Chapter Text
Next in the series was a photo of harry in his quidditch robes with ron and hermione pressed against him. Harry looking bewildered at the snitch in his hands. The rest of the team gathering around their seeker to celebrate. The back of the photo had three phrases crossed out.
When in doubt set the faculty on fire
And
Cursed broom? No problem
And
New trend. One must choke on the snitch to win
Before the phrase first quidditch game. Gryffindor wins!
Sirius tried not to have a heart attack when he read that. He wasn’t sure what Moly made of it. He wasn’t going to upset the strained truce they had by asking. And really it wasn’t that different from the quidditch matches he had witnessed during his godson’s third year. And really quidditch matches were always dangerous. ...that thought was not as comforting as he had hoped. Still. He probably wouldn’t run into many more photos with near death descriptions crossed out on the back.
Sirius quickly had to reevaluate his beloved idea that harry and his friends would not have many photo’s of post dangerous situations when the very next photo showed harry curled up on a dusty floor, staring longingly at a mirror. The room dark. The only light coming from harry’s abandoned wand pointed at the mirror, casting the young boy in erie shadows. It almost looked like harry was becoming part of the room.
Despite the bad lighting, it was plain to see that harry was unwell. His skin graying. His skinny frame even sharper. Blank to the world outside the mirror.
It was a...devastating loney photo. A quick glance at the women next to him confirms that sirius was not the only one who wanted to cry at such a photo. The back said simply. It’s killing him. Which of course was not a simple statement at all. It’s killing him. Merlin.
The next photo had all three of them looking singed outside of hagrid's hut. All of them were exchanging looks of horrified amusement, while the giant beamed behind them beard still smoking. The back just said hagrid. Which did actually explain a lot. Sirius tried to focus on the fact that hagrid would not let any of the students die on his watch. Despite the implications, compared to the other photos this one was incredibly lighthearted. Sirius couldn’t help but crack a smile. Of course hagrid had some crazy animal. Thank god some things don’t change.
Sirius almost stopped looking at the next photo. Ron was missing from it. While harry was pressed against hermione’s side. Both of them looking pale and trembling. Harry occasion would raise a hand to rub at his head. Hermione’s knuckles white where she held her friend's wrist in what was probably a death grip. Despite this and the look of true horror reflected in their eyes, the children were attempting a smile. The back held only one word. Detention.
After a long moment sirius drew his eyes away from the photo. And spoke for the first time since the photos had come out. “What sort of detention led to this. Merlin moly. This looks like something my parents would have wrot.”
Moly pressed her lips together. “They were sent into the forest.”
“WHAT?!” he shouted. Just because he had roamed the forest as young man doesn’t mean he wanted /harry/ to be doing the same. Sirius was not sure what moly’s reply was as he stormed from the room. He needed to breath. Need to calm down and remember that his godson was not dead/. He ended up hitting the wall instead. He couldn’t breath here. In. this. goddamned. House. (prison). He needed out.