Harry Potter and the Terra of Umbra

A/N: Hey you bunch! Listen... I see you reading... yet no one reviewed? Come on now :( We really tried very hard to write this story and a little one second review would be nice... feed our bunnies... they are starving! :(((
Anywhooooo, here is chappy 3 and we are diving farther into our story!

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Hmmm, my tooth hurts, thought Albus as he climbed out of his red and gold clad bed.

“Morning Albus” said one of the paintings on his wall.

“Ahh, good morning! Well, I suppose it isn’t a very good morning, is it?” Albus said his voice soft as he thought of today’s planned events. The small funeral service they were throwing in honor of Sirius. Albus had been the one to suggest the idea to the Order of the Phoenix in the first place but he had been giving it second thoughts for quite sometime. At the time he had not thought about young Harry and how it would affect him. Albus had been spending the last few days contemplating what would happen to the young boy now that Sirius was gone.

He truly felt bad for Harry. He had lost so many people in his short life span and Albus had seen how hard this particular death had struck the boy. He was only fifteen after all and he had seen more then the average man had in those fifteen years.

He pulled out his seat, sitting in front of his desk. He was still clad in his pajamas but a quick glance at the ticking grandfather clock in the corner of his office told him that he had enough time for a quick brainstorming session before he had to get ready to go to Grimmauld Place for Sirius’ funeral.

He twined his fingers together, resting his chin on top of his hands and stared into space, his bright blue eyes twinkling. There was a flap of wings in the distance and then a light weight weighed down his shoulder. Albus lifted his head and felt the feathers on Fawkes side brush against his cheek. “Morning Fawkes.” He said affectionately.

The phoenix sang in return, a soft melody that only carried out a few notes before she brushed her head against his cheek. “Will you be attending the funeral with me?” he asked the bird, stroking his long fingers down her back. She cooed again and he took that as a yes.

“It is a solemn day indeed…” He murmured, slowly getting to his feet. The phoenix flew off his shoulder and perched on the top of his bed post, watching Albus intently as he gathered the eulogy he’d written and would be reading at today’s service. He placed it in his case and went to change…

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“Harry? Harry, its time to wake up.” Hermione whispered, shaking him gently. It was noon and Harry had slept through breakfast. Mrs. Weasley had thought it was a good idea to let him get a decent amount of sleep since it looked as if he hadn’t been sleeping much. She had sent Hermione up to wake him though, as it got closer to the funeral. Most of the attendees were already gathered downstairs. The last one to come would be Dumbledore, who was expected to arrive sometime soon.

“I don’t want too…” Harry mumbled, rolling onto his stomach, hiding his face in the crook of his elbow.

She sighed, sitting down at the side of his bed. Reaching out and shaking him a little, Hermione frowned. “Come on, Harry. The funeral will be starting soon.”

Harry didn’t want to think about it. Reaching out he grabbed a second pillow and stuffed it over his head. Hermione wanted to laugh at this childish display. Pulling the pillow off his head, she did laugh as he reached blindly for it.

“No, Harry. You must get dressed. I know you don’t want to deal with this but you have too sooner or later. It’ll help you in the long run, I know it. Even if you don’t think so now.”

He rolled onto his back and glared at her.

“Harry…”

“Hermione.”

“Stop it.” She took his covers and tossed them to the ground. “Get up!”

“I’m getting up, I’m getting up…” he mumbled, slowly sitting up. She smiled at him and fled from the room so he could get dressed in private. Little did she know, the moment the bedroom door closed, he flopped back down upon the mattress.

You’re going to have to deal with this….Hermione’s voice played back in his head. What if I don’t want too? But then…when did he ever get what he wanted?

With a muted groan, he got up and began to get dressed in the folded dress robes at the end of his bed; Mrs. Weasley had brought them in before bed the night before.

Trudging down the stairs he heard voices coming from the kitchen. He recognized most of them although there were a few unfamiliar ones amongst the chattering crowd. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he opened the door and walked inside.

The first thing Harry saw was a mass group of people. A familiar face in the front of the crowd calmed him some. Dumbledore was smiling at him gently, his eyes twinkling in the way that made you feel as if he was reading you from the inside out. “Harry…”

Harry approached Dumbledore, taking the hand that Dumbledore had offered him. “How are you?” Dumbledore asked. Rather then feeling the surge of anger he’d gotten when Hermione and Ron had pestered him, he felt comforted.

“I’m alright.” He lied easily and Dumbledore didn’t push him any further.

“Good, good…Are you looking forward to going back to Hogwarts?”

He hadn’t even spared his new school year a second thought this summer. Harry slumped his shoulders in a lazy shrug. “I’m…not sure.” He said. Hogwarts was his home and as much as he loved the school, returning was going to be extra difficult this year.

Dumbledore smiled at him and let go of the hand he was still holding. “I understand, Harry. Shall we begin?” It was a question that needs not an answer as Dumbledore turned with a flourish, his lavender dress robes billowing out behind him as he turned and walked through the crowd to the front of the room.

Harry found Hermione and Ron and joined them in the back. Mrs. Weasley had set up three rows of chairs in the dining room. The dining room table had been replaced with a smaller oak table where the cheery wood casket lay closed. Harry did his best not to look at the casket, instead staring firmly at his lap.

There was shuffling all around him as the guests headed to their seats and Dumbledore took his spot behind the casket. Harry tried to listen as Dumbledore read in quiet words from the parchment on the stand in front of him but the words came fast and loud, making little sense to Harry. He managed to catch bits and pieces and he heard the soft cries coming around him, the sound amplified.


“A fallen hero…”

Softly the front door creaked open…

“…he took the final test with open arms and a smile on his lips….”

The door made a faint Click as a small hand closed it.

“…we came here today not to mourn his death but to celebrate his life.”

Head cocked the intruder starts to walk across the hall, the ancient rug muffling any sound.

There was a pregnant pause and the sound of parchment shuffling. “…the dead never truly leave us. Never forget, Sirius Black.”

Bang! The door slammed open and there was a roar of sound.
“By Merlin’s left pinky toe it is hard tracking you down!”

There was a rush of sound, chairs scraping against the hardwood floor and startled whispers as everyone turned to look who had interrupted Dumbledore. The members of the Order had their wands out, poised.


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A/N: GASP! Someone got into the Order! And just who is "it" trying to track down?! Please review... today was a very, very, terrible day and to hear someone actually liked our story would make me so happy, well at least less depressed.