D.R.A.R.R.Y Supremacy

20 - Rumors and Regrets

It was as though the world had come crashing down on Harry.

It felt as though a dementor had just sucked the soul out of his body.

Sirius Black was Harry Potter's godfather. Sirius Black was innocent. Harry Potter killed him.

Lupin's words echoed in Harry's head like a dreadful voice he couldn't escape as Draco led Harry and Lupin out of the Shrieking Shack and back to the castle.

Harry, I just want you to know- AVADA KEDAVRA!

Harry couldn't stop replaying that moment in his head as he climbed up the steps of the castle, leaning heavily on Draco, who was hoisting him up and trying to keep him from stumbling.

Lupin went the other way and headed to Dumbledore's office, while Draco took Harry down to the Slytherin dungeon.

Harry, I just want you to know-

Sirius wanted Harry to know what? He had been about to tell Harry something. He was about to say his final words, but Harry didn't give him a chance to. He didn't even give himself the chance to hear what his godfather wanted to say.

I just want you to know... I'm sorry? I love you? I'm innocent? You have your mother's eyes? What exactly did Sirius want Harry to know?

Harry had never once hated himself in his life, but now he wanted to rip himself into pieces with his bare hands and never see the light again.

How could he have been so rash? How could he have killed his own godfather, his father's best friend, without hearing him out first?

Sirius was the only family I had left. And I murdered him.

"Harry!" Daphne exclaimed, running towards him once Draco took him to the Slytherin common room. "Harry, you won't believe it! Snape said the results of the Firebolt test came out. So first of all, it's not jinxed, it's perfectly normal. And guess who sent it? Well, Snape had the registration number looked into and found out that the Firebolt was paid for through the Gringotts vault of the Blacks! Well, there's Narcissa Black Malfoy, and Sirius Black, and Bellatrix Black Lestrange... Who else is a Black? Anyway, all we know is that one of the Blacks sent you that Firebolt, and not to kill you, really. Who do you think sent it, Harry?"

Draco shot Daphne a glare to hush her up and took Harry to the boys' dormitories, where Harry broke down and sobbed on his knees, screaming and slamming his fists against the floor as he cried.

Draco wanted to comfort Harry, to console him and tell him it wasn't his fault, but he knew Harry needed time and space for himself, and afterall, Draco and Harry weren't back to being friends just yet, were they?

Draco sat on his bed and wiped the tears from his cheeks as he painfully watched Harry thrashing around on the floor next to him, wailing and punching the floor with all his might.

Around fifteen minutes later, the door to the dormitory burst open, and in came Theodore, Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, Daphne, Snape, McGonagall, Hagrid, Flitwick, Cornelius Fudge, and Dumbledore.

The dormitory was suddenly as cramped as a tiny closet as everyone circled in on Harry with disrespectfully bright smiles on their faces as Harry looked up at them with red eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

"Harry! Is it true? You killed Sirius Black using the Imperius Curse?" Pansy gushed with excitement.

"You're a hero!" Daphne exclaimed with admiration. "I heard you murdered Sirius Black with a nail cutter!"

"Yeh did it, Harry! Yeh bloody did it!" Hagrid cheered, wiping happy tears from his eyes. "An' I though' yeh would grow up to join the Dark Lord's side! Bu' I was wrong! Yeh've been on our side all along! I'm proud o' yeh, Harry! I'm proud o' yeh!"

"Finally, with that scum gone, things can get back to normal. A hundred points to Slytherin," Snape drawled with a satisfied smirk on his face.

"How did you do it, Harry? I knew you were powerful but I didn't know you were more powerful than Sirius Black!" said Theodore. "Is it true you transfigured him into a dog after you killed him?"

"Amazing," Blaise breathed. "I didn't know you had a gun! Shot him right in the head, didn't you, Potter?"

"Malfoy, what are you doing here with Potter? Are you two friends again?" Crabbe asked.

"Are you gonna replace us with him?" Goyle added.

"Potter, why are you crying?" McGonagall exclaimed. "You should be celebrating! You killed the man who betrayed your parents!"

"EVERYBODY SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Harry bellowed, straining his throat and feeling like the pain could swallow him whole any moment now. One more hoarse scream and his throat could bleed for all he knew.

The room fell silent at once. Draco cleared his throat. "Everyone, please leave Potter alone, at least for tonight. I'll explain everything. Come with me."

Draco led everyone out of the dormitory and took them as far away as possible from Harry. As Draco spent the night explaining about Sirius Black's innocence, Harry spent the night crying silently.

When Draco came back to the dormitory, he found Harry lying on the floor, fast asleep with tears on his cheeks and his Firebolt wrapped tightly in his arms.