Sirius Black fingered the small glass vial in his hands and contemplated his choice. He could fill the vials with his memories and send them to DMLE and hope and pray to Lady Magic that Remus could help free him. He wasn't sure who was the Director now, but he was sure it wasn't Barty Crouch. Barty was the one that made sure he spent twelve years in hell and frankly, Sirius wasn't too forgiving.
"I think we will do this," Sirius said, reaching for his wand. Pressing the wand tip to his temple, he concentrated on the memory he needed, no matter how painful it was. His primary focus was Harry, and he needed to step up and become the parent the boy should have had all these years ago. Dropping the first memory into the vial, he did it two more times. Corking each of them, he sat the vials down on the large wooden desk.
"Do you have anyone you can message to retrieve these?" Axekil asked, opening another file.
Sirius nodded and was grateful that Remus came to Diagon Alley with them today. Rising to his feet, looked at Axekill, who frowned at him. "May I cast the Patronus Charm in the room?"
Axekill glared at the wizard in front of him and contemplated the simple request. It was forbidden for any magicals to use their wand inside Gringotts, but for this, he could make an exception. Giving the older wizard a sharp nod of his head, he froze, seeing the wand emerge from the robes. Goblins had their own magic that didn't require wands.
Sirius eyed the goblin in front of him for a second before shrugging his shoulders. If Axekill was lying to him, he would know in the next several seconds. As he raised his wand, Sirius thought quickly about his happiest memory. After all these years, it proved difficult to find, but he pressed on until he found one.
Expecto Patronum he cast, nearly shouting the words. From the tip of his wand appeared a Grim.
The silvery harbinger of death walked around the room before coming back to Sirius for instruction. "Remus, I need you to come to Gringotts to pick up something," Sirius intoned. Everyone in the room watched as the Grim rushed from the room and disappeared. Sirius smiled at Axekill and Harry, who was watching , opened mouth at the display of magic, before sitting down.
"Give Remus a question that only he could answer. Just to make sure it's him," Sirius supplied, leaning back into his chair.
"What do you propose, Lord Black?" Axekill asked, taking notes.
"Ask him what my animagus form is. There's only a handful of people that know."
Axekill continued to scribble on a sheet of loose parchment while nodding his head. "I can do that. How long do you think it will take?"
"Only fifteen to twenty minutes. We have time to go over James and Lily's will and talk about the Potter account before he arrives," Sirius replied, reaching for another cup of tea. A loud rapped on the door prevented the three from speaking again. The door pushed open and a younger goblin rushed in. He and Axekill spoke for a moment before they handed the vials over.
Harry Potter gulped as Axekill nodded and snapped his fingers as another stack of ledgers appeared on the table. He wondered why he had so many ledgers. Axekill said nothing as he opened the first ledger and began reading the contents. He would make small growls and scowls as he would read. When the ledger was slammed shut a few minutes later, it startled both wizards.
Axekill crossed his fingers, placing his hands on the ledger, and peered over at Harry. The young wizard gulped. It felt like he was sitting across from the Headmaster. Nothing was said for a moment, but to Harry it felt like a lifetime. He sighed, seeing the goblin relax his pose and sigh heavily.
"Since the last Head of Potter died over a decade, the vault has become defunct. We have gained no money," Axekill explained with disdain. "However, in your trust vault…."
"I have another vault besides my trust vault?" Harry asked, interrupting his manager.
Axekill nodded his head, hiding his anger at the young wizard's lack of knowledge. "You do and you have your trust vault and the main Potter Vault. You are not allowed in there until you are of age."
Harry looked at Sirius, who nodded his head at him. The young wizard wasn't aware of two vaults. He already felt that the trust vault let him live modestly. He wondered if he could see the vault, just not step into it, and wondered what was inside his family vault.
"Once we have discussed the contents of the ledgers and the will of your parents, I will send a list of all the properties and businesses the Potter family invested in," Axekill informed the two wizards.
Harry and Sirius nodded their heads. It would be informative for Harry to know this, he figured. Sirius would know more about it than he would. Merlin, even Hermione, would know more about it than he would. The young wizard watched as Axekill opened the first ledger and peered over at the two wizards.
"We will start with the Trust Vault. It refilled every year on your birthday it to 50,000 galleons. That is to last you your entire year, not including tuition. Your parents paid that in full before they died," Axekill read from the ledger. Harry choked on the number of galleons sitting in his trust vault.
"Can we find out how much money they have taken from the trust vault in the past decade?" Sirius asked, leaning forward.
Axekill nodded. "We can. Gringotts won't have a problem doing an Audit on the account. If that is your wish?" he asked, turning his attention to Harry. Harry nodded his head silently. He was still getting over the sheer number of galleons. He cringed when he found out what was sitting in his family vault.
"In the past year alone, Mr. Potter, you have withdrawn 100 galleons. In December, another 5000 was withdrawn. Now that we have an idea who took it, we can investigate."
"Will this hurt the Weasely's?" Harry asked, cringing again. This time at the thought of hurting a family who treated him well, despite his fall out with Ron.
"It depends on if you want to press charges," Axekill replied simply.
Harry's eyes widened. He didn't want to press charges or anything! He wanted to know why they took his money without asking. Better yet, why did they have him sign a form to withdraw funds from his vault? A sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Was this one incident the only one, or did they withdraw more?
The young wizard didn't know if he could handle knowing the Weasely's stole from him. His friendship with Ron was far beyond being repaired, but to know that Ron was taking Harry's money all while being his friend made his heart hurt. He wondered if the other Weasleys knew, or was it just Molly?
"Mr. Potter, are you going to need funds for the summer?" Axekill asked, breaking Harry's thoughts. Harry was grateful for the distraction.
"I—I—yea, that would be great. My usual 100 galleons," Harry stammered, looking at Sirius, who gave him a shrug before winking at him. Apparently, his godfather knew something he didn't.
Axekill nodded his head sharply at the young wizard before marking down the withdrawal in the ledger. "Now, onto your family vault." Harry noticed Sirius sat up sharply. "Nothing as we know of has been removed, do you wish for an audit?"
"Yes, that sound's fine." Harry replied, seeing Sirius nod.
Axekill nodded his head and quickly made another note. "Since your parents' will hasn't been read yet, I cannot tell you the monetary number. I know, Mr. Potter, that your family was the fifth richest family in Britain."
Harry's mouth dropped open hearing this. He wondered who was richer than his family? It could be more, but Axekill said the vault was defunct for the past decade. "Are there any more discrepancies in my ledgers?" Harry asked, hoping they were finished.
It was several long moments of flipping pages before Axekill shook his head in negative. Pushing out a relieved breath, Harry reached for a cup of steaming hot tea. Fixing it the way he liked, he snagged a biscuit. He knew the conversation was far from over.
"If you are ready, we will break the seal for the Last Will and Testament of your parents." Axekill said, closing the ledgers. Snapping his fingers, they disappeared from sight.
"Why was it sealed?" Sirius asked before Harry could ponder what Axekill said. "It shouldn't have been. Harry could have it read when he turned eleven."
"That is correct, Lord Black. However, it was sealed shortly after the deaths of Lord and Lady Potter."
"By who?" Sirius asked, anger lacing his voice.
"By Albus Dumbledore acting as Chief Warlock." Axekill growled softly, baring his teeth.
"I'm confused. What does that mean?" Harry asked, his voice showing confusion.
"Because whatever is inside this will Albus Dumbledore has something to hide. Once a will has been unsealed, it becomes a public record. Means anyone can find out what's inside it." Axekill explained to the young wizard.
Harry nodded as he understood what was being said. He really wished now he brought Hermione with him. She would have explained it to him before Harry asked the question. Maybe next time if he had to come to Gringotts, he would bring her. She would know what to ask and get what Harry would need.
As he sat in the office with his Account Manager along with his godfather and Harry wondered why he agreed to have his parents will read. When Sirius agreed, Harry looked eagerly at him, hoping something good would come of it. Axekill snapped his fingers and a brown wooden cylinder appeared. Harry could feel his heartbeat triple. He watched as Axekill opened the cylinder and pulled out a roll of parchment.
The crinkling noise of the parchment being unrolled was the only sound in the office. Harry took a glance at Sirius, who seemed calm, before turning his head back. Harry watched as Axekill read over the document before looking back at the two wizards.
"I, James Oliver Potter, on the 15 day of October 1981, being of sound mind and complete mental capacity, hearby declare this document and all contents to be complete and legally binding Last Will and Testament.
I declare the sole Executor of this Last Will and Testament to be Lily Potter, whose relationship to me is that of Wife. I authorize Sirius Black to manage the finances, estates and help to raise Harry Potter, my son. In the event that Lily Potter cannot fulfill her duties or that she has died, then a secondary Executor is named Sirius Black, godfather. If he cannot fulfill his duties or that he has died, then I leave a third Executor, Alice Longbottom, godmother. If she cannot fulfill her duties or that she has died, then I leave a fourth Executor, Minerva McGonagall, family friend.
I leave the following endowments to:
To Remus, I give you the cottage in Wales and 100,000 galleons, use it well.
To Minerva McGonagall, Aunt Min, I leave you 20,000 galleons and a ball of catnip.
To Frank and Alice Longbottom, a cottage in Brighton where everyone, including Harry, can escape for fun.
To Sirius Black, you get our flat in London and while you don't need the money, you will help raise Harry as if he were your own son and take care of him and teach him a prank or two.
To my son, my wonderful, powerful son, I leave you everything else. "In the sum of all the Potter properties, values, and assets totalling a sum of 850 million galleons. Upon reaching the majority of his 17th year, Harry James Potter will fully inherit all. All properties and estates, including Godric's Hollow and Potter Manor, will be rendered back to the Head of House withstanding blood verification."
I leave NOTHING to that spineless rat that betrayed us. May Lady Magic strike him and strip him of his magic and the eternal afterlife.
Signed by
Lord James Oliver Potter
Witnesses: Sirius Black and Albus Dumbledore
Harry's mouth dropped open, his emerald eyes wide with astonishment. How did so many things go wrong? If Sirius couldn't take care of him, then it was Neville's parents. He never learned what happened to Frank and Alice Longbottom. He would have to ask Neville later. Surely Neville's gran would have taken him in? Finding out that his Head of House was on the short list to take care of him if something happened astounded him.
"Ho—how can that be?" Harry asked suddenly.
"What do you mean, Mr. Potter?" Axekill asked, lowering the parchment to his desk.
"Why was I sent to my aunt's house to live? It says that Professor McGonagall could have raised me."
"We at Gringotts do not know why you were sent to live in the Muggle world. Do you know who left you there?"
"Headmaster Dumbledore left me. I don't understand why he didn't tell me about my parents' will. He could have brought me here anytime in the past four years."
Sirius stood abruptly and began pacing the room. Harry turned his head frantically to watch his godfather swear as quietly as he could. Didn't he know Harry lived with his Aunt Petunia? Both Axekill and Harry watched as the former prisoner stopped in front of the fireplace, his wand in his hand, as if he was going to attack something.
"Actually, Mr. Potter, you were supposed to come here when you turned eleven. You could have taken the Lord title then and become emancipated. Since you are the last scion of House Potter, you would have been able to do that."
Harry paled at the implication of Axekill's words. He could have become like Sirius and be a Lord. Looking at his godfather, he couldn't tell what the man was thinking, and it unnerved him. As he turned back to Axekill, the old goblin simply stared at him. Mumbling his excuses, Harry raced from the room. Skidding into the hall, he turned right and rushed down.
He needed to hide and think. After jerking on several door knobs, he finally found one that was unlocked. Swinging it open, it was a broom closet. Kicking aside objects, he pulled the door closed and sank to the floor. The harsh smells in the small broom closet stung the inside of his nose. Breathing hard, Hary gripped his inky locks, and he squeezed his eyes tight.
Harry couldn't do that. He couldn't be like Sirius. He wasn't worthy of his family's legacy. The dark-haired wizard knew nothing about the Wizarding world until four years ago. Harry could feel his palms begin to sweat. He was too young to do this. Shaking his head, he fought the urge to run. Harry wondered if Sirius would take it for him. Hell, he would give the man the duties of being Lord Potter. He didn't know what it meant and frankly; he was too fearful to find out.
It was just something else that was hidden from him. Another lie, another secret, another half-truth and untruths. The young wizard could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to control his breathing. Harry wished Hermione were with him.
Sirius watched his godson flee from the office. He took a step toward the door Harry burst through, worry etched on his face. Turning his head to Axekill, he saw nothing on the old goblin's face. Tapping his foot, he debated on chasing after the boy. He didn't have a clue how to reassure him if he found his godson. Only the girls seemed to know how to help him.
Just as he took a step toward the door, it burst open, revealing a goblin. An excited Remus, Cassie, Hermione, and Neville followed him. Seeing their faces made Sirius sigh. Slapping his hands together, he tried to push the foreboding feeling of watching his son run from the room and concentrated on the happiness that flowed into the office.
"Sirius! We did it! You're a free man now!" Remus exclaimed, pushing the exoneration papers in his hands.
Unrolling them, Sirius skimmed, a bright smile lighting his face up. He was finally fucking free. He could officially take Harry and Cassie away from their guardians, and they could start living like a family. Rolling the parchment up, he tucked it in his robes. Padfoot opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. The freedom came at a cost. Harry lived with Muggles. One that he knew, and he was afraid that Petunia wouldn't sign her rights over.
He would have to find a solicitor to help him deal with this. Padfoot knew if he arrived at the Dursely house, he would hex those Muggles until there wasn't anything left. The only reason he didn't storm to Hogwarts and berate Albus for leaving Harry with Petunia was the two kids his heart beat for.
"Sirius!" Remus exclaimed, grabbing his elbow with enthusiasm. Sirius turned his head and focused on his old friend. "Aren't you excited?"
"Yes, yes, I am. Sorry. Long day," Sirius replied, giving Remus a tight smile.
"Where's Harry?" Cassie spoke up, looking around the room at the adults.
Sirius frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. "He's disappeared."
"What do you mean 'he's disappeared?" Remus asked, shocked.
Sirius turned to look at Axekill, who shrugged at him. He was Harry's legal parent and he could discuss whatever he wanted to Remus. "He found out a few things about his vaults, inheritance, and the Lordship title. It happened again, like it did yesterday morning."
He winced seeing the girls pale, and rushed from the room. The door slamming loudly behind them. Sirius shot Axekill an apologetic look. "Since you are here, Mr. Lupin you have a document to sign."
Remus looked at Sirius in confusion. "James and Lily's will was read. They left you something, Remus, and you can't take it back either!" he warned his old friend.
The two older wizards stood there with Neville, who sank into a seat and watched the scene play out. It was nice to see a bit of Frank in Neville's face. It made him miss Frank and Alice. He could see what Cassie saw in the boy. Sirius supposed that as her father, she did a good job dating Neville. Padfoot smirked, hearing Remus growl at the inheritance James and Lily left him.
When the door opened again, it was quieter. Cassie stood there, her eyes wet with unshed tears. Padfoot's heart stopped for a moment before restarting. Crossing the room, he pulled her into his arms and held her while she cried. He didn't see Hermione; he figured she was with his son. A minute later, Cassie ceased her sobs and pulled back from him.
"We found him, he's in a utility closet. Hermione's with him," she whispered.
Jerking his head at Remus, he watched as the old wolf hurried from the room. Neville at his heels. The young wizard's face was full of confusion. Turning to Axekill, he bit the inside of his cheek, realizing that the goblin wasn't amused.
"I will talk to Harry and owl you later this week," Sirius said, giving the goblin a nod. "May your enemies cower at your name and their gold sits in your vault." Grabbing Cassie by the elbow, they scurried from the room before Axekill finished his end of the greeting.
Briskly they walked down the hall, Sirius using his animagus senses to follow the trail Remus left. Taking a left, he saw Remus and Neville standing outside the closed door. Cassie eased her elbow from his grasp and moved to wrap her arms around her boyfriend.
"He's in there. I can hear him Sirius," Remus whispered brokenly, pulling Padfoot close.
Sirius bit the inside of his cheek again and turned his head to focus on the closed door. Stepping away from Remus, he leaned against the wall closest to the door. Running his hands over his face, he heaved a sigh and hoped Hermione could take care of him.
Harry didn't know how long he'd been sitting on the ground inside the closet when he heard a noise outside it. Straining his ears, he could hear two voices. Both females and each sounded panicked. Scooting back further into the darkened closet, he pressed his body into the wall. Taking a shuddering breath, he was grateful the worst of the storm had passed for him. Dropping his head to his knees, he closed his eyes.
He could hear the lock click open as one of the girls performed the spell. He could hear the door opening slowly. A thin strip of light shined in the darkroom. Harry squinted against the sharp light as the door opened wider. The girl stepped in, closing the door behind her. With a whisper, the tip of her wand lit up.
"Harry?" Hermione whispered in the dark. "It's me, Hermione."
"Her—Hermione?" Harry croaked, his voice rough.
He felt her warm body sit down beside him. The light from her wand sent a glow toward the door. An arm wrapped around him as they sat there in the dark. He immediately felt comforted by her presence. Leaning his head onto her shoulder, he sighed and closed his eyes. Neither of them spoke for a moment, just relished in the silence. It seemed it was always this way. They could convey conversations without saying a word.
"Harry, are you all right?" Hermione's voice whispered in the small room.
Harry raised his head and looked at the door. "No, I'm not," he whispered.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked quietly, lacing their fingers together.
"I don't know, Hermione. Today—today was a lot. Do you know I have a family vault? Or that I wasn't supposed to go to the Durselys?"
He felt the sway of Hermione's head move in the negative. Sighing, he rested his head back onto her shoulder. "I learned I am gonna inherit a title!" he scoffed and screwed his eyes shut. He replayed the scene in his head again. His breathing quickened as he felt panic flood through his body.
"A title!" he continued. "Like Sirius."
Quickly he came to his feet, jostling her. Pacing the small room, he felt claustrophobic. "I can't do it, Hermione. I can't become a Lord. I don't have the first clue what to do, what to expect? I'm just a kid! I don't know what the fuck to do!" he turned to look at her. "Do you know what to expect?"
Harry screwed his face tightly and felt the slow rush of panic shake him when she shook her head no. He pushed out several short, harsh breaths. He couldn't help it. Harry thought the first time was the only time, but thinking about it again, he couldn't stop it. Hermione's warm hands touched each side of his face, trying to twist his head around to look at her. "I can't do it, Hermione. I'm not worthy to be the head of a family. Hell, I don't even know what a family is. How can I be the head of one when I don't know what family is?" He wailed, burying his head in the crook of her neck.
Hermione wound her arms tightly around him and held him while he cried. His tears soaked through her shirt as they stood there in the semi darkness. Slowly they sank to the floor, Hermione never letting go of him.
"Does anyone know how this began?" Sirius asked several minutes later. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair.
"Right after the tournament," Cassie whispered, her face still buried in Neville's chest.
"What happened?" Sirius demanded softly, reaching out to touch his daughter's elbow.
"He—he-," she stammered, then let out a quiet sob.
Sirius frowned, his face pained at seeing his daughter hurting. Tearing his eyes away from her, he looked to Neville to tell the tale. Unfortunately, by the grim look in the lad's eyes, he realized the story wasn't pleasant. Sirius wondered who he was going to be yelling at later.
"Harry battled Voldemort. He watched the ugly bastard come back," Nevile began, his voice steady. Sirius paled at his words. He felt sick to his stomach. "Then he came back with Cedric's body. Harry said Pettigrew killed the boy in front of him. When he returned to us, no one was around to help him. We found him in a girl's loo, bloodied and battered."
"Did you call Madam Pomfrey?" Sirius demanded, panic blossoming in his chest.
"No." Neville shook his head at the older man. "We patched him up from a healing book Cassie found in the library. We got him back to his dorm, and we all bunked with him."
"Does anyone else know about this?" Remus asked, coming into the conversation.
"Just us four and now the both of you." Neville confessed.
Sirius was flabbergasted. These three kids took care of Harry and didn't tell anyone? Where was Hermione's sense of right and wrong? Harry could have been far injured. Though he felt a swell of pride for each kid that helped his son out. True, loyal friends… It reminded him of James and Remus during hard times.
Casting a discreet glance at Remus, who was standing there just as shocked, he realized it was far more important now that Harry saw a Healer. He would sit Remus down and make inquiries. If it helped Harry, he would do it too. Smoothing his robes, he turned his head to the door. He ached to be inside, listening and giving his support, but he dared not open the door. Sirius Black may be a prankster, but he wasn't an idiot.
The door opened with a small squeak. Sirius leaned off the wall he was currently occupying when Hermione stepped out of the room. He grimaced seeing her wipe her eyes and nodded her head at Cassie, who broke away from Neville and rushed into the room, closing the door behind her.
"Hermione, is—is he all right?" Sirius asked with trepidation.
She shook her head at them. Padfoot felt his heart do a double thump, and he looked at the closed door. He knew what they discussed earlier was enough to drive anyone mad. Part of him understood what Harry was going through. The lad didn't want to be Lord Potter. Hell, Sirius didn't want to be Lord Black. In his mind, his grandfather was still alive, and this was all a prank.
What Harry didn't understand was that he didn't have to take up the title until he was ready. Sirius, now being free, would accept the title of Regent until Harry was ready. His son had a lot to learn, and Padfoot was certain he could teach him everything the lad needed to know. Everyone would help him.
"If Cassie can get him out, can we go home?" she asked softly. It didn't escape Sirius when Neville walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. Something happened over the school year for the teens to become so close. He would investigate it later.
"Yea, we can go home. We're done here now," Sirius assured her. He wasn't sure how he could ever think of Grimmauld Place home, but it was home for the time being.
"Sirius," Hermione whispered, hugging her arms around herself, "whatever happens, please let Harry make his own decisions. Please don't lie to him or keep secrets from him."
Sirius nodded his head gravely. It was an ugly truth, but he had to realize that Harry wasn't a small child anymore. He was nearly an adult. He needed guidance, not someone keeping secrets from him, thinking they know best. Someone possibly like Dumbledore. Padfoot wondered how much Hermione knew.
A few minutes later, the door opened, revealing a blotchy face with Cassie, who ran to Neville and Harry. His son shuffled from the closet as if he were an old man. Hermione raced to him, pulling him close to her. Stepping closer, Sirius placed a hand on his son's shoulder. It surprised him when Harry latched onto him, gripping him.
Sirius refused to let his son go. He could feel the tremors from Harry's body against his own. Running his fingers through the lad's hair, he made soft shushing noises. A few minutes later, Harry pulled away from him and wiped his eyes. Hermione approached him, placing a hand on his arm.
"Ca—can we go?" Harry whispered to him.
"Yea, we can go. We're done today," Sirius assured him, giving him a careful smile.
Rounding up everyone else, Sirius nudged Harry and Hermione forward. The faster they left, the better off it would be. The former prisoner wondered about the public's reaction to him walking down Diagon Alley like a free man. He would soon find out. Walking through the lobby, they passed the rows of goblins attending to the banking needs of witches and wizards.
He could hear the whispering already. Ignoring the pointing and staring, he heard Harry sigh and shake his head. "They're not whispering about you, Harry."
Harry's head snapped up to look at him. "They're not?"
"Nah, it's about me. Fudge signed a pardon. I'm free."
He barely had time to brace himself when his son threw his arms around him. "Th—that's wonderful Sirius!" Harry said into his shoulder.
The whispering became louder the longer they stood there, embracing. No one knew about Sirius being Harry Potter's godfather. If they did, they would know that it was almost impossible for Sirius to betray the Potter's. It would have stripped him of his magic and there was no way in hell Sirius was going to lose his magic. He felt his heart lurch at the thought, and his magic hurt as the thoughts continued.
Pushing through the double doors leading outside the bank, the two guard goblins eyed the crew but said nothing. Stepping out onto the cobble street of Diagon Alley, Sirius expected someone to scream his name and yell for Aurors in less than a minute.
"Five minutes says someone screams," Remus whispered, nudging him.
"Two minutes," Sirius challenged. "I bet 10 galleons."
"Deal." Remus nodded, giving him a smile.
Nearly two minutes later, as they were passing a magical instrument store, an old lady stepped out and right into Sirius. After quickly apologizing, she stepped away just to gaze upon the face that dominated the Wanted posters.
"Sirius Black!" she screamed, clutching her bag tightly to her and fumbling for her wand. "Someone call the Aurors!"
Remus sighed and shoved his hand in his money bag to retrieve the 10 galleons. Sirius smirked, holding out his hand, waiting for his payment.
"I told you. Two minutes," he proclaimed, much to the amusement of everyone.
Minutes later, three Aurors arrived, wands ready to take down a criminal. Holding his hands up in surrender, Sirius smiled as the Aurors approached. The lady pointed her finger at Sirius, who grinned at her. When the commotion died down, the lady was beet red in the face. In her embarrassment, she apologized quietly to the small family and went on about her way.
Taking the kids to the apparition point, Sirius looked at the group and realized it would take several jumps before everyone was at Grimmauld Place. Swearing to himself, he remembered Dumbledore fixed it where no one could apparate in the house. Now that he had his freedom and kicked Dumbledore out of his house, he needed to work on the wards.
"All right you lot, we have to floo home," Sirius said, tapping on the bricks to enter the Leaky Cauldron. Soft grumbling came from the teens while he continued to smile. He would have to go to the Ministry to fill out the paperwork for guardianship for Harry and Cassie starting tomorrow before Albus found out about his freedom.
There were so many things to do that it felt he wouldn't have time to do it all. Moseying through the packed Leaky, he guided everyone to the fireplace. Grabbing a pinch of powder between his fingers, he stepped inside and tossed the powder down, calling out to his destination. Sirius disappeared a second later, only to arrive at Grimmauld Place for another moment.
Shaking off the ash from his robes, he stepped to the side and waited for the rest of his family to come through the fireplace. Minutes later, Remus stepped through to be followed by the teens, who fell unceremoniously on the ground. Chuckling, he and Remus quickly cleaned the teens.
"What now?" Neville asked first, looking around the room. Someone must have told him the secret to get her.
"Well, since I am a free man and all, I think we should go out to eat!" Sirius smiled, plopping down on the sofa.
"Where to?" Harry asked, smoothing his robes.
"Don't know," Sirius scratched his chin. "It's been over a decade since I've been in public."
"We can do Bryon," Hermione offered. "It's a Muggle restaurant not too far from here. It serves hamburgers and drinks."
Sirius slapped his hands together. "That's where we are going. We need alcohol!"
Everyone chuckled at the former prisoner antics. Sirius was the first to stand up and look at the motley crew. If they were going Muggle, they needed Muggle clothes. Pulling his wand out, he transfigured his robes into something he thought was presentable. He was clad in denim bell bottoms with a bright red satin button-up shirt with ruffles on the cuffs and had the top three buttons undone. On his feet were winkle-picker black boots.
Hermione was the first to chuckle at him. Then Harry. Cassie and Neville followed next with Remus, looking sheepish. Sirius stood there thinking he looked fabulous until he saw the look on Remus's face. Scowling at his old friend, he narrowed his eyes at everyone.
"What are you all laughing at?" Sirius asked.
"Sirius," Hermione began, wiping her eyes, "that look was popular during the mid to late seventies."
"Yeah Padfoot, didn't take you for a disco king," Harry remarked, snickering.
"What the-," Sirius began, realizing they had pranked him. Waving his wand, he relished having his old wand back and cancelled the transfiguration. Narrowing his eyes at Remus, who he knew was the culprit, he vowed to get his revenge.
"So what do you suggest?" Sirius asked, looking at the teens.
"Well," Hermione drawled, "you will need something that's more up to date. Since Byron is a bit more upscale than normal. So maybe a pair of khaki Chinos and a button-up shirt and no ruffles."
"Har-har-har," Sirius retort. Waving his wand, he transfigured his clothes to Hermione's suggestion. Once settled, he smiled at his work. This would do well after his shower.
"Neville, you are welcome to come along. Hermione, invite your parents. The more the merrier."
Neville nodded and hurried to the fireplace. Tossing a pinch of floo powder in the dying embers, he called to his Gran. They spoke quickly, with reassurance that Neville was all right from the attack at Diagon Alley.
"Attack?" Sirius asked, glancing at Remus, then to Cassie. "What attack?"
"Four Death Eaters showed up. Two Aurors and myself took them down. The kids hid at Florean's," Remus explained, trying to downplay the situation.
"You could have called me!" Sirius exclaimed.
"And risk the Aurors cuffing you and taking you to the DMLE?" Remus asked dryly. "I think not! Especially since we did not have those memories."
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Harry and Hermione standing very close together. They were talking in low tones, like their conversation was intimate. He didn't want to disturb them. It was clear that Harry fancied Hermione and vice versa.
Maybe he could help push the two teens along? Make them realize they fancied each other. He would have to invest in help. It had been far too long since he was in the dating scene. Maybe Cassie and Neville could help him out.
"Can someone apparate me to my parents so I can ask them?" Hermione asked, interrupting Sirius's thoughts.
"I can take you. Will they say yes?" Remus offered before Sirius could.
Hermione glanced at a nervous-looking Harry, giving him a reassuring smile. "Yes, I think they will."
"Do you want to go now?"
Hermione nodded her head and gave Harry a tight squeeze of her hand before following Remus out of Grimmauld Place. Harry watched her leave, his face plain to understand if one was looking for. He truly fancied the smartest witch, but he was terrified of meeting her parents. As much as Sirius was a prankster, it might be best to act like an adult this one time.
Just this one time.
"Well," Sirius said, looking at the rest of the kids, "we need to get ready. Neville, are you coming with us?"
"My Gran said yes!" the sandy-haired boy said, smiling brightly. His enthusiasm was met with a hug from Cassie and a chaste kiss on the lips.
"Good. Everyone go find some Muggle clothes and we'll meet back here in an hour."
"Er," Neville spoke up with uncertainty. "I don't have Muggle clothes."
"Me neither," Cassie agreed.
"Mine are Dudley's castoffs," Harry said, shrugging his shoulder. This bit of information made Sirius's eye twitch. In the future, he would sit down with Harry and find out about his godson's home life with Petunia.
Nodding his head, Padfoot realized a quick shopping excursion was needed. "All right, we can pick up clothes quickly. All on me," he added before the teens could protest.
As the three teens and one adult left the house, Sirius was afraid that Dumbledore spelled the door to keep them locked in. After their argument about Harry, Sirius wouldn't put it past the old man.
Placing his hand on the snake door knob, he twisted the handle and pulled the front door open. Sighing when he didn't feel a ward, he ushered the kids out of the house. The mid-afternoon sun shone down upon them as they walked toward the shopping center.
Half an hour later, Sirius and the teens stepped out of the Gap. Everyone carried a bag full of clothes fit for the modern age of Muggle wear. Sirius was surprised that fashion had changed as much as it did.
When they reached Grimmauld Place, they found Remus and Hermione waiting for them. Each of them stripped from their robes and into appropriate Muggle wear. Before they could berate the wayward group, Sirius held up the bags showing where they had been at.
Half an hour later, everyone was in the parlor, talking softly. Pulling his pocket watch from his front pants pocket, Padfoot noted the time.
"Everyone ready to eat?" He asked, getting everyone's attention.
"My parents will meet us there," Hermione said, sitting beside Harry. They were so close she was practically in his lap.
"Good, then we can go," Sirius said, rubbing his hands together. Everyone rose to their feet but Remus. Sirius narrowed his eyes at his lupine friend. "You're coming too, Remus, and don't argue. Food and family is what we all need."
He felt triumphant when Remus nodded his head and stood to follow everyone out the door. Not sure how they were going to get there with two adults who could apparate, the group stood around on the sidewalk before Neville pulled his wand out.
With a loud bang a few seconds later, the triple decker purple Knight Bus appeared. Coming down the steps was Stan Shunpike. The pimply faced young man stared at the crew before opening his mouth.
"Neville! It's nice to see you 'gain," Stan said, giving a nod to Harry.
Neville looked over in confusion at his friend, but figured he would ask later.
"Nice to see you too, Stan. Can we get a lift?" Harry asked with a tight smile.
"Yeah, sure! It will be eleven sickles for each person. For thirteen sickles, well throw in a 'ot chocolate. For fif'teen sickles you can get a 'ot water bottle and a toothbrush color of your choice," Stan said, reading from his notepad.
Sirius dug into his money bag and pulled out four galleons coins and handed them to Stan. When the young man tried to give back change, Sirius waved it off. Stan moved to the side and let his new passengers on the bus.
Sirius took a seat in an overstuffed purple chair and looked around at the group. Harry pulled Hermione close to him, his arm wrapped protectively around her. She had her face buried in his shoulder. Apparently, he told her what the ride was going to be like. He'd almost forgotten that Harry took the Knight Bus once. It was the night they were acquainted. He watched from a distance as Harry stepped into the devil of a contraption before disappearing.
With a giant lurch, the bus took off down the street, invisible to the Muggle eyes. It swerved and mashed them as it squeezed through the narrow gap of cars. Sirius clenched down on the arm of the overstuffed chair and prayed for the ride to be over. Glancing around at the rest of the occupants, he saw each of them looking slightly green.
When the bus came to a halting stop in front of a store, Sirius stood on shaky legs and wobbled toward the front of the bus. He could hear grumbling from his group as he stepped off the bus. Once everyone was off the devil contraption, they watched as it left with a loud bang before disappearing from their sight.
"Well, now that we've all been tossed around like rag dolls, what say we all sit down to eat?" Sirius said, giving everyone a weak grin.
Five minutes later, being led by Hermione, who was still clutching tightly to Harry, they were greeted by two well dressed middle-aged people. When Hermione broke from Harry and rushed to them, Sirius figured they were her parents. Catching up to the group, Sirius hung back until Hermione pulled him toward the front of the group to meet her folks.
"Sirius, I would like you to meet my parents. Drs. Jared and Gwen Granger. Sirius is Harry's godfather."
"It's nice to meet the both of you," Sirius said, shaking their hand. "I know your daughter from meeting her in third year."
"She has said little about her time at Hogwarts, but we are looking forward to getting to know her friends," Jared Granger said, giving Hermione a side arm squeeze.
"I have no problem answering questions," Sirius said, giving Harry a small nudge.
Once the small pleasantries were exchanged, the group headed inside the restaurant where the Grangers had made a reservation. As they were escorted to their table, Sirius was mindful of his manners, but his eyes were everywhere. No one but their small group knew about the last decade of his life. It was strange being in the Muggle world, anyway. To many witches and wizards, the Muggle world was like a whole new experience. Something foreign that many didn't take the time and step into that particular world.
Taking his seat, Sirius reached for a menu and was astounded that it was mostly hamburgers, with drinks of all sorts. Muggle really knew how to make drinks. It would differ from drinking a bottle of Ogden's. He would have the elves investigate and recreate these drinks. Ordering something called a Long Island Iced Tea, Sirius read over the menu while everyone chatted quietly.
Once everyone had ordered their food, the aroma of trays passing him made Padfoot's mouth water. He heard his stomach growl loudly and smiled as their server dropped off the drinks. Taking a sip of his, he raised an eyebrow at the strong alcohol taste. Setting the tall glass down, he got comfortable in his chair.
"So Sirius, how did you meet Hermione?" Gwen Granger asked.
To say Harry Potter was nervous was completely wrong. He was terrified. Meeting Hermione's parents was nerve-wracking enough that Harry wanted to skip out on the dinner. It wasn't as if he was dating their daughter, but there was no telling what she had told her parents about him.
Climbing aboard the Knight Bus, Harry felt dread pool into his stomach. He hated this contraption. He preferred portkey over this and he despised portkey travel. Sitting down on a red couch, it did not surprise him to see Hermione take a seat beside him and grip his arm tightly. He felt her scoot closer to him.
"Relax Hermione," he said soothingly. "It's bad, but it's not that bad."
"I've heard horror stories about this bus," she whispered, her voice laced with fear.
"I've got you, Hermione. Just don't let go," Harry assured her.
The ride to London was harrowing. The bus squeezed and pushed and pulled them until they were as flexible as taffy. Harry was grateful when the bus came to a halting stop. His arm was numb from Hermione's tight grip. It would take a few minutes for the feeling to come back. Escorting her gently off the bus, he waited behind as the rest of the group debarked.
Hermione's wonderful laugh had his head turning to see her jump into the arms of a man who Harry assumed was her father. Harry gulped, trying to swallow the tennis ball that formed into his throat. He stayed back as Hermione introduced everyone to her parents and when he saw she was looking for him; he emerged from his pretend invisibility. Venturing over to her, he stood beside Hermione, who looked like she was trying not to laugh.
"Mum, Dad, this is Harry Potter," she said, grabbing him by the arm and forcing him to meet her parents face to face. Harry tried to hide his nervousness, but felt like he failed.
"Nice to meet you, Drs. Granger," he said, shoving his hand out to shake her father's hand. When the man grabbed it and gave it a slight squeeze, Harry squeezed back.
"It's nice to meet you, Harry," her mum said, giving him a gentle hug. It startled him for a second because no one besides Hermione and Mrs. Weasley had ever given him a hug. The warm comfort he found in Hermione's arms differed from Mrs. Weasely's suffocating hugs. Her mother's hug, on the other hand, was like Hermione's.
They spent a moment outside talking to Sirius, who seemed to behave himself before going inside the restaurant. Harry could see the wonder on Neville, Cassie, and Sirius's faces and hid a smirk. It was always amusing to see wizards walk into Muggle buildings. The worlds were completely different. Harry wondered how they would act if Hermione's parents really showed them Muggle London.
Taking his seat beside Hermione, their legs brushed gently against each other's. Harry tried to keep his composure, hoping that Hermione didn't realize his shifting. Looking over the menu, he listened as Hermione chatted away with her parents and Remus. Looking up from his menu, he watched Neville and Cassie pouring over their joint menu.
"What's good here?" Neville asked, looking at him.
"Dunno," Harry answered, looking over his menu. The description of the burgers listed made his mouth water. Finding a burger loaded with everything, he added chili fries. He wasn't sure what they were, but it sounded delicious. Setting his menu down he was pulled into a conversation with Hermione, Sirius and her parents.
Sirius was talking about their third year without the dementors floating around the castle. Or the night that he and Sirius nearly died. Padfoot, in Padfoot style dramatized the story about Harry and Hermione flying on the back of a hippogriff named Buckbeak to save him from being sent back to Azkaban. When Gwen Granger asked why he was in prison, the table became somber. Harry opened his mouth to explain to her his story when Sirius beat him to it.
"They threw me in without a trial because the Ministry thought I killed Harry's parents…"
"Which you didn't?!" Gwen Granger gasped.
"I definitely did not. The Ministry needed a scapegoat, and I was in the way, I suppose," Sirius explained, giving a shrug. Harry noted Sirius left out most of the conspiracy theories that were concocted from that night.
"But now, I am a free man and I can take custody of Harry and Cassie."
"Cassie?" Gwen Granger turned her head to look at the dark-haired girl who was flirting quietly with Neville.
"Cassie's my daughter. Harry's half sister," Sirius explained to the dentists.
The conversation halted as their server brought the food to the table. Everyone smiled as the servers placed their plates in front of them. Harry's eyes widened when his plate was sitting in front of him. He didn't know if he could finish the meal while they were here. The chili cheese fries were sitting in a basket, steaming with chopped onions sprinkled on top of the chili. They doused it in almost too much cheese. They stacked the hamburger high with ingredients and oozed cheese as well.
There was going to be no room for dessert after this.
Half an hour later, Harry leaned back in his seat, his stomach probably bulging like a deformed alien in his body. He was full for the first time all summer. Harry tried to take it easy and eat slowly, but his hunger overrode his common sense. He figured he would pay for it tomorrow. At least he hoped it was tomorrow, and not tonight.
The surrounding people were picking at their dinners now. Their plates were nearly empty or fully empty. Countless empty drinks were scattered around the table and a few baskets of appetizers. The boy-who-lived smiled at the merry faces around him. When their server came back and asked if they wanted to try out the extensive milkshake selection, everyone groaned. Harry chuckled and ordered a peanut butter banana shake to go.
Hermione vetoed a milkshake, but Neville and Cassie ordered a chocolate and toffee shake. Neville ordered a vanilla one so he could have his Gran try it. He didn't know if she would like it or not, but if she did, their house-elf would be hard at work to replicate the delicious dessert. When their server brought their milkshakes to go, Sirius and Jared Granger were discussing who was paying. Eventually, Jared caved and told Sirius that he would pay for their next dinner outing.
As the group left the restaurant, the group stood outside in the warm London night trying to say goodbye. Remus offered to take Neville home so he could deliver his food to his Gran while Cassie and Harry would journey back to Grimmauld Place with Sirius. Hermione threw her arms around her parents, giving them a tight hug, promising that she would be home tomorrow afternoon.
Harry could tell her parents wanted Hermione home, but let her journey back to Grimmauld Place at the last second. Waving goodbye, Harry nudged Hermione as she watched her parents get into their car before the magicals left to look for a quiet spot so they could travel back to Grimmauld Place for the night.
"How are we getting back?" Cassie asked, looking down the dark alley.
"House-elf?" Sirius asked, looking at the teens. "I know Hermione won't like it, but it's quick and easy and I don't want to take the Knight Bus again."
Seeing his point, Hermione nodded, and they called Dobby. Dobby showed up half a second later, his large ears flapping happily.
"What can I do for the Great Harry Potter Sir?" Dobby asked, his enormous eyes looking up at Harry.
Harry blushed at the endearment. "Can you pop us back to Grimmauld Place?"
"Of course I can Great Harry Potter, Sir!" Dobby grabbed his hand quickly and before he could pop them away, Harry grabbed Hermione's hand. With everyone holding onto each other, they disappeared with a quiet pop.
Arriving back in the foyer of Grimmauld Place, Harry took a deep breath, realizing he was home. Things were going to be different now that Sirius was free. He knew his godfather would fight the devil to make sure Harry and now Cassie had a loving home. Harry hoped with Dobby's help they would turn the gloomy mausoleum into a home. If only they could convince Dumbledore that Harry belonged here with his godfather and half sister.