Chapter 35

A Rescue Mission

Despite Harry's determination of finally retrieving the Red Sword and harnessing its power, Dumbledore kept insisting that they needed to increase their numbers before they acted.

And so, Harry was forced to wait.

The problem was, Harry had never been able to sit still for any decent length of time and he was sick and tired of doing nothing. His days consisted of nothing but mindless training, eating, and watching their encampment grow larger and larger with new people arriving every week to join their cause. Harry felt a personal responsibility for each one of them. He also kept catching glimpses of Ron and Hermione drawing nearer and nearer toward each other in private, causing all sorts of aches to consume him.

But what was by far the worst was the expectation for he and Ginny to have a child. Harry felt enormously uncomfortable when a group of motherly women kept hounding Ginny and checking whether or not her monthly cycle had occurred yet. Ron, on the other hand, had begun jabbing him with his elbow and telling him to "get a move on and have a kid". Harry felt like punching him.

In all honestly, he and Ginny had tried a few times, but to no avail. It seemed the propensity Ginny's parents had when reproducing did not translate to their daughter. Two months into their marriage, Ginny was still without child, and Harry just felt like giving up.

Devoting all his energy into making a baby with a woman he didn't love was not his idea of productive living, so he found himself furiously strapping his armour on his body one morning, with a grim look set on his face.

"Going somewhere?" Ron asked, walking into the armoury they had set up. He crossed his arms and leant against a pole.

"Yeah. Away," Harry answered shortly, buckling his shoulder guard into place, before reaching for his leather gloves.

"Where?"

"To rescue Remus," Harry answered impulsively.

"Remus?"

"Problem?"

"Er, yes … he's in Azkaban," Ron enunciated, looking at Harry as if he had gone mental. Harry could almost believe it.

"I know." He slipped his gloves on and began to pace around the room looking for something.

"Harry, wait, stop. What are you doing?"

Harry glared at him. "I just told you. Now where's my sword?"

"Why are you going to Remus?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Ron paused. "But you've never mentioned it before. Why now?"

Harry growled hotly, "Yes, I have mentioned it before. It's just that everyone's more interested in wondering whether or not I'm having sex with Ginny, than rescuing an innocent man who was thrown in jail!"

Ron flinched, and Harry was almost tempted to feel apologetic, but he didn't. He wasn't even embarrassed by what he said; how could he be when perfect strangers kept talking about his private doings and wondering when he would have a child.

"Harry, mate, calm down."

"I am calm, Ron. I just need to do something. I don't care if you don't agree with me; I don't need your permission to go and find Remus—"

"I know you don't, Harry, but could you just wait a second?"

"Why?"

"So I can put my armour on as well."

Harry frowned. "You're not coming with me."

"The hell I'm not! Harry, you're speaking like a madman. I'm not about to let you run off to some godforsaken prison on your own—"

"You, you can and you will." Harry marched to the door.

Ron stopped him. "Just wait, will you?"

"No," Harry growled back stubbornly. "I'm doing this on my own, Ron. Let me go."

Ron threw his arms up. "What's wrong with you, Harry? Ever since you came back from the Empire, you've been like this! Like you don't care about anything—"

"Don't care?" Harry echoed angrily. "How can you even say that? I have done everything everyone has asked of me! I've abandoned my normal life, I've married Ginny, I'm trying to have a kid with her, I'm leading this camp of people. Not once have I done something I want to do! Not once have I thought about myself! So don't you dare tell me I don't care, because if that were true, I wouldn't even be here!"

Ron stopped, with his blue eyes wide. "Harry …"

"My life has just been one big mess in the past few months, and you're not making this any easier," Harry added, surprised to find that he could feel tears developing behind his eyes. "You are Hermione running around the place, trying to stay out of sight."

"What's that got to do with it?"

"I told you before, Ron; ages ago. That nothing could ever happen between a Ravenclaw Princess and a lowly knight, so why do you keep doing it? Nothing will ever happen."

Ron's face dropped into stunned anger.

"You have no right to be with Hermione, Ron. She's not the one for you. She's supposed to marry some nobleman, in some castle, somewhere far from here—"

"Shut up."

"No! Know why? Because it's wrong and I'm trying to make you see that you can't marry her, or have kids with her, or live the life you want to—"

"Shut up!" Ron yelled.

"It's not bloody fair!" Harry cried back. "How can you be with the person you love, who is so different from you by any standard, and I can't? What makes you so special?"

"What are you talking about?" Ron shot back at him.

Harry froze, biting back his words and feeling them shrivel in his throat. He was breathing hard and staring at Ron through misty eyes.

Draco. He was talking about Draco.

Harry felt like tearing out his hair. Then he saw Ron looking at him with anger and his resolve broke. Suddenly, his knees buckled and he wept.

Ron, to his credit, didn't laugh, or walk away or deliver some scathing remark. Instead, he joined Harry on the ground and sat beside him, silent. When Harry felt his tears subside, he lifted his head and stared at his friend. "I'm sorry, Ron."

"I know," he said softly.

"I didn't mean anything against you and Hermione," Harry said honestly.

Ron nodded and once again slipped into silence.

After a long moment, Ron got up, walked to the other end of the armoury and found Harry's sword. "Still planning that rescue mission?"

Harry smiled. "Still planning on coming with me, despite the arse I've been?"

"When has you being an arse ever stopped me before?"

Harry half-snorted and stood up. "Come on then."

"Are we going to ask anyone else to come with us?" Ron asked.

"We should," Harry admitted. "Two men against Azkaban aren't good prospects. But I don't really want anyone else to come."

Ron smiled. "Just the two of us?"

"Just the two of us."

Less than an hour later, Harry and Ron had saddled two horses and were on their way. They left a note pinned to the Professor's tent, but decided not to tell anyone. They'd find out soon enough.

-mp-

It was nightfall by the time they reached the western shore, and a couple more minutes until they had procured a boat from a small dock .

"Suddenly, I wished we had a whole army with us," Ron said, staring out at the navy blue ocean in the direction of the horrible prison.

Harry grinned as he pushed the small boat into the water's edge. "Don't tell me you're scared," he teased.

"Don't tell me you're not," Ron replied.

Harry shrugged. "A little. But I've encountered worse and lived to tell the tale."

"Like what?"

"A lion. And a giant from Durmstrang."

Ron did a double-take. "Excuse me?

Harry only laughed.

Ron made a face. "What were they doing to you in the Empire?"

"I can definitely say it was never boring," Harry replied with a fond smile on his face. "Those Slytherins; they like to keep you on your toes."

Ron gave him a curious look.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Nothing," Ron said with a shrug.

Harry's smile returned to him, as did the memories of his time in Slytherin. He couldn't believe it had been more than two months since he had returned. Two months since he'd seen Draco. "I was a Champion, you know; fighting, doing what I love." He recalled his fight in the Tournament and remembering that he had done it all for Draco. He'd do it again in a heartbeat.

"Sounds more like you had a holidays than being held hostage," Ron opined.

Harry stopped. It was easy to forget that he had been a prisoner at his arrival into the Empire, especially when he had been begging Draco to let him stay at the end. "It's not as bad as you think it is, Ron."

"You used to think the Empire was the devil's place," Ron reminded him.

"Not everyone in the Empire is evil," Harry told him, vaguely remembering Remus telling him something like that once. Harry hadn't believed him back then; but now he knew it to be true.

Ron shook his head and looked at Harry incredulously. "Can't believe how different you are."

"People change," Harry remarked, with a small smile on his face. He pushed their little boat into the choppy water.

Ron helped him and together they leapt into the vessel, Ron up the front, and began stroking their oars into the water.

For a long while neither of them spoke. When Azkaban came into view, Ron spoke up, "How do we know Remus is still alive?"

Harry frowned and looked out at the looming prison. "We don't," he answered soberly. "But only the sight of his corpse will convince me he is dead. Apart from that, I'm not giving up."

"There's the Harry I know," Ron murmured to himself.

Harry smirked.

Again, silence joined them on their boat for a handful of minutes before Ron asked, "Harry … how do you Remus is here? I mean, who in Slytherin would have told you this is where they're keeping him?"

Harry felt the bottom of his stomach drop and he didn't say a word for a long time. "I overheard someone," he lied eventually.

He saw Ron nod in understanding, while the memory of having Draco in his arms, in his bed, invaded his mind. He frowned to himself and shook his head. Forget it, Harry. It's not going to happen.

Their boat nudged the rock face of Azkaban's rocky foundation ten minutes later and the two of them jumped out, swords already drawn.

"Do we have a plan?" Ron whispered to him.

"Get Remus out," Harry responded.

Ron rolled his eyes. "I was hoping for something a little more detailed, actually."

"Go in, find Remus, unlock his cell, help him out, run back down, get in the boat and sail away." Harry smirked. "Better?"

Ron gave him a look. "Loads."

"Just be alert for anything."

"Just one problem," Ron said.

"Just one?" Harry joked. "You're doing better than me."

"How exactly do we get in?" Ron asked. "In case you haven't noticed, the door isn't exactly wide open and welcoming." He gestured to the weathered, ancient door that was padlocked shut and looking like it hadn't been opened in centuries.

Harry frowned and was trying to think of answer to Ron's question when, startling both of them, the door opened from the inside.

Ron opened his mouth to yelp in shock, but Harry slapped a hand over his friend's mouth and gestured for him to shut up.

They watched with wide eyes and a prison guard stepped out and, of all surprises, tugged his breaches down and began relieving himself into the water.

Ron made a disgusted face but Harry bit the insides of his cheeks to keep from laughing in amusement and relief. What luck!

He crept up behind the guard and stealthily raised his sword over the unsuspecting warden's head. Swiftly, he brought the hilt of his weapon down in a loud thump and knocked the guard's skull hard. The man didn't even have time to yell in pain before he collapsed against the rock face, completely unconscious.

"Problem solved," Harry declared.

"Yeah, because you just knew he would come out to urinate right then and there," Ron mocked.

"Of course." Harry grinned. "Now come on."

They crept in, like thieves in the night.

Inside, the place felt haunted with the cries of decaying men. Harry shivered in cold and saw Ron do the same. They looked up and couldn't see the ceiling. Instead, they saw rows upon rows of locked cells.

"Is this hell?" Ron asked in a whisper.

"I think so. And to think Remus is here," Harry responded in a near-mute voice.

"How do we even start to look for him?"

Harry was about to answer when a low, gravelly voice spoke up from behind them instead.

"Why don't I give you the tour?" the low voice mocked.

Harry spun, sword up and ready. Ron did too, and they faced a trio of prison guards, all enormous and hairy, with swords crusted in dried blood aloft.

Two against three, Harry thought, not bad.

Harry twirled his sword and answered the question that was asked for them. "Would you? We would be much obliged."

The middle guard snarled. "What did you want to see first? The execution room? Or my sword?"

"So much choice," Harry answered sarcastically.

The guard on the left said, "Put your weapon away, boy. It'll be easier to kill you that way."

"No thanks, I think I'll keep it. Besides, what makes you think you'll be the ones doing the killing?"

"The odds. You're outnumbered."

Ron joined in the mockery. "We'll take out chances," he said with a smug look on his face.

The middle guard smirked as well and called out, "Avery!"

Harry had no idea who Avery was but he didn't like the sound of what was going on. And for good reason. Moments later, five other guards came to stand behind the trio already present. Now, all eight of them stared at Harry and Ron with identical looks of menace, and all eight looked like they were out for blood to add to their collection of prisoners.

Eight against two, Harry amened. Not good.

"This is hardly fair," Harry said.

"Who said anything about being fair?"

"Point," Harry conceded.

Ron shot him a look, as if to say, come up with something clever to say! Harry, regretfully, had nothing.

"Now," the middle guard said, "let's dance."

All eight sprung forward.

It took Harry a split-second to make the decision to run instead of fight. Fight, and they could very well be killed or at least seriously injured. Run, and they could get a head start on finding Remus. Of course, they had no idea where he was. But luck had been on their side before, perhaps it would now.

So, in the split-second after the eight prison guards started moving, Harry called out, "Run!"

Harry and Ron sprinted to the winding stone staircase that spiralled up the sides of the prison walls and began their journey up. Harry took a moment to thank the fates that both he and Ron were lean and fit and had been trained to run fast and long all their lives. Their eight pursuers looked like they would tire after a hundred metres.

"Where are we going?" Ron asked him as they went up and up, past rows of cells.

"Up!" was Harry's only answer.

"But where?"

"Just up!"

"Bloody hell, Harry, give me a decent answer!"

"I don't have one!"

"Last time I come on a rescue mission with you!" Ron threatened.

Harry would have laughed if he didn't need all his breath for running up the stairs at the pace they were going at. He could feel the small army of guards behind him, which spurred him on to greater speeds. And while he ran, he was desperately trying to figure out a way to find Remus.

It was then he decided to abandon all pretence of stealth and trickery and simply shout, "REMUS!"

Ron fumbled as he ran and shot Harry a confused look. "What are you doing?"

Harry ignored him. "REMUS!"

"Bloody—Harry, shut up!"

"I'm trying to find Remus!" Harry defended himself.

"That's your plan?"

"Anything better in mind?"

"I'm gonna kill you."

"REMUS!"

Up they ran. Harry was glad to notice the guards behind them had fallen back, unable to maintain their speed. It was then Harry heard what he'd been hoping to hear.

"Harry?" came a mild, confused voice from far away.

Harry's eyes went wide. "Remus!" He tried to pick out where the voice was coming from.

"Harry, it's me!" Remus called again.

Harry's determined the voice's direction. It was from below them.

They had to go back down.

He and Ron stopped their run and stared at each other, panting heavily. Ron was glaring murderous daggers at Harry and Harry merely shrugged at him guiltily. "Well, I found Remus."

"Yeah and he's bloody back down there!" Ron shot back, pointing down the stairs where the eight guards had paused as well, breathing unhealthily hard, but still looking completely unbreakable. "I hate you, Harry Potter."

Harry snorted. "On three?"

"On ten," Ron amended. "Let me catch my breath again."

Harry gave him a look but made use of the precious few seconds to recoup his own strength.

"Alright, let's do it," Ron said after their short break. "And if I die, I'm taking you with me."

Harry grinned. Then, together they began their mad descent. Their pace was much faster now, which meant their reached the blockade of guards quicker. Harry and Ron held their swords out in front of them and held their breath as they made contact with the eight burly guards.

"AHHH!" they both yelled as the two sides clashed.

Swords went haywire, the sound was loud and Harry felt the tips of several swords puncture him in various places. He stung all over, but their speed saved them.

Harry wasn't sure how, but somehow they ended up on the other side of the guards, free and still running.

Ron led out a loud whoop of excitement at their momentary victory, leaving behind eight stunned guards.

Harry would have loved to join in the celebration but used his breath to call out, "REMUS, WHERE ARE YOU?"

"Here!"

They were getting closer. Remus' voice kept directing them to their location. Back down they ran, hearing the guards reform and start running once more, hot on their trail.

"Harry, we're not going to have time!" Ron warned.

Harry clenched his teeth and ran on. "Remus?"

"Harry!"

Harry slowed down and began to look in each of the cells. Remus should be right here.

Then—

"Remus!" he gasped in relief, looking upon the face of his mentor through the metal bars of his cell.

"Harry! Ron! What are you doing here?"

"Rescuing you," Harry answered, unable to stop smiling.

Ron butt in. "Sorry to break the reunion, but there are eight hungry guards on our heels and they want very much to stick their swords into our guts, so can we do something?"

Harry looked over his shoulder and saw them coming, looming like a pack of territorial bears. He swore under his breath and looked around for something, anything that would be able to help them unlock the cell.

"Harry…" Ron said in fearful warning.

"Shut up, Ron," he shot, trying to think.

"Harry…"

"Shut up." Harry was beginning to sweat. The guards were less than twenty metres away and they were descending fast. Thank goodness they weren't armed with arrows or they'd be punctured like pin cushions by now.

"They're almost here!" Ron warned.

"I know, alright?" Harry grabbed onto Remus' padlock and shook it to no avail. He didn't know what he was thinking. He couldn't very well rip it off its hinge.

"Do something!" Ron shouted.

"I'm TRYING!" Harry yelled hotly.

In that second, the padlock in Harry's hand broke cleanly in two. He and Ron stared at it in absolute shock for a moment, rendered wordless.

Remus gasped. "How did you …?"

Harry's brain caught up with him again. He assumed it had something to do with magic but decided now wasn't the time to mention it. "Never mind." He pulled the metal door open. "Get out!"

Remus paused and opened his mouth to say something.

"Remus! Get out!"

"Free the man in the cell next to mine," Remus blurted suddenly, looking panicked.

"What?"

"Just do it and I'll explain later!"

"Harry! The guards!"

Harry spun. They were almost upon them!

Without thinking, Harry stepped forward in front of Ron and Remus and raised his arms before him, palms open. Ron and Remus watched him, gobsmacked. Harry had no idea what he was doing but he hoped that whatever magic he had in him would work now.

"Stop!" he ordered, half wanting to hit himself for how stupid he sounded.

To his horror, the guards didn't stop.

Ron yelled in desperation, "Harry, what the hell are you doing?"

"Stop!" Harry tried again.

Nothing. They were still coming. Less than five metres.

"Harry!" Ron cried.

Harry glared at the guards in white-hot fury and felt a flush of energy through him. It was almost like he was willing the magic to come alive. He took a breath and roared, "STOP!"

And just like that, the eight enormous men froze in mid-run, their swords mere inches from Harry's chest.

Ron let out an unmanly squeak of shock, while Remus' eyes seemed to be permanently expanded. Harry exhaled deeply, feeling weak from the panic, but also on the verge of laughing from their sheer dumb luck.

"How did you—I don't—can't—not real …" Ron said when words returned to him.

Harry smiled tiredly. "It's fine, Ron," tried to calm.

"Wha … no! No it isn't! Harry, you just—just—stopped them! How is that even possible?"

"When we get back, you can ask Dumbledore."

"Will they start moving again?" Ron asked.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't know. But we better be gone soon, just in case."

Ron nodded in fervent agreement. "Let's go."

Remus finally snapped out of his shock. "Wait. Harry, could you please free the man in there?" he asked, pointing to the cell on his left.

"Why? Who is it?"

Remus suddenly adopted a guilty look. "I'll explain everything later. It would mean a lot to me."

Harry was a little concerned about freeing a condemned Azkaban prisoner, but he knew he couldn't deny his mentor, not after being separated from him for so long. "Yeah, of course."

He went over to the adjacent cell and looked inside. The prisoner was shrouded in darkness. He couldn't make out any facial features. Remus stepped up behind him and looked inside as well.

"This …" Remus began with a heavy voice. It sounded like it was full of emotion. "This is Harry. He's going to get us out," he told the prisoner.

Harry grabbed onto the rusty padlock and tried to recapture the same magical energy from before. It took longer this time but eventually, the lock broke in two and the pieces allowed for the cell door to swing open.

As soon as the doors were open, Remus rushed in past Harry and, to Harry's complete surprise, embraced the prisoner. Harry and Ron looked at each other, both of them surprised and a little embarrassed, especially when the unnamed prisoner spoke Remus' name with all the emotion of a long-lost lover.

That's when it hit Harry.

Sirius Black.

That must be him.

He felt his face go hot and he looked away, encouraging Ron to do the same, giving them a moment.

He heard Remus pull away from the prisoner. "We have to go. There's not much time," he told him.

As they exited the cell, Harry got a brief look at the prisoner who he thought was Remus' lover from twenty years ago. It felt surreal to think of Remus' life before him, and even more bizarre to know his mentor had once been in love.

"Lead the way, Harry," Remus urged. "I promise to explain it all later."

Harry decided not to tell him that he already knew some of it right then and hastened to obey. He led their small party of four the rest of the way down the winding staircase and outside to there their boat bobbed in the uneasy black water.

It was slow going back to the coast, especially when there was so much emotion among them but not enough words to know where to begin expressing them, but eventually they felt the boat hit the mainland shore.

The sun had disappeared a few hours ago; the sky was black. The decision was made to set up a camp and begin their travel back home in the morning. Harry and Ron looked at each other surreptitiously and made themselves scarce looking for firewood, leaving Remus and the prisoner alone. Harry knew that if the situation was different and it had been him and Draco, he would want to be left alone.

-mp-

The fire was large by the time Remus and the man Harry assumed was Sirius Black returned. Harry was turning strips of the meat Ron had hunted before over it, cooking their meal, when he looked up and made eye contact with Remus.

Harry saw, for the first time in his life, Remus looking completely happy. It wasn't the outright merriment of someone enjoying banter with friends over a drink or two, but rather the deep, contented joy of someone who was made whole once more. Harry felt emotion well inside him.

"Remus," he said gently, also happy to be reunited with him.

"Thank you, Harry. And Ron," Remus said, sounding like the most honest man in the world. "Thank you. You have no idea how much all of this means to me."

Harry didn't really know what to say, so he remained silent and waited for Remus to continue.

Remus sat down beside Harry and Ron, pensive yet content. "I …" He took a breath and pondered how to continue. He looked hesitant yet determined to speak. "In all your lives, I never told you about my past. But you should know that there are things I've kept hidden for the past twenty years and it's only now that they've resurfaced." He paused and stroked his beard. "I was in love … a long time ago…" He stopped again and seemed to think hard on how to say it.

Harry decided to interrupt gently. "I know, Remus."

Ron gave him a curious look and Remus looked shocked.

"You know?" his mentor echoed.

"The Professor told me," Harry supplied, feeling a little guilty for knowing.

Remus seemed to digest this information slowly. "I'm sorry I never told you Harry."

"Told him what?" Ron asked, dumbfounded.

"It's okay, Remus," Harry said, ignoring Ron for the moment. "I know how hard it must have been so I know why you wouldn't want to speak about it."

Remus gave him a small smile.

"What's going on?" Ron inquired.

"Ron, I'd like you to meet Sirius Black," Remus announced, motioning to the darkness behind him, from which the man emerged.

Sirius Black looked tired, hungry and, if Harry was completely honest, half-dead. But his eyes were lively and kind and Harry could almost imagine what he must have looked like twenty years ago to have Remus fall in love with him.

Sirius' gaze landed on Harry and rested there for a long time, as if trying to memorise every little bit about him. Harry felt a little uncomfortable after a while.

"So … Sirius Black …" Ron said, lightening the sudden tension. "How do you know Remus exactly?"

Harry felt like snorting and hitting Ron across the head for not piecing the bits together.

Remus smiled. "He was my …" he said, fumbling over his words. "He's the one I was in love with."

Ron looked like he'd just been told his mother was pregnant again. "I beg your pardon?"

"And he's also Harry's godfather," Remus added.

Now it was Harry's turn to drop his jaw. "What?"

Sirius let out a snort and Remus appeared to have developed a blush on his cheeks.

"I can't believe this," Ron muttered.

"Neither can I," Harry said.

"But you said you knew!" Ron countered.

"Not that he was my godfather!" Harry's head whipped to Sirius. "So … you knew my father, too?"

"Very well," Sirius answered, speaking for the first time since they had met. "We were best friends. We grew up together."

Harry squinted. "Wait; does that mean you grew up in Slytherin?"

Both Remus and Sirius looked shocked. "You know?" they said simultaneously.

Harry nodded.

"Let me guess," Remus said, "Dumbledore told you."

"Sort of. I had most of it figured out when I was in Slytherin. But when I returned, the Professor filled in the blanks for me; told me I was the heir of Gryffindor and everything."

Sirius' eyebrows shot up and Remus blew out a deep breath. "I just found out too," Remus said, "Sirius told me when we were locked up."

"You didn't know?" Harry asked.

"I knew about your father being from Slytherin, but I didn't know about you being the descendant of Gryffindor."

Ron squinted, as if trying hard to keep up with the conversation.

"So why didn't you ever tell me?" Harry asked.

"I was sworn not to," Remus replied, sounding entirely honest. "I wanted to, but I had made promises to never tell you."

"And James made me promise never to tell Remus," Sirius added. He made a snort-like noise. "Guess I broke it. Sorry James."

"Why would he make you keep it a secret?"

"Because James hated being Riddle's puppet and decided not to do what Riddle wanted him to do." Sirius paused and looked at Harry quizzically. "You know about Riddle, don't you?"

Harry nodded.

"I don't!" Remus butted in.

Ron looked at Remus strangely. "Even I know who Riddle is."

Remus looked put out. "Can someone please explain?"

"He's the one who killed my parents," Harry supplied, "but gave me this." He pulled up his hair to expose his forehead. "He's marked me so that my destiny is tied with his. I'm supposed to defeat him with something called the Red Sword."

A look of recognition crossed Sirius' face. "Merlin, I remember that. The Red Sword. Riddle had told James about it back when we were still in Slytherin. But I had forgotten."

"Wait. This Riddle person killed James and Lily?" Remus asked to clarify. Harry nodded. "So why were you incriminated?" He looked at Sirius.

"Like I said, I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. I went into Godric's Hollows moments after Riddle had left. Everyone just assumed I did it."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked. "People thought you killed my parents?"

"That's why I was sent to Azkaban."

Harry remembered Dumbledore telling him Remus' lover was imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. That must have been it. The crime was the murder of his parents. Harry cast a look at Remus and saw his eyes misted over with tears.

"They found me holding a dagger over your crib," Sirius explained, "and your mother's body was dead on the ground before me. I looked like a murderer."

"Blimey, Harry," Ron murmured, "Trying to work out your past is like trying to understand a woman's mind. Impossible."

Harry gave a small smile. "I think it's time we rest. We've gone through enough today and we've got a long journey back north ahead of us tomorrow."

"Hufflepuff's not that far," Remus reasoned.

"We're not going to Hufflepuff. We're going to …" Harry made a face and tried to think of what it was they were at their encampment up north "… Gryffindor," he finished.

"Gryffindor?" Sirius echoed. "It exists?"

"We're creating it," Ron explained. "From scratch. Harry's our leader."

Sirius looked at him with something that seemed a lot like pride.

"Alright, alright," Harry said, not liking the attention on his best of days. "Time to sleep."

And sleep they did.

-mp-

Next Chapter: Being away from Draco is slowly killing Harry, so when he receives news that rocks his world, it's the last straw.