The Boy in the Cupboard

Chapter 6

Sirius tried not to compare Harry to the others. Whenever he and Harry received letters from Neville or Remus or the Weasleys, Sirius told himself Harry was making progress too. Harry could write letters now; a few individual letters. Even guiding him through writing his name was a very frustrating process that left most of the paper smeared with ink.

"You're making Rorschach tests." Remus joked as they talked with the two-way mirrors Sirius had often used with James. Sirius snorted- finding a meaning in inkblots seemed just as ridiculous as reading tea leaves in Divination.

All the same, Harry enjoyed sending his inkblot letters back to Neville via their snowy owl, Hedwig. He asked to fly more and more, and Sirius began realizing that Harry actually did wish he was at Hogwarts with his friends and family.

Ginny, alone for the first time in her life, struck up a friendship with another young witch near Ottery St. Catchpole. Sirius privately thought Luna Lovegood was more than a bit barmy. She wore dirigible plums as earrings and her father was editor of the rubbish magazine The Quibbler.

Luna's first comment upon seeing Harry was he must have been attacked by Wrackspurts. She advised Harry to think happy thoughts, but gave no judgement of him whatsoever and took him as he was. She gave Harry a cork necklace, and didn't seem at all upset when it was promptly flung into the attic.

One afternoon, Luna skipped over to the Burrow with art supplies, encouraging Harry to paint. At first, Harry merely played with the brushes and tried to eat the paint, which Sirius had expected, but then Harry stroked the brush over the paper with far more success than a quill. Sirius offered Harry a sickle if he painted his name, and Harry did so with much less resistance than earlier. Sirius slipped the coin over, trying to ignore Ginny, who didn't quite hide her jealousy.

Sirius borrowed a muggle typewriter from Arthur, enchanted to never run out of ink. It was an improvement over a quill, but Harry's impulse was to batter the keys relentlessly. Sirius almost wished for Remus's job sometimes, or his patience.

Christmas holidays were a joyous yet somber time. It was great seeing Remus, Neville and all the Weasleys (minus Charlie, who was in Romania), but seeing the growth Neville and Ron had made in their first term at Hogwarts made it hard not to compare.

Ron told Harry about the Quidditch pitch and the trolley on the train with chocolate frogs.

Neville's stories focused on the greenhouses and how kind Professor Sprout was, but he added "Sometimes I wished I was back here. I missed you." Neville clearly figured he wouldn't hear a "missed you too", but Harry's smile was enough.

"Let's go fly school." Harry said, and Ron asked if Harry had flown a broomstick. Sirius wondered if Madam Hooch could've coaxed Harry onto one, but Ron and Neville's tale of their first flying lesson made him rethink the flying coach's competence. Neville had fallen and broken his wrist and a Malfoy boy had wrecked the replacement Remembrall Augusta Longbottom had mailed. Sirius was about to share some of the hexes he and James had used on Snivellus, but Molly was in earshot. Fred and George told him they'd they'd hexed Malfoy's hair green.

Sirius smirked. He'd heard other tales of the twins, and it was clear Hogwarts had a new generation of Marauders. He exchanged a high-five with the twins. If he still had the Marauder's Map, he would've considered them worthy of it.

Harry left the conversation entirely, scrambling up the stairs.

The more Sirius heard of Malfoy, the more he disliked him. Molly didn't even scold when she heard Ron had joined Neville, of all people, in a fistfight against Malfoy and two of his cronies. Malfoy had been making fun of Harry, and Neville had stated Harry was worth twelve of Malfoy.