Harry Potter and Claire Smith Adventures: Book Three

Pettigrew Escapes and Dementors Again

Chapter 20: Pettigrew Escapes and Dementors Again

Harry had never been part of a stranger group. Crookshanks led the way down the stairs; Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron went next, looking like entrants in a six-legged race. Next came Professor Snape, drifting creepily along, his toes hitting each stair as they descended, held up by his own wand, which was being pointed at him by Sirius. Harry, Claire, and Hermione brought up the rear.

Getting back to the tunnel was difficult. Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron had to turn sideways to manage it; Lupin still had Pettigrew covered with his wand. Harry could see them edging awkwardly along the tunnel in single file. Crookshanks was still in the lead. Hermione had gone up ahead to help with Pettigrew while Harry and Claire stayed with Black. Black went in the tunnel first, followed by Harry and Claire. Black was still making Snape drift along ahead of them; he kept bumping his lolling head on the low ceiling. Claire and Harry had the impression Black was making no eftort to prevent this.

"You know what this means?" Black said abruptly to Claire and Harry as they made their slow progress along the tunnel. "Turning Pettigrew in?"

"You're free," Harry said.

"Yes….," Black said. "But I'm also—I don't know if anyone ever told you—I'm your godfather."

"Yeah, I knew that," Harry said.

"Well…..your parents appointed me your guardian," Black said stiffly. "If anything happened to them…."

Harry waited. Did Black mean what he thought he meant?

Black then turned to Claire. "And of course you can come to Claire. After all, you are my niece. I mean I'd understand if you didn't want to leave the Weasley's. They're good people. And Harry I understand if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle….But….well….think about it. The both of you. Once my name's cleared….if you wanted a….a different home….or a place to visit…."

Some sort of explosion took place in the pit of Harry's stomach.

"What—live with you?" he said, accidentally cracking his head on a bit of rock protruding from the ceiling. "Leave the Dursleys?"

"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," Black said quickly. "I understand, I just thought I'd—"

"Are you insane?" Harry said, his voice easily as croaky as Black's.

"Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"

Black turned right around to look at him; Snape's head was scraping the ceiling but Black didn't seem to care.

"You want to?" he said. "You mean it?"

"Yeah, I mean it!" Harry said.

Black's gaunt face broke into the first true smile Harry had seen upon it. The difference it made was startling, as though a person ten years younger were shining through the starved mask; for a moment, he was recognizable as the man who had laughed at Harry's parents' wedding.

"And you Claire?" Black turned to Claire waiting for an answer.

Claire smiled brightly and Harry could tell that Claire had inherited her smile from the Black side of the family. "Of course! You have thirteen years to make up for, Uncle."

The three of them did not speak again until they had reached the end of the tunnel. Crookshanks darted up first; he had evidently pressed his paw to the knot of the trunk, because Lupin, Pettigrew, Ron, and Hermione clambered upward without any sound of savaging branches.

Black saw Snape up through the hole, then stood back for Harry and Claire to pass. At last, all of them were out.

The grounds were very dark now; the only light came from the distant windows of the castle. Without a word, they set off. Pettigrew was still wheezing and occasionally whimpering. Harry's mind was buzzing. He was going to leave the Dursleys. He was going to live with Sirius Black, his parents' best friend and with his best friend Claire….He felt dazed….What would happen when he told the Dursleys he was going to live with the convict they'd seen on television….!