The Lost Potter

So Complicated

Harry began the search for Olivia the next morning, with Ron and Hermione in tow. It took all of dinner the night before to convince them to come along, so Harry was very much hoping that something would come of the search, even if they couldn't find Olivia that day.

"Where to first? There are a lot of Hogwarts grounds to cover." Hermione said as they stepped out on to the fresh snow.

Harry focused for a second, feeling frustrating when that pull he had felt when Olivia was in trouble before wasn't there- he had even felt the connection while she was in Azkaban, why not now? "Lets go back to where we were and start there."

The three of them walked around the castle, Ron and Hermione awaiting anything from Harry. The boy who lived was getting more and more frustrated as he went- she was being held hostage and no alarm bells were going off? Why couldn't he find her? They circled the area in relative silence.

~

"He's looking for me." Olivia said as Sirius walked by her room's doorway.

"What? Who?" Sirius asked, stopping in his tracks and ignoring his rumbling stomach.

"Harry. I can feel him looking for me, but I don't know why he isn't here already," Olivia furrowed her brows, keeping still as to not agitate her leg.

"The willow might be helping, humans can't get past it without knowing where to hit it." Sirius suggested while leaning against the doorframe.

"Still, I'm not feeling the pulling," Olivia thought over the last time she'd felt the pulling back in Azkaban- it had been faint, but she thought that had just been because of the distance. She had felt it when she was starving, or when the dementors really shook her, but had also felt it at random times when she assumed it was from Harry's end, "Maybe it's only when we're in trouble? I hate how confusing these things are."

"As soon as this mess is over, we're researching what these powers are," Sirius said off hand, "But what are we going to do now? We don't know when those signals could go off, and if Harry finds us..."

Olivia nodded gloomily, "If he finds us, he could leave the door wide open for the dementors. What if I just talked to him? Tell him to stop looking for me and say that I'm okay?"

"I don't know if we could get too close to him again without him getting suspicious." Sirius scratched his rough, unshaven chin in thought.

"I could just perch up in a tree, talk to him for five minutes tops, and you could be waiting right inside the tunnel to help me back in." Olivia suggested, swinging her legs off the bed and feeling raring to go.

"Liv you're injured and couldn't even fly up into a tree," Sirius pointed out, rushing to her side as she winced while putting weight on her injured leg. He tried to set her back down on the bed but she waved him away.

"Okay, a bush then. I can still hop just fine, and you're way too huge and conspicuous for stealth missions." Olivia pointed out right back, steadying herself on the bed and the wall. She wanted to get out there and get this over with before anything tragic happened- besides, she was sick of sitting in this dingy bed when she could be actually doing something.

"Fine, but I'll be waiting right at the tunnel just in case," Sirius insisted, transforming and waiting for her to do the same.

"Just as I suggested, then?" Olivia said smugly, transforming and feeling everything pop into place before hopping on to Sirius. Onward, noble steed!

You're lucky I like you. Sirius joked at her, carrying her out of the and to the end of the tunnel with ease.

I'll be safe, don't worry, it'll only take a few moments. Olivia comforted Sirius's unspoken words as she hopped off of his lowered head. Sirius tried not to be too anxious, but still whimpered unwittingly as she hopped out of his sight.

Olivia was glad that the Whomping Willow only tried to attack humans as she hopped her way out of its long branches. She settled in some nearby foliage, and called out hesitantly, Harry?

~

Harry?

Harry froze in his tracks. Hermione and Ron kept crunching through the snow ahead of him, completely unaware of anything happening. Harry shushed them and opened his ears to try and hear anything else.

"What?" Ron asked quite loudly, and Harry shushed them again.

Olivia? Are you there? Harry called out, trying once again to feel that pull.

Harry I need to talk to you. Can you spare some time? Olivia felt very awkward asking but proceeded anyway. She didn't want him to have to bolt in the middle of the conversation.

Where are you? Why can't we talk in person? How'd you get to Hogwarts? Harry spun in a circle, scanning the area for any sign as to where she could be.

That all doesn't matter right now, okay? I don't know how long I can stay here, Olivia breathed a shaky sigh, the thought of dementors catching her fresh in her mind. I just need you to know to stop looking for me and that I'm perfectly fine.

To stop looking for you? Why? The media says you've been abducted by the murderer, Black! Harry asked back, still scanning the terrain in hopes he would spot her but not moving in case the connection was weak.

"Harry what is it? What's going on? Are you talking?"
Hermione whispered, approaching him with light feet.

"Tell you in a minute." Harry whispered back before returning to Olivia.

I haven't been abducted, I escaped, she hesitated and just decided to skip over the name, and if you go looking for me I could be caught and shipped right back.

How did you escape? Why Hogwarts? What about Black? Harry somehow felt more confused after talked to her than ever, and rubbed his temples as he tried to make sense of it all.

I don't know if I can tell you that yet. If they find out you know anything... Olivia trailed off, thinking back to her few days in the cold, unfeeling ministry.

Olivia please, you can't leave me in the dark like this- Harry let his desperation deep through. He finally gets a chance to talk to her after all these years and she can barely tell him anything?

Harry I want to tell you everything. But it's too high-risk right now. Olivia was about to say something, but it completely slipped her mind. What was she trying to warn him about, again?

"'Arry! What're ya doin' outside? " Hagrid's booming voice cut in, drowning out any of Harry's response. The half-giant passed by Olivia's perching bush on his way to scold Harry, his thundering stomps knowing Olivia off of her perch. She let out a surprised chirp and fluttered to the ground, mentally shrieking as she landed on her broken wing.

What was that? Are you okay? Harry asked her, ignoring Hagrid entirely as he was shepherded inside.

Don't worry about me Harry, I'm fine where I am, it'll all be explained later! Olivia called to him as she watched him be dragged inside. She struggled to get back on to her feet and, after making sure Harry couldn't communicate from beyond the castle doors, hopped back under the Whomping Willow to where Sirius was waiting.

~~

Whew, long one. And sorry if these author's notes don't always make sense- I write these chapters one in advance in case I can't write one for too long a time. Also thank you to @emma_x_shannon for voting!

Anyway, please leave feedback and I hope you enjoyed!