THIRD YEAR

NUMBER 4 PRIVET DRIVE

Marjorie Dursley was even more despicable than her brother Vernon, Harry thought darkly. The Dursleys were all profoundly awful people, but as terrible as they acted, their thoughts were even worse.

Whenever Harry was home, his mood was abysmal. It was difficult to separate his own feelings from the toxic feelings of this toxic family. There was no hiding from their smug superiority and the mixture of bitter contempt and extreme envy that drove them. Harry did his best to block it out, but it was always there.

Harry finished serving the family dinner then slipped outside into the backyard. He tried his best to ignore Marjorie's comments about his mother and father. She was only attempting to provoke him. She had certain unfavorable ideas about him and Harry didn't want to prove her right.

It was dark outside and the summer air was balmy. It was also blissfully quiet.

They make him wait upon them like a servant!

The errant, furious thought gave Harry pause. Harry glanced about quickly and he spotted the bright aura of a wizard immediately, hiding beyond the neatly trimmed bushes. The night was dark, without any visible moon or stars, but in this muggle neighborhood the wizard's aura was as bright and obvious as a bonfire. Only, the shape was wrong - a dog, instead of a person.

The energy radiating from the wizard was wild and erratic and powerful. Harry breathed in deeply, enjoying his first taste of strength in months. He was already feeling better and his dwindling magic reserves started to grow.

James and Lilly would roll in their graves if they knew! I can't believe-

This wizard knew Harry's parents. He'd been their friend. Harry relaxed a little but he wasn't prepared to let his guard down entirely yet. He was weak and vulnerable right now. He was not prepared to deal with any significant threat.

The dog moved forwards through the bushes. It was black in color and significantly larger than any dog Harry had ever seen. It looked feral, actually.

It moved forward suddenly, running at him. Harry cursed and shifted immediately into his animagus form. He would be better able to protect himself this way, but it cost him more magic than he could afford to lose.

The dog stopped in its tracks abruptly.

A lion! No way!

The dog shifted into his human form and the stranger began laughing immediately. Harry crouched down, bunching his powerful muscles and flexing his claws in preparation to spring. The man's name came to him suddenly - Sirius Black.

Sirius grinned at him, "Look at you! I can't believe you're an animagus already and a lion at that! How perfectly fitting for a Gryffindor! I'm so proud of you, Harry. I didn't mean to alarm you, I'm sorry. I'm just so excited to see you again after all this time."

Harry shifted back. It was much easier for him to do so now that Sirius was so close. Sirius gave off energy like a live wire - his aura was excessively bright.

He was a baby last time. It's been twelve years. I can't believe how much he looks like James and those eyes - definitely Lilly's. He's strange though. Completely different temperament. Probably because of those wretched muggles…

Harry demanded, "Who are you?"

He needed to get the introductions out of the way now to ensure he didn't accidentally call the man by his name before they'd been properly introduced.

"Ah! I'm Sirius, Sirius Black. I was a friend of your father and mother. I'm your godfather, actually. Hasn't anyone told you about me, Harry?"

"No," Harry replied simply, trying to focus the majority of his attention on the chaotic feedback he was getting from Sirius's mind.

Lucius was right then. Albus never told Harry about me. Damn that man - what kind of game is he playing now? Leaving me in Azkaban… Leaving Harry with these awful people… What could Albus have gained from that?

It seemed that the adults in Harry's life were starting to realize what Harry already knew about Albus - that the man could not be trusted. However, they didn't realize what Harry was yet. If they did, maybe their thinking would align with Albus's.

Albus thought Harry was dangerous. Albus insisted that Harry live with muggles because he was afraid of how strong Harry became after extended exposure to magical beings. Harry wasn't like others - his magic came from other people rather than himself.

Sirius said, "Well, I've been in Azkaban for a while. Not to worry though, I was recently exonerated! That means I was found to be innocent. I'm not actually a criminal so you can trust me, I promise."

Harry knew what 'exonerated' meant, but he was used to adults talking down to him and he didn't react negatively. He was starting to get a decent idea of who Sirius was and so far he liked it. Sirius had now assumed guardianship of Harry, as he should have after Harry's parents had died. He was here to ask Harry if he wanted to move in with him - somewhere called Grimmauld Place, one of the ancestral homes of the Black family.

I hope he doesn't think I'm a lunatic. I'm only slightly crazy. Remus thinks it's endearing. Maybe Remus would like me no matter what, but that's not the point. Or is it?

Sirius's was definitely little crazy. His thoughts were all over the place. Harry understood though that this was merely a side effect of an extended stay in Azkaban and he felt sympathy for the man.

Harry's own thoughts were already ten steps ahead but he backtracked now and he questioned, "Why were you sent to Azkaban, Mister Black?"

Mister Black! God, Mister Black is my father! I must look so old now, it's awful. Ten years ago, no one Harry's age would have ever thought to call me Mister Black! So much of my life gone and for what? Albus won't see me, won't even talk to me!

"Uh, no need to be formal, call me Sirius! Um, as for Azkaban…"

Merlin, he's going to panic if I tell him they thought I was a mass murderer…

Harry raised an eyebrow and Sirius cleared his throat awkwardly, "Um, your mom and dad were in hiding with you. I was James's best friend so everyone thought I was their secret keeper - ah, the secret being their location, you see… but anyways, we thought that would be too obvious. Peter Pettigrew was actually their secret keeper but he-"

That miserable rat betrayed us all! When I find him I'm going to kill him for what he did to Lilly and James!

Harry's patient expression froze on his face. He knew the name Peter Pettigrew. He was very familiar with the name actually. It was the name of the animagus who was Ron's pet rat. Harry had been keeping an eye on the rat for the last two years but the rat's aura was weak and his thoughts were few and far between. The rare thoughts Harry got from the rat animagus mostly revolved around rat-like things, like when he would eat next and his desire to find a small safe space to curl up and sleep in. The rat barely remembered his own name.

Harry had thought that the rat was a wizard who had managed a successful animagus transformation but had never figured out how to shift back into a human form. He'd read about such things in the books Lucius had given him. Once a witch or wizard spent too much time in an animal form, their mind became animal as well. It was a rather pitiful end, but the rat was happy enough. It was also possible that Pettigrew knew how to become a human again but had decided to live out the rest of his life as a beloved family pet. It'd been impossible for Harry to determine the truth, prior to now.

Sirius continued, "Well, he ended up being a traitor. He was one of You-Know-Who's servants, you see. He's been missing ever since but the Aurors have reopened the case now and they're looking for him. They'll find him, don't worry."

They won't find him. Not when they have no idea that he's an animagus. I'm going to be the one to find him and I'm going to enjoy killing that worthless excuse for a-

"Maybe I can help you, Sirius," Harry offered politely, careful to keep his voice even.

Help me kill Wormtail? No, that's not what he means. Or is it? No, of course it isn't. Wait, what does he mean? What were we even talking about?

Sirius paused for a moment then seemed to remember why he'd come, "Actually, Harry, I'm here to help you."

"What do you mean?" Harry questioned, trying not to sound too eager.

"Well, I told you I'm your godfather, right? Your mother and your father wanted me to take care of you if anything happened to them. If I hadn't been wrongfully convicted and sent to Azkaban, I would have been your legal guardian according to Lilly and James's will. Now that I'm a free man… well, I have custody of you and I was hoping you would consider moving in with me. You don't have to of course, I know I'm a stranger to you, but… Well, I'd heard stories from Lilly about her muggle relatives and they're even worse than I thought. I can't imagine that you'd want to stay with those awful people, would you?"

Surely he won't say no? I should have brought Remus - he looks more trustworthy and responsible. He's what a proper adult should be…

"You're right, Sirius, they are awful," Harry agreed. "I would be very grateful to you, if you allowed me to live with you instead."

Sirius grinned widely, "Really?"

Harry nodded and Sirius let out a whoop of joy, drawing an answering smile from Harry. Sirius's happiness and vitality was contagious. The Dudley's negative thoughts and emotions were quickly becoming a memory.

Of course then the back door to the house opened and Vernon shouted, "Boy! Are you out there? We're ready for dessert!"

Ripper the bulldog shoved past Vernon, nearly toppling the top-heavy man. Ripper raced towards Harry, barking aggressively. Sirius grabbed Harry's arm and shoved Harry behind him quickly. It was a protective gesture and it surprised Harry. Also, the unexpected physical contact nearly overwhelmed him and left him scrambling to focus.

Sirius growled, low and deep and animal. Ripper was understandably shocked and he tripped over himself coming to a hasty stop. Then the dog tucked tail and rolled over. Harry felt Sirius's smug satisfaction.

Vernon was peering into the dark with sequined eyes, "Boy! Hurry up!"

Sirius released Harry and stalked forward across the lawn into the light spilling from the open door. Harry followed after him, smiling when he realized what Sirius was about to do. Sirius jammed his wand into Vernon's thick neck before the muggle could do more than gasp. Sirius gritted out a few very specific curses under his breath. Harry grinned, already knowing what the magic was meant to do. Vernon tried to speak but all that came out of his mouth were irate oinking noises. The other spells would not be immediately obvious but Vernon would be suffering for quite some time from an irritable bowl, a lack of taste, and an insatiable sexual attraction to pink, ornamental lawn flamingos.

Sirius was a creative devil and Harry repeated the spells several times within his own mind in an effort to commit the unique spells to memory.

Sirius cast similarly inspired spells on the other Dursleys, without even waiting for them to speak. Then he cast a memory charm to remove their memories of tonight and he put them all to sleep where they were. Vernon dropped to the floor with a great deal of noise and Dudley's face ended up smushed in a plate full of mashed potatoes and gravy.

They deserve far worse than this but Lilly would be furious with me if I used dark spells in front of her baby boy. I can always come back later on and check in on them. If they're not suffering enough then, I'll do more. James would approve of drawing out their punishment. After all, Harry's had to suffer in their 'care' for twelve years now. That's almost worse than Azkaban.

Harry pretended to be concerned about the Dursleys, "Are they going to be alright?"

Sirius nodded, "Oh, not to worry, Harry, they're just asleep. Let's go get your things."

"Will you be punished for using magic on muggles?" Harry asked the question because it seemed like the sort of naive question Sirius would expect from him.

Hah! I'm not an amateur! That's why I removed their memories.

"Not if no one finds out!" Sirius replied cheerfully.

Harry went upstairs and he spared a smile for Hedwig, "You'll be out of that cage soon. I'll explain everything later."

"What a lovely owl!" Sirius said exuberantly, when he followed Harry into his small bedroom. "What's her name?"

"Hedwig," Harry replied. "It won't be a problem if I bring her, will it?"

"Oh no, of course not, Harry. You can have twelve owls for all I care."

Sirius cast the spells to pack away Harry's things. He was looking about curiously and Harry knew that Sirius was upset about how little Harry had.

Look at the state of these clothes! They must be hand-me-downs from that whale of a child downstairs. We'll have to go shopping and get him an entirely new wardrobe.

"Whoa wait are these basilisk skin dueling leathers?" Sirius plucked them out of the air and studied them with a keen eye. "The quality is incredible! Now I see what you spend all your money on! I approve, but you should really invest in your other clothes as well. Hand-me-downs are practical but you don't really need to be quite that practical. It's not your fault, of course, but you should really have a full wardrobe of clothes that fit you. Now that I'm your guardian I can't have people thinking I'm not taking proper care of you."

"Actually, the dueling leathers were a gift from Lucius Malfoy," Harry replied, curious about how Sirius would react.

Lucius Malfoy? He really is pulling out all the stops huh. Getting me exonerated, sending Harry the most expensive gifts… I guess Remus must be right about him, but if he puts even one toe out of line I'll string him up by his hair from the dining room chandelier! I can't just trust him, no matter what.

Lucius was responsible for clearing Sirius's name and he'd done it for Harry's sake. Harry was taken aback for a moment, but then he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. He knew Lucius would do anything for him.

Lucius was determined to help Harry in any way he possibly could. He wanted to take care of Harry and make him happy and keep him safe. He was also desperate for Harry to like him and think well of him. What he didn't realize, was he didn't need to try so hard. Harry understood Lucius's intentions perfectly and Lucius really didn't need to be so afraid for the future.

"What do you think of Lucius?" Sirius questioned hesitantly, hiding his anxiety.

Harry smiled a bit and said gently, "Sirius, you really don't have to worry."

Lucius wasn't actually attracted to Harry right now. No, Lucius was going to be attracted to the adult Harry would grow up to be. Lucius wasn't ever going to take advantage of Harry and he wasn't even tempted to do so now. It confused him sometimes when Harry acted like an adult, but Harry had the body of a child and there was nothing confusing about that.

The most 'nefarious' thing Lucius had ever wanted to do to Harry was give him a hug… and he hadn't even done that because he didn't think Harry would welcome it.

Lucious thought that now was a time for building a foundation of trust before Harry became an adult. So that when Lucius was eventually consumed by his instincts, Harry would know what was going on and he'd be able to make informed decisions. Lucius just didn't want to be a stranger to Harry four or five years from now. He wouldn't be able to bear being parted from Harry when Harry was an adult. It made perfect sense to Harry that Lucius would want to gain Harry's trust and good opinion before that, if he could.

"Uh, what?" Sirius questioned. "Worry about what? I'm not worried."

Harry cast him a skeptical look, "You seem worried. About Lucius. You don't need to be. It's not an inappropriate relationship and he hasn't asked for anything from me."

Sirius went red in the face, "I-I didn't m-mean… You shouldn't even say things like that."

Harry hid a smile, "Well, you're supposed to be my guardian now, right? I figured you might be suspicious of Lucius for sending me expensive gifts. Didn't you think he could possibly be trying to manipulate me? Because I'm the Boy Who Lived?"

Oh that's what he meant. What a bloody relief. Boys his age shouldn't be thinking about sex and that sort of thing… right? Surely I wasn't thinking about that kind of thing when I was thirteen.

Harry ignored Sirius's thoughts and added, "I'm friends with his son and Lucius didn't make such a great first impression with me, so I think he's just trying to make up for that now. I mean, I know there are benefits to being friendly with me because of my fame, but I don't think he wants any more from me than anyone else does. Nothing to be worried about."

"Right, right, of course you're right," Sirius replied hastily.

Probably best that Harry thinks that way for the time being. I don't want him stressed out. School's bad enough I'm sure. He should be worried about kid stuff, not about who he's going to spend the rest of his life with. He should be having fun.

Harry looked around his room, "Seems like that's everything, Sirius. Thank you for your help. It's so much easier to pack with magic."

"Not a problem, Harry! I think you'll like Grimmauld Place. It's a little dark and scary at first, but it has plenty of luxuries. You'll also be able to practice magic with your wand there - the wards ensure that whatever happens in that house stays in that house. The Ministry won't have the faintest idea whether or not you use your wand."

Harry smiled slowly, "That sounds wonderful, Sirius. I can't wait."

— END OF CHAPTER —

A/N: I was hesitant to write this chapter from Harry's POV but there won't be much else happening in third year so I thought it was time to start explaining what Harry is. Every time I've written Harry's POV before, he hasn't been around other people and there was a very specific reason for that. Anytime Harry is around other people, his thinking becomes rather complicated and there's going to be a lot in this chapter that is going to be rather confusing. If you keep reading through the end of year three you'll understand exactly what he is. I may even get to explaining who he is too.

PukwudgiePuff, I'm sorry for keeping you in suspense. Harry isn't from the future in this story (though I agree, that would have been interesting). Actually, it's sort of the opposite, if anything.

What Harry actually is ties into the title a bit. There's a hidden meaning there that I don't plan on specifically mentioning in the story, but it'll make sense when more about Harry is revealed. It's more complicated than mind-reading, but mind-reading is one reason why he knows many of the things he shouldn't.

I'm playing with a rather strange combination of themes in this story and it might not be everyone's cup of tea. I've received a handful of negative and non-constructive reviews on this story (some so hateful that I couldn't approve them). I guess I should consider myself lucky it hasn't happened before now. However, a lot of people also seem to like this story, based on the favorites and follows and the other nicer reviews… I'll keep writing as long as people are interested in reading!