Keeping The Dark Lord (on his toes)

Chapter - 15 Obsessive much ? ( October to December 1993 )

Harry glared at the moon from where he sat near the Black Lake. Everything around him was silent, though that was to be expected with it being almost three in the morning.

He’d been too troubled to sleep, and with it being the morning of October the 31st, well, he really wasn’t looking forward to the day. Something bad always happened on Halloween and with Voldemort’s constant nagging and hounding through both his minions and his letters (though the older man would never admit to, or call it that), Harry was about to lose his temper, or his mind, whichever came first.

He was the MoD for Merlin’s sake! He didn’t need protection because nothing could permanently kill him except Death itself…and yet, he couldn’t tell Voldemort that because the man would wonder how he’d gained all three items in the first place and it would allow the man to easily realize that he was Ghost as nothing else would explain Ghost’s presence during the ritual…not that he knew of at least.

Harry sighed. Things had really become complicated after their vow.

A low whine met his ears and he startled slightly as a wet nose pressed itself into his hand. He smiled, “Hey Sirius, why are you out here? Don’t you have History class to teach tomorrow?” Sirius sank down at his side before laying his head on Harry’s lap and Harry reveled at the feeling of being able to see his godfather alive again as he scratched between his ears.

Surprisingly enough, having Peter arrested and Sirius freed had been the Dark Lord’s apology for the way he’d acted the night they performed the vow and it was one of the only good things that had come of it, except for the obvious non-killing vow of course.

Dumbledore had naturally jumped at trying to turn the situation to his advantage and he’d offered the man Binn’s job after the ghost mysteriously disappeared a week later. It didn’t take an idiot to see what had happened and yet the ministry was unsurprisingly blind.

Sirius had been unsure about the truth at first when Severus filled him in (more like stupefied him and forced him to listen), but when Harry did the same, with his memories as proof, it barely took anything to sway the man to their side.

Harry didn’t blame the man for not immediately believing him because he understood that the man had followed Dumbledore for years, and the man only knew him as his estranged godson, but that didn’t completely remove the hurt he felt when he realized that the man had been doubting his words.

It was a vivid reminder that the man wasn’t his Sirius, but the appearance of Death with a message from the ghostly Sirius in the form of a light smack to the back of the head had him feeling quite silly for a moment as the entity disappeared once more…proving that he was never alone even if it felt like he was.

Some people might even think that he was stupid for missing his Sirius if he could see him at any time, but, even as the MoD, the dead felt as cold as ice and that was why he now reveled in being able to curl up next to the warmth of this Sirius instead.

He was happy that Death didn’t reveal himself completely though…he was sure Sirius would experience quite a few flashbacks of the Dementors if he were to do that in his usual garb.

They sat like that for a while before Sirius stood up and looked towards the castle before glancing back at him. Harry gave him a small smile, “Get some sleep, I won’t be out here for much longer. Just need to clear my head.”

Sirius jipped before he trotted off and Harry returned his attention to the Black Lake where he could see a curious pair of young Grindylows and their guardian nearing the shore. They must have smelled that he wasn’t completely human though because although they moved cautiously, it was more with excitement than anything else.