Disclaimer: Don't own. Rowling does. Only write for enjoyment...
A/N: Thanks to all of you who have reviewed and continued to read. Here it is- the chapter where Sarah and Sirius meet face to face again. Enjoy! Please let me know what you think. I would love feedback! Thanks!
Chapter 11: Dad
"Come on, Sarah" James Potter juggled the fussy baby in his arms, rubbing her back, trying to soothe his upset goddaughter.
"D…dada" Sarah sobbed, sticking her thumb in her mouth.
James cuddled her as he sat down in the rocking chair. "You want your old man, huh? Your godfather isn't good enough for you?" He felt her head, which was warm and she responded by coughing. "You're warm, kiddo. Are you running a fever?"
"Progs…Dada" Sarah sobbed, burying her face in James's chest.
Lily walked into the room. "How is she doing?" she asked, walking over to examine her.
"I don't think she feels good, poor kid. She is all warm and stuffy" James commented. "How is Harry?"
"He is sleeping comfortably in our room. He never woke up. Should we call Grace and Padfoot?" Lily asked as Sarah's sobs increased.
"I don't know" James replied. "Usually, I would say no. I don't want to interrupt their night. But Sarah would be more comfortable with Sirius and Grace."
Lily nodded. "I think you are right. She really must be sick for you not to be able to rock her to sleep. She loves her godfather."
James smiled. "We do have a special relationship, don't we kiddo?" he patted her back and Sarah nuzzled her face against his chest, making his shirt damp. "But you want your daddy."
"Dada" Sarah hiccupped.
"Alright, I'll firecall them…I hope I don't interrupt anything" Lily gave James a rueful look, and Prongs snickered.
"You probably will be" James grinned. "Padfoot told me that he and Gracie are trying for another one. Would you like a baby sister or brother, Paddy?" Sarah responded with a wail.
"I think they already have their hands full with this one" Lily replied. She left the room and a few minutes reentered with Sirius, who was looking a bit disheveled.
"Interrupted something, Padfoot?" James winked at his friend.
"Maybe, Prongs" Sirius winked back and Lily shook her head. "You two are acting like you are sixteen again, honestly."
The two men grinned and Sarah wailed. "Da da" reaching her arms out to him.
Sirius turned serious. "What's wrong, Paddy?" He reached for his daughter and Sarah clung to his neck. "Sicky"
"Is that a new word?" James exclaimed. "Good job, Paddy!"
Sirius patted his daughter's back. "Are you sick, Sarah?" He felt her head. "You do feel warm"
"Sorry to call you, Sirius, but she wouldn't settle down" James explained. "Usually, I can get her quiet, but, she wanted you"
"Don't take it personally, Prongs, all the ladies want me" Sirius kidded and Lily rolled her eyes. "You are just Daddy's little girl, aren't you? We are going to get you home and get you a fever reducer, kid. Mummy will know what to do." Sarah clung to him tighter. "It's ok, I'm not going to let you go" Sirius thanked James and Lily and then flooed back to his house.
"Is she ok?" Gracie reached for her and felt her forehead. Waving her wand, she performed a diagnostic spell. "She has a fever and congestion in her lungs." She went to the bathroom to retrieve the baby potions. "This should help" Grace gave her the potions to which Sarah wailed loudly after taking them.
"DADA!" She screamed, practically throwing herself in Sirius's direction.
"She is cranky" she commented as she juggled her to hold on to her wiggling child. "She is going to take a while to settle down."
"Let me do it, Gracie" Sirius said, reaching for his little girl. "Why don't you try to get some sleep? You look exhausted."
Gracie raised her eyebrow. "Yeah, I know, I know" he replied. He left his wife to go to the baby's room and settled down in the rocking chair, wrapping Sarah in her blanket.
"Da Da" she whimpered.
"I know, kiddo, I know" Sirius whispered as he rocked her. He spoke gently to her for several minutes, feeling her relax against him as he told her how much he loved her.
"One day, you will be all grown up and we won't be able to do this anymore" Sirius mused. "But in the meantime, this is our special time, isn't it, Paddy?" He rubbed her back as he gently rocked her to sleep, the only person who could soothe Sarah that night.
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"Dad?" Sarah croaked, her throat tight with emotion.
She stepped ahead of her friends, her breath hitched, her white scarf swaying with each step. She absently tucked in a strand that came lose from her braids, as she approached the man she has dreamed about for the past…well, for as long as she could remember.
"I saw you standing there tonight with your friends. I thought you might come after your friend" The man whispered. "At least it was what I hoped; it would make things so much easier."
And for several moments, daughter and father faced each other for the first time in over a decade. After months of living off scraps, Sirius's heart leaped at the sight of his little girl. He didn't expect how much she would look like Gracie. And she was wearing pink, if Sirius didn't know better, he would have thought that it was Gracie, until he saw the eyes- crystal, pale blue, which at the moment were clouded with tears.
"Dad?" Sarah asked hoarsely as she stared into the grey eyes of her father, but Harry took a few giant steps to pull her back.
"No you don't, Sarah" he said, blocking her view. "He killed my parents. He is not your dad. He is a monster." But Sarah pushed him away with her one good arm, to go towards her father as if in some sort of trance.
Sirius Black's eyes held his daughter's. "I've waited so long for this moment." He said in low voice as he reached forward to touch one of Sarah's black braids, and placed a hand cupping her face. "You look just like…"
"Mum" Sarah said softly. "I look like my mum." She said, tears falling, feeling like her heart was about to burst. He looked so weary and broken, with his hair matted, face scruffy and clothes ragged. But his eyes, his eyes were the eyes in the picture, though they looked almost…well, almost haunted.
Seeing their interaction, Harry's blood was beginning to boil as rage took over. It was as if Sarah's father held her under some sort of spell. This man was responsible for his parents' death. He didn't deserve Sarah's love, not after he robbed him from ever knowing his parents'. He roughly grabbed Sarah's arm and jerked her towards Ron, who held her. "You are not thinking straight Sarah! He killed my mum and dad!" He yelled as he lunged towards Sirius Black, wand in hand pointed towards Sirius Black. "Drop the wands" he said authoritatively and Sirius complied while Hermione retrieved their wands.
Sirius started to laugh. "Are you going to kill me Harry? Merlin, you look just like James."
"You betrayed my parents! You were my godfather! They trusted you and you sold them to Voldemort. And you left Sarah and her mum- you abandoned them. You'd deserve it" Harry spat at him.
Sirius paused, his eyes growing dull and clouded by tears. "I deserve far worse, but not for the reasons you think" Sirius shook his head, his voice hoarse. "I do not deny that I killed your parents, but I never betrayed them."
"YOU DID!" Harry screamed and all he could see was a flash of blinding light, his anger white hot, obstructing his vision.
"Harry" a gentle, familiar voice bought him out of his rage and Harry turned to see Remus Lupin his wand in hand. "Expelliarmus" and Harry's wand came floating to him, which he pocketed. "Don't yell at your godfather"
"HE KILLED MY PARENTS"
"Harry" Remus's voice was firm. "Don't yell at me or your godfather. And no, I'm not sure he did."
"You mean that old friend?" Sirius's eyes betrayed the hope he felt.
Remus put a hand on his friend's shoulder, squeezed it gently yet when he spoke next, his voice was strained. "Where is he Sirius?" he asked in a tense voice.
"Over there" Sirius pointed to the bed and Ron shook. "Me?"
Sarah took that moment to stand, shakily. "What are you talking about?"
"He's on the map. But why hadn't he shown himself before now" Remus's eyes boarded into Sirius's. "Unless he was the one…he wasn't, was he? Oh, Merlin, Gracie was right all along."
"Professor" Harry said loudly. "What is going on?"
"Pettigrew" Sarah whispered.
"NO! Don't trust him" Hermione, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, watching the scene unfold, jumped up wildly "I have been covering you all this time and you have been hiding him" She shook a finger in Remus's direction.
"How long have you known?" Remus asked, an amused expression drawn on his face.
"Ever since Professor Snape assigned the essay…" She said, turning to Harry. "Harry, he's a werewolf!"
"That is what Professor Snape wanted was for someone to figure it out. I think he was hoping that his young niece over here would" Remus cast a gentle look towards Sarah. "And she probably would have if she hadn't been so distracted by putting the pieces together about her father"
"Wait a minute" Sarah's held her injured arm closer to her, her good hand, tugging a braid, threatening to undo it in her agitation. "Wait a minute. It doesn't matter. We are getting away from it. Professor Lupin is a werewolf, but that doesn't matter because my mum trusted him, with the exception of Uncle Sev, more than anybody at the end. She would have had to have known and Dumbledore too. I trust him because mum did" She concluded.
Remus exhaled loudly, causing Sirius to give him a quizzical look, before turning back to Harry.
"Sarah, you are not thinking" Hermione squealed. "He didn't tell anybody."
Sirius grabbed Harry's arm, turning him to face him. "She's right. You have got to listen to me, Harry. You will regret it if you don't. I didn't betray your parents" His eyes traveled to Sarah. "I didn't betray them, my little Paddy."
And again Sarah felt drawn to her father, the pull was irresistible and a memory flooded her brain. Her father's face was before her and though she was a baby, she looked up to him, feeling so secured and loved. "My little Paddy" her dad whispered and held her close, rocking her. Sarah would love it when Sirius held her and he did it often.
With the confidence of that memory, Sarah stepped towards her father. "Mum always thought that" she whispered, nodding her head, and Sirius's eyes lightened up like the night sky with that knowledge.
"She did?" he murmured. "she said she did in her final letter, but I didn't know if your mum was just trying to make me feel better."
"She loved you Dad" Sarah said, quietly and for that moment, it was just the two of them in the room, unaware of the other people.
"Expelliarmus" and Remus's wand went flying. Sarah's mind registered that something just happened that shouldn't have, but she was too much in a dream to care much.
"Sarah Grace Black" her uncle's voice sent her crashing back into reality. "Do not go any closer to your father." Aware that his tone was low and authoritative, she turned to him and he reached out his left hand to beckon her to him, his right hand grasping his wand, pointing it towards Black.
Sarah stared at him quizzically for a moment and Severus repeated his command.
"Sarah, I want you to come to me. Do so immediately"
Then, knowing her would never believe her dad like she did or her mum did, she began to panic. She shook as she faced him and walked towards him, grasping his wand arm with her good arm, and trying to pull it down, but Severus was stronger than her.
"Uncle Sev!" Sarah pleaded. "I think mum was right. Please, I just need to know." Sarah started to cry, as she fought against him. "I just need to know. Harry needs to know."
"You want to know the truth, Black about your father." Severus's eyes were hard as he turned her around to face her father, an arm wrapped around her shoulders holding her tightly, the other hand still holding the wand. "Let me tell you the truth."
Sarah instinctively tried to wiggle out of his grasp, recognizing that while her uncle's behavior was often an enigma; his dark side was coming out. Her wrist began throbbing as she struggled and she winced in pain, causing Severus to release her suddenly. Sarah backed towards Harry, staring at her uncle with wide eyes. It was like in that moment, another man had taken over. This wasn't the same man who held her while she cried, or punished her when she was bad, or took care of her when she was sick or explained potions to her when she simply couldn't get it. It wasn't the man who she called "dad"
"Severus" Remus said warningly, nodding his head towards Sarah, who was moving towards Harry.
"No, don't you dare" Severus barked. "I KNEW you were covering for him. I knew it. Just shut up" Severus's face was contorted in rage and Sarah felt trapped in the middle between her father and her uncle. Harry reached over to grab Sarah's arm.
"Go sit beside Ron" he whispered. "Go" and Sarah not knowing what to do, did what he said.
"The truth Black about your precious father is that he is a menace. He has always been a menace. While we were at Hogwarts, knowing full well what Lupin was, he sent me here to him after he had transformed. I could have been killed, if Potter hadn't stepped in and warned me. All because you thought it would be funny" Severus sneered.
Sarah started to cry more, shaking her head, not believing her dad could be so cruel and Ron pulled her towards him as she leaned down to bury her head in his chest. "It's ok, Sarah" He said, awkwardly patting her back. "Would you just stop?" He looked at Snape with disgust, but Severus paid no heed.
"You blinded my sister into marrying you and believing in your innocence, but you will never fool me. You betrayed them. You betrayed Gracie, you betrayed Lily…and if you think that you are going to even touch one hair on my little girl's head, you are seriously mistaken."
Sirius started laughing, a deep rumbling with from within. "Your little girl? Oh, please. You always thought you knew so much, but once again, you missed the mark, Snivellous. Harry, Sarah, listen to me. The truth has got to come out. The rat…"
Severus snapped his wand and cords sprung up and tightened around Lupin and then around Black.
"Come along. The dementors are waiting."
Sarah's eyes grew wide and she did the first thing that came to mind- beg. "Uncle Sev, NO! Just listen" Sarah rushed to him and threw her good arm around him. "You have to listen to him. Please, PLEASE, just listen" Sarah sobbed. "I know you hate him, but you aren't thinking. I have to know. If Pettigrew is alive, then maybe all of this isn't true. Please, Uncle Sev, just please" She began to choke on her sobs, hyperventilating.
Severus held her gently, rubbing her back, his rage gone, replaced only with concern for his niece, who was clearly distraught. "You need to calm down. Take deep breaths. There you go, good girl. I'm doing this for you, Sarah. Your father is dangerous. Lupin has been helping him. We will let the ministry sort it out"
Sarah winced as he pulled back to hold her at arms length. "Are you hurt?" Guilt flickered for a moment in his eyes.
"So nice of you to recognize, Snape, that MY DAUGHTER IS HURT!" Black barked, rolling his eyes. "Have you not recognized the way she has been holding her arm?"
"I broke my wrist in the whomping willow. I'm fine, but please, Uncle Sev, he's my dad. You can't turn him into the dementors. Just listen to him" Sarah begged. "Think of mum. She would have wanted the truth to be out, more than anyone. You know that."
"You have got to listen to him Professor" Harry entreated, Lily's eyes pleading with him.
Remus added. "Severus, the children are right. Gracie would have wanted you to give Sirius the chance to tell his side, for Sarah's sake. I know you loved her and you love Sarah. Just look at her. She is in agony. She deserves the truth."
Severus shook his head. "I know the truth. Do you think I like what this is doing to her?"
"JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE MEAN TO YOU IN SCHOOL, YOU WON"T LISTEN. YOU ARE SO PATHETIC" Harry screamed.
"You should be grateful, but no" Severus snapped. "Just like your pathetic father"
Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah saw Hermione inch towards Harry and hand him a wand.
"Stupify" Mione and Harry both screamed at the same time and Snape tossed backwards.
"I just hexed a professor. Oh, my god" Hermione said frantically. "I'm going to be expelled."
Harry and Hermione helped Remus and Sirius out of their bonds, while Sarah was standing dumbstruck over her uncle lying on the ground. She stooped down to touch his shoulder.
"Are you ok, Sarah?" Sirius asked, reaching for his daughter. "Snape will be fine." He promised as he pulled her up gently, before spinning around. "Where is that rat?"
"What rat?" Sarah asked shakily.
"Wormtail, of course" Remus responded. "Peter Pettigrew"
"NO, Pettigrew is dead. You said so yourself" Harry objected.
"Oh, no, Harry, Pettigrew is alive. Ron, how long has your rat been in your family?" Sirius asked.
"Scabbers? Twelve years." Ron shrugged. "What does Scabbers have to do with it?"
"Is Scabbers missing a toe?" Lupin asked, hand on Ron's shoulder.
"How did you know?" Ron asked incredulously.
"All that was left of Pettigrew was a finger. It said that in the paper" Hermione whispered.
"Very good, Hermione" Lupin smiled. "I hope you know that you are exceptionally bright."
"Enough of this!" Sirius barked. "The rat, Ron." And Ron handed Scabbers over, who was squeaking madly. Sirius held him tight, squeezing it between his fingers. "Let me tell you children a story. Once upon a time, four boys came to Hogwarts. They all became good friends, much like the four of you…well, that is except two of you are girls, but that doesn't matter much…"
"Go on with it Padfoot" Remus rolled his eyes.
"Right" Sirius continued, "One of these boys was a werewolf and every full moon had to come down to this very room to transform into his wolf form. Moony here" Sirius smiled at his friend. "The other three friends eventually figured out his secret, so the decided to become animagi to keep the friend company while he transformed. A dog, a stag, a rat" Sirius squeezed the rat again for emphasis, "and a werewolf. The Maruders. Eventually, the boys grew up and two of them married women that they never deserved. Women that were much too good for them, your mums. Then two little Maruders were born, one to each couple. But there was a war going on. Voldemort was gaining power and he was coming after…well, you Harry. James and Lily decided to go in hiding and they wanted to make me their secret keeper. And I was going to do it, but at the last minute, I thought it was too obvious and urged them to switch to Peter."
Harry gasped. "You mean, you were never my parent's secret keeper?"
Sirius shook his head, "No, but in urging them to switch to Peter, I did kill him" He squeezed the rat in his head. "But let's let Peter explain what made him betray your parents" He turned to Lupin.
"Ready, friend?" Lupin asked with a smile.
"I've been ready for the past twelve years" Sirius grinned. "It's time to finish the story."
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"No" Harry shook his head, standing in between Sirius and Remus and Pettigrew. "My mum and dad would have not wanted their best friends to become murders."
"Are you sure, Harry?" Sirius asked, "He killed your parents."
Harry looked torn for a split second before responding with confidence, tears in his eyes. "I'm sure Padfoot." He glanced at Sarah, who nodded her agreement. "Plus, one of my best friends needs her father. If you murder this rat" Harry spat with disgust "you will never be free."
"You are a good man, Harry" Remus said with pride. "James and Lily would have been so proud of you in this moment."
"Let's go. Ron, how are you doing?" Sirius asked. "Your leg must hurt like hell"
"Well, you know" Ron said. "Yeah, kind of."
"Sarah, make sure you hold you wrist tight against you" Sirius instructed, arm on her shoulder. "I don't want you to do more damage to it"
Remus levitated Severus, and Harry and Hermione helped Ron walk, while Sirius Black, held one hand firmly on Pettigrew and the other gently on his daughter.
Once back on the grounds, the group breathed the fresh air. Sarah looked up at the sky, so gratefully that truth had finally come out and her father…well, her father was about to be set free. She could hear Sirius talking to Harry about living with him, about how he wanted him, Harry and Sarah to be a family. And it was like her heart had finally been set free from the burden of this past year. She ran ahead and started spinning on the grass, still holding her injured arm, but not caring about the pain.
"What is she doing?" Sirius asked Harry, amused by his daughter dancing under the moonlight.
"Don't quite know, Sirius" Harry responded. "She does crazy stuff, sometimes. Snape often tries to put a stop to it."
Sarah spun around to face her father and friend. "I'm celebrating if you must know. Breathing in the fresh air" She said, laughing, looking up at the moon, which shone brightly in the night sky and caused her to stop abruptly, panic fluttering on her face.
"Dad, it's a full moon."
Sirius looked up at the sky and then over to his friend.
"Hermione, Ron, get away from him!" Sirius yelled as Remus started to transform. Sirius ran over to Remus to grab him "Moony, did you take your potion, old friend?" Remus shook his head.
"Run!" Sirius turned to Sarah and Harry. Sarah began to argue, but he silenced her. "It will be fine. Go, now!" He transformed into the black dog once again. Sarah took a step towards Pettigrew to grab him, but it was too late, he waved at them once, before transforming into the rat.
"No!" Sarah screamed. "Pettigrew, No!" She grabbed Harry. "Harry, we have to catch him. It is the only way for Dad to be free. It's our proof"
But Harry was eying Lupin who was dodging towards them; however a firm hand pulled them backwards, covering them.
"Don't do anything foolish" Severus snapped, as he and the children watched Padfoot wrestle with Moony. Padfoot was whining, and Sarah wrestled out of Severus's grasp to watch the scene unfold. Dementors had come as Sirius transformed back, closing in on him, surrounding him on all sides.
"Sirius, NO!" Harry ran towards Black.
"POTTER!" Severus bellowed after him and reached to hold tight to Sarah, but she was too quick for him, running after Harry, not caring about her hurt arm, which was radiating with pain in retaliation for her being so reckless with it, running after Harry. Watching her, Severus felt terror and panic that rivaled when he saw Black's lifeless body in the maze her first year, and he thought she could be dead. And now, two years later, she was going into the lion's den yet again, and he could save her, nonetheless, his legs couldn't move as he watched the dementors, panic flooding him as he revisited his worst memory.
"Expecto Patronum" Harry flung his wand in the air, but nothing happened, as the Dementors were closing in on him and Sirius. "EXPECTO PATRONUM" Harry screamed and he could hear his mum's voice. "Not Harry, no not Harry." Lily was begging, and Harry fell to the ground as he saw the blinding green light.
Sarah rushed towards them. "Expecto Patronum" and her dog hopped out, but it wasn't big enough to attack all the dementors.
"DAD! HARRY!" She yelled. "Expecto Patronum." It still wasn't strong enough, and as Sarah collapsed beside her dad, she felt the despair knowing she couldn't save them. Voldemort was before her, "You will have to take the mark" he sneered at her from Quirrell's head.
And when it seemed as if all hope left the three of them, a stag and a dog suddenly rushed forward, fiercely charging at the dementors. Harry turned to look to see where it came from and to his astonishment; he saw his father and Sarah's mother. They were protecting them. They were going to save their children. Job done, the stag and the dog bowed to each other, dancing a jig in the night, reunited at last. And with that, Harry's world crashed into darkness.
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"Where is Dad now?" Sarah asked Severus. It had taken only a few minutes for Poppy to heal her broken wrist, but her heart was still shattered like a glass that falls to the floor and splatters into a million tiny, jagged pieces.
She was sitting on her hospital bed, leaning against the headboard, Paddy in hand, and Severus was sitting on the foot of the bed. Harry swung his legs and hopped off his bed, and Sarah scooted over to make room for her friend beside her. Hermione was sitting beside Ron, and they both turned to listen to the conversation.
"He is locked in the tower" Severus said gently.
"And?" Sarah prompted.
"The dementors will deliver the kiss at Midnight." Severus sighed.
Harry reached for Sarah's hand, holding it tight, as Sarah fought to get her emotions under control.
Hermione leaned against Ron, and he rubbed her back.
"There is nothing we can do?" She asked in a small voice. "I know you hate my father, Uncle Sev, but…"
Severus shook his head, his face weary. "Sarah, believe me, if there was anything I could do to spare you from this pain, I would do so in a heartbeat." His voice was hoarse. "I thought I lost you again, Sarah. I thought I lost you. I saw your father, and suddenly, I couldn't think straight. But you are more important."
"I wanted to kill him too when I saw him, before I learned the truth" Harry admitted and Sarah squeezed his hand. "You still hate Black?" Harry asked quietly, Lily's emerald eyes flickering.
"Yes, I do" Severus said. "But if I could save him now, I would."
"Uncle Sev" Sarah crawled to him and he opened his arms to her and held her close to him. "I just found him again. This can't be the end. Oh, god, it hurts so much" Severus rocked her in his arms, stroking her head. Ron's mouth flew open at the act of affection, but Hermione popped him and he shut it abruptly.
In spite of the seriousness, the group chuckled at Ron's antics. "I do have a heart you know, Mr. Weasley" Severus said.
"Well" Ron began wearily. "If you do, you should show it more, instead of being a royal pain…"Hermione smacked him again.
"Oh shut it Ron, before Snape assigns you detention." She scolded, but then straightened his sheets around him.
"Eh" Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Severus, you are needed. Some Slytherins have decided to flood the boy's bathroom."
"Now?" Severus asked, his arms still around Sarah. "Can't someone else handle it?" his voice was impatient.
"Now Severus" Dumbledore said firmly. "That is unless you want Professor McGonagall to handle it."
"No, No, I'll take care of it." Snape patted Sarah's head. "Will you stay with them until I get back please? I don't want Sarah alone."
Albus waved his hand dismissively. "Of course. Of course."
When Snape left, Sarah jumped up, grasping Dumbledore's arm. "Professor Dumbledore, my dad is innocent. You have to believe us."
"He is sir" Hermione responded and Harry and Ron nodded.
"There is nothing I can do" Albus said with a sad shake of his head. "However, if there was only a way to turn back time, more than one innocent life could be saved." He looked pointedly at Hermione.
"That's it!" Hermione jumped up and pulled out what looked like a gold pocket watch with an enormously large chain. "Come on Sarah, Harry. Sorry Ron, but you are no good to us with your broken leg" She said matter of factly.
"What are we doing?" Sarah asked as Hermione threw the chain around her and Harry.
"Saving your father" Hermione responded impatiently.
"I think three turns will do it. And remember, you mustn't be seen. Good luck" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.
"What is that?" Harry asked curiously.
"It's a time-turner. It is how I have been getting to class all year. It allows you to be two places at once" Hermione started winding the watch back three times. "We are going back to earlier tonight and we are going to save Sirius Black. Are you going to keep asking questions, or can we go ahead and do it?" Hermione asked impatiently.
"Let's do it" Sarah said, with a determined smile on her face. "Maybe there is hope after all" she thought.
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And so Sarah, Harry, and Hermione traveled back in time. It was them, who threw the rocks through Hagrid's window, exploding the jug, revealing Wormtail. And it was them who unchained Buckbeak, right under Dumbledore, Fudge and the executioner's eyes. They snuck back to the forest, across the lake and in a terrifying moment, Moony came charging at them, but Buckbeak saved them. They watched the scene as if watching a movie where the Dementors were hovering over Sirius and Harry and Sarah were desperately trying to produce patronuses.
"Right now" Harry said, anxiously. "Your mum and my dad are going to cast their patronuses and save us."
"How can that be?" Sarah asked. "Our parents are…"
"Dead, I know. But I saw it Sarah." Harry's eyes pleaded with her to believe him and she squeezed his hand.
"Ok, Harry, let's watch."
"Right now, they should be coming right now" Harry said.
"Harry, I don't think anybody is coming" Hermione said gently. "You are about to die."
And in that moment, he realized who he saw across the lake. "Sarah, come on. It was us! You can do it. I know you can" He rushed forward, tugging Sarah along.
"Expecto Patronum" Harry yelled, full of fire and Sarah looked at the dementors closing in on her father and her best friend and she knew what she must do.
"Expecto Patronum" She yelled and her dog leaped out, charging with Harry's stag, driving the dementors away.
"That was freakin awesome!" Harry grabbed Sarah's waist and spun her around. "It was us. We did it."
Sarah laughed. "We did!"
Hermione rushed towards them out of the woods. "Come on, we can't be seen." She gestured wildly to them and they ran back into the woods.
"Ok, now we have to wait a little bit and then, Sarah, we save your dad" Hermione smiled as she turned to her friends. "That was amazing" She laughed.
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"Do you mean to tell me that it was my daughter and godson who produced the patronuses and saved our lives?" Sirius threw back his head and laughed with delight. "What forms did they take?" He asked.
"My patronus is a stag and Sarah's is a dog." Harry explained and Sirius's eyes lightened up even more as he grinned at them.
"Your father's animagus was a stag, Harry." Sirius chucked. "Padfoot and Prongs rode again tonight."
"That's wicked" Harry said, with a smile.
"It most certainly is" Sirius said, a hand on Harry's arm.
"You have about five minutes Sirius" Hermione said anxiously.
"Ok, thanks Hermione" He turned to Harry, his grey eyes on him. "Harry…" He gripped his godson's arm. "My life is going be too unpredictable now"
Tears formed in Harry's eyes. "I know Sirius, I know."
"You are so much like them" Sirius's eyes filled with tears. "There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of them or you. But they live inside of you" Sirius placed a hand over Harry's heart. "They live right here."
Harry wiped his eyes. "I know. Will you tell me about them one day?" He asked.
Sirius pulled him close. "I will tell you more about them than you probably will ever want to know, kiddo."
Harry pulled away, "Keep in touch, but be careful!"
Sirius nodded briefly and his eyes traveled to Sarah, who didn't even try to wipe away the tears.
"I'm sorry about your mum, Sarah. She was remarkable in so many ways, much too good for a man like me" Sirius cupped her face, wiping away the tears for her. "And look at you. You are so beautiful and talented. I can't believe you are my daughter. Are you sure you aren't someone else's kid?"
Sarah laughed, "Well, Professor Lupin thinks I'm more like my mum than you" Sarah gave him a saucy look and Sirius grinned.
"Professor Lupin, said that, eh?"
Sarah nodded and looked at her father seriously. "And my Uncle Sev, well, he thinks I'm just like you…but, he always says that right before I get in trouble" Sarah grinned mischievously.
Sirius chucked and rubbed her head. "You are something else. I wish we had more time."
Sarah flung her arms around him and Sirius squeezed her tight. "You love me right, Dad?" She whispered and Sirius pulled back, astonished.
"Sarah Grace Black, if there is one thing I want you to never doubt, it is that. I wish I could change so much, but I have loved you since the first time I held you in my arms. You are my little Paddy. Your mother and you were my life and I threw it away. I should have never gone after Peter. I will live with that regret for the rest of my life" Sirius's eyes held Sarah's for several moments and Sarah threw her arms around him once again.
"Sirius, its time to go" Hermione said gently.
"Ok, I'll be in touch. Be careful and stay safe." Sirius climbed on Buckbeak. "Thanks Mione" Buckbeak took off and Sarah, Hermione and Harry watched at Sirius Black flew away into the night.
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"Absolutely, I will not do it. Hell will freeze over before that ever happens" Severus thrust an angry hand in the air.
Dumbledore stood up to his full height and looked at his young professor squarely. "Indeed, you will Severus. This is not an option. Sarah has the right to know her father. Grace wanted it. The memories you secured from Sarah shows you that her father had nothing to do with the Potters' death. It was Pettigrew. Now, though it cannot be proved in a court of law, the truth remains. Sirius Black will spend a few weeks this summer with you and Sarah. Arrange Mr. Malfoy's visit around it."
"The ministry…"
"Would never even think that you of all people would be harboring Sirius Black. The record of hate that you feel from him is well known. But that hate, Severus Snape, will have to be let go for you to go on with your life, for Sarah's sake as well as everybody's."
"She is my daughter" Severus replied stubbornly. "He gave that up."
"And during that time, I will make it clear to Sirius that you have the final word in any matters that come up. By law, you are Sarah's father. And the child loves you…but she wants to know Sirius. She needs to know him. And you are going to help her do that…"
"I hate this" Snape took a deep breath. "I hate this"
"I know you do" Albus put a hand on his shoulder. "But maybe it is time for you, as well as Sirius, to grow up and stop acting like such children. Sarah is growing up, and you two must do the same as well."
"Fine" Severus spat. "But I don't have to like it"
"Indeed you do not" Albus replied. "I am so relieved that is settled. Give me the weeks and I will arrange for Sirius to spend that time living at Snape Manor with you and Sarah. It should be quite an experience."
"I'm sure it will be" Severus muttered, rebelliously.