DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters.
I appreciate the reviews and I apologize for the delay in updating as I have been busy getting ready for college. I'm actually supposed to be reading American Government Chapters, but I finally got this chapter sorted out in my head and had to get it out.
Just a few notes:
I will not be having the hocruxes in the story as I am not sure how to incorporate them without going out into left field.
There will be confrontation with Dumbledore but it will not be until of the Holidays.
Fred and Harry will be getting together shortly, but I want to write it right and at the right time.
I am glad you are all enjoying the story. I am hoping to have Christmas as the next chapter. Thanks for hanging in there with me! :D
Sirius slowly opened his eyes. Looking to his left he saw a large fireplace surrounded by sofa's and arm chairs. It was obvious that he was in Hogwarts but Sirius wasn't sure which room he was in. As he turned his head to the right, Sirius jerked back as he came face to face with Ron Weasley.
"Morning Sunshine." commented Ron brightly.
"Ron" groaned Sirius in a dry voice. "Water?" Ron walked away and then returned with a glass of water. As Sirius reached for it, Ron held it out of reach.
"Ah, ah, ah. What's the magic word?" asked Ron with a teasing smile.
"You're kidding?" asked Sirius and Ron only grinned wider which made Sirius pout. "I'm sick, your supposed to be nice to me."
"Your exhausted not sick and I am being nice, I do have the water for you don't I?"
"But you're not giving it to me."
"You still haven't said please."
"Please?" asked Sirius grumpily.
"It's a good thing your pretty." commented Ron as he helped Sirius take a drink of water. "You're about as much fun of a patient as Snape was." Sirius spluttered with the water in his mouth, so Ron pulled the glass away.
"That was practically an insult."
"I know." remarked Ron as he set the water down and began to running tests with his wand.
"That's mean."
"I wouldn't call it mean, I'd call it tough love." said Ron as he finished up his check up. "You're lucky. It looks like your body is exhausted but there aren't any external or internal injuries. I want you to rest for a while and let your body recuperate."
"Jeez, you're already a healer? How long was I gone for?" With this sentence Sirius remembered one person who wasn't in the room. "Wait, where's Harry? Is he okay?" asked Sirius, immediately trying to sit up but Ron forced him to stay laying down.
"One, I'm not a healer, two you've been gone for less than a year and three, Harry is fine and he will be here shortly."
"Are you sure?" asked Sirius worriedly.
"Of course I'm sure, I'm his best mate after all." answered Ron with a roll of his eyes.
"When will he get here? I need to talk to him, to tell him the truth! Snape..."
"Is his biological father. He knows that already."
"He does? How?"
"Professor Snape told him."
"Really?" asked Sirius in disbelief.
"Yeah. Once he was uncovered as a spy and Harry saw the picture of him and James in seventh year, he told him everything."
"Snape still has that picture?"
"Depends on what picture your talking about." answered Ron smartly. Sirius couldn't help the small smile crossing his face. Ron seemed to have gotten better at the playful banter since he had been gone.
"The one of them locking lips outside."
"That's the one. How did you know about?"
"I took it." answered Sirius. "Wait a minute, you said Snape told him everything, even...?" Sirius let the sentence trail off, hoping Ron would understand.
"Even that he had a twin sister?" Sirius nodded. "Yeah, Harry knows about that as well." Sirius looked away from Ron as thoughts went through his head, while Ron just studied him. Ron knew that Harry was probably outside the door at that moment listening in on there conversation.
"You want to know the one thing that he doesn't know?" asked Ron and Sirius looked at him with questioning eyes but it wasn't Ron that answered.
"How is it that you never felt the need to tell me this before now?" asked Harry in the doorway. As much as he wanted to run to Sirius right now, hug him and be assured that he was alive, Harry knew that he needed this question answered. Sirius immediately tried to rise at Harry's presence but Ron firmly held him down again. Sirius looked at Ron briefly before looking at Harry and noticing that he hadn't entered the room fully.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." answered Sirius quietly.
"Try me. After the last couple of weeks I've had you would be amazed at what I would believe." replied Harry, walking more into the room. Sirius took a deep breath before looking in Harry's eyes.
"Dumbledore put a memory charm on me the night Voldemort attacked your house."
"A memory charm?" repeated Harry before looking over Sirius' shoulder and looking at Ron.
"That would explain Remus, Mum and Dad as well." answered Ron.
"And possibly Professor McGonnagel and most of the Order." Sirius looked at Harry in surprise and glanced at Ron.
"Wait, you guys believe me?" Ron gave him a reassuring smile.
"We have been trying to figure out how my Mum could not tell any of us that he had a sister, it is so unlike her. A memory charm explains it."
"Oh." commented Sirius before looking back at Harry.
"Welcome back Sirius." said Harry with smile walking towards him. Sirius started to raise again but felt Ron's hand on his shoulder.
"Can't I at least sit up to give him a hug!" asked Sirius in exasperation and Ron gave him a stern look.
"Only sit up. I don't want you to try to walk."
"Fine." grumbled Sirius and Ron helped him sit up. Harry gave Sirius a tight hug before pulling away with a smile.
"Don't mind Ron to much. He takes his healing responsibilities very seriously."
"I thought you said you weren't a healer." asked Sirius, looking at Ron.
"I'm not." answered Ron as he helped Sirius lay down again, although he did use some pillows so he was propped up.
"At least not officially, but he's one of the best healers out there." answered Harry with a proud smile.
"I don't know about that." commented Ron, rubbing the back of his neck. Sirius looked at Harry again, unable to believe he was standing before him.
"I can't believe this. As much as I had hoped while I was behind the veil, I don't think I ever actually believe I would be seeing you alive again." Harry gave Sirius as small smile. "When you walked up and then James, I just..." Suddenly Sirius' eyes got wide as he remembered that part of the rescue. "James was with you!"
"I was wondering how long it would take you to remember that part." chuckled Ron.
"Hey, your the one that said I was suffering from exhaustion and then you wouldn't even give me any water to drink! My head hasn't been thinking clearly." answered Sirius, looking at Ron.
"Exhaustion has to do with the body, not the mind. Any issues you had with that were there before you fell and I did give you water, I just asked for manners first."
"That is such as Malfoy thing to say." retorted Sirius.
"I have been around him more than I thought possible, it's my sisters fault though."
"Wait, did you just imply that I'm mental?" asked Sirius in disbelief.
"Don't worry, all the fun ones are mental. I mean, have you met Fred and George?"
"Am I supposed to take at that as a compliment?"
"That's for you to decide." answered Ron with a wide grin, causing Sirius to unconsciously smile as well.
"Well, it's disheartening to see that I'm so easily forgotten about." Hearing the voice, Sirius looked at the door to see James standing there.
"Prongs." whispered Sirius starting to get up again, only to be held down by Ron. Sirius looked at Ron with exasperation. "You keep doing that and I'm going to start to think you like to hold me down."
"You keep trying to get up and I'm going to start to think you like it when I hold you down." retorted Ron with a grin.
"I was fine when I sat up for Harry. I'm sure I can stand fine." informed Sirius. Ron looked at him for a moment before moving to the end of the bed and holding up his hands in defeat. Sirius nodded his head, sat and made to stand. Once he was on his two feet, Sirius raised his head in triumph right before he started to collapse. Harry and James moved to help him, but Ron got there first.
"This is the second time I've had to catch you Siri. Do you plan on making a habit of it?" whispered Ron as he helped Sirius stand up and lean against him. "I take it I don't have to say I told you so?"
"No, you don't." answered Sirius, looking into pleadingly at Ron.
"At least let me help you there?" asked Ron, knowing what Sirius' eyes were asking. Sirius nodded his head and leaned on Ron as he led them to James, who was making his way to Sirius as well.
"You okay there Paddy?" asked James.
"I can't believe your alive Prongs." said Sirius as he reached for James and pulled him into a tight hug.
"I'm here Paddy. I'm sorry I was gone, but I'm here now." whispered James.
"How touching." came a sarcastic voice from the side. After pulling away from James and leaning against Ron again, Sirius looked towards Severus Snape. It was only then that he realized that when James had entered so had many others.
"I was thinking the same thing. Are all Gryffindor's this emotional?" commented Draco and was promptly smacked on the back of the head by Ginny. Hermione, who was standing next to Ginny barely held in her laughter.
"Come on, we need to get you laying back down." instructed Ron before Sirius could see who else was in the room. Once Ron had him situated Sirius looked at Harry and saw Fred standing next to him, then George and then a girl that Sirius never thought he would see again.
"Alexandria?" he asked quietly. The girl nodded.
"Hello Uncle Sirius." Sirius smiled at the greeting.
"But how?" asked Sirius, looking from Alexandria, to James and then to Harry.
"Its a long story, but first we would like some more information about that memory charm that Dumbledore put on you." said Harry.
"And how it is you suddenly remember everything again?" asked Snape in a skeptical voice. Sirius glared at Snape slightly before looking back at Harry.
"The Veil. When you fall through everything gets wiped from you. It's supposed to take you to another plane of peace, very similar to death, so there are no needs for charms, or spells or even magic. When I fell everything came back to me. It all happened the night Voldemort attacked Godric's Hollow." Sirius fell silent as he thought about that night. The others in the room shared a look.
"Okay, that sounds like it is going to take forever tell so I'm sitting down for this story." commented Draco, heading towards the furniture.
"That's probably a good idea. Lets turn the furniture around so it faces Sirius." instructed Hermione and she and Snape began moving the furniture.
"I call a sofa!" yelled the twins at the same time.
"Wow, they must really like to sit with each other." remarked Alexandria dryly to Harry.
"Attached at the hips, they are." commented Harry with a smile.
"Well then maybe we'll take the other sofa, they aren't the only twins anymore."
"No they aren't." said Harry with a smile. Alexandria and Harry gave George and Fred innocent smiles before walking towards an empty sofa. George and Fred looked at each other in disbelief.
"Wait." said George.
"What just happened dear brother?" said Fred.
"I believe they misinterpreted..." started George.
"or misunderstood..." added Fred.
"who we want to sit with." ended George
"Maybe next time you should be more specific." remarked Alexandria over her shoulder.
"Yeah, you know, to stop any confusion." added Harry, with a small grin at Fred. Fred and George looked each and grinned before looking back at Harry and Alexandria.
"Touche." They said together before walking towards the furniture. Instead of going to an empty sofa though, George sat on the arm of the sofa next to Alexandria and Fred sat on the arm of the sofa next to Harry. Sirius looked at Ron in confusion at the scene but Ron just shook his head.
"I'll explain later." he said as the rest took their seats.
"Tell us what happened Sirius." encouraged Harry.
"The night that Voldemort attacked I was supposed to help your father move your things." started Sirius, looking at Harry who nodded his head to continue. "When I got there, the house was in ruins. I saw James' body laying where the front room would have been. I heard crying so I rushed to the twin's room and picked you up and you stopped crying. Walking over to Alexandria's crib I saw her still form. That was when Dumbledore arrived. I was barely able to ask why this happened before he said 'I'm sorry' and cast the memory charm.
He told me that Harry was the only child of James and Lilly Potter. He told me that they had gotten together in seventh year and that a relationship between James and Severus Snape never existed, except one of extreme hate. He told me that I was the only one other Peter that knew about Lilly and James switching secret keepers. He told me that Hagrid was going to come get Harry and take him to relatives and that I needed to find Peter and bring him in.
Then he just left and I stood in front of the house with Harry in my arms. I remember that when Hagrid came to get him I didn't want to let him go, but it was like I couldn't control myself. When Hagrid left, I went after Peter. Having lost Harry and James, I was beside myself with anger. A part of me is surprised that I didn't hurt any muggles in my anger." The room was silent as everyone took in what was said.
"Dumbledore knew your tempter. I don't think he expected Peter to come back alive." commented James.
"That was the point wasn't it?" asked Harry angrily. "Take care of the witnesses, the ones that knew to much."
"It does appear that way." commented Severus softly looking at Harry. Severus couldn't help but feel that Dumbledore was lucky that he couldn't be found at the moment or he would have a very pissed off wizard to deal with.
"Do you think we could take this charm off the others?" asked Ron.
"Depends on the charm." said Hermione.
"It sounds like a combination of the Imperious and a memory charm, the way Black wasn't able to stop himself from handing over Potter." commented Draco.
"Wait I think I remember reading about a charm like that." said Hermione in thought before standing up. "I'm going to go to the library and see if I can't find it. I believe I know the section the book was located in."
"How could you possibly remember that?" asked James.
"I remember thinking how dangerous a charm like that could be, considering the shared characteristics it had with the Imperious and that it should probably be considered illegal as well, or at least in the restricted section. Could you imagine what some students could do if they found that spell!"
"Oh, I got a few ideas." said George, raising his hand.
"A few, I already got a list going." piped in Fred.
"And everyone says the Slytherin's are the ones you have to look out for." mumbled Draco.
"I should be back by the time you fill Sirius in on everything." said Hermione, ignoring the twins as she headed for the door.
"That'll be good. Once we get the counter curse we will perform it on Remus and Mrs. Weasley." said Harry.
"And when do you plan on doing that?" asked Alexandria.
"The day after tomorrow we are going to Hogsmeade to do some Christmas shopping." said Harry.
"All we have to do is ask Remus and Mrs. Weasley to meet us there to visit. It is the holidays after all and I'm sure no one would object to some extra adults with the group." explained Ron.
"This isn't just something that should be discussed out in the open." said James.
"We know. That is why we will meet them at the Shrieking Shack."
"Oh, okay." said James.
"Besides, I'm sure Remus will be thrilled to find you two, I'm sorry three, alive." said Harry with a smile.
"Speaking of which, I still have no idea how that is possible." inquired Sirius and the smile left Harry's face.
"I guess it is time for our part of the story. Dad, why don't you go first and then Severus and I will explain everything that happened after that."
"Okay." said James before looking at Sirius. "That night Dumbledore..." Sirius sat quietly as James and then Harry and Snape explained all that had been explained before. Despite his silence, he was quietly getting angrier and angrier, until his fist were balled up beside him. It was only Ron's hand on his shoulder, squeezing slightly that had him unclenching his fist. When they finished telling of his rescue, Sirius finally let out a long breath and looked at Snape.
"I'm alive because of you." he said simply.
"Don't be daft Black. A lot of things had to happen for it to work." brushed off Severus. Sirius looked at him in the eyes for a long moment before nodding his head and looking away. Severus couldn't help but think that was the closest thing to a thanks that he'd every received from the mutt.
"So it all comes down to Dumbledore." stated Sirius.
"I don't know about all, but a majority of it." said Ron.
"Where is he?" asked Sirius.
"Apparently trying to find inside information on Voldemort. He's been gone since Severus was uncovered as the spy." informed Harry.
"He's damn lucky about that." muttered Sirius.
"Yes, because you are so ready for a fight." smirked Ron.
"I can hold my own in a duel." retorted Sirius.
"You walk across the room without falling over and I might believe that." said Ron, making Sirius glare at him.
"I repeat my earlier statement. You are mean."
"Ah, but I'm fun. That should make up for some of it."
"Then by your own definition you mental as well."
"Takes one to know one Siri."
"Very funny. For the record you haven't seemed that fun to me."
"I figured I would wait until your fully recovered. You know, don't want to tire you out."
"Is it just me." whispered Fred, leaning in towards Harry. "Or did that sound like a sexual innuendo?" Harry covered his mouth before a laugh could escape.
"Yeah, I thought Fred and I were the only Weasley's who did that." whispered George.
"I doubt you could tire me out." said Sirius and Ron grinned, both oblivious to what the twins had just said.
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see, wont we?" answered Ron.
"That almost sounds like a challenge." Ron smirked at Sirius' comment. "I like challenges. You just might be fun after all." The two shared a grin briefly before Hermione rushed in.
"I found it. I found the charm and the counter to it." she said out of breath.
"Can you perform it?" asked Harry, turning away from Ron and Sirius.
"I'm sure I can. The counter is quite basic. Perhaps Professor Snape could learn it as well, just to be sure." answered Hermione. Harry looked at Severus and he nodded.
"Alright then. Ron, send an owl to your mum and I'll send one to Remus. We'll meet up with them the day after tomorrow." instructed Harry. Ron nodded.
"Well I am going to head out." said Ginny, standing up. "Draco and I want to get some flying in together before the sun sets." Ginny and Draco stand up and walk out of the door hand in hand.
"When did they become official?" asked Ron in surprise.
"No idea." said Hermione.
"Come Ms. Granger and show me this charm." said Severus standing up and Hermione followed him out of the room.
"Well we would love to stay and chat." said Fred.
"But we need to go check on our stores." said George.
"Oh darn." remarked Alexandria dryly.
"Wound me." said George. "You know you'll miss me though, Ms. Potter."
"I know no such thing. Since we have arrived I have yet to be rid of you."
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder."
"We'll see about that." retorted Alexandria, although a small smile played on her lips.
"Yes, we shall. Brother dear, ready to depart?" asked George in flourish.
"Of course, brother dear. Till tomorrow..." said Fred with a bow to everyone in the room.
"Or the day after tomorrow..." interjected George.
"You never know what can happen with us." finished Fred, giving a wink to Harry, before the two left the room.
"Those two are crazy." said James with a laugh.
"Yes, they are." replied Harry and Alexandria at the same time before sharing a small smile.
"James, I want to move Sirius into that room over there. Do you think you could help me?" asked Ron.
"Hey, why do I have to move?" complained Sirius.
"Privacy." remarked Ron. James started to help Ron move Sirius and Ron's supplies to the other room. Looking back he saw that Harry and Alexandria had turned the sofa around and were both staring into the fire.
"It wasn't Sirius' privacy you were talking about was it?" asked James as he walked into the room.
"No, not really. They haven't had a chance to talk to each other since they arrived. I think its about time they did. Besides, I'm sure you and Sirius have some things you want to talk about." answered Ron.
"I am in the room you know." commented Sirius from the bed he was in.
"Yes, but you can't move, which makes it all the more easier to talk about you." retorted Ron with a smile. "I'll see you later James. Make sure he doesn't get up okay?"
"Okay Ron and thanks."
"No problem. The banter fully makes up for having to tend to him." remarked Ron.
"I wasn't talking about Sirius. Well not just Sirius. Thanks for being there for Harry. It's obvious how much you mean to him."
"I know you can understand better than anyone James, that you don't have to come from the same parents to be brothers." remarked Ron before looking at Sirius. "Stay down. I see you up and I will tie you to the bed."
"Is that a threat or a promise?" asked Sirius.
"Could be either, it depends on my mood." answered Ron. He nodded to James before exiting the room.
"That boy is going to be the death of me." said Sirius. James couldn't help but think that Ron might just have the opposite effect on Sirius.
As Ron left Sirius' room he saw Harry and Alexandria still staring into the fire. Without a word he walked out of the room. He knew the two had some talking to do and he had his own research to do.
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