Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter.


Life goes well, easily, properly, like everything is as it should be. For a while anyway. Then comes Draco's stupid prank. The result of which, is Severus and Remus arguing in Dumbledore's office.

"He's just going to get away with it?"

"Are you really going to stand there and say you disapprove of such harmless jokes?"

"Honestly Severus, this isn't the 70s and we aren't children, this has absolutely nothing to do with us! And even if it did, isn't this exactly the sort of thing we would have done to you that you'd get so annoyed we got away with?"

"Tell me Lupin, what is it you want done? You know very well detention won't deter either of them any. So what would have stopped your lot?" Remus has quite a number of things to say to that, and none of them are nice.

"At least giving him detention or deducting house points wouldn't leave Harry feeling victimised and alone."

"Potter is hardly innocent in these matters."

"Isn't he? Or are you just projecting your hatred for his Father onto an innocent boy?" Severus' glare could cut steel.

"I don't need to project anything, he is just like his father."

"Yes, he is, in all the good ways. He's kind, he's loyal, he's self-sacrificing. James may have been an arrogant git when he was a kid, but he grew into an exceptional man. Don't take the fact that you can't see that out on my nephew."

"So it's favouritism then."

"I would be standing for the victim in this regardless of who they are. And may I point out, Draco is your god-son."

"Yes, and where is Potter's God-Father again?" Minerva gasps, eyes widening, Albus sighs, "You say Potter is such a good person, grew to be so great. You used to say similar things of loyalty and self-sacrifice about Black. Tell me, what do you have to say about him now?" One moment, Remus is standing there, angry yet collected. The next, Severus is on the ground with a broken nose and Remus is re-discovering that punching someone really hurts!

"Um…" The group looks over to see Penelope Clearwater.

"Ah, yes, that was this afternoon. If you would wait outside for just a moment Miss Clearwater, I will be right with you," Dumbledore requests, gesturing to the door, Penelope sort of whimpers as she rushes to comply, "Go and see Madam Pomfrey to get your nose healed, Severus."

"I am more than capable of healing a broken nose, Headmaster."

"I did not ask if you were capable of it, I requested that you go to Madam Pomfrey to have it healed." Severus scowls and stalks out of the room.

"Out of my way!" They hear him demand as he passes the Ravenclaw Prefect.

"Now, Remus," Albus begins, Remus sighs, nodding.

"I know sir, I shouldn't have punched him or argued with him like a child." Dumbledore seems amused and pleased.

"I know you know. That is why I was merely going to suggest you go and check on young Harry." Remus looks at his boss in surprise, then nods slowly and walks out of the room.

"Why do you always turn a blind eye with them?" Minerva asks Albus who sighs deeply, weary in a way Minerva hasn't seen him since the end of the war.

"You see them as being the immature children of days long passed, but that is not the case, Minerva. What we are dealing with is a man so haunted by the past he cannot move on from it, and another who cannot bear to look back. One who cannot dare to hope and another too afraid to admit he lost true hope long ago. Severus does not know how to cope with the fact that he survived the events that have lead us to now, Remus does not know how to cope with being the only one to have survived. There was never going to be peace with things this way. Neither can move on and the ways in which they cope with this directly contradict the other." Minerva seems just as worn down as he.

"Then what do we do?" Albus looks down at his desk.

"We find Black, we put him back where he belongs, and we watch as Harry heals his Uncle in ways he won't ever know."

"And if he can't?" Minerva catches Albus' eyes, he seems focused, serious, grounded. He looks at her, a certainty in his face that she can't quantify.

"Then we will have far more problems than a broken nose."


The next day, most of the school had heard about the confrontation. Many had seen Severus' nose prior to it being healed and rumours had quickly spread. In an effort to dispel some of the rather colourful ones, Penelope spread the truth around. Harry had shone with pride at the knowledge that Remus had stood up for him, Penelope had enough sense to leave out everything she heard about Sirius Black.

"Sir, is it true you punched Professor Snape?" Justin Finch-Fletchley asks during his next lesson, Remus sighs as the class breaks into murmurs again, Remus holds a hand up, effectively silencing them all in an instant.

"What is true is that Professor Snape and I had a disagreement and I lost my temper. Let this be a lesson to you all to practice far more patience than I." Harry blinks as he looks at him, remembering something from years ago…

"Patience Padfoot, patience."

"I don't want to be patient Moony, just let me have it!"

"You have to wait for them to cool down Sirius. Look, even Prongslet's waiting."

"Little Mini-Prongs doesn't have the vocabulary to protest, but I promise, if he could, he would."

"Oh, honestly Pads. If I give one to you I have to give one to Harry or he'll pout, they are too hot. Let the blasted cookies cool, then you can have one."

"Blassssted."

"Oops."

"Oh Lily is going to kill you."

"Me? This is your fau-don't you run away you coward! SIRIUS ORION BLACK!"

"You wouldn't hurt the person holding your Nephew would you?"

"Blasssssted."

"Kill me now."

"Why is Sirius killing you?"

"Lily! Hi, you're home, welcome home, how are you my friend?"

"…"

"…"

"…What's going on?"

"Nothing, nothing at all, why would something be going on?"

"Blassssted."

"Crap."

Harry frowns, blinking away the memory as he looks outside. For a moment, he could swear he saw a giant black dog. It seemed familiar somehow…and that's when it clicks.

Padfoot, Sirius, Pads, SIRIUS ORION BLACK, Sirius…Padfoot…SIRIUS ORION BLACK…Padfoot…say hi to your Uncle Moony and Uncle Padfoot…

Harry's eyes widen.

As soon as lesson ends he sprints out, running all the way back to the dorm and shutting himself into his bunk, pulling out the photo album Hagrid had put together for him two years ago. Inside is a picture of his parent's wedding. He knows his Uncle Padfoot was his Dad's best man, he doesn't know how he knows, but it's something he just knows without being told, like he doesn't remember being taught his name is Harry, but he knows it.

And there, standing beside his Mum and Dad on, arguably, the happiest day of their life, is a man Harry now recognises for two reasons.

One, because he can now remember the face of his God-Father, and two, because he's seen it in the papers. Unkempt and mad as he may now be, there is no denying the truth.

"Sirius Black is my Uncle Padfoot." Suddenly his curtains are torn open and Ron stands before him.

"He what?!"


Note:

I swear these chapters are getting shorter and shorter, I am so sorry.

I told someone I had like three things to do today and should have easily written two chapter, but one of those three things ended up taking about 4 hours when I was expecting about one, maybe one and a half. Anyways, so it's now 10:17pm here and I've only just now finished this chapter.

Hopefully, and I know I said this last time, but hopefully next chapter will be longer.

Anyways, hope this is going okay, I have a far more solid idea of what I'm doing with it now, and that always helps when writing.

See ya next time 😊