Very long chapter... Please relax, read and review!


The following days kept the family as busy as ever. The morning after the Minister's visit to Half-Moon Village, a shipment of Wolfsbane was delivered to the inhabitants. Each and every one of them took a dose, cringing at the flavor.

Sirius brewed some of the tonic at Grimmauld Place for Remus, Regulus and Kitty. The youngest werewolf was nearly in tears by the time she'd taken it all.

"I know it's vile," said Remus. "But it's worth it."

Kitty coughed and wretched, as though she were going to vomit, making Regulus look very concerned. It was then that Sirius had an idea.

"Kitty, what's your favorite treat?" he asked.

"Huckleberries," she said, still hacking. "Daddy and I look for them every summer."

"I've got some of those," Remus said, reaching into the icebox. "Why don't you eat a few after taking the Wolfsbane each time?"

Kitty seemed to like this idea, gladly accepting the handful of berries Remus offered her. "Can I, Daddy?"

"I don't see why not," said Regulus with a chuckle. "They're very good for you, so long as you don't eat too many."

The next day, Kitty was much more successful in taking the Wolfsbane, since her favorite snack followed each time. Shortly after, the new furniture and decor that Sirius and Regulus had ordered arrived, and they spent the better part of the evening after Sirius finished came home completing the changes to the bedrooms upstairs.

Regulus had decided to keep his childhood room, leaving Sirius' larger one to his daughter. Sirius watched in fascination as his Gryffindor and motorbikes-themed room transformed into a multi-shaded violet world of puppies and horses.

Kitty loved animals of all kinds, but horses and dogs seemed to be her favorites, perhaps because of her interactions with Twilight and the centaurs of the Dark Forest.


When Sirius woke up the next day, he was surprised to find himself alone. Even Remus liked to sleep in on Sundays. He dressed and made his way downstairs.

Kitty and Harry were both in the dining room, reading and writing letters to their friends while enjoying some tea and biscuits. Thatch stood proudly on the back of Kitty's chair, while Hedwig perched on her master's. Paddy lay beneath the table, waiting eagerly for one of them to drop a biscuit or two.

"Good morning, Uncle Sirius!" they both chimed when Sirius stopped to greet them.

"Did you sleep well?" asked Harry.

"Very well," said Sirius. "But now I can't find Remus. Have you seen him?"

"He's in the kitchen with Regulus." said Harry. "Making something yummy, by the smell of it."

"The kitchen," Sirius repeated. "Of course."

Sirius wasn't sure what he was expecting when he entered the kitchen a moment later, but Remus laughing surprised him. While Regulus and Remus seemed to have a lot in common, they hadn't actually spent much time alone, and most of their conversations had to do with their children, lycanthropy and horcruxes.

"I've never even heard of this recipe before," Regulus said as he boiled some dates and water.

Remus was whisking several ingredients in a small bowl with practiced ease. "It was my mother's. She'd found it in a Muggle magazine and decided to try it. We used to make it every year for my father's birthday."

"It already smells delicious," said Regulus, breathing deeply. "I've missed baking. It was just about the only thing I enjoyed doing with my Aunt Cassie. She was a master in the kitchen, but only when she wanted to be."

"I can imagine," chuckled Remus.

"Have you seen her yet?" asked Regulus.

"No, actually," Remus replied, charming a whisk to mix butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. "We've only spoken to Pollux. Arcturus and Cassiopeia are still around, but we haven't made any contact with them. I doubt they'll like me very much."

"Oh, no, they'll hate you," said Regulus with a grin. "But they'll tolerate all of it because of Pollux. I heard Harry call him 'Grandpa'. That, I'm sure, has already touched a nerve in my dear old grandfather."

Remus passed him some baking soda. "Oh, yes, and wait until your Aunt Cassie hears that Minerva McGonagall is Harry's surrogate grandmother."

As he stirred the baking soda into the warm saucepan, Regulus laughed. "She'll be livid."

Remus motioned for Regulus to bring the saucepan. "Alright, now we add half of your mixture and half of mine to the larger bowl and beat it. And then repeat that until all of it is blended together."

"This is more fun than making treacle tart," Regulus commented. "Of course, most things are more fun than making that bloody crust. I'm rubbish at that."

Remus charmed the whisk to do the work itself, giving both their arms a break. "You should ask Molly for tips. She's like the Madam Malkin of crusts."

"Madam Weasley's Crusts For All Occasions?" asked Regulus, and Remus burst into laughter. They poured the batter into a nearby Bundt pan.

As he watched his boyfriend and his brother discussing different recipes for baking, bantering back and forth and making each other laugh, Sirius realized that there was nothing to be concerned about. Remus and Regulus had the potential to be best friends.

"Good morning, my love."

It took Sirius a moment to realize Remus was talking to him. "A very good morning."

"Are you still half-asleep?" Regulus teased, placing the toffee pudding in the oven.

"No, I was just listening to the two of you," Sirius admitted, walking forward and giving Remus a kiss on the lips. "That smells wonderful, by the way."

"It had better," said Remus. "My mother would be rolling in her grave if I mucked up her favorite recipe."

"What's next?" asked Regulus.

"The sauce," Remus summoned sugar, cream and butter. "Set the burner to medium heat."

Regulus followed the direction and they continued their conversation from before, with Sirius adding every now and then, but mostly just listening. When the sticky toffee pudding was finished, the five of them sat down in the drawing room together to enjoy it.

"What's that noise?" asked Harry, his mouth half full.

There was a loud tapping sound, and they all turned to the window to see.

"Look! An owl!" Kitty cried.

"A Hogwarts owl," said Remus, standing up and letting the owl fly in and drop a letter in Sirius' lap.

Sirius opened it and read it to himself. "Dumbledore wants to talk to us - me, you, and Regulus. He's asked us to meet in his office the evening after the full moon." He looked at each of them. "Will you both be alright to go?"

"With the help of the Wolfsbane, I think so," said Remus. Regulus nodded. "What about Kitty and Harry?"

Harry pouted. "Can't we go, too?"

"Sorry, Prongslet," Sirius said. "Dumbledore asked for just the three of us."

"And we'd take you to see Minnie, but she's probably got lesson plans to do," said Remus, his expression distant as he considered all options. Molly had only four of her children at the moment, but Harry had spent quite a bit of time at the Burrow recently, and he would be going there during the Full Moon already. Pollux would find it odd if they asked him to take Kitty. That left only one option. "We could ask Augusta to take you both for the evening. You could play with Neville."

"I like Neville," said Kitty. "He's smart and nice."

Harry nodded fervently.

"That's settled, then," said Sirius. "I'll send a reply to Dumbledore, and a note to Augusta. I'm sure she won't mind taking the two of them."

The children cheered and continued to devour their pudding.


The next day was Monday, and homeschool was naturally cancelled due to the full moon. Remus dropped Harry off at the Weasleys, while Sirius, Regulus, and Kitty returned to Crystal Cottage to assist with the preparations for the evening.

The werewolves had, with the help of Ministry witches and wizards, constructed enough temporary shelters to house all those who wanted to transform alone, which was very few. A powerful ward had been placed on the entrance to the valley, blocking anyone from entering or leaving. At sundown, the floo in the cottage would be locked so no one could accidentally land in a village full of werewolves.

Sirius inspected the structures and spells and found them all meeting his approval.

"Hey, Black," said Julia, one of the more jovial werewolves from Kimber's colony. "Any way they could make the Wolfsbane taste better?"

"Trust me, Jules," said Yesenia. "I told them about the flavor during the trials, and they tried everything."

"All the same, the research is continuing," said Sirius. "Maybe one day, it'll taste like pumpkin juice."

Once the preparations were complete, Sirius bid the villagers farewell, and flooed back to Grimmauld Place. Regulus and Kitty had chosen to transform in Crystal Valley alongside Gilliam, Mei, and the twins, since that was what they were used to.

Remus had, of course, chosen to transform in his cottage with Padfoot at his side. Sirius cast all the necessary spells on the cottage while Remus rested, and then he watched the white ball slowly rise…


Remus awoke in his own bed. He vaguely recalled Sirius kissing him before setting off to work, and felt guilty. Sirius had stayed up all night with him, and then gone to work. He wouldn't even be able to rest that night, since they were going to meet with Dumbledore.

He sighed, refusing to sleep anymore, and forced himself to dress, make breakfast, and floo to the Weasleys to pick up Harry.

Molly, of course, fussed over him, commenting that he was too thin and such.

"I'm glad we cancelled homeschooling for today, too," said Molly. "Poor Kitty must be exhausted."

"I haven't seen her yet, but I'm sure she had the best transformation of her life. The Wolfsbane really makes a difference." Remus said, ruffling Harry's hair. The boy had attached himself to his waist. "Are you alright, Prongslet?"

"Mm-hmm," said Harry. "I just love you is all."

Remus melted. "Why don't we go home and read together?"

Harry, of course, found this to be a great idea.

When Sirius returned home that evening, he found Regulus, Remus, Kitty and Harry in the drawing room, taking turns reading from the Tales of Beedle the Bard.

"'Alas, Your Majesty, it is impossible! I had forgotten to tell Your Majesty that I must set out on a long journey tomorrow- welcome home, my love," said Remus, midway through the story of Babbity Rabbity and the Cackling Stump.

"That's not how it goes!" cried Kitty, who was reading over Remus' shoulder. She then looked up and noticed Sirius. "Oh, hiya Uncle Sirius!"

Sirius laughed and sat down next to Remus. "I can't believe you're reading my favorite story without me!"

Regulus rolled his eyes. "You hated when Mother read us this book."

"Yes, but then Remus read it to us all in third year, and I had a newfound love for it. He has a voice for every character, but the king in this one is my favorite."

"Well, then, you've come at the best part," said Regulus, motioning for Remus to continue.

When it was over, the children picked up their rucksacks and waited at the fireplace for their parents.

"Someone is ready to go," said Sirius.

"It's been a week since we saw Neville," explained Harry. "And he's got a new plant to show us."


A few minutes later, the children were safe and sound at the Longbottom's estate, while two Blacks and a Lupin were coughing on Dumbledore's hearth rug.

"I suppose it is high time that I have the chimney swept," Dumbledore commented, stroking his long beard. "I trust the full moon went well?"

"Extremely," said Remus, glancing at Regulus.

Regulus nodded. "Everyone in Half-Moon Village took the Wolfsbane, and was able to keep control of themselves throughout the whole night. I think even the biggest skeptics are behind the village plan now."

"That is good to hear," said Dumbledore. "Now, I know your time is precious, so I won't torture you with any more niceties."

He motioned for them all to sit in the chairs in front of his desk. Sirius noticed a familiar basin sitting before them.

"I am pleased to inform you that I have nearly gathered all of the information we need to solve our Horcrux puzzle." Dumbledore told them. "And ahead of schedule, I might add. Unfortunately, the last bit that we need is quite vital, and I don't possess the necessary skills to retrieve it."

"What exactly do you mean?" asked Sirius.

"You will understand more in a few hours. Unfortunately, that is how long it will take to get through all of it," Dumbledore retrieved a vial from the collection of wispy substances on a nearby shelf. "These past several weeks I have devoted much of my time to exploring Tom Riddle's past - as far back as I could go, and I've collected numerous memories from those who knew him, including from myself."

"Memories?" asked Regulus. "So this is a Pensieve?"

"Indeed," said Dumbledore. "A tool that every Headmaster and Headmistress has made use of at least once. Now, this first memory is not of Tom Riddle, but it will give us some perspective on his choices later in life."

With that, he gently stirred the silver strand into the pensieve, and the four of them dove in. The first memory was from Bob Ogden, and his investigation into the Gaunts, where they were introduced to Marvolo, Merope and Morfin.

Dumbledore took a moment to explain Merope's love for Tom Riddle Sr., and how she used a love potion to marry him, and how, once he was no longer under the influence of the potion, he abandoned his wife and child. Merope Gaunt gave birth to her son in an orphanage, named him Tom Marvolo Riddle, and died.

Sirius couldn't help but few some emotion for the young woman, who'd spent her entire life just wanting to feel loved.

The next memory was Dumbledore's own, of his first meeting with Riddle at the very same orphanage. Riddle was already an outcast, and not very kind. Sirius hated how similar to a young Regulus he looked.

After explaining Riddle's personality in school, his accomplishments, and obsession with finding his birth parents, Dumbledore showed them a memory from Morfin Gaunt, in which Riddle confronted his uncle before knocking him out. He then explained how Tom Riddle, Sr. and his family had all been found dead the next morning, and Morfin Gaunt took the blame for it.

"As for the ring, it was never found, even though Morfin Gaunt howled for it to be returned. However, while I explored the old Gaunt hovel, I sensed a presence beneath the floor itself. It took some time to untangle the powerful spells protecting it, but eventually I was able to retrieve this."

He placed a small object on the table, hung from a silver chain.

"The Peverell ring!" cried Regulus. "It's a horcrux, too?"

"Indeed," said Dumbledore. "It is also cursed. I do not recommend trying it on, or even touching it. I have decided not to destroy it yet, as it is the strongest proof we have of Regulus' innocence. This will leave Minister Bagnold with no doubts. Now, this next memory is perhaps the most vital, and you will see why."

They dove in and Sirius found himself in a familiar office at Hogwarts.

"Sluggy!" Sirius cried. A much younger version of their old Potions professor sat at the head of a table, surrounded by multiple students, one of which was Tom Riddle.

"The Slug Club," Regulus said. "He was in the Slug Club…"

"He was an outstanding student," said Dumbledore, "and of Horace's own house, so it is not surprising in the least."

In the middle of a conversation about crystallised pineapple with Slughorn, a strange fog appeared, making it impossible to see the memory itself. "You'll go wrong, boy, mark my words."

"Bloody hell!" cried Sirius as the fog returned. "What was that?"

Dumbledore didn't answer, so they watched the rest of the scene pan out. As the other boys began to leave, Riddle stayed behind, and explained to Slughorn that he had been reading a book and discovered an odd bit of magic.

"What did he say?" asked Remus.

Sirius shook his head. "I don't know. It's like he was talking underwater."

"I beg your pardon?" said Slughorn's voice as a fog appeared again. "I don't know anything about such things and if I did, I wouldn't tell you. Now get out of here at once and don't let me ever catch you mentioning them again!"

They were nearly thrown back into Dumbledore's office after that.

"What?" asked Sirius. "What was that about?"

"Slughorn faked his own memory," said Remus. "But why? Was he ashamed?"

"That's precisely why," said Dumbledore. "Unfortunately, without knowing what was truly said that day between Professor Slughorn and Tom Riddle, there is little more we can glean from the rest of the memories."

"Surely Slughorn understands how important this is?" said Sirius, agitated. "We're talking about the entire fate of the wizarding world. Lily and James died for this."

Dumbledore smiled gently. "Not everyone is as brave and loyal as you, Sirius, as I'm sure you've learned."

Sirius sat back, deflated by his words. Remus took his hand, and their eyes met. Sirius couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Do you think you could convince him?" asked Remus, turning back to Dumbledore. "If this memory is so important… Slughorn is a reasonable man."

Dumbledore nodded. "I'm afraid that I do not possess the qualities or skills required to do that. However, I do believe…"

"That we can?" asked Sirius. "You showed us that memory because you want us to talk to Slughorn."

"You've become quite perceptive of late, Sirius," said Dumbledore. "Not to be blunt, but yes, the three of you may be able to convince him to reveal what really happened that day."

"The three of us?" asked Regulus. "But no one knows I'm alive."

"Which is exactly why you're the perfect weapon," said Sirius. "You were one of his favorite students of all time. I mean, he liked me well enough, but when you started Hogwarts, he never shut up about you in class."

"That's true," said Remus. "If he wasn't praising Lily or Snape, he was talking to Sirius about you."

Regulus looked thoughtful but uncertain.

"It might do Slughorn some good to hear the heroic sacrifices his students have made since finishing Hogwarts."

"We could go tomorrow night," said Regulus. "We don't have any plans."

"Good idea," said Sirius. "The sooner, the better."

"I'll sit this one out," said Remus. "I was rubbish at Potions, so I don't think he was ever fond of me."

Dumbledore bid them farewell. "As soon as you have it, return here and we will view the rest of the memories."

As soon as they picked up the children from Augusta's, the entire family trudged up the stairs to bed.

"Are you sure you want to go tomorrow?" asked Remus as they changed out of their robes.

"Like Reg said, we don't have any plans," said Sirius, shrugging off his work top. "Why?"

Remus struggled with the buttons on his nightshirt. "You didn't really sleep much last night. I just don't want you to get tired."

"Moony, don't worry, I slept the entire night through," Sirius pointed out. "I know it's rough for you because your body is so sore, but sleeping as a dog is pretty normal for me. I was well-rested when I woke up this morning."

"I never realized that," Remus replied.

Sirius took pity and finished the buttons on his tired boyfriend's shirt. "Still, I'm definitely ready for bed."