1994-06-29: This Gnome's For You!

Participants:

Harry_icon.gif Sirius_icon.gif

Scene Title This Gnome's For You!
Synopsis Sirius pays Harry a visit on his way out of the country.
Date June 29 1994
Watch For Flying Gnomes
Chronology Sirius has 'stolen' himself a wand before leaving the UK during the summer.
Logger Sirius

The Burrow


Another lazy summer day in the Burrow, and such a nice day outside. Hard to believe that most of the household members are inside the house. All except one. Harry. Who is outside, in the air, chasing a practice snitch on his broomstick.

Which is just the moment a particular stray dog has been waiting for. Mindful of the occupants of the Burrow, and his foray into Diagon Alley the previous night, Sirius Black lurks in a nearby hedgerow. Safe within his dog form, his pale eyes glint from the darkness of brush.

Up. Down. Left. Left. Right. The practice snitch seems determined not to be caught by it's pursuer. But that's not stopping Harry from keeping right on the tail of the little golden ball. "Come on…" he mutters, pushing the broom to it's limits.

Staying down and within the hedge, Sirius is content for a few moments to simply watch his godson fly. In a way, it's like watching James out on the pitch, or practicing all over again. Quiet and still for several more moments, he thumps his paw down on a gnome trotting past. The gnome emits noises of protest and squeaking, 'Gerroff!!' before it's picked up in the canine's teeth and flung out in Harry's direction.

Almost….almost….WHOA! GNOME!! Harry's outstretched hand reaching for the snitch is quickly pulled back as the flying by. It also throws him off balance, and for a moment he's flying upside down. Righting himself, he hauls the broomstick around to make a pass back where the gnome was seen. Well, there's the hedge, and off to the side the gnome running back towards the hedge. The broom is slowed down as he drifts slowly along the bushes, eyes looking are for any clues.

A pair of pale eyes above a black muzzle should be seen there in the brush. The dog almost ran out from its hiding spot when Harry had a bit of a problem staying upright on his broom, but wisely stayed put. What with the Weasley family so close by.

"What the…" Harry says, pulling back on the broomstick handle. That looked like a dog. Pulling up a bit more, he slowly drifts the broom in reverse. "Sirius?" he calls out, glancing at the hedge as he hovers above it. "Is that you?" It would be a pleasant surprise, but then again…it might just be his imagination.

The answer to Harry's question is another gnome that goes flying from behind the hedgerow and a quiet bark accompanying its flight. From Harry's vantage point above, he should see a wagging black tail poking up from the shrubbery.

Ok, that gnome catches Harry totally off guard and it smacks him straight in the shoulder knocking him off the broom. "Hey!" he says, falling the couple feet to the ground. "Oof. Alright Sirius, I know that's you." he says, laughing as he starts to get to his feet. The Firebolt hovers where it was when he fell off.

Transforming himself to human form, Sirius calls out softly, "Quick, duck in here before we're seen. Bring your broom with you." He remains hidden, even more so now.

See? Harry was right! Besides, surely if it were the twins they would come up with something better than gnome tossing. Reaching up, he grabs the footstop of the Firebolt and pulls the broom down. Parting the branches of the hedge, Harry steps into it. Broom and all. "You know you're taking a huge risk right?" he asks, glancing around for his godfather.

Sirius rises up halfway from his crouch to embrace Harry in a one armed, albeit, tight hug. "Shush, you'll be sounding like Moony with that," he says in a fond and teasing manner. The fugitive has cleaned himself up considerably since the last time Harry saw him. (Not as thoroughly as he would have liked, all things considered.) "I'm not here long. Buckbeak's hidden not too far from here, we'll be moving on shortly. I just had to see you on my way out of the country."

Hugging his godfather back just as tightly, Harry grins. "Maybe if I do, you'll start listening more." he jokes, grinning broadly. "Out of the country?" he asks, tone changing from joking to questioning. "Why out of the country?"

"I never listened to Remus, what makes you think that I'll listen to you?" Sirius says, his mood lighter than its been in ages. He dusts off Harry's shoulder some from when he fell off the broom. "Didn't mean to startle you that badly. Didn't hurt yourself, did you?" Smiling broadly, he settles back down into a crouch, "I've got to let myself be seen someplace away from here. Let the search possibly die down a little. Fudge seems a bit fanatical about my escape."

"You'd best listen to your only godson." Harry chuckles, shaking his head in response to the question. "I've had worse falls." It's true, but he had help surviving those falls too. His green eyes gaze at Sirius, questioningly, but at the same time relaying a sense of understanding. "Yeah, I saw that in today's Prophet. That was you at Ollivanders, wasn't it?"

Sirius waves a hand dismissively at Harry's concerns, and chooses to not answer the teen. "I know you've had worse.. and as far as listening to you and Remus, isn't that why I should leave the country a bit? I'll send you letters often enough. I should make my way back once your term starts… and by the way, Moony will be staying in Hogsmeade come the fall. So there'll be a friendly face there to help keep you safe."

And in choosing not to answer then Harry comes to know the answer. There's a nod of understanding. "I just wish…" a pause, "…well, I wish Peter Pettigrew hadn't gotten away. Things wouldn't be like this if he hadn't." There's a slight upturn of a smile on his face at the second half. "And you'll be staying nearby once the term starts, right?" he asks, hopefully.

"As do I Harry, but that's not the case right now. Maybe someday." Sirius's smile turns grim, no pun intended, "Even if Peter hadn't of gotten away, I would probably be back in Azkaban without so much as a by your leave. Even presented with evidence, Fudge isn't likely to hear my side." The grimness fades quickly from his face and his smile turns cheery again as he claps Harry soundly on the shoulder. "Enough of that, this was meant to be a more spirited meeting. We'll see. Possibly I'll play the lovable stray or Remus's pet. Whatever I have to do to stay nearby. Now! The Weasley's treating you alright?"

"Probably right." Harry nods solemnly. "Fudge doesn't seem to particularly concerned with anything aside from capturing you lately." he adds, before letting the situation turn back upbeat again. "It's a part you play well I've heard." he says, hinting that he's seen Lupin recently too. "They're treating me right better than the Dursleys would be, I'm sure." he grins. "At least Mrs. Weasley's making sure I'm well fed."

Sirius flashes his teeth in a wide grin, "I have no choice Harry, and as I said, whatever I have to do now. I'll do it." He glances towards the burrow from the hiding spot there in the hedgerow, "You better get back out there before Mrs. Weasley has kittens because you aren't visible, and I need to get running."

"I understand." Harry nods, his face and voice both relaying understanding. "you'd better write though. Or I'll have to send Hedwig after you." he adds, turning up the corners of his lips in a smile. Glancing back towards the house, he nods. "She's bound to come out out any moment now, I'm sure." Reaching out to give his godfather one last hug, he turns to find a way out of the hedge.

"Of course I'm going to write!" Sirius says as he returns the hug. As Harry turns to leave the hedge, he transforms into the great black dog. He watches his godson a few more moments before taking off to where Buckbeak is hidden.

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