Okay. So I'm back. Marauderingmarauderer. I don't have any true intentions with this story but I really hope it turns out into something really good.
It will be set AU, approximately at the end of POA. An essential "what-if" Sirius had be set free story. Mentions of abuse but generally not too graphic (most graphic would be describing what happened but not in vivid detail and it would be brief) and either way it would be later on in the chapters.
This first chapter is mostly setting up the rest of the story. There will be plenty of dialogue in the next few chapters.
Essentially, besides everything I wrote in the story, it all happened exactly as it did in POA (with the exception of the prophecy and Sirius running away).
Chapter One
It was a dark and restless night for young Harry Potter. The sheets of his bed were thrown on the floor in the useless attempts at obtaining a good sleep. Not that he was any stranger to insomnia, but tonight it was for a different reason. Instead of the nightmares or prickling of his scars (however rare it was), he was actually far too excited to sleep tonight.
Indeed, it was hard not to be. He was in his last week of school, exams were finished, and, best of all, Harry was not going to the Dursley's household come this summer vacation.
This was thanks to his Godfather, Sirius Black. The convicted mass murderer, or rather, the ex-convicted man who had been wrongfully imprisoned for crimes that befit a rat of a man, Peter Pettigrew, who also went be as Wormtail or Scabbers.
It had been a scary occurrence when Professor Lupin had turned into a werewolf as they stepped outside the Whomping Willow and they had seemingly lost Wormtail. However, it was a sight bit of good luck that Hermione had a time-turner and that she and Harry were able to free Buckbeak, save Sirius and (younger) Harry from the Dementors, and it gave them the opportunity to find the rat. It had been such a coincidence that Harry had not put it past the workings of fate or whatever powers that be that there were. It was a bit unfortunate, however, that they had no means of stunning him since they did not know the spell, but luckily, the petrificus totalis charm worked just as well.
So it was with the rat that they went to the castle and handed it to Professor Dumbledore. It was with that rat that they had captured that they were able to clear Sirius' name.
Of course, it had been a messy affair. Professor Dumbledore had barely enough time to convince the Minister to wait and it took a considerable amount of more time to convince the Minister that Sirius was indeed innocent.
Two days later, as the Supreme Mugwump of the Wizengamot, Professor Dumbledore called upon the case against Sirius Black – a case that should have been heard long ago. It was decided a couple weeks later that Sirius was indeed innocent and received a mighty compensation from the Ministry and custody of Harry as was prescribed in the wills of James and Lily Potter for his false imprisonment and lack of trial.
And now it was a week after and Harry still could not believe the incredibly fortune that befell him. He was going to live with Sirius. Sirius Black, the man who Harry thought was trying to kill him was actually going to save him from his Uncle and Aunt!
It had been years since Harry dreamed of someone saving him from the clutches of his relatives at Privet Drive. He used to hope and pray that one day, someone would come for him. Usually those someone's were a distant relative or even his parents; just someone who would care for him.
But now, his dream was a reality and he could hardly believe it himself. No more awkward conversations about how his summer had been from his friends. No more starving in his "bedroom." No more indifference. No more pain and hiding.
Nothing else mattered. He would hope that Sirius was just as excited as he was at that moment. Harry had come to see him at least twice a day for the past week. Sirius had been staying in the faculty quarters while resting up before trying to find a place. Harry thought that Sirius seemed excited enough, but Harry wasn't one to take things to lightly.
Harry swore to himself that he would not ruin this opportunity and not mess it up so that Sirius could just send him back to his Uncle's house. He just couldn't.
And still, with all of this, Harry could not help but think of all the bad things that had happened in his life, that finally and for once, things seemed to be going his way. There was no Voldemort to step in and take this away from him.
He stood by what he had said to Hermione. He wanted a house in the country – a place where you can see the stars light up through the sky. He had suggested this idea to Sirius. Sirius absolutely adored it and the very next day started looking in different catalogues and through various means.
However, it was Dumbledore who was able to find the perfect house. After much protestations from both Sirius and Harry, he finally gave in to allowing Harry to not go back to the Dursley's for two main reasons: it was what they both wanted more than anything and that he really had no legal jurisdiction over the boy. Dumbledore did, however, forced that he would take care of security measures to which neither Sirius nor Harry had any true objections to.
So it was with this mindset of a new home and life to look forward to that Harry Potter finally fell asleep.
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Sleep was just as difficult for Sirius Black.
Sirius had always been plagued by nightmares from his time in Azkaban and the events that transpired before and after that time.
While he may have been kept sane with his thoughts of innocence, there was still the emotional damage that he had not escaped. Indeed it was impossible to escape, unless you were truly crazy beforehand such as his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange.
So it was with that knowledge that he woke up in a fit before looking around and calming himself down. He was safe and he knew it.
It would take a long time before he finally got over his stay at the wizarding prison. But he was sure that he would make a full recovery. At the very least, he wanted to get over his nightmares. They didn't come that often anymore. It happened on very rarely occasions, maybe once or twice a month.
Tonight just wasn't his night apparently.
He got up and got a glass of water as he tried to calm his racing heart. He knew it was only a natural thing but he truly hated the nightmares. There was hardly a feeling he hated more than feeling helpless. In his parent's house, he felt it. In Azkaban, he felt it. And in his nightmares, he felt it.
And he hated all three of those things.
The only thought that truly seemed to calm him down was that he would be living with his Godson.
He had such fond memories of Harry when he was just a baby, before all the terrible things happened that changed both of their lives. He had been shocked to see such a mature young man that looked like James' clone when he first saw Harry. The more he got to know Harry, the more he liked him. He had James' flair and Lily's compassion. And yet, he was still his own person. He was glad that they were able to talk at such long lengths.
It had been years since Sirius dreamed about seeing Harry again. He used to hope and pray for it, no matter how difficult it was to do that in Azkaban. That he would be let free and they had realized they had made a mistake. But that was not to be. He had to break out and prove that he was innocent.
He really hoped that Harry was just as excited about living together as he was. At least, he seemed excited. But Sirius was never one to take things lightly, well at least not now.
He swore to himself that he would never let Harry down and that he would not drive Harry away. He would not mess this up and make Harry want to move back with his relatives.
He had been surprised when Dumbledore conceded and allowed them to live together. Though he probably shouldn't have been seeing as Dumbledore didn't have much of a choice. But he was glad to accept the offers of protections on the new house. Nothing was more important to Sirius now than Harry's safety.
Life couldn't get any better than this.
With that thought, Sirius was finally able to find comfort in his bed and gently fell asleep.
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End of Chapter 1
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