Chapter Text
It was Harry's first time on an airplane. He stood in line, waiting to board and couldn't help but feel excited. He looked out the windows and saw the massive aircraft moving about, taxiing in what seemed like barely organized chaos.
He had been watching with a mix of fear and awe as the tremendous craft passed by each other with what seemed to be inches to spare. He even grimaced a time or two when the planes looked to be getting particularly close to one another.
But as he looked on, he realized it was not chaos, but a well-choreographed ballet that was taking place. The planes moved in a rhythmic, almost hypnotic fashion. It was impressive to behold, truth to tell.
“Boarding pass, please?” The polite women asked from behind the podium.
“Harry?” Remus Lupin said, tapping the boy on the shoulder. “Give the woman your boarding pass.”
Harry looked to his Chaperone and back to the woman. “Sorry,” He said, offering the ticket to her. “My first time in an airport.”
She gave him a warm smile. “I understand,” She said, taking the pass, looking it over and offering it back. “Have a good flight.”
Harry returned her smile with one of his own and moved into the square bridge tunnel leading to the massive plane. Remus was right behind him. “This way, Harry,” He said, taking the lead. The boy followed him as they made their way through the plane. They bypassed the cramped coach seats and ascended the stairs, leading to the first class seating area.
Harry looked about, impressed at the openness. “We're going to be sitting here?”
Lupin smiled brightly at him. “Sirius booked the flight. He wanted to make certain that we were going to be comfortable.”
Harry found his seat and struggled to put his bag in the overhead compartment. Lupin stepped over and helped him out. “I still don't understand why he couldn't come with us.”
“He said he had a few things to work out and that he'd join us as soon as he could,” Remus said, moving to his own seat.
Harry flopped down and looked around his comfortable compartment. “This is incredible.”
Remus sat in the seat across the narrow aisle. “Given that it's an eleven-hour flight, you'll be thankful for it.”
“Eleven hours is a long time,” Harry said.
“It won't be so bad, trust me.” Remus looked around his own seat. “I must say, though. You are right. This is quite luxurious. Pads pulled out all the stops.”
“I can't wait to see America,” Harry said, excitement in his voice. He was then saddened. “I do feel bad for Ron and Hermione, though. They're going to be at Hogwarts all alone with her.”
Remus sighed. “There's nothing for it, Harry. With what that…woman was doing to you,” He let out a soft growl. It was deep and guttural, reminding Harry that Remus wasn't, at all times, the average boring looking man he appeared to be. “It is best you be free of Hogwarts for a time. Best you not know what…” He stopped and smiled. “This is a necessary thing.”
Harry stared at him. For the past few days, the Order had been hinting at the possibility of Dolores Umbridge being removed from Hogwarts altogether. He wasn't sure how such a thing would be possible, especially given that she had the full support of the Minister of Magic.
Just being the Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor was bad enough, but when she was made the so-called 'High Inquisitor of Hogwarts' things went from bad to worse. She became a full on tyrant and wielded her authority like a scalpel and wore it like armor. It made Hogwarts, Harry's favorite place in the world to be, a living hell. It was to the point that he would almost rather be at the Dursleys then at school.
And that thought is what pushed him to do as he was doing now. He spoke at length with Ron and Hermione during their last Hogsmead weekend just before winter break.
Ron stared into Harry's eyes. His own were quivering with unshed tears. “You should, Harry.”
Hermione reached over and took Harry's hand. “She's out to get you. You know that.” She shook her head. “You won't be safe as long as she's here.”
“But Moody said that…” Harry swallowed. He wasn't sure what he was able to tell them and what he wasn't. He decided to go for broke. “He said something about getting rid of her soon.”
Ron shook his head in response. “Who knows how long that'll take?”
Harry had no answer for that. When the Order of the Phoenix as a whole was concerned, the wheels seemed to move incredibly slowly. “I don't know how long I'll be gone for.”
“As long as it takes,” Ron said, sadly. “I'm not sure where you're going…” As Harry began to speak, Ron held his hand up. “We don't want to know. If we don't know, we can't tell anyone. Even if they torture us, we can't give you up.” Hermione nodded her agreement.
What bothered Harry the most about Ron's statement was that the boy sounded as if being tortured for information was something he expected to happen. That didn't sit well with the boy who lived. Not one damn bit. “But what about Dumbledore's Army?” Harry asked. “Who's going to teach them spells when I'm gone?”
“I will,” Hermione said, nodding. “Ron and I have already talked about that. The others are alright with it. They also think you should go.”
Harry was beside himself. He felt warm that all of his friends agreed to stay and face the ire that would surely rain down on them from Umbridge when Harry failed to return from Christmas break. The Ministry of Magic was far reaching…but only on the islands. Once he got to where he was going, their influence was all but nonexistent. He'd be beyond their reach. But so too would his friends be beyond his ability to help them.
“Don't worry so,” Hermione said to him. “We'll manage. You may be Harry Potter,” She gave him a smile. “But you aren't the center of the universe.”
To anyone else, her words might have been insulting. But to Harry, they were much needed and much appreciated. “Thanks, Hermione,” He said, pulling her in for a hug.
“So, when are you leaving?” Ron asked.
“Lupin said it might take a day or two to confirm our…plans. So maybe a day or two after the break starts.” Harry said. “We're emptying my vault at Gringott's and putting it into a muggle bank. That takes time, he said.”
“That's a lot of money,” Ron said. “How much did he say you were going to end up with?”
Harry shrugged. “He said I could more likely as not move into a cottage and buy Greenland.”
Ron and Hermione both scrunched up their noses. “Why would you want to?” She asked.
Ron snickered. “You'd never have to pay for ice again.”
Hermione tisked and swatted him on the arm. “Grow up.” He glared at her and rubbed his arm. When she wasn't looking, he stuck his tongue out at her. “We're going to miss you.”
“Make sure you write to us if you can,” Ron said.
“I'll try,” Harry said in return.
He looked out the window as the plane began taxiing away from the terminal. His heart was thudding in his chest. The surrounding countryside blanketed in winter white rolled by. He turned to Lupin to see the werewolf doing the same. “I don't think I've ever asked,” Harry said. “Have you ever flown?”
“Not in a plane, no,” Remus said. “This is my first time as well.”
“It's exciting.” The boy said. “It amazes me that muggles can build such things. I mean, I knew they could. They've had planes such as this for a century, but it's still amazing.” He looked around. Remus grinned at the boy's expression. He was downplaying his own excitement, but he was no less so than his young charge.
The plane slowly gained speed and finally lifted into the air. Harry had his face pressed to the window, watching as the snow covered ground dropped away beneath them. He could hear the massive engines howling as the gargantuan aircraft ascended.
All of London Heathrow International Airport spread out for him to see. Then he could see the entirety of central London, inside what was dubbed the North Circular. Soon, that gave way to the whole of London and the surrounding areas. He wasn't sure, but he thought he might have been able to pick out Surry and Little Whinging.
A mere ninety minutes saw them leaving behind the island of Great Britain and soaring out over the Atlantic Ocean. Harry continued to watch behind them until he could no longer see land. Below nothing but the beautiful blue-green sea greeted him. He sat back in his seat and sighed heavily. He was on his way. He turned to look at Remus. The man turned and regarded him with a warm smile.
During the flight, Harry took advantage of all of the in-flight amenities. The roasted red snapper with capers was delicious. The tiramisu was likewise tasty and he downed more soda than he'd ever had in his life. He was provided with a pair of headphones and listened to a wide array of music as the hours slipped by. He did stretch out on the seat, once having found the controls and reclined it to nearly flat.
He was still asleep when he felt Remus gingerly shake him. “Harry? Harry? We're nearly there, lad. Time to wake up.”
He opened his eyes to see that they were again over land. He returned his seat to its original position and again stared out the window. “Where are we?” He asked, groggily.
Remus grinned and pointed to the large hill. “Where do you think we are?”
Harry turned and saw the massive HOLLYWOOD letters on the hillside. “We're there,” He said, happily. “I've dreamed of this place.”
“We're picking up a car and finishing the last leg of the journey on the road,” Remus said. “I've got to admit, I've never driven on American roads before. Good thing I studied the driving manual for this countries thoroughfares.”
“I hear they drive on the wrong side of the road here,” Harry said. “And they go a lot faster.”
“We'll find out,” Remus said. “Now buckle up. We'll be landing soon.”
The landing and deboarding process were a bit of a hassle, but the pair made it off the plane and into the terminal. Remus pulled out the papers that he'd been given. He had quite a bit that he had to tell Harry. Now that they were far from prying eyes, he could reveal to Harry everything that had happened within the past few weeks. He felt bad for having to keep the boy in the dark, but it was necessary.
“This way, Harry,” Remus said, nodding. He headed out of the terminal toward the large long term parking structure.
Harry followed behind him closely. He longed to be able to stand and take it all in, but his chaperone seemed to be in a bit of a hurry. As soon as they stepped out into the afternoon air, they were assaulted by the warmth. Harry began to sweat almost immediately. Dressed as he was in his blue jeans, long sleeve sweater – a Christmas gift from Molly Weasley – and heavy jacket, the heat was downright oppressive. He quickly shed his jacket, but that did little to help him. “It's bloody hot out here.”
“I should have warned you about that,” Remus said. He was bedecked in brown slacks, a dark tan button down long sleeve shirt and a sweater-jacket. If the heat bothered him, he showed absolutely no sign of it. “Come on. Once we get into our car, it should be better.”
The pair weaved through the people, doing their best not to bump into anyone. They gave polite offerings of “Excuse us.” And “Pardon me.” As they trekked along.
Several minutes found them inside the parking structure. Remus matched up the floor number with the information on his paperwork. He then began searching out the spot number. “I have no idea what type of transport Sirius acquired for us,” Remus said. “He said it was something quintessentially American. Something that would fit in.” He stopped as he looked at the parking spot, to his paperwork and back again. “Surely not,” He said, his eyebrow raised.
“What is it?” Harry asked. He had to admit, the automobile was very striking. It was large, as most American cars he'd seen seemed to be. Its glossy navy blue paint glinted in the sunlight. Its crisp white convertible top was a startling contrast to the darkness of the body. The badge on the front of the car had three letters; G-T-O. A small red emblem was tacked to the hood. It appeared almost as a red V.
Remus didn't have an answer for the boy. “I'm not entirely sure,” He said, shaking his head. He moved around to the back of the car and, per the instructions he was sent, reached up under the bumper, finding a small metal box with a magnet on one side. He pulled it free and rose, sliding the case open. Inside was a ring with two keys. He used one of them and opened the boot. It was carpeted in black. He set his bag down and motioned for Harry to do the same. He dropped the boot lid and moved to the driver side.
The pair then opened the doors and climbed in. “It is quite comfortable,” He said, sliding easily into the bucket seats.
Harry looked about and found the glove compartment. He pulled it open and found an envelope within. “Here,” He said, handing it to Lupin.
Lupin had seen registration papers for cars before. He flipped through them and found what he was looking for. “Year; 1967. Make; Pontiac. Model; G-T-O.” He furrowed his brow. “I have no idea what that is.” He read a little further. “Oh, good lord, Sirius.”
“What?” Harry asked, curiously. “What is it?”
“Listen to this. Powerplant; 6.5 liter V-8. Output; 370 horsepower.” He looked at Harry. “That's rather unnecessary,” Lupin said, shaking his head.
“I don't really know what any of that means,” Harry said.
“It means that Sirius' idea of a car that's quintessentially American is a bloody muscle car.” Remus put the papers back in the envelope and handed them back to Harry. “I'm going to slap the fur off of him when I see him again,” He said, angrily.
He put the key into the ignition and turned it. The huge motor immediately rumbled to life. “Good god,” He said, feeling the vibration. “I hope this is normal.”
Harry was just grinning. “I think it sounds rather good to be honest.”
Remus looked at him and sighed. “It does have a certain dangerous quality to it, doesn't it?” He pulled out of the parking spot, careful to look about as he did so. He'd driven quite a bit in Britain, but he was expecting American roads to be more dangerous, more tightly jammed and just…more.
With caution, he moved through the parking structure to the exit gate. He pulled the ticket from the window and slid it into the machine. He then pulled the required cash from his billfold and put it into the slot. It was a rather painless affair and soon he was free and out onto the road.
Despite the car's tremendous size, he had to admit that it was actually quite responsive. He looked around and found the controls for the roof. After a bit of finagling, the ragtop slid back, opening the car up to the warm California sun. “This definitely beats London winters,” He said, grinning.
Harry nodded. “It really does.” He had pulled his sweater off and was sitting in naught save a white tank top. Remus had removed his jacket and opened a couple of the buttons on his shirt. He also rolled the sleeves up.
He was also quite surprised to find that – despite what he believed – the roads weren't that bad. Traffic through Los Angeles was really no worse than in London on a busy morning. The car was comfortable and seemed to handle the streets rather well. He was surprised to see a few cars that he actually recognized. He saw Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Jaguars aplenty. He even recognized the BMW badges that he saw. He wasn't completely familiar with their entire catalog of cars, but he knew the basic designs when he saw them.
With that said, he also saw more American cars that were along the lines of what he was driving at present. It seemed America loved performance cars, regardless of the car's age.
Remus followed the directions he'd been given and immediately got onto the Interstate 405. This, he followed until he reached Interstate 10. All the while, he was astonished with the speed limits. In Britain, the best one could hope to reach was fifty-five miles an hour. Granted, the speed limit was the same, more or less on English motorways, but with traffic, consistent road closures, and roadworks being what they were, one was lucky if they ever reached such speeds. As he reached Interstate 10, he was driving at seventy miles an hour…and was getting passed! “Bloody hell,” He said as a huge eighteen wheeler hurtled past him. “Where's the bloody fire?”
Harry was enjoying the madness of it all. The huge engine in the car was roaring as they drove along. He reached forward and turned the radio on, flipping through the stations. It was obvious that the radio and a lot of the instruments on the dashboard had been updated; as the digital display on the radio alluded to. He settled on 95.5 as the sound of hard electric guitar burst from the speakers. He looked to Remus, who simply stared back at him with a smile before turning his eyes to the road.
Harry leaned back and let the music play. He listened and began bobbing his head with the beat as he enjoyed the sounds of Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard.
After about twenty minutes, Remus pulled off of Interstate 10 and got onto Interstate 15. “According to my directions, this motorway will take us all the way to Las Vegas,” He said looking at Harry.
The boy nodded and settled back in his seat. “How long do we have?”
Remus looked at his speedometer. “About three and a half hours at this speed,” He said, looking back to the road. “I can't get past how fast you're allowed to drive in this country.”
“The motorways are a fair bit wider,” Harry said, looking about.
Remus sighed and leaned forward, turning the radio off. “There are some things I need to tell you.”
Harry looked over at him. “What things?”
“You wondered why Sirius wasn't with us when we left?” As Harry nodded, Remus bit his lip. “That's because, according to the wizarding community, he's dead.”
Harry furrowed his brow. “Sirius is dead?”
“As I said, according to the wizarding community. The Ministry of Magic in particular. That's why Moody, Sirius and I haven't been able to get back to you or owl you. We've been busy orchestrating his death. He's not actually dead, but he is in a rather bad way.” He saw Harry's concern and shook his head. “Don't worry, he's fine. He's just resting up.”
“Where?” Harry asked.
“He's currently at the Weasleys. Molly wasn't exactly happy about it, but she believed that, for your sake, it was for the best.”
“So…when is he coming?” Harry asked, curiously.
“A few weeks. Two months at the latest.” Remus said. “He's anxious to be reunited.”
“So everyone thinks he's dead?”
“For the most part, yes.” Remus offered. “But that also means his Will has been enacted. Upon his death, as your godfather, he wished you to be free to make your own choices. You're being emancipated. Moody is currently acting as his spokesman. The paperwork is being finalized, but I have it on good authority that it's been granted. And, given the relations between England and America, it should stand over here just as well.”
Harry didn't know what to say to that. To know that he was free to do as he wanted…he was ecstatic. He didn't have to go back to the Dursleys. He didn't have to put up with Draco's constant ribbing. He didn't have to go back to Hogwarts. He desperately wanted to, but not with Umbridge stalking the halls. He desperately wondered what Moody and the Order were planning for the toad-woman, but he didn't dare ask. “What does this mean for me?”
“It means whatever you want it to mean,” Remus said to him. “Your life is yours now. Sirius is still alive, but according to the law, he's not. He's going to be assuming a different name when he meets us here. After that, well…the choice is yours.”
Harry was beside himself. He didn't know what to think. He was happy, there was no denying that. But he was also…he wasn't sure. He was sad that Sirius had gotten hurt, but was overjoyed that the man was alive and on the mend. Soon he and Sirius would be together.
That was all that mattered, in the grand scheme of things. He sat back in his seat and watched the countryside race by. The clear blue sky reflected his soaring spirits.
Life at this moment for Harry Potter was as good as it had ever been.