Time Astral | Sirius Black

5||The Boy Who Lived

Harry had had an awful week. 

First, he'd been expelled from Hogwarts and had a hearing for something that wasn't truly his fault. Then, he'd found out there was a thing called the Order of the Phoenix and that its Headquarters were Number 12, Grimmauld Place. 

The hushed voices instead gave Harry a feeling as though he'd just entered the house of a dying person. He saw a glimpse of Sirius and Arthur seated at a table before the door was closed abruptly. He frowned. 

Hastily, Mrs Weasley walked over to him and hugged him tightly. "Oh, Harry, it's lovely to see you!"

He made to go inside the room of the 'meeting' but Mrs Weasley held him back and sent him glowering up the stairs to Ron. Apparently it was only for Order members. Whatever that meant. 

He hadn't even entirely opened the door when bushy hair snapped into his face and Hermione embraced him so hard, he nearly fell down on the floor. 

"HARRY!" She cried. "RON, Harry's here!"

There was hurried description of why the letters hadn't explained everything and Harry listened to it all through clenched teeth. 

He's yearned to see them, he's wanted to talk to them so badly. But there was cold in the pit of his stomach and he couldn't help but feel as though Ron and Hermione had left him alone. 

"He seemed to think it was best," Hermione started. "Dumbledore, I mean."

"I think he thought you were safest with Muggles." Said Ron.

"Yeah?" Harry raised a wary brow. "Have either of you been attacked by Dementors this summer?"

"Well, no - but that's why he's had people from the Order of the Phoenix tailing you all the time - "

He sucked in a sharp breath. Everyone knew, everyone but him. "Didn't work well, though, did it? Had to look after myself, didn't I?"

"He was so angry - Dumbledore," Hermione begun but Harry wasn't listening.

He found himself thinking of that strange woman instead. She was nearly his godfather's age but appeared far younger and tougher. As though she had been through a war before finding solace with that leather jacket and cocky grin of hers. 

And Harry also, found himself strangely wishing to be in her house in Surrey instead. It was something he couldn't quite place a finger on. She reminded him of his mum. 

Not that he'd ever met Lily Potter. But that was the thing, without having even met her, she reminded him of her. And it was peculiar, peculiar indeed but he couldn't help it. She seemed as though she would've been the cool aunt of her family. And Harry knew at once that she'd be his favourite one, as he'd said to her.

He had talked of his parents to her for Merlin's sake - and, he grimaced. She saw him using a wand. She saw dementors. 

He mentally cursed. He hadn't even seen if she was alright. But she was, despite a little trembling, she had seemed alright. She'd even carried Dudley to his house. 

And out of all that, she hadn't seemed surprised by the wand and magic. Dementors, yes. As anyone would have. But not the wand. Was she witch?

Suddenly, Harry recalled that muggles could not see dementors. But he was fairly certain she'd warned Dudley of not going in the direction of them, which meant she could see them. She was a witch? But she didn't look like one. She seemed - awfully muggle. 

Her way of talking, everything really. Even her clothes. It was muggle. Perhaps she'd known a wizard once. But how could she see dementors? Was that why she warned him to not tell of her?