"Potter!"

Harry heard the voice behind him and turned. There was Snape walking towards him.

"Did you really tell Draco everything?" Snape asked threateningly.

"He heard Dean and Seamus discussing it," Harry said. "I only clarified some things."

"Was that wise?" Snape asked, glaring at Harry angrily.

"Probably not," Harry said. "I'm already regretting it, but unfortunately people are talking about me."

"Do you think he could be trusted?" Snape asked.

"He helped me find one of the horcruxes," Harry said. "He knows his parents will be in trouble if Voldermort comes back."

"You shouldn't have said anything," Snape said.

"He asked me if it's true that I was possessed and have a piece of Voldermort in my head. What was I supposed to say?" Harry asked.

"I promised to protect you," Snape said, "but you're making it very hard for me."

"I'm sorry," Harry said. "I appreciate the effort you're making."

As Harry walked away, he decided that a visit to Hagrid was badly needed.

"All righ', Harry!" Hagrid said, beaming, when Harry approached the fence. "Come in, come in, we'll have a cup o' dandelion juice."

"How's things?" Hagrid asked him, as they settled down at his wooden table with a glass apiece of iced juice.

"Did you hear rumors about me?" Harry asked.

"I didn't hear nothing," Hagrid said. "People always talk. Don't let it bother you."

"Thanks," Harry said. "I needed to hear that."

"Is it something I should know about?" Hagrid asked.

"It's nothing," Harry said. "I stayed up too late studying for OWLs too many nights in a row. After the last OWL, I freaked out a bit and started yelling. People are making up stories about me now. I just wanted to make sure they didn't travel too far."

"OWLs are stressful for everyone," Hagrid told him. "Don't worry about it."

"Thanks," Harry said again.

The rest of the school year passed without any more incidences. On the day of the end of the term feast, Harry took out his mirror again.

"I'm packing you now," he told Sirius. "Hopefully I'll manage without you until I get home."

"If you need me before, you could always unpack your mirror," Sirius told him. "Keep it near the top."

"I will," Harry said. "I can't wait to see you again."

The feast was uneventful with Gryffindor once again winning the Quiddich cup and house cup. The next day, on the Hogwarts Express, Harry and Ron played wizard chess while talking to Hermione, Ginny, and Neville. Nobody mentioned his incident the night of his last exam. Draco did not try to join Harry during the ride home.

When Harry saw Sirius, he threw himself into his arms again.

"I'm so happy you're alive," he whispered.

"We're going to have a great summer," Sirius told him.

Harry happily went home, thankful that he didn't need a committee to intimidate the Dursleys.

The next night, Harry woke Sirius again.

"Are Madam Bones and Emmeline Vance okay?" he asked.

"I'm sure they are," Sirius said. "I'll ask someone to check."

"Were there any mass muggle killings?" Harry asked.

"No," Sirius said.

He left the room and returned a few minutes later with Dumbledore.

"This has to stop," Dumbledore said firmly. "You know that Voldermort is not powerful and that the things he would have done won't happen now. Relax. Nothing will happen."

"Don't get the horcrux," Harry told him. "You'll lose your hand if you do."

Dumbledore smiled at him and left the room. Harry reluctantly went back to sleep.

A few days later, Harry got his OWL results. He was ecstatic to see he got the required O in Potions.

"Can I check to see how Ron did?" he asked Sirius eagerly.

"Just stick your head in," Sirius told him. "You weren't invited all the way in."

Harry used the floo to stick his head into the Burrow.

"How'd you do on your OWLs?" Harry asked eagerly.

Ron held up his results. He also got an O in Potions.

"We passed!" Ron said excitingly, grabbing Harry. Harry tumbled through the fireplace, into the kitchen. Harry and Ron started dancing around singing, "We passed!"

"We need to tell Hermione and Snape," Harry said after a minute.

"Is Harry here?" they suddenly heard a voice coming from the fire place.

"Sorry Sirius," Harry said. "I fell through."

"Come in," Mrs. Weasley said. "The boys are a little excited about their OWLs."

Sirius stepped through the fireplace.

"How did you fall through?" Sirius asked.

"I'm very talented," Harry told him. He turned back to Ron.

"We need to tell Hermione and Snape that we passed," he reminded him.

"Let's write Hermione now," Ron said.

They each wrote a letter thanking Hermione for studying with them. They shared their results and asked how she did. They sent off their letters with the owl Ron got from his mother for becoming a prefect last year.

"Now we have to write Snape," Harry said.

"I have nothing to say to him," Ron said.

"He helped us study," Harry reminded him. "I'll just thank him and let him know he has to deal with us for another two years."

"Why don't you write that letter at home?" suggested Sirius. "I'll apparate you back and you could send it with Hedwig."

"You could use the floo," Mrs. Weasley offered.

"My godson just got all the OWLs he needs to take the required courses to become an auror. I'm taking him back in style," Sirius said. "Besides, he wasn't supposed to coming here. He fell through the floo; I don't think I trust him around a fireplace again." Without warning Harry, he popped Harry onto his shoulders.

"Hey," Harry said.

"Hold on tight," Sirius told him. "I don't want us to get separated."

The next thing Harry knew, they were back home. He scrambled off of Sirius's shoulders.

"That's slightly better than side along apparition," Harry said.

"When did you do that?" Sirius asked.

"I was supposed to have done it with Dumbledore last night when he rescued me from the Dursleys," Harry remembered. "Did you know that the first time I was supposed to use the floo, I ended up in Knockturn Alley instead of Diagon Alley? It's a good thing it didn't really happen this time around."

"From now on, I'm apparating you everywhere," Sirius told him. "I no longer trust you to use floo."

"You're being silly," Harry said.

"This way is more fun," Sirius admitted. "Besides, now I have an excuse to apparate you places."