Disclaimer: The characters, and by characters I mean the following protagonists, antagonists, beings, creatures, mortals, mundanes, muggles, magically gifted, organisms, souls, and things are by no means of my own creation. These characters all belong to lovely Miss. JK Rowling who without this none of this would be possible. The only things in the following story which belongs to me (which I"m not I am by no means gaining monetary wealth by) is the creativity **cough** boredom **cough** which led to this point.
Summary: Throughout our lives we have always been permitted to sample the question: What if...? This is a hauntingly deceptive question that comes to live in dear Harry's life. The question of what if...? What if Sirius didn't flee from the green grounds of Hogwarts aback Buckbeak leaving behind him a flurry of Dementors, Professors, Teenagers, Ministry Officials, and a horid sense of confusion. Even more intriguing what if Pettigrew hadn't escaped his former friends clutches and scampered into the night? I think that's where I'll leave off...
Please enjoy the story my kind Lord's and Ladies...
"Your free," said Harry.
"Yes...," said Black. "But I'm also- I don't know if anyone ever told you- I'm your godfather."
"Yeah, I knew that," said Harry.
"Well... your parents appointed me your guardian," said BLack stiffly. "If anything happened to them..."
Harry waited. Did Black mean what he thought he meant?
"I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle," said Black. "But... well... think about it. Once my name's cleared... if you want a … a different home..."
Harry felt something tight in his chest, it was a foreign sensation, pushing up between his lungs and bubbling up his throat making a started noise escape from his mouse unbidden to his own control.
"Do... do you mean? Come live with you?" Harry's voice was breathless, just trying to reign that sensation back down to the pit of his stomach. Trying not to hope.
His godfather was quick in response, Black's eyes not looking at him as if expecting rejection or to be spurned, "I understand if that's not your wish, I would never take you away from your family." his eyes were earnest and understanding, but pained nevertheless.
"No!" the half shout came from the green eyed teens mouth almost inately. "No, no, no! Of course I'd want to live with you." the words simply seemed to fail Harry, and that feeling was back in his chest, pushing between his lungs, but no longer was it half painful it was golden and warm suffusing Harry with happiness. As he started to let himself hope.
The expression on Black-no Sirius's face changed from slightly embarrassed and humble to an appearance of an emotion Harry had never seen before on his face: unadulterated bliss. The smile-that same laughing smile as at his parents wedding- crossed over Sirius's face, it broke away the mask, melted away the dirt, the grime, and the half starved appearance. All at once the man looked a decade younger.
The trip up to the castle was quiet, they were still in the tunnel, and Harry spent most of the time contemplating, trying (and failing) not to lose himself in what felt like a dream, a brilliant, bloody wonderful dream. As Crookshanks darted out from around his leg and nudged the knot on the tree Harry couldn't stop from glancing up at Sirius as though trying to make sure he was still there, that the other wizard hadn't disappeared suddenly from his sight. Oddly enough the other wizard seemed to be trying to do the same to Harry, trying to make sure that he wouldn't evaporate from his presence like mist in the wake of Dementors.
One by one they all climbed up past the (now harmless) Whomping Willow until all of them were standing quietly, Snape's robes tangling in the Willow's thick appendages. Professor Lupin turned towards the whimpering Pettigrew warningly, his eyes flashing a shocking amber color, and Pettigrew let out a sound that was nearly a wail. Lupin didn't feel the need to say anything further. Making their way up the grounds towards the castle that loomed ever nearer in the darkness surrounding the students and their chaperones. They were greeted by the Headmaster before ever reaching the entrance to the castle.
Oddly enough Dumbledore didn't say anything at all, merely observed their comings in a way that seemed curiously less than welcoming. As they drew ever nearer Harry noticed for the first time that the twinkle had left Dumbledore's blue eyes, and the expression on his face was just like the one he'd been given while gazing into the Mirror of Erised. A feeling of being x-rayed, taken apart at the seams and then looked over carefully for any flaws or shortcomings.
Explaining the situation seemed to be endless, especially when Professor McGonagall and Flitwick appeared on his left and right respectively. Where had they been? For Neville, Ginny, Dean, Seamus, and several other Gryffindors had noticed their absence and reported it. Why was Professor Snape unconscious? Who was the other man with them? And why the bloody HELL (not that those were the exact words used) were three teenagers and one professor in the presence of a convicted murderer whose mission had purportedly been to end one of those teenager's lives?
Needless to say some clearing up was in order. Thankfully the bonds on Pettigrew would hold him by magic as long as he was in his human form (and once the accusation of not only who he was but WHAT Pettigrew was had been made to McGonagall) there was an immediate charm placed on his bonds so that no Animagus transformations were possible. After that everything went downhill; Ron, Hermione, and Harry were taken to the Hospital Wing to be left at the tender mercies of Madame Pomfrey, Flitwick had alerted the Ministry and the Aurors were on their way, Snape was being awakened (thankfully not in any of the Gryffindor students presence), and in no time the Minister of Magic himself was there.
They had all collected in Dumbledore's office, they being; McGonagall, Flitwick, Dumbledore, Sirius, Fudge and two Aurors. Oddly enough Dumbledore himself had been curiously silent in the face of these fairly startling new revelations and of course the Minister's blustering.
"-got him now I say! For sure! The Prophet will have a field day with this. Aurors on Hogwarts grounds capturing Black in mid attempt of the kidnapping and murder of three students and a Professor. Why Dawlish if we hurry now we can still make the morning edition of the Prophet! Election yea"
"SILENCE!" the shout came from the Headmaster. However it wasn't the shouted word that caused Fudge to quiet himself but the person it had come from, not a single person in that room could everyone remember a time that Dumbledore had lost control like this. The twinkle that was so usually apparent in his eyes was now only a distant icy memory in wake of this new startling turn of events.
Dumbledore's eyes turned swiftly to the two Aurors, "Dawlish, Shacklebolt I believe it is mandatory for Senior Field Aurors to carry doses of Veritaserum is it not."
A nod came from each of them (both ignoring the Ministers outraged expression-it was a common sight at the office)
"Well then," Dumbledore said, a bit more warmth seeping back into his voice, "then I believe we have a matter to settle then, you have two suspects who have either together or separately perpetrated a plot against three young third years at my school."
The implied order was received, Dumbledore was the Chief Warlock at the Wizengamot after all that said much more about a persons magical and political status then Minister ever did.
The suspects were seated firmly into two chairs, and three drops of Veritaserum were placed on their tongues. Sirius was first to be questioned by Dumbledore,
"Is your name Sirius Black."
A certain dreamlike quality appeared in front of their eyes, an almost milky film as if they had suddenly lost their sight.
"Yes."
"Did you lure Harry Potter out of school after night in an attempt to kill him."
"No." Startled looks were exchanged all around the office.
Did you intend to kill either Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, or this unknown man beside you?"
"Yes," the Minister's expression turned to one of triumph, as the vein in his temple that had been throbbing and turning his face an awful magenta color lessened in its hammering, but his facial expression regained even more of its ruddiness when Sirius continued speaking.
"I intended to kill Peter Pettigrew, for the murder of Lily and James Potter, I was going to kill him but I never intended to harm anyone else."
Fudge was sputtering again, "PETTIGREW IS DEAD! This man killed him thirteen years ago! I"m not going to stand here listening to this!"
"I'm afraid Minister that Black is most certainly telling the truth, you witnessed your Aurors themselves administering the Veritaserum." McGonagall coolly informed him looking like she was going to say more when Sirius spoke up again in response to Fudge's hidden question.
"I did not kill thirteen Muggles, that was Peter's doing." his voice has an inflectionless mundane quality as though Sirius himself could not have cared less about what he was saying.
The small room was once again filled with MInister Fudge's blustering exclamation of denial. And on his stand Fawkes let out a trilling note.
Up in the Hospital Wing Harry lied blissfully unaware of the events occurring just a few rooms away. He was for all the world to know in those moments lying in that Hospital Wing bed a child. A child with the feelings of wonder and excitement so strong they kept his eyes open and his hands trembling, fighting against the Dreamless Sleep Potion that Madame Pomfrey had given him. While Harry might have had nightmares in those moments, nightmares of Sirius returning to Azkaban, of Pettigrew escaping, and of Snape killing him for attacking his Professor.
Only happy thoughts filled the young third year's head as he sank further into the oblivion of sleep, his hands gently stopped trembling, brilliant emerald eyes closed slowly as Harry Potter sank into a most forgiving slumber.