A/N: Back to Hogwarts was supposed to be one-shot. But anyway, this came to my mind, and because the other way of using my time is Swedish homework...

Let's say this is for Bronfelen, because she asked for it. Now, be a darling and go write a nice chapter of "Growing up" for me.

I run through the castle corridors, not caring about the paintings I'm waking up. I couldn't give a damn about the noise I'm making, or whether I'm offending some long-dead wizard's dusty painting. No, there are much more important matters happing this night. It's possibly the most important matter in years for me. So I run.

The map never lies. I, if anyone, know it best. I made that map. We tested it, the four of us. It never lied. It never lies. Yet there has to be something wrong with it. It's just not possible. Or could it be? My heart is nearly exploding with the combination of running as fast as possible and the unanswered questions. And the hope.

Although I'm not exactly sure what I'm hoping for. And if what I wish for is what I imagine it might be, why should the option be any better than current belief in how things worked?

The main doors cut my way. They are heavy to move. I silent smile makes its way to my lips. I recall cursing the heavy door as a mere school boy. At least it doesn't make creaking sounds once you get it to open. But the moment I'm outside smile vanishes. There's no time for happy memories. I need to go either rescue Harry or receive one of the happiest news in my life.

So I run over the castle grounds. Brings back memories. This is the way I used oh so many times. Every full moon. How I hate full moon. How I hate!

The Whomping Willow! Must stop the speed of running downhill before that plant from hell can break my ribs. I grab a branch from the ground, prod the knot and the tree freezes. It's always amazed me, the big and fiery plant with own will and angry temper being won with a single prod. Quickly I make my way to the hole, before the tree wakes up again. Something is bothering me, though. I could swear I heard someone talking just a moment ago. But there's no one around. No time to think, need to go on before something terrible has time to happen.

Inside the tunnel. Oh, how I despise this tunnel. How I despise all it symbols. It's visible sign of my isolation from rest of the society. I'm a beast and they need tunnels like this to keep me out of their midst. Of course, without this tunnel, this hiding place, I had never made it to Hogwarts and so my isolation would be much more obvious. But nonetheless, I hate this tunnel. It brings back so horrible memories. Part of me wants to just curl up and wail. Fortunately bigger part of me wants to reach the end of the tunnel and end this mystery.

And I'm in the Shrieking Shack. I look at the mess and shiver. Somehow, although I can't understand how, the time indeed has made the memories better. I couldn't remember I used to get this bad, this violent. Thank all that is good for the new potion. I stare blankly at the signs of wild werewolf spending quite some time within this house. I remember the pain of trying to scratch my own eyes out. I remember the fury of not getting to taste human blood. I remember waking up at morning in pile of grey hair that I couldn't exactly remember to have torn off. I remember the insanity. The pain, always the pain. Humiliation next morning. And then, sanity, light... No matter how good the potion is, it can never be such a gift from heaven as friends were.

"WE'RE UP HERE! WE'RE UP HERE - SIRIUS BLACK - QUICK!"

Female voice. Hermione. I snap back to the moment. Kids! Crap!

I run up the stairs -only barely noticing the fresh footsteps in the dust, not paying any attention to the signs of werewolf that can be seen everywhere in this miserable shack. Yet another door on my way. I have no patience with it, I shoot it in with a simple spell. I enter the room.

Everything seems to stop. It's as if the time itself has stopped to have a better look at the scene I come across to behind the door. With each second taking the length of hour I look from Ron, laying on the bed with his leg broken to Hermione. At least the girl is alright. Next I see Harry. A great worry leaves me; he is alive. I just might be right, the map really never lies.

And there he is; Sirius Black. I watch him, take in the filthy state of his robes, the sick look of his. But those are not important. The feverish look in his eyes is not insane. And he hasn't lifted a finger to harm Harry. I was right.

But apparently Harry, son of James Potter, had heard the story of Sirius Black. I had suspected it. Poor boy. But I cannot let him kill Sirius before he knows all facts. So I make my decision as time is still drifting by extra slowly.

"Expelliarmus!"

I gather the wands. I'm playing for time. But with speaking aloud I have broken whatever spell it was on time, and it's not going on normally. Too fast.

"Where is he, Sirius?"

He doesn't answer. I start doubting his sanity, my sanity... And then, ever so slowly, he points to Ron. I follow the gesture. And there it is. A rat! Ron's pet-rat. Too simple. How couldn't I see it? How did I miss it? Could it really be that simple?

"But then..." I can't seem to make heads or tails out of this. It's probably too simple and too close under my nose all the time for me to realize. "... why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless-" And slowly, very slowly, like sun in the morning, it starts to dawn. Like a butterfly slowly dries her wings before she can fly for the first time, I clear up my thoughts, go through possibilities. It could be possible. Couldn't it? "-unless he was the one... unless you switched... without telling me?"

Could it be so simple? Could that be the answer? The more I think of it, the more likely it seems. And with Sirius looking all sane here, with the map telling me he's alive when he possibly couldn't be, when Ron suddenly has his rat with him... it just could be true.

When Sirius nods I could laugh. The horrible events are starting to clear up. It's so simple, been under my nose all the time. And it is true. It is true!

With my heart leaping up with joy, I cross the distance between us, pull Sirius off the floor and embrace him. I have got my long lost friend back. I have gotten my brother back.

I've gotten Sirius back.

Everything starts making sense again, after so long time.