AN: So, I'm vaguely following canon in this chapter, but with a few twists and extra's of my own. I am enjoying this, hope you are too! Thanks again for the lovely reviews and to all those who have faved and alerted. My love to you all. Would appreciate any comments on the story so far, sorry if it seems to be going a bit slow, but I promise you things will get going at a faster pace soon, like I said, I'm just setting the board, my pieces are in place! :D

It is my feeling that Time ripens all things; with Time all things are revealed; Time is the father of truth. - Francois Rabelais

Harry's sixteenth Birthday celebration was marred by grisly news, Ollivander had gone missing along with many others. The Prophet was reporting mysterious deaths and other disappearances. It was the day after he had received a visit from Dumbledore who had finally told him that he would be taking extra lessons with him, and he had finally told Ron and Hermione about the truth behind the prophecy.

Sirius didn't let Harry know that he had overheard the conversation between him and his friends, he hadn't even tried to listen, but curiosity had overcome him and he had peeked through the gap in Ron's bedroom door as the three had been whispering softly to each other. He was shocked to hear that Harry was the one who was Prophesised to bring down Lord Voldemort, he didn't set much store in Prophecy, being more inclined to follow his own destiny, but it seemed that Harry had little choice. He wondered how the boy managed to stay sane with everything that had happened to him, and his respect for the boy grew.

During the birthday celebrations, as Molly was handing around cake Remus told them of the news, he looked ill and tired. "There have been another couple of dementor attacks," he announced, as Mrs. Weasley passed him a large slice of birthday cake. "And they've found Igor Karkaroff's body in a shack up north. The Dark Mark had been set over it... well, frankly, I'm surprised he stayed alive for even a year after deserting the Death Eaters; Sirius's brother, Regulus, only managed a few days as far as I can remember."

"Yes, well," said Mrs. Weasley, frowning, "perhaps we should talk about something diff..."

Sirius froze, he had been petting Crookshanks and he slowly lifted his head. "What's this?" He asked softly, his silver eyes scanning Remus who looked suddenly shocked as he realised Sirius was there.

"I'm sorry, Sirius, I..."

"No...explain. Is Reg dead in this time as well?"

Remus took a slow breath, everyone else was silent. "From what we managed to find out, he joined the Death Eaters when he turned eighteen but got cold feet and tried to leave...they killed him for it...I'm sorry..."

Sirius gazed down at his hand which rested on the great ginger cats back. "Well..." He said slowly. "I guess he kind of deserved it then...Thinking he can escape the Death Eaters..." He sighed. "Stupid fool...he always was weak."

Harry shared a nervous glance with Remus who shrugged slightly, Sirius was scratching Crookshanks behind the ear but he had a small frown on his handsome face, his eyes were dark, seeming to suck in the light from the fire and it was impossible to tell what was going on in his head.

Harry found Sirius outside as evening fell around them, he was lying in the grass and gazing up at the stars, when Harry joined him he smiled but said nothing. "How are you?" Harry asked finally breaking the silence.

"Everything's so...different..." Sirius replied slowly, a small frown on his face. "Everyone I have ever cared about is dead or older...I...I'm not sure what I should be feeling to be honest. It's so messed up."

Harry nodded. "I can kind of understand."

Sirius chuckled. "If they ever do find a way to send me back...I'm not sure if I'll want to go...I mean, if this is the future, then I may as well stay here. I don't fancy being locked up for years for something I would never, ever do."

"Things could have been different, If only Pettigrew hadn't escaped."

"I guess..." Sirius frowned darkly. "What the hell possessed my older self to put James' life in that Worm's hands? How could I have been so...so stupid? He's always been pathetic...weak little fat kid who followed James around and made an idiot of himself." Sirius' mouth twisted with anger. "Annoys the hell out of me, but James always seemed to like him so I never said anything."

"You don't like Peter?" Harry turned his head so he was looking at Sirius who was glaring up at the sky.

"No. And who would? He's a brown nose. Afraid of his own shadow...like when James and I finally managed to perfect our animagus forms, Peter nearly killed himself trying to do it and it took us months to help him! How thick can one person be? I mean, if it wasn't for James' insistence that he wanted us all to help Remus then I wouldn't have bothered...Not surprising he's a rat."

Harry chuckled. "What's it like? Being an animal...?"

"It's...freeing." Sirius replied after a pause, a small smile curled his lips. "Although your mind is different, and you don't...think, exactly, everything's instinctual. Even in human form you find that your senses are heightened than they were before. I can hear things better, smell things I never would have before and I can understand Animals in a way I never could...It's amazing, but slightly dangerous, you want to be careful you don't lose yourself completely to the animal, or else you'll forget you're human."

"Can that happen?"

"Oh yeah, course it can. It's one of the reasons the Ministry insist on controlling those who want to do it, and why most Wizards never bother. But I'm so glad we did do it." He smiled brilliantly, revealing those white, sharp teeth. "Now Moony'll never be lonely on a full moon! When we're with him he's in control and we can go wherever we want! It's great."

Harry returned his smile, feeling happy. He enjoyed young Sirius' company, they seemed to get on well and Sirius was always good to talk to. As they lay there the moon rose above them, a bright silver orb, a day from its full. Sirius watched it, bathing in its glow as stars scattered the black sky, twinkling down at them.

"Harry!" Harry sat up and looked over towards the house, he saw Ginny running towards him. "Dumbledore's here, he said he wants to speak to Sirius..." She was panting slightly, her eyes narrowed briefly when she saw how close Sirius' hand was to Harry's but she said nothing.

"Alright..." Sirius stood, brushing himself down and helping Harry to his feet. Together they walked back up to the house.

They found Dumbledore in the living room, he looked grave. Molly was stood at his side she smiled when the boys entered. "I would speak with Sirius alone, if you will." The Headmaster said softly and Molly ushered the other two out of the kitchen, Harry shot Sirius a worried glance, Sirius merely shrugged. "Sit down..."

Sirius did as asked. "So, sir, have you found a way to send me back?" He asked slowly.

"Unfortunately we have not, although we are searching diligently. I am here because I am concerned for you...how have you been sleeping?"

Sirius smiled weakly. "I haven't." He replied. "But you knew that already, didn't you sir?"

"I had my suspicions." Dumbledore looked at the sixteen year old sadly. "Have you felt tired at all?" Sirius shook his head, leaning heavily on one hand. "I see...Then, my next question; how has your health been?"

"I...get headaches sometimes...and my vision goes blurry...but it's not bad."

"Good, good." Dumbledore sighed softly, he looked worn and tired. "I suppose that Harry and the others have filled you in on what is happening and what has happened?"

"They have sir, I'm dead, James is dead...my brothers dead...My family's extinct in the male line. My cousin murdered me..." He closed his eyes briefly and rubbed his eyes with his hand. "It's going to get worse, isn't it?" he whispered softly. "If I'm stuck here for good...eventually Old Remus will die too and I...I...won't have anyone left..."

"I am sorry." Dumbledore's voice was quiet but filled with sympathy, he watched the boy, only sixteen years old but weighed down with the knowledge that he would lose everything all in one night. "This is one of many reasons why we must return you to your time...there have been consequences to your displacement already...things have changed, subtly, of course...but they change none the less. We must find a way to return you."

"What if...what if I don't want to go?" Sirius lifted his eyes to the Headmasters. "If I return I've only got James' death to look forward to...I-I'll have to watch him, burdened by the knowledge that he's going to die at the age of twenty-one! I can't do it! Please, find a way to stop me from going back!"

Dumbledore shook his head slowly. "I am afraid I cannot do that, Sirius. I have a theory that if you stay the effects would be terrible...already there are things that should have happened but have not happened...or things are happening that shouldn't be happening. Like the wings of a butterfly that causes a storm, your presence here is wrong. When we discover how to right everything...you will have your memory altered, we must erase the knowledge of James' death from your mind..."

"But why?" Sirius sat up straighter, eyes wide.

"Because he must not be saved, Sirius. I know you well enough to understand that you have every intention of changing the past...I cannot allow this to happen. Without James' death we will lose perhaps our only hope of destroying Lord Voldemort once and for all..."

Sirius' hands tightened into fists, his eyes narrowed. "You're using Harry." He whispered softly. "You're...you're sacrificing him...to...well, I don't know why...but that's...I can't let that happen!"

"I am doing nothing that Harry would not do anyway, I have every intention of arming him against what he must face...but he must face it in the end. It is the only way. He knows what it is he has to do, and he has decided he will walk this path. That is a decision he made on his own."

Sirius stared across the table at Dumbledore, the silence stretched out impossibly until he took a slow breath. "Fine...is that all sir?" He said softly.

"Yes, and Sirius?" Sirius paused with his hand on the door, he looked back over his shoulder. "If we do not find a way to send you back to your own time before school starts I want you to return to Hogwarts with Harry...this is so that I may keep an eye on you."

"Yes sir." Sirius nodded and pulled the door open, stepping into the living room. He leaned against it and tipped his head back so he was looking at the ceiling. "If the old man thinks I'm just going to let Harry be manipulated he's wrong." He smiled slightly and chuckled to himself. "Stuff the future...I'll carve my own path, James won't die...I promise you that."

XXX

Once everyone had received their book lists for that year, they planned a trip to Diagon Alley. Sirius stood with the rest of the Weasley's outside the house and watched a car pull up in the driveway, his eyes widened. "We're going in that?" He turned to Harry who nodded. "wow! I've never been in a car before!" He hopped excitedly from one foot to the other.

"What? You have cars in your time...surely?" Ron said.

"We do, but with parents like mine going in a car would be like...speaking to a Muggle...it's simply not done." He smiled, eyes glittering behind his fringe. "James' dad is afraid of cars, reckons anything that moves without magic is suspicious." He laughed softly. "These Muggles are fantastic!"

Harry watched Sirius all the way to Charing Cross as he peered excitedly out the window, gasping and bouncing up and down in his seat while Ron sniggered at his antics and Hermione giggled. Finally, when they reached the Motorway Sirius rolled down the window and stuck his head out, the wind whipped his hair around his head and he whooped in delight.

When they reached the Leaky Cauldron they saw Hagrid waiting for them, he was beaming as Harry jumped out of the car and was swept up into a bone crushing embrace. When Hagrid saw Sirius he smiled and took his hand. "This is a bit weird..." Hagrid said. "I remember havin' ta ge' you ou' the forest several times when you were this age..."

Sirius grinned. "It was literally only a few days ago that happened for me, Hagrid."

"Aye, 'tis a strange thing...anyway, shall we ge' on then?"

Molly nodded and together they entered the Alley. The street was full of people rushing around in tight knit groups, heads bowed and harried looks on their faces. The shop windows were covered by large posters, some bearing Ministry advice, others blown up pictures of the escaped Death Eaters, outside one shop Sirius paused and gazed up into the familiar and insolent eyes of his cousin Bellatrix. "She got old too." He said quietly, his emotions hidden behind a mask of indifference. He felt an awful squirming sensation when he looked into those insolent eyes, he remembered being ten years old when Bella had decided to make him her toy for the afternoon, she had used him for target practise and no matter how many times he asked her to stop, she only laughed at him as his mother looked on with cold eyes. With a sharp shiver he moved away and followed the Weasley's.

They eventually split up, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Sirius going with Hagrid to get new robes in Madam Malkin's. When they entered the shop, with Hagrid standing guard outside they were greeted by a voice;

"... not a child, in case you haven't noticed, Mother. I am perfectly capable of doing my shopping alone."

Harry dipped his hand into his pocket and Sirius raised an eyebrow in question as a boy moved towards a mirror. The boy had a pale, pointed face and white blond hair.

"Merlin!" Sirius muttered softly. "A Malfoy...?"

"Draco Malfoy." Harry replied. "Lucius' son."

Sirius sneered as Draco caught sight of them in the mirror. "Mother, if you're wondering what that smell is, a Mudblood just walked in." He said.

"I don't think there's any need for language like that!" said Madam Malkin, scurrying out from behind the clothes rack holding a tape measure and a wand. "And I don't want wands drawn in my shop either!" she added hastily, for a glance toward the door had shown her Harry and Ron both standing there with their wands out and pointing at Malfoy.

Hermione, who was standing slightly behind them, whispered, "No, don't, honestly, it's not worth it."

"Yeah, like you'd dare do magic out of school," sneered Malfoy. "Who blacked your eye, Granger? I want to send them flowers."

"That's quite enough!" said Madam Malkin sharply, looking over her shoulder for support. "Madam-please-"

Narcissa Malfoy strolled out from behind the clothes rack.

"Put those away," she said coldly to Harry and Ron. "If you attack my son again, I shall ensure that it is the last thing you ever-..." Her eyes widened as she spotted Sirius, who was leaning causally against the wall. "Impossible!" She gasped, stepping backwards.

"Mother?" Draco frowned at her odd reaction and followed his mother's gaze. "Who...?"

"Well, well...if it isn't dearest Narcissa." Sirius drawled, smiling as he pushed hair from his eyes. "You look...older than I remember you."

"Sirius!" She shook her head, hardly daring to believe what she was seeing. "You're dead!"

"Apparently so. Killed by your loving sister...and yet here I stand." He chuckled as her face drained of what little colour it had. "Whatever is the matter? Not pleased to see your cousin...after all it's been years, hasn't it?"

"But you look..."

"Sixteen. Great, isn't it?" His smile was wolfish, he seemed to be enjoying her terror. "Your son looks like his father..." He glanced at Draco who was gazing at him with wide eyes.

"How?" Narcissa breathed.

"Magic is powerful, isn't it?" He said softly, his voice like silk and yet as dangerous as the hiss of a snake. "I wouldn't want to give away any secrets of course, that would ruin it."

"No magic can bring back the dead!"

"Can't it? Am I not standing right here before you? I'm as solid as anything here..." As an example he picked up a pin from a nearby table and pricked his finger, a single drop of crimson stained his skin. "See? I'm no ghost."

Harry tried to keep the smirk off his face as Draco watched the exchange with wide eyes and Narcissa looked more and more terrified. Ron seemed to be enjoying himself too, but Hermione watched Sirius with a worried expression. Madam Malkin's mouth had fallen open as she gazed at the boy in her shop. "No! I will not believe...this is..."

"I'm as real as you, Cissy." Sirius muttered, licking the blood absently from the wound, Narcissa flushed when he used her pet name. "There are strange things happening, I bet even your precious Dark Lord didn't know this was possible."

"How though? How did you come back?" Draco's eyes were glittering with fascination as he stepped closer, ignoring his mother's hand on his shoulder as he shook himself free.

Sirius shrugged. "The real question is, why would I tell you?"

"We're family." Draco straightened himself out.

Sirius let out a sharp bark of laughter. "Haven't you seen the family tree? I was disowned."

Draco frowned, glancing at his mother who shook her head. "Draco, come. We're leaving."

"But..."

"Now!"

Irritably Draco removed the robes and dropped them unceremoniously onto the floor, they left quickly and Ron sniggered. "Nice one, mate! They looked terrified."

Sirius shrugged. "It's fun to scare people..." He grinned.

"I really think that was dangerous, Sirius...what if they go back and start telling people Harry can bring people back from the dead?"

"Then they'll think he has a greater power than the Dark Lord." Sirius replied, still smiling evilly. "It's harmless fun, Hermione."

"I don't know...I'm worried..."

"Relax Hermione, it'll be alright. Did you see Malfoy's face? He's going to be convinced Harry's more powerful than him!" Ron laughed as he walked further into the shop. Hermione continued to look worried, even after Harry had tried to reassure her.