"Look Daddy" Kura squealed, interrupting Sirius' reading of a file from work. He didn't really mind, it was dreadfully boring. He looked up just in time to see his four-year-old daughter running towards him at high speed.

"Calm down. I'm not going anywhere. What have you got?" Sirius asked, smiling as he lifted her onto his lap. She held a piece of paper in her hand. She waved it at him before placing it reverently on the desk in front of them.

"It's us!," She announced. Sirius looked at the drawing. It was clearly a drawing of five individuals, but the individuals didn't look like any person he'd ever seen. "Look, there's Remus," She pointed to the tall person on the end with short brown hair, "Harry, me, you" Three figures of varying height, all with black hair, "Mummy and then the baby – in her arms". Sirius looked closer – he'd thought that was a stone.

"Very good. Though, what's that yellow thing by Remus?"

Kura tried to roll her eyes. "That's Jethro, Daddy".

Now that he knew what they were all meant to be, it was actually quite obvious. The Harry in the picture had two large green blobs on its face for eyes, and the Remus in the picture was even wearing a cardigan. That man practically lived in cardigans. Sirius smiled down at her. He went to speak, but for some reason, his voice came out a choked whisper. "It's beautiful sweetie. Shall we show Remus, and then we can hang it?"

She grinned back and Sirius suddenly realised why he was fighting tears. The picture was beautiful, of his family; but he knew that there were two people missing, two people who he considered to be the founders of his first, true family. Two people that he mourned nearly every day. He looked at Kura again. Two wonderful people that his daughter would never get to meet. He felt his heart twist painfully, yet again. He took a deep breath. What he needed now was to talk to Harry. To reassure himself that not everything was lost.

He swung Kura onto his hip and stood up. "Make sure you've got your picture," He warned as they walked into the lounge. Remus looked up. They didn't have the chance to show Remus the picture. A patronus flew into the room, freezing both Sirius and Remus. A phoenix patronus.

"Sirius and Remus. You are both needed at Hogwarts with utmost urgency. It concerns Harry…and the Chamber of Secrets"

The patronus faded away leaving Remus and Sirius to stare at each other with mounting horror.

OoOoOo

"What do you mean he's in the Chamber of Secrets?" Sirius asked, his voice rising ominously with every word. He, Remus and Kura were currently sat in McGonagall's office. Alex was so tired that Sirius had offered to keep the energetic four-year old busy, and so she was currently sat by the window, completely oblivious to what was going on around her. Which was probably just as well. Molly and Arthur were both there, and were both trying not to break down at the thought of Ginny being dead. Sirius was warring with his own grief about that, but his protectiveness over Harry was stronger.

Dumbledore looked at Sirius solemnly. "I am under the impression that both Harry and Ron entered the chamber so that they might have a chance of rescuing Miss Weasley"

Sirius, Remus and both the Weasleys gasped. "I thought there were precautions in place to stop this sort of thing" Remus said.

McGonagall spoke up. "There were. It would seem that Mr Potter and Mr Weasley are rather good at sneaking around the castle. And no-one was going to stop them, Lockhart was with them"

Sirius saw Remus' lips move, but he didn't hear him. He was so worried about Harry it actually made him feel sick. His head was spinning and his ability to listen to the conversation happening before him seemed to have evaporated. The thought of losing Harry was too much to bear – he was quite sure he'd go mad. He couldn't lose him. He'd promised to keep him safe. He couldn't fail now. It would destroy him. He was vaguely aware of pain in his left palm (he was clenching his fist tightly), but he didn't care. Nothing was more important than his family, and Harry was a key part of it.

He tried to calm his frantic breathing, it felt like there were shards of glass in his lungs. Or maybe ice. The ice that had driven its way into his chest when he'd been arrested and had never really melted. Remus put a trembling hand on his shoulder. That revived Sirius slightly. Remus was just as worried as he was. He tried to smile reassuringly at him, but he was sure it came out a grimace. Images of Harry's broken body kept floating before his vision, his emerald eyes staring, unseeing. Just like Lily's had. He couldn't see how any of them could still be alive, and the thought was killing him.

There was a knock on the door, but Sirius didn't pay it any attention. He didn't pay attention to anything until he heard Molly screech "Ginny!". Sirius whirled around, not sure what to expect. What he saw was his godson covered in slime, water and blood. He looked exhausted and there was a look of fear in his green eyes, but he was grinning. Sirius wasn't aware of getting to his feet, but the next thing he knew he was pulling Harry into a bone-crushing hug. He didn't think he'd ever let go of the small, messy-haired boy in his arms. He didn't care that his front was now covered in slime and blood, all he cared about was Harry, and that he was safe.

He pulled back slightly and held Harry at arms length. "If you ever do something like that again, I swear I will kill you" He then pulled Harry back into a hug.

"Sirius," Harry choked out, "I can't breathe"

Sirius smiled sheepishly and let go of him. Almost instantly Remus swept him into a fierce hug. Sirius smirked slightly. He felt something tugging on his jacket and he looked down. Kura was stood there, staring up at him with her large grey eyes. There were tears in them. Sirius immediately picked her up and held her close. "What's wrong?"

A single tear fell down her cheek. Sirius reached forward to wipe it away gently. "Is Harry OK? He's covered in blood"

Sirius saw Dumbledore smile at them. "I don't think he's hurt. Shall we check?" Kura nodded and they stepped up to Harry. Kura tapped him on the shoulder from Sirius' arms. He turned around and smiled. He held his arms out for her. Sirius gladly handed her over, looking at Harry with a critical eye, trying desperately to see if he was OK. He seemed to be. Sirius looked at Remus. he knew what he was thinking. There was a story here.

OoOoOo

Sirius sat in stunned silence. He knew that Harry was a magnet for trouble, but even he'd never thought that Harry could find this much. And Voldemort. The bastard. Could he not leave them alone? But one thing still intrigued him. Apparently, it still intrigued Dumbledore too.

"There is still one question that remains unanswered. My sources inform me that Voldemort is still in Albania, so then how did he manage to cause so much damage?"

Harry smiled at the headmaster and Sirius knew then that was the reason why he'd stopped his story. Sirius was quite glad. He didn't think he could take any more stress today.

"It was this diary. He said Ginny was in a trance, and she only did those things because he told her to" Harry said quickly, holding up a wet, black diary that had a large hole in it. Sirius looked at it piercingly. He had a feeling that there was more to it than met the eye. Dumbledore took the diary and narrowed his eyes at Sirius.

"A trance? Is that – is that meant to mean he possessed her? Because Ginny can't have…" Arthur choked out, gripping Ginny's shoulders tightly.

Sirius spoke in a dull voice. "Nothing about that bastard would surprise me. He doesn't have limits like normal people"

Dumbledore spoke slowly, in an oddly quiet voice. "Quite. Rather brilliant though… to enchant a diary to fulfill Tom's wishes, at any cost. It nearly brought us all to ruin"

Remus interrupted. "But then, the diary, has Ginny been writing in it?"

She let out a loud sob and nodded at him. Sirius felt his skin go cold at the ease with which Voldemort had gained control.

"Ginny! Haven't I taught you anything? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain? Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic!" Arthur said, absolutely stunned.

"I can't imagine she found it by accident. It was probably given to her deliberately," Sirius said slowly.

"Deliberately?" Molly half shrieked. "Who would give something to a child that could cause this much trouble?"

"There are plenty of sick people out there Molly. It wouldn't surprise me if it was somebody who wanted to discredit one of you" Sirius said, wincing slightly as he remembered he was in a room with four children. This conversation was rapidly deteorating.

Dumbledore seemed to realize that too. He interrupted in a firm but kind voice. "Enough" He sent Sirius a glare. "Thanks to Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, there has been no lasting harm. Madam Pomfrey is currently giving out the mandrake draught. I think Miss Weasley ought to go to the Hospital Wing, if your parents and brother could go with you"

Ginny stood up, tears still coursing down her pale face. Dumbledore obviously noticed. "There will be no punishment Ginny. Lord Voldemort has bewitched far older and wiser wizards than you. You are not to blame for any of this"

She smiled slightly and briefly, while Arthur nodded at the headmaster and Molly threw herself at Harry, thanking him for rescuing her daughter. As soon as the Weasley's left, Sirius turned to Harry.

"What's wrong with your arm?" Harry was holding his arm at an odd angle. Fawkes made a strange cawing noise behind him.

Harry blanched and moved his arm. "Nothing, nothing's wrong with my arm"

Sirius' eyes narrowed. "Harry, its painfully obvious when you lie. There's no point in even bothering. I won't be angry"

Harry looked straight at the four adults left – Remus, Sirius, Dumbledore and McGonagall. "Just remember that I'm perfectly fine now…"

"Right…"

"Well, when I stabbed the basilisk… it's tooth sort of, bit me" Sirius let out a strangled cry. Harry carried on. "But I'm totally fine. Fawkes healed it"

Sirius got up and pulled him into a fierce hug. His worry, which had abated when Harry walked into the office, returned with such force that it nearly knocked him off his feet. He glanced at Remus. It was painfully obvious what he was thinking. Harry was too reckless. He thought that Harry would have learned that it was a bad trait to follow last year. Guess not.

Dumbledore interrupted the silence. "You know Minerva, I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?"

McGonagall looked at him briefly, as if checking his sanity, and then walked out of the office, sparing a small wave for Kura.

"I wonder, could you two gentlemen give Harry and I a moment? I wish to speak with him"

Sirius nodded and beckoned Kura. However, before he could pick her up a large patronus shaped like a dog raced into the room. It stopped in front of Sirius.

It spoke in Alex's voice. "Sirius! You need to come home – the baby's coming!"

AN: So, I don't know if I'll be able to get next week's chapter up on time – this might be the last one for a while. I have tons of coursework; I'm trying to arrange summer volunteering and a holiday to Hawai'i. Urgh. I'll do my best though, because the thought of all you guys waiting for the next chapter is what's keeping me going. Please leave a review?