Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. All rights go to respective owners.

Chapter Summary: Harry is in the hospital wing after the final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Sirius is distressed and it takes two friends to calm him down. AU where Harry was raised by Sirius.

Prompt (Year Long Scavenger Hunt — Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges): Write about a father and child relationship [20 points]

Prompt (Trick or Treat [Halloween Event] — The Golden Snitch): Write an emotionally distraught Sirius with the prompt: (dialogue) "I can't keep doing this" (don't write about James and Lily's death, please)

Aftermath

"I can't keep doing this!" Sirius shouted.

He paced relentlessly outside the Hospital Wing door, clearly distraught and not likely to calm down any time soon. Remus Lupin and Amelia Bones, who was present in both her official capacity as the Head of the DMLE and also as a friend to the family, watched Sirius' progress. A quick glance between the two confirmed that they were both thinking along the same lines: They had to intervene, before Sirius decided to break down the door.

Remus tried first.

"Sirius, he's going to be fine—"

"Fine? Fine?! Bloody hell, Moony, he is not going to be fine! Who knows what happened to him in the maze! He comes back with the Diggory kid's body and saying Voldemort — don't flinch, Amelia — has returned and then collapses. Then Madam Pomfrey says he collapsed due to Dark magic and a sacrificial ritual! Whatever the hell happened in there, Moony, is not fine! He almost died!"

Sirius finished his rant and was breathing heavily, his eyes unnaturally bright. Amelia and Remus watched him warily, waiting for the next tirade to be unleashed.

It never came.

Instead, any remaining reserves of strength Sirius had left apparently broke, and he started crying.

"He almost died, he almost died," he whispered repeatedly. "Why can't I keep him safe?"

Amelia looked at Remus, who was clearly in shock, and rolled her eyes, promptly deciding to take charge of the situation. She walked over to Sirius and without saying a word, pulled him into a hug. She waited until he calmed down before speaking.

She also made sure to use her best Auror voice — the one that demanded someone's full attention and left no room for nonsense.

"Sirius Orion Black, listen to me. You have been an amazing father to that boy and have kept him as safe as you possibly can." Sirius opened his mouth to protest and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"You were the one that got him out of that house on that terrible night; you taught him Defense; you were the one who was always there for him, teaching him what it meant to be a man, as well as a Black and a Potter. There is only so much a parent can do to protect their children. And you've done far more than what the rest of us would ever have been capable of providing."

"It just seems like every year, there's something," Sirius muttered, roughly wiping at his eyes. "First year with that Voldemort-possessed professor—"

"Quirrelmort," Remus supplied.

Amelia glared at Remus, but Sirius grinned at his friend. "Yeah," he nodded, "that useless idiot. Not to mention the troll and giant three-headed dog. Then you've got his second year with his weirdly adept professor, who was only good at Memory charms and nothing else, attacking him and the Weasley kid."

"How can you mention Lockhart before the giant killer snake with a death gaze?" Amelia wondered.

"That, too," Sirius nodded distractedly, seemingly lost in his thoughts. "Then last year: Soul-sucking dementors that attacked him on three different occasions and that spineless, no-good betrayer Wormtail, who broke out of Azkaban and went after Harry. And I don't think I need to rehash all that happened this year."

"Harry has the worst luck," Remus commented.

Sirius nodded wearily and sat down on a chair outside the door.

"Tell me about it."

The doors suddenly opened and Madam Pomfrey briskly walked out. When she saw the anxious looks, she gave each of them a gentle smile. The three concerned adults immediately relaxed.

"He's fine," said Madam Pomfrey. "He's tired and will have to stay under my care for another week, but he will be fine."

Sirius sat staring at her, without moving or speaking, and Amelia read him like an open book. Relief, fear, and worry all flickered across his face, before it settled on weariness. Amelia reached over and gave Sirius' hand a small squeeze.

"Sirius," she whispered, "he's okay. I'm sure he wants to see you."

That was apparently all he needed to hear. Sirius moved so fast that he seemed to apparate out of the chair and into the Hospital Wing. Remus and Amelia swiftly followed him into the room.

Mostly likely hearing their rapidly approaching footsteps, Harry started and glanced towards the door. Upon seeing who it was, he immediately let his guard down. Amelia recognized the look in Harry's eyes and knew he was no longer a child. He had the same look her Aurors had after a battle with causalities.

No one ever walked away from that without being changed.

"Dad," Harry whispered.

That was all that was needed, and the two immediately embraced. Sirius spoke words of comfort, while Harry cried into his shoulder.

"I couldn't save him, Dad. I couldn't save him!"

There was nothing anyone could say to make it better, but the presence of love in the room helped to start the long and slow healing process. And Amelia knew that for now, it would be enough.