Author's Note: I think anyone who reads Harmony can agree that we're the camp that believes that Ron is terrible for Hermione because of Reasons A, B, C, and probably ZZ, but the point is that Hermione chose Ron. Everyone in the Harmony ship believes that it's a terrible choice, but it's a choice nonetheless. No love potions here, folks. Just plain old stupid love. Even the smartest witch in her generation would fall for the dumbest.

Right, I forgot that I'd keep the Weasel bashing to a minimum. For the, er, less fortunate then

Anywhats. Thank you for the reviews! This next chapter has come early, mostly because it was nagging at me. It will feature a different Snape and I have a reason for that. I've always wondered who the real Snape was, someone we never truly got an image of. We've never seen Snape drink tea in a relaxed mood, always on the defensive. I'm not going to condone all the bad things that he did before he returned to the Light, but he did and to most people, that's what matters. Anyone who thinks the world is black and white is both pitiful and enviable.


"Harry." Hermione said after a long span of silence. She had returned to looking anywhere other than Harry, who in turn had returned to looking anywhere her face wasn't. It was painful and hurtful, for the both of them to speak about Ron when he wasn't there to defend himself. It was inconceivable for her that Harry would think that way of Ron. She wanted to attribute it to the loss of his childhood where he wasn't given a proper one. That Harry, like any good human, muggle or wizard alike, wasn't as emotionally scarred. And yet a part of her could not believe what he had just said. Some of it was true, she knew. Ron had always been a bit of a glory hound, but that too was understandable, having been shadowed all his life.

"What?" Harry snapped back, before his features softened. "Sorry." He apologised. "Sorry." He repeated, before sighing.

"Let's not talk about this right now, please. We'll have a lot of time after. We need to get our story straight for Snape and the others." She forced herself back into a way of thinking that was more in line with his. Saving the Wizarding world and all that.

"Right." Harry straightened from his seat, looking at her. "What do we tell them?"

"The truth, Harry. We have to both agree for it to be so. I'm guessing that your mum put up some powerful occlumency in our heads to make sure that no one gets to see it." She admitted. She couldn't feel it, not really, but she had a hunch it was so.

Harry nodded. "But where do we begin?" He asked her, and she was about to speak when the small buzzer by the table came on.

"Yes?" Harry asked, as the voice of a goblin came through.

"Severus Snape has arrived, Mr. Potter." He looked at Hermione in panic, who nodded reassuringly. It was not the time for either of them to speak of Ron.

"Let him in." Harry said, waiting before Snape arrived.

And arrive he did. Severus Snape, in his black flowing robes and greasy hair was just as much a sight for sore eyes as he had been all those years ago. This Snape, however, had a wand raised at the both of them.

"How. Did. You. Know." Snape said with barely concealed disdain and anger. He had long buried that part of his life, hiding his emotions for the death of one of his few friends. James Potter was that to Snape, that much was clear, but neither told anyone other than Lily Evans – he refused, as a way of marking limits, to call her Potter – about it.

Hermione looked at Harry, who nodded.

"Because we died two years from now and went to see Lily Potter who told us that was what you said before you and James spoke candidly. As friends." Harry began, taking a deep breath to continue but finding himself cut off by Snape.

"If you think, Potter, that this is some joke then you had best stop now." He his head snapped to Hermione.

"It's not, Professor. It's the truth." She said in defence, wincing as he saw Snape's smile. The smile that meant that she had said something wrong.

"Granger, you know that time travel and resurrection are both impossible through magical means. If we were in school, I'd have deducted a thousand points from Gryffindor." Snape said, his normal monotone now shaking in rage. "You will tell me how you learned of this, Potter and Granger." It was a secret that he had kept, and one that risked his position with Voldemort.

"I wouldn't say it was impossible, Professor. Only that it has never been validated. And that's completely beside the point!" Hermione exclaimed, slightly annoyed now. After the stress of dealing with Harry, she was in no mood to deal with Snape.

"From my mother, alright, Snape?" Harry was tired as well, looking at Snape and walking towards the Pumpkin juice. "Merlin, I wish I could have some of that." He muttered, looking at the Firewhiskey longingly.

Who else could have known? Snape thought. He knew that what the two were saying was impossible, but if they had died two years in the future, what had happened? Was everything he sacrificed in vain?

"Start from the beginning." The greasy professor said, sitting and looking at the Firewhiskey-Harry-Couldn't-Have. He had a sinking feeling that the two were not lying. They never truly did, that much was certain. And it took a lot more than two bred Gryffindors to lie about something so stupid as death and time travel.

"Well…" Harry said, sipping his juice and looking at Hermione. "I guess we can begin when you died." He said and they began telling him the story.

It was thirty minutes later, agreeing to start earlier than when he had died, about several hundred questions, and the realisation, at least in Snape's head, that Dumbledore was a twat for letting him die – for letting him kill the old man. He also decided that the Firewhiskey would need to be opened. At the end of it all, however, he realised that the two knew far too much of the Order's plans, of Voldemort's plans, and of Dumbledore's plans to be fibbing. There was no way they could have known that much unless it was…

"Time travel." Snape said, having finished the glass of alcohol he was nursing. He had become a different person in front of them, perhaps it was the Oil and Water and Lillies that broke him or the realisation that the two truly were from the future.

"Yes. Professor." Hermione said, allowing it to sink in.

"Bloody hell." He muttered under his breath, catching the two off-guard. They had never heard Snape curse. "How is she, then?"

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Your mother, Potter. Who else am I to care for? Yourself?" he returned to his snidely monotone.

"She's fine. She's in a lot of stress about this. I've apparently died six times…"

"Pity I didn't see even one." He heard Snape cut him off and looked at the two of them evenly. "What do you want?"

"Help. Your help, Snape." Harry finally said, looking at the glass that held Snape's whiskey. He really wanted a try at it, even if he probably knew it would taste vile. Still, Harry being seventeen in his head wanted a taste.

"Obviously." Snape said slowly, before taking a deep breath. "I want to know specifics, Potter. What do you have planned? I need to know this as the Dark Lord is back and will probably call on me." He spoke.

"Wait. You just trust us? Just like that?" Hermione was doubtful, extremely so given the circumstances.

"Yes, Miss Granger." Snape said, eyeing her. "What else is there for me to do? You've told me everything the Dark Lord has been planning, what the Order has been planning, and what Dumbledore has been planning before either of you could have possibly known about it.." He sighed at the last bit before continuing. "And while it is possible that one of the Weasleys could have given you information about Dumbledore's or the Order's plans, you do not have another Death Eater in your pocket to know of the Dark Lord's."

"Why they decided to bring both of you rather than someone competent is beyond me, however." This was a Snape that they were both half-familiar with. Familiar because he just could not let the snide remarks slide, but also unfamiliar because he was giving them the light of day talking about their cockamamie plan.

"Well. Um. First we need Polyjuice potions." Harry told Snape, looking at Hermione who agreed. "We need to do other things first before we go to our respective homes, or if the Order is planning on moving the both of us to 12 Grimmauld Place." The two, who had been told in the previous timeline where the Order headquarters were still remembered it.

"Fascinating. So time travel trumps the Fidelius Charm." Snape said, the spell crafter in him was interested in that but nodded. "I can have the Polyjuice potions ready in the hour. I have some pre-made." He said, then put his chin on his upright palm, his cheeks showing a slight flush from the Firewhiskey.

"But you just trust us." Hermione still was in the process of believing that it had gone so simply with Snape.

"Yes, Miss Granger. I do. But only, like every bloody time I trusted Harry Potter, because of his mother whom I so dearly love." He finally said with much anger. "I can only be this candid to the both of you because you have invoked James' code and nothing more. That being said, I refuse to be kept in the dark any longer, I do not wish to kill anyone, even that sodding Dumbledore and you have my support in finally ending the Dark Lord's menace so I can get on with my life failing stupid Gryffindors like yourselves in Potions!" there was a mixture of the old Snape and the new one in his tone, one that rightly sent shivers down their spines.

"What I do not understand, however." Snape finally calmed. "Is why Mr. Weasley isn't around." He had expected Ronald Weasley to be around them. The bullheaded glory hound had had to be cleaned up after many times and was, while brave and valiant (disgustingly Gryffindor traits), was also very jealous and insecure.

"We… haven't told him yet." Harry quickly answered.

Snape could not help but notice the scandalised look on Granger's face when Potter blurted that tidbit out but nodded. "So he was not sent back in time?" he asked.

"No. We died before he did." Hermione said, the words seemed awkward to even think about, let alone say.

"Interesting. Managed to save himself from his own wand, I suppose." Snape mused before standing, taking a second to balance himself. Two tumblers of firewhiskey were rarely enough to render him drunk, but the heady ideas floated about were more than sufficient.

Hermione's scowl at that managed to allow Snape to smirk before pulling out the coin. "I suppose this shall allow me to return with the Polyjuice?" Snape asked and Harry nodded.

"Wait. Sirius and Remus will most likely be here when you do. So try to not goad them, alright?" Harry almost pleaded. He really did not want to be an underage caster in between three of the most prominent duelists of their time.

Snape's silence, however, was his only answer as he ported himself out back into the main hall of Gringotts, presumably to get Polyjuice.

Harry sighed in relief, then looked at the empty tumbler of firewhiskey.

"Don't you dare, Harry." He heard her voice and immediately his hand balled into a fist to prevent himself from taking it and pouring himself one.

"Fine." He replied, then grunting. "I can't believe we have to do all of this again with Sirius and Remus." He mumbled. Telling Snape the entire story was exhausting, especially since they had done it in under thirty minutes. They had skipped much of the parts that shouldn't really interest the man, they both knew. The fact that Ron left, the death of Dobby, Bellatrix Lestrange…

"You set the times." Hermione commented, still not looking straight at Harry now. She was still seething over his implication that Ron was an opportunistic git.

Harry grunted again at that, head propped up on the table as another wave of silence encompassed the room.

"I still can't believe you love me." Hermione blurted, her hand stifling her lips a moment too late.

"Is it so hard to believe? I mean, you're always there for me, and you're a good person and you're really beautiful." Harry shrugged.

"Yes, but I was always just second-best to you." She retorted.

"No you weren't. I always went to you when I had a problem. Ever since Umbridge in the fifth year I knew you were more trustworthy than Ron." He shot back.

"Ron was always closer to you though. I never thought I'd be. I always felt like a third wheel with you two around." She muttered. "I wasn't even picked for your Tri-Wizard test." Hermione admitted the bitterness over it, something she had never told anyone, especially not Harry.

"Didn't matter. I'd have saved you. I'd have wanted to save everyone." A small laugh escaped Harry's lips. "But I'd have saved you faster." He looked at her and grinned, earning him an eye roll.

"I'm sorry about what I said, Harry." She began. "But I don't think Ron's all that bad. I mean, you're right. He has…issues. But… well, maybe you'll forgive him for the things he hasn't done yet."

"Maybe." Harry admitted. This Ron had not done what his Ron had. But that, to him, didn't mean that this Ron was not as bad as that one.

"Well, we'll see him in a bit anyway. I guess I can tell him and see what happens." She finished, before looking at a piece of still-warm pie on the serving platter and reaching for it. She retracted her hand immediately, however, when the buzzer sounded and the voice of an amused goblin came through.

"Mr. Potter? Remus Lupin and Sirius Black for you, sir." It spoke. "Shall I let them in?"

"Make it so, number one." Harry said with a grin.

"Sir?" The goblin asked confusedly.

"Yes, please. Let them in." He said with a chuckle, turning to Hermione.

"What? I saw that on the telly while I was cleaning the living room." Harry responded to the befuddled look on her face.

"I'm just surprised you get American telly." She replied.

"Uncle Vernon doesn't even know we have that channel. He normally sticks to the BBC." He said before standing, waiting the requisite two seconds for the pop and the shuffle.

Remus Lupin and Sirius Black had an extremely long conversation before and after the apparition process. Both increasingly worried about their best friend's child who had, all of a sudden, decided to meet them in Gringotts. Gringotts, of all places! It was a strange place to meet, but by far the safest given the circumstances. Sirius Black's own youthful adventures at the local bank was marred by the presence of his father and mother and practically every other Black there was, with the exception of his cousin Tonks who would copy every Goblin they had spoken to afterwards.

What was surprising, however, was that while Sirius was in Dog Form – for he was still, after all, a fugitive of the Ministry, the goblin knew immediately that it was he and did not call for the Sixth Squad of Aurors, the group designated to catching fugitives like himself.

"Mr. Lupin and, ah, friend." The goblin who immediately grinned. "Mr. Potter is waiting for you. Please use this port key." The goblin offered them two coins, which the two held and immediately found themselves pulled out from under their feet.

"Sirius, Remus." Harry greeted the two wizards who had their wands up at the moment they were ported, looking around for anything to fire at. They had expected the worst, and all they came up with was Harry Potter in front of a serving plate of food, an empty tumbler of firewhiskey on one side, one Hermione Granger, whom Sirius had always thought was a bit of a know-it-all.

"Harry. Hermione." Remus greeted, still looking around before tapping Sirius on the shoulder for the all-clear. They placed their wands down, albeit hesitantly, and looked at the two. "Mind explaining why we're here?"

"Well, we have to tell you something." Hermione began, but was cut off by a seething Sirius.

"It had better bloody well be important, to risk you coming out here, what if Voldemort comes knocking? Do you think Gringotts could save you?" He was livid, clearly, and the two raised their hands in surrender to calm him.

"Sirius, we need to talk. Please. Just sit down." Hermione finally said. "We have food." She offered, pushing the enchanted serving plate towards them.

"Fine, but only because of the pies. And because you're my godson." Sirius said, nodding to Remus before sitting right beside Harry. Lupin had sat beside Hermione, much in the same way body guards would.

"Oh, right. I forgot, can someone cast the Muffliato charm? Harry and I can't do it because we're underage." Hermione spoke up. She had completely forgotten it before Snape's arrival, and the stress of dealing with Harry about Ron and regaling their deaths to Snape had made her a bit out of it.

"The…what?" Sirius asked, already busy placing food on his plate.

"Muffliato. It's a sound charm, makes it so no one can eavesdrop on us." She raised her wandless hand and did the movements. Remus and Sirius' jaws gaped at the reveal.

"Where did you learn that? Are they teaching that at Charms? Did Flitwick cook something up?" he looked to Remus, who had more experience with Hogwarts teaching than any of them.

"No. This is… huh." Remus broke off, pulled out his wand again and copied the spell's movements. Immediately all four felt the rush of sound-inhibiting magic. "Well that's…" he said after a few moments.

"Amazing. Did you two come up with this?" Harry shook his head at Sirius' question.

"Snape did, actually. But that's not the point. Well. Sort of. Look, we have to tell you something." He looked to Hermione, who nodded.

"We're from the future." Harry spoke, waiting for them to scream at disbelief.

"I've heard better pranks." Sirius said after a few moments, looking to Remus who shrugged, shaking his head.

"I don't know, Padfoot. Kids these days aren't very original, don't you think?" Remus Lupin's wolfish grin was mimicked by Sirius Black's dog-like one.

"We can prove it." Hermione said, now indignant that the two still thought of it as a prank. Sirius, possibly, she could understand. Remus, however, she expected a more logical train of thought.

And so began yet another hour of them trying to explain to the two Marauders just what had occurred.

"You died?" Remus looked flabbergasted at Sirius, who shrugged.

"Bad luck, I suppose." Was his best defence. "And through the Veil too. Nasty way to go." He grunted.

They continued on, Harry and Hermione filling in the details as they remembered it, finding themselves at a heated conversation when they had gotten to the part where Tonks and Remus admitted to liking each other.

"You fancy my cousin?!" Sirius Black sat up now, his hand holding a tumbler of firewhiskey that was about half-way through its bottom.

"Y-Yes." Remus admitted, looking at Harry helplessly. How had he known? Already his mind was racing a mile a minute. There were, other explanations. Occlumency? Legillimens?

"You get to be a part of the family!" Sirius was almost ecstatic about this. Almost, and then he remembered that this was his cousin. More importantly, the only cousin he liked.

"Ugh. And you get children? Ugh, Moony. Eugh. Do you even know where to put it in?" he faked gagging noises as Remus punched him on the shoulder.

"Sod off, Black."

"You'll be a Black too, before you know it."

"I can't wait for your mother's portrait to meet me as a family member."

"Neither can I." they both guffawed in laughter at that before Harry and Hermione continued.

"The portrait, at 12 Grimmauld Place, isn't that right?" Harry said, speaking it as proof.

"Yes… how did you know about that?" Sirius sat up, what little buzz had developed from his Firewhiskey intake was gone now that the realisation that Harry and Hermione knew of the place, cast under a Fidelius Charm.

"Because Dumbledore, the secret keeper, told us. In the future. I swear, are you listening?" Hermione was frustrated now. They were wasting time. They knew where the horcruxes were and with the exception of Nagini could end this before the start of classes.

"Well. Um. Yes. I mean." Sirius flustered, then looked to Remus for a bit of help.

"Yes, but the point is, you both know that time travel is impossible, not to mention resurrection!" Remus finally spoke, having been outed in the same way that Harry was about Sirius' cousin.

"Yes. But here we are. We're soul mates." Hermione slightly cringed at the term. It seemed so… trivial. But so real. "That's why we were the ones sent back. Lily says hello. And that you should get your act together, Sirius." She added, Sirius swallowing.

Harry, of course, knew that his mother had never said such a thing, but nodded anyway. He knew that Sirius had been unstable – being in Azkaban all those years, seeing his friends dead, and in the cusp of another Wizarding war, even the great Duellist that was Sirius Black was no match for the pains of life and reality.

"What do you mean?" Sirius shot back, still trying to play indignant.

"In our timeline, Sirius, you played with Bellatrix Lestrange, which was why you lost. You didn't take any steps to allow for your freedom, and you alienated everyone around you, even Moony here." Harry looked to Remus, who was slowly nodding. It had not happened yet, of course, but Remus knew it was.

The werewolf understood, of course. Of anyone in the Marauders he was best to understand. Sirius had effectively traded one cage for another. 12 Grimmauld Place was just as bad as Azkaban, hardly the freedom Sirius had been expecting. He was, of course, much better off there. But that along with the fact that he was still cooped up for a crime he did not commit, was more than enough.

Sirius caught Remus nodding, who looked at him shocked. "What do you mean pushing people away?"

Remus smiled sadly, remembering that his best friend had the emotional maturity of a 12 year old. "You're locked up in HQ, Sirius. Can't do anything. Can't save the world. Can't even know what's changed. We must change that if you're to be of any use to us, not to mention having my best friend back…" he sighed. "I sometimes don't know who came out of Azkaban, old friend." He turned to Sirius, whose face had grown steely. "All I know is that it was a shadow of my best friend."

Sirius slowly nodded, remember what had been, who he had been. He was someone else, that was true. But only with Remus' admittance, and Harry and Hermione's revelation did he truly understand.

"Supposing." He began. "Supposing that this is true. What are we going to do about it? We can all agree that Dumbledore has been manipulating this, for reasons unknown to us." He said, trying to push the thought of his apparent impending death away.

"Well, the reasons are clear to me, Sirius. Dumbledore thinks that the fulfillment of the prophecy is the only way to do this. Else, he'd have had us doing raids at Death Eaters by now. I can't blame him. The prophecy does seem to be clear on the matter." Remus pointed out.

"But Harry lost that one." Hermione pointed out and the two nodded.

"Due to a lack of practice and possibly willpower, two things that this Harry has now. But getting other people to go with this plan is going to be more troublesome. We must keep this within the family, some specific people." Remus countered.

"To share the secret?" Harry and Hermione said together, slightly shocked.

"So you believe us?" The Boy-Who-Lived asked and the two nodded.

"I would not doubt a child of James and Lily to lie, Harry Potter. Nor would I think that you had the nerve to cause a prank so serious. Everything you've said amounts to it being real. Even if it may just be a shared dream between the both of you, there are too many truths for it to be untrue." Remus said seriously.

"Plus, I'd rather not die this year. Or any year." Sirius said with a grin, Remus mirroring it.

"Yes, it would be a shame. I would have to continue the Half-Black line alone." Remus answered, earning him a punch from Sirius.

"That's my cousin you're talking about."

"You can call her Remus' future-wife." Remus said smugly and the two youngsters laughed.

"It's not perfect, you know. Destiny can change because of your free-will." Harry said, wincing at the thought.

"Yes, but at least I know that she fancies me back. All I have to do is stop being so insecure about my finances, my age, and my condition." Replied the werewolf as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

"We've got to change the issue on your finances, old friend. You are the only adult here with some say in anything regarding the Ministry, and even then it isn't much with your werewolf issue." Sirius spoke and the three nodded in agreement.

"But first we need to get Sirius free. That's the only way he can help us with what's in store." Hermione finally spoke. "He still has his family name going for him, not to mention the experience." She looked at Sirius who grunted, closing his eyes and delving into deep thought, ignoring the small pop that had sounded.

"I don't want to deal with the Ministry, to be honest." He finally spoke.

"Oh but you must, Sirius. Black." Snape's clear monotone pierced the room, making the two marauders jump from their seats, wands raised at Snape.

The former Death Eater, however, rolled his eyes. "Sod off." He said, truly un-Snapelike.

He sat and grabbed his tumbler of firewhiskey, refilling it. "I see these people are the ones you've decided to tell, mm? Fugitives and werewolves." He eyed the two, who was still in the process of being told off by Snivellus Snape.

"Yes, please, calm down. Snape is a good friend of my mum's and my dad's." Harry began, earning him a bark of laughter from Sirius.

"And who told you that, mm? Lily? Sure, Lily might have been this weasel's friend, but never James."

"Actually, he was, they spent a lot of time as friends, for what it's worth." Hermione said, frowning that she couldn't just disarm the two due to their Trace.

"It's true. I even know his favourite brand of ice cream." Severus said nonchalantly. It was a different Snape from whom they all knew, a Snape he had kept secret all those years. Only Lily and James had ever seen him this way. Only Lily and James had seen him collapsed on the floor drunk too.

"Persimmon." He told the four, as if the answer itself was the word of Merlin. The two Marauders' eyes went wild at that, however.

"He never told me that." Remus admitted.

"He told me once. When he was drunk." The other Marauder spoke.

"Same. I had to get about three of these things into him. And that was with my drunkenness potion." Snape afforded them a half-smile at the memory.

"But you were always an ass." Sirius exclaimed, still unwilling to believe that.

Snape downed his tumbler of alcohol before looking at Sirius in the eye. "Do you not remember, Sirius Black, what made James Potter famous? Why you were his friends in the first place?" His eyes wandered to Remus, who could not bear the stare.

"He, like his wife, my beloved Lily, could see what little good there was in people, and cultivate it into something larger. Because of my personal stake in Lily's safety, I was there often, hidden under his Invisibility Cloak, or worse, transfigured as part of the furniture." He winced at that. "How else did I get to their place in time? I was a lamp post outside Godric's Hollow for hours before the alarm charms sounded, instantly transfiguring me back into a wizard." Snape was impatient with this explanation.

"Truth be told, I am in James Potter and Lily Evans' life debt. Eugh." He made a face. "Even the thought of it makes me cringe. That is why I have given my life to this boy." His finger pointed quickly at Harry. "And I have to play the Death Eater again." He sighed deeply at that. "It gnaws on my soul, this whole business. And to be the one to kill Dumbledore in the future… no." he shook his head. "I cannot let that happen. Not this time." He looked at them evenly. "Believe me, if you wish, but in the presence of these two, I am myself. Outside, I am…" a wider smile this time. "Snivellus." He said in his trademark voice.

Sirius Black, however, had had just about enough of the revealing for the day, raising his hands in surrender. "Fine. Fine!" he looked at Severus with venom, a stare reciprocated by the Potions Master. "But I still don't get why we're all here. I mean, that's great. We know everything. But with Remus as a destitute werewolf, myself as a fugitive, and two underage wizards, not to mention a former Death Eater, we have no capability of even holding our own against the Ministry, much less Dumbledore or Voldemort!" he was angry now, and only the calming hand of his brother in arms relieved him of some of the emotion.

"Ah, but there is a way, Lord Sirius Black." Severus smiled, a truly Slytherin smile that held no joy, only lots and lots of plotting.

"We're listening." Remus spoke for his friend, who was very close to hexing Snape. The two time travellers listened intently, having only formed a plan up to this point. They both understood, however, why Lily wanted them in the same room, talking civilly. Between the three of them lived one of the most important weapons of the war. Love.

Severus' love for Lily was extended to Harry, Sirius and Remus' friendship to the two extended to Harry as well. That great power that Dumbledore had spoken of with awe was true enough for them to stop bashing heads to do one goal, defeat the Dark Lord. And though none of them truly knew it, the strength of this love extended to Hermione through Harry.

"We can deal with the Horcruxes later. If we do deal with them now, we will be forcing the Dark Lord's hand, and he still has much power in him that young Potter here cannot fight, even with his knowledge. We must rally the people against the Dark Lord. I know for a fact that Fudge is all but ready to have Harry Potter in chains for any misdemeanor and with what they told us, it had begun at this time as well. It is clear that the first order of business is to take control of the Ministry." Snape concluded.

"Oh yes. Well, easy as pie, isn't it?" Sirius retorted, only to be waved away by the Potions Master.

"Quite, actually. All we have to do is exonerate you and you will return to your seat in the Wizengamot. From there, it is an easy leap to questioning some of their more…" he paused, "questionable practices." He said, looking at Remus, who had now caught on.

"By Merlin…" the werewolf breathed, the plan now solidifying in his mind. He was always the smart one, Remus was. Always quite technical about all the pranks that James and Sirius did. A brilliant man, albeit overshadowed by them.

"Yes. That will also give me some credibility with the Dark Lord, as well as with the Ministry." The Head of House Slytherin had always saved something for himself, something that the other four finally understood.

"So you're going to be taking him in?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, Miss Granger. I believe I shall do so with the most questionable of institutions behind me, the Daily Prophet." That part was not going to be pleasurable for him.

"But aren't they just going to put Sirius to the Dementors immediately, like last time?" Harry asked, finding the one problem with the plan, although Sirius shook his head.

"Fudge would never pass over a chance to prove that the Dark Lord is dead, Harry. The very public trial of myself will be the most talked about thing in the century. I will, however, need a lawyer." He looked to Remus, who nodded.

"It will be nice to play lawyer." Remus admitted. "I was supposed to be in the DMLE too." He looked at Harry and Hermione with pride. "One of the few people who took NEWTs in History of Magic."

Harry and even Hermione groaned at the thought of even taking NEWT level classes in History of Magic. Sirius did too.

"Send someone else." Snape countered. "It will be unlikely that Lupin will be allowed near him seeing as you are a werewolf and not a member of good standing."

Lupin's knuckles balled at Snape's implication, truthful as it may have been.

"If things go according to plan," Sirius began, noticing the change in his friend. "We can discuss changing that, but right now, I don't have anyone who can speak for myself that's versed in magical law." They all looked at each other for a long time, clueless.

"We can get Professor Marchbanks. She seems like a smart old woman who was good to us during our O.W.L.'s It has to be a member of the Wizengamot, doesn't it?" Hermione had been searching her memory for anyone who could have helped.

"I doubt she even trusts me." Sirius admitted. "Lady Grissy and I haven't seen each other in years. Not to mention all the bad press I've gotten. She's more likely to stun me all the way back to Azkaban."

"Then make her trust you, Black. You are innocent, aren't you?" Snape, unlike the Gryffindors, had no patience to be around Sirius' pity party.

"You bloody well know I am, Snivvy." Sirius replied coldly.

"Then if you can't get anyone to believe you, we have lost before we even began!" Snape hit the desk angrily, causing him to rise and Sirius with him.

"Oh are you asking for a fight, Snivellus?" Sirius was angered now, his hand clutching for his "borrowed" wand.

"Stop it, you two!" Harry shouted, silencing the entire room. The two immediately calmed, although there was much hard breathing between them.

"Harry's right. We have to work together. Or have you forgotten that?" Hermione had finally spoken. The plan and everything was going so well, and now they were going to fight? "Sirius, you have to. She's the best chance we've got. If you get your seat in the Wizengamot back, we can have the best healers of St. Mungo's looking after you." She stopped as Sirius looked at her.

"I'm not ill, Hermione." Sirius said evenly.

"The hell you're not! You're mentally unstable! Do you want to finish this right this time? Well it's not going to take a day. This is just the beginning. For all of us! Harry and I have to go back to school and we still have the Trace on us. We can't even cast magic without the Ministry knowing! We need someone there to protect us in case we have to!" Hermione shouted back.

"Remus can take care of your seat as your friend. I don't know, do they allow that? Or maybe even Andromeda, since she's the next Black. With you as head of house you can reinstate her into the family, cast Bellatrix out, and have Remus around without having to hide." Harry spoke now, calmer.

"And sit down, all of you. I didn't rent this room for ten galleons an hour just so we can not use the chairs." Everyone save him had stood and they all returned to their seats.

"You can also gain custody of me so I don't have to live around the Dursleys anymore." He added as a kicker and Sirius nodded.

"Fine!" the dog shouted. "You all make good points. I'm still traumatized. But I'll be damned before I let anyone make a fool out of me in the Wizengamot!"

"Who said you were ever going to be made a fool of, Sirius Black? Aren't we simply doing what you all are good at?" Severus asked, raising a brow.

"And what is that, Snivvy? What the hell are we good at?" Sirius should have been able to catch on by now, but the raging emotions had still not stilled in the Black scion.

"Pranking other people and shaming them in front of the public." Snape said simply.

Sirius looked at him, confused.

Snape turned to Harry, then back to Sirius who sighed. "He really is your godfather." He finally spoke, then looked at Sirius evenly the traces of a genuine Snape-like smile on his face.

"We're going to prank the Ministry of Magic."