It's a Grimm Tale
{The Original Tale}
They always said that Harry would do great things. What they never told him was that he would lose most of his family in the process. At first it was easy Cedric was a fellow champion nothing more than an acquaintance and so Harry was content to bring peace to Mr. Diggory. Voldemort may have killed him, but at least Mr. Diggory was able to bury a body. After that first death it was as if Voldemort declared it hunting season on Harry's family. The last straw was when Sirius fell into the Veil, Harry could only think of training and ending the war. He still played Quidditch with Ron to insure he could stay sane, but he also spent many hours studying with Hermione. The only hours he had left were spent training, sleeping, and sporadically eating. Dobby always made sure he was fed enough to keep up his energy and magic.
Two years past in a blur of magic and Harry was walking across the Great Hall to receive his diploma. Even as the reporters tried to speak with him he only had one phrase to utter, "Thank Dumbledore." He walked out of Hogwarts and apparated from the gates to his final confrontation. He appeared in Little Haggleton and banged against the gates of Voldemort's Estate, "Tom, come out and let us finish this. I am tired of you killing my friends and family."
Voldemort applauded Harry's speech as he stepped from his home. "I commend you Harry. You believe that if you fight me here I might feel compassion and not kill your friends. While you are wrong, I will give you the satisfaction of only fighting me. My Deatheaters will not interfere."
Circled by Deatheaters the battle began with bright spell-light. No one could tell who cast which spell and what injuries were taken. A spell was cast that threw multitudes of dust into the air and obscured all vision, as the dust settled a Grim was spotted with two wands in its mouth. With a low growl it stepped towards the Deatheaters and they scattered before dropping to the ground in pain. The last sight they saw was the fading red of the Grim's eyes as it disappeared.
It was later reported by Ministry officials that a Grim came bounding through the doors followed by a snowy owl and a brilliant phoenix. The Grim ran through the doors of the Ministry as if they were not there while the owl and phoenix flew in through the owl-ways. The mastiff-sized Grim halted its lope at the doors to the Hall of Mysteries. A low, mournful howl was sounded as the two wands fell from its mouth. The soft song of a phoenix and the hooting of an owl echoed down the silent hall in a parody of the Grim's howl. The few officials that attempted to brave the sighting fled to escape the hound from Hell. The Phoenix landed on the back of the Grim while the owl alighted on its head as if to remind the Grim that it was not alone.
Flames covered all three animals as the Grim bent to retrieve that wands and the Phoenix brought them all to the Hall which contained the Veil. As the flames died down the Grim blurred into the shape of seventeen year-old Harry Potter, "Sirius! I did it, I defeated Voldemort just like you said."
He dropped to his knees beside the Veil laying the wands by his side, tears softened his eyes as he spoke to Sirius, "I do not want to be alone Sirius. I need a parent figure in my life. Remus is gone, Fenrir brought him down like a rabid dog during a rainstorm. Albus, poor Albus gave his life trying to protect Malfoy of all people. Please Sirius, I need you!"
Harry steadied his gaze at the fluttering Veil, thrust his hand into the drapery and began feeling around for Sirius' hand, "I know you still live Damnit! Get your lazy ass out here!"
The Veil began to pull Harry in; Hedwig, the snowy owl that would never leave him, and Fawkes, who had bonded with him after Albus' demise, squawked in unison. The began tugging at the back of his shirt in an attempt to prevent him from falling into the Veil. In answer to their struggles Harry grit his teeth, with his eyes flashing red and his voice coming out in a low growl he commanded the Veil, "As the current Master of Death I demand the return of my Godfather. He still lives you ignorant drapery!" Shoving his arm further into the Veil Harry renewed his search for his Godfather's hand and cried out in triumph as a cold hand gripped his. He pulled as hard as he could and Sirius fell from the Veil coughing at his first taste of fresh air in two years.
Grinning Harry reached for Sirius and drew him into a tight embrace, after a few moments of silence Harry pulled back and asked a simple question, "Do you want to be free?"
As he had not yet regained his ability to talk Sirius nodded enthusiastically and transformed into Padfoot.
"I expected you to reply that way. Let us get out of here before the Ministry finds its spine and investigates." Harry shuddered as his change overtook him. Where there was once a 5'11" male there now stood a 4' Grim.
'I am known as Shogun. I fight with honor and ferry the souls of the righteous to the underworld.' Shogun's deep voice reverberated in Padfoot's skull and he bowed in respect. Trying to lighten the mood Padfoot gave a doggy smile and replied, 'That is a nice name, but this place is kind of creeping me out. Can we go now?'
Shogun nodded his consent and together he, Padfoot, Hedwig, and Fawkes flamed out of the Hall as the Aurors burst into the room.
The only thing that was left behind was the sound of Phoenix song and the broken wands of both Harry and Voldemort.
