It's been a while since I updated and I cannot apologise enough for leaving you all hanging. I can only say that my private life has been rather tense of late and I have had neither the time nor the inclination to write. Hopefully, that's all in the past now, and I should be able to update more frequently.

Thank you to those who reviewed Part 6 – DavidCamp, Aki, Rayne-Jelly, V-Gin, MoonFairy2 and Enemy of the Lone One. I hope you find this chapter adequate, considering the amount of time it's taken to get here. Sorry it's so short, but more chapters should follow fairly swiftly.

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Harry pulled away from Lupin and wiped his eyes, conscious of the fact that Lupin had tears in his eyes too.

"I take it you've heard?" asked Lupin absently. Harry nodded.

"Yeah. I just. . . I can't believe it. Sirius always hated his family." Harry shrugged.

"I know." Lupin sighed and sat himself on the edge of a desk. "This is the third time I've lost him now and, damn it, it's not getting any easier. Thinking him a traitor was bad enough. Thinking him dead was worse. And now this. . ." Lupin trailed off and turned his gaze out of the window. "You don't make many friends, being a werewolf, and I was fortunate enough to make three of the greatest friends anyone could have. And now Peter's a traitor, James is dead, and Sirius. . . isn't Sirius anymore," he finished lamely. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Harry."

"You've got nothing to be sorry for," Harry insisted, trying to swallow down the lump in his throat.

"Yeah, well, you don't want to hear me yakking on about my worries, I'm sure." He turned his sad brown gaze onto Harry. "Anything you want to talk about?"

"Yeah, loads, but. . ." Harry shrugged, momentarily lost for words, then it all came pouring out. How lost he'd felt since Sirius had fallen through the veil. How he hated his friends constantly treating him as though he were made of glass. How scared he was about the coming war.

". . . And on top of that I'm the one who's supposed to defeat Voldemort once and for all. Why does it have to be me? Why couldn't it be someone else for a change? I'm sick and tired of saving the bloody world." Harry sighed and rubbed his scar thoughtfully. It was twingeing again, but that was nothing new. "Sorry."

"Don't apologise." Lupin flashed him a sad smile. "It needed to be said."

"Damn right it did," muttered Harry. He smiled at his Professor. "Thanks."

"Any time. If you want to talk, you know where my office is." Harry nodded.

"If you, you know, want to talk about Sirius, or anything, owl me, ok?" Lupin nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, thanks. Now I want to ask you a favour, Harry. It could potentially be dangerous, so I'll understand completely if you refuse."

"What is it?" Harry asked curiously.

"You may have guessed that the emphasis McGonagall and I have been putting on Bloodstones have something to do with Sirius."

"You think he's got a Bloodstone?"

"He might, at least that's what I'm hoping. I hear you're taking the DA again. I'd like you to use the time to do some research for me. Find out what Bloodstones can do, and help me find a way to neutralise their effect. For all we know, Voldemort might get his hands on one, and the more we know about them the better prepared we can be. What I told you today is only what we know from historical accounts, and they're not complete, not by a long shot. And then. . . this is the dangerous part. . ." Lupin trailed off and his eyes were glinting strangely. "Once we've got a counter for the Bloodstone, I want you to help me find Sirius."

"You what?" Harry shook his head, hardly daring to believe his ears.

"Of course, if you don't want to. . ."

"I'm not saying I don't want to," Harry said quickly, "I just think you're mad. He's in a whole other world, how the hell are we going to find which one?" Lupin shrugged, and began pacing the room.

"I don't know, Harry. That's why I want your help. It may be a long shot, it may be impossible, he may be so far gone that it'll be impossible to get him back but. . . I'll be damned if I lose my best friend for a third time and not even try to get him back. I'm not going to sit back and let them take him from me!" Lupin growled and thumped the wall. Harry jumped, slightly shocked at the anger emanating from his Professor. The pain shooting through his hand must have had a soothing effect, as Lupin sat back down and began massaging his knuckles. "Sorry saw that, Harry. But I'm so angry, I've got to do something."

"I know how you feel," said Harry fervently. "I want to help. I can't sit around and do nothing."

"I know you can't. You're just like your father in that respect." Lupin clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Thank you." Harry smiled at Lupin and gave him a swift, awkward hug that made the older man smile, too. "I should be getting on, if I were you. Your friends will be worrying."

"See you tomorrow," said Harry softly, and left the room. He was vaguely aware that he had homework to deal with, and Ron and Hermione would be wondering where he was, but that could wait for now. He hurried as fast as he could to the Room of Requirement, as he felt sure that he would find what he was looking for there.

He was right. A huge bookcase lined one wall. Harry picked up the nearest one; it was titled Bloodstones; A History of the Dark Side of the Sipstrassi. He settled down into an armchair by the fire and began to read.