Disclaimer: I'm not Jo, the world of Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.

The Winds of Change

The festive Christmas tree resting in the parlour of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place seemed oddly in sync with the mouldy wallpaper and moth eaten curtains. As he looked around, at the muddy green and brown furniture that despite of the years of neglect still held certain opulence to them, Harry Potter mused whether this observation had anything to do with his mood, which seemed to match the dreary setting of his Godfather's childhood home. Harry could hear the other occupants of the house moving about, his Godfather's rather off-key rendition of "God Rest Ye, Merry Hippogriffs", while his two best friends sat in a corner shooting nervous looks in his direction.

From the corner of his eye, Harry saw one of his best friends, Hermione open her mouth to say something and shut it immediately, while Ron, his other best friend, glanced at her warily. The tense atmosphere was however interrupted with the arrival of Ron's younger sister, Ginny.

Ginny entered the room, smiled at the three friends and sat down at the armchair beside Hermione.

"How about a round or two?" Ginny asked, fishing a pack of Exploding Snap out of her pocket. Ron tactfully agreed with his sister and Hermione, understanding that Ginny was only trying to get Harry to stop brooding immediately jumped at the opportunity to get her best friend out of his gloomy mood.

Harry however, heaved a sigh and stood, mumbling something like "Gotta go" on his way out. He caught one last glance of his friends looking at each other in exasperation as he turned to shut the door.

Harry was moving around the house when he saw his Godfather standing in an empty room, staring at the wallpaper.

Harry knocked at the door, Sirius Black, his Godfather, noticed him standing and smiled warmly.

"Come in Harry, and shut the door. Please." Harry immediately noted the heaviness in his Godfather's voice, which to him seemed strange, considering the man was only minutes ago, walking about the house singing on the top of his voice.

"Sirius, is everything alright?"

Sirius merely smiled at him (though Harry could see that the smile wouldn't reach his eyes) and grabbed him in a warm hug.

"Happy Christmas, Pup!" Sirius added and lovingly kissed his head.

Harry didn't know if it was the lovingly paternal gesture or the fact that he just couldn't take it any longer, but in a move, that would later seem awfully juvenile to him, Harry Potter broke down in his Godfather's arms and for the first time in years, wept.

If anyone were to ask Sirius Black, he'd say it with absolute conviction that his Godson was not someone to cry easily. He could count the number of times he'd seen his Godson cry on his fingertips and still have both his thumbs to spare. Sirius remembered Harry Potter as a happy child. The baby who would squeal "Fut!" and waddle towards him with a joyful giggle and gleaming eyes every time he'd visit him.

But this sobbing boy in his arms seemed as far removed from the smiling baby as ever, Sirius, not for the first time since the Horrible Halloween (as he'd come to refer to that fateful night at Godric's Hollow 14 years ago) felt the keen longing for having Lily Potter around. She after all, always did know what Harry needed.

But Lily Potter was dead. And right now Harry needed him to focus on the present and not get lost in the past.

"…. And then there is Umbridge and she's this nasty Ministry employee, and the students don't trust me, and Dumbledore won't even look at me, and then I think I was, somehow, the snake who bit Mr Weasley"

Sirius realised he had missed a good part of his Godson's heartfelt monologue to his own nostalgic reflections and internally cursed himself.

"Calm down, Harry. Take a deep breath" Sirius held on to his Godson as the boy slowly started to relax.

Once he was certain Harry was fine, or as fine as he could be, he loosened his hold but still kept his arm around Harry's shoulders.

"Better?" Harry nodded. "Good, now start at the beginning"

And so Harry told Sirius about everything that was bothering him. From the Dursleys to the Ministry, from Voldemort to Dumbledore, as he began talking, everything that was troubling him seemed to come pouring out. Once Sirius was sure he was done talking he conjured him a glass of water and a wet cloth to wipe his face.

Still keeping his hand around Harry's shoulders Sirius simply smiled at him affectionately and said, "Let's handle it together, eh?"

Harry felt the heavy weight that had settled on his shoulders since the night of Cedric Diggory's death lighten. He gave his Godfather a watery smile and nodded his head resolutely.

"First, I need you to know that you are not evil. You were not the snake that attacked Arthur and you have to get that through your head. Okay?" at Harry's nod Sirius continued, "Dumbledore is looking into the reason you could see the attack on Arthur and I shall keep you in the loop. And speaking off, I will also speak with Albus about his attitude with you as well."

A part of Harry felt like a child asking his parents to resolve issues for him, but he realised that Sirius wasn't treating him like a child but he understood the importance of having an adult discussion with Dumbledore on this and knew that since the Headmaster was avoiding him, Sirius was his best bet at getting answers.

"Now about the Ministry and Umbridge" Sirius continued, "I know it seems redundant, but for now Harry, don't antagonise them. Keep your head low. Continue with your training lessons. Remember, Voldemort is cunning, but he never was patient. Sooner or later the Ministry is going to have incontrovertible evidence of his return. Your priority right now should be your OWL's and keeping yourself safe. Remember…" Sirius added with a smirk "… the Muggle saying; every dog has his day!"

Harry laughed at the look on his Godfather's face as he said it. For a passing second he felt he could see the glimpse of the man he was before Azkaban robbed him of his youth.

"Better?" Harry nodded truthfully, feeling much better than he had before he entered this room.

"Good. Now go and spend time with your friends, Harry", Harry opened his mouth to protest, but Sirius stopped him. "I can see the stress is getting to you three. And I know you are worried your friends are going to get hurt in this mess, but don't let it get in the way, Harry. They're both smart and intelligent, and when the going gets tough, your friends are some of the few who can make things seem easier. Take it from me. Let them in, give them a chance to contribute too, this war is only just beginning, but it is not yours alone to fight. We're all there for you."

Sirius saw the gratitude in his Godson's eyes and hugged the boy once more before he could say anything. "It's okay," he whispered, "one day, this will all be over, and we'll be a proper family. I know I don't say it, but I love you, Pup."

Harry smiled shyly, but his eyes betrayed his true feelings. Coughing awkwardly, Harry turned and saw the wall he'd caught his Godfather staring at.

"Sirius, what's this?"

"This," Sirius answered with a humourless laugh, "is The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. It is the family tree, Harry"

"Oh!" Harry said, moving closer to look at it in detail. "Where are you?"

Sirius pointed to a burn mark, one of the many on the tapestry, "This is where I'm supposed to be. You see," he said pointing further up where Harry could read the words Toujours Pur "my family believed in blood purity, my Mother, after I ran away, burned my name off the tree, I wasn't a proper Pureblood in her eyes."

Harry would have been shocked had he not been introduced to Walburga Black's portrait in the summer. "Ran away? Where did you go?"

"The Potters'," Sirius answered with a fond smile, "they were my family; them and the Marauders. Mother disinherited me and began grooming my brother Regulus as the heir, until he was killed by Voldemort when he tried to leave the death eaters."

"Your brother was a death eater?" Harry asked, surprised to hear it.

"Yes. Till he realised that death eater raids were no walk in the park. Voldemort sensed this and when he tried to deflect, he was killed. Some Noble house we are. One heir disinherited for being too callous about Pureblood ideology and another killed for believing in it. I'm the only male member of the Black family alive. "

Harry could see the pain in his Godfathers eyes as he said this. He straightened his shoulders, looked his Godfather dead in the eye and said, "We'll restore the House of Black to its former glory Sirius, this, I promise. Like you said, together, eh?"

Sirius looked at his Godson, and at that moment, he realised, that he may look like James Potter, but he truly was Lily Potter's son. He ignored the goosebumps on his skin at his proclamation and just kissed the top of his Godson's head and walked out of the room. He had a Headmaster to interrogate.

Miles away Lord Voldemort felt a shiver run down his spine. He looked at the snivelling death eater to his left, "Wormtail! Come here." A fat short man with beady eyes and a balding head walked up to him. "Yes….M..My Lord?"

Voldemort didn't know what had suddenly irked him so, but something in the winds had changed. He looked at Wormtail, his lip curling in disgust, and said, "Something is different. Find out and let me know. You have time till nightfall, tomorrow. Go!"

Wormtail scurried away, wondering how he would fulfil his master's vague request. Just as he was about to walk out of the room he heard the cold voice call out to him again.

"Y…yes My Lord?"

"Do not fail me. Oh, and Crucio!"

Through the haze of the unbearable pain of the curse, a tiny part of Wormtail's mind thought of the four mischievous boys all those years ago and what could have been.

-End-