Things weren't better or worse after Sirius found out. They were just different. Harry no longer had to sneak out or make excuses when he was called, and he was called a lot. He was starting to think that Voldemort had become fond of him since the breakout. Harry had learned basic healing from Sirius and was helping rehabilitate the people they had freed. The Lestranges were the worst patients that he could imagine. Bellatrix was belligerent at the best of times. She didn't want to take her potions or eat what was served to her. She didn't want to cooperate. Rodolphus was downplaying his own condition trying to act as if nothing had happened even when they were trying to help. Rabastan was just annoying to Harry. The man constantly tried to assert his dominance which got old fast. Harry could break him in half with the current state he was in and Rabastan was doing everything in his power to try and prove Harry wrong. At least he took his potions.
"Bellatrix, you are no use to the Dark Lord if you do not take care of yourself!" Harry had finally gotten fed up with the woman. He had wanted to wring her neck almost the second she had opened her mouth and he didn't want to test if the Dark Lord was actually fond of him. Especially not this soon. Despite the fact that Bellatrix had launched herself at him she took her potions so Harry counted it as a win. Maybe he could get through to her eventually. He was charismatic, but charisma didn't work on crazy.
"You're Draco's age, aren't you?" Rabastan asked once Narcissa had calmed Bellatrix down. Harry looked up at him from where he was mixing a potion.
"Should you even be in here? I thought you were supposed to stay in the room? But if you must know, yes. Draco is a few months older." Harry said going back to his potion. Draco was much better at potions than he was, but he was busy at the moment so Harry was tending to it and needed to concentrate.
"You don't look it," Rabastan said. "You look younger. You're so short. When I first saw you I thought you were a literal child." He continued intending on riling Harry up but Harry just nodded.
"Starving half your childhood will do that to you. Pass the boomslang skin." He said, putting Rabastan to work if he was going to be there. Rabastan blinked owlishly at Harry as if not understanding his comment.
"What do you mean starved?" Rabastan demanded. He almost sounded protective which made Harry shoot him an odd look. He didn't think that Rabastan would care. Before Harry could answer, Voldemort swept in. Harry got to a stopping point and kneeled before him, letting Voldemort run his fingers through his hair. Voldemort liked petting him for some reason. Harry hated it but never complained.
"Did you need something, my lord?" Harry asked subserviently. Rabastan was watching Harry carefully as he knelt in front of Voldemort as well. It was like he was trying to figure Harry out which made Harry uncomfortable. He didn't need anyone figuring him out on the dark side. Voldemort could never know his plans.
"Working hard, pet? I came to make sure that none of my followers were antagonizing you." Voldemort cooed. Harry knew what he was actually doing. He was making sure that everyone knew Harry's place as a prized pet. Harry had to force himself not to grit his teeth.
"Rabastan was just assisting me with potions for your followers, my lord," Harry said politely covering for Rabastan being in the room with him. As much as Voldemort liked having Harry prove himself he was possessive of him. If anyone but himself hurt Harry there would be bloodshed.
"Good, if you need anything, call on him, okay, pet?" Voldemort said running his fingers through Harry's hair again.
"Yes, my lord," Harry responded and Voldemort left. Harry let out a slow breath once they were alone again.
"You protected me?" Rabastan said slowly. Harry glanced over at him confused.
"You're not antagonizing me. I wasn't lying. You're annoying, not aggressive." Harry said easily as he moved back to his potion grumbling about being interrupted.
"You're a weird kid. Well, since I am officially put to work what can I help with? My potions were decent, but I am not Severus level." Rabastan said pulling his sleeves up to join Harry at the desk.
"No one is at Severus' level except maybe Draco. I am passable, but not amazing. Draco is being yanked away for some ministry affair with Lucius and Severus is at the castle with Dumbledore." Harry explained as he gestured to some half-ground-up lionfish spines. Rabastan immediately started to finish grinding them up. They worked in silence that was broken every so often by Rabastan throwing in a question of where Harry wanted something then moving on to the next ingredient. It was late by the time they finished.
"Hungry? You are supposed to take your nightly potions soon." Harry said, checking his watch. Sirius had given it to him last Christmas. It had a carving on the back of a wolf and a dog surrounding a young deer. The watchmaker had been unnerved by the request, but Harry loved that watch. It reminded him who his family was.
"I could eat," Rabastan said easily.
"Kreature! Hello, could you please bring some dinner for me and Rabastan? And is Sirius home yet?" Harry asked politely, making Rabastan look at him oddly.
"Yes, young master, he got home ten minutes ago," Kreature responded with a low bow.
"Tell him I am finishing up the potions now and will be home for dessert," Harry responded and Kreature popped away again.
"Black knows?!" Rabastan demanded. Harry looked over at him, his expression flat.
"He knew it was me at the breakout. Why do you think I was standing in front of you? He wouldn't attack me." Harry said offhandedly as their food appeared. Harry carried it to the small sitting room off the potions lab so they could eat.
"He hates the dark! You are telling me that he is completely fine with you being here?" Rabastan asked.
"He's the only father I have ever known. I'm his son. He will support me wherever I decide to go. Family isn't just about blood, Lestrange, and it definitely shouldn't be broken by this war." Harry said, handing Rabastan his plate as he began to eat.
"You call him your father? What about-?" Rabastan cut off realizing it was probably best not to bring up the parents that were murdered by their side. "About that, aren't you friends with the Longbottom child?" He asked quietly.
"Neville is one of my best friends. He is on the same level as Draco. My brother in everything but blood. I know what you did to his parents, but I also know what Azkaban is like. I think you have suffered enough. You were seventeen when you were sentenced to life in hell. If he hates me later then-." Harry shrugged. He loved his friends. He loved them dearly, but he knew they wouldn't agree with his choices. He couldn't believe anyone deserved Azkaban after seeing what it did to Sirius. Rabastan was only seventeen when he was sentenced to life. He was still a child. Harry couldn't agree with that.
"You truly don't believe I deserve to rot for it?" Rabastan asked quietly.
"Do you truly expect me to believe that it wasn't mostly Bellatrix? You're a terrible person, but you're not a monster. You were seventeen. That is two years older than I am now, and there are days when I feel like I would do the same to win. I protect the people I love. You barely knew them." Harry reasoned easily. Harry wished that Susan was there to tell him he was being heartless. He found it was easier for him to be heartless without her there. He knew how much Neville wished his parents were there, but Harry mostly blamed his family for not treating him right. If he had a loving family then he wouldn't miss his parents so much. Harry barely missed his now that he had Sirius.
"Most people assume it was all of us," Rabastan said pointedly.
"You don't have the history of violence that your brother and Bellatrix have. You were an amazing student who didn't get into trouble. You and Barty were model children who suddenly went on a rampage and tortured two people into insanity while their child watched? No. I think you followed your brother and the ministry tried you together to make sure you all fell for the crime. It was personal for them. You killed one of their own." Harry said logically.
"You are stone-cold, kid. Thank you for dinner. Let's do this again sometime." Rabastan looked uncomfortably seen at that moment as he hurried to flee from the conversation. Harry chuckled at his haste.
"I wanna be a lawyer if it makes you feel better," Harry called as Rabastan was almost out the door.
"I think you'll be a great one. You almost sold my innocence to me." Rabastan said with a grin and waved as he left fully. Harry shook his head and floo'd back home. He crashed directly into Remus who almost dropped a pie that he had in his hands.
"Still land terribly, cub." Remus teased putting the pie down to wipe the ash off Harry's clothes. Harry smiled up at him.
"Take after my mum. You tell me every time." Harry teased back and snatched the pie from the table. "Where's my dogfather?" He asked as he started to cut the pie and serve it.
"In his study, no doubt breaking something valuable," Remus said, shaking his head.
"You know him so well. Sirius! Here boy!" Harry yelled up the stairs hearing Sirius barrel down the hall in his animagus form before crashing into Harry. Harry laughed as he was knocked to the floor trying to push Sirius off before he slobbered all over his face.
"Sirius! Only humans get pie!" Remus called out and Sirius shifted back to his human form and helped Harry up with a grin.
"How was the ferret?" Sirius asked with a grin.
"You can't keep calling Lucius a ferret. He was fine. He was working late so I didn't really see him. I was with Draco helping him with his summer work." Harry said easily. Sirius still insisted they not tell Remus about his plan to take down both sides.
"What subject?" Sirius asked as he slid around the linoleum floors of the kitchen in his socks. Remus kept trying to pour the drinks without Sirius crashing into him but eventually threatened to pour the drink on him if he didn't stop.
"I was working on potions. He needed help with History. Apparently, I am the only one who understands what the hell Binns is talking about. I told him that I don't even listen in that class but no dice. I still end up having to recount a list of dates and names to him for every essay." Harry babbled on as they all dug into the pie that Remus had made. Every night they made sure to at least have dessert together as a family. It was Sirius' idea when Harry first started living there and it had stuck even as things started to go to hell around them.
"Susan is coming over tomorrow, right?" Remus asked pointing his spoon at the family calendar they kept on the wall. It had different colors for all of them so they knew how to work around each other's schedules for family time. Sirius was big on family outings. He liked to put them in big bold writing on whatever day none of them had any plans. Harry had learned more about both the wizarding world and the muggle world from these outings. Sometimes they would pop off to another country in order to go to a museum or event. Sirius loved to go to muggle concerts. He had an entire closet full of band shirts by that point that Remus would steal on quiet nights. Sometimes they would just go down to the cinema and watch a movie if something struck their fancy, but always all together as a family.
"Yeah, she wanted to see that movie we watched last week. The one set in the future about the Judge accused of murder." Harry said easily. Remus nodded.
"Sirius and I have a date night planned," Remus explained.
"If I walk in on you two snogging in the hallway again I am gouging my eyes out." Harry threatened pointing his spoon at Remus.
"Shot through the heart!" Sirius began but Remus shoved a spoonful of pie into his mouth so he couldn't continue. Sirius had taken to singing to annoy him lately and Remus was getting fed up with it. Harry high-fived Remus as they all grinned. When they were finished Harry got up to put the rest of the pie away as Sirius washed the dishes. Harry had never expected a life like this. It was idyllic. With so much time being the freak he never expected to have a family that accepted him unconditionally. Sirius was a storybook figure to Harry. He was his hero.
Remus headed up to bed kissing Sirius and ruffling Harry's hair. Sirius turned to Harry suddenly serious.
"You were making potions for him? Why didn't he have Snivellus do it?" Sirius asked slowly.
"Severus is at the castle doing stuff for Dumbledore. Draco is the next best option. He was at the ministry with Lucius. I was helping Cissy. He assigned Rabastan to help me." Harry said with a shrug. Sirius quickly hid a low growl at the mention of Rabastan, but not fast enough for Harry not to catch it.
"He's not that bad. He's saner than the other two. I don't know how Severus keeps Rodophlus so calm but he is the only one who can. Cissy is the only one who can keep Bellatrix from trying to harm everyone in the vicinity. Rabastan is just a nosey bastard. He kind of reminds me of Barty." Harry said offhandedly. Sirius always questioned him when he came back from seeing Voldemort. He needed to know that Harry was safe. Harry recounted what he did vaguely enough for Sirius to not get stressed.
"He's a monster. What he did to Alice and Frank-." Sirius muttered.
"He was a child." Harry reminded.
"He was seventeen." Sirius shot back reminding Harry that he himself was only fifteen.
"Maybe we should stop bringing children into a war between adults? Dumbledore will never give up his child soldiers, but after he is gone." Harry said pointedly.
"Could you do it? Torture someone." Sirius asked not sure if he actually wanted the answer.
"I almost did. I was ready to watch Pettigrew scream. The only thing that stopped me was that Susan was there." Harry reminded. Sirius winced and just shook his head.
"Okay. I won't say anything. I would have tortured him as well, but Frank and Alice did nothing wrong." Sirius said with a pointed look on his face.
"Alice and Frank had fought against the dark. They are not sending out stunners on either side. War is not morally black or white."
"The war was over."
"Not for them. It will never be for the children who know nothing else."
"Harry, you can't keep making excuses for monsters." Sirius started but Harry shook his head.
"And you can't keep labeling children monsters for participating in a war. I blame the adults for starting the war. I don't blame Dad or you for the things you did. I don't blame Rabastan or Barty for what they did. I blame Dumbledore and Voldemort for thinking that war was the answer to everything." Harry said passionately. "He was seventeen. Two years older than I am now. His entire family was pushing him into serving the Dark Lord just like yours was except he didn't have dad to follow after. He didn't trust Dumbledore to fix it. He was seventeen."
"Okay! Okay. I understand your point. I want to avoid the war, too, you know. I am on your side. Voldemort ruined more lives than just the people he killed." Sirius accepted finally.
"And Dumbledore let it happen. The Dark Lord was telling me about his childhood again. He seems to treat me like his snake just telling stories in Parseltongue whenever we are alone. Dumbledore helped create the monster he is. I- I feel for him sometimes. I wish I could go back and change things for him. Maybe he wouldn't be so evil." Harry said quietly.
"You forgive too easily," Sirius whispered before kissing the top of his head and ushering him off to bed. Harry laid there thinking about the things that Voldemort had told him that morning. He wished he could go back and raise Voldemort and see how things would change. He was suddenly struck with an idea. What if he could deage him and raise him correctly? What if he didn't have to kill him? What if he could give him a second chance? He wrote down the idea to research later. It wouldn't be a quick fix. He would need to earn his trust first. He would need to find a way to do it. He might even have to create a spell or potion. At least it was finally an idea.