. "I assume this is our staging area."

"For lack of a better," said Padfoot. "Where do we get the equipment?"

"Ask the dreamsculpter," Harry said promptly. "Neenie?"

Hermione closed her eyes again to hide the fact that she was rolling them. "What do you want?" she asked.

"Harnesses for all four of you, and enough rope to get you where you’re going," Padfoot began.

"We can bespell you to stay warmer in the water longer," Letha added, "so don’t bother with that. I wish we dared to give you Bubble-Head Charms, but with where we are, I don’t want to risk that they wouldn’t work. You’ll just have to hold your breaths."

"I can do a little with that," Meghan said. "I think. If we’re coming up for air anyway. But I can’t do too much. I’d get tired like I did when Mum and I healed Dad."

"And you’re not to get overtired under that water, understand?" Padfoot said sternly. "If you feel too tired at all, at any time, any of you, you come back right away. Clear?"

"Clear," chorused Harry, Ray, and Meghan. Hermione nodded, then concentrated on what Padfoot had wanted. Harnesses and ropes, to keep us safe, to bring us back...

A series of pops, and Hermione opened her eyes. Harry was already picking up one of the harnesses, looking it over, and Letha was holding one out for Meghan to slide into. "These look good, Neenie," said Padfoot, feeling the material of the one Harry was holding. "Strong and supple. They’ll move with you, not hold you back."

"Thanks." Hermione picked up the one that had appeared by her feet and slipped her arms into it. Remus helped Ray fasten his up the front, then came over to do the same for Hermione.

"Good luck," he said in her ear, hugging her briefly after she was safely fastened in.

Hermione hugged back. "Thanks."

Meghan slid out from between her parents and came to stand next to Hermione. The rope leading from the back of her harness lay in coils on the beach, but Padfoot had its other end wrapped around his arm, and Harry’s in his hand. Remus held Ray’s rope, and Letha picked up Hermione’s own rope. "Any time you’re ready," she said.

Ray and Harry looked at each other, then clasped hands. Hermione put hers on top of theirs, and Meghan added hers last of all. "Feel magic," she muttered. "Everyone feel magic like I do—Hermione, make them feel magic like I do—"

A trickle like water flowed through Hermione’s hands, and suddenly the world was far more complicated. Colors, scents, feelings cascaded in on her, she was going to lose control of the dream in a moment if she couldn’t get them into an order she could understand—

"Let me help you," Meghan said quickly. "Here. Feel."

Violet silk on the salt-smelling wind, cool and soft and strong...

"That’s me. That’s what I feel like. Now Harry."

A sun-warmed boulder covered with smooth lumps, a scent of spice rising from its surface...

"And Ray."

Pine needles, prickly-soft and Christmas-spicy-smelling, but something wasn’t right. Some of the needles were brown and crumbly and starting to fall away...

"There," Hermione said. "That’s where it is. What we need. Harry, do you see it?"

"Not yet." Harry shook his head. "What do you feel like, Neenie? I can follow you to the place if I know what you are."

"I don’t know—"

"I do," Ray said. "This is Hermione, Harry."

The creamy fur of a kitten with the tiny sharp points of its claws, or the smooth crispness of new parchment coupled with the sharp corners and edges of the scroll...

"Got it." Harry nodded once. "Lead me in, Hermione."

Hermione swallowed and reached out to the wrongness within Ray once more. "Here," she said, laying a magical ‘hand’ on the place. "Do you feel it?"

"Yes." Harry was beginning to sweat. Ray’s clothes were already damp. Meghan had changed one hand from the top of the stack to the bottom, to touch Ray directly. "I can feel it. Now I need to put some of me into it..."

A bit of the rock crumbled and fell into the brown pine needles.

Harry shuddered all over. "Feels weird," he said. "Now we just have to follow it out in the water."

"Let us see it," Hermione commanded loudly. "Show us where we have to go."

A red beam of light sprang up from the four sets of hands clasped in the center of the circle and lanced out over the ocean, disappearing a few hundred meters from shore.

"I guess that’s where we’re going, then," Harry said. He looked back at the adults. "We’re going."

"Come back soon," Padfoot said. "Stay safe."

"Do your best," Letha added. "And try to find out what we need to know."

Moony smiled at them, but he looked as though he might cry if they stayed too much longer.

"Let’s go," Hermione said, starting towards the water. "Come on, hurry, we may not have a lot of time..."

Ray hissed as he put a foot into the surf. "It’s cold."

"Of course it’s cold," Harry said resignedly. "What would be the point if it were warm?" He waded forward a few paces, then dived out flat and submerged himself, coming up spluttering. "God, it is—just get it over with—"

Hermione launched herself forward and shrieked, the sound coming out as bubbles, as the freezing cold of the water constricted her chest. I forgot about that—it feels terrible—and Ray’s already hurting—

Meghan was beside Ray already, though, Hermione saw as she surfaced, and his face seemed to say that he wouldn’t welcome pity. "I’m all right," he said, slicking his pale hair back. "Let’s go."

Hermione floundered forward a few paces, kicked off the bottom, and began to paddle, following the red light that still shone above her head. Harry swam to one side of her, Ray and Meghan to the other.

This has to work. It has to work. I won’t let it not work.

The words pounded in her head, in time with her swimming stroke and her harsh breathing.

Because if it doesn’t work, people are going to die.

xXxXx

Harry dog-paddled beside Hermione, peeking over at Ray and Meghan every so often. If they wear out, we might have to tow them back to shore... would we make it? The water’s colder than I thought it would be...

But Ray seemed to be bearing up better than Harry had expected. A little color had come back to his cheeks, and his eyes were determined. "Almost there," he called, splashing an arm free of the water to point. "See it?"

"Yeah." Harry kicked harder, remembering to keep his feet below the surface, and was the first one to the place where the red light disappeared under the water, though Hermione wasn’t far behind, and Ray and Meghan paddled up only a few seconds later. "So now we dive."

"Now we dive," Hermione agreed. "Deep breaths, everyone. In and out, in and out, in and out, in and down."

Harry sucked in a big breath and blew it out, listening to the others do the same. Wait a second, go number two, keep going Hermione, Meghan’s got it, let it out, come on Ray, there. Number three, in it comes, fill it up and let it out—and—

Holding his breath, Harry turned and dived under the surface, Ray beside him, Hermione and Meghan an instant behind.

The red light wavered downward, and the four of them swam along it, following where it led.

Weird, Harry thought in the portion of his brain not concerned with keeping his mouth shut and his limbs moving. There’s people—or not quite people, but ghosts—they’re all around—

Of course, said a supercilious voice that could almost have been Hermione’s. Remember what this water is supposed to be?

Shut up. Harry paddled a little harder. There—ahead—was that a flash of red hair? A pale face? Eyes widening in surprise or worry or shock, eyes the color of Harry’s own?

Ray clapped his hands twice, Meghan squeezed Harry’s ankle, and Hermione shot past him, hand outstretched. A bright light appeared in it, shining on a face Harry had only ever seen in photographs.

They’d found the person they were after. Hair drifting around her, Lily Potter stared at the four interlopers into her silent world in shock.

Meghan’s squeeze became more urgent. Harry tore his eyes away from his mother to look back at her. She was pointing up, and her face was starting to look strained. Harry nodded, then turned back to his mum. "We’ll come back," he said, though the words emerged as bubbles. "Don’t go..."

Lily’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t comment as Harry shot off towards the surface, towing Meghan. Ray and Hermione followed under their own power.

Ray spit out a mouthful of water when he broke the surface. "We did it!" he said excitedly. "We found her!"

"I don’t know if I can do that again," Meghan said wearily, floating on her back. "It was hard. My ears hurt."

"Blow out a little air as you go down," Hermione advised. "The pressure changes. You ought to be all right just once more."

"No, I can’t, you go on..."

"I don’t think we can," Harry said, peering back towards the shore and the three figures huddled together there, looking out towards them. The clouds overhead looked darker than before, and the wind was starting to pick up. "I think it’s all or none of us. Come on, Meghan, please. We have to try."

Ray paddled over to Meghan and put an arm around her. "It’s not so bad down there," he said. "Swim with me. I’ll try to show you some of the pretty things I saw."

"All right."

Harry exchanged an alarmed glance with Hermione. Ray seeing pretty things under the water that meant death didn’t sound good to him.

But we don’t have a choice. If this wasn’t all for nothing, we have to go down there again. And the grown-ups have us hooked. He ran a hand across the rope that linked him to the shore, finding comfort in it. They’ll pull us out if anything goes wrong.

Once more can’t hurt.

"Deep breaths," he said, starting the routine himself. "Down in three—two—one—"

They dove.

xXxXx

Meghan kicked her feet hard, gliding beside Ray, looking where he pointed. She was starting to see the pretty things he’d mentioned—formations of gleaming rainbow-colored bubbles, tendrils of seaweed that made funny shapes, the ghostly shapes of people winding around one another. Strange how the people were starting to look more and more solid, and Harry and Hermione less and less...

Ray stopped, and Meghan almost bumped into him. Mrs. Potter, Harry’s mum, hovered in front of them, looking like Peri if someone had just dropped an entire ice cream cone on a book. "What are you doing here?" she demanded. "This is dangerous—look at them, they’re fading—" She pointed to Ray and Meghan. "Get out of here, now, before you’re all lost!"

"We need to know," Harry said loudly, his words emerging over the bubbling of his lost air. "About the curse."

"You put it on the people who killed your parents," Hermione added. "But it went wrong."

"I know." Mrs. Potter shook her head. "I’ve been so sorry for it, I never should have done it—but this isn’t the time. I can’t tell you what you need to know."

"But you have to!" Meghan blurted. "You’re the only one who knows!"

"Not true." Mrs. Potter looked towards Ray. "Come here," she said.

"Why?" Ray asked warily.

"Because you have something I need. Come here, quickly."

Ray kicked himself forward and floated upright in front of her.

"Take out your locket."

He pulled it free, and Mrs. Potter pressed her finger to it. It glowed golden for an instant; then a beam of light shot from it, pointing back the way they’d come. "Follow that," she said. "Now go, quickly—a storm is coming—"

Meghan’s eyes moved past Mrs. Potter, and she screamed, air streaming from her mouth. A mass of black water hurtled towards them, moving faster than they ever could—it would catch up to them and drag them down, snap their lifelines, strand them here forever—Harry was turning back towards shore, Hermione as well, but there was no way they could go fast enough—

A man and another woman appeared from behind Mrs. Potter—the man looked like a grown-up Harry, the woman a little like Ray—and took places one on each side of her. Together, they turned to face the black water and held up their hands. "Go!" Mrs. Potter shouted over her shoulder. "Hurry!"

Harry yanked on the rope that tethered him to shore.

"Mum?" Ray whispered, stretching out a hand.

Meghan caught at it and pulled it back. "Don’t," she said with the last of her air. "Don’t—touch—"

Everything around her rushed away into black.

xXxXx

Ray opened his eyes and immediately shut them again. His gut and back ached, his throat was tight, and his feet were freezing. The rest of him was only warm because he was wrapped in someone’s robes, the same someone who he’d seen in one swift glance holding Hermione as she coughed up the last of the water she’d swallowed.

"I don’t want to do that again," he croaked.

"Don’t think we have to," Harry answered in much the same tone. "Different way to go now."

"Yeah. I know." Ray got one eye open and looked down at his chest. The locket still glowed, though the light from it was no longer quite so bright. "Different way, different person."

"So you did see Lily?" Letha asked. "It did work?"

"It worked," Hermione said hoarsely. "We saw her, and Harry’s dad, and—Ray, was that your mum?"

"Yeah." Ray shifted positions, trying to get his feet tucked inside the robes as well. "They stopped the storm from hitting us."

"Good thing," Padfoot said. "We barely got you back in time as it was. Let’s all rest a minute, and then we can go looking for whoever else we’re supposed to talk to."

Pebbles shifted beside Ray’s head, and Moony appeared in his field of view. "Better?" he asked.

"Some." Ray decided to try to sit up. "Help me?"

Moony’s hands closed around his arms and lifted. "There," he said. "Do you by any chance know who we’re going to see?" His tone was studiously casual, as though the answer didn’t matter to him at all.

Ray snickered under his breath. Moony couldn’t fool him. "Yeah," he said. "I think I do."

"Who is it?" Meghan asked. Ray located her after a moment of looking, wrapped in Padfoot’s robes and curled up on his lap. "Who knows how to take the curse off?"

Ray smiled and ran his finger across the locket. "The other person under it," he said. "We get to go find Peri."

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Author Notes:

Quite enough action for one chapter, I think. Hope this satisfies!

And yes, I do have one more twist waiting in the wings. I may like my happy endings, but I make my readers work for them. Don’t forget to encourage my writing, and wish me luck on my job interview tomorrow!