NOTES: Sárkány- thanks for your kind words. Yes, this story is going to be very detailed, not just echoing first book if I can help it. In rough draft form it is already 137 pages long. This chapter is a little short, sorry! BUT the fourth one is nearly through minor revision. TeeDee- I've impressed another neutral fan, a very had thing to do since she is a master. Thank you! NightSpear, Phoenix Flight, Rebecca- glad you like Harry's character; I had to work hard to get him just right. Enjoy this chapter too


CHAPTER III: Mr. Potter Goes to Hogwarts


"Today's the day!"

Sirius scowled and sat down with a thump, ignoring his happy friend.

Remus continued on unabated. "Today is the day Harry starts Hogwarts, the best seven years of his life. Spells, pranks, new friends . . ." Remus trailed off as his forced cheeriness fell flat. The werewolf continued to set the table with slow deliberate movements. He couldn't stop himself from dwelling on morbid thoughts.

This is the last breakfast we'll have together for months. This is the last morning with Harry darting between the kitchen and dining room. This is the last day he'll be here to tease Sirius awake, to try and help with breakfast, to listen to us two old Marauders bicker, to hug us good morning . . .

His thoughts faded off as a rumbling sound filled his consciousness. Blinking his eyes several times (Not to force back tears! There were no tears in his eyes. None!) he realized it was Padfoot's growls that filled the dining room.

Remus swatted Sirius upside the head. "Stop that."

Sirius responded with his full blown I'm-A-Deadly-Grim-Here-To-Foretell-Your-Death-Fear-Me glare.

Rolling his eyes, completely unimpressed, Moony finished setting down the plates and left the brooding man alone and went back into the kitchen. Harry was at the stove. He had insisted on making breakfast for his two guardians and Remus couldn't deny him on this day of all days. Remus refrained from standing over the boy's shoulder to watch him as to not startle him.

Harry was quite a good cook but grew very nervous if someone hovered. Instead Remus went to dig around in the Icing Cupboard for the half eaten chocolate cake from last night's dinner.

"Padfoot's awake," the werewolf announced from inside the cupboard.

Harry turned in surprise. "Really? Already? But we stayed up so late."

Moony eyed the boy careful around the cupboard door. "I thought all of us went to bed early."

Harry ducked his head, one hand reaching out to turn off the cooker. Remus' eyes narrowed.

"Did he sneak into your room last night? Were you two up until obscene hours in the morning? Not sleeping? Having fun? Without me?"

The last question was asked in such a wounded tone. Harry's green eyes shot up, filled with apology. Realizing the teasing at his expense, he smiled.

"This of course explains why all the leftover chocolate cake is gone!" Remus said pointedly closing the door and rounding on the boy. "And here I was about to blame pixies."

Harry hopped off the stool and backed away, knowing full well when tickle torture was imminent. "It was all Padfoot's idea!" Harry protested with a grin. "He came bearing gifts."

Moony stopped advancing. "Ah! So it's his fault."

Harry nodded vehemently.

"Well then. Breakfast first. Revenge later." Remus grabbed the food from the frying pan and shooed Harry ahead of him into the dining room.

Sirius was still staring into his empty tea cup as if it held all the answers of the universe. Remus though he looked rather like Madam Fortisha, their old Divination teacher at Hogwarts all those years ago.

Harry reached up and as was his habit from when he first met Sirius, petted him like the giant dog he sometimes was, calling out his greeting to his still dazed godfather. "Morning, Padfoot! Breakfast!"

Sirius looked up and blindly snatched some of the warm food just as Moony placed it on the table. He then yanked the 11 year old into his arms settling the boy against him, hugging him tight as if he would at any moment disappeared.

"Morning, Harry," he murmured.

Harry titled his head back to meet his godfather's blue eyes, frowning at the worry he saw there. Harry opened his mouth to say what Remus feared was his refusal to go to Hogwarts after all. The werewolf cleared his throat loudly to break the moment. Moony fixed his amber eyes on his friend with a stare that said quite clearly If you make this any harder for Harry I'll make a rug out of you!

Sirius's expression switched like, well, magic, to a smile. "Thanks for breakfast, Harry."

"Welcome," Harry said and made to get up and sit in his own seat but Sirius's arms tightened. Harry relaxed immediately, quite content to stay where he was for the meal.

Afterwards, plates cleared, the black haired Marauder insisted that he and Lupin would take care of the dishes. He urged Harry to hurry upstairs and check on Hedwig, his birthday present that year from Sirius.

Remus came around the table and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. He hadn't seen Sirius so close to falling apart in a long time. It was in moments like this that you could see every year the man had spent fighting for his sanity in Azkaban. "Just breathe, Padfoot," the werewolf murmured.

"Maybe I should go with him," Sirius said suddenly.

Lupin shook his head. "Dogs are not a permitted familiar at Hogwarts." He kept his tone calm and reasonable.

"What if-- what if Harry has another premonition? A clear one, not just this-this blasted feeling! Or-or--"

"Harry hasn't had one in quite a while. You know the more magic he does the less his other abilities swamp him. And if he does have one, he knows he can go to Albus."

Padfoot dragged his attention away from the stairs he could see through the dining room entrance and rounded on his friend. "He still has nightmares. You know that! He tries to hide them. Someone needs to--"

"He'll be fine. He'll write to us about everything that happens and we'll be supportive and happy for him No. Matter. What. House. He. Gets. Sorted. Into."

Sirius scowled back at the werewolf. This wasn't something he had initially worried about. Harry's parents were in Gryffindor. Sirius had no doubts of Harry's courage. But Harry was very powerful, there was something familiar about that wand, and worst of all Harry actually liked snakes. He'd wanted to get one when they'd gone to Diagon Alley. He said they were beautiful and very nice. Not that he didn't love Hedwig to pieces, loved going out flying with her, but . . . it was worrisome.

"Moony, they'll just be so many people! He's so little and shy, only si-"

"Padfoot! If you asked him to stay you know he would. If you asked him to walk through fire or jump off a cliff or face down a dragon he'd do it for you. But this is what is best for HARRY." Remus said firmly. "He can't stay here his whole life. He may think he wants to, but that's because he hasn't see how wonderful the world can be, how exciting. If you remember, it was no different for me going to Hogwarts," the werewolf finished diffidently, trying to hide his own memories behind a cool tone.

Sirius sighed softly. Moony had a point. How could he forget little Remus Lupin whom he and James had met on the Hogwarts Express? A small boy who through ruthless self control held in a vicious, powerful, dark creature. Meeting Padfoot and Prongs had been Moony's first social interaction with children his own age, with people other than his frightened, overprotective parents since he was a toddler.

Remus continued on and Sirius now recognized that it was half about Harry and half about himself. "He hasn't spoken to someone his own age in years," the werewolf said softly. "He needs to make friends, he needs to learn--"

"Learn?" Padfoot said incredulously, trying to break his friend out of his sad thoughts, as he began to gather up the dishes and head towards the kitchen. "Ha! Harry could out hex, out charm, out transfigure, and out duel even the professors at Hogwarts. He's doing seventh year and above work out of my old school books. He's one of the most brilliant wizard I've ever met. What could Hogwarts teach him?"

"Potions?" Moony said wryly as he began running water in the sink.

Sirius stopped short, dumped his dishes on the counter and ran his hands through his hair sheepishly. "Well that was never my best subject," he admitted. Sighing, Sirius sat down at the kitchen table but not before grabbed his now dirty tea cup and resumed staring at its contents. "I suppose," he said at last "we could always pull Harry out if he was unhappy or if it became unsafe."

"See? Now don't you feel better?"

The mumbling that followed did not bear repeating in civilized conversation.


They apparated into the chaos of Platform 9 3/4. Hedwig squawked in annoyance, spreading her wings anxiously within the confines of her cage. Harry leaned over and stuck his fingers through the bars to calm her, stroking her soft white feathers.

"Move along! Move along! 'Nother lot coming through!" the porter yelled. Hurriedly gathering up Harry's trunk and owl cage, Sirius shepherded his godson off the apparation platform set up by the Ministry's transportation department to prevent mass splinchings. The noise was cacophonous and Harry stuck close to Sirius and Remus as they maneuvered through the crowd.

"See?" Padfoot pointed out a stone archway where people came running out of at speed. "That's the entrance to the Muggle train platform; between 9 and 10. That's the other way to get in here, unless you fly," he joked.

Harry nodded that he understood; he could feel the shape of the gateway, its magic tingling his senses. If it wasn't for the constant traffic he'd love to try passing though the gateway just to see what it felt like.

The station clock struck quarter to the hour cutting off any experimentation. The noise on the platform managed to double and Harry had to fight not to cover his ears and shrink into Padfoot. It was so loud and there were so many people.

"It's time," Remus called over the din.

Sirius's jaw tightened; he'd almost convinced himself that this trip was just a rare outing, not Harry leaving!

"C'mon," Moony urged as they avoided getting run over by a gaggle of redheads. Remus helped a porter load Harry's trunk onto the baggage car. The porter moved to grab Hedwig's cage but Harry stepped back, not wanting to be separated from his owl. She had been a birthday present from his godfather.

"All owls are with baggage, sir," the man said irritated with the delay.

"He wants to keep his owl, thank you." Sirius snapped.

Saving the situation, the werewolf played peacekeeper. "You'll see her when you go and get your school robes out of your trunk this afternoon, Harry." Moony reached out gently and took the cage from Harry's unresisting hands. "She'll be safe. Besides she won't be comfortable in one of the compartments. They tend to get packed with other students very quickly."

"I'll see you later, Hedwig," Harry whispered softly. Sirius smiled at his godson reassuringly and reached out to ruffled his hair.

"Bloody hell!" Yelled the porter nearly dropping the cage upon catching sight of the scar on the boy's head. "You-You . . . You're HIM!" he sputtered raising one shaking finger to point at boy. "You're HARRY POTTER!" He turned, excited, and yelled down the platform to another porter. "Hey Marty! Guess who?!"

Remus quickly yanked Sirius away before the Animagus ripped the man's throat out. "Let's get Harry on the train," Moony commanded firmly. "Now, Padfoot."

"They're staring at him. Pointing fingers. He doesn't like it. We. Are. Going. Home." Sirius hissed pulling Harry close, shielding the silent 11 year old with his cloak as the news spread that Harry Potter was on the Platform.

"Padfoot!"

For a moment Sirius looked ready to argue, but pushed it down. This was not the first time something like this happened when he went anywhere with Harry. But Harry was painfully shy around strangers, the attention and fame the last thing he wanted because in Harry's mind it was only a reminder of horrible things: his parents dying for him, Sirius falsely imprisoned in Azkaban, Remus shunned from Wizard society without any friends to support him, and Harry living with the Dursleys.

It set Sirius' teeth on edge to see his godson so uncomfortable. He damn well hoped Dumbledore and McGonagall would watch out for him or he'd take Harry home immediately. Pulling himself together, knowing Harry would only become upset if he was, he stalked through the crowd with the presence of a grim. The crowd wisely parted in front of him.

They got to the entrance of one of the passenger cars and Padfoot whirled around and crouched down in front of his godson, hands on his shoulders.

"Ready to go?" he asked with a desperate cheerfulness, trying to ignore the people gathered behind them, watching.

Harry nodded jerkily, tearing his eyes away from their audience.

"You won't have so much fun that you'll forget us will you?" Sirius joked brokenly.

The boy's green eyes widened in horror, missing the teasing tone completely. "No! Never!"

"He's joking, Harry," Moony reassured his friend's son. "He's just being Padfoot."

Sirius's eyes burned into his godsons. "You're going to be all right, Harry," he said softly, willing it so "and so will we. Have fun. Be safe."

Harry threw himself into Sirius's arms holding him tight. "Love you, Padfoot," he murmured into his shoulder.

"Love you too, Harry. So much."

Harry pulled reluctantly away and grabbed Moony around the waist. Remus returned the hug, the wolf in him calm as it always was around Harry, even during a waxing moon. Sometimes he wondered whether it was because of the blood bond he shared with the boy and Sirius or whether it was just Harry. Regardless, he had to fight the voice in his head-- that sounded remarkably like Padfoot for some bizarre reason --that told him to stop being so responsible and take Harry back home, keep his pack safe. Remus drew back hurriedly before he did something he knew he'd later regret.

"All aboard!"

"Best get going, Harry."

The green eyed boy took a deep breath and nodded.

"Go on," Moony said softly.

Sirius stood, taking his godson's hand in his and the two of them walked the last few steps together to the passenger car.

Harry squeezed Padfoot's hand once tight in his, then let go.


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