CHAPTER SEVEN

Harry Potter crouched beside Peter Pettigrew's Animagus form. Though he was exhausted, magically and otherwise, he did not want to touch the rat. "Wingardium Leviosa," he whispered for the second time that night.

The rat was magically floated in front of the boy as they trudged through the snow, until Harry realised with a start that he had no idea where he was.

What was he going to do? He didn't even know the hand movements for the Patronus Charm, let alone how to cast it. His mind flicked through the options, all coming up hopeless — except one. Was he going to have to wake up the rat?

Harry shivered, and not just from the cold.

He didn't know where he was — no one was going to save him — what could he possibly—

Harry's stream of consciousness suddenly stopped. His eyes squinted, desperate to know if he really had seen it, but they only returned the sight of the starry night sky.

No — swooping towards Harry, almost camouflaged in the snow of the trees, was his trusted owl — loyal as ever.

His legs crumpled as relief washed over him. The tears made no attempt to stay in his eyes.

"Hedwig!" he chattered, wrapping his arms around his friend. "B-br-bring D-dumbledore." The owl flew and Harry sat in the snow. Harry wished Hermione was there, as well as being his friend, she knew the charm for warmth. And as Harry shivered mercilessly on the ground, that was something he would have killed for.

He begged Dumbledore to hurry. He resolved that once he was back at Hogwarts, his top priority would be to learn the Patronus charm. Instant Wizarding messaging was too useful not to have, especially when a man's soul was on the line. Would they give Sirius the Dementor's Kiss for escaping? What would happen to the Weasleys? Would they testify for him, against Pettigrew?

Of course they would. But Harry knew their words meant nothing if the rat was still here in the middle of nowhere, slumped in the snow. He had to get it to Sirius.

After nearly half an hour in the cold Harry's eyelids were almost freezing shut, so it took him longer than normal to notice the familiar purple robes swooping through the air, Hedwig not far in front.

Albus Dumbledore placed his wand on Harry's shoulder and a brilliant warmth spread through him. He did not do the same for the rat.

"Headmaster, the rat.."

"I know, Harry. I know." The man's twinkling blue eyes settled on the boy's. "You've done brilliantly."

Dumbledore swished his wand and the rat was suspended in a bubble. His hand tapped the top and the bubble was gone, to where Harry could only assume he would pay for his crimes.

"Right now the Wizangemot are performing anti-Animagus charms on that rat, Harry. He should be revealed to be your parents' true traitor right about... now." The old wizard smiled at the young one. "You've just saved an innocent man, Harry. Now I think there's someone who wants to see you."

Dumbledore held his arm open and Harry looped his own around it, experiencing by far the least painful Side-Along Apparition of the day.

He appeared in a dim corridor, humongous double doors swinging open the moment his feet clanked against the ground.

"Sirius!" cried Harry. His tear ducts couldn't seem to get a break.

"Harry my boy! You've done wonderfully!" The godfather and son finally embraced, drawing a tear from the purple-robed spectator. "How could I ever repay you Harry?"

"You could start by finishing off what you were asking me at your house?"

"Of course." The innocent man straightened up; he was looking healthier already. "Harry James Potter. Would you be interested in coming to live with me, your godfather, Sirius Regulus Black, at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, assuming your headmaster sees it fit now that you have decimated the Dark Lord's most loyal servant?"

The wrinkly head nodded.

The young head nodded.

"Of course," said Harry Potter, and he embraced his godfather again, finally confident that he would still be there if he ever chose to let go.

—

Thank you for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it.

This was inspired by an off the cuff comment in a SuperCarlinBrother's video.

Some links:

If you want to read the BEST, most moving, most epic HP Fanfic of all time, see: Remix of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality - Daystar Eld

If you want to see my other "fiction", see: 2020/12/11/the-true-face-of-the-enemy/

If you want to see my thoughts on core Harry Potter, see: Search Results for "harry potter" – Gingerjumble ( )

Reviews make me happy. Leave one if you want!