The Chili Cookoff : Chapter 21
Nov. 12th, 2007 07:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zephyr_macabeeYou have been very patient with me. In return, I offer you almost 1700 words. Guess what, we have almost reached the chili cookoff part.
The sun was low in the western sky when Nat brought Harry back. Leaving the truck in the driveway, Nat apparated back to campus as Harry went inside. He found Sirius seated at the breakfast bar, nursing a large glass of lemonade, as Remus emptied the rice cooker into a large bowl.
“Hey Harry, right on time,” said Remus. “Go get washed up. We are having Granny’s chili for supper and everything is ready.”
“Hi Harry,” added Sirius. All he got was a grunt in return as Harry passed by on his way to the bathroom. Sirius gave Remus a panicked look; Remus just shook his head.
“Like I said before, you have dug yourself a deep hole and it is not going to be easy getting out.”
Harry reappeared a few minutes later and the three seated themselves at the dining room table.
“Harry I want you to try just a bite of this chili first.”
Harry took the spoonful Remus offered and shoved it into his mouth. He chewed for a moment and then his eyes got very wide and started to water. Remus quickly offered him a piece of buttered bread and a glass of milk.
“Here, these will quench the fire.”
When he could breath again, Harry stuttered, “Merlin, but that’s hot. I swear it’s burned a hole right through the roof of my mouth.”
“Granny thought it might be a bit much for you, since you are not in the habit of eating spicy foods. She sent along a small container of her mild chili, just in case.”
Remus filled a bowl with brown rice and spooned the mild chili over the top.
“This is called New Orleans style, Harry, which means chili served over rice instead of by itself. The brown rice makes it a more nutritious meal.”
Harry cautiously tasted and found this chili to be only slightly spicy. Nodding, he dug in as Remus dished up bowls of the hotter chili for himself and Sirius.
“I’ll have to remember to thank Granny”, said Harry. “I would never have been able to eat a bowl of the other stuff.”
“This isn’t too hot Harry,” said Sirius, rather unwisely, “It seems just right to me.”
“It is all in what you’re used to, Sirius, and the elves at Hogwarts seem to believe that any spice is too much spice.”
“They are trying to feed several hundred people of varying backgrounds and tastes, so I guess they just go for the lowest common denominator,” said Remus.
“Harry, I’m sorry about ….” Sirius began, but Harry stopped him.
“I don’t want to talk about it while we are eating. Can you save it until we are done please?”
“Did Nat give you a good tour?” asked Remus.
“It was great.” Harry gratefully accepted the change of topic. “We drove all over campus and out to the Reservation. We met Officer Whitehorse out on patrol. He is willing to take me to see his uncle tomorrow.”
“Sirius should go with you; Sam Whitehorse will be interested to hear how Sirius, your father and Peter managed the animagus transformation without formal instruction.”
Harry’s face darkened, but he nodded in agreement. “Will you go with us tomorrow, Sirius?”
“I’d like that,” Sirius replied, hoping this meant that Harry wasn’t totally disgusted with him.
The rest of the meal passed in silence. After bowls of ice cream for dessert, Harry cleared the table and Sirius used cleaning spells on the dishes. Once everything was put away, Remus ushered them into the living room where they sat in the comfy chairs that faced the fireplace. Remus had a glass of wine, Sirius and Harry each had a soft drink.
Remus started them off. “We need to talk about what happened today at Granny’s place. Harry, do you want to you ask Sirius the question you asked me this afternoon? Why were you so nasty to Severus at Hogwarts, Sirius?”
Sirius had been thinking about that very question since he and Remus had talked in the afternoon. Looking back with clear eyes, without the comforting fog of smug superiority, his actions appeared petty, cruel and without justification. He squirmed in his seat, desperately wishing for some distraction to allow him to escape Harry and Remus’ angry regard.
“I guess James and I were arrogant snobs even before we got to school. I was the older son; James was the only son and we were from two very old, very wealthy, pureblood families. We believed that whatever we did was right. When Severus stood up to us, acting like he was our equal, we had to put him in his place. At first it was funny, making him cry. When he started fighting back it became a challenge and things just kept escalating. Nobody stopped us or even gave us any significant punishment, so we saw no reason to stop.”
“Do you remember when I told you how my cousin Dudley used to bully me and beat me up? You got so angry, you were going to go and hex him and his parents. How was what he did to me any different from what you and my father did to Severus?”
“You’re my godson, James’s son; it’s my job to take care of you.”
“Whose job was it to protect Severus from you?”
“At Hogwarts it was the job of the Heads of Slytherin and Gryffindor, the Headmaster and the staff. The prefects too, and we all failed him, Albus worst of all,” said Remus. “I’ve found myself wondering why Severus was so totally without friends and guardians. I have a theory which sickens me.”
“What is it?” Harry asked.
“I wonder if Dumbledore saw Severus as potentially useful even as a student. If he allowed the abuse to continue in order to drive Severus into the arms of the Death Eaters from which Dumbledore could then rescue him, assuming Severus turned away from Voldemort. Then Albus would have a spy in the heart of the enemy camp. And if Severus did not turn away, well then Albus could condemn him to Azkaban and look elsewhere.”
Both Harry and Sirius looked horrified at this interpretation of the Headmaster’s lack of action.
“Albus has done quite a few things I consider extremely inappropriate in the name of defeating Voldemort. I no longer put anything past him.”
Remus continued, “Harry asked me how Severus has been able to get past what happened to him while you, Sirius, are still mired in the past. On Severus’ part, I think it was coming here that turned him around. At Hogwarts he was cold, nasty and spiteful. Here he found friends, acceptance and support and he blossomed. He re-built himself, finding out who he really was and what he wanted. Sirius, I think you are still stuck in a false memory of the past. Azkaban robbed you of the chance to grow up, to move forward. Well, you are free now and you need to take a good hard look at yourself.”
Sirius had folded in on himself as he listened to Remus’ condemnation. “I will admit that Severus is not the same person I remember. Even when Remus is not around he hasn’t tried to hex me or even insult me like he used to, no matter what I said to him.”
Remus jumped to his feet and pulled out his wand.
“What have you been saying to him when I’m not around Sirius?”
Sirius threw up his hands as if to ward off the expected hex.
“I told him I thought he had bewitched you but that I would find a way to free you. He just laughed at me and wished me luck.”
Remus lowered his wand and shook his head wearily. “Harry and Nat are correct; I should never have brought you here. All you have done is remind Severus of a past he hated. You need to leave Sirius, as soon as you are able.”
Sirius turned to Harry, who was huddled in his own chair, looking very unhappy.
“Harry…”
“I don’t want to leave, Sirius. I want to study with Mr. Whitehorse, if he will have me as an animagus student. I want to spend more time with Severus and see if he has found the cure for lycanthropy. But if you will not leave me here with Remus then I will go back with you, because Severus shouldn’t have to put up with you. That would be like me having to live with the Dursleys again. It’s not fair to Severus.”
Remus smiled at Harry, impressed yet again by the strength of character and basic goodness he displayed. Sirius lowered his eyes to the floor. He knew he should let Harry stay, but he dreaded going back to Grimmauld Place alone.
As if he could read Sirius’ mind, Harry walked over and knelt by his chair.
“Mr. Weasley said he would let the twins come help you continue the clean-up. Charlie is home this summer and he would jump at the chance to de-curse the stuff in the attic. If I come back by mid-August, I’ll bet we can be pretty much finished by the time school starts. Let me stay Sirius.”
Sirius looked from Harry to Remus.
“You know Severus and I will take good care of him, Sirius, and I might even come back with him to see what you’ve done with that hell house you call home.”
Sirius nodded, surreptitiously wiped his eyes and taking a sip of his drink to wash away the lump in his throat. Harry and Remus weren’t going to abandon him, even if maybe he did deserve it.
Sirius and Harry decided to call it a night; the emotional strains of the day were wearing on them all. After they headed off to their rooms, Remus lit the logs in the fireplace and sat staring into the flames. He felt lighter somehow, as if he had laid down an invisible burden. He had defended Severus against Sirius at long last, and he hadn’t given way. It was a start.
On to Chapter 22
http://zephyr-macabee.livejournal.com/34663.html
The sun was low in the western sky when Nat brought Harry back. Leaving the truck in the driveway, Nat apparated back to campus as Harry went inside. He found Sirius seated at the breakfast bar, nursing a large glass of lemonade, as Remus emptied the rice cooker into a large bowl.
“Hey Harry, right on time,” said Remus. “Go get washed up. We are having Granny’s chili for supper and everything is ready.”
“Hi Harry,” added Sirius. All he got was a grunt in return as Harry passed by on his way to the bathroom. Sirius gave Remus a panicked look; Remus just shook his head.
“Like I said before, you have dug yourself a deep hole and it is not going to be easy getting out.”
Harry reappeared a few minutes later and the three seated themselves at the dining room table.
“Harry I want you to try just a bite of this chili first.”
Harry took the spoonful Remus offered and shoved it into his mouth. He chewed for a moment and then his eyes got very wide and started to water. Remus quickly offered him a piece of buttered bread and a glass of milk.
“Here, these will quench the fire.”
When he could breath again, Harry stuttered, “Merlin, but that’s hot. I swear it’s burned a hole right through the roof of my mouth.”
“Granny thought it might be a bit much for you, since you are not in the habit of eating spicy foods. She sent along a small container of her mild chili, just in case.”
Remus filled a bowl with brown rice and spooned the mild chili over the top.
“This is called New Orleans style, Harry, which means chili served over rice instead of by itself. The brown rice makes it a more nutritious meal.”
Harry cautiously tasted and found this chili to be only slightly spicy. Nodding, he dug in as Remus dished up bowls of the hotter chili for himself and Sirius.
“I’ll have to remember to thank Granny”, said Harry. “I would never have been able to eat a bowl of the other stuff.”
“This isn’t too hot Harry,” said Sirius, rather unwisely, “It seems just right to me.”
“It is all in what you’re used to, Sirius, and the elves at Hogwarts seem to believe that any spice is too much spice.”
“They are trying to feed several hundred people of varying backgrounds and tastes, so I guess they just go for the lowest common denominator,” said Remus.
“Harry, I’m sorry about ….” Sirius began, but Harry stopped him.
“I don’t want to talk about it while we are eating. Can you save it until we are done please?”
“Did Nat give you a good tour?” asked Remus.
“It was great.” Harry gratefully accepted the change of topic. “We drove all over campus and out to the Reservation. We met Officer Whitehorse out on patrol. He is willing to take me to see his uncle tomorrow.”
“Sirius should go with you; Sam Whitehorse will be interested to hear how Sirius, your father and Peter managed the animagus transformation without formal instruction.”
Harry’s face darkened, but he nodded in agreement. “Will you go with us tomorrow, Sirius?”
“I’d like that,” Sirius replied, hoping this meant that Harry wasn’t totally disgusted with him.
The rest of the meal passed in silence. After bowls of ice cream for dessert, Harry cleared the table and Sirius used cleaning spells on the dishes. Once everything was put away, Remus ushered them into the living room where they sat in the comfy chairs that faced the fireplace. Remus had a glass of wine, Sirius and Harry each had a soft drink.
Remus started them off. “We need to talk about what happened today at Granny’s place. Harry, do you want to you ask Sirius the question you asked me this afternoon? Why were you so nasty to Severus at Hogwarts, Sirius?”
Sirius had been thinking about that very question since he and Remus had talked in the afternoon. Looking back with clear eyes, without the comforting fog of smug superiority, his actions appeared petty, cruel and without justification. He squirmed in his seat, desperately wishing for some distraction to allow him to escape Harry and Remus’ angry regard.
“I guess James and I were arrogant snobs even before we got to school. I was the older son; James was the only son and we were from two very old, very wealthy, pureblood families. We believed that whatever we did was right. When Severus stood up to us, acting like he was our equal, we had to put him in his place. At first it was funny, making him cry. When he started fighting back it became a challenge and things just kept escalating. Nobody stopped us or even gave us any significant punishment, so we saw no reason to stop.”
“Do you remember when I told you how my cousin Dudley used to bully me and beat me up? You got so angry, you were going to go and hex him and his parents. How was what he did to me any different from what you and my father did to Severus?”
“You’re my godson, James’s son; it’s my job to take care of you.”
“Whose job was it to protect Severus from you?”
“At Hogwarts it was the job of the Heads of Slytherin and Gryffindor, the Headmaster and the staff. The prefects too, and we all failed him, Albus worst of all,” said Remus. “I’ve found myself wondering why Severus was so totally without friends and guardians. I have a theory which sickens me.”
“What is it?” Harry asked.
“I wonder if Dumbledore saw Severus as potentially useful even as a student. If he allowed the abuse to continue in order to drive Severus into the arms of the Death Eaters from which Dumbledore could then rescue him, assuming Severus turned away from Voldemort. Then Albus would have a spy in the heart of the enemy camp. And if Severus did not turn away, well then Albus could condemn him to Azkaban and look elsewhere.”
Both Harry and Sirius looked horrified at this interpretation of the Headmaster’s lack of action.
“Albus has done quite a few things I consider extremely inappropriate in the name of defeating Voldemort. I no longer put anything past him.”
Remus continued, “Harry asked me how Severus has been able to get past what happened to him while you, Sirius, are still mired in the past. On Severus’ part, I think it was coming here that turned him around. At Hogwarts he was cold, nasty and spiteful. Here he found friends, acceptance and support and he blossomed. He re-built himself, finding out who he really was and what he wanted. Sirius, I think you are still stuck in a false memory of the past. Azkaban robbed you of the chance to grow up, to move forward. Well, you are free now and you need to take a good hard look at yourself.”
Sirius had folded in on himself as he listened to Remus’ condemnation. “I will admit that Severus is not the same person I remember. Even when Remus is not around he hasn’t tried to hex me or even insult me like he used to, no matter what I said to him.”
Remus jumped to his feet and pulled out his wand.
“What have you been saying to him when I’m not around Sirius?”
Sirius threw up his hands as if to ward off the expected hex.
“I told him I thought he had bewitched you but that I would find a way to free you. He just laughed at me and wished me luck.”
Remus lowered his wand and shook his head wearily. “Harry and Nat are correct; I should never have brought you here. All you have done is remind Severus of a past he hated. You need to leave Sirius, as soon as you are able.”
Sirius turned to Harry, who was huddled in his own chair, looking very unhappy.
“Harry…”
“I don’t want to leave, Sirius. I want to study with Mr. Whitehorse, if he will have me as an animagus student. I want to spend more time with Severus and see if he has found the cure for lycanthropy. But if you will not leave me here with Remus then I will go back with you, because Severus shouldn’t have to put up with you. That would be like me having to live with the Dursleys again. It’s not fair to Severus.”
Remus smiled at Harry, impressed yet again by the strength of character and basic goodness he displayed. Sirius lowered his eyes to the floor. He knew he should let Harry stay, but he dreaded going back to Grimmauld Place alone.
As if he could read Sirius’ mind, Harry walked over and knelt by his chair.
“Mr. Weasley said he would let the twins come help you continue the clean-up. Charlie is home this summer and he would jump at the chance to de-curse the stuff in the attic. If I come back by mid-August, I’ll bet we can be pretty much finished by the time school starts. Let me stay Sirius.”
Sirius looked from Harry to Remus.
“You know Severus and I will take good care of him, Sirius, and I might even come back with him to see what you’ve done with that hell house you call home.”
Sirius nodded, surreptitiously wiped his eyes and taking a sip of his drink to wash away the lump in his throat. Harry and Remus weren’t going to abandon him, even if maybe he did deserve it.
Sirius and Harry decided to call it a night; the emotional strains of the day were wearing on them all. After they headed off to their rooms, Remus lit the logs in the fireplace and sat staring into the flames. He felt lighter somehow, as if he had laid down an invisible burden. He had defended Severus against Sirius at long last, and he hadn’t given way. It was a start.
On to Chapter 22
http://zephyr-macabee.livejournal.com/34663.html
