Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Harry's Two Days
Harry was granted permission by Dumbledore to stay away from school until Sunday afternoon.
During these two days, Harry and Lupin stayed with Sirius.
He watched as his godfather transformed from a scruffy, dirty, ragged, and unkempt prisoner into a respectable person, albeit still thin but now clean and presentable.
They also visited St. Mungo's, where the healers gave Sirius a thorough examination, offered numerous recommendations, and prescribed three types of potions.
In short, Sirius would need a long period of rest and careful recovery to regain his health.
Lupin took the opportunity to invite Sirius to stay at his home.
"I imagine you wouldn't want to return to the old Black family house... Plus, Harry often comes home on weekends, so you'd be able to see him more often."
Sirius, happy with the idea, had already forgotten his initial intention of wanting Harry to live with him.
Lupin's house wasn't big; it was cramped even for two people, let alone three.
But this didn't stop them—both Lupin and Sirius knew the Undetectable Extension Charm. It didn't take them long to create space for an additional bedroom.
That night, when Harry went to bed, he saw the two adults still sitting by the fireplace, drinking and talking.
When he got up the next morning, they were in almost the exact same position.
They had talked the entire night, as if they had endless things to say.
On Sunday morning, Sirius and Lupin took Harry by Apparition to Godric's Hollow.
For the first time, Harry learned that his family had once lived in this village, and that his parents had also died here.
A mix of shock and shame struck him—why had I never thought to come here before?
He realized that he had never even visited his parents' graves.
Then he thought, even if he had wanted to come, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon would never have brought him here.
Lupin led them to the center of the square, where Harry saw a statue of the Potter family, as if the people had commemorated and thanked them in this way.
Then they went to the cemetery behind the church to pay their respects to the Potters.
However, Harry first came upon the gravestones of Dumbledore's mother and sister. For the first time, he realized that he and the headmaster were from the same place.
—Why didn't Dumbledore tell me?
Harry couldn't help but wonder.
But then he thought that perhaps many wizards had come to Hogwarts from this village, and Harry Potter was just one of them. Dumbledore didn't really have any reason to tell him specifically.
"Harry, over here!"
Lupin spoke as he led them to the tombstone of James and Lily Potter. On the white marble tombstone were their names, birth and death dates, and a simple epitaph:
[The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.]
Looking at those familiar yet distant names, Harry thought of his parents lying cold beneath the ground, unable to respond to him ever again, and his tears started to flow.
Sirius, meanwhile, broke into unrestrained sobs, muttering through his tears, "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I should have been there… I'm sorry…"
Lupin turned away, took a deep breath, and did not dare to look at the two of them.
After a long time, Lupin finally lifted the grief-stricken Sirius from the ground, put his arm around Harry, whose eyes were red and swollen, and gently led them both out of the cemetery.
"We will come back to visit them… Harry, remember, even though James and Lily are gone, they will always live on in our hearts, and their love will always be with you. Remember that."
"Sirius, James wouldn't want to see you like this… He'd want you to stand tall and move forward."
They reached the remains of James and Lily's house.
It had long since fallen into ruin; the upper-right side of the house had been completely blown apart, the iron gate was rusty, the yard was overgrown with weeds, and several of the window panes were shattered.
Standing at the doorway, Harry found himself unable to go inside.
Since childhood, he'd often imagined what his life might have been like if his parents hadn't died… Would he have been, like Dudley, the most adored child in the world, even if he were rude, foolish, or unkind?
Yet now, so close to where his parents had once lived, his legs felt too heavy to move.
He was afraid.
He was afraid of seeing a glimpse of the life he'd once had, and even more afraid of seeing how that happiness had been so brutally destroyed.
Understanding Harry's feelings, Lupin placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and said, "Next time, Harry. When you're ready, we'll come back."
Harry tried to steady himself and said, "It's okay, I can…"
"Don't forget, you still have school tomorrow. If we stay here too long, will you be able to get up on time? Are your assignments finished? Have you done your homework review?"
With three swift questions, Lupin pulled Harry back to the harsh reality of school life. Thinking of his Potions essay, which was only two lines long, Harry's mood sank in a different way.
"Come on, I'll take you back to school," said Lupin.
"During the Christmas holiday, we'll come back together. There are many things to sort through in this old house, and I'm sure you'll want to see traces of the life you had here as a child."
Harry hesitated for a moment but allowed Lupin to lead him away. He looked back to see Sirius still standing at the doorway, and his body was stiff, as if turned to stone.
Harry couldn't see his godfather's expression, but just from his posture, Harry felt a weight in his chest, making it hard to breathe.
"Remus, Sirius, he…"
"He probably needs some time alone," Lupin replied. "Don't worry; once I've taken you back, I'll keep an eye on him."
Harry glanced up at Lupin, trying to catch his expression.
—Is Remus truly as calm as he appears? Or is he just hiding his emotions?
Lupin seemed to read his thoughts and suddenly said, "I'm not like Sirius."
"After that night, Sirius was taken straight to Azkaban. He never got the chance to attend their funeral, nor got the chance to come back and visit them… He must have so much he wants to say to James now."
"Did you come to visit my parents' graves, Remus?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice steady, not wanting to sound like a crying child.
"Yes, every year," Lupin replied gently.
...
"You went to visit your parents?"
Hermione whispered in the common room. She looked at Harry as if he were a delicate piece of porcelain.
"Are you alright?… I mean… if you need it, my shoulder is here for you…" Hermione stammered.
"Oh, that's okay." Harry avoided her eyes and looked down. "Actually, I… well… I'm used to not having parents, so…"
He couldn't go on, and Hermione looked on the verge of tears.
"Hey, Harry, there you are!" Ron suddenly burst through the doorway. He saw Harry and immediately said, "Come on, you've got to see this—they've set up something huge by the Black Lake!"
Harry let out a sigh of relief, eager to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere. He immediately stood up. "What is it?"
"Come on, you'll see." Ron quickly ducked back out through the doorway, and shouted, "Hermione, what are you waiting for?"
"But Harry, you haven't finished your Potions essay!" Hermione said worriedly as she followed them.
"Forget that! This is way better than some stupid essay!" Ron said.
The Fat Lady in the portrait shouted indignantly after him, "I just opened the door for you!"
But Ron didn't have a moment to spare for her.
They hurried out of the castle, and Harry was astonished to see that nearly the entire school was gathered, forming long lines in front of seven doors. Ron quickly pulled them to the shortest line.
"Darn it, we're late!" Ron grumbled. "I thought they wouldn't open it until tomorrow!"
Harry, out of breath, asked, "So… what… is this?"
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