Author's Note: A few things to note before reading. One, of course I don't own Harry Potter.

Two, I've always thought an underlying theme of the HP series was adults in Harry's life making poor decisions. I also love the idea of Sirius getting custody of Harry, so in my AU this happens and the adults in Harry's life make better decisions for his safety and wellbeing. There won't be much bashing, just differences. I am trying to be as canon-compliant in personalities as possible, but some of them will be different as the story deviates from canon. For example, Dumbledore is going to be a lot more forthcoming with information, so there will be some differences in him.

Three, I am American and have only been to England for 9 days of my much longer life. I've done my best to adjust the writing to reflect more British English than American, but I am sure there will be a ton of things I miss. So sorry!

Four, I have a degree in child development and a background in social work, working primarily with foster/adoptive children. Because of my background, my fanfic will primarily explore the relationship challenges that Harry and Sirius face as they learn to live together. I do plan on addressing the issue of horcruxes and resolving that problem, but as I am not an action writer, I will not be writing epic duels or harrowing adventures very much. In addition, I have no interest in rewriting events from canon, so if an event unfolds in my story the same as it did in JK's, I'll probably just note that.

Last, I hope to update at least 2x a week. I have the ending written already, but I'm not sure how many chapters it will take to get there.

Enjoy! :)

July 31, 1993

From the moment he read the parchment containing his invitation to the office of Albus Dumbledore, Remus Lupin felt uncomfortable. He had been in his office only a few times before, but even as an adult, he still had the feeling of being summoned like an errant school boy. Maybe it was because he was about to confess the worst sins he had committed while here as a student. But it had to be done. There was just no other way.

"Have a seat Remus. Lemon drop?"

Remus obeyed and shook his head, "No, thank you Professor."

Dumbledore popped the candy in his mouth, "Please call me Albus."

Remus gave a crooked smile and said, "No, thank you Albus."

Dumbledore began, "You can probably guess part of the reason I've asked you here."

Remus nodded and crossed his legs, "I assume it has something to do with the escape of Sirius Black."

"Yes, how are you handling that? I know you two were very close."

Remus wondered briefly if Dumbledore would try to use legilimency against him. Surely not.

"I haven't heard from him, if that is what you want to know."

He looked pointedly at Dumbledore. He respected Albus a great deal, but he knew from the first war that Albus had a tendency to not say what he really meant. Dumbledore shook his head, "I assumed you would tell me if you had. I wanted to know how you were doing."

Remus sighed, "I was quite upset when I first read about his escape." He hesitated before continuing, "I honestly hoped he would come after me, so I would have the chance to get justice for James and Lily, but I really don't think he has any particular interest in me, unless he just wanted to kill me for sport."

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. This next part wasn't going to be easy, but he had to do it. He had to know the truth.

"Actually, Albus, I was glad when you asked me here today. There is something urgent I wanted to discuss with you. Something new I have become aware of very recently."

Dumbledore looked at him over his spectacles. "Oh?"

Remus sighed. "You remember when I was a student here, I was very close with James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and Black of course."

Dumbledore nodded and smiled. "Yes, yes. It would be difficult to forget the four of you."

Remus smirked. "I suppose you are right." His face turned sad again as he continued. "They were of course all dorm mates of mine, and it became quite difficult to keep my secret from them when I disappeared once a month. By second year, they had figured it out. I was sure they would shun me, or worse, but they didn't. They accepted me just as I was."

Dumbledore studied him, a faint smile still lingering on his lips. "I was hopeful when you came here Remus that you would find you are not so alone in this world."

Remus bit back a nasty retort. He had felt very alone for the last 12 years. "Yes, well the three of them always wanted to help me with my transformations, but of course they couldn't. I mean, they would visit me in the hospital wing after the full moon, but there was nothing they could do while I transformed, it was just too dangerous. Until Sirius had an idea."

Remus leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees and looking down at the floor.

"They realized that werewolves were only dangerous to humans."

Dumbledore looked intrigued but allowed Remus to continue.

"So they decided to become animagi...illegally."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair. He studied Remus seriously. "Did they succeed?"

Remus met Dumbledore's eyes briefly before looking down again. "Yes, in our fifth year. You remember how intelligent James and Sirius were. It took them the better part of three years, but they did it. And they helped Peter as well. You see, James had this Invisibility Cloak…"

"Yes, he told me about it while working with the Order. He left it in my possession shortly before he died. I wanted to study it."

Remus was taken aback and finally met Dumbledore's eyes, "You have it?"

Dumbledore shook his head, "No, I felt that young Harry deserved to have it. I returned it to him in his first year here. Please continue your story."

Remus resisted the urge to ask Dumbledore more about Harry. How he longed to see him, speak to him, feel his heartbeat so he would know he was ok. "Right. Every full moon from then on, James would sneak out with Sirius and Peter under his cloak. Then they would transform and keep me company. With them around, I was still a wolf, but I seemed to retain some of my mind."

Dumbledore shifted to lace his fingers together in front of his chin. "Fascinating. And you are telling me this now because you believe this is how Sirius escaped from Azkaban?"

Remus winced. "No actually. I mean it's possible I suppose, but I am telling you this now because of this." He pulled out a copy of the Daily Prophet from his robes and unfolded it, placing it on Dumbledore's desk. On the cover, a family of redheads smiled happily, while a rat sat on a young boy's shoulder. He pointed to the Weasley family and continued, "This family here in this photo. Their children are students here, correct?"

Dumbledore gave a very rare confused look. "Yes. What does this have to do with Sirius Black, Remus?"

Remus stood up and began pacing. "I told you James, Sirius and Peter became animagi for me. James Potter became a stag. Sirius Black became a very large black dog. And Peter Pettigrew," he paused to turn back to Dumbledore, "became a rat. I'm telling you this now because," he walked back over to the desk and pointed at the rat in the picture, "I am sure that this rat right here," he tapped the paper hard, "is Peter Pettigrew."

Albus sat back in his seat, thoughtful for a moment. Finally he looked up at Remus sadly, "Remus, I know I don't have to tell you this. Peter Pettigrew is dead."

Remus returned to his pacing. "Albus, I saw them transform once a month for the better part of our last three years here, and some after we left. I can still see them so clearly in my mind. I know I would recognize them anywhere if I saw them today." He paused, seeing Dumbledore's doubtful gaze. "When Sirius supposedly killed Peter, what was left behind?"

"A finger."

"Look closely Albus, that rat is missing a toe."

Dumbledore picked up the paper and examined it closely. Remus was certainly correct. He looked back at Remus, "You're sure?"

"I'd bet my magic on it."

Dumbledore thought for a few moments. Remus could feel his own heart pounding in his ears. Throwing caution to the wind, he continued, "Albus, if I'm right, this could change everything. It could mean Sirius is innocent."

Dumbledore looked back at him, "Perhaps of killing Peter Pettigrew, but not of everything. There were 12 muggles killed that night, and the matter of the fidelius. Are you saying you don't believe Sirius sold the Potters to Voldemort?"

Remus collapsed back into a chair and sighed. He looked at the ground as he spoke.

"I know that the Sirius Black I knew was a lot of things. He was impulsive, bull-headed, and full of himself. But he was loyal, very loyal. I mean, his animagus form is a dog. And he loved James like a brother." He sighed before continuing, "It's just hard for me to believe. I've never been able to reconcile the Sirius I knew then with the one that went to Azkaban."

Albus nodded, "Well, even if this is Peter Pettigrew in this picture and Sirius did not in fact kill him, he still has a lot to answer for. But I think we need to have a chat with Amelia Bones. She is currently the Director of the DMLE."

Remus nodded. "I'll be glad to speak to her, but I would like you to make the contact. Werewolves aren't exactly welcome in the ministry."

Albus clasped his hands together, "I'd be happy to. Although, I think you will find Amelia is not nearly as bigoted as her colleagues. She's a very fair director. But that can wait a few moments. I need to discuss with you the reason I asked you here."

Remus had all but forgotten that Albus had in fact asked him to his office. He raised his eyebrows, "I had assumed it was to discuss if I had heard from Sirius Black."

"Well partially, but there is something else I'd like to discuss with you. I have a need once again for a Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor."

Remus just stared at him dumbfounded. "You're not suggesting…"

"I am. You were one of the best students we ever had here Remus. You are a very skilled wizard, especially in defense. And I know that you aspired to be a professor."

Remus blushed. He certainly had wanted to be a professor, to return and teach at the school that had meant so much to him. But the first war had left him without a family or friends, and his world had completely collapsed. He bounced from muggle job to job, never daring to even hope for something like this.

Albus continued, "Of course, I do have another reason for thinking of you. As I mentioned, James's son Harry is a student here now."

Hope welled up inside Remus. He locked eyes on Dumbledore and nodded in understanding, "And with Sirius Black on the loose, you'd like me here to help keep an eye on him."

"Yes." Dumbledore nodded. He clasped his hands together in front of him. "Harry is an extraordinary young man, quiet and uncommonly kind, much like Lily in that regard, but he's also a lot like James."

Remus smirked. "You mean, he has a certain talent for trouble."

Albus's eyes twinkled, "Yes." The two men shared a chuckle before Albus sobered and continued seriously, "I am not sure what Harry knows about his godfather, but I can assure you that if he doesn't know about him, he will take no measures to protect himself, and if he does, he may go after the man himself."

Remus thought carefully about that statement. Harry sounded a lot like James. Brave to the point of being foolish, quite unconcerned with personal safety. He wanted desperately to accept the offer, to be here to protect James's son like James had protected him so many times, but there was another factor to consider. Thinking it over, his face fell. "Albus, I can't teach here. If the parents found out what I am…"

"We have successfully hidden your condition once. We can do it again. The staff will need to know, but I think you will find . . . most of them to be very discreet." Remus didn't like how he had said "most of them." Dumbledore shifted in his seat, "Remus, have you heard of the recent development of Wolfsbane potion?"

Remus's cheeks grew red, "Yes, it seems very promising, but I'm not much at potions and I haven't been able to afford it otherwise."

"Well, I believe we can help with that. I can have our potions master here brew it for you."

Remus's eyes grew wide, "I...I couldn't ask you to do that."

Albus held up his hands to stop Remus, "It's no concern. Now, do you accept the position?"

Remus's heart leapt at the opportunity, but his conscience wouldn't allow him to say yes. Gathering up all the courage he had left, he spoke quickly.

"Albus, there's something else you need to know. It's bothered me for years. When James, Sirius, and Peter became illegal animagi for me and began joining me for my transformations, we didn't just stay in the Shrieking Shack. We wandered all around the forest and grounds. We became familiar with every passage in and out of the castle. I know that it was foolish and dangerous. I could have easily slipped away and hurt someone, or worse. I've felt terrible all these years knowing that I had betrayed your trust."

His sad eyes looked directly at Dumbledore, who thought for a moment before speaking, "Thank you for telling me that Remus. That was quite dangerous. You are very fortunate nothing bad happened on one of those excursions. Although I must admit your knowledge of the castle grounds would be beneficial in our efforts to keep out Sirius Black. Now, do you accept the position?"

After being friends with Sirius Black and James Potter for years, not much could shock Remus Lupin, but at that his jaw dropped, "You mean, you still want me to work for you after hearing that?"

Albus nodded, "Of course. Remus, nearly every student that has come through these walls has done something unwise in their time here. I certainly made my fair share of bad decisions as a young man. You have my forgiveness. Although I must ask you that while you're teaching here and under the influence of wolfsbane, you do your transformations in your office and stay there." The corner of his mouth curved upward and his eyes twinkled again. Placing his hands on his desk he continued, "Now, perhaps Minerva can show you to your office while I send an owl to Madam Bones? That is, if you do accept the offer."

Remus blinked a couple of times in disbelief. He finally squeaked out the only words he could, "I accept."