When Harry awoke the next morning, he made his way down to the kitchen, where Aunt Petunia was setting a low-fat breakfast on the table. She gave Harry one egg and a half slice of toast. Harry stared at his plate, then looked over at Petunia.

"Is he starting another one of his diets again?" Harry asked, still staring at his plate. Harry quickly ate his toast and egg, his stomach still rumbling for more.

"Yes he is, and you shush up and don't make any snide comments to Duddy Boy," Aunt Petunia said with a glare. Harry glared back.

"Just because HE is on a diet doesn't mean the rest of us should be on one, too." Uncle Vernon lumbered over, and dropped onto his chair.

"What are you complaining about now, boy?" Uncle Vernon asked with a growl. Aunt Petunia placed the other half of Harry's toast, and one egg infront of Vernon's plate. Vernon's eyes widened. Then, as if suddenly remembering his big lunch he would have at work, he ate without complaint.

"You see, boy, Vernon has no trouble eating his breakfast. You didn't hear him make one complaint." Dudley entered the kitchen at this point, taking a seat on one of the empty chairs. Harry winced as he saw the chair dip down a little, probably straining under the weight of "Duddykins".

"Fine." Harry stood. "Now, if you'll excuse me, it's about time I write another letter to my Godfather, Sirius Black." Aunt Petunia gasped, and spun around, and at the same time, Vernon dropped his fork.

"Sit, sit, now!" Petunia said nervously. She scooped two more eggs on a plate, and the left over toast. "Eat boy. Eat up! And when you write to that... godfather of yours, you tell him we're taking good care of you." Harry merely nodded, and ate all his food happily.

"MUM!" Dudley screeched. "I WANT MORE FOOD!" He slammed a beefy hand on the table, causing Harry's whole plate to fly into the air. Harry made a grab for his left over toast, and high tailed out of the kitchen before anything else could happen. Harry, munching on his toast, made his way to his room. He got more food AND made Dudley mad. Not bad. In his room, he took out some of his summer homework books, and carried them downstairs, and outside. He sat on the porch, enjoying the shade, and did his homework quietly. He would have never been able to do this, but Harry constantly reminded them of Sirius, and his Aunt and Uncle always gave in. Suddenly, a small growl came from the bushes. Harry jerked his head up. Another, more insistent growl came. Harry put his books on the ground, and rose. He walked slowly down the steps, and onto the front lawn. Looking into the bushes, he saw two, big eyes staring back at him.

"Padfoot?" he asked. The dog barked happily, and bounded over to Harry. Harry patted the dog on the head. "How are you?" he whispered. Suddenly, the screen door screeched open.

"What are you doing, boy?!" A loud voice boomed. Harry looked up and saw Dudley and Vernon both standing at the door. Petunia was craning her large neck, trying to see out the door. Vernon stepped out approaching Harry. Padfoot started to growl, but Harry got an instaneous idea, and nudged him. The dog whimpered, and lowered himself to the ground. He put his head on his paws, and looked up at the tall figures.

"Uncle Vernon... I found this dog. I was wondering if he could stay with me for awhile. He has no tags, and with you at work all day, and Dudley always at the television, and Aunt Petunia always cleaning around the house... I get lonesome. And Hedwig isn't much of a pet-- I can't play with her like I can a dog." Vernon eyed the beastly creature. No doubt would it keep Harry out of their hair, but it was also a good way to get the dog out of the house-- by making him take it for long, long walks.

"Vernon Dursely, don't you DARE let that boy keep that... that DOG!" Aunt Petunia screeched. She made an attempt to shove Dudley out of her way, but when she couldn't, she squeezed her body past him, and stalked down the porch steps, and out onto the lawn. "That is no dog! It's a BEAST!" She cried. "Look at it's massive size!"

Harry, trying to make the dog more lovable, bent down and stroked it's back. Sirius, also trying to sell himself, wagged his tail back and forth.

"Why, Petunia, it's nothing more than a very strange mutt. Come here, let me speak with you in private." Vernon led Petunia over by the hedges. Harry caught snatches of their conversation. "out of our hair" and "long walks" and "lock them in his room" where the main phrases thrown by Vernon, trying to persuade Petunia. The last comment that made Petunia cave was, "What if he writes to that criminal Godfather of his, eh?" Petunia broke into tears, and agreed to let the dog stay. Then she flung herself into the house, making a racket of noise. Vernon shook his beefy head, and walked back over.

"All right, boy. The dog can stay. But, if he makes as much as one wrong move, he's out, and so are you! Do you hear me?!" Harry nodded, putting on a meek exspression. Vernon lumbered into the house. Dudley stood at the screen, still wide eyed. Harry stared at him, moving his lips, until Dudley gave a terrified yelp, and ran into the house. Harry turned back to the overlarge dog.

"Padfoot, did you hear that? You can stay. Come on, follow me to my room. No turning into Sirius here...," Harry added, with a grin. The two made their way up the stairs to his room. Once in his room, he locked the door, and locked the window, making sure to pull the curtains down. In an instant, the dog became a man. "Sirius!" Harry cried, throwing his arms around the man. Sirius awkwardly hugged him back. When Harry pulled away, he looked up at the man, who looked more different every time he saw him. His hair was now longer, and his face just a smidge pudgier. He was not fat, though, but he wasn't the bag of bones he was the first time they met, and he was also a little chubbier since when he saw him last year. "Do you think you can actually stay here awhile, Padfoot?" Sirius sat down on Harry's bed.

"First of all, Happy Birthday. Did you get the photo I sent you?" Harry nodded, and pointed to his dresser, where the three happy friends where waving. Sirius nodded, a sad smile taking over his face for the briefest moments. "Second, I was hoping you'd convince your Aunt and Uncle to take me in, atleast for the time being. I've been on the run with Lupin, but he had to return to Hogwarts, and we know Snape isn't to thrilled with me, despite the fact that he knows I am innocent. I plan on making up with him soon, however. But, something you might like to know, Harry. Lupin will be residing at the school for this year. I can not tell you why, but he will be there."

"And what about you?" Harry asked automatically. At the moment, he didn't want to know why Lupin would be there. He just wanted to be sure that Sirius would be safe.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be around. I'll still be on the run... hitting all types of locations, but I'll still visit you once in awhile. And you'll be perfectly safe at Hogwarts. You know that, Harry."

"I know that. But, Padfoot, why is Lupin there?"

"As I said, I cannot answer your question. Not yet, anyway. Dumbledore will speak to you about it."

"Is he the Defense Against the Dark Art's teacher again?"

"No, that much I can say. Actually, if you received your school list and letter, it would reveal your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is a woman. Eliza Crowin. Wonderful lady, she is. She was in her last year at Hogwarts when I first entered. Make's her six years or so older than me. I had many occurances with her. She was Head Girl, and always suspicious of the other Marauders and I. Good head on her shoulders, though, that I can say."

Harry bit his lip. Something was brewing, and he didn't know what. He didn't have time to think, though, before Sirius started to speak again.

"I will stay here with you until one week before you are to board the Hogwart's Express. At that time, I will take off, and you'll tell your Aunt and Uncle I ran away. You will also ask them, on that very day, to take you to Diagon Alley. You will remain at the Leaky Couldren for the rest of the week. I will meet you there that night, and watch you until one day until you are to board the Hogwart's Express. That morning, the Grangers and Weasley's will come and the Weasley's watch over you. So, you are to ask your Uncle soon to drive you to Diagon Alley a week earlier than usual. Plan it in advance, just in case of anything." Harry just nodded.

"Sirius...," Harry said suddenly, gripping his forehead in pain.

"Harry! What is it?!" Sirius grabbed Harry's arms.

"Blinding.... pain...," Harry muttered. And, before he knew it, he was engolfed in a sea of black.