A/N: Bet you thought you'd seen the last of this story, right? WRONG! I started writing this monster nearly five years ago and I WILL finish it even if I have to take another five years to do so!

I do apologize for the non-existent activity, lately: even if we ignore the lack of internet at my house, and the pandemic preventing me from going to my usual sources of wifi (except at 4 in the morning on the days I don't work), I've honestly just fallen into the habit of only posting on AO3 - easier to collect all my AUs into a series, fewer people leaving comments in the vein of "please update soon!", you get the idea. I'm going to see about finishing a couple of my HP stories, and then bring over the new ones I've been posting there, alright?

Thanks for reading, even with my two year delays putting a damper on things,

-Tri

Chapter 23

Minerva sighed, ignoring the temptation to rub at her temple. "Well, at least the children are all safely arrived now."

"If we can consider them 'safe' with a horde of Dementors circling the school's boundaries," Severus muttered under his breath. Filius made a noise of agreement, whereas Pomona mimicked Minerva by sighing.

"I know full well the new security measures are not ideal," Albus said, "But the Minister insisted, and has promised they will remain on the boundaries, well away from the students."

"Ideal? We're not even sure they'll work! Black slipped past the Dementors at Azkaban already, why shouldn't he find a way past them here as well?" The Headmaster ignored his Potions Master's sneer in favor of standing to approach the window and peer outside.

"Severus makes a point, Albus," Filius spoke up. "We may be inflicting mental harm onto the students for no good purpose at all if Sirius Black still gets into Hogwarts."

"While I am inclined to agree, we don't exactly have much in the way of options - something needs to be put in place for security, if only for appearance's sake, and the Ministry is best able and most inclined to use Dementors."

"You are capable of telling them to simply shove off." Minerva's flat words caused her co-workers to glance at the witch in surprise.

Albus, though, continued to merely look tired. "After the fallout from last year and the Chamber, my dear, I'm afraid I've lost some credibility with the Ministry, and such an endeavor would not be as simple as it could have in the past."

The meeting wrapped up shortly thereafter, with the House Heads departing for their various quarters around the castle. Before Minerva could get quite all the way to her own, however, Severus slipped out of a secret passage to fall into step beside her.

"You know something," the man said in a low tone. "Black is hunting for one of your lion cubs, and possibly his siblings as well, and yet you're the one to suggest the Headmaster do away with Ministry assistance entirely."

Minerva couldn't help but be a smidge grateful for her former student's utter lack of tact in his accusation, because she didn't feel the least bit inclined to deal with Slytherin word games after the day's events. "I do know something. And while I will not be informing you of what, Severus, I am inclined to tell you this: Harry Potter is not in danger from Sirius Black at this time."

Even without looking, she could feel the sharp gaze boring into the side of her head. "...then, the Dementors are truly not necessary."

"No indeed. And at every available opportunity, I will be pushing Albus to get rid of them. With any luck, it will happen before any further incidents occur."

They walked in silence for a further few corridors, and then Severus spoke again. "If you say Black is not currently a danger, then I am inclined to believe you. I will see what strings I can pull to also assist in removing the Dementors."

"Thank you, lad."

-TEW-

"Bloody hell, is that a Grim?!"

Harry sighed. "Seamus, mate, that hasn't gotten any funnier since the first time you said it."

The other boy snickered, already bending down to scratch at Padfoot's ears. "Alright, I'll knock it off. But seriously, Harry, of all stray dogs in the UK, you had to take in the one that looks like the Harbinger of Death?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. At least he's nicer to look at than that kneazle Hermione brought with her."

"Well, that's fair, I suppose." Seamus gave the dog a final pat before straightening up again. "How's he get along with that snowy owl of yours?"

"Poorly. But even if he and Hedwig were on friendly terms, there is no way I'd be daft enough to take him up into the Owlery with me." Padfoot turned a mournful expression up at him, causing Harry to snort. "Don't even try it, we both know you'd have fun stirring up all sorts of chaos.

The dog gave a long, drawn-out whine, sitting down with his shoulders hunched and tail curled around his paws. Seamus, who'd already seen Padfoot give Harry merry hell by playing keep away with one of his slippers, just laughed. "Blimey, he's a melodramatic sort, eh?"

"Like you wouldn't believe."

-TEW-

There were quite a few people who reacted in genuine fear at the sight of Padfoot when he trotted through the halls at Harry's heels, but by the end of the first week of classes, he largely seemed to have been accepted as a new feature of the school. It certainly helped that, in the Gryffindor common room, the Great Hall, or anywhere else with large gatherings of students, the dog happily made himself available for petting and belly rubs.

He stayed outside Harry's classrooms while lessons were in session, and was firmly forbidden from entering the library by Madam Pince, but everywhere else, Padfoot did whatever he could to prove himself a cheerfully friendly soul.

Which was not to say he never let his fierceness show.

The first time Malfoy tried a confrontation, Harry didn't have time to blink before Padfoot placed himself firmly between them, and began to growl. It came out deep and low, barely audible, but the very flagstones of the courtyard they stood in seemed to quiver. Malfoy paled and automatically took a step back. Instantly, Padfoot sat in place, tail slowly wagging back and forth. The Slytherin tried to regain his composure by sneering and turning away with a haughty flourish, but the speed with which he abandoned the courtyard kept Harry grinning for the remainder of the day.

Requesting to bring his dogfather to Hogwarts was, by far and away, the best thing he'd ever done.

-TEW-

"I think the other boys suspect something's up."

Harry, tucking finished homework away in his school bag for the following day, glanced up in surprise. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, that Dean lad keeps giving me odd looks," Sirius said slowly, where he perched on the edge of Ron's neighboring bed. "And Seamus nearly walked in on me in the loo the other morning."

"Padfoot, you're supposed to use Moony's quarters when you want to clean up."

"Yes, I know, but it's so far." The sight of his grown godfather pouting like the twins when one of their pranks failed to go off set Harry to chuckling. "And besides, I hate leaving you alone for so long."

"Mad-Eye still has Pettigrew locked up," the thirteen year old pointed out.

"And it's a damn good thing he does," Sirius agreed in a dark tone. "But there are Dementors out there, along with Merlin knows what else."

"I think you're being just a tad too overly paranoid there, Padfoot."

"Prongslet. Have you or have you not been nearly killed in both your previous two years here?"

"...I guess I can't argue with that."

Sirius snorted, and stood in order to step closer and clasp Harry's shoulders. "Kiddo, nothing is more important to me than keeping you safe. Which means, sticking close, even if we don't think there's any nearby danger. Besides which, I've got twelve years of no contact whatsoever to make up for!"

Harry gave a slight smile at that. "Alright, fine. But if Seamus or Dean actually catch you out, it's on your head, not mine."

"Fair enough."

The dormitory door chose just that moment to open behind them, and Sirius nearly dove out of sight to transform before Neville stuck his head inside. "Hey, Harry? Just wanted to let you know, the others are wrapping up downstairs."

"Thanks, Nev," the other boy said gratefully.

Sirius echoed the sentiment, too, before adding, "Awfully decent of you be a watchman for us, Longbottom."

Neville reddened slightly. "Ah, well, it's no trouble, really. Plus, I kind of like having a dog around - you're much better company than my Trevor."

The man barked a laugh at that, and Neville's grin widened before he retreated back out. Harry just shook his head, before holding out his arms expectantly. Sirius wasted no time in grabbing him in a hug.

When Seamus came up along with Ron a few minutes later, it was to find Harry already changed into pajamas and seated on his bed, turning the pages of his book with one hand while the other stroked Padfoot's glossy fur.

-TEW-

PETER PETTIGREW: HERO OR DEATH EATER SPY?

What was possibly the most eye-catching headline since Sirius escaped from Azkaban had students throughout the Great Hall practically ignoring breakfast in order to read the three page article.

Harry didn't bother; he had Quidditch practice in the afternoon, and needed to eat well. And slip Padfoot several sausage links and bacon strips beneath the table, while he was at it.

"That Mad-Eye sure worked fast," Ron commented through a mouth full of food. "Witness accounts from the War, and that night Sirius went after Pettigrew- it's only been a couple months!"

"There wasn't all that much to track down, I expect," Hermione commented, eyes still glued to her own copy of the Prophet. "Considering there was never a trial and all. Hardest part would've just been finding all the old reports from twelve years ago, most likely."

"Which was probably what poor Tonks was doing, going through all the paperwork," Ginny snickered, munching on her jam-smeared toast.

"Does it say if they've actually arrested him yet?" Harry asked.

"I don't think- oh wait! Here it is, second page: 'Aurors Alastor Moody and Nymphadora Tonks brought these concerns to Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, following their surprise encounter with none other than Pettigrew himself! Though the family remains unnamed, the formerly much-lauded hero has allegedly spent much of the past twelve years hiding as a pet rat, thanks to his unregistered animagus form-' Yes, it does look like he's in custody." Hermione looked quite pleased, and finally set her paper aside in order to return to her porridge.

"And now they're going to go ahead with the trial, right?" Neville asked.

"Reckon they have to, everything in the Prophet like that - do you think someone did it deliberately? So Fudge couldn't try to cover anything up?"

"Probably," Harry answered, offering a hard-boiled egg to Padfoot, who swallowed it in one go. "Though if not, I wouldn't want to be the person who leaked it."

"Not with Moody around, no," Ginny agreed, before she swiped the last bite of hash brown off his plate. Harry rolled his eyes, and stole half a sticky bun from her in retaliation. They might have gone further, had Hermione not suddenly realized the time and sent them all into a scramble to get moving for class.

-TEW-

Though Defense Against the Dark Arts was by far and away Harry's new favorite course, thanks to Moony, he wondered if their first lesson with the boggart might be enough to change his mind.

The fears of some students, he needed to struggle to keep from chuckling over - others, Harry understood completely. Ran's giant spider caused a bit of concern before he managed to send it sprawling with a set of roller skates, as did the manticore that formed in front of one Slytherin girl before she stuck a bottle cork on the end of its stinger tail, and the creature repeatedly hit itself in the head.

Malfoy's fear definitely made Harry shiver: it was Voldemort's wraith from their first year, hovering over the body of a unicorn, silver blood dripping from the shadow of his hood. Quite a few people stumbled back as the creature floated forward, Malfoy included, but he managed to get his wand pointed in the right direction before it could reach him. "Riddikulus!"

The tattered figure of the wraith trembled, collapsed in on itself, and then burst apart in the form of ribbons, streamers, and confetti. Malfoy headed towards the back of the line with poorly hidden relief.

Hermione possibly made things worse with her turn, when the boggart recollected itself into a slightly smaller version of the basilisk from the Chamber of Secrets. Quite a few people shrieked when it's yellow eyes flashed, and even Moony gave a start, very nearly stepping forward to put himself in-between the two of them.

"Riddikulus!" Hermione didn't appear to need the help, however. Her spell caught the basilisk head-on, causing ears and fur and legs to sprout, turning it into-

"Brilliant, 'Mione!" Harry cheered, as a duplicate of Padfoot jumped around the room, trying to chase his own tail, which still resembled a snake's. That delight swiftly faded, however, as Hermione backed away, and then it became Harry's turn. Briefly, he flicked through ideas of what the boggart might turn into, and what he could use as counters - another basilisk, or perhaps Quirrel with Voldemort on the back of his head? Maybe a Dementor, those had been pretty bloody terrifying on the train-

His thoughts froze when Molly Weasley appeared.

"Oh, hell," someone muttered behind him.

"Harry James Potter," she said, but it came out wrong - not exasperated, or upset, or even her bellow of fury when someone had pushed her patience too far. Rather, the tone was ice cold, utterly unlike anything he'd ever heard from her before. "You have put my children in danger for the last time - it was a mistake to ever let the Headmaster leave you with us, we never should have taken you in-"

Harry lifted his wand, but couldn't manage to get the spell out, couldn't speak, couldn't breathe-

Suddenly, his view of the boggart changed to a warm grey jumper, as Moony put himself in the way. Molly Weasley condensed into a full moon, barely hidden by traces of clouds, but even that only lasted a moment. "RIDDIKULUS!" The clouds dispersed as a balloon whizzed about, guided by Moony's wand back into its wardrobe, which snapped shut. "Right then! If you didn't have a chance today, we'll be repeating this lesson next week, after you all have brought me three inches on known encounters with boggarts, their preferred targets and environments, and an extra half inch going over what you might use for your own future encounter. Class dismissed!"

Most everyone dispersed to gather their belongings, and then headed for the door. A handful, though, remained to gather around Harry, who'd yet to move.

"You know she'd never say anything like that," Ron said quietly, leaning close enough to touch shoulders with his shorter brother.

"I-" Harry swallowed. "Yeah, I know she wouldn't. I just- I used to wonder, sometimes. Not for years," he added hastily, at Ron's stricken expression, "But I guess, after this summer- what that reporter in Egypt said- I guess it's not as forgotten a fear as I thought."

They all remained silent for a moment, Moony thankfully fiddling with something over on his desk to give them a moment's privacy. Then Neville spoke up. "Well, it could've been worse. Could've been Lockhart who showed up, insisting on more group photos."

It took a moment, but one by one, they each started to snicker, and then properly laugh. Padfoot stuck his nose in through the open classroom door, and the sight of his bewildered face set them all off even harder.