Harry Potter laid his quill down and flexed his wrist. He looked up from his parchment to see his friends sitting quietly working on summer homework. Hermione sat across from him while Neville and Cassie were at the other end of the table. After his meltdown few days ago, he wanted to hide away from everyone. Hermione put a stop to it quickly.
In Hermione-like fashion, she dragged him into the library and set his Charms book in front of him. She wasn't telling him to do his homework, but she wanted him around them. He sat there the first day doing nothing but sleeping. Someone had conjured a pillow for him to rest his head on.
He avoided eating in the kitchen with everyone else. Not that he was ashamed of what happened, but he didn't want the questions and stares that would follow him. He never ate alone, though. His close friends sat with him for every meal. Once it was over, Hermione would drag them back to the library to work on homework.
By the third day, Harry braved opening his Charms book. He grabbed a quill and began reading the questions and searching for the answers in the book. He glanced up at Hermione once to see her smiling, but she said nothing. Oddly enough, Molly and Ginny left the very next day. Harry didn't ask.
They arrived back early the morning of the third day. Harry was already upstairs working on his homework when the library door swung open, revealing Ginny. He stiffened, seeing her pushed the door close. Everyone looked up to see the younger girl take a seat close to Harry, but said nothing.
Harry looked up to see Hermione watching Ginny, but turned his head back to his Charm's homework. If he got this done, he could start on Transfiguration. The silence that followed kept him calm as he continued to scratch away at the parchment. Finally, he finished the last line and set his quill aside. He massaged his sore wrist while the ink dried on the parchment before rolling it up and storing it in his satchel.
He dropped his Charms book into the satchel and pulled out his Transfiguration book. Pulling out another sheaf of parchment, he sat it in front of him and opened his book to the small parchment, informing him of his assignment. He read over it quickly and flipped through the pages of his book to the correct chapter. The young wizard propped the book up and read. The reading was tedious, and he wished he took better notes in class. Since his failing friendship with Ron, his grades improved, but he still lacked full concentration in class.
Twenty minutes later, his parchment filled with notes over the topic, he sat the book aside and reached for another sheaf of parchment. He looked at Hermione, who was busy reading through a thicker tome than his, and smiled. He picked up his quill again, dipped it into the inkpot, and was ready to start his assignment when he heard a soft 'hem-hem.
He froze and turned his head slowly to see Ginny sitting there, staring at him expectantly. She gave him a friendly smile, which he did not return, and opened her mouth.
"How are you, Harry?" she asked, setting her own quill down.
He gulped, "I'm fine Ginny."
"That's good. We were worried about you. I tried seeing you yesterday."
"I wasn't feeling well," Harry replied, trying to end the conversation.
"Mum and I arrived back this morning. We didn't see you at breakfast," she pushed, trying to keep the conversation going.
"No offense, Ginny," Harry began, trying to stay polite. "I'm trying to get my summer homework done."
The younger witch scowled at the simple rebuke, but nodded her head and turned back to her own work. Harry let out a breath he wasn't sure he was holding. Hermione glared at the younger witch, but refrained from saying anything. It was evident that the smartest witch didn't care for the younger witch.
The hours passed quietly without another word spoken. Harry managed to finish the tedious Transfiguration homework just as Hermione packed her things up. He knew she would already be done. She never ceased to amaze him. It was one reason he pushed himself harder for their Fifth Year.
As he packed his things, he felt immensely proud of himself. He was done with two of his classes and would leave Potions and Herbology for tomorrow. Neville offered to let him borrow one of his personal Herbology books for reference. Defense and Care would be the last two essays he would have to write. Though, with his last Defense Professor being a fraud and a Death Eater, he wasn't sure what the assignment would be.
If there would be one.
Harry rose to his feet, stretching his arms high above his head. He rose on his tiptoes before coming back down and reaching for his satchel. He would be back here tomorrow, surrounded by more books and homework. Harry cast a glance at Neville and his sister, who were packing up as well. Hermione came around the table to stand beside him and looped her arm through his.
Without a second glance at Ginny, the quartet left the extensive library and headed upstairs to drop off their things before dinner. Harry wondered what would be on the menu tonight. His appetite, while still small, was slowly coming back. He and Neville parted ways with the girls on the third floor and trudged up the last few steps to the fourth floor, where Sirius and Harry occupied.
The boys dropped their satchels off and headed back down to walk with girls. His insides were squeamish to go downstairs to eat with everyone, but he knew it was unavoidable. He and Hermione followed behind Neville and Cassie down the three floors until they reached the large, ancient door that led to the kitchen. His stomach growled, smelling the food inside.
He gave Hermione's hand a squeeze. Harry looked down and wondered when they joined hands? He smiled, feeling her squeeze back. She wouldn't leave him and neither would Neville and Cassie. He hoped that dinner would be easy and without an argument.
Harry squinted as Neville pushed the door open revealing the large kitchen. To one side stood Mrs. Weasley, argued with Dobby, who had a large wooden spoon pointed at the witch. The rest of the Weasleys were sitting around the table talking loudly. Sirius and Remus were at the far end of the table, away from the noise from the kitchen, half whispering.
No one paid notice when the teens wandered into the kitchen and bypassed the raucous Weasleys to take a seat beside Sirius and Remus. Harry plopped into a chair beside Sirius and rolled his head back to look up at the ceiling. His arm moved as Hermione took a seat beside him. He glanced at her and smiled. The loud talking simmered down to soft tones as the rest of the Weasleys realized Harry had returned.
A soft pop beside his chair had Harry looking down to see Dobby standing there, grabbing his large ears. "Harry Potter sir! Dobby made your dinner tonight. Mrs Wheezy didn't like it, but Harry Potter's Paddy says that Dobby can keep making Harry Potters food for him." With a snap of his bony fingers, Harry's dinner appeared before him.
Harry turned to thank Dobby, who promptly burst into tears and gained everyone's attention. Embarrassed, Harry sat up and found his fork to stab at the shepherd's pie. He could feel Hermione's mirth as he cut the pie crust open. He watched as the steam poured out of the food before turning his head to see Sirius smiling at him. The younger wizard wanted to roll his eyes, but refrained.
Soon, everyone had plates of food sitting in front of them. The raucous noise from earlier ceased as people ate their food. Harry ate until he was full. With a silent pop, his plate disappeared from sight and a small dessert replaced it. He grinned, seeing his favorite dessert. He would have to thank Dobby seriously for giving him something he liked.
Half way through the rest of the meal, Molly sniped at Cassie and Neville, who were sitting close and touching under the table. Harry looked at Sirius, who tried to ignore the ill-mannered witch's rant until he watched as she pulled out her wand to send a Stinging Hex. Both teens cried out and glared at her.
"That's enough, Molly!" Sirius finally spoke up, his voice loud and irate.
She stopped her rant and looked at him with an incredulous expression. He glared at her until she lowered her wand and tucked it back into her dress. Few people yelled at Molly Weasley. For those who did, didn't get away with it. Harry leaned back in his seat, hoping to become invisible.
"Excuse me Sirius?" Molly asked slowly.
"Leave them alone," Sirius replied just as slowly.
"This is breakfast!" she screeched, slamming her hand on the table, rattling the crockery.
"And this is my damn house!" Sirius said angrily.
Molly puffed up and blew out a harsh breath. Harry could tell she was gathering herself for a long drivel of some mediocre speech. The entire group waited as Sirius and Molly stared at each other. Harry felt Hermione's warm and reassuring hand slip into his and gave it a squeeze.
"You are guests in my house, Molly," Sirius continued, twirling his fork between his fingers. "Neville is a guest at my house and I am sure that Augusta will mind that you've punished her grandson and Scion to House Longbottom."
Molly paled at his veiled threat. Her blue eyes flicked toward Neville, who glowered at her. She gulped, realizing that the younger wizard would tell his grandmother about this incident. Arthur was sure to be angry with her when he arrived. For a moment, Harry thought she was relenting, but she puffed up her chest again and frowned angrily at him.
"Well," she said, smoothing out her apron. "I guess I'm going to have a talk with Albus."
Harry cringed at the threat and looked over at his Godfather. Sirius was sitting there smiling at her. Apparently, Sirius had not chosen to tell the rest of the Wizarding World that he was exonerated. Harry sucked in a breath and held it. Hermione's hand in his was welcoming. He half expected Sirius to stand up and shout at Mrs. Weasley.
Sirius sat his fork down and smooth out his shirt before looking straight at Mrs. Weasley. Harry looked over at Remus, who looked ready to strangle Sirius. "Molly, you can tell Dumbledore he can kiss my arse."
Molly's mouth dropped open at his words. Everyone sitting shifted around in their chairs, keeping their eyes on the plates in front of them. Harry reached for his own fork and stabbed his treacle tart with it. His friends did the same with their plates. Mount Mrs. Weasley was about to blow.
"WHAT?" she screeched, her face red with anger. "How dare you talk about Albus that way, Sirius Black?! To insult him when he's done so much for you."
Harry watched as Sirius's face contorted in fury before he suppressed the emotion. "What has he done exactly for me, Molly?" Sirius asked, leaning forward, placing his elbows on the table and clasping his fingers together.
"He—he…" she stammered, thrown off guard by his question. Apparently, she wasn't expecting a rebuttal. If this was someone else, Harry would have found it humorous.
Sirius looked at her, waiting patiently for her to come up with a good excuse. Everyone shifted again, with no one looking at Mrs. Weasley. Sirius stumped her with one question. Halted the tirade that she was building up too. Harry set his fork down and looked mournfully at his plate. It was empty of the delicious dessert.
Molly, it seemed, finally found her answer. "He never turned you back over to the Wizengamot after you escaped, Azkaban." Everyone could see the triumphant smile materialized on Molly's face.
"It's true, he might have done that," Sirius said, agreeing. "Molly, I never received a trial. As the Chief Warlock, he could have helped me become free within days after I arrived at Hogwarts."
Harry nodded in agreement. It was true that the Headmaster could have helped, but didn't. The young wizard always wondered why. If he remembered, he would ask Hermione. She was knowledgeable. Maybe she knew the answer. If not, then it would be something interesting for them to look into. He wondered how long she was staying at Grimmauld Place with him. He knew she wanted to spend time with her family.
Molly had nothing to say at that. Knowing that a Peer didn't receive a trial wouldn't set well with the Wizengamot. Everyone would wonder if they were next. Sirius sat back in his chair and stared at the older witch. His fingers tapped the table clothing, waiting patiently for her answer. Defeated, Molly shook her head slowly.
Harry almost felt sorry for Mrs. Weasley, but the way she spoke to Sirius and how she treated Neville and Cassie made him feel less sorry for her. If Mrs. Weasley had an issue about how forward Neville, she should have owled Augusta. At least then, it would have been handled privately. Harry knew the Wizarding World was stuck in Victorian times, but some things were a bit much.
Once things settled down, Harry wondered why Sirius didn't tell Mrs. Weasley he was a free man? Though, if Sirius told her, then she would run and tell Dumbledore. Dumbledore, Harry felt, would try to make everyone think Sirius wasn't competent to take care of him. It surprised him the secret lasted as long as it did.
The next morning, after Harry rose from his bed, he shuffled toward the loo to clean up before breakfast. Neville was still snoring from the spare bed when he stepped out of the loo. Harry crossed the room and reached under his pillow for his wand. He smirked, sending a small Stinging Hex toward his best mate.
Harry bit his lip hard, holding back a chuckle as Neville rolled off the bed in surprise. When his bet mate rose to glare at him, Harry lost the battle and laughed.
"That's not funny, mate," Neville huffed, coming to his feet.
"You snored as loud as Ron," Harry said between giggles.
"You could have woken me normally, ya know," Neville replied dryly.
"And not get to watch you roll off the bed?" Harry asked, pocketing his wand. "Never!"
"Har, har, har," Neville replied, grabbing his things to shower.
"Get moving slowpoke," Harry smirked. "Hermione will have us locked up in the library doing homework."
Neville groaned and hurried to the loo to clean up. Harry shook his head with mirth and left the bedroom. As he stood at the top of the stairs, he really wished Sirius didn't live in a four story home. Down the narrow stairs he went. His stomach growled loudly, making him chuckle.
When he arrived on the second floor, he stopped in front of Hermione and Cassie's shared bedroom. It used to be the Master bedroom and where Buckbeak was staying, but Sirius had let the animal go, leaving the room empty. Since then, they have turned it into a livable room.
He knocked and stepped back from the door. He could hear giggling from the other side and smiled at hearing Hermione laugh. It seemed like she didn't do it enough during their Fourth Year. The door opened quickly, revealing the two smiling girls. Harry instantly latched onto Hermione, who gave him a smile.
"Good morning, ladies," he said, somewhat cheerfully.
"Where's Neville?" Cassie asked, looking around the semi-dark hallway for him.
"Upstairs. I woke before him," Harry replied, tugging on Hermione's hand. He was eager to get to breakfast this morning. Hermione chuckled behind him as he dragged her down the narrow steps, his hand tight in hers.
They passed the extensive library on the ground floor. Harry steered Hermione from the inviting room. They would be in that room later to finish homework. As they reached the basement, where the kitchen resided, Harry pushed the door open, still holding Hermione's hand. Sirius and Remus were sitting at the long wooden dining table. He could hear clanging noises coming from the kitchen half.
Harry took a seat beside Sirius, who grumbled at him before reaching for the pot of tea. Before he could say good morning to them, the large door swung open and Neville and Cassie came through. Behind them, the rest of the Weasleys came rolling in. The loud bunch were quite subdued as they took their seats. Apparently, something happened for them to stay quiet. Maybe it was the argument from yesterday.
Within minutes, breakfast plates were being sat in front of them. Harry frowned, seeing the enormous meal before him. Even though his appetite had come back and he could eat larger quantities of food, he found he didn't eat as much as before. Harry realized this would change when he went back to Hogwarts. He looked at Hermione's plate and noticed hers weren't as full as his.
He shrugged and picked up his fork to dig into his breakfast. Halfway through his plate, Harry pushed it away from him. He was full of what he attempted to eat. He took a glance at Remus and Sirius, who were murmuring. Occasionally, they would look at him and grimace. Something was going on and it had to do with Harry.
Once breakfast was over, Harry rose and left the kitchen. Hermione followed him, as well as Neville and Cassie. Halfway to the library, Sirius stopped him. Harry turned around to see his Godfather hurrying toward him.
"Harry, we need to talk," Sirius said, coming to a stop.
Harry paled, but nodded his head, anyway. Giving his friends a small wave, Harry was led to the first floor where the parlor was at. Entering the room, Harry noticed it was cleaner than it used to be. Dobby was doing a fantastic job. The room seemed brighter and more inviting. All it needed was new paint. Harry took a seat on the repaired sofa and watched as his Godfather paced back and forth for a moment.
"Sirius, what's going on?" Harry pressed.
Sirius paused his pacing and looked at Harry. The younger wizard could tell that whatever his Godfather was going to tell him was important. "I don't know how to tell you this, Harry. I have contacted my cousin Andromeda Tonks to come give you a checkup."
Harry paled again, and his hands began to shake. Sirius wanted him to see a Healer? He looked at his Godfather, his mouth opening and closing quickly. He almost felt like a fish. Harry rose and paced the room. He was scared of what she would find. He didn't want anyone to know what he endured at the Dursely's.
"I'm getting the check up too," Sirius said quickly, trying to help Harry's panic. "I need it after my stay in Azkaban."
"Sirius, I…. I don't think I can do this," Harry stammered, his heart pounding in his chest.
Sirius crossed the room and pulled Harry into a powerful hug. Harry could feel his body rattle as he shook from the impending panic attack. He took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent of his godfather. After a few minutes, Harry calmed. He patterned his breathing with Sirius's until he was completely calm.
When Sirius pulled back from him, Harry backed away slowly and sank into the refurbished emerald green couch. He tilted his head back onto the back of the couch and closed his eyes. He couldn't understand why this kept happening. After rubbing his sweaty hands on his jeans, he rubbed his eyes.
His eyes closed, Harry felt the couch cushion dip low beside him. Sirius sat down. He could feel the worry emanating from the older man. Harry sighed and took a deep breath, expelling it before opening his eyes to look at his Godfather.
"Sirius…" Harry began slowly, trying to find the words.
"This is another reason I owled my cousin. I'm not sure how to help you, Harry, " Sirius said quietly, twisting his fingers in his lap.
"Will she…" Harry paused, swallowing thickly. "Will she say anything to anyone?"
Sirius looked up at him and shook his head. "Harry, the only person she will consulate with is me. I am your parent. Whatever she finds, I won't be angry with you. I could never be angry with you. I love you."
Harry felt the lump in his throat increase at Sirius's words. From an early age, all he wanted was for someone to truly love him without seeing the freakiness of his magic or the "Boy-who-lived" nonsense. Sitting on the couch, at that moment, harry finally had what he was looking for. A loving and concerned parent. He could feel the guilt and love set in him as he thought about what Sirius said. Harry glanced at his Godfather and quietly sighed. He didn't like someone learning about his life prior to Hogwarts, but he felt he owed Sirius and himself to get better. Harry knew that something was wrong. He lowered his head and sighed. He knew Sirius was doing this because of love and not because of any nefarious reasons. Plus, he said that he was getting a checkup, too.
"I'll do it," Harry whispered.
A look of relief crossed his Godfather's face. There was a quiet knock on the door, interrupting the silence that fell between the two wizards. Harry's heart hammered in his chest as the door opened slowly, revealing Remus and a light brown-haired witch Harry didn't recognize. She must be Andromeda Tonks.
He immediately tensed up but took a shaky breath, trying to push back the panic. Sirius rose from the couch and walked over to embrace the light brown-haired witch. The three of them huddled and spoke quickly before turning back to Harry. The younger wizard rose and stood, wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans.
"Andy, I'd like you to meet Harry. Harry, this is my cousin, Andromeda," Sirius said, helping to exchange pleasantries.
"Hello," Harry said awkwardly. He could feel her silver eyes roam his thin frame. He knew he packed in a few stones since his arrival but nowhere near what he should be.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Potter," she said, her face relaxing into an inviting pose.
Then she turned to Sirius, "Where shall we do this? I am going to need privacy." She turned her head toward the door as if she knew there were more people in the house.
Sirius frowned and looked around the room. Harry could tell he was thinking and wished he would hurry. "Would it be possible to do it in this room?"
"It would work, but I will need half the room screened off for privacy," she mused, glancing about the room.
Remus and Sirius nodded and set to work removing furniture and, with a few flicks of their wands, had the room ready. Harry stood by, watching and waiting. Andromeda came over to stand beside him. She didn't seem like she was there to harm or ridicule him. He hoped he could trust her. When Remus and Sirius were done setting the room to her liking, she turned to them.
"Now, I need the two of you to leave. I will come get you when we are done," Andromeda said firmly, but with a reassuring smile.
Sirius had to be dragged out by Remus, who had a firm grip on his old friend's arm. Harry watched as the two older wizards left. The door closed quietly behind them and Harry looked at Andromeda.
The older witch turned to look at him. "Mr. Potter," she began and pulled her wand. With a complicated twist of her wand, she transfigured a book into a Muggle hospital gown. She handed it to him with another smile. "Please put this on. When you are done, yell for me."
Harry nodded at her silently and took the Muggle hospital gown and stepped past the frost screen. On the other side, he saw a regular Muggle hospital bed, and that was it. They cleared the room of all furniture and paintings. It looked very empty. The younger wizard shrugged and disrobed. Tossing his clothes onto the bed, he opted to leave his boxers on and slipped the Muggle hospital gown on.
Softly, he called out to Andromeda and took a seat on the bed. He swung his legs gently, looking down at the floor. He didn't see her walk into the room, but could hear her. She took a seat across from him and gave him a look.
"Now, Mr. Potter, I am going to start with a series of questions. I will perform several diagnostic spells on you. Do not fret, no one besides Sirius will know about the results," she explained, reassuring him.
Harry nodded, took a deep breath, and braced himself.
Sirius Black let himself be led away from the room. He wanted to be in there supporting Harry, but Andromeda informed him it was going to be done privately. He didn't realize where Remus was taking him until they reached the ground floor where the library was. It used to be the formal dining room, but his mother, in one fit of sanity, changed the room into a library. They brought the books over from the country house.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the kids sitting at one of the long tables, doing homework. Hermione immediately stopped what she was doing and set her quill down. Sirius took a seat in front of an empty fireplace and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He placed his head in his open hands and sighed.
Sirius heard Hermione approach the couch that Remus sat him on. He didn't look up, but saw her feet through his open eyes.
"Yes Hermione?" he asked, his voice sounded tired.
"Is Harry all right?" she asked quietly.
"He's with a Healer right now," he said, lifting his head to look at the bushy-haired witch.
"He's what?" she exclaimed loudly.
He knew her first instinct was to run to Harry. Sirius grabbed her arm and stopped her from rushing off to find Harry. She whipped her head around and glared at him. He wasn't budging from this. Harry was his child, and he was going to help him. No one else was going to besides the kids in the room and Remus.
"No, Hermione." Sirius said firmly, letting her arm go. "He needs this. I will be checked out soon enough."
"But what if this person says something? What if he has another panic attack?" Hermione demanded, her face red with anger.
"He's with my cousin Andromeda. She's a Healer and won't say anything to anyone but me," Sirius reassured her. "He almost had another one when I broke the news to him, but I calmed him down quickly."
Hermione stopped and stared hard at him. He could tell she was angry with him, but knew in her logical mind that Harry needed help. The room became utterly quiet as Neville and Cassie stopped what they were doing and listened. He knew the bright witch cared for Harry, but she would have to trust him on this. When she nodded slowly at him, he exhaled and leaned back into the comfortable couch. A second later, Remus handed him a firewhiskey.
The alcohol wouldn't do him any good health-wise, but it would calm his nerves until Andromeda fetched him. It would take all of five minutes to assess him and give him a diagnostic. Harry would take longer, the damage far more extensive. Since his escape from Azkaban, he slowly gained all his weight back and looked healthier, but knew that he still needed a way to go. His mind needed healing.
Half an hour later, there was a Patronus of a Border Collie appeared in the library for instructions to Sirius to meet in the parlor. Sirius gave Remus a tight smile and nodded toward the anxious teens and left the library. His heart thumped in his chest as he felt the oncoming signs of panic set in. Needless to say that Sirius Black was a wreck.
He pushed the door open to the parlor and stepped into the room. The door sealed with a loud squelch, locking them inside the room. He could feel the spells placed for privacy pulse throughout the room. Andromeda walked out of the makeshift hospital room and indicated that he needed to wait. Harry walked out a minute later, his face pale and Sirius could see his hands trembling. Apparently, the checkup didn't go well.
"Inside Sirius Black," Andromeda ordered, pointing to the makeshift room.
Sirius paused and wrapped Harry up in a tight hug. He didn't want to let him go, but knew that they would talk later. He watched with a heavy heart as Harry moved away from him. Sirius placed his hands on each side of Harry's neck and looked at his godson.
"Can I go to my room?" Harry asked, his voice soft with a rough edge to it.
Sirius nodded silently as Harry moved away and walked out of the room. He turned to Andromeda to pause for a moment. Sending a Patronus message to Remus, he told him that Harry was heading up to his room. He was sure the three teens would beat Harry to his room and spend time with him while Sirius dealt with this.
He turned to look at Andy. "How bad is it?"
She tutted at him and pointed toward the makeshift room. Sirius made no motion to move. He wasn't getting his check until they spoke about Harry. Andromeda frowned at him and with quick reflexes, she had her wand out, sending a Stinging Hex to Sirius.
"Hey!" he cried angrily as he rubbed his arm. "That stung!"
"Serves you right," Andromeda said, tucking her wand back into her robes. She pointed again at the makeshift room. "In you go."
"I want to know right now," Sirius demanded.
Andromeda sighed and shook her head at him. "I need you clear-headed for your checkup."
Sirius knew he'd been beaten with logic. If she needed him calm, then what Andy was going to tell him would cause him to lose his mind. Padfoot nodded, his tail between his legs as he stepped into the makeshift room and disrobed. Shaking his head with mirth, he held up the hospital gown and chuckled at the interesting robe.
He slipped it on and called for Andy. She marched into the room and pulled her wand from her robes, and started casting. Sirius watched as runes appeared to the right side of his head. He cast a look up, not knowing what was being written, and winced as the list of spells continued to grow. After fifteen minutes, she nodded as she waved her wand once more, tapping the runes as it turned into parchment.
Now that was a handy spell!
Andromeda sighed and looked up at him over the top of the parchment. "Get dressed and we'll talk." With that, she left the room and walked into the rest of the parlor.
Sirius watched her go, then quickly re-dressed and headed out into the parlor. His heart plummeted when he saw the stacks of parchment sitting on the table. He felt his hands sweat as he took a seat beside Andromeda. Calling for Kreacher, he asked the elf to make sure they had tea and snacks. The ancient elf grumbled but acquiesced with the demand. With a loud snap of his bony fingers, a tea tray appeared, along with a platter of biscuits.
Distracted, Sirius thanked the house-elf and turned to look at Andromeda. He thought he knew his cousin, but looking into her eyes; he saw an icy fire in them that shook him. Whatever was on that stack of parchment, his cousin would gladly kill. He gulped and placed his sweaty hands on the top of his thighs.
"Andy…" he began, aware of her ire.
"If you don't take him away from whomever did all that to him, I will castrate you Sirius Black!" she seethed, her eyes narrowing dangerously at him.
Sirius paled at her words. "What happened?" he asked softly.
Andromeda picked up the larger stack of parchment and thrust it at him. "Here! You read it. It's charmed so that it's in English."
Sirius took the stack of parchment and leaned back into the dark green sofa. As he began to read, his anger grew until it reached volcanic proportions. He felt his magic stir on his skin. The list was long, far too long, in his opinion.
His eye caught 'malnutrition', 'scarring', 'weak bones', 'poor eyesight', 'bones not properly healed' were some words he read as his eyes scanned the rest of the parchments. Each section gave a time and age of when and possibly how Harry became injured. Sirius read where Harry had over twenty bouts of accidental magic to heal himself.
He looked up from his parchment, rage etched on his face, and he swore he heard Andromeda gasp. His body felt icy as he continued to stare at his cousin. There was a reason many in the Wizarding World feared the Blacks. Sirius turned back slowly and looked down at the parchment. Setting the first few pages down on the table, he skimmed over the treatment plan that Andromeda recommended.
With a renewed sense of determination, Sirius planned on Harry becoming well on his way to healthy before he went back to Hogwarts. Oh, and he needed to yell at Dumbledore. He needed to bury Dumbledore. If he ever found out that Dumbledore knew of Harry's home life with Petunia, he would do unspeakable things to ruin that wizard.
"Do you know who did this?" Andromeda asked, her voice quiet as she realized how angry her cousin was.
Sirius nodded his head silently at her. He was afraid to use his voice at the moment. Sitting in the room with Andromeda and the fear of going back to Azkaban kept him stationary. He inhaled several times, trying to calm himself down. He could feel volcanic rage course through his veins. Sirius looked down at his trembling hands and it surprised him that his veins hadn't melted.
"Wh-what do we do now?" he croaked, his voice thick with emotion.
"Now we fix him," Andromeda answered, nodding her head toward the treatment plan. "I know he needs a Mind Healer and I will look to find one that is discreet and wrapped up in legal work to keep anyone from finding out."
"Good," Sirius swallowed, lowering his head to start at the parchment.
His hands trembled as he gripped the paper. Sirius inhaled before exhaling, releasing pent up anger. He would speak to Remus about this before moving forward. He wanted his old friend's opinion about what they found.
"I'm going to write up a list of nutrient potions for both of you to take," Andromeda eyed him pointedly. "I will drop them off in a couple of days. Do you wish to talk about your results?"
Sirius snorted softly, then looked at his cousin, "Malnutrition and a Mind healer," he explained, looking at his rather small results. "Easy fix for me."
Andromeda gave him a wary look before rising to her feet. Sirius stood with her, saying nothing but embracing his cousin. He would have to reinstate her into the family. He released her a minute later and walked her over to the floor, where she grabbed a pinch and stepped into the green flames before disappearing.
Sirius sighed as she left. His body and soul felt heavy for the crimes committed against his son. If he hadn't chased the rat, maybe things would be different. He never wanted to kill Peter as much as he did in those few minutes, but he wanted justice served for James and Lily.
He ran his hands over his face and sighed. At that moment, he felt old. The weight of staying at Azkaban was heavy on his shoulders. He needed a drink and someone to talk to. He called for Dobby, who popped in quietly. Asking the diminutive elf to put the parlor back in order, he gave the house-elf a tight smile before gathering the stack of parchment and leaving to find Remus.
The Weasleys were around, but he wasn't in the mood to run into any of them. Sirius wondered why Albus sent them here until he realized it was for Harry. He felt insulted that Albus didn't trust him to protect his own son. Before too long, half the Order would start showing up and then he would have to explain to Harry why they were there.
He was sure his son wouldn't appreciate more people intruding into his life.
Sirius found Remus in the library and beckoned his old friend to follow him. The former prisoner waited, leaned against the wall for a moment before Remus stepped out. He made a shushing noise, seeing Remus's mouth open. The werewolf promptly snapped his mouth closed and followed Sirius until they reached the portrait.
Inside, Sirius sat the parchment down on the desk before crossing the room to grab two glasses and a bottle of Ogden's. Remus raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing as Sirius poured two hefty glassfuls of whisky. He handed one to Remus before flopping in the chair beside his friend.
"How bad is it?" Remus asked, looking at Sirius.
"I want to kill them all. Slowly. Painfully," came the devastated reply.
Sirius rolled his head to look at his best mate and watched as Remus swallowed heavily before taking a large gulp of the furry drink. He sputtered as the drink lit his throat up. "Sirius…" he began before he was interrupted.
"No, Remus," Sirius said forcefully, standing up to grab the stack of parchment and handing it to his lupine friend. He took his seat again and sipped on the Ogden's while Remus read.
Shattered glass interrupted the silence. Sirius turned his head to look at Remus and wasn't surprised to see amber eyes staring back at him. The amber liquid from the glass pooled on the hardwood flooring, leaving a stain.
"What's being done about this?" Remus snarled, before taking a breath to cool his temper.
"Andy is going to give nutrient potions, and I am sure she fixed a few things on Harry. She didn't say," Sirius replied, taking another sip of the drink. "She's going to look into a Mind Healer for the both of us."
Rus nodded his head slowly. Satisfied with the current action. "What about the Dursley's?"
Sirius gave his old friend an evil smirk. "They're dead and they don't even know it."
Remus looked down at the parchment, his more brilliant mind whirling. He was faster at putting things together than Sirius was. The dots connected, and what his mind conjured up was frightening.
"Do you think Albus knows?" Remus whispered, not looking at Sirius this time.
"I want to say yes. I want to think that he knew and didn't do a damned thing about it. Harry knows nothing of his heritage. I doubt he knows how to properly duel," Sirius growled, glaring at his drink.
"Are you going to ask him?"
Sirius pondered the question for a moment, then shook his head. "No, I have a feeling he would lie to me. He can't even give us a proper reason he wants to send Harry back to those animals."
Remus nodded his head, agreeing. "So now we do what we can and make things better. What about forcing Petunia to sign over custody of Harry?"
"Without Albus knowing?" Sirius asked as Remus nodded. He scratched the side of the glass with a broken fingernail." We're definitely doing that. Then we'll do the same for Cassie."
Sirius leaned back into the upright chair and sipped his drink. It was good to have a plan.
Harry Potter closed the Potion's book and leaned back in the library chair and sighed. He was still reeling from the health checkup a few days ago and he would have avoided everyone, but Hermione put her foot down and forced him to be civil.
When he arrived in his room that afternoon after the checkup, he flopped down on the bed and tried to ignore his friends who had entered after him. It took them a few minutes to cajole him into speaking. Once he did, he didn't stop until he was done.
The faces of his friends went from pensive to shock and anger. He rushed to stop Hermione from stalking out of his room, wand ready to hex his relatives. He slammed himself on the door, blocking her from leaving.
The unshed tears in her eyes broke his heart. He didn't mean to make her cry. He felt his heart squeeze viciously in his chest, seeing her tears. Harry stepped toward her, hands outreached to pluck her wand from her hand and pull her into a tight hug.
She clung to him as she sobbed in his chest. He felt her soak his shirt and held her until her sobs became hiccups. He looked over at Neville. His face was grim as he held Cassie.
When he pulled back from Hermione, he looked into her chocolate eyes and saw pain in them. He wished he knew how to take it away from her. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, he gave her a watery smile.
The quartet didn't speak of it again. They spent the next few days in the library, finishing summer homework and hiding from Ron. One would think that the redhead would sit down to do his work early. Ginny sat with them yesterday, trying to engage in conversation, but left frustrated when no one would speak to her.
Harry had just finished stowing his Potions essay away in his satchel when there was a knock on the library door. All heads turned to see the door open and Sirius stepped in. His face was grim, but his stride was strong.
Sirius crossed the room and stood at the end of the long table. He placed his hands on the polished table and gave everyone a small smile. Harry could tell his godfather hadn't slept well. Harry returned the smile and raised a questioning eyebrow at his godfather.
"Harry, can I speak to you privately?" Sirus asked him.
Harry looked at Hermione, who nodded and pushed his chair back to stand up. Brushing off invisible lint from his shirt, he stepped around the chairs and followed Sirius to the other side of the extensive library. He stayed away from the bookshelf, not knowing what dark curse could be on them. He watched as Sirius waved his wand to erect a privacy cone.
"Andromeda dropped by with the bag of potions for us to take," Sirius informed him, much to his embarrassment. Sirius must have noticed, but pressed on. "She also left a stack of folders of Mind Healers."
Harry paled a little. Just the thought of talking to someone about his life before Hogwarts made him want to run. He rubbed the back of his neck, giving it a quick scratch as Sirius let him absorb the information. The young wizard knew Hermione was right, and he wanted to make her happy. She worried too much about him.
"I want you to look through them and choose someone," Sirius pushed, giving him another hint.
"You want me to choose?" Harry asked incredulously. "What if I pick someone horrible?"
Sirius shrugged his shoulders, "Then we choose someone else."
Harry hesitated, but nodded his head anyway. He wasn't very comfortable taking on this task. This was going to be someone he would have to talk to. To express things to that, he promised no one would ever know. Harry turned his head and looked at Hermione, Neville, and Cassie. They were huddled together, discussing something. He smiled at the scene. When he turned his head back to Sirius, the older wizard was looking at him expectantly.
"Yea, I can do that," he said, sounding more confident than he felt.
Sirius gave him a wide smile and clapped him on the shoulder. He could tell that his Godfather wanted to speak more, but decided against it. Harry briefly wondered how things were going between Cassie and Sirius. He wanted to ask, but he figured Cassie would say something. Harry looked at his Godfather and saw relief in the grey eyes.
Sirius cancelled the privacy spell and left the library, giving a wave to each of the three teens watching them. Harry sighed and shook his head, watching his Godfather leave the room. He walked back over to the long wooden table and pulled his chair out, and flopped into the seat. He sighed again, tilting his head back to look at the ceiling, noticing that it needed to be repaired.
"Harry?" Cassie probed, gaining his attention.
Harry looked at her, giving her a pained smile. Though she was his sister, nothing changed about their relationship. She was more involved in getting to know Sirius as her father and snogging Neville than she was anything else. Harry supposed it was part of being a teenager.
"What did he say?" she asked, encouraging him to talk.
"He wants me to look over a stack of files for a Mind Healer," Harry said quietly, looking down at the table. He picked up his quill and twirled it between his fingers. "I'm not sure I want to do it." Harry said, keeping his voice low.
"I think you should," Hermione interjected, setting her quill down and turning to look at him.
"Me too," Cassie agreed, as Neville nodded mutely.
"It would help you," Hermione argued. "Having someone to talk to is a wonderful thing." She reached over and clasped her hand on his arm, forcing him to look at her.
He saw the sadness in her eyes. His heart clenched seeing her saddened by his reluctance. Harry tore his eyes away from Hermione to look at his friends, who nodded encouragingly at him. He turned his head back and looked down at his quill again.
"Sirius said it was for both of us," Harry said, wishing the conversation was over.
"Then it will be good for the both of you," Neville piped up, voicing his opinion. "Sirius wouldn't steer you wrong. He has your best interest at heart, Harry."
Harry nodded his head, hearing his best mate's words. The raven-haired wizard thought it over for a few minutes. He did promise himself that he would try it out with Sirius. He knew Sirius would do anything to keep people silent about this, and he had to have faith.
"I'll do it. I might need help to pick someone," Harry agreed, much to the relief of everyone.
"I'll help you, Harry," Hermione said softly, giving his arm a squeeze. "We'll look tonight, yea?"
Harry gave her a pained smile and set the quill down. He reached down to grab his satchel, setting the strap on his shoulder. Everyone looked at him, watching to see what he was going to do.
"I'm heading up to my room. Think I'll kip out," Harry said, giving everyone a small wave before departing.
He left the library on the ground floor and hurried up the steep black staircase to his room on the fourth floor. He bypassed the room where the twins were staying and hoped that no one saw him. It was fortunate that the quartet avoided the Weasleys by staying in the library or his room. Entering his room, he dropped his satchel on the ground and crossed the room to lie down on his bed, his mind swirling with images of Hermione's face before sleep overtook him.
Sirius Black sought Remus once he left the library. His heart clenched, remembering the look of panic on Harry's face when he informed his son that he would pick their Mind Healer. As he walked down the flight of stairs to the downstairs parlor, he could hear a small boom and the laughter from the twins. Sirius shook his head. Neither of the twins realized they were staying with Padfoot and Moony.
He found Remus reading a thick book in the parlor. The book was worn and probably held together by Spell-o-Tape. He knocked and waited for a moment before entering the room. No reason to startle the werewolf. Remus looked up to see Sirius standing there and closed his book, placing it on the table in front of him. Sirius walked into the room and took a seat on the clean, dark green sofa.
"We've got a very important mission Moony," Sirius said, leaning forward, placing his elbows on his knees, his chin resting in his hands.
"That would be?"
"We need to speak to the solicitor about the guardianship papers for Harry. I need Petunia's signature," Sirius said, as serious as he could be. He was determined to gain guardianship over Harry and Cassie.
"You're in luck. I received an owl this morning from him. He has the paperwork ready for us. All we need to do is retrieve it," Remus said, giving the good news.
"Dobby!" Sirius called quietly.
A second later, a quiet pop broke the silence. Dobby stood before them dressed in black slacks, a white button-up shirt with the Potter crest on it, with two tea cozies perched on his head. His large eyes were wide as he waited for instruction.
"Dobby, I need you to go to Yandel-Xander firm and tell them you're there to pick up a file for Sirius Black," Sirius said, leaning back from the position to relaxing on the sofa.
"Dobby can do that Harry Potter's Padfooted one!" Dobby said excitedly before disappearing with a pop.
Sirius looked at Remus, who chuckled quietly and shook his head. Dobby worshipped Harry to a weird extent. A few minutes passed before Dobby returned with two folders in his bony hands. Eagerly, he handed the files to Sirius before popping out. Sirius didn't have to open the files, but stood up and looked at Remus.
"Ready to go?" Sirius asked, stretching his arms over his head.
"Right now?" Remus asked, coming to his feet.
"Yep. The faster we get this done, the faster I can have the kids permanently," Sirius said, moving away from the comfortable sofa and towards the door.
"We're apparating there. Do you remember the location?" Sirius asked, pushing the double doors open and stepping into the hallway.
"Unfortunately, I do," Remus said with a growl.
With a twist and a spin, both wizards disappeared from Grimmauld Place and landed in the backyard of Petunia Dursley's house. Sirius could tell someone was home. Compared to Grimmauld Place, this yard was immaculate. Sirius whistled low, looking around. Remus nudged him and jerked his head toward the house.
Side by side, the two wizards crossed the yard and stepped onto the back patio. Their extra senses heard someone in the kitchen. Remus, aware that he was the less manaical of the two, stepped in front of Sirius and knocked on the back door.
A minute later, the handle twisted, and the door cracked open, revealing half a face. Sirius kept himself in check and stopped himself from growling at her. Petunia's eyes widened and darted around the backyard to see if anyone else saw the two men standing in front of her. Her eyes narrowed at them, but she pulled the door open and ushered them inside quickly.
Sirius and Remus stepped into the pristine kitchen, ignoring how clean it was. Petunia stared hard at them, her eyes narrowed, her mouth formed in a distasteful fashion. Sirius clutched the file folder until he felt the fragile parchment crinkle.
"What do you want?" Petunia hissed, looking out the window before turning back to them. She placed her hands on her hips, still frowning.
Sirius opened his mouth to answer her, but Remus stopped him by placing a hand on his arm. There was no telling what would come of Sirius's mouth if Remus hadn't stepped in. Petunia was one of the reasons why Magicals and Muggles didn't mix. She looked down on magic users just as much as magic users sneered at Muggles.
"Petunia, I'm Remus Lupin and this is Sirius Black," Remus began with a benign smile.
"I know who you are," she snapped and brushed past them, pushing the kitchen door open and walking out of the room. Remus and Sirius looked at each other and followed her out and down the short hallway into the sitting room, where she had taken a seat in Vernon's chair.
"I asked, what do you want?" she snapped, smoothing out the invisible wrinkles on the skirt of her dress.
Remus and Sirius took a seat on the sofa without being asked to sit down. Neither of them spoke for a moment, but watched as Petunia continued to glare at them. It would make an uncomfortable meeting if she stayed sour. Sirius set the file on his lap, smoothing out the wrinkles from his anger.
"We're here to discuss Harry," Sirius said, opening the conversation to the principal topic.
Petunia sniffed, "What about him? He's not here. You came and took him," she said, motioning to Remus.
Sirius ignored her tone the best he could. "In James and Lily's will, I am named Harry's true guardian. I don't know why Harry arrived on your doorstep, but I am here now."
Petunia huffed at him, her eyes narrowing at the file sitting on Sirius's lap. "What's that?"
"This is the Muggle guardianship paperwork," Sirius remarked, opening the file and handing her the sheet of parchment for her signature. "I am asking you to sign over your rights."
Petunia took the parchment with the tip of two fingers like it would infect or poison her. She sniffed again and read over the paperwork. After a minute, she looked at them. "I will not sign unless I get something in return."
"Why you-!" Sirius began, his anger growing.
"That's fine!" Remus interrupted Sirius by slapping him on the chest. Remus glared at him, the old wolf's eyes flashing amber to let Sirius know Remus was doing his best to be diplomatic. "What do you want?" he asked, turning back to Petunia.
"A new house and never another visit from the likes of your kind," she replied in a haughty tone.
"That can be done," Remus said, reaching into his trouser pocket and pulling something out. When he removed his wand, Petunia stiffened, fear written clearly on her face. Her eyes widened as the paper enlarged to normal size and handed it to her. She took the parchment like she did the guardian paperwork. "This is a newly purchased home. Completely warded against any magic users from ever finding it again."
Sirius turned his head, his eyes wide at his old friend. "When did you set this up?"
"While you and Harry were with the Healer," Remus said, catching Petunia's look of horror from the corner of his eye. Remus turned his attention to Petunia, "Will that suffice?"
Her eyes glanced down at the parchment with an attached magical photo and scanned over the information about the house. It was everything she had ever wanted. It was in an upper-class neighborhood and her tiny family would never be bothered by those wizard freaks again if she signed the paperwork. Vernon would have a fit to know they had a new house. She wondered if she could swindle a new car in the mix? A minute later, she sniffed again and stood up. Petunia walked out of the room and returned a minute later with a pen.
Sirius watched her warily, wondering what Lily's sister was up to. When she returned to the sitting room, he felt hope bloom in his chest. She carried a pen and sat down across from them. He watched her intently as she leaned down and quickly signed her name on the guardianship paperwork.
A flash of golden light shimmered on the parchment, accepting her signature. It was official. Sirius was now Harry's legal guardian. It should have been this way years ago.
Sirius snatched the parchment back so fast that one would think he caught the snitch. He placed it lovingly back into the folder and rose to his feet. Remus followed him as Petunia sat in her chair, still gazing upon the new house she gained from signing her name. Sirius looked at her for a moment, feeling ill at the look of adoration.
The two wizards left quietly, hoping that Petunia didn't notice them sneaking out. Sirius didn't want to be here any longer. As they walked down the short hallway, a small door caught his eye. He paused, grabbing Remus by the arm and forcing his old friend to see what he was seeing. He knew of what the girls said to Albus about Harry's life here and while his heart couldn't handle knowing, his brain did.
He walked methodically over to the door and pulled on the doorknob. Inside was a small and very thin mattress. Anger boiled in him like a volcano. He felt his magic surge and shimmer on his skin, hoping to lash out at the Durselys for doing this to his child. Only a hand on his back calmed him. He took a shuddering breath, forcing his magic to calm down lest he have a bout of accidental magic and destroy the sodding house.
"Let's go, Sirius," Remus spoke softly. "They can't hurt him anymore."
Sirius nodded jerkily and slammed the door to the cupboard under the stairs loudly, leaving a crack down the middle. He knew well that Petunia would see the damage done. Maybe when they left, he would burn the house down and roast marshmallows in the flames. He followed Remus outside and took a deep breath, filling his lungs with fresh air. Sirius turned to look at Moony, who looked murderous but calm. Giving his old friend a nod, they came to an unspoken agreement.
"You'll have to hold on when I apparate," Remus said after a few minutes of silence.
Sirius nodded and latched his hand on Remus's forearm. They never noticed the blood wards falling around the house. With a twist and a quiet pop, Remus and Sirius left the Dursely place for the last time. A moment later, they arrive in front of Great Aunt Agatha's home where Cassie spent her childhood at. Padfoot had nothing against his Great Aunt. At least Cassie was raised by family. He was extremely grateful that Cassie didn't believe in the Pureblood nonsense.
Half an hour later, Sirius and Remus walked out of his aunt's house with her signature. It wasn't difficult for him to get Agatha's signature. The frail woman realized that Cassie needed to be raised by her father and quickly signed the paperwork. As they stepped outside of the decrepit house, Sirius nearly wept for joy. His children were back with him and this time, he wasn't letting them go.