Sirius Black staggered through Azkaban, suddenly deaf to the shrieks of mentally unstable prisoners through their bars. He felt strangely as though he were walking through a cloud. Was he dreaming? Or was this a cruel joke?
"You're free, Sirius." Dumbledore had looked upon him in his cell sadly, taking in the state of his ex-pupil. "Peter Pettigrew has been discovered and, under questioning, been forced to reveal the truth." Sirius had been able to do little else but stare as his mind attempted to wrap around words he'd only dreamed of hearing.
Wormtail had been found. The traitor he'd called friend, the coward who'd managed to effectively rip Sirius' life right out from under him, had been discovered. And Sirius was free.
Dumbledore was leading him through and out of the prison, and so dazed was he that Sirius for the next few hours did not fully comprehend what went on around him. Several people appeared and were speaking to him, cautiously shaking his hand and giving shaky 'congratulations', explaining what would happen to him now, but he couldn't hear a word.
He was free. He was free.
Eventually Dumbledore was gently guiding him away from the chaos. Before Sirius knew it, they were in the old headmaster's office. The once familiar room now seemed foreign; it's bright colors and liveliness were a stark contrast to his dreary Azkaban cell.
And it was so alarmingly quiet. No ranting and raving from the insane, no hysterical, high-pitched screams as inmates cowed away from hungry Dementors lurking outside their cells. The newfound silence, though welcomed, was a tad disorienting. He blinked. Only hours before he'd been nearly certain that he was to rot away as an innocent man in prison, forever plagued by the memory of his failure that horrible night.
Dumbledore turned to him with a soft smile, shaking him out of his reverie.
"Everything has been worked out- you are indeed a free man. And, my dear boy... I am terribly, terribly sorry. About all of this." The old man's blue eyes were filled with deep regret, and Sirius had to look away. The anger that began to boil within him was all-too familiar.
Over two years of his life had been wrongly taken away from him... thanks to the rat.
Dumbledore placed a hand on the young man's shoulder and, after realizing he'd been glaring daggers at a wall, Sirius met his eyes. "Where's Peter now?" he asked, clearing his throat when he found his voice terribly raspy and disused. "Who discovered him?"
"Peter is back at Azkaban, awaiting his fate in a prison cell. Yes," he said slowly at Sirius' questioning gaze, "he will receive the kiss. As for the one responsible for finding him; well, I believe I'll allow him to tell you his story." His eyes twinkled behind his half-moon spectacles, and he gestured one hand towards the doorway.
Sirius turned curiously and there, standing awkwardly with hands in his pockets and a timid smile, was Remus Lupin. All Sirius could do was stare back.
After long moments of unsure silence, Sirius began to cross the room, stopping hesitantly in front of the other man. He cleared his throat once again to speak, but Remus beat him to it:
"Sirius, my old friend, I'm so sorry. I spotted Peter in Diagon Alley, and it took me a bit to piece it together... I should have given you a chance to explain, and I never did-"
"It's alright, Remus," Sirius cut him off hoarsely, still staring as though he was yet to be convinced this wasn't some surreal dream. "It's alright. Thank you." For the first time in years, Sirius smiled. It was small and forced and felt off, as though it was twisted wrongly, and he got the feeling it looked more like a grimace. Remus gave him a kind smile in return, placing a hand on his shoulder.
At once Sirius pulled his friend into a brief hug, patting his back. "I missed you, Moony," he said gruffly, his chest aching with all the loneliness of the past couple years. Remus pulled out of the short embrace with a warm smile, patting Sirius' arm.
"And I missed you, Padfoot. I'm afraid to admit life has been a bit dull without your antics; I'm happy to have you back." His eyes were slightly glossy.
Sirius smiled again; this one felt more natural. Dumbledore watched the pair of friends reminiscently, smiling whilst grabbing a candy from the dish on his desk. "Lemon drop?" he offered, popping one into his mouth. Both men declined as the old wizard took a seat at his wooden desk.
A sudden thought popped into Sirius' mind- a very important one. This particular thought was enough to snap Sirius out of his wonder-struck daze. Abruptly he strode over to Dumbledore's desk and placed his palms on it, leaning towards his old teacher, who quirked a brow in question.
"Where's Harry?" Sirius asked. "Who's been looking after him? Can I see him?" The thought of the child instantly swelled his heart with fondness; he, along with the knowledge that Sirius was innocent, kept the man sane during his horrific imprisonment. And Harry, unknowingly, had been his main reason to carry on.
Revenge on Peter was a very, very close second; his desire to positively tear the man in two had fueled his will to live, if not in the healthiest way. But Harry... during the very bleakest days of Azkaban, Sirius would think of his godson. His best friend, his brother, was dead (which was enough to nearly hurl Sirius over the edge) but miraculously, his son was not. There was still something very innocent and worthwhile to hold onto, something left over from Sirius' life before; something from James and Lily themselves. If nothing else, Sirius had endured and emerged the place with some sanity intact because of Harry Potter. James' boy.
Dumbledore chuckled at the young man's sudden eagerness. "Ah, yes, I was beginning to wonder when you'd ask about young Harry." He paused. "Once you've taken care of the arrangements needed for yourself now that you're free, I'm certain a visit will be possible."
Sirius was silent for a moment. "Sir, I was under the impression Harry was to come and live with me. I'm his godfather, and Lily and James said if anything ever happened to them-"
"Indeed, and I've no doubt you'd do wonderfully as his guardian," Dumbledore interrupted him with a gently raised hand. "However... due to circumstance, Harry is safest where he is now, with his aunt and uncle."
Sirius looked mildly affronted. "Why there? I'd protect him with my life."
"I don't doubt that," Dumbledore said sincerely. "However, there are certain blood wards protecting Harry while he continues to live in the Dursley's home. Lily saved Harry on that terrible night; her death left a protective magic of some sort over her son. Voldemort was unable to destroy young Harry," he explained softly, "because of Lily's sacrifice. Her selfless act of love caused the curse to rebound off of Harry back to it's caster."
He set his chin in his clasped hands. "The Dursley's are Harry's only remaining blood relatives. He is safe there, safer than anywhere else he might be, as Lily's protection remains on him. While I wish I could give him to you as his parents had intended, you must understand why this is the best option."
Not currently having much leverage to argue the matter further, Sirius bit his cheek resignedly. Realistically he probably wasn't best suit to be raising a child at the moment, anyhow, but the thought of being with James' son soothed the hollow ache that had been residing within him the past couple of years. He offered Dumbledore a brief nod.
"I understand. I'd like to see him, though, Albus. I want to see how he's grown." And, for reasons he couldn't quite put his finger on, thinking about Harry's current whereabouts made his stomach churn a bit uncomfortably. He could vaguely recall Lily's description of her sister being rather unpleasant.
Dumbledore's smile was bright. "Of course, Sirius. A more than reasonable request. In the meantime, Remus," he addressed the man still standing a few feet away, "if you could, would you please assist Mr. Black with adjusting and settling back in with society?" he winked, and Remus nodded, taking this as his and Sirius' cues to leave.
The men bid their farewells and left their old headmaster's office. Crestfallen as Sirius was, he'd reluctantly continue to trust Dumbledore's judgement. When throwing out the idea of custody, he'd ignored the fact that his godson had already had another home for two years now. No doubt Harry had grown used to living with his relatives, and likely wouldn't react well to a strange man waltzing in asking to whisk him away.
He wondered about the Dursleys. Perhaps Lily's sister had matured since her and Lily's school days? Harry as a baby was simply impossible not to love- and Sirius was only a tad biased- surely, whatever the woman had had against her sister, Harry would have won her family over. Was Harry still a spitting image of James? He'd be around three and a half now, Sirius quickly calculated. He found himself suddenly grinning like a madman. The first true, large grin he'd had in recent memory.
He'd be seeing his godson soon.
He looked to Remus, his grin widening even further. He was actually with one of his best friends again. Walking alongside him through Hogwarts not as an acclaimed mass murderer, but a free man. Remus caught sight of this and smiled back, regardless of not knowing why.
He was free.
For the first time in years, Sirius could dare to hope that things just might be alright again.
