Magic Will Find a Way

By: Ryu Katanna

Beta:

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Eight

Harry sighed as he leaned back in his chair and away from his computer with a glance toward the mirror laying face down next to it. It had been a long night after finding the mirror in his bag and discovering that it actually worked. For now it was quiet, but Harry knew it was only a matter of time before a call would come through for him. His mind was still realing with everything he had spoken to Sirius and Remus about, and it left Harry feeling conflicted as he remembered.

"You're alive. Oh, thank Merlin!" Sirius sobbed as his grey eyes traced the familiar features of the teen he could see in the mirror.

He could see that there was something different about the boy, but the man ignored it as he stood and rushed from his room and into the one across the hall. He almost tackled the man sleeping on the bed in his enthusiasm as he rushed over to wake his old friend.

"Moony! Moony wake up! It's Harry!" Harry could hear from the other side of the mirror as he lowered himself onto his bed with Owen taking a seat in his computer chair and moving it closer to see the shuffling images flashing from movement as a dim light filled the room with a wave of someone's wand.

"Sirius, what?" A familiar voice rasped as the candles were lit and Harry's body almost vibrated as the two men came into view.

"Hello Professor." Harry said softly as amber eyes finally focused and he found himself thankful then that Owen was with him and providing silent support.

"Harry... We thought you were dead. Oh, thank Merlin. Are you alright?" Professor Lupin, no he had asked Harry to call him Remus, asked and Harry could see the lines of tension in the man's face relax as he replied.

"I'm fine. Actually, I'm doing good. I just found the mirror while going through my bag. I thought I would never get to see any of you again..." Harry replied as he felt Owen's hand grasp his knee in an offer of support that he accepted gladly.

"So you're safe, pup?" Sirius asked for confirmation as his image joined that of Remus's in the mirror.

"Yeah. Don't worry, Padfoot. I'm alright." Harry replied with a small smile.

"That's good. Where are you Harry? We'll come get you, and bring you home." Remus said as the image shifted to show that both men were moving around as if to get ready to do just that.

"You can't." Harry bit his lip as the movement stopped and both men came into view again with looks of worry on their faces.

"What do you mean we can't Harry? Of course we can!" Sirius said only for Harry to shake his head.

"No, you don't understand. It's not that simple. I'm not in Europe anymore. I don't think I'm even in the same world. Everything is different here." Harry replied as the image shifted and it looked like both men had sat down at that information.

"The godparent bond was broken... It's why we thought you were dead. What exactly happened to you, Harry?" Remus muttered as a look of loss came over Sirius's features.

"The cup was a portkey, and it took me to a graveyard. Pettigrew was there, and he killed Cedric before I was bound to one of the gravestones. He performed some kind of ritual to bring back Voldemort that needed my blood. I didn't really understand what was happening at the time, but he was brought back. Voldemort summoned some of the Death Eaters, and then he made me duel him. He wanted to prove a point. That my surviving the night my parents died had been a fluke. Our wands connected and it created this dome of golden light before ghostly people started coming out of Voldemort's wand. Cedric, a muggle, and then finally... My parents." Harry told them as both men took in sharp breaths at that information.

"Priori Incantatum. What happened after that?" Sirius murmured with a glance at Remus that Harry knew must mean something that he didn't understand.

"They told me to let go and take the Portkey to get away. Cedric asked that I take his body back to his father. I... I tried. When I let go from the connection it was like an explosion went off from the backlash. I got knocked down while I was trying to run back to where Cedric was laying and summoned the portkey, but before I could grab it I heard him. I didn't even hear the spell he used but I saw it when it hit me. I've never seen a purple light like that from a spell before. I blacked out after that. I thought I was dead, but then the pain snapped me out of it when I hit the ground." Harry replied as he glanced at Owen who was listening just as intently as the two men who had been friends with his birth father.

"I woke up in what looked like some kind of enclosure. I felt like I was being hunted, and I was right. My wand was charred and broken beyond repair, and I was just so tired. I found myself surrounded by what I now know to be Velociraptors." Harry said as Remus gasped and Sirius started looking confused.

"How is that possible? Dinosaurs have been extinct since before the first humans evolved." Remus asked before stating for his pureblood friend's benifit as Sirius's brows raised in surprise and Harry chuckled a bit.

"The muggles here found a way to bring back extinct species using science over twenty years ago. I'm on an island off the coast of Costa Rica, and the whole island is full of them. The place is run like an amusement park where the dinosaurs are kept in enclosures for people to see and learn about them. I landed in the raptor paddock. I thought they would kill me, but they didn't. The Beta, Blue, smelled my blood and backed off right afterward. They took me to their nest instead of eating me." Harry told them and couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him at the look of incredulity on Remus's face.

"So these Velociraptors are dangerous?" Sirius asked and Harry did laugh when Owen raised a brow in disbelief at that question.

"Witches and Wizards are never concerned with the history of the world if it doesn't directly involve themselves or magic. At least from what I've seen." Harry told Owen and Remus must have thought he was speaking to Sirius because he nodded before explaining for his old friend's benefit.

"Muggles are interested in all kinds of knowledge. One of these is the world and the kinds of creatures that existed millions of years ago. Well before humans existed. They have found fossils, the bones that remained, of extinct animals. Some of the oldest ever recorded were the dinosaurs. Velociraptors were thought to be one of the most dangerous predatory species to have ever existed." Remus explained before Sirius nodded and turned back to the mirror.

"So they were wrong then? I mean, Harry's still alive." Sirius spoke while looking Harry over once again.

"No, they weren't wrong. The velociraptors are dangerous, and thought to be one of the most perfect predators that ever lived, and they're highly intelligent. We have only been able to guess that they reacted on some instinct to either my magic or my blood. It may have been both, but we're not sure. I have felt my magic draw other dinosaurs on the island toward me, but we're still testing our theory." Harry replied as both men focused back on him.

"We?" Remus asked and Harry nodded.

"I was getting to that part. Anyway, the raptors took me to their nest and I slept there with them. The crew that takes care of them found me their in the morning. Owen is the one in charge of the raptors. He got me out of the paddock and took me back to his home on the island to treat my wounds. I... I told him some things hoping he could help me get back, but I don't think it's possible. We figured out that I must be in a different world, or dimention, or something. The magic of this place is different. It's untamed, raw, and feels more powerful because of it. I've looked and a lot of the people and places I knew in the muggle world don't exist here. Have never existed here. Even the timeline is different. Here, the year is 2013." Harry explained what he had been trying to tell them before they had gotten off topic.

"You told a muggle about magic! Harry, you broke the Statute of Secrecy!" Remus scolded as Sirius had gone pale.

"I needed someone I could trust. Owen has been protecting me from other people finding out about me. He's been teaching me how I can defend myself without using magic." Harry defended as Owen grasped his knee a little more firmly in support.

"Never mind that for right now, Remus. If Harry's right about being in another world than it's a good thing he did tell someone. It would explain why the godparent bond was broken. You trust this man, Prongslet?" Sirius asked as Remus's faced paled as well when he thought about the implications.

"Yes." Harry said strongly and Sirius nodded before speaking.

"Alright. I don't know if you know about what happens to an underaged witch or wizard without a bond to a parent or godparent-" He started only for Harry to interrupt.

"I know, Padfoot. You don't have to explain it. After the bond I had with you was severed the ambient magic here acted to protect me. Owen offered to adopt me so I would have a cover story and he could get paperwork forged because I technically don't exist here. The magic of this world acted on it's own when we shook on it, and performed a blood adoption. It's why I look a little different." Harry said as he reached up to pull a few strands of dirty blood hair away for them the see how his features had softened.

The two were silent for a moment as they looked at him and Harry knew that they were both taking in the changes in his appearance. He knew that the changes may hurt them in some way, especially Sirius. The man had always remarked on how much he looked like his father, but with Owen's blood added in, his features had softened and his coloring had lighted. The resemblance was still there, but without needing the glasses any longer it wasn't nearly as strong.

A small smile slowly spread across Remus's lips and Harry could see that he was relieved. Sirius smiled as well, but Harry could see that it was also a little strained. He looked releived as well, but Harry could see the glimmer of sadness in his eyes. He shifted uncomfortably when he remembered his thoughts of Sirius only seeing him as his father.

"I'm glad you found someone you can trust, Harry. How does he treat you?" Remus asked; not noticing Sirius's expression.

"Good. He's actually here with me right now. I was sorting out my room earlier and talking with him when I found the mirror." Harry answered as he motioned Owen up to sit next to him on the bed which he did while Harry shifted to include him in the mirror's image as he sat down.

"Nice meeting you. Harry's told me about you both. I'm glad he's able to at least talk to the people he cares about this way. I'm Owen Grady."

It had been a long discussion after that as Remus and Sirius spoke to both Harry and Owen. They had gotten to know a bit about Owen and at least Remus seemed to approve of the man. Sirius had been a little quieter, but Harry hoped he would start to come around. They had promised Harry to speak to his friends to let them know that they had been in contact, and that Harry was okay before they had deactivated the mirror so they could all get to bed.

Harry couldn't help the niggling feeling that the two men would't just be telling his friends, but the Headmaster as well. He honestly wasn't sure how he felt about that. Harry'd had a lot of time to think now that he was a world away, and he had noticed a few things that just didn't sit right with him. Most of those things led right back to his old Headmaster.

The old man had held an unusual interest in him from the time he had started Hogwarts, and maybe even before. He had been so busy every year trying to survive that he hadn't had much time to really think about it or view the situation from another perspective. Now, however, the Headmaster's manipulations of a naive young boy were becoming more apparent to him. Owen had helped to point this out when he had told the man about his years at school. The problem was that Harry couldn't figure out why.

"You alright?" Owen asked as he knocked lightly on the door frame of Harry's room that had been left open to let in the fresh breeze that came in over the water.

"Just thinking about last night. You're home early." Harry replied as he turned his chair to face the man.

"It's after noon, Hadrian. Lunch time." Owen said as Harry's eyes widened.

"Oh. I'm sorry! I lost track of time." He apologized as he stood up to start lunch.

"It's alright. I don't have to be back for a while. What do you say we head in to the visitors center and get food there?" Owen asked knowing it would be a distraction from whatever was currently on the teen's mind.

"Yeah, sounds good to me." Harry answered with a small smile as he locked and closed his door; letting Owen lead the way to his motorcycle.

The ride was quick and the two soon found themselves at the steakhouse that Owen favored.

"Do we have time to stop by the T-Rex paddock? I haven't gotten to see her yet." Harry asked after they had ordered; looking out the window at the enterance to the paddock he was asking about.

"I don't see why not. You'll have to come back with me to the raptor paddock, but I don't think you'll mind that too much." Owen smirked a bit as he saw Harry's eyes light up.

The kid loved going to see the girls. He would never turn down the opportunity to spend time there while Owen was working. The man wouldn't begrudge the teen that. He could see the bond Harry felt toward them, and he aslo enjoyed watching his son interact with his girls.

'As long as he stays on the right side of the bars.' He thought to himself knowing that the teen had a habit of sticking his arms through to pet and give scratches when he could.

It gave him and the others working a heart attack every time he did it. Still, for as much as Owen worried, the girls had never hurt the teen. They had never even shown any hint of agression toward him. He couldn't help but think that it couldn't have to do only with Harry's magic. There had to be some other element to it that he hadn't figured out yet, but he had gotten his first clue from Harry's conversation the night before.

Blue had backed off after smelling Harry's blood when he was injured. Did she just sense his magic, or did the teen have something else in his blood that told them he wasn't prey? Owen didn't know, and he couldn't be sure without having tests run on Harry's blood. Something he would never allow.

"Have you figured out what you want to do for school?" Owen asked as he smiled charmingly at the waitress as she placed their orders on the table before leaving once more after making sure their drinks were filled.

"I've been doing a lot of looking. I do know I want to work with animals, but I never knew there were so many careers and specializations to choose from." Harry admitted as he thought about the pages and pages of notes on his desk.

He had always thought he would get a job in the magical world after Hogwarts. To know that he would now have to find something he enjoyed in a world where he would have to hide his magic still left him a little unsure. He was more comfortable around the dinosaurs he had met than most of the humans he had come into contact with since he landed in the paddock. Owen was the only one he was really comfortable around as he knew he didn't need to hide what he could do from the man. He got along fine with Barry and the other guys who worked with Owen, but he always felt like he had to be on his gaurd so he didn't slip up.

He knew what worried Owen. It was a proven fact that people feared what they didn't understand. When humans feared something there was only two common paths that fear followed. They either sought to understand it by studying it or destroyed the thing they feared. Humans also tended to grow jealous of the things they would never have. It was a part of their nature.

None of which would be good for Harry.

"Well, you will have to finish high school first. Keep your grades up. Write a few essays in whatever field interests you. You live on an island full of dinosaurs so there are plenty of them that you could study. It would help you get a foothold in your feild of choice. If you're going for the more scientific feilds I'm sure you could send a message to Mr. Masrani to ask if you could be introduced to one of the scientists here." Owen said as he remembered the contact information Masrani had left in the packet he had sent to Harry a few weeks ago.

"No, I'm not really big on science. I mean, I know that the dinosaurs were created with genetic engineering. I do think it's cool, but I don't think I'd want to work in a lab. They create them, but they don't really interact with them. I'd like to do something more hands on." Owen couldn't help but chuckle as Harry's enthusiasm started showing as he became more animated the more he spoke.

He also gave a silent sigh of relief. A lab was not somewhere Owen wanted Harry to be. Even if it was for work, one slip-up was all it would take for him to become the experiment. He also wasn't sure how far he wanted to try trusting Mr. Masrani. He was his boss, and seemingly a good man, but men didn't get and stay that rich by keeping their hands clean.

"Well it's almost time for summer break, but I can get you signed up for classes. You can go at your own pace. If you work hard enough you could even graduate early. It would give you something to do while I'm working." Owen said after a few minutes while they ate.

"Yeah, you're right. The longer I put it off; the longer it's going to take me." Harry responded with a small sigh of resignation as he finished the last of his fries and tossed his napkin onto his empty plate.

Owen finished his own meal quickly and paid with a swipe of his card through the small machine on the table before they both stood to make their way out of the resturant and toward the T-Rex enclosure. The crowd wasn't too bad as they walked along the path and into the enterance. Luckily it was later in the afternoon and the morning foot traffic had started to clear as visitors to the park headed to lunch or to other attractions farther out from the visitors center. Harry looked around as they entered to see that the viewing area had been built so that the ceiling was domed. Looking out of the glass as they made their way further inside he could see that it had been designed to look like a fallen tree within the enclosure itself.

"How big is she?" He asked curiously as he looked at the size of the viewing area before walking up to the window.

He had read in the files that the T-Rex on the island now was the same one that Hammond had hatched and kept for the original park. Harry had taken an interest in Hammond and how he had originally done things with that first park, and so he knew that they had engineered the DNA of the dinosaurs to be female. Even now with the new park they did so in an effort to control the population. He didn't understand why they continued to do so when they had managed to reproduce even when the first park had been abondoned after those people had died. The dinosaurs had then been left to roam the island and reproduce naturally until Simon Masrani taken over after Hammond's death.

"You'll see soon. Her enclosure only provides the minimum area needed to roam, but all of them are like that. It's how they can make sure they can be seen by the tourists." Owen's tone held a note of disdain for that fact even as the ground started to shake a bit; pulling Harry's attention back to what was happening on the other side of the glass.

There in the brush was a goat that had been raised up on a platform from the ground. A rope had been secured around it's neck to keep it in place so it couldn't run off while the light from a flare burned next to it to get the predator's attention. Harry frowned at the sight. He knew that they meant to feed the goat to the T-Rex, but by tying it in place they had taken away it's opportunity to run from the large predator as well as taken the hunt away from the T-Rex. All so that people could watch the Rex feed up close. Harry didn't like it because by doing so they weren't allowing either animal to act on what was instinct.

"She's gorgeous..." Harry's breath left him as the Rex came into sight and the shaking of the ground stopped as she stilled.

Her nostrils flaired with deep breaths as she scented her prey and her intent gaze focused on the goat as it stuggled to flee. It was cruel. Yes, the goat was meant to be food, but they had taken away it's chance to flee; to fight for it's life. Even the pigs Owen fed to the Raptors had a chance where this goat didn't. The crunch of bones didn't faze Harry as he watched the Rex feed. The scars on her jaw shifting as it moved standing out to show that this old girl was a predator that knew more than this life of having her meals served to her.

"Such a strong and beautiful animal, and they treat her little better than some trained pet..." Harry's voice was scathing as Owen watched him raise his hand to rest against the glass; his attention focused on the Rex and ignoring everything else around him.

It was then that Owen looked at the Rex to see her gaze shift toward the glass as her movement stilled. His breath hitched as he watched her head tilt in a display of curiousity that he had seen from his girls when they encountered something new. Owen heard screams of surprise and some fear as the large and dangerous predator approached the glass with a single-minded focus before coming to a stop on the other side of the glass from his son. Her teeth were visible, but she was not displaying aggression as her gaze focused on the teen and got as close to where his hand was placed on the glass as she could.

"What are you doing?" Owen asked as he stepped closer so that no one could hear even as many parents were grabbing their children and leaving as quickly as they could.

The observation area had cleared out even as ACLU must have been notified. Men in black uniforms and flack jackets entered through the door looking confused but determined. He held up his hand with his employee badge as he motioned for them to hold off. Their Unit Commander, who Owen reckognized as a man named Hamada, motioned for them to stand down as he watched Owen and Harry.

"Hello." Harry's answer came almost as a whisper as Owen looked to see the teen watching the Rex with a familiar look of awe.

"This is as close as you get." Owen said firmly with a small huff before Harry lowered his hand and looked at him with an expression he was tempted to say was close to pouting.

Even as Harry pulled back, the Rex continued to watch them for a moment before her head raised as she stood. The Rex started moving back into the foliage as Harry stepped back and turned to see the men from the ACLU unit had been standing behind them. He shifted uncomfortably as their gazes shifted from the window where the Rex had disappeared to stare at him. Harry's shoulders only relaxed a little bit when he felt Owen's hand come to rest firmly on his shoulder to comfort him.

"Sorry to worry everyone, Hamada. My son wanted to see the T-Rex before we headed back to the Raptor paddock." Owen said as he looked at the Unit Commander who stepped forward.

"It's alright Grady. I take it this is your son. I've been notified that he would be visiting the animals on the island by Mr. Masrani. He said he had a way with them, and I've heard a few things from those who are stationed at the raptor paddock. It looks like they weren't wrong." Hamada said as he shook Owen's hand before turning and holding his hand out to the teenager next to him.

"Yes. This is my son, Hadrian. Harry, this is Hamada. He's the Commander of the ACLU here on the island." Owen introduced as Harry shook the mans hand.

"Where did everyone go?" Harry asked as he looked around to see that all to the 'guests' who had been in he observation area had cleared out.

"They left when you decided to say hello to Rexy." Owen held back a chuckle as he explained the absence of other people.

"The panic got an alarm sent out to the unit. Is this how the velociraptors reacted to you?" Hamada asked as he nodded toward where the T-Rex had gone.

"For the most part. The babies in the Little Giant's area took to me quickly too. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare people. Maybe I shouldn't visit the other animals on the island." Harry said with a glance toward Owen; a little unsure because of scaring people and what questions would be raised from the reactions to him by the other animals.

"No, I don't think it'll be a problem. Maybe just let me know when you plan to if they might react to you like that. Mr. Masrani wants you to feel free to explore the island and visit any of the animals you want. The men that were there at the raptor paddock last month are calling you the Dino Whisperer. If we know you're there then we'll have a better idea what to expect. Maybe even clear the area with the bigger predators of tourists while you visit. Mr. Masrani made it clear you are to have access." Hamada smiled when Harry groaned as he told them the name he had heard the men calling him as they gossiped at the end of a shift.

Owen chuckled as he saw the look of embarrassment on Harry's face. He hadn't told Harry, but it wasn't the first time he had heard some of the other workers call him that. If Harry's ability to interact with the dinosaurs was the only thing they knew about then he thought it would be alright. It wasn't the first time a person with the ability to interact with animals with an almost kinship had been heard about. It was the other things, the more fatastical and whimsical things magic could do, that no one could find out about.

"We'll do that next time. Sorry to have wasted your time having you all come out here and scaring the guests, but we've gotta get back to the raptors before it gets dark for their evening feeding." Owen said as he noticed the position of the sun and knew they would be losing the light after too much longer.

"No problem. Hope to meet you again, Hadrian. You two have a good evening." Hamada replied with a nod before motioning his men out with an all clear.

"Can we do a live feed for the girls today?" Harry asked after a moment while they walked out of the observation area and toward where Owen had parked his bike.

"If you want to. Any particular reason why?" Owen asked with a glance toward the teen at his request.

"I just want to watch the girls when they really get to hunt. I know it's not practical for them to have live feed all the time, but I think that they should be allowed to really use their instincts. They're wild animals, and they should be allowed to hunt. Not be fed like they're some kind of pets." Harry replied and Owen paused to think about that as they got on the bike before he reponded.

"You're right. I'll talk to Barry and we'll see if we can let them hunt for at least one meal a day. How about that?" Owen replied knowing that this was something Harry must feel more strongly about because he had brought up this subject before.

"Thanks." Harry said with a smile as they sped off away from the visitor's center and toward the paddock.

123

"Hey Sirius!" Harry smiled as he answered the mirror later that night after they had gotten home.

"There you are! I've been calling for a while now." Sirius said while Harry sat down to take off his shoes for the night.

"Sorry. We went out to eat and had to go back to the raptor paddock for their evening feeding. Owen took me to see the T-Rex too. She's a beautiful animal. Taller than a three story house with teeth as long as my arm. She's actually one of the first dinosaurs that were engineered here on the island." Harry'd voice was filled with excitment as he stood to place his shoes near the door before flopping on his bed.

"Sounds like you had fun today." Sirius replied with a small smile of his own at his godson's enthusiasm.

"Yeah. I'm going to see all of the dinosaurs on the island eventually, but I have to wait until Owen has the time. He works at the paddock with the raptors most of the day though so he makes time during the day and spends his days off with me. He also makes sure to come home to eat with me at meal times through the day." Harry told him as he toed off his socks before using the hand that wasn't holding the mirror to toss them toward the laundry basket Owen had ordered for him a week ago when he had noticed Harry's clothes piled up in the corner of the room.

"Remus and I spoke to your friends today. Hermione and Remus both said they'll pick up some books in the muggle world so we know what your talking about when it comes to these dinosaurs. Hermione and Ron both want to talk to you tomorrow, and so does Dumbledore." Sirius said and Harry felt like ice had slid down his back at Sirius's admission.

"You told Professoer Dumbledore?" Harry asked before biting his tongue to keep from saying what he was thinking.

"Of course. He's glad to hear you're okay. He's going to try to find out what spell You-Know-Who used so we can bring you back." Sirius smiled brightly as he spoke only for it to fade as he looked at Harry.

"You... You don't look too happy about that like I thought you would." Sirius said softly and Harry bit his lip before sitting up.

"I miss you, Sirius. I really do. I miss my friends and I miss Hogwarts, but... I don't miss everything. I like it here. I like being around the dinosaurs. I like that the people around me don't come up to me and act like they know me because of something that happened when I was a baby. I like that the only one who expects anything from me is Owen." Harry almost whispered the words knowing that it would hurt Sirius's feelings that he didn't want to go back.

"And what does he expect from you?" Sirius asked quietly after a moment; his expression tired and a bit hurt.

"To be a kid, and just be me. To go through school and get good grades. To clean my room, be up in the morning to do my excercises with him, and learn to defend myself. He wants me to be safe." Harry answered and Sirius sighed after a moment to think about what he'd said.

"You want to stay there. Are you happy? Owen really takes care of you?" Sirius asked with a tone of resignation.

"Yes... I really do like it here. I'm not known as the Boy-Who-Lived. I'm just Hadrian Grady. The kid who the dinosaurs like, and I like them. My magic reaches out to them, Sirius. I want to find out why. I found out today that the other employees are even calling me the Dino Whisperer." Harry smiled shyly with a small laugh.

"Owen... He takes care of me. Looks out for me." Harry swallowed thickly before taking a steadying breath and continuing.

"I have my own room. Owen bought me new clothes. He makes sure I eat at every meal. He talks with me, and is actually interested in what I have to say. He doesn't treat me like I'm a burden. He knows about my magic, but he doesn't treat me like a freak because of it. He knows how other people might react, and that's why he's teaching me to defend myself. I've never had that before, Padfoot. Owen take care of me." Harry bit his lip and fidgeted with the blanket on his bed while he waited for Sirius to think about what he'd said.

"I knew those muggles were no good." Sirius sighed after a moment and Harry felt his shoulders stiffen at the mention of the Dursleys.

"If this is really what you want then I won't push. I just want you to be happy Prongslet." Sirius said and Harry looked back up at the mirror to see that though Sirius looked a little sad, he also had a small smile, and Harry knew that his godfather would support his decision.

"Thank you, Sirius. I really do like it here." Harry smiled in relief that Sirius seemed to be understanding.

"One condition. I want you to let me know how you're doing at least twice a week." Sirius said firmly and Harry chuckled as the tension he had been feeling during their talk finally left.

"I can do that. I'll miss you and everyone else, but we can talk any time with the mirror." He told him before looking up at the sound of a knock on his door.

"Lights out, Harry. Got an early morning tomorrow." Owen's voice filtered through the door and Harry picked up his phone to see it was after ten.

"Okay Owen." Harry replied before hearing the man's footsteps head back around and inside.

"I'll call you once Owen leaves for work tomorrow, Sirius. Hopefully I can talk to you and everyone else then. Owen always gets me up before dawn for our morning workout so I have to get to bed." Harry told him as he stood to get ready to sleep.

"Alright. I'll talk to you tomorrow, pup. Good night." Sirius said looking disappointed that their conversation had been cut short.

"Night Sirius." Harry replied as he set the mirror down on his desk and let it deactivate before opening his window to let in the night breeze.

He smiled when he finally turned off the light as he curled up under the blanket and laid down. It had been a full day and he was feeling better after talking to Sirius a bit about what he had been thinking.

'I can have a life here, and I haven't lost Sirius or my friends completly.' He thought happily as he fell asleep.

123456

Hello readers! Sorry it's been awhile since my last update. Things have just been so crazy with getting our new house situated, family drama, the holidays, and a case of C19 in the household. I actually have had this chapter typed up for a while and just haven't had the time to edit or post it. I'm hoping things will settle down soon and I'll be able to get more written and out to you all, but I'm not going to make any promises I don't know I can keep. Especially because I've been working on a rewrite of one of my other stories as well. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and let me know what you thought.

Until next time!

~Ryu