Title: Old Scars and Future Hearts

AN: This one is dedicated to Penny (I do a lot of dedications recently because you inspire me so much). You have waited long enough for this woman to make an entrance and I hope that you'll be happy with the way I introduced her. I promise you that she will return again soon both in this story and in others.

Random information but it may be good to know; Harry, in this version, have not seen Sirius in his animagus form. Also, I mention the Disillusionment Charm. I'm aware that it's used to make an object or a person completely invisible for a certain period of time but I tweaked it a little bit for the purpose of this chapter. I will go into how and why further into the story!

Word Count: 3, 398

Chapter ten: The Golden Boy, Part III

"So, how are you planning on getting to Hogsmeade unnoticed?" Draco asked as he paced the floor in front of thick wooden doors that led out of the school. "And if you don't have a plan already then I suggest you get one pretty quickly because I am not doing this without you."

Harry leaned casually against the stonewall with his arms crossed over his chest. "I talked to the twins yesterday. I'm good. I know exactly how to get there without being seen."

Draco stopped for a brief moment only to roll his eyes before continuing his maddening walk. "You sound very confident. I almost believe you." He stopped again, his hands rested against his hips and he looked up at the roof. "What are we going to do about Hermione?"

"Hermione?" Harry couldn't help but comment. "Are you already on first name basis with her Draco?"

"Shut up Potter," Draco snarled but Harry only laughed. "She offered to help with this project of ours. I don't see any of my friends lining up to help us. I may not like her but I can call her by her first name."

Harry hummed thoughtfully. When Draco's friends had been mentioned he started thinking about the map. He could still see the image of Draco being surrounded by the people that had previously looked up to him like he was some kind of hero. He didn't know what had happened the day before but the map made it look like they were surrounding him much like a group of predators would with its victim.

"Nice lying." Draco commented and woke Harry from his thoughts. The blond raised an eyebrow when he saw the confused expression on Harry's face. "I'm talking about when you lied to Hermione. I'm still hoping that I can get rid of her before the meeting."

Harry nodded. "I'm sure that Penny is brilliant at the legal stuff but we're not really that interested in the legal system per say."

"Speak for yourself." Draco scoffed. Harry was about to ask if he was interested in legal stuff when he saw Draco's posture straighten out. "There she is."

Hermione had pushed her unruly, curly hair back in a ponytail which made it look even bigger than normal. She wore normal jeans and a t-shirt underneath her winter jacket with a high collar. Her eyes lightened up when she saw Harry and she released a deep breath. "Remind me again what I was supposed to ask her."

"Are you telling me that the great Hermione Granger doesn't remember." Draco chuckled. "That must be the first time."

Harry glanced at him for a brief moment before smiling at Hermione. He could still feel Draco looking at him. "Just remember to ask her about the history of the legal system. We want to know how trials have changed throughout history and about important cases that may have changed the system. We're particularly interested if the wizarding community values trials higher or lower than the muggles."

Hermione nodded and muttered okay while looking as if she was mentally making notes. After a moment, she looked at Harry again. "And you're staying here. Right?"

Harry batted his long eyelashes, flashed her an innocent looking smile and hoped that his green eyes would affect Hermione the same way that it seemed to affect many adults. "Of course, Hermione I promise that if I do leave through this door then it won't be to go to Hogsmeade."

"Okay Harry." She commented with a smile. It quickly turned into a frown when she turned to look at Draco. "Are you coming?"

She walked out of the entrance before Draco who shared a final smile with Harry and mouthed that they would see each other later before following her outside. Harry stood there for a moment and watched most of the students leave the school. He shared a wink with Fred and George whom were involved in a lively discussion with Lee.

The moment the coast was clear Harry hurried towards his dormitory. He changed his clothes and put on a grey hoodie that easily covered the raven-coloured hair and a pair of dark blue jeans. Harry took the cloak of invisibility and the then the map. When he touched the map, which had been locked away, he glanced at the side next to Ron's bed. Scabbers was nowhere to be seen and Harry shrugged. The map must have been broken. There was no chance that a dead person could appear on a map that had been made by four teenagers. Especially not since the person didn't even die at Hogwarts.

"I must have been mistaken." Harry commented before walking out of the dormitory with the invisibility cloak and the map carefully hidden from view.

Once he came to an empty part of the castle, which was easier now that most students had left, Harry opened the map and searched for the closest way to Hogsmeade. Once he found it, Harry put the cloak over himself and hurried in that direction. He didn't know what he expected Hogsmeade to be like but what he saw didn't disappoint him. Harry couldn't wait to go there when he actually had permission. He assumed that the experience would be much more fun when he wasn't hidden underneath the invisibility cloak.

He almost expected to see Hermione walking next to Draco but was shocked to see him standing alone by the entrance into Three Broomsticks Inn. He glanced around him but didn't see a trace of the brunette. When he saw a group of students leave a store named Zonko's Joke Shop he walked amongst them and swiftly removed the cloak of invisibility and pushed it down the backpack he had brought with him. Harry kept his head down until he reached Draco.

"What did you do to Hermione?" he whispered as he nudged Draco's shoulder.

"I was just being my normal nauseating self." Draco replied easily and did his best to hide the shocked expression on his face. "I really want to ask you how you managed to get here…"

"Did you doubt me Draco? I'm wounded." Harry said jokingly with one hand against his chest.

"But we don't have time to talk about that right now." Draco continued like he hadn't heard what Harry said. "Are you ready to meet Penny?"

"After you."

Harry looked up to scan the room. It didn't take long until they saw Penny. She had pitch black hair with red and gold highlights which she had pushed back into a ponytail to keep it away from her eyes. When they walked inside her head was bent down over a book and she leaned on the palm of her hand. She went between frowning to smiling and nodding. Her dark brown eyes glimmered and occasionally they could see her laughing out loud at something that she had read. She was just like Sirius had described her. Unforgivingly herself with the highlights and the gold piercing in her nose. Two cups of tea stood on the table in front of her and smoke came from both.

"Penny?" Draco took the lead. Even the normally cold and hesitant boy sounded like he was affected by whatever force radiated from the smiling woman.

"Guilty as charged." She replied and laughed at her own joke but only once before she stopped and glanced at something next to her. "I'm sorry Flea."

"Flea?" Harry looked over the table as he sat down next to Draco. A big, black dog with grey eyes stared back at him. "How did you get a dog in here?"

"Asks the person who came to Hogsmeade without permission." Draco commented and caused Penny to laugh.

"It wasn't that hard getting him inside. He's very obedient. He's got Madam Rosmerta wrapped around his paw." Penny said while glancing at the dog. She turned back to look at Harry within a few seconds. "So, you managed to get here without permission. You are definitely your father's son. James would have done the same if Euphemia and Fleamont for some reason decided not to give him permission. The odds of that ever happening were pretty low though."

When Penny laughed for the second time it sounded almost hollow. Harry saw the dog put his head on her lap and Penny absently began stroking its head. In that moment, he couldn't tell if the dog was comforting Penny or if she was comforting the dog. He felt Draco looking at him from the corner of his eye but stayed silent.

So many questions moved inside of his head. "Did you know my dad?"

Penny nodded and that familiar smile flashed across her face once more as a chuckle escaped her lips.

"Yeah, I came to Hogwarts when I was thirteen and I met your dad, Sirius, Remus and…" Penny's lips turned into a thin line. "Peter on my first day. I just walked straight up to them and introduced myself. You look a lot like him you know."

There was no missing the sadness that came with the last sentence and Harry almost believed that he heard the dog whine when it moved so that more of its body laid in Penny's lap. Both paws laid stretched out and the grey eyes stared into the distance while the ears were pointing in their direction.

"We want to ask you about Sirius." Draco commented after a moment of silence. "We found a diary that he wrote and we don't think that he betrayed James and Lily."

Penny looked between the two boys. Her eyes eventually staying on Harry. "You told me that in your letter. I have to admit that hearing it said out loud is completely different from reading it. For a long time, I felt like I was the only one." An empty laughter escaped her.

For a moment Harry could almost see the shadow of the young woman she had been when Sirius was deemed guilty for betraying his parents and being thrown into Azkaban without as much as a trial. He shook his head. "You're not the only one. We think that he's innocent."

"Can I ask you why you think that?"

Draco opened and closed his mouth several times. "It doesn't… it doesn't add up." He answered unsurely. He looked at Harry for support who nodded for him to continue. "We looked into it and we know that Sirius was their secret keeper so technically he was the only one who could have betrayed them but it doesn't make any sense for him to do that. He and James weren't friends, they were more like brothers. Professor Lupin may think that he's guilty…"

"Remus Lupin?" When the boys nodded Penny sighed. "He's not the only one who thinks that Sirius is guilty. I can't tell you how many times I've argued with Dumbledore over the years."

"Dumbledore?"

Penny nodded. Harry could almost see her brown eyes turn a shade darker and there was a snarl in her voice that reminded him of Draco when he was angry. "I've been asking him to get Sirius a trial for years. Every time he brings up the secret keeper thing. I understand why that would make Sirius look guilty but that the circumstances are all against him doesn't mean that he shouldn't be given a trial."

"Are you angry with Remus too?"

Penny shook his head. "That's complicated. I was angry at first but I can't be anymore."

Harry frowned. "Why?"

"Because imagine if it comes out that Sirius is innocent. Imagine the guilt Remus would feel when he found out." A shiver travelled down her spine and Penny scrunched her face together. "At this point I think he needs to believe that Sirius is guilty."

"Do you think they'll be friends when it comes out that he's innocent?" Harry asked.

Penny smiled again and a wave of content radiated from her like actual beams from the sun. "I haven't heard anyone say that sentence before… when it comes out that he's innocent…"

The smile fell from her face again. "I think you should lay low now Harry."

"Why?"

"Because McGonagall just walked inside and I heard her mention Sirius name." Penny must have seen their confused expressions. "I'll explain that later."

"What is she saying?"

Penny looked straight at the older woman with no emotions in her face. There was a certain boldness in the way she sat and her general behaviour. It could only be described as a silent toughness that Harry was sure had drawn Sirius in when he first met Penny. It became clear that underneath the kind exterior there was a brave woman who didn't mind fighting for the people she loved, for the values that she held and didn't hesitate to deal with conflicts when people came looking for them.

"She is talking about the dementors, Sirius being on the loose, him betraying James, you being his godson and that they need to do what's best for you…"

Harry clenched his fists as the rage grew inside of him. He couldn't help but repeat the sentence Penny had said. Do what's best for him. He had always known in the back of his mind that's what made all adults around him do what they did. With the exception of Petunia and Vernon of course. But never had it been so blatantly obvious that what he wanted and what he needed was never taken into consideration. They claimed to act in his best interest but never bothered to talk to him about it.

Someone gasped in surprise when their spoon flew from the table to the floor next to Harry. A blushing red-headed girl looked up at Penny with an apologetic frown. "I'm sorry, I don't know what happened."

Draco rudely waved her away and leaned down so that he could see Harry's face. "What's going on?"

"It's just bullshit." A shriek was heard just as Harry answered and he could barely hear the sound of someone complaining about burning themselves on their tea. Draco looked surprisingly nervous and the dog in Penny's lap, Flea, squirmed. "They have never done anything that's good for me. They left me with my aunt and uncle who hate magic more than anything in the entire world. They have no idea what I've been dealing with my entire life and now that I have my chance at finding someone who cares they just want to take that away from me."

Penny glanced at the spot where McGonagall and the other had been standing just minutes earlier. It seemed that they didn't think that the havoc going on was anything to focus on because they were no longer there. "I think we need to leave right now."

"I agree." Draco pushed Harry who almost fell out of the booth before composing himself.

Penny and the black dog led the way and were never far away. Harry could at any time reach his hand out and take a hold of Penny's shoulder. She moved gracefully without being noticed. Even more so when they came out from Three Broomsticks. Harry was vaguely aware of Draco holding one hand on his shoulder as he followed Penny away from the groups of people who were interested by the sudden mayhem that had struck Three Broomsticks.

Harry's hands were still shaking when they stopped. He wanted to scream out loud. It had never occurred to him like in that moment how controlled he was. Everything in his life had been decided by some person, sometimes a group of people, who never bothered talking to him and asking what he wanted. He paced the empty street, just a few steps back and forth, until Penny stood in front of him. She placed her hands on either shoulder.

"You need to relax." It wasn't an order. Her voice was too caring to sound anything like that. "I'm going to hug you. Okay?" Harry nodded and Penny pulled him in for a hug. For every second his breathing became calmer and the anger slowly seeped out of him. "Have you ever heard of the Disillusionment Charm?"

Harry frowned but shook his head. "That was a random question."

Penny laughed and took a step back. "Not as random as you may think. You asked me how I got Flea into Three Broomsticks without anyone noticing. I put a type of Disillusionment Charm on him so that he would mix in with the interior."

"But I could see him?"

Draco coughed. "We could see him."

"Yeah, and there's a really good reason for that." Penny's smile grew. "But that's for me to know and you to find out later."

Harry nodded. "I was able to get here because of the map."

"The map?" Draco looked at him like he was stupid but Penny on the other hand didn't even bother to hide the excitement in her voice.

"You found the map?" she exclaimed with her hands against her face. The only one who was as excited as Penny was the dog whose tail wagged back and forth in a rapid manner. "I never used it myself because it was their creation but I knew that they had made some kind of map. Sirius talked about it all the time. They were so upset when they lost it."

"I can imagine." Harry thought about bringing the map up but decided against it. "It seems to be broken though."

Penny frowned. "Why do you think that?"

"Because the map showed me Peter Pettigrew last night when I first got it. I know that he's dead but I had to check and where Peter was supposed to be I only saw a rat. Well, my friends rat. It's his pet."

Draco scoffed. "Weasley."

A barely audible growl came from the dog as he sat in front of Penny and he showed some of the white, sharp teeth. Penny ran a hand through her hair as she released it from the ponytail and frowned at a spot on the ground. "That's odd. Can I ask you how old the rat is?"

"He must be about twelve years." Harry shrugged. "Why do you ask?"

Penny laughed. An uncertain sound left her lips and there was a hint of curiosity in her brown eyes. "That's a long time for a rat."

Harry glanced at Draco who were observing Penny the way he would a question on an exam. The blond eventually broke the silence. "We want to find Sirius and prove that he's innocent. Do you think that's a good idea? We know that he may be really far away but we still need to try."

Penny laughed again. Subconsciously she stretched down to scratch the dogs head.

"He's probably closer than you think. He never could stay far away from you Harry. He loves you and would do anything to keep you safe." She paused and looked at Draco. "Sadly, I have no idea where to start and I don't think that you should do this yourselves."

"Will you help?"

"Will I help." Penny repeated to herself. She messed up his hair and then she took one step backwards. "Of course! We'll stay in touch and talk soon again, okay? I have an idea on where to start so don't do anything until I write you."

"How soon will that be?" Harry couldn't help but ask.

"I have a feeling that it'll be very soon." Penny said and winked. Before Harry had the time to react Flea had jumped against his chest and licked his cheek. Penny laughed at the same time as Draco did. "I think he likes you Harry."

Harry couldn't help but smile as he scratched the dog behind its ear. "I like him too. I'll see you soon Flea. Bye Penny!"

The woman gave him one last smile and waved. "Bye."

Harry could have sworn that the dog looked happy but the moment he ran to join Penny who was walking away from them the thought left his mind. Harry turned to Draco who's smile made him look almost content. "This was good idea."

"Yes Potter, this was a very good idea." Draco rolled his eyes while smiling. "Now, how are you planning on getting back to Hogwarts undetected?"

Harry winked at him. "I think I'll manage."