Chapter 2

By the time Harry had made it to Grimmauld Square he was again chilled to the bone. Even bypassing the route 'Mad-Eye' Moody had taken the previous year he had shaved only thirty minutes off of his flight time, but there was a cool front that had made it's way across the night sky making the trip very uncomfortable.

He circled the square twice to make sure there were no pedestrians out and about he then found a dark space to land. Harry untied his trunk and owl cage and stood for a moment streching his limbs to work out the kinks and thaw his hands.

He didn't possess Dumbledore's light 'putter-outer' so he thought it best to be as quick as possible in entering number twelve Grimmauld Place.

He retrieved the key sent to him from the Senior Executor of Gringott's and hefted his trunk and the owl cage behind him as fast as he could.

The Black Family Estate immerged from in-between number eleven and number thirteen in a manner of seconds as he thought of the address. Harry took one last look around before he placed the key into the lock and gained entrance to the unplottable house.

Once inside, he knew that he was free to perform magic without the watchful eye of the Ministry. Under cover of the magic that hid the house from prying eyes Harry was free to do a lot of things that he was normally not previously allowed to do. He reached inside his robes and pulled his wand free.

"Lumos," he said quietly, not wanting to waken the portrait of Sirius's mother which hung close to the doorway covered with a tattered, floor-length curtain.

To his surprise the portrait was no longer there and a burned spot covered the wall where it once was affixed.

From a owl he had received from Remus Lupin he knew that the Order of the Phoenix had abandoned the Black Estate in favor of the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. Now that the Ministry of Magic recognized publicly that Voldemort officially had returned, Dumbledore didn't have to work in total secret anymore and eventually had no more use of the estate. So much the better for Harry.

"Torca Ignis!"

The gas jets that served for lighting ignited and lit the hallway of the various downstairs rooms as well as the stairwell and landings above. The house looked abandoned which was a good thing. The furniture had been sheeted to protect from dust and various magical infestations that had once inhabited the house.

Harry knew Mrs. Weasley would have taken care to do things right this time around for Harry's sake.

The first thing that came to mind was Sirius' letter and something to drink. His mouth was parched from the trip down and he hoped something still remained in the house to at least drink if not eat.

Harry made his way into the kitchen and the cooling box within. The cooling box was a wizard's form of a refrigerator without the need for electricity. It was powered by a cooling charm on top with a freezing charm for a compartment below.

He found several bottles of butterbeer and wine that had been left behind, but with some dismay found no food except for a decently stocked spice rack on one of the counters.

Harry chose butterbeer to start with since he had never tried wine before and didn't want his first night all alone to be a drunken one. He sat at the table and uncorked the bottle followed by a few sips and set about to try Sirius' letter. To his delight it opened without any trouble.

Dear Harry,

First, I want to say I'm sorry. If you're reading this then I've gone and fulfilled Molly's prediction that I'd do something stupid and wind up in an early grave.

There is a lot that I wanted to tell you, Harry. About your father and mother ... a lot. But I missed my chance. So I will leave you with all that was mine: this house and the Black family fortune, such as it is. You will never want for anything again and always have a home to hole up in. It is all that I can give to you.

When I became your godfather I promised your parents that I would always look out for you and keep you from harm. Well now I can't do that anymore. So I have done that next best thing. Here you will be safe. At my death I have made arrangements to have the floo taken off the network and placed even more stringent wards around the house.

After the Order leaves, only three people will be able to enter this house. You, of course, and the two people that would give their life for you and you for them. I'm speaking of Ron and Hermione. I know you trust them with everything you are and they in return.

Don't forget that friendship, Harry. Don't let it falter.

Stay safe in the years to come and hopefully I will see you again, many , many years in the future.

My last bit of advice to you is to listen to your heart in all matters. the brain doesn't know what the hell it's talking about half the time, but your heart always knows.

Love from your godfather,

Sirius

Harry dropped the letter to the table and leaned back in his chair taking another pull from the bottle of butterbeer. His jaw tightened and his empty hand clenched.

He had cried for too long at the thought of Sirius being gone forever over the last few weeks. He would not cry any longer. He had had enough of prophecies, and dark lords, Death Eaters and teachers that coddled him into thinking he was too young to make important decisions regarding his own life.

This was his life and for once he would control his own fate.