Link of Hogwarts

Fifty-Eight

Link was glad he told Dobby to hide his presence while in a Muggle area. He could sense the Dementors waiting but he know not to cast a spell. With the situation with the Ministry, he suspected that they will be all too happy to drag him down. So Link knew that he cannot be reckless. Had Link been the reckless sort, a teenager too eager to prove himself, he might have run ahead.

But Link's fortunately not the hotheaded sort. He knew that he had been a hothead, though he cannot recall, and he had ruined himself due to it. It's a path he refused to tread on again. It was so full of regret that it endured for far too long.

So instead of walking forward, wands in hands, he turned around and headed for the one person he knew he could entrust with his safety. It was a surreal feeling, to entrust his life to someone other than himself. As he made his way, he could feel the Dementors sensing him and hastened as they chased him. So he sped up.

It didn't take long with his free running to reach his destination; Sirius's apartment.

He ran up the stairs and headed straight for Sirius's door just as the door opened to reveal both Sirius and Remus, raring to face the Dementors. Sirius stopped upon seeing Link, blood dripping from open wounds as the boy reached him. Remus looked at Sirius and nodded, "Take care of him. I'll face them,"

With Remus gone, Sirius helped Link into his home. Taking the boy straight to the bathroom, Sirius uses his magic to prepare all the necessary items to clean Link's wounds. They didn't say anything as Sirius help clean the bleeding scars. He suspected that they're akin to stigmata but they're far from religious.

From what he had discussed with Remus, they both suspected that it has something to do with Link's connection to the girl that appeared again and again. But rather than the cause, it seemed more like self-punishment.

To be honest, Sirius didn't remember Link having all these 'scars' when he was a baby. In fact, Link's hair was black and his eyes were green. Yet when he caught glimpse of Link after that terrible night, his hair had turned blond. Sirius had thought that it was his mind playing tricks on him due to Wormtail's betrayal.

Whatever happened that night, however it was that Link survived the impossible, Sirius would not question it, curiosity be damned. So he kept the conversation going, casual stuff. Link told him about Dudley's fall out with his gang. He then informed him just what had happened between him and the Dementors, "I sensed that it must be a trap. Dementors so close to Muggle populated area and it happened to be where I lived? Coincidences can't be so clear cut,"

Sirius sighed as he nodded, "Right,"

Link slept at his apartment that night, too tired from blood lost to make his way back. Remus came back near dawn and informed Sirius that he managed to chase away the Dementors. Of course, subterfuge is key when surrounded by the ignorant. Remus was certain that their neighbors believed him to be high on drugs or drunk beyond redemption, should any of them look out last night.

Basically, Remus just executed any form of social life in their area with his own hands. Sirius told him that he will honor the sacrifice.

When Link wakes up, he found Remus nursing a strong cup of coffee as opposed to the preferred British tea at Sirius's modest dining table. Greeting his former teacher, he asked, "How was last night?"

Remus huffed in bitter amusement, "My social life here is over,"

Link flinched, "Sorry,"

Remus shook his head, "Don't be. It's not like I actually have any to begin with,"

Link nodded before turning to the kitchen. Having come to understand Link's love for food, Sirius always make sure his pantry's full. Link smoothly started on breakfast and it wasn't long before his godfather was summoned to the kitchen from the smell of breakfast. After being revived by Link's heavenly meal, Sirius informed Link what had happened after he passed out from the potions.

He wiped his mouth as he grumbled, "I got a letter last night, about you using underage magic. It was pure bollocks if you ask me!" He handed the letter to Link who read through. He frowned, "They were sent,"

Sirius blinked, "What?"

Link waved the letter, "This was premeditated by someone in the Ministry. Unfortunately for them and fortunately for me, I know enough to not use magic no matter how dire since I know you're close. And there shouldn't be any witnesses since I sent Dudley home using Dobby,"

Sirius stood up, cursing the Ministry. He paced furiously around his apartment. Remus was frowning, "I'm a witness. I can give my account on what had really happened,"

Sirius snapped his fingers, "Let's do that. They have been doing their worse discrediting you and we'll play by their drum against them," He started planning, "We'll inform Dumbledore what happened exactly. This way we can coordinate our counterattack and..." He started scheming, trying to figure out what Fudge's game was.

Later that day Tonks appeared in their apartment, "Wotcher, Link!" She looked around, "Where's cuz and his buddy?"

Link looked to the bedroom, "Secret meeting,"

Tonks rolled her eyes before handing him a letter, "Give this to them please. We are doing you-know-what at you-know-where," She then cheerfully bid him goodbye, skipping down the stairs as opposed to using the elevator. As a witch, she didn't want to be trapped when the thing failed due to magic interfering with the electricity used to operate the machine.

Later that evening, Link returned to No. 4 and informed his family that he'll be staying with 'his lot' for the remainder of summer. The Dursley looked relieved but Dudley looked worried. Later that evening as Link headed for his tree to pack the boy reached out to him and called out, "Link!"

Link looked at his estranged cousin who fidgeted under his gaze. Dudley always felt nervous when Link really focused on him, it made him feel small and naked. But he soldiered through, "I-! I uh...just wanted to...I had nightmares last night but I realized that...you saved me..." He rubbed his thick neck nervously and scratched his jaw in distraction, "You...saved me twice. I...I just wanted to say..." He drew in a deep breath and forced himself to meet Link's gaze, "Thank you,"

He then looked at his feet, "That...whatever it was that you...it put certain things into perspective for me. Your life...could have easily been mine...if I was the one with m-m-ma-magic..." He stuttered; the words foreign and invoked the trained repulsion drilled into him since childhood. He sighed, "If I'm the one with...m-magic...then...my own parents..."

Link reached out and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. The Dementors showed someone their greatest fear and fear can bring out the most horrid truth in a person's subconscious. Dudley looked at him with wide frightened eyes. Link sighed, "It was cruel, what had been done to you and to me. But you can move past it. You still have it in you, Dudley,"

Dudley sobbed, "I kept dreaming that the one being hit with a frying pan was me, the one chased by Ripper was me, the one bullied at the park was me, the one starved was me-! I realized that it could have been me in your shoes and it made me sick! I mean, how could we have done that to you when we are supposed to be a normal, happy family?!" He cried, "It's not normal, it's not happy, and it's most definitely not right!"

Link smiled, "You grew up, Dudley. Keep growing,"

Dudley sobbed, "I'm sorry,"

"I know,"

"I really am,"

Link patted his shuddering shoulder, "I can see that, Dudley. I forgive you. You're just...taught the wrong thing. You can now make it right,"