Dementors on the train. Posters everywhere bearing the face of Sirius Black. A warning from Mr. Weasley, Ripped portraits and bed curtains. Things are certainly getting mad, Harry thought. One nice thing this year was Remus Lupin. He was the new DADA teacher. Professor Lupin was really nice, but was sick a lot. The poor man was often in the infirmary.

"Today we are going to learn about grindylows. These creatures are water-dwelling. In fact, some are in our own lake. I have one here in captivity. They are non-aggressive creatures, despite their fierce appearance…"

Harry listened intently, taking notes. Ron had accused him of getting too much like Hermione, but Harry did not care. He took Naira's advice and had "stepped up his game", but not only in academics. He was now feared on the quidditch field as one of the most dangerous players. Professor Lupin asked him to stay after class.

"Harry, I am really impressed with how you have been doing in class! You know, every time I look at you, I see your father looking back. We used to be really good friends. He was the bravest and most loyal man I ever knew. He was a true hero. James was good at quidditch too, just like you! But you have your mother's eyes. She was so kind and good. Almost an angel. But back to your schoolwork. I think you would make a really good auror some day. Keep up the good work and you'll be on the right path."

Harry smiled. "Thanks for telling me about my mom and dad! I really don't know much about my parents. And I will think about becoming an auror."

"Of course! Any time."

Harry's relationship with Snape was the only thing that deteriorated that year. Snape seemed to insist on insulting Harry by talking about how his father was "lazy" and "arrogant". "You're just like your father, strutting around the castle!"

"My father was a great man! He didn't strut, and neither do I!" Harry shot back.

The third year mentally groaned. He had gotten detention for that one. It was now the third month of school. The leaves were beginning to fall in a flurry. Finally, he received a letter from Naira.

Dear Henry Patrick,

I am still sort of sick but nothing too bad. I miss you and I hope to visit you soon. Is there any way I can meet you? I hear about the Dementor crackdown and Sirius Black's escape. Be careful. If Black is as evil and insane as they say he is, you are in grave danger. I think of you all the time.

Love,

Aunt Imaginary

How am I going to meet her…? Dementors at the entrance, killers on the loose… wait… the marauder's map! There's that exit out of Diagon alley! Perfect! He quickly wrote back.

Dear Aunt Imaginary,

I will wait at The Three Broomsticks for you on Saturday evening at 7.

Love,

Henry Patrick

And so he went to meet her that weekend. He sipped on his foamy, bright orange pumpkin juice while he waited. A blond woman with poignant blue eyes came and sat down across from him.

"I would know those eyes anywhere."

She grinned not unlike the Cheshire cat. "Hehe! Smart boy!" She said in a distinctly Scottish accent.

He rolled his eyes and shook his head, snickering.

"How is school going for you, laddie!"

"Great, although Professor Snape still hates me."

"Why does he hate you?"

"I don't know, but he constantly mentions my father. Professor Dumbledore said my father saved his life one time. Maybe he hates being in debt."

"Hmm. What have people told you about your father?"

"Well, Professor Dumbledore said he was a good man. Professor Remus Lupin, our new defense against the dark arts teacher, said he was friends with my father, and that he was the bravest and most loyal man he knew. Professor Lupin said my father was good at quidditch. He also called him a hero."

Naira sighed. "Harry," she said looking at him, "is that what you believe?"

"I guess so. I trust Professor Lupin and the Headmaster."

"Sometimes people will tell us a partial truth to try to protect us."

"You mean… they haven't told me everything about my father?"

"No, they haven't. I know that it would only make sense for you to want a flawless father. After all those years of living with the Dursleys, you want to believe your real family was perfect. No one wants to believe their parents have flaws. But do you want to know the truth, the unbiased truth that neither Professor Dumbledore, Lupin, nor Snape can give you?"

"Yes. I have to know what he was really like."

She nodded solemnly. "I hate to take your innocent view away from you, but I believe in telling the truth, even if it hurts. Your father was a hero in the end. He sacrificed himself for you and your mother. But that was not always so. He often played terrible pranks, sometimes terribly mean or embarrassing pranks, on Slytherins. He also mocked them and sometimes beat them up with his "marauder gang". Remus, Sirius, and Peter were in this group. As I remember, Lupin was the one who always tried to dissuade them from beating someone up, but he never tried to stop them. I think he was desperate to belong to any group. You must promise not to tell anyone what I will tell you know."

"I promise."

"Remus Lupin is a werewolf. That's why he was afraid to lose his only friends. Society would reject him, make him an outcast if they knew. So when the Marauders found out, and still accepted him, he was careful not to lose their favor. Your father was no angel. There is another secret I must tell you. The only reason your mother married your father was because her father made her. Lily was a half-blood, but the Evan blood was considered very special, a high and noble blood, if you will. Your mother's father arranged a marriage with someone with excellent blood: James Potter. You see, Lily Evan's father knew that James Potter was a pureblood. Lily was not thrilled, but she did it to please her family."

"An arranged marriage?" Harry looked shell-shocked. His face was completely devoid of all color. "You mean, she didn't marry him because she loved him?"

"No, she didn't love him. And he didn't love her either. He… well, I might as well tell you the dark secrets. You should know. Your father slept with other women."

Harry was shaking now. He started to sob.

"A year after they got married, they started to love each other. James stopped sleeping around. That was when Lily got pregnant with you. And they had a very happy marriage for one year. And that was when Voldemort came to kill you, and when James Potter redeemed himself by sacrificing his life. That was the night the world changed."
Harry was still crying. "I know this is hard for you, Harry, but there is more I must tell you. I said I believed in telling the truth. Well now, I will tell you the truth about me. Sirius Black is not the only prisoner from Azkaban. I am too."
Harry looked up in shock.

"I was sentenced to six months in Azkaban for murder. It would have been longer, but they couldn't prove it."

"Did you?"

"I did kill him. He was a death eater. I didn't want to kill him, but he attacked me, and I couldn't just knock him out. He was very skilled, and I was forced to hit him with a deadly curse. The ministry doesn't want to admit that death eaters are still around."
"Oh my gosh. I thought you were going to say you were a serial killer or something. You can't believe how relieved I am."
"I hope you are not ashamed to know a parole."

"No, how could I ever be ashamed to be related to such a wonderful person?"

She smiled.

"The good thing is, the world doesn't know I went to jail. It was a private business. It's not even on my record. They just wanted to scare me enough to shut me up."

"I'm so glad you're okay now."

"Me too."

From then on, Harry decided not to agitate Snape. He decided that he would attempt smooth things over. Now that he knew the truth about James Potter, he had no desire to be him, and decided to explain that to Professor Snape the next time he brought the subject up. Harry continued to succeed in every aspects of his life.