Harry/Sirius slash.

DISCLAIMER: I Do Not Own Harry Potter

{Chapter Ten}

It was like he'd crawled out of an icy lake, the warm and accommodating dorm seemed so chilly now, as though what had happened had tainted the sanctity of the Marauder coven. Something had invaded their safe heaven, someone had put in a viper in their nest in the form of a boggart.

When Remus came back, he'd barely registered that he'd brought McGonagall and how forlorn she looked – whatever the sensible young werewolf had relayed to her had obviously got the message across as to the gravity of what happened, and upon seeing Harry – it truly hit her. The boy really was a legal adult, he had adult fears, a kind of fridge horror that when a boggart replicates it, no amount of Riddikulus will work, green eyes were filled with unshed tears glistening under the room lighting and he was semi-curled up with his knees somewhat drawn to his torso – his arms wrapped around his pillow and cuddling it to his midsection as though he'd been punched in the gut.

Harry was sure he'd heard Dumbledore's name being mentioned, and the words 'incident report' and 'investigation' – but he couldn't bring himself to care, not even over whoever did it – which they didn't know, but vowed to make sure. The Marauders seemed to think it was one of the students who gave their homework to Muller – most likely Cromwell, but none had proof, and so McGonagall eventually left, with little she could say to a despondent Fey.

James had come back with Remus, and suddenly, Harry found it quite hard to look at the young tawny haired boy - Teddy was his son, after all, though unborn, he never had the chance to even be a father, he had to change things so that didn't happen, so he'd have a future. The pressure almost want to make him sick, and even if Teddy was unborn - might not be born as he was in the world, but it would happen some way, far into the future. Remus would have that family, he'd have a life he never thought he could have, as a werewolf.

Harry bristled a little at the sensation of softness near his hand as something scurried up the bed and settled down as a fuzzy little lump beside his head - the familiarity with oddly relaxing - it was Wormtail, but in his mind, it registered as Scabbers. He'd long since gotten over his urge to throttle Peter for something he had years before doing - as it stood, he hadn't showed any signs of turning, and like it nor not, he'd have to get to know Peter a little better if he wanted to change things.

Nobody said that would be easy.

Harry registered the weight of Padfoot behind him, and Remus moved to sit down on the side of the bed, slipping out his shoes so he could sit cross-legged on the bed near Harry and Peter.

James wished, briefly, that he had an animagus form of a more cuddly persuasion, so that he could feel a little less weird about joining them, but swallowed back the feeling and shuffled over to the bed, slipping out of his shoes and sitting down near Harry's feet, before sighing and stretching up the bed, laying a bit from the semi-curled up Fey - his head ending up near the pillow that was cuddled to the boy's torso.

He might have felt odder if he'd shuffled up and lay directly across from Harry, but as it stood, him being half-way down the bed and quite low across from Harry's form was just close enough but not too intimate that he didn't feel so strange about it, and could look up lazily at Harry, Remus and Peter.

Harry's breathing was laboured, painful - but he seemed to stop short of shedding tears, though Remus couldn't really think of a more suitable situation for him to do so, he just sighed, and waved his wand a little bit to draw his curtain around the bed, making the area seem infinitely more closed, intimate.

"So, this kid - what was he like?" it was James who asked, and Remus shot him a look, but he supposed he just wanted Harry to talk.

Harry didn't speak - not immediately any way - closed his eyes so he didn't have to look at them all, and took quiet comfort in their presence near his body - his family, this was his family now, wanting him to talk about his old one - the one he had been trying to make, in his other life.

"His name was Ted, but we called him Teddy, he was a metamorphagus," his words seemed so tiny, dwarfed and unhappy, the usual whimsical melodic undertone had been reduced to nothing but a strangled sad undercurrent, and Remus suddenly found it quite hard to hear him talk.

"His hair turned blond when he was happy," he whispered, wrenching his eyes open slowly.

"He liked being sang to, to go to bed, or listening to the radio," he swallowed thickly "-but he only liked it when I did it,"

"His favourite bed-time story was The Hungry, Hungry Hippogriff," and there it was - his voice cracked, and Remus felt his heart plummet deeply to his feet, and James felt the same - he and Remus shared a sad look, and James shuffled up the bed a little, so Harry could see his small, encouraging smile.

"And he loved tropical fish - thought they were the coolest thing ever, he used to pull my hair to make me stop outside of menagerie pet shops so he could look at them, I was going to slip off to the muggle world - to Sea World, so he could see them all,"

There it was again - the past tense - was, was, was.

"When I told him about Fish Fingers and what they were made of, he was appalled - he'd never eat them," he gave out a choked chuckle, "-he was different...a lot of kids don't realize their own strength, and they don't know how to be gentle, especially around animals, but not our Teddy,"

"He was always so soft and gentle, with everything and everyone," he glanced up at Remus with a pained expression "-He got it from his father," anguish again.

"But they're not here any more," he closed his eyes, his resigned whisper left them in silence, and he felt hands on him - in his hair, bodily warmth behind him, his own being held - Sirius behind him, James in front of him, Remus above him, Scabbers at his cheek...

So long as nobody walked in, it wasn't weird, there was nothing wrong in what they were doing, he told himself, and let himself crumble - despite his better judgement - because in the hands of the Marauders, he could think of no better place to do so.

So much time passed, he didn't even realize it until James grew restless and slowly got up off the bed, Peter had outright fallen asleep next to Harry's face in rat form and Remus had a book opened over his crossed legs, still sat on Harry's bed, while Sirius remained tucked in behind him in Padfoot form.

His eyes - they were sort of like jewels, Sirius had said, on one of his private ravings to Remus, who wasn't sure who he was listening to - Sirius blathering on about Harry or James about Lily - but now he could see, really see - by the Gods, they were as expressive as he said.

'Like big shiny jewels - that can paint every emotion!'

'Jewels can't paint Sirius, that makes no sense,'

'I'm being poetic Moony!'

'Hair like the night sky...'

'Oh sweet Merlin stop trying to be poetic, you sound as bad as James!'

'I do not!'

''Oh Pads, her hair is like the brightest fire - see? Describing hair colour all flowery and prattling on about eye colour, it's sickening,'

Remus shook his head at the conversation, casting his eyes to Padfoot, who had himself tucked behind Harry protectively, had he even realized how much he'd changed, in such a short space of time?

"McGonagall said you can find the headmaster in his office if you need to talk about anything," Remus relayed quietly, watching Harry sigh and draw his green eyes shut, he just wanted to forget, and being sad was an exhausting sort of feeling, that hit with waves of lethargy - it wasn't something he liked, but mourning the loss of a child somehow seemed to be much more of a blow than mourning the loss of the others.

"I might," said Harry softly "-but I think I'd prefer to forget about it," but from his tone, Remus doubted it was the kind of thing he could just forget about.

He was rather glad that they didn't leave Harry alone though, because he looked like he'd dealt with quite enough of that.

"It'll be okay," Remus offered quietly, offering him a watery smile that he could not see behind his shut eyes, and a soft grunt was his only reply.

"I really do wish you were right," his tone was soft, but ominous "-but we are far, far away from a time of peace,"

A soft dog whine escaped behind him, and Harry felt the weight behind him shift to something much heavier and create a little more of a dip in the mattress, and suddenly he felt something soft against his skin that wasn't fur. It was a soothing, velvet sort of warmth and it took him a moment to register that it was another human being - not Padfoot, and that a hand was now placed on the back of his shoulder.

"Come on now, it's not that bad," Sirius saying that somehow made it worse, because the war would indeed get that bad, and in the second rising, he was one of many casualties to come in the first timeline, and it made Harry's already plummeted stomach do an uncomfortable lurch.

"It will be," he said softly "-it will be, Albus is so worried, we're all worried, they don't report it enough, but we are, the world keeps turning even while we're in Hogwarts, attacks still happen, he just does his best to shield us from it in these walls while also preparing us for when we have to go," he spoke like he had an uncomfortable amount of knowledge regarding it, and it made Remus and Sirius more than a little uneasy.

"It won't be like this forever, it has to end," said Remus after a moment "-Dumbledore - he's the only one You-Know-Who has ever been scared of... with him around, he'll never win,"

"Albus is old, and he makes mistakes, and he's already defeated one Dark Lord - an old friend of his - isn't it cruel to ask it of an old man again?" the silence was a bit more tense now, but Sirius seemed hell-bent on comforting.

"Then we'll have more aurors than Death Eaters, we'll win, we always do,"

Remus looked at Sirius - it was rare he heard him so determined, without an inch of humour in his eyes - not that Harry could see with his back turned. If only he would turn around and see that burning look, the intensity in his face to match his voice.

"Don't you get it, Harry? Dark Lords - there's a reason that's a plural, there's a reason they're not around now. Grindelwald, Persillias, Agragorious - there's a reason none of them are around now, they rise, but than they fall, their regimes never have longevity, they never, ever win, not really," Sirius mumbled.

"It's true of muggle dictators you might be more familiar with too," Remus chirped up, nodding enthusiastically "-like Hitler,"

"But winning always comes at a terrible cost," Harry said with a grimace.

"We won't go anywhere," said Sirius after a moment "-We'll stay close to you, and you'll stay close to us, and it'll be okay, you'll see,"

"Wish I could believe that," he closed his eyes "-the safest place isn't close to me, because everyone I cared about has died or left in some way, so I really wish I could believe that, but I can't,"

"Well you'd better," it was Remus who spoke now, his hand awkwardly found itself on Harry's head, gently patting his head - though somehow managing to play off the movement as just the kind of thing he did often and could get away with, it was just as comforting as the aged Remus that Harry knew in his own time.

"Because you're stuck with us, whether you like it or not," the smile Remus received in turn seemed a mixture of defeated but contented - even if he wasn't happy, he was glad that his utter depressiveness hadn't steered the happy-go-lucky boys away.

Harry sighed and an indistinguishable noise left his throat that not even Sirius could understand, but Remus with his hearing - his superior hearing, he could.

Remus heard it though, and he couldn't explain why it made such a warmth bubble up inside of him, swelling like a great balloon of contentedness - like when he'd first gained the acceptance of his peers for his Wolf side, it was the second time he'd said such a thing too, but it was so...

So loving, it was strange hearing it out of a boy's mouth.

'My boys.'

He'd called them clever boys before, but the addition of my just seemed so... right.

Harry didn't even say anything when Sirius tucked his chin into his back, and didn't change back into Padfoot again - but what really surprised Remus, was the needy way in which he suddenly pulled his wrist when he got up to leave them to it, and the jewel-like eyes staring up at him.

"If it's weird you can go, but I'd like if you didn't,"

Remus wasn't sure if he could think of a polite way to say no, and he wasn't entirely sure he'd be comfortable saying that - staring into his needy eyes.

"There's not a lot of room,"

Sirius let out a sleepy noise against Harry's back - as though it was the most natural thing in the world for him to be there, which sound suspiciously like "Engorgement Charm it ya lug,"

Remus chuckled and just like that the awkwardness dispersed, he waved his wand over Harry's bed - extending it in size, and crawled in front of him, blinking as Harry turned his back, finding Sirius's chin tucked into his chest as he did it, and his back pressing against the young werewolf's front - well - he had to confess that was much easier on him and less awkward, though he couldn't wager the same for Sirius.

"Not quite sure why I'm here," mumbled Remus "-but Marauders come back for each other, and stay for each other, alright? Even if we act like a bunch of dopes in public,"

"You said you'd stay close," Harry sounded petulant now, and Remus just snorted, before falling quiet again - he couldn't see himself making a habit out of this like Sirius but...maybe this once, considering all that happened...it would be okay.

This way, they could protect him better, keeping him between them, figuratively - literally, all the ways they could.

They never really understood that Harry would be the ones looking out for them - and that's how he liked it.

A quiet saviour.

Harry noticed a couple of strange things during classes from then on, it seemed Bancroft was edging off of him, and McGonagall praised him more openly, while other teachers flat ignored him or treated him delicately, he was sure he spotted Slughorn tittering under his breathe and giving him pitying looks, which rather annoyed him, but oddly, the professor he was on some of the best terms with - Flitwick - seemed to be getting really harsh with him.

Harsh enough that even Lily complained about it in class, though it wasn't on the levels of sadism he'd ever experienced, it was disquieting all the same.

"And a round of detentions for the next two weeks every weekend - this is awfully substandard work for you Mr Fey," said Flitwick, his unusually harsh punishment stuck as Harry failed the unusually hard special work he'd set aside for him and the select few who were not challenged by classwork.

And as usual, Harry was the only one to receive punishment.

"That's not fair!" complained Lily under her breathe.

"You can't do that - I'll miss the Hogsmeade trip - what about Quidditch! That's not right," Harry wouldn't have cared too much at this point except he saw the fire burning in Sirius's eyes and his smile drop at the idea of Harry not going with him and the Marauders to Hogsmeade, and if he didn't say anything, Sirius might do something monumentally stupid to express his anger or get what he wanted.

"Well, I suppose I could be persuaded to knock those detentions off," Flitwick had a predatory grin and once the bell rang, he asked Harry to stay behind - and none too surprisingly, the Marauders were being as slow as physically possible in packing up and trying to linger behind to see what was about to go down.

"When jail time is too harsh, muggles tend to prescribe community service, I suppose I could be persuaded to knock the detentions off if you do a service to the school,"

Harry looked at him warily.

"And I'll get to go to Hogsmeade and play for the team? I don't want to be letting people down..."

"Oh I know, I know," Flitwick tittered, only feeling slightly bad "-and you won't let me down either, that's why I want you to join my extra-curricular-"

Harry's eyes widened, no wonder Flitwick was going to blackmail route because a no was already on his lips - his face contorting to slight horror as two dreaded words fell from the diminutive professor's lips.

Frog Choir.

"I can't sing!" he said in a panicked tone "-why, what reason-"

"Your halfling abilities would be a magnificent asset to our harmony," said Flitwick in a dreamy tone "-I'm sure you can - fae types generally can,"

Well he could, with the help of his gift - but it didn't feel like him, sure he could hold a note before he turned nonhuman but the lingering effect of his voice sort of felt like he was cheating at something like singing.

"Children's lullabies maybe, but not-I don't like attention..." Teddy used to love it.

"You'd be in a group-"

"It's not my thing at all I can't even play an instrument-"

"Voice is enough for choir, you know, your young friend Muller is in it and he'd be utterly overjoyed if you could," damn, Flitwick was pulling out the big guns, and something did flash in Harry's eyes.

"Or no Hogsmeade-" Sirius shot Harry a baleful pleading look, dark eyes shining in desperation - he wanted to go to Hogsmeade with him especially after awkwardly working up the nerve to ask!

"Or Quidditch-" James shot Harry a look, as if to say if you so much as miss a practice I'll have your guts for garters.

Harry made a defeated noise, shoving his books into his bag and glaring incredibly half-heartedly at his chortling happy professor.

"Fine,"

"Then I'll see you Monday evening, in this room," Flitwick said cheerily, ignoring the expletives whispered under Harry's breathe as he left the Charms classroom with the Marauders.

"I didn't know he could be so Slytherin," Remus mused.

"Blackmail, that was blackmail," Harry let out a long inelegant whine.

"We should prank him again," grumbled James.

"As long as it's not traced back to you or he'll have me in choir and detention," huffed Harry.

"Muller will be pleased at least," Sirius offered, feeling his cheeks heat up when Harry turned and offered him a small smile and nod - relaxing just a bit, at least he'd know somebody there.

"Mhm," a non-committal noise was the response, but the Flitwick treatment and something to complain about seemed to be taking his mind off of being so despondent and miserable, he supposed - and he wondered if for a moment, that was the diminutive teacher's intent - he seemed to be tricky and smart like that, Sirius supposed - and he was never usually mean at all, so it lent the idea more credence.

He made a mental note not to prank him too hard in the future.

"I'm just glad you'll be coming to Hogsmeade with us," murmured Sirius, brightening when Harry's smile widened - just a little anyway, for someone that had been strong armed into joining a club he didn't want to be in.

He supposed there were worse things, really.

Things with Snape seemed to be progressing too, though Harry wasn't entirely sure on how to handle that - in his world, Dumbledore was the one to win that unbending loyalty, that scary amount of devotion - but here, the buck seemed to stop squarely at Harry.

In fact, Snape was ever so dedicated to their project, in fact, in his regular classes - a bad student melted their cauldron with flecks of acid that went directly over Snape - and burned his hands, and after they'd been healed but kept in bandages due to sensitivity, Harry notices mild cut marks and bruising around his lips - showing that he'd been dealing with a lot of potions ingredients and sharper whittling objects with his mouth.

Harry had quietly healed his face up and didn't quite know how to respond to that level of devotion, but it was a little frightening how dedicated he could be to his craft, truly.

"Now all we need to do is test it," said Snape "-which is a problem,"

"There's a werewolf registry isn't there? We could petition the Ministry for volunteers or any werewolves who admit themselves to St Mungos before the full moon," Harry suggested.

"And expose a potion that might not work, unpatented, untested, unprotected, to subjects we don't even know? We'd have to get oaths from them, which could work I suppose, if any agreed, but it needs to be taken a for a week before the next moon, so we'd need permission to floo out of school and devise a way to St Mungos and that's if any are admitting themselves, lots don't due to fear of Ministry visitors, we could petition the registry but we'd better off asking Slughorn to be our mediator but he wouldn't want to do that without a profit cut which is already going two way," said Snape.

Harry paused.

"We only have to see if it's harmful werewolves, right? That's our first concern, well, the antipoison should offset and neutralize all harmful qualities and we've drank it fine which shows it isn't harmful to human form, and werewolves only has a larger more human rough shape but follow the biological construct of a regular wild wolf while the disease itself Lycanthropy acts like a combination of rabies and Sanguinaire Vampiris - in that it's a lust for human meat and not animal, so, if we test the potion on a regular wolf..." he trailed off, he knew full well it worked and the optimisation of it wasn't deadly at all but Snape didn't know this had been invented already in his time and was thus treating it as seriously as any new invention.

"We'll be able to test if it's safe at least," said Snape, it dawning on him "-but what about testing if it works? It won't change the mind or a regular wild wolf since it doesn't have any human components,"

Then it hit him like a sledgehammer.

Remus.

But he didn't want to tell Snape he was a werewolf and betray his trust like that, even if he had Snape's unbending loyalty.

"After we've tested it on a regular wolf I could try asking...someone about whether someone they know...would be willing to try it, he's a Lycanthrope, I'd be able to get documents over the effects before, during and after if he says yes," said Harry cryptically, making Snape's dark brows shoot up in curiosity.

"Who?"

"Not someone you'd know - uh, one of...one of mine and Albus's friends - due to the heavy prejudice I'd assume he wouldn't want me spouting off his identity," he lied easily, and Snape nodded reluctantly.

"But I want a pensieve memory if at all possible of the transformation period - if he retains his human mind we'll be able to view it, if he doesn't, he wouldn't retain any of what he did and wouldn't be able to give it us,"

"If he agrees... yeah, if not, we'll put it in stasis for another month and petition the registry,"

"We have to find a wolf anyway - how's Monday evening for you? We'd have to talk Ogg, Hagrid or Slughorn into helping us wolf hunt," said Snape, which again, posed risks.

"We don't, trust me, I can just get...oh...oh! Why didn't I think of it before?!"

"Hm?"

"Albus! He has enough wealth and fame and is too Gryffindor to cheat us out of anything, plus he's practically my old man at this point, I'll consult him about the wolf, and ask my...friend about his friend," said Harry.

Snape grinned - which was a surprisingly nice sight.

"You have your uses after all,"

Then Harry remembered something else and let out a groan.

"Wait, no, Monday evening Flitwick roped me into the Frog Choir, I'll have to sort it out Tuesday,"

Snape choked, before outright laughing at him, the sheer cheek of it!

"And I take it, this weekend you'll be busy with Black, Lupin, Potter and Pettigrew?" a hint of sneer on his face but radiant distaste glittering in his dark, black eyes.

"Mainly Sirius, he did whine a fair bit but I'll be with all of them, are you going to Hogsmeade?"

Snape let out a mumble with a sigh.

"Pardon?"

"With Regulus Black," he stressed, waiting for Harry to start poking fun and blinking when he didn't.

"You took my advice!"

"He's easier to get on with than Narcissa or Bellatrix," Snape conceded "-though a bit too stuffy, he's not entirely bad, I may have found a Black I can stand,"

Harry chuckled a bit, happy to see Snape was finally making friends that weren't utterly terrible, now to expand Snape's friendship circle again - he was worried that the limb incident would make him even more isolationist, and he was looking to prevent that.

"I shall be attending Hogsmeade with him and his friend, Dimitrius Owle - the Ravenclaw, you met him I think - he's a beater for their team," Harry grimaced - oh, yeah, the utterly huge bloke.

"He's from a neutrally aligned family so it isn't too bad, Black was surprisingly conscientious about the whole thing, I think even his family is doubting their staunch support of the Dark Lord or at the very least, his methods, he's only cordial with the others now. I suspect he's moving towards neutrality, slowly,"

Snape looked at Harry as he let out a relieved sigh.

"This is what you wanted isn't it?"

"One less follower to worry about of the Dark Lord? Hell yeah, and I know Sirius cares about Regulus however he comes off, if neutrality and cordial relations with those taking the Mark is what it takes then yeah, and I suppose his friendship with you silently confirms his distance from that side, since you are rather publicly aligned with me, Albus's Golden Boy," he snorted.

"You'd have made a fine Slytherin," said Snape, shaking his head - well aware of the role he had played now, but couldn't say he disliked Harry for it - because he could tell that the happiness in him finding friends was genuine, and he only wanted them out of the heel of a mad man, and hadn't demanded loyalty to the Light or Dumbledore, just neutrality at the very least.

Harry would never ask others to throw themselves into a side on the war, he seemed hell-bent on making sure people survived it, not just winning it, and that was why Severus Snape was loyal to him, because not even Dumbledore was able to see things like that.

"In another life, maybe," he answered back with a quirk of his lips, as though he'd told a very funny joke, that Severus was sure he wasn't understanding.

Hmph.

The Day came, finally.

Hogsmeade day.

The castle seemed abuzz with excitement and the small second year Alexander Muller was rather glum that he couldn't go - Harry wished briefly that he had a source of income, so he could get him some keepsakes and candy from Hogsmeade, but alas, merely told him he'll enjoy it even more when the time finally comes. The second year pouted fiercely, before going off to find Professor Flitwick who practiced Charms privately with him and muscle exercises as a kind of physiotherapy - as he had considerable trouble with wand movements in his first year, which was suspected to be a side-effect of whatever made him a tad different from the rest.

Harry was surprised to see Remus leaving clothes folded out on his bed and cocked a brow, looking at him oddly - Ron never did that.

"The way Sirius has been rattling on, you may as well treat this as a date, and considering how oblivious you tend to be, I picked out some of Padfoot's robes for you, since he apparently loves how you look in them," he smirked as Harry cringed and went bright red.

"Thanks mum," said Harry sarcastically, huffing a bit until he looked at the robes and - shit - yeah, they were pretty nice, and Harry knew nothing about fashion but Remus apparently did from the look of things.

He wasn't sure what Remus was playing at, but it became apparent when he leaned in and gave him a careful look.

"No messing him about,"

"I swear on my wings,"

That seemed to be enough, as Remus nodded and went to his own trunk to pull out some clothes and get ready. He had an embarrassing bit of trouble with the line of silver clasps on his left shoulder, not knowing the spell for it - Remus took pity on the boy who clearly had no experience with fine robes and clearly needed the help, James, Sirius and Peter had already gone ahead, though Sirius had wanted to barrel his way down to 'prepare' Harry, Remus offered so he could chat with him a little.

"The full moon will be coming soon," said Remus quietly "-the guys are animagi - I assume you're staying here?"

Harry shook his head "-I don't smell human to animals,"

Remus seemed incredibly wary and Harry decided to bite back the question he had - getting Remus to test their potion, they still had some time before it'd be a week prior to a full moon, he'd burden him later.

"I don't want to put you in danger, you're still half-human,"

"The Forbidden Forest animals accept me as a nonhuman, I've been in woodland areas during full moons, werewolves and vampires look at me like I'm yesterday's news," said Harry in mock offence "-but if you don't want me with you guys...that's up to you," he seemed a bit saddened by this, and Remus felt a bit bad - denying the Wolf another addition to Pack but he didn't know if Light creatures could even be considered such by Dark ones - but at least he wouldn't be in danger from Moony.

"I'll think about it Wings," using his Marauder name, knowing it drew smiles from Harry without fail.

"You are one of us though, whatever I decide, okay? I just...want you to know that,"

"Sap,"

"Pixie."

Sirius was tetchy at the entrance, it was irritating James and Pettigrew was snickering - having finally caught on, that the Black was treating it like a date, and James was sour Lily turned him down. Remus approached and the reams of students began to head out for Hogsmeade. Sirius pushed through the bodies of older students, and felt his breathe disappear, his mind going completely empty as he laid eyes on the dark, smouldering red that adorned Harry - with white and silver trim. It wasn't a robe he wore much, since his mother had picked it out for him and he despised her, but Merlin above, Harry looked...fantastic.

It broadened his shoulders to juxtapose his slender waist, his hips retained a confident sort of motion as he strode but he was bereft of the chin-high disdain-ridden Pureblood glare. He was naturally gorgeous, and what was worse was that he didn't even know it.

"Oh, moon and stars..."

Harry looked at Sirius blankly, who was staring at him equally blankly, though his mouth had fallen open just slightly - and every part of him seemed to be inhaling his presence.

"Snap out of it Padfoot," said Remus, elbowing Sirius, who remained in his daze, much to James's amusement - but really, Harry looked great, and he went as far as to give him a long, playful hoot, watching him become mortified under the attention with even more amusement.

"Are you...alright there, Sirius?" asked Harry warily.

"You look well fit," he blurted out inelegantly.

"Right well...lets just...letsjustgo," he said hurriedly, blushing up a storm as Remus laughed, James sniggered, and Peter grinned wide enough that it might split his face.

"Welcome...to Hogsmeade...!" said James in a grandiose manner, pointing things out to Harry - who noticed dully that the shops looked to be in a slightly better condition from the outside, from what he knew.

"-and that is Zonko's - the greatest joke shop in the world! I'm going to stock up on Dungbombs and look for Lilyflower," beamed James "-that over there is Madame Puddifoot's if you fancy taking Harry there, Pads..."

Both boys looked horrified at the notion of the pink hellhole, while Peter sniggered even more and Remus snorted.

"If pink is your favourite way of burning your eyes out...sure,"

"It's garishly fuchsia," Sirius gave an exaggerated shudder - sharing Harry's mindset about the place, but looked thoughtful "-but they actually do, do really really good desserts, but it's ugly in there and full of drooly girls..."

"Yeah, how about no," grunted Harry.

"Three Broomsticks it is then, I owe you a round, don't I?" it was James's turn anyway, and the group plodded down through the nippy cool air, past throngs of students and arm-linked couples until they reached the pub, and searched for a large empty table. The server was a much younger Madam Rosmerta

"A round of butterbeers!" Harry felt his lips twitch as Sirius gained a fierce fizz-beard and James got into a chugging match with Peter, while he and Remus seemed to be the most sensible ones, and Harry did his best to paint surprise as though he was tasting butterbeer was a new experience, which wasn't hard - as it had been so long since he'd had it that it truly tasted new and lovely to his lips.

"They do nice food here too," said James with an encouraging smile.

"I feel bad enough you're paying..." mumbled Harry.

"I invited him out, I'll cover it!" said Sirius suddenly.

"You're cut off, remember Sirius?" reminded Remus - Harry blinked, huh, it seemed his Uncle Alphard hadn't left him anything...yet.

Sirius sagged - and James couldn't stand the sight of the pair being miserable, rising up and clapping them both on the back.

"What'll it be boys? Bank of Potter paying,"

"Just a cheese toast sandwich if you insist," mumbled Harry, face burning a bit while Sirius nodded - you couldn't go wrong with a cheese toastie after all, he ordered a round for them for the whole table so they'd feel less awkward about accepting it, and the air felt all the more cheerier for it.

"Hey...psst... you're of age...if I give you some galleons, would you order some booze to go?" said James in a low tone while Peter nodded enthusiastically. Harry looked at the toasties and butterbeer, before sighing, he'd say no usually but...heck with it, it was just alcohol. They were old enough to die, old enough to fuck, but not old enough to drink?

Tch.

Harry took some galleons and skulked over to the bar.

"A case of Ogden's Finest to go please,"

Rosmerta looked at his Hogwarts uniform with a raised brow "-you of age?"

"I know I'm short but I'm not that short, I'm of age," he didn't have an ID to give but propped his finger onto a small orb on the centre of the bar that was embedded into the wood - which turned bright blue.

"Sorry," she looked at him through fluttering eyelashes. "-You wouldn't happen to be taking this onto school grounds would you? Only, that'd get you and me into awful trouble hon,"

"If anyone asks, I got it from Hogs Head, wizard's honour," he swore, passing it over and shrinking the case down with a smile.

"Well...I won't tell if you want, it'll be our...dirty little secret Mr...?"

"Fey, Harry Fey," he sighed, thanking her, taking the shrunken case of Firewhiskey and remaining blissfully unaware of her eyes roving down his body and landing firmly on his arse, but keenly aware of Sirius glaring a hole at Rosmerta.

"Holy crap that worked!" said James with an excited noise.

"No touching it until Friday alright? Or you'll get it confiscated when teachers figure out you've been drinking," warned Harry, to which James whined and nodded, though it made sense - drinking on a school night, from Harry's earlier words, didn't sound wise - not when Firewhiskey had a three day recovery rate for heavy drinkers, and he fully planned on getting drunk for the first time.

"Spoil sport,"

"Hey if you wanna get drunk be my guest, but do it smartly," shrugged Harry "-and should anyone find it - Merlin forbid - we got it at Hogs Head alright?"

"Alright, alright..."

"Mwaright," said Sirius, between cheese toastie bites, while Peter just grunted - stuffing his face to see how many he could fit in his face without choking, while Remus rolled them up to push more in, grinning and taking a picture with what looked like an ancient looking polaroid magicamera.

"I'm doing it in the name of research," said Remus sagely.

"Mrrhg!" agreed Peter.

"Do I even want to know?" sighed Harry, while James chuckled.

Sirius's blood rushed from his brain elsewhere, as he uttered the second uncensored blurt he'd done that day, in a low tone that only Remus picked up on with his superior hearing.

"Wanna see how much we can stuff into your lips, hm?" Sirius's face went immediately red, he didn't know how two men were truly intimate but he knew what could be done with hands and mouths - once you were betrothed, anyway, and he only meant it in his typical playboy style, but associating Harry directly with such crudeness flustered them both.

"That came out dirtier than I meant it too," he murmured in a near apologetic tone as Harry laughed it off awkwardly.

"Come on, you guys finished here? It's getting crowded and I want to go to Zonkos," said James, burping after clearing his mug and Peter polishing off the toasties "-oh shit, there's Lily, hold on, I'll see if she'll join us,"

Peter let out a muffled groan as did Remus.

Whatever James said, it resulted in him being doused angrily with butterbeer and returning back sullen.

"She almost said yes," he pouted "-until I called it a double date," looking meaningfully at Sirius and Harry - who remained wilfully ignorant.

But just like that, their peace and banter shattered, when an angry patron turned to Rosmerta, shouting with a sense of urgency.

"I can't apparate!"

Harry's heart plummeted - he rose quickly, drawing his wand in the same motion while Sirius, Remus, James and Peter followed suit - though with more confusion on their end.

"Apparition ward?" he asked loudly, while Rosmerta and several patrons nodded - quickly she altered the Floo system - a complicated evacuation method had been employed during the war in this world it seemed, permitting exit, but no entry.

"I'm going to need everyone to form an orderly line by the Floo, women and children first,"

At least, until the windows were blown inwards by a powerful blast of magic, and curses filled the streets of Hogsmeade.

A chill swept over the inn which burst into panic when a Sonarus'd voice of a Death Eater rang out through the streets and into businesses, echoing malevolently in a show of power.

"Give us your mudbloods and blood traitors, or we will raze Hogsmeade to the ground!"

Panic ensued, children were rushed out first, and Harry all but threw Peter Pettigrew into the Floo - not wanting him to have any contact with the side that would turn him as panic and terror began to sweep the locked down area - and a man with matted white hair shrieked a portkey ward had gone up too, and that his rusted watch portkey he carried for emergancies wasn't working either, heightening the panic mounting around Rosmerta's Floo.

"Leave them be Bullock, these are children, mere babes, surely your Lord wouldn't be threatened by children," that was Bancroft's voice, and Harry cursed, loudly, bolting forward until James, Sirius and Remus grabbed him.

"Head to the Floo!"

"I promised Albus I'd be part of the security detail," said Harry, something blazing in his eyes as he wrangled out of their grip, only to be pulled back by a rope spell from Sirius, who swivelled him so his hands landed directly on his shoulders and they were forehead to forehead.

"You can't stay on your own!"

"Dammit, I've survived Death Eaters before, and I am an adult!" a fire burned in his eyes, taking Sirius back, whose hands loosened around his shoulders.

"Get out of here! Go!" he roared, before taking off out of the inn.

By the time Harry got out into the main alley, Bancroft was covered in a healthy layer of dirt, with a bleeding gash along his arm, immediately, Harry sprung forward, a panic in his eyes when he saw Snape trying to pull Dimitrius and Regulus away from watching and dragging them inside a nearby gulley to hide.

"In case it's escaped you, I might be considered a blood traitor," Snape hissed.

"Ah, well well," the voice of the Death Eater who was leading the small group that had stormed Hogsmeade spoke in a cocky, oversure tone, grinning in a way that exposed every one of his teeth in a carnivorous smile - the man Bancroft called Bullock.

"If it isn't Dumbledore's pet, our Lord is mighty interested in where you came from," he tilted his head "-after all, why would a displaced little mudblood by named an official ward, hm?" though he spoke in a cocksure I-Know-More-Than-You-Think tone.

"Dammit boy, get back!" snarled Bancroft.

"I'm as capable as you Professor," said Harry coolly, eyes trained on the man, who breathed heavily behind his silver mask.

"If I go with you, would you leave Hogsmeade?" queried Harry, making Bancroft curse under his breathe.

"Hmm...one mudblood for all the blood traitors and other muddies... I don't think so," drawled the man, jerking his head to the left to gesture that his group raid the buildings on that side.

"Dammit! Stupefy! Impedimenta! Caratalso!" Bancroft moved toward the group and braver older students joined - along with aged adults who had fear in their eyes but fire in their bellies, unwilling to leave Hogwarts students to the dust.

It was at that point, that Snape had rushed to Harry's left, raising a dull runic ward with frightening speed to block a nasty looking rupturing hex.

"Snape?!"

"Ah, the halfblood traitor, shame about you, we heard you were a prodigy, what a waste," with that, Bullock aimed his wand, and fired at the pair.

"Crucio!"

"Terraformus!" a large rock transfigured from a tiny ground rock and absorbed the magically unshieldable unforgivable, and quickly, Harry fell into his element.

Earth.

"Vinus Moria!" thick green vines spread to group Bancroft was dealing with, sending Death Eaters tripping into each other while Regulus stared - frozen and in firing range as James, Remus and Sirius rushed out before the pub became swarmed by Bullock's non-tripped remaining Death Eaters. Harry grimaced as he heard a killing curse in the distance and the body of the white haired man from earlier hit the ground with a dull thud.

"Get inside! Go to Honeydukes!" that building still seemed safe, and it had a secret passageway "-A Thousand Vines Restrictor!" the English spell through the Death Eater off guard, who tossed a bone vanishing charm at his hips, instead, his aim was thrown off as vines reminiscent to the Devil's Snare rose up around the ground and began to wrap around the Death Eater tightly.

"Mortal Coil!" he commanded, tightening them hard until the man dropped his wand and began wheezing for breathe, his skin changing colour.

"Not without you!" screamed back James, firing a shield up around them as Death Eaters cut themselves free quickly and fired a spell to turn skin inside out at them that bounced off James's blue shield.

Harry turned and glared at them.

"You little blood traitor bastard - Avada Keda-" it was firing at James, Sirius, Harry and Remus's general direction, snapping Regulus out of his spectator daze.

Harry's eyes widened, and he noticed a brick wall coming up - the light of the spell tracing back to Regulus, whose colour drained from his face as Bullock angrily rounded on him.

"Cruci-"

"Flipendo!" Harry aimed it at Regulus, flipping him out of the way until his back connected with the entrance of Honeydukes and pelted him into the building as his vines regrouped to drag Bullock backwards and slammed him unceremoniously into Madam Puddifoot's window, shattering it into tons of glass shards.

"Regulus!" screamed Sirius in a panic as Harry turned to him "-Make sure he's evacuated, Snape, go with him, you're in too much danger here,"

"Not on your life Fey-"

"Dammit Snape don't be a Gryffindor, go, Sirius, make sure your brother's safe!"

"Craniare Balsuf!" a skull crushing hex flew at them as Bullock was freed by a severing hex by a woman with brown curly hair until Bancroft swiftly engaged her in a duel.

"Harry I'm not leaving you here- Protego!" shielding him as sweat began to roll down Harry's temple from the sudden amount of power he was beginning to exert, until the back of the robes unclasped a bit and revealed a shimmering set of large dragonfly wings.

"I have an air bonus, you don't, go!"

"Harry-"

"DO YOU WANNA DIE? LEAVE!"

Remus screamed a bit as a silent green light left the Death Eater's wand along with several others, which Harry was dodging by centimetres with a cocked brow.

"Take care of evacuees! Please!" his voice begged, before the Marauders found themselves forcefully flung into Honeydukes, which Harry began to float towards, and caused a blinding light of gold and white to surround it and as many buildings as he could physically stretch to, raising more and more vines out of the ground as his face drained to a pink flush under the tremendous strain he was putting his body through.

"You think you can protect them all? You'd be a fool to try, but if you leave with us, our lord could have some use for you, halfbreed..!" it seemed even Bullock could realize the amazing power he was dealing with, from how much sheer Light magic was emanating from him, and suddenly - he could see why Dumbledore named him ward.

"I'd rather be a fool, thanks."

Bullock was wiping dirt off his face after having set the vines on fire, watching with wide eyes as Harry's form began to raise from the ground, elegantly taking flight and easily weaving through spells with an almost lazy grace.

"It's like the last page of every fairytale," he said with a snarl, raising his wand "-The End..!"

"You'd have to catch me first - Disillusio!" he did a damn good invisibility charm, causing a rage to wash over Bullock.

If he wasn't angry before, he certainly was now, especially as he felt a heavy kick - firmly up his robes, sending him sprawling to the ground, his wand falling out of his hand and rolling through into the grass before he could register it.

He'd quite literally been kicked up the arse.

"YOU LITTLE PIXIE SHIT, I'LL FUCKING PLUCK YOUR-" just at that moment, a rather nicely timed amount of steam emitted from the wide open door of Zonkos, as several smoke bombs went off that smelled like rotten egg, and effectively coated the street, while the older man who ran it smiled serenely, before calmly heading for his Floo.

"Stupefy!" it was Bancroft now, who'd dealt with a fair number of Death Eaters inside Zonkos, as Bullock fell silent, and aurors finally began to pour onto the scene, rounding up Death Eaters, and Harry finally collapsed, lost into the pit of smoke which had Death Eaters and students alike bumping into each other.

Bancroft had just about managed to aim his wand to the lead Death Eater before smoke made it impossible to see, which in a way, helped, making it easier to escape for many, but making spells get lost in a sea of light and smoke, which was ultimately unsafe.

Bancroft saw Harry's crumpled form on the ground in front of Honeydukes, as he glowed brightly, even in the smelly smoke, and picked him up - light as a feather, gasping softly at the inhuman appendages before gagging on the smelly smoke catching his throat as he bolted into the building, where the owners were rushing the Marauders into their cellar, who were pulling unconscious or shell-shocked students in with them.

"There's a secret tunnel to Hogwarts through here, evacuate and go!"

"But what about...?" Bancroft trailed off, he had to get Fey to safety too, and blinked as Sirius came bounding back over, pulling the boy bridal into his arms - who truly was featherlight.

"I'll take him back, that's mostly everyone, the others escaped through other Floos or are hiding, Harry distracted them while they ran into other places to evacuate, good luck Professor," said Sirius quickly, taking Harry down to the cellar, and leading the throng of crying, panicked students with the others into the dark protection of the underground network. There was a stone slide at the end which would make it hard to get back in to Hogwarts, as this method was better for leaving, but they were wizards, and it was not impossible, just a bit difficult.

Difficult but doable, as the students managed to escape, and Bancroft emerged at Hogwarts shortly afterwards with two aurors and a bleeding arm, while security clamped down - reminiscent to Harry's third year, and the sudden memorisation that Hogwarts castle wasn't just a school, but a fortress, came to mind, as exits and entrances sealed and it entered emergency lock down as a precaution.

Students grouped together quietly in the Great Hall, Pomfrey had come down with medical supplies, and a solemn air took the hall over as Sirius came in, brandishing a half-fae in his arms - Dumbledore's boy.

The boy who helped save them all.

"It's all over now," said Pomfrey softly "-we'll do a headcount and admit whoever needs hospital wing treatment or post...c-...cr...Cruciatus or dark hex care to my Wing," she said gently to Dumbledore, who nodded, eyes flickering over his students and settling on Harry's form.

"See to it,"