A/N: Apologies! I'm so sorry this took so long, thing is I have far too many fics going at once, I actually had this chapter written out but then my computer crashed and ate back-up files an all, greedy evil machine! I kinda got stuck from then on, but I'm back again, and do please enjoy the next instalment!

Vernon Dursley is more of a git in this fic than portrayed in the books, my reasoning for this is that Harry is back from his fourth year at Hogwarts and is rapidly maturing, he will therefore be perceived as more of a threat to Vernon. Thank you so much to all my reviewers! : )

This chapter is dedicated to the brilliant and inspiring actor Richard Harris who died this Friday the 25th October 2002. May He Rest In Peace.

Two

Harry got busy making the tea first, saving the mess of the remaining breakfast items for later, Aunt Petunia had deigned to come across and watch him, eagle eyed, looking for goodness knows what as Harry carefully poured hot water into the teapot and some milk into the little jug. He pulled out a tray (unfortunately covered in a bland and tasteless flower design) and then a plate to put some biscuits on, as well as two china cups and saucers.

"Oh no you don't" hissed Aunt Petunia furiously, batting away his hand as he reached towards the biscuit barrel "not for the likes of them! It's bad enough that you're using my best china!"

"Fine" Harry muttered under his breath, and quickly grabbed the glass bowl of sugar lumps instead, before taking off, with the tray balanced somewhat precariously, as he dashed for the sitting room. Despite already knowing that his Aunt and Uncle would be as rude as they could to Dumbledore, Harry wanted to try and give a good impression of his holiday abode (Hogwarts was his home).

Quietly he knocked on the sitting room door before entering, and heard a quiet

"Come in" which was definitely not his Uncle's bellowing voice, but instead Headmaster Dumbledore's, who was sitting on the slightly saggy couch when Harry entered.

"Ah thank you Harry, much appreciated" Dumbledore smiled genially at Harry over half moon spectacles, Uncle Vernon, seated in the armchair opposite growled:

"Took you long enough boy, hurry up and pour it"

Harry tried to avoid scowling at his Uncle, and instead settled the tray on the coffee table in the centre of the over decorated little room. There was a distinct lack of conversation now that he was here, it gave him an itchy feeling, as though he were being watched.

"Milk and sugar sir?" Harry politely inquired of Dumbledore as he poured the amber liquid into the teacups.

"Milk and just one sugar" replied Dumbledore, quite seriously, and then there was silence again apart from the clink of the teaspoon as Harry stirred in Dumbledore's one sugar lump.

"Sir" and Harry handed the teacup to his Headmaster, who accepted it with twinkling eyes but an entirely straight face, somehow his beard had escaped from beneath the cloak and was curled in his lap like a leisurely cat. It's whiteness seemed very bright and pure in the suddenly very dingy room that was Aunt Petunia's pride and joy (accepting Dudley). Harry suddenly felt embarrassed about the disapproving silence from his Uncle, after all, these were his only family members left and as such there was a tiny spark in Harry that hoped Dumbledore wouldn't find them entirely repulsive, being as they were related to Harry -unfortunately.

"Here you go Uncle Vernon" he muttered as he handed over the porcelain cup; it was dwarfed in Vernon's meaty fist.

"If you would like to join us please Harry" Dumbledore indicated the seat beside him on the sofa

"The boy can get to cleaning that mess he made in the kitchen" Vernon Dursley disagreed trying to make himself look intimidating, sat on a chair that looked on the verge of collapse due to his enormous weight.

Dumbledore turned his head slightly and peered over the tops of his frames with steely eyes at Mr Toughie and Mr Dursley had a change of heart.

"Don't be rude Boy, sit down! Not there- on the floor Boy! And don't speak unless you're spoken to!" as Harry went to protest.

"Harry may sit beside me on the sofa" interjected Dumbledore, but Harry, feeling that he'd had enough, and had to do something before things escalated too much, spoke up

"It's all right Professor" and sat down on the floor near his Headmaster's feet, showing his allegiance clearly to his hated and hating Uncle.

"No Harry, I disagree. Get up and sit on the settee please" Dumbledore's eyes glinted and Harry began to feel nervous, he hoped he hadn't offended his Headmaster, he did as he was told, ignoring Uncle Vernon's angry heavy breathing.

"Harry, I'm sure you must be wondering what this is all about," said Dumbledore

"Yes sir" agreed Harry soberly though his heart beat faster in anticipation.

"Your Godfather has requested that you be removed from the Dursleys care"

"What?" exclaimed Harry, totally surprised.

"He believes Harry, that you are not being" there was a pause as the Headmaster worked hard at saying this tactfully "treated with due consideration for the events through which you suffered last term"

Harry blinked, astounded, as far as he was concerned, there had been no change in the Dursleys behaviour to him at all, and he hadn't expected any. Vernon Dursley leant forward in his seat and glowered at Harry seething.

"Forgot to mention, didn't you Boy that this Godfather of yours was innocent! This headmaster of yours tells me it's quite certain that he isn't guilty of murder!"

"Um" said Harry, staring at a green china Scottie dog vaguely as the truth was that he had indeed not told his Uncle that. The threat of an overprotective Godfather who just so happened to be on the run for murder had always prevented the Dursleys from locking him up under the stairs along with his schoolbooks. "Um, well, Sirius hasn't been proved innocent yet, everyone in the wizarding world still thinks he's guilty of cursing all those muggles, um sorry that's what magic people call non-magic people,"

"How many times" hissed Uncle Vernon menacingly "have I told you I will not tolerate mention of your oddity-". He stopped short, as his narrow-eyed glare caught on Dumbledore, who was after all a full-grown wizard and most likely allowed to use magic in the summer holidays, and probably would not appreciate being told he was a freak.

There was a silence, and Harry mentally redefined the word 'tense', even though his Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, remained entirely silent, there was something like cold steel behind that impenetrable blue stare and obviously Uncle Vernon noticed too, for he spluttered incomprehensibly but halted all the same. At the first moment that it felt safe to speak, Harry, with as innocent a face as he could muster although rather nervous- knowing that Dumbledore might not approve- addressed his uncle casually.

"You know, Professor Dumbledore is the most respected and powerful wizard in the entire magical world Uncle Vernon. In fact he is the only wizard that Voldemort, the dark sorcerer that killed my parents, is afraid of…" Harry carefully emphasised certain points and then trailed off suggestively, as he flaunted his new-found ability to speak of magic in front of his Uncle.

Vernon Dursley's visage blanched a shade paler than white with fear, as the implications got through to him and suddenly the old man sitting on his living room couch didn't look so frail and weak at all.

"Harry" reproved Dumbledore turning to frown down his long crooked nose at Harry who was studying his frayed trousers intently and didn't look up into those knowing blue eyes.

"I didn't mean any disrespect or offence" apprehensively apologised Vernon Dursley rather belatedly remembering his manners.

"None was taken Mr Dursley. Now if we could come to the matter in hand, Harry, although I am sure you are not being mistreated, Sirius is prepared to take you on for the rest of the holidays-"

"But-"

"Later Harry" Dumbledore brusquely interrupted his question "of course your Aunt and Uncle must give their permission, should you actually wish to go…?"

"Yes!"

"Sirius will be much relieved" Dumbledore smiled "well then Mr Dursley, will you give your consent? I can understand that perhaps you might want to have Harry here for the summer holidays, being as you don't see him for the rest of the year, but-"

"He can go" Vernon Dursley consented through gritted teeth, looking now as if he were going to explode with sheer indignation at the situation "though goodness knows why anyone would want him"

"Perhaps because family is more than blood ties!" snapped Harry, hurt and angry despite himself. He stood up abruptly "I can be ready to leave in a minute or so Headmaster, that is, if I am to leave now?" there was more than a slight touch of pleading hope in Harry's question.

"We are expected back today" confirmed Dumbledore, and he was no longer smiling, he looked distracted and a little distressed as Harry left him to go upstairs.

******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* ******** ********* ******** ********************* *********

There had been no tearful goodbyes, no 'have a nice year' not even a friendly wave, in fact Dudley was eating an ice-cream in the back garden, safely out of sight and Aunt Petunia was busy cleaning up behind the closed kitchen door. Dumbledore had offered to use magic to tidy the mess away, but not surprisingly his offer had been severely rebuffed, now Harry was quietly walking alongside his professor down Magnolia Crescent, holding his magically shrunk trunk and Hedwig's cage in the palm of his hand. Harry's owl, Hedwig was currently delivering a letter to Hermione, who was on holiday in Venice, Hedwig was very smart for an owl and quite capable of finding him-where ever he would be.

"Professor?" Harry tentatively asked as they strode on down the pavement.

"Yes Harry" Dumbledore roused from his what looked like troubling thoughts.

"Has Sirius been proven innocent?"

"I'm afraid not Harry."

"Then how-"

"Ah well, Mr Black is in disguise, though being as he now looks much removed from the picture of the Azkaban escapee they printed in the Daily Prophet many changes to his appearance were not deemed necessary, you will find him of much the same build and shape"

"Umm right, but isn't it unsafe? I mean, I don't want…" to be the cause of his re-capture silently finished Harry worried.

"Rest assured that if we were not certain of Sirius' safety we would not agree to this. You will be living near by a small remote muggle village, in a cottage, security wards have of course been put in place, for your safety also"

"I'm really gonna be living with him?"

"Yes Harry" Dumbledore patiently repeated what was already known.

"I, wow, this is, can I tell Hermione and Ron?"

"Yes, provided you don't use Sirius' actual name in your correspondence"

"Yes, okay. Is this, I mean, is Sirius okay with this?"

"Harry, listen to me child. Sirius has spent the last week choosing which room is to be your bedroom, what colour to decorate it, what to put in it and where, as well as pestering me to come and pick you up and at the same time asking me whether you'd want to come. He is incredibly nervous, just like you, but I do not doubt that he wants you with his entire, once rather mischievous, heart"

There was a silence, Harry was fighting a tidal wave of emotion, the feeling of being wanted, of being cared about, by someone who was meant to, was alien to him, and the relief at hearing Dumbledore's firm voice wash away his small worries was immense.

"How are we getting there?" he finally asked, curious

"Apparation; I will apparate with you. I would prefer if you didn't mention this to anyone however, it happens to be illegal" and Dumbledore gave his little side-wards smile at Harry, who found himself chuckling away with the Headmaster, with no real idea of what was so amusing.

A/N: Do tell me what you thought of it! Next chapter, meet Sirius' new name and face etc