Harriet Potter 1

Guilt and gratitude

The cold butter beer was slippery in Harriet's hot sweaty palm as she sat amongst the silent group in the loungeroom of Grimmauld Place.

Harriet took a sip just to have something to do with her hands, and somewhere to look, apart from all the tense faces of the Weasleys.

They had all been seated in a tense vigil by the fireplace for hours following the events in Dumbledore's office. The silence was only broken by the clink of butterbeers and the unnervingly loud ticking of the grandfather clock.

From across the room, Sirius met Harriet's gaze, seeming to offer her wordless comfort and support, but rather than feeling comforted, Harriet just felt guiltier. He didn't know that Harriet had been the snake, that she was the cause of all the terrified and pained faces in her midst.

When she had recounted the dream to the Weasleys she had ommitted the detail that she had seen the vision from the snake's point of view, instead making it sound as though she had watched the snake from above.

Fortunately, Hermione, who had heard the true events in Dumbledore's office, did not correct her account.

She would start being a better friend to Hermione from now on, Harriet resolved feverishly. She would try harder during their joint study sessions from now on..

Harriet felt guilty for her lie but she could not bear the hate in their faces that surely would have followed if she had told them that she had been the snake, that she had attacked Mr Weasley.

They didn't know that if Mr Weasley died it would be all her fault. But he couldn't, mustn't die. Merlin, please don't let him die!

In the early hours of the morning, a pale Mrs Weasley walked in through the door. She offered them a weak smile. "He's going to be okay. We can all visit him at St Mungos later today."

The Weasleys moved forward to embrace their mother and each other, grinning.

Sirius beamed at them all "let's get breakfast on. How does everyone fancy bacon and eggs?"

Thank Merlin she hadn't killed Mr Weasley! He was going to live!

"It was all thanks to you Harriet," Mrs Weasley said, enveloping Harriet in a warm, teary hug. "If you hadn't seen- he wouldn't have made it." Harriet felt her heart sinking to her stomach.

Ron turned towards her, doubtless to thank Harriet as well for saving his father.

She couldn't do it.

Harriet could not look her best mate in the eyes and accept his thanks for what she had done.

She could not bear the weight on her chest for a moment longer

"Sirius, can I talk to you? Now please"

Sensing the urgency in her tone Sirius led her into the pantry, shutting the door behind them.

"Sirius, it was me." The words she had been thinking for hours tumbled unbidden from Harriet's mouth "I was the snake, I attacked Mr Weasley. I saw it all in first person."

Sirius' voice was quiet in the small space. Harriet couldn't see where he stood in the dark, but he must have been close because when he spoke, his breath hit Harriet's lips.

"Just because you saw it in first person doesn't mean you were tge snake, Harriet. You couldn't have been the snake as you were in bed the entire time. People saw you sleeping. It simply isn't possible for you to be in two places at once."

A seed of hope bloomed in Harriet's chest "Are you sure?"

"Of course I am, Now come here."

Sirius pulled Harriet against his warm steady chest. Harriet sobbed into his shirt as he passed a gentle palm over her back in long soothing strokes.

The door to the pantry shot open with a bang.

They jumped apart instantly, even though the hug had been innocent.

Snape stood silhouetted in the doorway. When he spoke, his voice was cold and cruel

"I was told that I might find Miss Potter in here."

Sirius raised one hand to his shaggy head before lowering it quickly.

"She's all yours, Severus."

Snape said nothing as Sirius walked past him and shut the door, leaving them alone in the darkened pantry