Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry about the delay, technology and me just doesn't seem to mix! So, I had a pm asking why I chose to put Mara in this story instead of just having Harry on his own with Sirius. I've always loved fanfics where Sirius is there from the beginning of the story, rather than coming in later (I still love the books dw!) But one thing I've always been obsessed with regarding Sirius is his relationship with his brother. It's not mentioned much in the original story, so I thought that in my story I would explore it a little deeper, and how else better to do that than having someone who bonds them together. Mara to Sirius is his 'second chance'. He feels like he let down Regulus, so he wants to do all he can to protect his legacy: his daughter. I will be looking into this more as the story goes on, especially as Mara gets older and with the twist I have planned for goblet of fire! So yeah, Mara is a character that I always wanted to be there and I've grown to really enjoy writing her in.
Anyway, just thought I'd answer that! This is a very action filled chapter with a lot happening, so Harry's 'reunion' talk with Sirius will be in the next chapter as they're a bit busy in this one. Enjoy the chapter! Next one should be up fairly soon, all being well! Enjoy guys!
Remus paced Dumbledore's office, the echoing of his footsteps ringing out across the room. He hadn't slept in a long time now. There was always something that had to be done, whether it be dealing with Harry, Mara, Sirius or the headmaster. He wanted nothing more than for all of this to be over with, but he knew deep down that it just wasn't that simple.
Dumbledore sat perched on the edge of his desk, his hands together as he watched Remus closely. His blue robes clashed horribly with the pale colours of his office, the glare of the day seeming to illuminate the room.
"So, you believe him?" Remus asked, standing with his arms crossed over his chest.
"I do." Dumbledore nodded.
"Well why can't we just show Fudge the same memory?"
Dumbledore smiled weakly. "I wish it were that simple, Remus. You know that memories can be changed or made to deceive the viewer. Fudge would just accuse us of faking it to clear Sirius's name."
Remus leaned against the cabinet of strange trinkets that sat in the corner. In all the times he had been in Dumbledore's office over the years, he had never really taken the time to look at them properly. Granted, he barely knew what half of them were or what they did, but he still found them fascination to look at. He turned back to Dumbledore, who was stroking Fawkes as he landed on the old man's knee.
"What do we do?"
Dumbledore looked back to Remus when he spoke, his blue eyes twinkling in a way that guaranteed to Remus that he had already thought this over himself. Dumbledore stood, Fawkes flying off his knee and out of sight among the rafters. Dumbledore took a seat behind his desk.
"We cannot use the Pensieve. There is only one way to prove Sirius did not kill Pettigrew. We must locate your old friend." He said.
"Peter's dead, Albus." Remus said, the words sounding strange in his throat. "Sirius may not have harmed him… but he will be long gone by now. Whether he went on the run after Voldemort's downfall or whether the death eaters took care of him, I don't know. But he's dead."
Dumbledore, to Remus's surprise, smiled.
"We know nothing of Peter's fate after the night Sirius went to him. But I believe he is alive, probably closer than we think."
Remus frowned, his head banging as he listened.
"You think he's at Hogwarts?" Remus asked. He had spent all these years convincing himself that Peter was long gone, along with James and Lily. Maybe he did it as a coping mechanism… maybe he just didn't want to admit that the man responsible for his friend's death was still out there… But the idea that he was here, well it seemed like an irrational dream.
"We can't rule it out as an option." Dumbledore said, his expression slightly solemn now.
"That means he's been near Harry. And Sirius…"
"If my theory is correct then sadly so."
Remus rubbed his head with his hands, the strain physically draining him of whatever energy he had left.
"We have to find him." Remus said, although the idea of coming face to face with Peter after all these years made his stomach clench. What would he do? Remus would struggle to not try and kill him for all the hurt he had caused. And if Sirius so much as caught a whiff of him… he really would be a murderer.
Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "I will speak to Severus and Minerva, tell them to be on their guard for anything unusual."
"Like what?" Remus asked, wanting to know what Dumbledore would categorize as 'unusual'.
"Well, for instance, if they see a large rat running around that is acting strangely like a human." Dumbledore said rather proudly.
Remus froze. "You… you know he's an Animagus?"
Dumbledore smiled warmly. "My boy, I've been the headmaster of this school a very long time. I wouldn't be doing my job properly if I didn't know when things such as becoming illegal animagi are happening."
For the first time since his school years, Remus truly appreciated the wonderful mind of Albus Dumbledore. He had known all these years of Sirius and James' plan to be with Remus, yet had never tried to stop them. But now, as the sky-blue eyes pierced his own, he knew that Dumbledore simply didn't want him to be lonely.
"What of Harry and Mara? Should they be told?" Remus asked.
"What do they know of Pettigrew?" Dumbledore answered.
Remus shrugged. "Not much. They know he was our friend at school and that Sirius was found guilty of his murder… that's it."
Dumbledore stared passed Remus and out of his office window for a moment, almost as if he could see nothing but what was inside his mind. After a while, he sighed loudly, turning back to face Remus once more.
"For now, keep it that way." He said. "Tell them nothing until we know for sure what we are dealing with."
"Harry and Mara have a way of figuring things out, headmaster. Especially when they're deprived of answers. They will find out." Remus argued. After everything, he didn't think he had it in him to hide anything else from the kids.
"I'm not saying they will never be told, you misunderstand me. We are merely delaying their involvement." Dumbledore said, his hands clasped together. "Finding Pettigrew and proving Sirius's innocence will not be easy, the least we can do is keep them out of it while we can."
Remus bowed his head. "Agreed."
"Where are they now?"
Remus thought back. He had last seen Harry at his talk with Dumbledore that had lasted most of the night. He assumed the boy had gone to bed. As for Mara, he saw her last night in his office after the Patronus lessons.
"They're around."
Dumbledore nodded once more. "I stand by what I said to Harry and yourself. Nobody is to go near Sirius. I will arrange food to be taken to him or take it myself, but it is far too risky. Make sure Mara is told."
"I will."
Dumbledore smiled. "You look as if you could sleep for a month, my boy. Go, have a rest. I'll call for you if needed."
Remus nodded in response, and without another word, left the headmasters office for his quarters, where his four-poster bed was calling his name.
"Are you sure, Harry?"
Harry looked back at Mara in the dim light of the tunnel, their wands glowing between them. Her face was half hidden behind her hair, but Harry could hear the concern in her voice. They were standing in the tunnel beneath the whomping willow, the trapdoor to the shrieking shack just above their heads. Harry had the whole journey there to think about what he was going to say to his godfather when he saw him, and had decided that this was something he needed to do alone.
"I'm sure." Harry said, smiling at her weakly. "I just need to speak to him with just us for a while."
To his amazement, Mara nodded right away.
"I understand. I'll wait in one of the downstairs rooms so you can talk."
"Thanks, Mara." Harry said. He watched as Mara pushed the trap door above them open, which she pulled herself through easily enough. Harry followed, Mara grabbing his shoulders and assisting him on successfully getting into the hallway of the shrieking shack. Mara closed the trapdoor over quietly, both of them standing with their wands outstretched.
"He's up there." Mara said, signalling the stairs with her wand. "If you need me just shout."
Harry nodded, his body now too nervous to talk. Mara disappeared through a door on their right, the light of her wand still visible throw the crack in the door. Harry took a step towards the staircase, his body shaking. The stairs creaked as he climbed, the upstairs landing finally coming into view.
The door in front of him was shut. Harry gulped, and put his hand on the dusty metal handle. He pushed it down, the squeak echoing down the hall. The door opened, creating a gap big enough for Harry to squeeze through. He looked around the room with his wand light. He saw a hooded figure in the corner, and his nerves hit the roof.
"Sirius?" he stammered.
But it was not his godfather. The room became icy cold, the shivers trickling down Harry's spine as he stood there, frozen with fear. The hooded figure swooped over to Harry, it's face hidden by the long, raggedy cloak.
He wanted to scream for Mara, but no sound seemed to come out. His throat was dry, his mouth open in shock. His mind raced back to the night before. He tried to think about what Remus had said, but he couldn't remember the words or what he had to do to make the charm work.
A feeling ran over him. He would never be happy again. He would never know what it was to laugh or feel warm. There was only this cold sadness left in him.
"Please… not Harry!"
The screaming woman was back inside his head, screaming and begging for his life. His life. Finally, it all made sense to him… he knew who he was hearing…
"MUM!" Harry shouted as he felt himself fall to the floor. Everything around him went black as the sound of footsteps and shouts rang out from the stairs. But he was already in the darkness.
"Harry!"
Mum…? Harry thought. Was he dead? Was she there?
"Harry, wake up!"
His eyes snapped open, the dirt-covered ceiling of the tunnel under the whomping willow coming into view. He saw two faces staring down at him, guessing he was lying on the floor.
The first was Mara. She was as white as a sheet, her eyes wide and fearful. She was trying her best to smile reassuringly at Harry, but he could see how shaken up she was. She was holding her wand in her left hand, the white tip lighting up the tunnel just enough so Harry could make out the second face as he sat up, his head spinning wildly.
And in that moment, all the hurt and anger Harry had felt towards him for the last five months seemed to disappear. He felt himself lean into his chest before he even knew what he was doing, and Sirius's arms immediately wrapped around him, holding him close as if he couldn't bear to let go.
"Hey, stranger." Sirius mumbled, his voice breaking as he spoke.
"Hey." Was all Harry could manage. He felt so overwhelmed, the memory of the dementor seeming so far away from him now. He pulled back, looking Sirius in the eye for the first time. He was a different man to person who had raised him. His thin face and raggedy clothes did not belong to his godfather… but underneath it all Harry could see the man he loved dearly. He smiled at him, feeling tears roll down his cheeks.
"Hey, it's ok. I'm here. I'm never going anywhere again." Sirius said, laying a hand on Harry's head.
"Better not." Harry sniffed.
Harry wanted to stay in the tunnel forever if it meant he could be near Sirius. But Mara quickly brought them back to reality.
"We have to go." She said, looking up at the trap door. "The dementor knows you're here, Sirius. We have to get out of here."
"What happened?" Harry asked, the chill returning to him as the warmth vanished.
"Well, after you went upstairs Sirius showed up as Padfoot. He'd been out hunting for something to eat. We heard you scream… something about your mum… and we ran up to you. You'd fainted, so Sirius grabbed your wand and cast a Patronus to get rid of the dementor. He picked you up and we ran down here to hide. We think more dementors might be up there now." Mara explained.
"Come on." Sirius helped Harry to his feet, and the three of them started off down the tunnel.
"Where will you go? You can't hide in the shrieking shack anymore." Mara asked.
"I don't know. I'm sure I'll find somewhere to lay low for a while. I best start getting used to being Padfoot again. You know it isn't that bad, it's just the bloody fleas." Sirius answered.
"Maybe you could hide in the boat house?" Harry suggested.
Sirius shook his head. "Too obvious, Harry."
"What about Hagrid's hut?" Mara said.
"It's an idea. Look can we just concentrate on getting out of here first before we worry about my housing."
The three of them trudged on, the sound of the dirt below their feet scratching with every step. It seemed to be hours before they reached the exit. Before leaving Sirius had transformed back into the black dog, standing in-between Harry and Mara. Harry stroked his head, the black dog panting in approval. Harry laughed slightly, only now realising just how much he had missed him.
"Maybe he could hide in the woods?" Mara said, looking over at the tree line.
"There's dementors." Harry said, scanning the grounds for an idea.
Harry narrowed his eyes. They didn't have time to stand here in the open trying to find somewhere that was safe enough for Sirius to hide for a while. The dementors were everywhere, they could be near them this very second. Harry thought and thought, but nothing came to his mind. There was nowhere in the castle or grounds where they could successfully hide the most wanted convict in the wizard world, and get away with it.
"Oh shit…" Mara whispered from beside him. She was staring up towards the castle doors, her eyes narrowed. Harry followed her gaze, his heart dropping into his stomach as soon as he saw what she had been looking at.
There was a group of people heading towards them. Harry could make out the bright robes of Professor Dumbledore, as well as the black of Professor Snape. There was a handful of other wizards with them, some of which were unfamiliar to Harry. But two, he recognised. He felt sick as they got closer and closer, his legs feeling like jelly beneath his weight.
Lucius Malfoy was walking proudly down the path towards the whomping willow, his usual cane in his hand. Harry heard Sirius growl from beside him, and wafted his hand to tell him to be quiet. Beside Lucius was none other than Cornelius Fudge himself, marching at the front of the line like he was the captain of the army.
It was apparent that they had not yet seen Harry and Mara, who quickly hid behind the trunk of the whomping willow, Sirius still by their sides.
"Shit!" Mara exclaimed. "What are we going to do?!"
"They must know about the dementor attack in the shrieking shack…" Harry whispered. "How long was I out?"
Mara scoffed. "Long enough for the ministry of magic to find out."
Harry peeped round the tree trunk. The crowd was closer than before, their voices ringing out in the distance, although it was impossible to hear what they were saying. Harry moved his head back so it was hidden again, looking at Mara and the black dog.
"They're close."
"They can't see us leave here! They'll know something's up." Mara said.
"Well we have to do something! If we stay here, they're just going to find us." Harry argued. He reached his hand inside his pocket for his wand, when he felt a silky material below his fingertips. He pulled out the cloak from his pocket, turning to Mara once more.
"Sorted." He said. He quickly wrapped the cloak around himself and Mara, making sure that the black dog was well covered also. They moved out from the tree trunk so they could see what was happening, and immediately Fudge came into view.
"Last chance, Dumbledore! If I find out you've been hiding a convicted criminal on school grounds, that's it! You're finished."
Dumbledore did not even look phased by the Fudge's threat.
"If Sirius Black was here, I would know." Dumbledore said firmly. "The protection on Hogwarts had doubled this year to ensure the safety of the students."
Fudge scoffed. "It's your students who cause the danger! Just look at the Potter boy."
Harry felt Mara's eyes on him as they remained still under the cloak.
"May I remind you minister, we are here because of Black. Harry is nothing to do with this."
Fudge laughed at Dumbledore mockingly as they stopped under the tree.
"If he doesn't have anything to do with this, I'll give my wand hand!"
"Harry has improved immensely this term. His grades are steady, his attitude is better and he is even on his house quidditch team." Dumbledore said.
Fudge was now watching Snape. "Is this so?"
Snape looked just as he always did, but Harry was sure he could see a glimmer of annoyance in his dark eyes at Fudge questioned him.
"Potter possesses very little talent in academic terms. But the headmaster is correct. Potter has improved." Snape said, almost as if the words were painful.
"And what of the girl?" Fudge demanded. "I suppose she's suddenly a star pupil, too?"
Dumbledore smiled. "Mara is very bright. She has also come along in her studies this year. She definitely inherited the brain of her family members."
Lucius stuck his chin in the air smugly. "If I may minister, it is I who ensured the girl kept to her studies during the school holidays."
"I'm sure you did, Lucius, but I was talking about Regulus Black. Such an intelligent boy." Dumbledore smiled. Lucius looked like he wanted to kill him there and then, but turned back to Fudge instead.
"Shall we take a look then?" Dumbledore said, holding out his hands at the entrance to the tunnel. "Severus, do stay here and keep watch. Make sure no students follow."
Snape and Dumbledore exchanged a look. Snape turned, and was suddenly staring directly at Harry and Mara. He nodded in response to Dumbledore, who disappeared down the tunnel after Fudge and the others. Snape waited a few moments, his arms crossed over his chest as he waited in front of the tunnel entrance. He looked all around him before walking over to where Harry and Mara were, looking straight at them as if he could see through the cloak.
"Come out, Potter."
Harry pulled back the cloak, revealing himself, Mara, and the huge black dog that growled at Snape. Harry sighed. Even in a desperate circumstance Sirius was too stubborn to set aside his pride and general loathing of Snape. Snape gave him a dirty look, before turning away and glancing back at Harry.
"Take your dogfather to my Potion's store room. Leave him and the cloak in there until Professor Dumbledore or myself tell you otherwise. You and Miss Lestrange will wait in my classroom. If anyone asks, you're waiting for me to give you a punishment. You understand Potter?" Snape said.
Harry didn't know what was stranger, the plan itself or the fact that Snape was willingly helping Sirius. Harry nodded in response to Snape, who gave him a small curt jerk of the head in return.
"Go." Snape said, walking back over to the tree to resume standing guard.
Harry and Mara took off towards the doors of the castle, Padfoot close behind them. They hadn't thought to put the cloak on again, and had decided that a black dog in the castle was not the strangest thing known to happen.
