A/N : Hey everyone! I know it's been a long while since I have updated this story. My exams are starting soon, you see, but I will try my best to keep updating the story. I hope you like this. I have spent a long time detailing it. Please stay in touch with the story even if I take some time to update it, which I will surely do.

The characters belong to JK Rowling. I will only take credit for this version of the story.

Three and half years later-

A lone figure was walking down a narrow gravel path on the outskirts of the Hogsmeade village. This place is hardly populated and is only used or even known to the Aurors, important Order members or a tragic hero and his godfather, however, the path has also been known by death eater spies in the Order which makes it not so useful and safe for the Order. This statement makes it more useful for the figure then, as it is easier for him to carry on his errands. The figure on close inspection seems to be a man, a middle-aged man with greasy black hair covered with a hood and in black robes, his shoes rustling the fallen leaves of the autumn season. The person is known as Severus Snape, the current headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The task he has undertaken today is again for the answer to the old question of his loyalty, which- of course, oblivious to almost everyone -is the side of light.

He reaches an old cottage and sees a man, son of the love of his life, standing there with a wand tightly held in one hand and the other hand in the pocket of his cloak. Nonchalant, just like his father, Snape thought snarlingly before removing his own wand with a flourish and pointing it at the young man. The young man had his wand pointed at him at the same time, maybe a second or two before but the assurance is that Snape is not going to appreciate his opponent at any cost.

"Where was the first time we met after light's death?" Snape asked.

"The first room to the left at the previous headquarter of the Order," the man answered calmly before asking his own question, "What instrument did I use to catch you?"

"Kreacher," said Snape equally calm before the two lowered their wands and greeted each other.

"Professor Snape."

"Harry Potter," Snape said shortly, but he could not resist his temptation to snap and continued, "If I may remind you, you did not catch me two years ago. I came down there daily so that one day you could follow me, to have little chat about the end of the dark," he snarled.

"Um.. yes, professor, you're right," said Harry before ducking his head to resist been seen smirking but failed which made Snape's mouth twitch upwards for a moment before he schooled his features.

"How many done?"

"Four of six," came the short reply from Harry.

"Names?"

"Marvolo Gaunt's Ring, Salazar Slytherin's locket, Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem and... Tom Riddle's diary," he finished quietly and his eyes became a bit unfocused, possibly remembering the pain of the memories.

"Next will be?" Snape asked with some exasperation, bringing Harry out of his reverie. Always like this when talked to about the diary, Snape thought irritatedly.

"Er...Yes... It's Helga Hufflepuff's cup," he stammered before regaining his composure and asking, "News about the snake?"

"Completed one assignment two days ago. Next assignment will not be any time soon," Snape answered, referring to the last known Horcrux, Nagini.

"Good. Gives me time to figure out the cup."

"All the Black's Gringotts vault."

Harry seemed to be thinking but looked sharply at Snape for a minute before nodding his head thoughtfully, "Should I contact elf again, then?"

"No," Snape interrupted sharply causing Harry to look puzzled, "Contact the Lord of the house and pay a visit." Kreacher had already done everything required of his part and now, it is time for his pathetic owner to do some work, Snape thought sneering.

"As you suggest. Anything else?"

" Ask Help from Goblin and apprenticed Curse breaker."

"Okay," he answered, nodding his head slowly, no doubt, memorising the given information.

"Good luck," Snape continued and turned to walk back the same path without waiting for an answer.

"Thank you," Harry said and smiled while watching the former Potions' master drifting away. Shaking his head, he started on his way back.

Harry walked his way to the hiding spot of his godfather and himself from the apparition point. Looking at the beautiful cottage, he reflected at the past three and the half years again. They had apparated to Grimmauld place straight after leaving Godric's Hollow, and after opening the locket and learning about RAB, Sirius asked Kreacher about Regulus and they were pleasantly surprised to know that Regulus wasn't a Death Eater at the end and Kreacher still had the locket. They took a week to destroy the locket (the Gryffindor sword had appeared mysteriously hanging on a tree in the woods of their cottage) and lived at this cottage, but when the task was done Kreacher's behaviour changed greatly towards them and he was genuinely thankful for their help in completing his late master's wish.

They had still dismissed Kreacher and asked him to live at Grimmauld place and keep them updated of the visitors, which had led to the great discovery of the mystery of Severus Snape. Kreacher, after a year of Dumbledore's death, had informed them that Professor Snape had been visiting the house daily alone for a week, and the strange thing was that he did not do anything other than walking throughout the place before leaving. Their curiosity was piqued and they hid under Harry's invisibility cloak and waited for him to come. Upon his arrival many spells were cast before he said a sentence which caught the two off guard and the words are still ringing in Harry's head 'I despise Voldemort', they were not ready in case Snape called the Dark Lord by his name and with that opening, Snape had bound them both; and before Sirius could call Kreacher, Snape started explaining the whole story of Harry's mother and then about Dumbledore and his death but Harry doubted that Snape had not told them some important news Dumbledore had shared with Snape. Oh well, Snape would tell them when he redeemed it fit to tell.

They had not been patient but curious and were throwing snarling comments at him, but he was not once phased throughout his explanation and at the end, they stopped resisting against the binds and Snape released them so that they could discuss the situation on a cup of tea. He had then explained about the Horcruxes. Harry was the one who had suggested that the Gryffindor or Ravenclaw's artefact might be at Hogwarts but they could not go there just then because the school year was going on and Carrows were teaching there. They had then taken up the task in the summer holidays and had found the Horcrux to be Ravenclaw's diadem in the Room of Requirement, a week before the new school year began. They had destroyed it pretty quickly then.

After finding that there were only two Horcruxes left, they had slowed down. After spending the better part of two years for Harry's training to fight Voldemort, they had once again concentrated on the Horcruxes again when Snape had informed him that Nagini was a Horcrux. Now it's been a month since they have known that Helga Hufflepuff's cup is a Horcrux and Snape asks him to check the vaults of the Blacks and ask the help of the curse breakers to identify a dark art object. Let's do this too then, Harry thought wryly. He then abruptly stopped to see that he was on the front door of the cottage. He entered and found Sirius reading The tale of Beetle the Bard book that Dumbledore had given to Harry, along with a snitch and deluminator (which was to be kept with Sirius all the time) after his death, while slouching on the couch in the living room. They had found that the symbol of the Deathly Hallows drawn multiple times on the book and Sirius taught it was important to read the book whenever time permits. The scenes of Voldemort in Harry's head had helped a lot to understand the importance of the Hallows. It was sheer luck that Harry had an ancestral connection to the Peveralls and had found the third part of the Hallows- the invisibility cloak- with himself.

He reached in his cloak pocket and removed the snitch from it and turned it around in his hand. He then removed his cloak and hung it on the hook by the door, all the while looking at the snitch. He had spent many days watching the snitch and had not found anything out of the ordinary but today it was looking more fascinating than ever.

He rounded the couch and sat beside Sirius, who then seemed to notice his arrival.

"Hey pup, how is old Snivellus?" he asked as he sat straighter.

"All good and he gave me a lot of interesting information," Harry replied while still looking at the snitch.

Sirius frowned and said, "It is his work to give you interesting information. Now don't keep your charming godfather from the news, spill it."

Harry chuckled and finally looked up while still rotating the snitch in between his fingers, "Asked to visit the Black's Gringotts vaults and take help from the goblins to get a Curse breaker to accompany us for the visit."

Sirius hummed his acknowledgement and leaned back against the couch and closed the book in his lap, "Smart one he is. The Black vaults will have innumerable dark objects, and curses on the vaults too and a curse breaker appointed by a goblin himself will be the most trustable," he then looked at Harry who had gone back to snitch-watching, something he never did in front of Sirius, and asked, "Found something?"

"Oh, no. I was reminiscing the time I caught the snitch, this was the one I caught in my first year...," Harry launched himself in the story mode and regaled the story to an attentive Sirius, he ended the story with, "and then I was vomiting out a golden snitch," and laughed with Sirius as he impersonated the scene with keeping the snitch inside his mouth.

When he calmed down, he looked back at snitch and blinked twice before whispering Sirius' name, who gasped when he saw the words 'I open at the close' appearing on it and snatched the snitch to inspect it closely. A minute later he composed most of himself and spoke in a forced calm voice, "Well then, go change your clothes. Tonks, Kingsley and Moody will be coming soon for your duelling practice, you wouldn't want to be late."

Harry sighed and reluctantly got up. Duelling practice, he thought, for me which may as well be more than of a trained Auror. He had almost forgotten about the practice, really, with all the new information Snape had given and now the scribbling on the snitch, it is easy to forget the old duelling classes which started when he was of age and did not have the trace on him anymore. Now, he was tired and just wanted this war to be over and done with.

Sirius had prompted the address of a site near their hiding location to his cousin Tonks, who had suggested bringing Kingsley and Moody on the idea of improving Harry's wand works. Therefore, since Harry's seventeenth birthday almost three years ago, those three, and sometimes Sirius too, had been teaching and improving Harry. It had worked well too because now Harry had confidence and easiness with his wand more than ever before and the new surroundings, which would be insulted when compared to Dursleys, had affected Harry's body build drastically and positively.

He climbed up the stairs all the while thinking about the spells and movements he would require and preparing himself to put up with Moody's annoying behaviour. He was now not intimidated by Moody, instead, he had a lot of respect for him but there were times when Moody became too irritating which made controlling temper for Harry hard.

He changed his clothes swiftly into something more comfortable for a workout session and took a moment to look at his room. His life had changed significantly after Dumbledore's death. He now lived permanently with his godfather, he had not shown up at the Dursleys even once. The room which he had at the #4 Privet Drive, only a little larger than a closet mind you, was nothing compared to the one he had right now. The four-poster bed that sat in the middle of his room had a far more comfortable mattress, and the walls were all painted in light green, which causes liveliness and fills him with somewhat contentedness. The desk on one side of the wall is filled with books of magical studies, including charms and also Auror training course books. Pausing his eyes at the pile of potions books, he thought wryly, I can cry it aloud from the astronomy tower that potions is one of my most strong suits since Snape isn't teaching. He then scans the opposite wall with the closet, he now had all fitting clothes which were all new and only bought for him and not hand-me-downs of anyone (pathetic Dudley mainly), some of the clothes were not even worn once. He smirked, imagining the look on Dudley's face if he sees Harry today, but before he could dwindle much on the thought, a blur vision at the peripheral of his eye made him turn around and stalk swiftly towards the window above his desk, a hand already gripped around his wand in his pocket. There he saw a boy, barely fifteen with red hair, walking past oblivious to the small cottage standing in the middle of the woods.

He sighed and watched the boy turning around the path at a corner. He then removed his grip from his wand and ran a hand through his hair, taking deep breaths to calm the adrenaline rush. He sometimes forgot that they were under the Fidelius Charm. The red-haired boy had broken through the slight peace he had received from looking around the room, while tactfully avoiding his bedside table. He now felt a sudden urge to move towards the table and look at its belongings again. He turned around, sat on the edge of his bed and looked at the two photos that graced the bedside table. The photos brought a fond and longing smile to his face.

The first photo showed his best, former best friends, he corrected himself ruefully. The photo was clicked when he was in his fifth year by Remus himself. The background showed the dark and creepy living room of Grimmauld place in Christmas spirit. After a lot of persuasion from, well, mostly Hermione's part, Remus had agreed to click their photo, and Harry was glad he agreed to it because this was one picture of the trio that appealed to him the most, which was clicked by Remus was a bonus, not that there were many photos of them to start with, but still... He silently watched as the trio was standing and a grinning photo Harry suddenly smacked a smiling photo Hermione, who had her Christmas present book, given by Ginny, hugged to her chest. Hermione's expression changed and she smacked a madly grinning photo Ron pretty hard with her book as she thought he was the one who started it in the first place. Ron fell face-first on the ground and after recovering, they both started arguing with Harry laughing hysterically in the background. The present Harry smiled sadly remembering the fight, which had continued for the better part of an hour, by the time they had both forgotten why they were fighting in the first place and even about the photo, which Harry had hidden safely to save himself from his friends' anger. The photo then repeated the scene and Harry moved on to the next photo, which made him smile a wistful and dreamy smile.

The photo was of him and his-, not my, just Ginny, he thought bitterly, but it didn't stop him from staring intently at the photo. He fought the urge to grab the photo and lay on the bed, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop himself from brooding if he did so. He settled on looking at it, at her and drink her form and face again. He saw the photo Harry and Ginny standing under a tree's shade, his hand around Ginny's waist, holding her close as she shows her tongue at the camera. It was her friend Colin Creevey who had taken the picture, and Harry was glad for it because this was the only photo of them together alone while they were dating. It was the only Hogsmeade weekend we went for together, as a couple, he thought regretfully. He was drawn towards the photo again as the photo Harry with an adoring smile leaned down and dropped a kiss on photo Ginny's forehead, which caused her to stop her actions towards the camera and turn towards the photo him with a blinding smile, and kiss him fully on the lips. The photo then repeated itself but that wasn't how it happened really, there was actually nothing for a while, reality had faded away and what was left was only them and their lips. Colin had later given the photo to Harry at breakfast for which he had thanked Colin profusely, who had just blushed and scampered off. He extended his fingers to touch her in the frame, giving up to his heart's desire, but just before touching her, a quiet call of his name made him stop.

"Harry," the said person turned to see Sirius leaning against the door frame with a blank face. Harry sighed and got up from his bed to face his day.

"They have already reached there, I am sure your coin burned as well, and knowing Moody, he would be barking mad by now about your disciplines," Sirius said before flashing him a fleeting smile and turning to leave without even checking if Harry was following.

However, Harry followed him anyway and listened as Sirius spoke again, "I am not coming with you today. I will go now itself to Gringotts and arrange everything with them for your visit. I may be a little behind your coming time."

He murmured his acknowledgement and soon was bidding goodbye to Sirius and walking outside the cottage to apparate to the small basement at the outskirts of the town nearest to the woods they lived in. When he reached his destination and found himself in a quiet and dark alleyway, Harry reflected on the basement he was heading to. The basement was of an old, cracked apartment building that was considered haunted by ghosts by the muggles. Sirius had talked and cleared off the ghosts from the basement for Harry's use. They had decided against telling the Auror friends about their living cottage to avoid the minimum risk of even leaking the location of the woods let alone the cottage.

Harry walked into the hallway of the building and swiftly climbed down the stairs in a specific rhythm to make his original presence known to the Aurors. He reached the bottom and swiftly walked to the last door of the three, and knocked in a fixed pattern before entering the room. Just as the area came into view, he, without knowing and realizing the happenings around him, had drawn his wand out and cast a shield in front of him while moving to his sides to avoid three beams of stunning spells, and firing three aforementioned spells himself in direction of his offenders.

He grinned smugly when he saw his three teachers looking at him with a smile, well two were wearing a smile while Moody was looking at him in his usual gruff manner with slight pride and impressiveness in his eyes- well, eye.

"Wotcher, Harry!" Tonks said as he entered the room, "How is my mother's old cousin?"

Harry was about to answer but Moody beat him to it, "Time for catch up will be later," he growled at Tonks while his magical eye was moving madly in its socket, he turned to Harry then and said, "Constant Vigilance, boy! I was starting to think you were too much of a coward to turn up here today and noticing the time you have come, I consider the assumption correct."

Harry grimaced and mumbled an apology while Tonks rolled her eyes and Kingsley gave a sympathetic smile. They all moved in unison towards the table set in the corner to discuss the latest news. Kingsley joined Harry on the way and said, "Hello, Harry."

Harry took a seat next to him and said, "Hey, Kingsley. How is your Auror department doing?

Kingsley grimaced, "Just keeps cleaning up the mess made by the Death Eaters. Minister Thicknesse doesn't let us do anything else."

Tonks piped in, "I am just surviving in the department because Kingsley here is the Head of the Aurors. I swear if another puppet enters the ministry, I will have all grey hair before Mum," and as if to prove her point, she changed her hair to grey for a second before changing it back.

Harry smiled sympathetically at them both and answered, "I wish this all ends soon."

"Me too, Harry, me too," Kingsley replied while smiling faintly, he suddenly looked very tired.

All three jumped when Moody suddenly banged his fist on the table and barked, "Constant Vigilance."

They all turned towards him, who was sitting beside Tonks across Harry. Moody passed Harry a copy of Daily Prophet and Tonks started explaining, "There was a Death Eaters attack at Diagon Alley yesterday morning and another in Muggle London in the evening. The Alley attack had led to four deaths – Colin Creevey, Jule Moon, Lavender Brown and Daniel Hunsen. The former two were crushed under a fallen shop and the latter two by Greyback and Dolohiv," she spat the Death Eaters's name and continued, "The muggle attack was done to cause a disturbance which they did by colliding a boat with the bank of the canal. No deaths till now, but two fatal cases and four heavy injury cases. The rest were rescued safely."

Harry took all this in with a grim expression and silently apologised to himself for his two former housemates' death. Though he couldn't help but feel relief that it wasn't any of the Weasleys or Hermione.

Kingsley took over the conversation and continued, "My Aurors had worked both the day and night shift cleaning up the mess. The Order members had come to aid too. Minister of Magic has refused to give any statement neither to the wizarding community nor to the muggle authorizations about the involvement of the Death Eaters in the attacks, but we all know who it is."

"Yeah," Harry murmured and then sighed before folding the Prophet and keeping it back on the desk. He then removed a note from his pocket and handed it across the table to Moody and said, "As decided."

"The Order meeting has been scheduled on the day after tomorrow at Mrs Tonks house," Moody continued gruffly, "Three new members will be joining. I will talk to them first before showing this parchment to everyone."

"I reckon the new members are the two youngest Weasleys and Hemione Granger," Tonks said pointedly looking at Harry, "They are bound to be fierce and loyal."

"They already are," Harry said with more conviction than he intended making all the three Aurors look at him. He cleared his throat and spoke again, "Anyway, I did not write the note. Sirius did. Many people there know my writing but Sirius' will be difficult to decipher, and you three not saying anything will not help their case."

They sat for a minute in silence, all lost in their own thoughts but soon Moody got up and ordered them to start the practice. Harry, resignedly, got up and practised for two hours before returning home and making dinner. He would discuss all the information with Sirius at the dinner table.

A hooded figure walked in the shadows of the large wizarding market, Diagon alley. He avoided all the routes which may lead to any recognition of his person. The presence of many Aurors on the streets led to the awareness that some attack had taken place in Diagon Alley. He was already upset about the injustice happening with his godson but now this piece of news about the Alley added to his misery. He, Sirius Black, had kept Harry Potter, his godson, out of the eyes of the wizarding world and also of the eyes of Harry's friends. He did not intend to do this but this was needed to complete the prophecy. He had told Harry to go to muggle London and enjoy himself there but he did not agree, and the truth is told, Sirius was relieved for this, he did not want unexpected ambushes to happen with his godson. He deep inside knew he was wrong to keep Harry hidden and he did feel guilty sometimes, but his love and selfishness for his godson always won. Seeing his godson look again and again at the photos broke his heart but he knew that when the war will be over, Harry will have all his life ahead of him and he could go and be with his friends again or make new and better friends for himself, it would be completely his choice and then Sirius will not say anything to him.

He then looked up and saw his destination ahead. He then walked determinedly towards the wizarding bank, Gringotts. He strode towards the reception goblin and promptly showed his key. The goblin looked up from his desk and Sirius gave him an imperceptible nod. Returning it, the goblin moved towards a room at the corner with Sirius following closely behind. The goblin opened the door and went inside. After a few minutes, he emerged outside and asked Sirius to follow him inside.

Sirius entered inside and saw a goblin sitting behind his desk, with a nameplate on his desk addressing him as Ragnok, Head Goblin. The goblin looked up when he entered. He stood up and bowed down in greeting towards Sirius, who followed suit. Ragnok gestured Sirius to take a seat, and only when they were both seated and the other goblin was outside, did they start talking.

"To what do I owe for making an acquaintance with you today, Mr Sirius Black?" Ragnok started.

Sirius spoke for the first time since leaving his cottage, "I need some help Ragnok."

"For what?" Ragnok asked as he leaned forward in his chair.

"I want to check all the Black vaults and, as you know, the Blacks before me have had a knack of collecting dark object and also cursing entries of their vault," Sirius said eloquently with the pretentious charm that came with pureblood families.

When the head goblin did not reply, Sirius continued, "Well so, I required a hand to keep the dark magic in check. I first imagined calling a private curse breaker, but soon decided against it. The vaults have highly valuable artefacts and leak of anything may cause a bit of mayhem. I then recalled that Gringotts has many curse breakers in apprentice and the one selected by goblins will be the most trusted and capable person for the work. Hence, I decided to pay a visit and ask for your help."

The goblin straightened in his chair and said, "I see, Mr Black. I must also acknowledge your wisdom in making such a fine choice, Mr Black," he said with a hint of pride and added an afterthought with a bit of contempt, "especially when considering you are a wizard and a pureblood too," and Sirius did all he could to resist laughing outright and keep a straight face, however, Ragnok did not notice this struggle and leaned back in his chair and continued, "However, I find it important to ask that are you looking for something special in your vaults?"

This immediately sobered Sirius and he answered with practised nonchalance, "I have been the Lord of the Black house for years now, but I have not come 'round to take a look at the contents of all the vaults nor has my godson, Harry Potter, who is the only heir of all Black's commodities after me. I deemed it important for him to know what he is signing up for when he becomes my heir. I do not wish to find an important something in the vaults, but since, it would be my godson who will look around with your assigned Curse Breaker, I cannot say anything on his behalf as to if he finds something fascinating to his eye."

Ragnok's eye had sharpened at the Chosen one's name, just like Sirius had intended and he said, "Harry Potter, you say. He is your godson and will be coming here alone, will he?" and at Sirius' wary nod, he continued, "Very well then. I will make papers for you to sign for the visit that gives your godson permission to enter your vaults. I would also suggest that you make a will of yourself, assigning Harry Potter as your legal heir. If you will sit here for a few minutes, I would complete the process. "

Sirius answered his agreement and within a few minutes, he had signed all the papers. The visit was decided to be on the third morning after the present day. Both stood up to greet each other but Sirius interrupted, "I trust the goblins to keep my godson's visit a secret."

Ragnok sharply spoke, "I hope you are aware, Mr Black, that the goblins do not work for the ministry and no wizard is different to us goblins, may they even be Harry Potter visiting. We would be indifferent to him but also discreet."

Sirius did not reply, instead, he bowed deeply before leaving the bank and going back to the cottage to discuss with Harry the new information.

A/N : Do review! Let me know your thoughts.