Quick thanks to all my reviewers and readers, thanks! To my beta fragonknight, to my sectary and to Dray-Kun. Please enjoy!

Chapter 29: The Return of Sirius Black

Eventually Theo and Sin return and kicked Draco out, commanding him to sleep and shower. The two sat with the Harpy while the rest went to get food.

"Did Sirius hurt you?" Harry asked, now recovered enough to at speak in full sentences.

Theo held up his wrist, which was now completely healed. "Nothing too serious." He shrugged.

Harry nodded his head as Theo looked over to the closed curtains. "Has he woken up yet?"

"No, Pomfrey says he should any day now."

Harry couldn't keep the worry out of his voice or his face.

Sin gave him a reassuring smile. "He will, and then he'll be able to terrorize the world once more."

Harry returned the smile with uncertainly. When Sin left to get a drink, he turned to Theo, feeling the guilt creep across his face. "I'm sorry; I should have listened to you."

Theo waved it away as though it were nothing life threatening, a simple prank or a foolish, minor decision. "Don't worry, Harry, I would most likely have done the same."

"What happened to the book?"

"Dumbledore took it. Hopefully he'll burn it."

Harry nodded and opened his mouth to say more but there was a pitiful moan from behind the curtains and a cracked voice called out, "Remus?"

Theo looked at Harry, who struggled to sit up. "I'll look." Theo offered, getting up and pulling the curtains aside. He let out a small gasp. "Mr. Black?"

The very same face, the very same eyes and the very same voice Harry thought he would never see or hear again were directed at the two teenagers, only now he was alive. "Regulus?"

Theo raised an eyebrow. "Who? I'm Theo. Theodore Nott."

"Sirius?" Harry called to his Godfather, unbelievable joy washing through him.

Sirius blinked, studying Theo for a long time before turning his pale eyes to Harry. "Harry? Are you all right?" It seemed to be taking a lot of Sirius's energy to talk.

"Yea, I'm fine." Harry couldn't say more as Pomfrey reappeared, tutting as she looked Sirius over.

Theo walked back over to Harry. "Who's Regalus?"

"Sirius's brother, he died a long time ago." Harry replied. The two seemed to be wondering the same thing, why did Sirius mistake Theo for his brother?

Finally Theo shrugged and muttered, "Must be hallucinating," before taking his seat.

They watched as Pomfrey forced Sirius to drink the same potions Harry had and cast the same spells before saying he needed rest and left to inform Dumbledore. Theo made an excuse about finding Sin and left to allow them some privacy.

"What happened?" Sirius asked his head turned to Harry.

Harry explained about finding the book and using it. How he had met Life and Death, and how he brought back Sirius. He left out the details of how exactly he had done this as he
was still fuzzy on the memory.

Sirius smiled, which took more effort then talking. "It's good to see you again."

Harry answered the smile with one of his own. There was a stinging in his throat. "I missed you."

Their moment was interrupted by the arrival of Dumbledore, Snape, Theo, Sin and two other men. Harry recognized one of them as Damien Von Hellfire, one of the male Harpies, and a shorter man with long blonde hair and Malfoy eyes, although they looked kinder.

Theo looked uncomfortable standing around Damian and sent Harry a 'kill me!' look.

"Oh great, the Damn Mutt is awake." Damian drawled, his eyes falling upon Sirius.

Sirius in turn groaned loudly. "Stick-up-his-arse? Why the hell is he here?"

"Hopefully not for long." Theo muttered and was met by a glare from Damian.

Harry smiled at the Slytherin, who seemed to never be able to keep his mouth shut and his smart ass comments to himself.

Snape looked as displeased as Damian at the prospect of a healthy and awake Sirius. "Perhaps he shall have a relapse, take ill, and will die soon." He suggested rudely.

"That's horrible Sev!" The blond man protested. "You too, Damian."

Harry took him to be Damian's mate.

Dumbledore looked cheerful, his eyes twinkling merrily as if this were an amusing play. "It is good to see you both awake and healthy." He informed them.

"Speak for yourself." Damian muttered.

Damian, Snape and Sirius were all locked in a glaring battle. It was rather amazing on Sirius's part that he was able to glare at both men at the same time. Sin looked amused, the blond man looked frustrated and Theo just looked confused.

"Why are they here?" Sirius asked loudly, still glaring at them both.

"Good question, Sirius." Dumbledore nodded, as though Sirius had asked him a question of some philosophical importance. His face took on a kindly, teaching look. "Damian is here to teach the students how to survive in battle."

Theo made a face but kept whatever smart ass comment he was thinking to himself, which was probably a smart move.

Harry looked around at them curiously.

Dumbledore answered his unspoken question. "Silvia requested it. I agree with her view that the students should most definitely be given whatever advantage we are capable of providing."

"Wait, we have to fight?" Theo asked, looking as though Dumbledore had suggested that they should dance naked under a full moon.

"If certain situations arise where the students will be forced into the war by demanding needs, then yes. Hopefully such a time will not come around." Dumbledore assured him.

Theo didn't look reassured, but stayed quiet.

Sirius finally tore his eyes away from Snape and Damian. "Wait, what about me? I've been away for awhile, what's going to happen now that I have returned?"

Harry felt his stomach tug painfully at the reminder that Sirius had died. Dumbledore glanced at Harry briefly before replying. "Of course the Ministry has realized the mistake of your false imprisonment. We will of course have to keep your return quiet for the time being, as Voldermort will surly use this to his advantage and Harry will be in trouble for the dark magic he used."

"So I'm basically in hiding again? Great." Sirius muttered bitterly.

"For the time being. You will be staying with Remus for now."

Sirius looked happy at this prospect and nodded. Harry and Theo exchanged knowing smiles. Promfrey returned and ushered them out, explaining they needed rest and recovery.


Theo was still mulling over Sirius Black. Everything was becoming confusing with that man. The baby, the comment when he woke up...all this chased itself relentlessly around the Slytherin's mind with no answer being discovered, and no feasible explanation before him. He was stumped and he hated it.

There seemed to be only one person he would be able to get at least any form of explanation out of: Hermione Granger. He soon found the Gryffindor Prefect headed to the library and, not wanting to be overheard, had lead her outside into the bright sunlight. They
walked in silence to the tree beside the lake, where they both sat down facing each other.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked, leaning back on her hands.

Theo explained all that had occurred between himself and Sirius Black and the conversation with Remus Lupin. "It's just driving me crazy! I can't seem to find any answers or explanations or anything!" He concluded finally.

Through his whole monologue Hermione had been silent, her eyes glazed in thought as she stared into his eyes. "Well it's more than likely that the Ministry intervened with the baby. Werewolves aren't supposed to have children, incase they pick up on their genes. Obviously Remus believed that Sirius wasn't aware of this, but he is."

"I've already figured all that out." Theo interrupted. "I just want answers."

"To what questions? Do you want to know the identity of the baby? What help would that be? Do you want to understand why you stumbled across this information? Why Remus was open with you? Why Sirius mistook you for his long dead brother?"

"All those questions! I have no idea why this is so important, but I want to understand." Theo looked out over the lake, the water glimmering crystallized light.

All his life he had been an unwanted, abused child. Partially his own fault, from young drinking habits, running away, and disrespect to his step-mother. For some reason Theo just needed to know what happened to the child who never knew his parents? Who never got the chance when he was taken from his mother at such a young age, not even old enough to understand he was about to become a child with no true identity.

Hermione was watching his face. She had a look that suggested she had read his mood and understood his silent bantering. "I can't tell you who the baby is, but as for the other questions, I would say luck brought you across the information. Sirius must have been hallucinating and Remus was emotionally vulnerable. Although…"

"Although what?" Theo pried.

"Although sometimes we don't just stumble across something, I think that maybe you were meant to know." She looked as though she hardly believed it herself.

However, Theo could understand. He himself had given up on fate and taken things as luck and chance. But if he were meant to know this information, if this was fate, why would he
need to know? Did he have a closer link to the situation than was obvious?


Both patients were wide awake when Remus arrived. The werewolf looked nervous; the grey streaks in his hair were caught in the lamplight as he made his way across the room. Harry and Sirius had been moved into a small enclosed room, so no one would discover Sirius. Said Black was watching Remus in silence, his eyes brighter then Harry had ever seen them.

Pomfrey had assured him he could start walking again and Harry made a hasty exit after exchanging short pleasantries with Remus. He headed into the main hospital wing area. He was hardly five steps out the door when Draco appeared, slipping in and making sure Pomfrey wasn't around to kick him out.

Satisfied that he would be allowed to stay, Draco quickly walked over to Harry, whom he had spotted the second he entered the room. He smiled as he reached Harry, leaning down to kiss his cheek.

Harry felt the difference in their relationship though. There was something unspoken between them now that the incident was over. Hopefully Draco would leave off dealing with things until later because Harry wasn't ready to breach the subject any time soon.

"How are you?" The blond asked as he led Harry over to two chairs under the window.

"Good." Harry smiled. "Yourself?"

"A lot better since you woke up." Once they were seated Draco reached into his bag and pulled out a small container of chocolate ice-cream. Harry grinned happily as Draco repeated to him the conversation he had had earlier with Theo.

They sat quietly for a while, sharing the ice-cream and watching the sun sink lower across the line of trees. The sky was darkening and Harry could see the first stars, tiny pinpoints dotted across the sky. After what felt like a peaceful age of silence, Draco spoke. "Why'd you do it?"

Harry's hand, which was halfway to the ice-cream, paused. "I…I had to." Harry's emerald eyes, filled with pleading for understanding, met Draco's silver in a fiery clash.

Draco broke eye contact first, looking down at the spoon he was twirling between his long, pale fingers.

Harry waited for him to talk, his Harpy-self jittery and nerves wrecked. He waited anxiously to hear his mate's voice.

Finally he clenched the spoon in his hand. "I thought something horrible was going to happen to you. I thought that you were going to…I don't know, die or worse." He didn't meet Harry's eyes. "I have no idea what happened to you and I'm scared to know."

Images started to play in Harry's mind, images that were unfamiliar, as though he were watching a movie he didn't know the plot of. He saw two girls, so different, a graveyard and an alter. He saw himself edging toward the altar with a dagger gripped tightly in his shaking hands.

Then the flickering speed of the images slowed until he could see every inch of detail as he slowly moved through the fog. He could see Belleatrix Lestrange, her gaunt face gripped in terror, her eyes wide and filled with fear. He heard his own words, spoken so low and calm. "Your master can not save you now…" And the dagger was falling through the air, cutting into her skin and Harry was being tossed around as he fell back to Earth.

Draco was holding him and Harry realized he was shaking, the image of his killing replaying over and over in his mind's eye, never leaving him. He felt dirty and tainted, he considered himself worse even than Voldermort.


Well there you are! I hope you all enjoyed! Thanks to all my reviewers, to my anonymous:

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Harpy Wings