Not Retribution, Just Returning Favor!

Chapter 11: Extolment

"I love her, James. I love her... Merlin! It scares me how much I love her!", Sirius said as he sobbed into James chest. James's felt both happy and terrified for his brother, his best mate. He always wanted someone to be there for him, just in case something happens to him. Someone who would take of him and not let him go off his rockers. Sirius was a loyal guy and he loved with a ferocity that should be scary but was not. Sirius didn't give two snickles about people he didn't love but for those he loved, he would get the moon to make them happy.

Harry was a solid gal and someone who didn't stop Sirius from being him. She was strong, powerful and so compassionate. Today was an enough proof of that. Prongs had been beyond himself to run towards Harry, to save her. He couldn't think anything except the despair that Prongs was drowning in when Harry became motionless. Her fighting back had been one of the most badass things he has ever witness. The relief that flooded him cannot be explained. He was baffled by the intense love his animagus had for Harry. It almost paternal. He had spoken to Moony, who was baffled by it too. Peter muttered that Harry's scent meant nothing to Wormtail, which was weird. Wormtail had the sharpest smell. Sirius was too busy panicking out to really pay attention to Padfoot.

Her compassion and genuine nature were so clear to see. By Moony's reaction, it was clear that Harry was in considerable pain throughout the time. Despite that she had refused to sit down and had instead, helped other students. She was so sweet and caring with the injured students, no matter the house or year. He could tell that in her mind she was simply helping people who needed it. No matter their affiliation, their blood status, their wealth or their attitude towards her. He had asked Hermione about why she was not dragging her sister to infirmary.

Hermione bit her lip and then said, with pride and love shining in her eyes,"Because Harry would never go. Do you see who she is helping? She is helping young students, who have never witnessed war and probably want a caring soul near them. James, we have lost everything and everyone that we knew or cared about. It was tough to get by, especially for her. She is comforting them, the way she wished someone had comforted her, when she was suffering. She is in pain, if I am not wrong, so much pain that another person would have collapsed by now. All I want to do is drag her to hospital wing, but she would never accept help till she has provided it to everyone who needs it. The best I can do is get the work done faster so that she can get checked."

James, Sirius and Lily started to help students to speed up the process. If this was the way they could help her, so be it. Regulus confrontation with Harry has brought something beautiful out of it. The brothers were talking again. James knew how much Sirius cared and loved his brother. Sirius had given up hope of ever reconciling with his brother because Regulus beliefs were so polar opposite from his own. This midway meet was a balm on Sirius's soul. James would have accepted Harry for Sirius then itself, had he not already given him the blessing to go ahead.Sirius and James, both were peas in the pod. One never did anything that would upset the other. Except well the Snape incident, but Snape was a git. Sirius wasn't alone to blame, Snape was dumb enough to follow. That fight had been very difficult and painful on them. It did bring them closer to each other. They had stopped bullying people for fun since then.

Speaking of that unshowered git, it was a pleasure to him so terrified of his own creation and the way his whole belief system shook, as Harry disclosed more of Lord Voldemort's origins. Her information on Voldemort had shaken up the Slytherin house and the fact that she was muggleborn, Gryffindor and a Parselmouth had scared them shitless. Their believes lay in shatters. James thinks that it was more shocking and horrifying to them because it was Gryffindor and a muggleborn, both the anti-thesis of their believes, who had the most cherish and coveted skill of their house.

Something was bothering James though, along with everyone else. It was the nonchalant way Harry bore pain. Like she expected it and was so used to it, that it was now a second nature to her. What would have brought such a reaction? As far as Hermione stories goes, their parents were a strict but warm, loving and treated them well. So it wasn't Hermione parents who had hurt her. Now that he thought of it, Harry never spoke of back home. It was always about school or Ron's home. Never, her home. Why? After Hermione's explanation today, he thinks it maybe because it was too painful to talk about home. So she avoided it.