Harry Potter and the New Start: Healing

When you finish reading, take the extra second to read the author's note at the end. And after, please review for old time sake?

This chapter takes place one month after the events at Black Manor.

-----------------------------Emeralds' Palace

"Sirius! Sirius come on, you said we'd go out after lunch!" The five year old cried.

Sirius watched his godson with an affectionate gaze. He gave out a pretend groan, which he knew the little boy saw through, and slowly made his way to his feet. Harry would have none of that though. Not when he'd been promised broom practice.

A small hand tugged his own towards the outdoors. Harry's smile was as wide as it could go, and if there was any truth to that old wives tale about it getting stuck that way, then Harry was in for sore cheeks the rest of his life.

At one point Sirius had been afraid he would never see his godson smile like that again.

Slowly but surely though, that had changed. Harry had started healing after his kidnapping. He smiled and laughed more, he slowly stopped clinging to Sirius at every turn, and he could sleep with the lights off. Things weren't exactly as they'd been before, nor did Sirius expect them to ever get there again. But Harry was getting better, and that was all that mattered to him.

Once the door in front of them had been thrown open, Harry had released his hand and ran out towards the middle of the field, his broom clutched in his hands. Once Sirius had given him the basics on broom operation and safety Harry hadn't needed much help. He was a natural in the air. James would have been proud, Sirius certainly was.

"Watch me, Siri!" the little boy cried, mounting the broom.

As if Sirius could have actually been able to tear his eyes away from the little boy he loved more than life itself. He had really been too close to losing his precious godson, he would never let the little boy be taken from him again.

-FLASHBACK-

"Sirius?" Harry asked, keeping his eyes to the ground.

The man in question looked down to his godson. Seeing his apprehensive stance, Sirius knelt in front of him so they were at the same level. Gently, he reached a hand out to bring Harry's face back up so his eyes weren't to the ground. "Hmm, Emeralds?"

"If Wormtail," the child started, swallowing hard after repeating the name of his kidnapper, "If he knew where we were, then why doesn't anyone else?"

Sirius sighed, answering this question with the same patience that he had every other one before it. "Do you remember when we went to the aurors?" Sirius asked needlessly, for he knew how much that memory of the people who would throw him away in Azkaban without a second thought affected Harry, "And then we went to the side so I could calm you down?"

Harry nodded, remembering what had happened.

"I told you to say Emerald's Palace when I was convincing you that they could never get me. Peter was there, he heard you and he knew how to come here." Sirius explained, as he had before. Harry needed to hear it again and again, but Sirius didn't mind at all.

Again, all his statements received, was a nod. "But baby, no one else knows about this place. No one. Nobody's going to come in here and take you or me away again."

Something sparked in Harry's eyes, though for one of the first times ever, Sirius wasn't sure what it was. Fear? Relief? He wasn't sure. Pressing on regardless, Sirius added, "Harry, listen to me." He directed gently, taking Harry's shoulders into his hands, "You can't ever – EVER – say the name of our home out loud anywhere but here again. All right, Emeralds? Can you promise me?"

"I promise." Came the solemn vow.

-END FLASHBACK-

Sirius knew for a fact that Harry understood what was at stake if he did mention their home again, and he knew that alone was enough to deter the boy from doing so. A day would come where Harry would find his own best friend, someone he could trust as much as James had trusted Sirius, and Harry would tell that boy. Then, he would find his own wife, and tell her too. But those days were a long ways into the distance, and for now, the promise was needed.

"Sirius!" Harry called. Instantly, the protective godfather broke from his thoughts to turn to where Harry had been last spotted. When he didn't see the boy there, panic ensued.

Before his mind had much time to catch up with the fact that his godson was nowhere in sight, giggling emerged from above him. Stopping dead in his tracks and completely abandoning the third complete circle he had been making, Sirius looked up.

And there, flying right above his head was a grinning Harry. The smile on the boy's face was so bright and complete that he knew Harry's fears would soon be over.

Playing along, and also because suddenly he felt much better, Sirius teased, "And pray tell how you got up there?" He asked, looking up.

Harry leaned out further from his broom, "I flew!" he cried, as though Sirius couldn't have guessed himself.

"And so you did." Sirius said, smiling. Pretending to let the smile fall from his face, Sirius threw himself into a look of mock contemplation. "Oh dear, this means I'll have to guard from attacks from above now!"

Harry laughed again, "You wait 'till I get some more blue dye, Padfoot!" He cried.

Pretend worry soon changed into the real thing. "You wouldn't!" he called up. The last thing he wanted was for Harry to dye any part of Sirius's body blue again – or any other color for that matter.

Harry leaned far enough over to stick his tongue out at Sirius in clean view, "I would!" he called back.

Sirius opened his mouth in outrage, then to himself – but loud enough for the little boy to hear, he grumbled, "The nerve…blue dye…I'm far too old for blue dye. That little…"

Hearing his godfather continue in such a teasing manner made Harry's whole body shake in convulsions. He brought his hands up from where they'd been clutching the handle of the broom to his mouth to cover up his smile while Sirius continued on.

Harry managed to keep a semblance of composure until Sirius suddenly changed modes and brightly announced that blue dye would compliment his eyes nicely. This sent the five year old into a fresh break of hysterics – so powerful he fell right off his broom.

"Oomph!" Sirius grunted as his arms were suddenly filled with his still laughing godson. Now, instead of looking up at the boy, he was looking down at him. "Hello there." He greeted.

Sheepishly, Harry smiled and gave a little wave. "Hi." He rushed to continue before Sirius started in on the tenth broom safety lecture in the last few days. "Fly with me!"

"And if I fly with you," Sirius started, already picking up his godson's fallen broom, "Who will be on the ground to catch you when you fall?"

Harry pouted, though he needn't do so. Sirius was already mounting the broom, holding Harry securely in front of him.

He kicked off and listened with a grin as Harry yelled out his delight at Sirius going higher than Harry was allowed to go by himself.

Yes, Sirius thought, they would most certainly be all right.

---------------------------------The Burrow

Nine-year-old Percy Weasley was more than annoyed. His twin brothers had taken his book and thrown it in the attic, knowing that Percy was afraid of the ghoul. How would he get it back? Before he could have gotten Charlie to do it, but now his brother was in Hogwarts, as was Bill. Now he would have to wait until his father got home.

Of course, Percy realized with a smile, Ron would probably go get it for him. As long as the task didn't involve spiders, his five-year-old brother wouldn't be scared. He couldn't ask Ginny though, even if she wasn't afraid of the ghoul, because that would just be too embarrassing. Asking your baby brother was one thing, asking your baby sister was quite another.

Why did Mum and Dad have to have the twins? They were only ever causing problems! Percy sat down heavily, leaning against his favorite tree. The twins hadn't found it – yet – so he would finally find a moment of peace.

Percy was still contemplating what to do about his attic problem when something small caught his eye. Leaning to the side of the tree, he squinted to see the little thing in front of him.

"A rat." Percy whispered. He wasn't sure the thing was alive though. It truly looked horrible. It's fur was half gone, with shiny pink skin showing instead – it looked as though the poor little thing had gotten too close to a fire somewhere. The rat was thin, looking to be underfed.

Crawling forward, Percy loomed over the injured animal. "Hello…" he whispered, not at all finding it stupid that he was speaking with a rat. "Are you all right?" he asked.

Of course, the rat did not answer. Percy leaned in again, waiting to see any sign of life. He held his breath, staring at the creature's chest. Finally, after what seemed like all day, the smallest of movements occurred. The rat was alive.

As gently as a little boy could manage, Percy lifted the animal into his arms. Once the rat was securely in his hold, Percy ran off towards the house, his book forgotten.

"Mum!"

PLEASE READ:

There have been a lot of questions regarding a sequel to this. I have left the door open for a sequel, and I do in fact know what I would want it to be. I am not averse to writing one. The one thing is, that with school coming to a close and finals looming, I would really like to have the remainder of the school year free to only have obligations to one story. I think dealing with all those stupid end of the year projects (two have already made themselves known, I am sad to say that I think more will be announced soon – damn teachers!) and having two stories would be a bit much. As it was this whole month I've had a hard time (I am sorry for the wait this chapter had – sickness and school got in my way).

So, the real question of the matter is up to you guys. I can and would write the sequel, BUT it would not come out until late-June. If you are all willing to wait until then for one, then please say so in your review of this last chapter. I'll be sure to keep people updated on the subject in my profile. Whichever you want, guys, just let me know.

I can't stress this enough – THANK YOU!

-Star

(Come on, you know you wanna give the final chapter a review!)