Disclaimer: chapter one if you really need to know. Hmm… would it be illegal if I was legally insane and thought I really did own the HP world? Just a thought.
A/N: Right, not sure what to write here. I have something to say, but it keeps coming out stupid, so I'll just say it and you can think what you want, or not think at all (my option most of the time). As you may have noticed, the 'denial' fic kind of ended with chapter two. As I continue to outline this story and come up with ideas, it's turning more into a 'Harry sanity' fic, for lack of a better description. I'll tell you this off the bat though, I like to put my characters through a lot of crap (who doesn't?), but at the end of the day I'm a huge sap, no matter how tough I pretend to be. So, the story will more than likely end up good for most at the end. This isn't certain, as I haven't planned the end, but it's probable right now. Speaking of the end (no, not the never-ending author's note), when would you people like this to end? Now? Late summer? School year sometime? Give me some feedback. I've got some ideas for quite a few more chapters, but not much for an ending. So, if it's really annoying like my chatter up here, tell me and I won't waste the cyberspace with it anymore. Thank you all for reviewing! Please review lots, I'm posting chapters five and six within a day of each other, so I don't want any slacking off in the review department. : ) hehehe… I'm just joking. Ok, I think I'm done now. I wonder if anyone read all of this? Extra credit to those who did, just write the word 'moose' in your review. (sorry again, I'm in a bit of a weird mood. I blame the overcooked pasta.)
Chapter 6:
They made Sirius look as presentable as possible and Flooed into the Ministry. Dumbledore went first, forestalling any over-eager auror lurking about. Harry and Sirius went together at Harry's insistence, and Remus came last.
Sirius caught Harry's arm as he tumbled out of the fireplace and held him upright. Harry straightened his glasses and suddenly felt sick as he looked around the room. The Fountain of Magical Brethren was still in pieces in the middle of the hall. All the pieces had been moved to the center, and the area was roped off. Everything was reminding him of that night: the voice in the phone booth as it welcomed new visitors, the lifts as they clanged up and down, the doors creaking open of closed as people stepped on and off. That place by the far wall. The place Harry had been held by Dumbledore's statue guard as Voldemort entered his body in an all consuming pain. The knowledge that somewhere below was the Death Chamber. That night flashed through his mind at a hundred times the speed of events, from the flight there on thestrals, to ransacking Dumbledore's office afterwards. Harry glanced again at the fountain. He'd cast his first, and only, unforgivable there.
"Harry, you feeling alright?" Sirius asked again. "You're pale and a little green."
"Don't like to Floo, sorry," answered Harry in a flat voice. Sirius nodded and was led away by Dumbledore, leaving Harry with instructions to wait in Mr. Weasley's office.
A comforting hand on the shoulder led him to the lifts to go to the second floor. Harry looked up at Remus, who gave him a reassuring smile.
"We'll be out of here in no time," Remus said softly. Does he know what I was thinking about?
"Harry, Remus, so good to see you!" exclaimed Mr. Weasley as they entered.
"Hello, Mr. Weasley. Is there somewhere I can get a glass of water?" Harry asked, suddenly thirsty and feeling like he was supposed to say something.
A glass was conjured and Mr. Weasley filled it from his wand, smiling. It's a big day for you. Don't worry, I'll understand if you're not up for idle chit-chat," he said while ruffling Harry's hair. Harry smiled gratefully and sat down drinking his water.
He heard Remus and Mr. Weasley talking, but tuned out the actual words. His mind was racing, the sick feeling upon entering was ebbing away and a happy exitedness was returning. Harry didn't know what he was more excited about, the thought of living with free Sirius, or the fact that he once again felt something as good and pure as this happiness. He started giggling out of pure joy of everything. He received some funny looks but didn't care in the slightest. He had a godfather, a real father in almost every sense of the word – a family. He idly wondered what he'd see in the Mirror of Erised after today and smiled.
There was a knock, an indeterminable time later, and a beaming Sirius rushed in to hug Harry. Harry was beyond words. The little part that had been nagging that they'd take him away again shut up and Harry let the tears of happiness come, not caring that Mr. Weasley, Dumbledore, and Remus were in the room.
"Hey kiddo, there's some legal stuff we have to take care of for me to have custody of you before we go home. Come on," he said patting his godson on the back.
They entered an office entitled, Department of Magical Homes and Families, and were greeted by a grinning witch, but she was looking suspiciously at Sirius, even though she'd been told he wasn't guilty. Harry wanted to yell at her, but decided it would be quicker to just get this over with.
The witch spoke after shuffling some files around on her overflowing desk, "Harry Potter, since you are above the age of fifteen, you are allowed some choice in this custody issue. To put it simply, you may go back with your relatives, the Dursleys, or with one, Sirius Black." She spoke his name in a poorly concealed growl. Harry was not happy with her attitude.
"With all due respect, Madam, you will speak about my godfather in the same manner you would of any decent person. In fact, you should treat him as a hero like he deserves. I choose Sirius. I'm never going back to the Dursleys. Now, can we finish this up? I'd like to go home with my legal guardian."
Despite his words and poisonous tone, the witch was unruffled. Clearly, she dealt with unpleasant people on a daily basis. "Yes, about that, where is this home you will be going? She asked Sirius.
"We will be staying with Remus Lupin until I select a house to buy," answered Sirius.
The witch flipped through parchments and pursed her lips, "Mr. Lupin is on the restricted list. He is not allowed to house minors, due to his Lycanthropy."
"Bloody hell," Harry muttered under his breath. Remus looked down in shame and nodded. "Wait, he's only a danger on the full moon, and not even much with the Wolfsbane potion. What if I go to a friend's for the moon, then can we stay with him?"
She shook her head and said something about regulations. Harry decided it was time to use some of his accursed fame for something good.
"Can I speak with her alone?" Harry asked, and the others in the room complied, leaving without a word.
"Listen, Remus has saved my life, he was a friend of my parents and of Sirius, and he's probably the most caring person I've ever met. Do you have any idea what I've had to face? What I've gone through?" This is it. Throwing down the sympathy card, with a bit of strength added in. Man, this feels dirty. How do the Malfoys live with themselves always using their name for whatever they want? "I've gotten past a dragon, escaped acromatulas, fought off dementors, and defeated a basilisk. I've lived through five attacks by Voldemort," the usual flinch. "I think I can live with a docile werewolf. Do you understand? I need both of them. They are my family. Remus is a good man with a horrible curse. I will stay with him and possibly live with him permanently, no matter what you say now. I'm sure the Ministry is in a position of embarrassment both for not believing Professor Dumbledore and I for the past year, and for incarcerating an innocent man for twelve years. So, you can agree with me and make it easy on yourself and the Ministry, or I can go about other routes." Harry had no idea what other ways he could go about legally living with Remus, but he put a mask of indifference on his face as he waited for her answer. Inside he was scared to pieces of what this woman could do. The silence was deafening, and he was beginning to think his lapse of integrity wasn't worth it after all.
At last, after minutes of waiting, she spoke, "Very well. If you are not in his presence on the full moon, I will authorize this request. However, you must sign a waver for your right not to take action against the Ministry on this issue if something goes wrong. I will not be held responsible for what happens in the presence of that – man." The word 'man' was spit out almost mockingly.
Harry held back his fury for this woman and asked where to sign. He just wanted to get this done as soon as possible. For a fleeting moment he considered forgetting about the war and joining the Ministry to rewrite a few laws concerning werewolf rights. He signed several forms, then called back Sirius and Remus. They had to sign as well, as did Dumbledore as a legal witness. Harry didn't even ask if Remus could be the witness. As it was, he was barely controlling his magic from repeating his incident with Aunt Marge on this woman. Anymore remarks about his ex-professor or godfather and he didn't think he'd be able to keep from exploding.
At last, they were finished. Harry walked to the door and gave the woman a curt nod and said, "Thank you for your time and understanding," before leaving with a silent Remus and Sirius. Dumbledore was chuckling quietly, his eyes twinkling.
When they reached the main lobby, Sirius stopped everyone. "Er, Harry, how'd you do that?" the confused expression on his face was enough to make Harry laugh and his irritable mood from that witch dissolved.
"Well, as it turns out, my name is Harry Potter. I got a little annoyed, said some things, just little comments really, and she saw things my way. But I'm never doing that again. I feel like a Malfoy throwing my name around. Maybe I should change it to Harry Evans," he said jokingly.
"Sure, Mr. Evans," Sirius smirked. "How about lunch in Diagon Alley?"
"The press release has been issued, but I doubt many people will know of your innocence as of yet. May I accompany you in case of any complications?" asked Dumbledore, although they all knew he didn't require permissions to come along.
"No," Sirius answered, "but you may come along as a friend if you wish. Hey, can I call Tonks to meet us?"
"Perhaps Mr. Lupin should do that job. She has been told that you are alive, but she may not have believed it yet. Remus? Meet us at the Leaky Cauldron in a half hour."
"Of course. See you soon Sirius, Harry," Remus disapparated.
"So, Harry, would you like to take a portkey instead of Floo? I'm sure I can arrange it, the Ministry seems to feel they owe me something," he smirked .
"No! No, not a portkey. The Floo network is fine. Should we go?"
"I thought Floo travel makes you sick? Is something wrong, Harry? You look a little flustered," Sirius noticed.
"I'm fine, Sirius. I just don't like portkeys much. I don't really get sick from Floo travel either, but I don't want to talk about that stuff now. I just want to enjoy today. Now, let's go scare some people in Diagon Alley!"
"Alright, let's go, but I'm going to continue this conversation later. If something bothers you, I want to know. That's what I'm here for. Ok, so should we hit Gambol and Japes*?"
"Nope, we should go to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. I can't wait to see Fred and George's faces when they see you. Then, they can give word to Ron for me. I can't believe I didn't write to him about this yesterday!"
They set off after dragging Dumbledore away from an overly chatty portrait. Their arrival at the Leaky Cauldron was shocking, to say the least. The evil and surprised looks spread faster than the whispers. Finally, Dumbledore made an announcement to the group of witches, wizards, hags, and who knows what else, explaining Sirius's innocence. The looks and whispers remained, but died down to a non-threatening level. As Harry, Sirius, and Dumbledore chatted, the room relaxed.
Remus and Tonks came in just as they were ordering their food.
"Nymphadora, how wonderful to see you!" Sirius exclaimed with a false pompousness.
"Call me that again, dog-star, and you'll wish you were still dead," she responded under her breath while hugging Sirius fiercely.
"Alright, Tonks. Hey, will you do that thing for me? Please? It's been a busy couple of days," Sirius asked like a child. Tonks rolled her eyes and sat back in the corner so those only at their table could see her. She closed her eyes and her hair, which had been blonde, started changing length and color. In moments, her hair was short and in many large red spikes; two locks of golden hair dropped down around her face. When she closed her yes, Harry could see small Griffins on her eyelids. Sirius clapped like an idiot and Harry laughed with the others at his reaction. Tonks changed back to how she came in before the food arrived.
The five of them talked and laughed for at least an hour longer than necessary for eating. Tonks had to leave soon after, so the rest made their way to WWW. Harry knew the Order had been informed about Sirius, but he didn't know if the Weasley children had been told.
Harry's thoughts were interrupted as a sudden warmth exploded in his chest and spread throughout his body, lingering slightly in his scar. As suddenly as it appeared, it was gone. He stumbled a bit and Sirius gave him a concerned look, which he placated with a shake of the head and a smile to show that he was ok. What was that? Did I just get hit by a spell? He looked around the street and only saw people out shopping, nothing indicating someone had just hit him with anything. Right… now I'm imagining phantom spells that don't do anything but make me warm for a split second. Harry Potter, you're going nutters, he told himself.
When they walked in the joke shop, Harry's answer to whether or not the Weasley children had been told of Sirius came in the form of a crash followed by a series of bangs. Two voices cried out, "Bloody hell!" in unison, and Harry couldn't hold back his amusement.
Fred seemed to find his voice first, although sentence formation was lost on him. "Harry? Remus? Professor Dumbledore?" He looked at each of them, then at Sirius and whispered, "Sirius? What - ?"
"Hi, Fred and George. Yes, this is Sirius. It's a long story, but he's not dead, as you can see, and he's been freed. So, naturally, he wants to buy prank supplies," explained Remus in a calm, professor-like voice.
"Right. Well, then, what kind of pranks are you in need of? Large scale? Personal? How long have you been not dead?" Everyone laughed at George's quick subject changes.
"Mr. Weasley, Sirius was never dead, simply misplaced, in a way. We found out yesterday morning. I believe Harry would like you to inform your siblings." Harry nodded at Dumbledore and the twins.
"Merlin, Harry, this is great! We're so happy for you! And Sirius, of course! Here, have a cupcake on us!" insisted Fred.
"Er, I think I should let Sirius have this one," said Harry warily. The rest of them laughed and Sirius shrugged while taking the proffered cupcake.
After biting into it, his hair grew longer, thinner, and greasier, and his nose got longer and hooked slightly. Harry and Remus lost it as Sirius began to resemble Snape more and more. He looked in a mirror and couldn't help laughing after seeing the scowl on his/Snape's face.
"Now that's scary, Professor Snape laughing!" cried George, who handed Sirius another cake which changed him back to normal.
"Gross, my hair still feels greasy. So, what are these?" asked Sirius, amused.
"Rival cakes, turns a person into their childhood rival. Harry, I'd give you one, but I'd hate to see a Malfoy in our esteemed establishment," Fred added in an undertone, "or a Dursley for that matter."
Harry turned to look at the items on a shelf, and when he turned back, he saw a large gash across Fred's face and multiple bruises. The boy's clothes were caked in dirt and blood. "F-Fred?" Harry asked with quiet uncertainty.
Everyone turned to Harry and looked between the two boys, trying to find what made Harry so pale and frightened. Sirius grabbed Harry by the shoulders and the Boy-Who-Lived jumped back in surprise. Harry shook his head, as if to rid it of the image, and blinked multiple times. When he looked back, Fred was just fine, as was everyone else. Harry realized Fred had looked like that in a vision of torture by Voldemort.
"Harry?" Sirius approached him again cautiously. "Hey, what's wrong? What happened?"
Harry looked up, then down quickly. Could he tell them what he saw? Would they all think him crazy? Even if he was, he didn't want them to know. Unexpectedly, Sirius swept him into a tight hug and whispered in his ear, "Whatever you saw, it's ok to tell me. I don't think you're nutters or anything, ok?" he smiled. "Was it something to do with Voldemort?" Harry nodded. "Can you tell me what it was?"
Harry nodded again and took a few deep, calming breaths. "I think a vision I had of Fred kind of came back in my mind. I mean, er, the image of him… he was hurt. Erm, that's all, it's gone now." Harry was suddenly aware of everyone staring at him with mixed expressions of shock and horror.
Dumbledore looked calm but solemn. "Harry, I don't believe you told me of this vision," he said thoughtfully as though trying to remember.
"No, sir. As long as I kept getting your owls that no one was captured, I didn't want to bother you more." Harry was feeling very uncomfortable at this point. He knew an explanation would be demanded and not just from Dumbledore.
"Harry, your visions, whether false or real, are not a bother. I asked you to tell me of them all earlier this summer. I'm sure Fred would like to know why you looked at him like he had a blast-ended skrewt coming out of his head." Dumbledore smiled softly, making Harry a little less nervous.
"Yeah… er, I don't have to give details, do I?"
"Not unless you wish to."
"Ok, well, I don't know if Ron told you, but Voldemort can plant visions in my mind…" They nodded. "Well, there was one of you two… He put George under the Imperius curse and made him do horrible things to you, Fred. There was so much blood…There's always so much blood. Er, I managed to wake myself up before anything happened to George. The Order guards were used to me asking questions by this time. They told me that no one had been captured to their knowledge and made me go back in the house. Then I waited for your letter, sir. I couldn't send one to Ron, Hedwig was out. Can-can we go back to having fun now?" Harry forced a smile, "You know, I think Sirius would really like a Canary Cream."
The others made light conversation for a while, taking Harry's lead on the conversation change, for which he was glad. Fred was looking a little peaky, but George had lost all color in his face. He must have been terrified of thinking he could hurt his twin, and he knew there was a chance it could happen. He couldn't throw off the Imperius curse like Harry. Harry couldn't help but wonder if he would frequently see his friends looking like the visions, or if it would go away. He didn't think he could hold his rather tenuous grip on reality very long if his visions haunted him in his waking hours as well as in sleep.
After a half-dozen more jokes, everyone's spirits were lifted, and Harry put on an only partially forced smile. He wasn't up to the excitement from before the brief image, but he was still having a great day. Dumbledore left the rest of them to their own devices and returned to the Ministry. Harry kept reminding himself, Sirius is free. I get to live with him, as he, Sirius, and Remus walked down the street.
They finished up their shopping by getting Sirius new robes and stopping for ice cream. Harry noticed Remus stumble inconspicuously a few times and realized he must be very tired with the full moon only one day away. Harry suggested they go home for a nap, and the look of relief on Remus made Harry smile to himself for doing something small, but good for him that day. That must be part of what family is – to want to do things to make other people's lives better or easier.
When they arrived at Remus's house, Sirius asked, "Harry did you want to have a lie down? I can fix a spot of tea first, if you like."
"No, I'm not that tired right now. I just thought Moony could use some rest," Harry smiled.
"Thank you, Harry, but I could have come back myself, or stayed out longer. You didn't need to give up your day out with Sirius to come back with me, just because I'm a little tired."
"Yes, we did. Rumor was spreading quickly, but not enough to know Sirius would be safe on the streets alone, or with me for that matter. Besides, I was getting tired of the stares."
"Well, you can't blame them for staring can you? How often do you see the Boy-Who-Lived, a known werewolf, and a mass-murderer (freed or not) walking down the street? It sounds like the start of a bad joke," Sirius smirked. "Not to mention my stunning good looks in my brand new robes!"
"Oh dear. Well, I'll take this opportunity you've given me to rest. If I'm not up, wake me around five so I can start supper." Remus went to his bedroom and closed the door.
"So, does this place have an outside? So far I've seen the fireplace, couch and bathroom. Want to have a go on that broom you bought me?" Harry asked with a grin. "Dumbledore must have brought the rest of my stuff," he pointed to the corner were his trunk lay.
They raced out the door into a grassy field, slightly smaller than a Quidditch pitch, surrounded by deep forest on three sides. Small flowers dotted the grass, which swayed like waves in the wind. Even though Harry had never imagined anything of the kind, this place was perfectly and essentially Remus. He smiled to himself.
Harry insisted Sirius go first. Once reaching a height of at least fifty feet, the former convict shouted, "I'm Sirius Black, and I'm free!" He did a few loops and dives, a grin on his face the entire time. Harry was smiling and laughing at the overgrown child flying above.
He finally came down and Harry pointed out, 'You know, you probably could have yelled you were here anytime, free or not. No one's close enough to notice. So, do I get to fly, yet?" he asked cheekily. Sirius handed him the broom with a mock huff of irritation, and Harry took off.
Soaring high above the field, Harry could feel the freedom throughout his body to the very tips of his hair. This was definitely the first thing anyone should do after being wrongfully imprisoned for so long. Harry ended his flight shortly, not wanting to make Sirius wait.
"Do you want to go again?" Harry asked holding up the broom and panting slightly from the exertion.
"Absolutely, but not right now. I was wondering if we could continue our chat from the Ministry this morning?"
Harry looked at him with a confused expression, but thought he knew to what Sirius was referring.
Sirius elaborated. "I was just wondering why you said Floo travel makes you sick, when it doesn't, and why you dislike portkeys so much. Although, I have an idea about the second one."
Harry sighed. He really liked having Sirius here, but he wasn't used to an adult wanting to hear about his problems. Well, here it goes, Harry thought, this is what families do. I have to get used to it. Just tell him.
"Ok, I don't like portkeys, because I've never taken one under good circumstances. First, the World Cup, where the dark mark appeared. Then, the Triwizard Tournament, and you know about that. Then, the night Mr. Weasley was attacked. And the last time was right after you died and my duel with Bellatrix and… er, what do you know about that night? I mean, after you fell," Harry asked.
Sirius motioned for them to sit down in the grass before he started telling Harry what he knew. "I just know what Remus saw or was told. He saw you run out of the Death Chamber, but Dumbledore filled him in on some of what happened above. You, apparently, were fighting Bellatrix and Voldemort showed up. Nobody really knows about that part, because you were the only one there. Anyway, Dumbledore came up and dueled Voldemort. He said – he said Voldemort possessed you and asked Dumbledore if he'd kill him inside of you, or something like that. Er, anyway, you somehow threw Voldemort out of your body, and that was it. Merlin, was that why you felt sick when we got to the Ministry? You were remembering it all?" It was really more of a statement to himself than a question to Harry. He put a supportive arm around Harry's shoulders.
"Yeah… Sirius, I-I feel awful for what I did. Not just leading you all there to die, but also for what I did after you fell. Rather, what I tried to do and failed."
Sirius looked confused but was trying to understand. "What do you mean? What did you try to do?"
Harry didn't want to tell him, but he knew he'd find out somehow anyway. Harry was pretty sure Dumbledore knew more than he was letting on and may tell Sirius and Remus someday. It seemed he was being given a chance to tell them himself.
He took a deep breath and looked into Sirius's eyes for the first time during this conversation. He spoke softly and slowly, but with a steady voice, "I wanted to kill her, Sirius. She killed you and I wanted to do the same to her. I-I tried using the Cruciatus on her, but it didn't do much. She said I didn't want it enough, that I wouldn't enjoy it. I'm just as bad as them. I used an unforgivable on another person. I should be in Azkaban." Harry finally looked away as Sirius absently wiped two tears from his cheeks.
"Harry, listen to me. If you never listen to anything else I say, just listen to this. You are not as bad as them. You don't deserve Azkaban anymore than I did. It would seem we're both fools who try to get revenge when a loved one is hurt. That doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you human. A hot-headed human like your godfather, but not evil. Ok? Do you understand?"
Human. What it was to be human. How many times this summer had Harry looked for a way to know he was still human and only finding the answer in a blade? And here, Sirius was telling him he was human and not bad or evil. He wasn't mad for what Harry had tried to do. He seemed to understand.
"Yeah, I understand. Thanks, Sirius," Harry said, a little too quickly for Sirius to believe, but he changed the subject to a more comfortable topic. "So, tomorrow night should I go to the Leaky Cauldron? I wish I could stay here, but I promised that – woman that I'd leave on full moons."
"What about visiting Ron? You could go for a couple of days and have some fun. Besides, I'm sure the Weasleys will be thrilled to see you after all of this. I could come join you in a few days if Remus is well and Molly allows it." Sirius smiled at Harry and seemed to persuade him with his eyes.
"Alright, I'll go owl them and ask." I hope I'm not too much of a bother. Sirius already seems eager to get rid of me. But he did say he would come too. Although, he probably just wants to make sure I don't cut myself there. It's silly, I haven't even wanted to all day. Well, maybe a bit at the Ministry after seeing everything again. Oh yeah, and that whole fiasco in the shower this morning. Geesh, was that just this morning? It's been a long day. Maybe I can show them I'm not too much of a burden… besides the whole thing about them being in danger around me that is. Merlin, how do I ramble so much in my own head?
"Er, Sirius, why don't you relax for a bit. I'm going to get supper started, so Remus doesn't have to. He seemed pretty worn out." And I need to earn my keep. I couldn't do enough for the Dursleys to tolerate me, but I hope I have a better time of it here. I'll do whatever it takes for them not to regret the living situation.
"I'll help. I'm not really tired, so I might as well be useful," he smiled.
"Are you sure? I can make supper by myself. I always do, it's no problem."
"I insist. What does dear Moony have?" Sirius asked as he walked into the kitchen. "Hmm… not much. Ahh, beef. He needs the protein before transforming. What would you say to a hearty meal of steak and potatoes, ooh, and carrots?"
Harry laughed at his godfather's enthusiasm. "Sounds great. Remind me to go shopping for him when I get back from visiting Ron."
"We'll all go! I haven't been in a market for… well, too long. It'll be fun!"
"Easily amused, aren't you?" Harry joked. Sirius stuck out his tongue at the boy and they both broke into gales of laughter. A few minutes later, a sleepy looking Remus entered the kitchen to see the two having entirely too much fun peeling potatoes.
"I wasn't aware of my vegetables being so much fun," he said smiling through a yawn. The other two laughed even harder at that. Harry kept himself from pondering how quickly his mood had changed. He was just having way too much fun at the moment.
"Supper should be ready in a half-hour or so," said Harry.
"Half-hour?" whined Sirius. "Are you muggle cooking?"
Harry reddened in embarrassment. Was he supposed to know how to cook magically?
Remus jumped in, "Of course he is. It's summer, he's not allowed to do magic, remember? We'll teach him wizard cooking later. Besides, this tastes better, I'm sure." Remus smiled reassuringly at Harry.
"I'm just glad you have muggle appliances, otherwise I'd be completely useless in here."
"You'd never be completely useless anywhere, kid. You've got too much talent," Sirius mused over bread.
Harry didn't respond, but continued with the cooking. They ate quietly in the comfortable dining room, laughing at the occasional joke. Harry was glad that Sirius and Remus seemed to entirely enjoy the meal. He really had made it himself. It turned out Sirius wasn't too familiar in the kitchen. As he was getting tea and cakes for dessert, Dumbeldore came in, scaring the fur off Padfoot (Sirius had been free less than a day; hiding wasn't a habit easily broken). The three looked at him expectantly and waited for him to get settled in a chair with tea before Harry finally asked, "Sir, I'm happy to see you again so soon, but is something going on?"