A/N: I honestly don't think I'll be able to spoil you all with two chapters in one day often but since I have it done, I figured that I might as well let you all read it. Thanks so much for the follows/faves and reviews. I'll let you all know when I decided on the posting schedule. But for now, enjoy chapter two.

Chapter 2: The Retrieval

Moony and Padfoot didn't take long in choosing one of the many Black real estate holdings to raise Harry at. There was a well hidden house outside of London, about 25 miles from the Weasley Burrow and close to schools. It had big bedrooms, and open floor plan, and a 2 acre back yard for Harry to explore. It was perfect. It would take quite a bit of time to get all of the necessary items to take care of the little boy so they decided on just a bed, dresser, and a big comfy chair to start. Moony, it being decided that he was to move in and have his own room in the house, was going to start moving in his things as well as the items he had saved from the Potter house and some of Sirius's more faithful belongings while Sirius went to retrieve Harry. They got the minimal shopping they needed done in time for the ministry witch to come and escort him to Privet Drive. He recognized her as a witch from his year named Kiki. If he remembered correctly, she had had quite a thing for Lupin before the rumors started to spread about him. A lot of girls did.

Sirius was quite anxious to get to his godson. He had this nagging feeling about the Dursley's that he couldn't quite shake off. He didn't understand why Harry was sent there in the first place anyway. Lily couldn't stand her older sister and had voiced her opinions that Vernon was abusive more than once. He asked Moony about the situation, but couldn't get a straight answer out of him either.

"Padfoot, I tried everything in my power to get Harry moved to my custody but Dumbledore wouldn't have it. He kept going on about blood magic and family bonds but I don't think he's ever even met Lily's sister. He has no idea what he has done by putting that little boy there." Remus, being much closer to Lily than the other boys during their collective stay at Hogwarts, had spent much time getting to know Lily and even had dinner with her family once. James wouldn't stop jinxing him for weeks after that night. "Please, just go pick Harry up so we can know he's safe. Kiki's waiting for you and I'm sure he's going to have a lot of questions. It's better to just get it over with now."

"But Moony, I don't think I'm ready to be a dad. I can't be James. How could I ever replace his father?"

"Sirius, Harry isn't looking for a new dad; he's looking for someone to love and take care of him and help him grow up. You can do all of that and more. Besides, I'll be right here with you. Neither of us will ever replace James and Lily. We could never even try. But we can be the next best thing for him. Now go on, I can't stand this waiting anymore."

With that, Sirius and Kiki exchanged looks. Sirius's was worried and anxious and excited all at the same time. Kiki's almost mirrored it, trying to figure out who in their right mind would give Sirius Black, Marauder and professional prankster, a child. Either way, she was also anxious to see Lily's baby. Being in the same year as the Potters, Kiki had gotten to know Lily quite well and was over often when Harry was a baby. She was as worried about his safety as Sirius and Lupin but it was her job not to show it. She quickly grabbed Sirius's arm and apparated them away to Surrey.

…

Harry awoke with a horrible pounding in his head and pain over his entire body. He couldn't remember a time when he had gotten punished this badly and he knew he must have done something very, very bad. There was a baby bottle with water on the floor (even though he was four, the Dursley's never deemed it important enough to advance Harry to the next stage of his life. The only thing that changed is that he no longer wore diapers but that was purely for the benefit of Petunia. Even then, he still had a lot of accidents) as well as half an apple and three crackers. Harry knew better than to eat it all at once so he planned to eat the apple first as it would go bad the quickest and then save the crackers for the next day. He doubted he was going to be given more food anytime soon.

He tried to swing his legs off of the little cot but the movement caused him to black out again, screaming in pain as he did so. Boy, he sure hoped his aunt and uncle weren't home. If they heard the screams he would be in for it again.

…

Sirius and Kiki met up with two other Aurors down the street from the Dursley household, just to be on the safe side. They walked up together and knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Sirius looked at Kiki questioningly. "We sent them a letter," she said, her own brows furrowed. "We told them that due to extenuating circumstances, Harry Potter would no longer legally be able to live with him and to have him ready to go tonight. Legally, they should be here."

Sirius took that as a very bad sign. Inside, he was becoming terrified that he wouldn't get his godson tonight. His anger and fear growing, he started banging on the door. When he was sure no one was coming to answer it, he unlocked it with a quick alohamora and shot into the house before Kiki could stop him. Once he was through the door he started running about the house, calling Harry's name as loud as he could. There was a chance. There was always a chance that he was here. He ran to the kitchen, no Harry. He ran upstairs and checked each of the bedrooms and the playroom, no Harry. It didn't even look like he lived here. There was one bedroom for Vernon and Petunia, one for their son, and a guestroom. No Harry anywhere. He was beginning to think they had the wrong house.

He ran back down the stairs and as he zipped past a piece of tape suddenly caught his eye. He stopped and backed up. In little boy lettering, he could read the name "Harry Potter" stuck to the cupboard door. Sirius blinked, not immediately connecting the dots. After a few seconds he reached his hand down to the knob. He tried to turn it, but it was locked up tight. He called Kiki over to him and then got out his wand and, while restraining himself from blowing the door down, he silently unlocked it and opened it slowly. Neither of them were ready for the sight that greeted them.

Harry Potter was lying on his bed, almost like he was sleeping. The little space under the stairs reeked of urine, blood, and vomit. Upon closer inspection, the tiny boy's frame looked bent out at odd angles, most specifically his right arm and leg. Both were crooked in more than one spot. His shirt was lifted partially from the way he was laying and bruises could be seen spotting the pale skin of his back. He looked malnourished and had deep scarlet blood dried down his shirt which seemed to have come from an oddly set nose. His chest was barely moving; Harry didn't have much longer.

Sirius sunk to his knees with the urge to vomit making its way up from his stomach. "Harry?" he whispered, it barely audible. He knew it was Harry right away, too. He looked exactly like James. His eyes were closed but Sirius hoped that he still had the beautiful bright green that was so much like Lily's. Oh Lily, if she and James were alive there was no chance their son would have ended up like this. James. Lily. Harry. Save Harry. Sirius, save Harry. His mind was wheeling no longer knowing which way was up but he had to fight it to save the little boy. He had to.

Kiki, just as shocked as Sirius, had a much quicker recovery time. She immediately sent her patronus (a dazzling little owl) for help from St. Mungo's. She then called for the Aurors to secure the house and then had to deal with Sirius who looked like he was going to pass out.

"Sirius!" she shouted, trying to break him from his stupor. "We need to save him! I need you to hold it together and help me. I can fix some of his injuries now but I can't do it alone. Please, I need you to conjure some cold water. I'm going to fix his nose first and try and get rid of the blood so the Healers will be able to see him better. Now Sirius!"

With that, Sirius shook awake and conjured the water and a rag as well to help relieve the swelling that seemed to make up the entirety of the four year old's body. Kiki took to healing the minor wounds and cleaning up all of the blood, urine, and vomit that covered him. She knew there was a lot of internal damage. Some broken ribs that might have punctured a lung as well as a lot of internal bleeding were the most easy to diagnose. It would take a lot to keep this boy alive. If she knew Sirius Black, which she did, then there was no chance he would let his godson die. It would break him.

After what seemed like hours of waiting (which in reality added up to about five minutes) the Healers arrived and quickly assessed the situation. It was too dangerous to move Harry from that spot even with magic so it was important to heal everything they could here first. That way, at least the body would be kept from going into severe shock. If he had been left alone for another hour there was no doubt in any of the four witches and wizards' mind that Harry Potter, the savior of the Wizarding World, would have died by the hands of a muggle.

…

Sirius quickly apparated back to his house in the country where Remus was excitedly awaiting the arrival of his best friend's son. Seeing Sirius come home empty handed, Remus was already preparing himself for the worst.

"Remus," Sirius began to cry, "He looked so broken. Almost like James did the night I found him. The muggles beat him, they beat him so bad and they just left him to die. He was locked in the cupboard under the stairs. It had a bed in it so I'm assuming that's where he was most of the time. There was blood just, everywhere. All over the place. He looked like he hadn't eaten in days." Remus, screaming horribly, horribly loud in his head couldn't keep it in much longer. He ran outside to a massive, shady elm and kicked it. And kicked it. And kicked it. He kept kicking it until he cleared the bark from one spot and then put his back against the sturdy tree and sank to the ground. His face in his hands he asked, "Will he live? Sirius, for god's sake will that little boy come home to us?"

Sirius, quite taken aback from Remus's floral abuse, quickly recovered and answered, "They're giving him about a 45% chance. If he makes it through tonight, then it'll be bumped up to 90%. We can go to the hospital soon and sit with him. They're supposed to have him out of surgery by midnight as long as there aren't any complications." He said this all as calmly as he could so as not to upset Remus again, but inside his blood was boiling. He was going to kill that Dursley if it was the last thing he did.

…

Back at St. Mungo's, Harry's surgery went off without a hitch, much to the relief of Sirius and Remus. It had been about 12 hours since it ended and he was supposed to be out for a few more hours but they were remaining hopeful. Just surviving the surgery made it 15% more likely that he would make it through the night. Now that the night seemed to be behind them, both Sirius and Lupin were very hopeful that they would be able to take Harry home soon. The Healers said that as long as he woke up and was cognitive, the rest of the care could take place at their home.

Padfoot and Moony were camped out in the young wizard's room which was decorated from top to bottom with cartoon representations of magical animals. They had decided to put a motion blocking charm on them so as not to frighten Harry. They were sure he had no idea about his magical heritage and it was important that he stayed calm. Of course, keeping a four year old, who woke up surrounded by adults he had never met before, calm would be a challenge in itself. Sirius and Remus waited expectantly for two more hours before they saw Harry stir underneath the decorated quilt.

…

Harry was terrified. The last thing he could remember was trying to get something to eat and then it was just blackness and pain. Pain, pain, pain. Now, he was awake and it hurt less but he had absolutely no idea where he was. There were animals on the walls but none that he could recognize. There were people in the room but neither were his uncle or aunt although one of the men had hair as long as hers. They hadn't noticed he had woken up yet, so it might be better if he just stayed still. Maybe they would go away and leave him alone. He didn't want any more hurt right now, not when it was finally feeling a little better. He was awfully thirsty, though. And the man with the long hair did have a bottle of water next to him. His thirst outweighing his better judgment (asking for something was considered asking a question in the Dursely house), Harry slowly opened his eyes and tried to sit up before realizing it was still too painful. Sirius, seeing that the little boy had awoken, walked over expectantly.

"Harry? How are you feeling?"

Harry no longer wanted the water. He wanted to go back to his cupboard and hide with his Memow. He couldn't help it and just started crying, even though that was another rule to break. It still hurt so much and this man looked scary.

"Hey buddy, hey, calm down. It's alright. You're in a hospital," Sirius said quickly, sensing a meltdown on the way.

"Hopsickle?" Harry asked. He knew what the hopsickle was. Dudley had gone there once when he had a cold. Aunt Petunia said very sick boys have to go there to get better. Harry knew that he had come down with many colds though and he never needed to go there.

"Yes little pup. The hospital. We came to see you last night and you were hurt really badly. You had to come here right away so the Hea—err, Doctors could make you all better. How do you feel? Can you remember how you got so hurt?"

"It still hurt," Harry said with a frown, his eyes still watery. Visitors? Him? No one loved him and no one ever came to see him. "I was bad so Unca Vernon teacheded me how to not be a fweak. I was hungy but Duddy got it all. It turned into fwoggies but I don't know how. The hopded over and turned back and then I got into lotsa twouble," he said. He was still unsure he could trust this man not to punish him for the same thing all over again, but it was too late now. If there was one thing he learned from his Uncle, it was that he was to never, ever lie. If Harry was asked a direct question, you would get a direct answer.

"Well as long as it's feeling better then we're on the right track, Harry. I'm sorry your Uncle did that to you. I think that frogs are wonderful little animals and I wish that I could have seen that trick. Could you maybe try and show me?"

Harry paused, not sure if this was a trick or not. Uncle Vernon never let him be a freak, but this man was telling him he wanted to see. Maybe he was trying to get him to do it so he could punish him? Harry looked at the long-haired man expectantly. "Don't worry Harry, no one will see besides us two and I promise you I would never hurt you." Harry, feeling a bit more reassured, scrunched his face up while looking at the food that sat on the tray in the corner of the room. All he could think about was how hungry he was and how much it hurt to move, when the bunch of grapes suddenly turned into 15 individual little frogs. They bounced across the room followed by another three medium frogs that had been biscuits, and pulling up the rear was a big frog that had come from a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They joyfully hopped across the room to the bed and landed on the little boy. With a quick ribbit, they turned back into their respective tidbits and Harry eyed them hungrily.

Sirius, delighted with the display of some of the cutest magic he had ever seen, noticed the look of concern on the little boy's face. "Harry, that was such a cool trick! Really well done, that was. When was the last time you ate? Do you remember?" Harry closed his eyes for a minute, trying to think of what day it was. He remembered that there was a calendar on the wall right in front of him. He looked quickly, realizing he had been sleeping for over a day. "Um, I tink it was the day when Unca Vernon didn't have work. Sunday?"

Sirius had to hide his shock well for that was almost four days ago. A little boy going four days without food? No wonder he was just skin and bone! "Harry can you do me a reaaaal big favor and eat that food on your bed for me? I'm not very hungry and it would just be a waste if someone didn't eat it." To tell the truth, Sirius was starving. He wasn't fed well at Azkaban but there was no way he would allow that little boy to go another minute without food. As Harry ate, Sirius decided that he needed to explain a little bit more about what was going on.

"Harry, do you have any idea who I am?" Harry shook his head. "Well, I'm Sirius and I'm your godfather. That means that when you were born, your parents wanted me to take care of you if anything happened to them." Harry nodded this time, he knew what godparents were. Dudley's godmother was his Aunt Marge and she gave him presents and cookies and ice cream all the time. She wasn't very nice to Harry though. "You knew my muma and dada?" Harry asked hopefully. The only people that he knew had known his parents were his aunt and uncle and they didn't like to talk about the Potters.

"Of course Harry! Your dada was my very best friend. I was there when you were born. Both of your parents loved you very much. Now, after they died something happened to me and I had to go away for a while. I couldn't help it, but I thought about you the entire time. I wanted you to come and live with me so I could take care of you, but now that I'm back we can stay together forever. Would you like that Harry?"

"Does that means that I neva have to go with auntie and unca again? I don wanna go back dere. Dey don like me vewy much."

"Harry, I promise you right now that you will never have to be anywhere near them ever again. I'm your family now, and you're mine."

"Otay Siwi, I come wit you." Harry said, relieved he would never have to be with his mean aunt and uncle ever again. Maybe, just maybe, this Sirius man could be okay.