Autor's note: Hello everyone ;) Here's another chapter for you. Thank you for your first reviews. :) I hope you would also like rest of story. Once again sorry for any grammar mistakes which may be found in the text. Like i said before english isn't my native language. So please be gentle :)

For disclamer, piaring and summary --> check Prologue :D TXH

CHAPTER ONE

Peviously:

Headmaster hesitate a little.

"I wonder… how will Harry Potter react for the information, that his new school colleague is son of the man who murdered his parents?"

Dead silence which steps after his question was enough answer.

XXX

Dark Lord was sitting in his chair when strange feeling came straight thru him. He waited a couple of seconds to recognize it. His bloody red eyes flashed when he finally made it. Slow, devious smile appeared on his face.

He took the deep breath and hissed.

"My blood came to this world today." He laid his right hand on the head of giant snake laying by his feet.

"Yes Nagini," he whispered. "I don't know how… but I can sense the living force of my bastard."

Giant snake stretched in delight under his masters touch.

"Indeed my faithful friend," Voldemort mused. "I also think that this situation could be quite useful."

Mad laugh broke from Dark Lords throat and echoed thru the walls of his castle.

XXX

On his hotel bed Tom woke up suddenly and with a harsh whisper of pain he hide face into his hands. For a moment he was massaging his temples waiting till burning pain walk away. Couple seconds later his pain subsidized and boy visibly relaxed.

When he raise his head... in his eyes could be seen pure content and satisfaction.

"So he knows now," he said to the empty room.

His lips twist a little in a smallest of smiles.

"So…" he laid himself again on the bed. "The GAME has just begun."

XXX

Harry Potter woke up suddenly and gently touched pulsing scar on his forehead. He shoot a quick glance for one of his best friends sleeping couple meters from him. Ron Wesley was snoring quite loud and Harrybreathed a sigh of relief.

Trying to be as noiseless as possible, The Boy Who Lived get up from his bed. He took one of his flannel shirts and quietly close the door behind him.

Everyone in The Burrow was apparently sleeping, so without any disturbance Harry walk thru salon and kitchen until he was standing outside. Fresh breeze of wind was cooling his disturbed thoughts.

He sighed tiredly and sat down on one of stone steps leading to The Burrow.

Deep in his thoughts he jumped suddenly when he felt familiar touch on his arm.

"For Merlin sake!" He shouted quietly. "You want to give me a stroke Herms?"

His other best friend Hermione Granger smiled and quickly sat on the step close to him.

"I was talking to you for a last minute, but apparently you were somewhere else," she said.

Harry shook his head.

"Yeah… you're right. I've got something on my mind."

"I gather that."

Harry watched her with the question in his eyes.

"By the way… why aren't you sleeping?"

"I could ask you same thing."

Boy didn't answer and turn his head to watch surrounding night.

"You had another nightmare?" Her question hang between them.

In every other moment Harry would try to play down such question. But today, since he came to The Burrow three weeks ago to spend with Wesley's traditional end of holidays, he knew, that he can't hide his bad dreams anymore.

When he arrived, Hermione was already here. Molly Wesley invited her and she gladly accept her kindly offer. Everybody knew that Hogwarts Trio felt best in it's own presence.

Harry's nightmares started since the day when he came back to Dursleys for another holiday break. For a couple of days he was thinking that he would gone mad, and only his stubbornness and rage was holding him back.

Suffering and pain was his companions for all the tome he spent in his aunt's house. He walked like a madman and literally he was disappearing in front of everyone eyes.

Practically he didn't eat and it wasn't because of that Dursleys didn't feed him. Oh no… after Orders warning on the train station, they treat him much better. But they also tried to ignore the boy who was living with them.

It suited Harry very well.

Whoever would thought that boy was dreaming different nightmares every day, would made a biggest mistake in his life.

Every night… every time he closed his eyes… there was only one particular dream. …

Department of Mysteries…

Belatrix Lastragne...

Sirius Black...

Veil… …

It was one of the most horrid dreams…

But unfortunately…

This one was true....

Sirius… dear Sirius.

The last person close related enough to be Harry's family. The one and only person who… Harry wouldn't allow himself to thought that thought.

His godfather… his friend… man, thank to who, for a first time in his life Harry was looking forward to his future.

He who…

…

AND NOW HE WAS DEAD.

BECAUSE OF HIM.

Every time, he woke up with a scream and curl into a ball on his small bed where he shivered like a small child.

No one knew about it. No one had any right to know about it.

That's why he allowed himself for this moments of weakness only when he was alone.

Dursleys didn't care about him and he was thankful for this. But when it comes to his friends… he simply didn't want their pity and sympathy. He didn't want them to worry about him. He told himself that they suffered enough because of him. He didn't want to be anyone's burden anymore, so slowly he was building around himself invisible wall, from behind nothing could pass thru.

When he arrived to The Burrow, his friends almost didn't recognize him.

Former cheerful Harry was gone, and his place took another one, gaunt boy with eyes full of despair.

The boy, who of course, participated in conversations… flew his broom the same as always… who smiled a little, when one of the Wesley Twins did something incredibly crazy… who obediently was eating every kind of food what Ms Wesley was giving to him telling he's to skinny… who, like in the past, lose every time his game of Wizard Chess to his friend Ron… who kindly and always with great politeness was saying – "Thank you for your concern, but I'm feelingmuch better now" – every time someone asked him is he all right.

But all his behavior…

All this words…

Was just a simple mask. …

His smile never reached his eyes.

…

Ron sensed, that his best friend is far from sharing any of his feelings, so that he didn't push.

He was waiting for a moment when Harry talk to him in his own free will. As his room mate, he heard like he was turning and tossing in his bed when he was dreaming another horrid dream.

But he was helpless.

He couldn't do anything to prevent this. There was left only one option and a red headed boy swear to himself that when the time will come, he will be right by the side of his best friend.

…

Completely different case was when it comes to Hermione.

From the same moment when Harry enter The Burrow this girl was always near him.

Frist she wasterrified by his looks and behavior, but shequickly puzzled out why he was acting this way towards everybody.

She knew he was trying protect them from, what he was thinking, his bad influence.

But Hermione wasn't the easiest person in the world to push out.

To his great irritation she decided not to draw any attention for any delicate or less delicate allusions, that he wants to be alone. As the matter of fact, she was doing everything to make him busy. Her plan was quite simple and she was executing it point by point to pull out him from his trance.

From the start of course, her efforts was bringing effect similar like talking to wall.

Harry politely nodded his head, agreed with everything what she was saying and doing, and even with fake interest started doing his homework which was given by Hogwarts professors on their holiday.

His façade of silent acceptation WAS SIMPLY DRIVING HER MAD.

It wasn't Harry who she knew and who was her best friend.

It wasn't Harry who's internal force was bringing to him everyone.

It wasn't Harry at all…

This Harry Potter was simple the shadow of the old one.

She needed something, what could bring down this wall surrounding him.

And taking Merlin for her witness she found the way.

She starts talking about his godfather, week after he enter The Burrow.

…

There was one and only taboo in Wesleys home this summer.

It was the subject of Sirius.

No one talked about him to Harry, didn't spoke his name near the boy, no one was asking what really happened in The Department Of Mysteries (and this ones who knew kept their mouth shut).

Sirius subject was untouchable and no one in his right mind didn't dare to mention him to seemingly reconciled with his death Harry.

Well…

Hermione always thought that she inherited some crazy genes from one o her uncles (on her mothers side), who spend half of his adult life in psychiatric ward thinking that he was ostrich.

When one day, on her walk with Harry, she mentioned Sirius for the first time, he didn't spoke to her for all next week.

Someone standing hard on the ground would gave up immediately after receiving such response and tried to wait until the storm pass by.

Hmmm… like I mentioned it before we are taking here about HERMIONE GRANGER.

Describing this girl asmost stubborn and persistent witch on the planet… would be just simple understatement of the year.

In next days Hermione skillfully put forbidden subject to their talks in most delicate and careful way, and it was happening only when they were alone.

It wasn't in any way impudent and noisy. It was just a simplest memories about a man who was someone very special for very lonely boy.

Slowly, word after word, memory by memory… Hermione was showing Harry again picture of a man who was Sirius Black.

The man who was giving all himself to his friends.

The man for whom there wasn't any sacrifice he wouldn't made to protect the one's he loved.

It was the tale of the tales.

She was talking to him about the courage… loyalty… honor… and love.

She reminiscence about faith and friendship which goes beyond comprehensions.

She talked about bonds between certain people so strong, that simply indestructible.

She was talking about feelings which even death couldn't surpass.

Slowly and inevitably Hermione Granger was bringing back a memory of a man for whom Harry should miss and mourn… but also a man who wouldn'twant, that because, of him his dearest godson would be closed for the surrounding world.

…

And that's how… step by step… day by day… Sirius Black become once again part of Harry Potter's heart.

The one of most precious parts.

And the memory of him was carefully stored in boy's mind but not in the way which dear Padfoot wouldn't praise.

…

And then… one day… life returned once again to the eyes of Harry Potter.

…

All this was because of young girl with bushy hair. In her arms Harry Potter cried for the first time since Sirius death.

It happened one of the August nights on the shore of lake not far away from The Burrow. Silver shine of the Moon was gently caressing two teenagers holding each other like there was no other world beside them. She was with him whispering calming nonsense's to his ear and holding tightly his trembling body.

This exact day sunrise found boy and girl sitting and holding their hands on the shore of lake. The two had red eyes and traces of tears on their cheeks, but their hearts was much lighter from fears and worries.

From that moment Harry and Hermione was bonded by chains of friendship stronger from any magic which existed in the world.

Nothing… absolutely nothing… could brake them now.

…

They also starts to talkto each other.

But not in the way – "Hey, what's new in Daily Prophet?" – but TALK in deepest and most caring understanding.

He told her about his greatest fears and about things making him happy. About his parents, Srius, magic… even Dursleys. He told her things, which he never told anyone before. He wasn't ashamed of his thoughts and desires knowing that, even in most hopeless situation he will find in her support, reliance and help.

She on the other hand was repaying him with stories of her childhood, about her parents and what she is searching in her life. She was also talking about Voldemort (yes… she finally learn to say his name withoutflinching) and she was doing this with all disdain she could manage. She didn't hide from him her mistakes which happened in her young life and with warm smile she was listening how he, in his careful voice, tried to help her when she asked for it.

He was all for her… and she was all for him.

They didn't know how they can name their new intimacy, so they thought, that it's just another step in their amazing friendship.

…

And that's why, this particular night, Harry smiled with gratitude when he heard her voice.

"You had a nightmare again?" She asked again with worry. "Voldemort?"

He nod his head.

"Yes… but this time it was something different."

"Why?"

He was watching her for a moment before he answered.

"Something surprised him."

Her eyes wide a little.

"What are you saying?" She couldn't believed.

"He get sort of a message… I have no idea what is it, but I'm sure he was surprised. I felt his emotions just before he hide it. First it was disbelief… then curiosity… and in the end strange joy followed by viciousness."

"How strange it was?"

"I can't really can put the finger on it… don't know… like about accepting a challenge... or something like that."

She was quiet for a couple of minutes.

"Anything else?"

"Nothing," he shook his head. "My scar was burning so I woke up."

"Do you have any idea what it could be?"

"Sorry, but I don't. Either way… I'm sure we will found out itsooner or later."

Two teenagers were quieted for a couple of minutes. The uneasy silence was broken by Hermione.

"Let's forget it for now," she smiled. "We've got big day tomorrow."

He nodded.

"Yes we have."

"We're starting our sixth year in Hogwarts."

"Unbelievable," he sighed. "I fell like I was swimming in a boat with other firs years just yesterday."

She gently took his hand in hers.

"Quite piece of time, don't you agree?" She asked.

"True," he said. "But like Sirius would say – I think it's only the beginning."

She laughed quietly.

"Only remember Mister Potter. In this year there will be no wandering in the halls after curfew. I'm still a prefect and I don't want to take any points from Gryffindor House."

Harry's eyes flashed with playful challenge.

"Well… I think, I'll manage to trick you in some way."

"Oh no Potter!!! You're going down!!!"

Two best friends explode with laughter.

XXX

to be contiuned...