Harry, Ron and Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table. The Marauder's and Lily started to do the same.
"Nonsense James!" Dumbledore called down. With a quick wave of his wand, the headmaster conjured six chairs that added themselves to the table. Plates and goblets magically appeared in front of them.
James looked uncertainly at his son. Wondering if he should go up to the head table and leave his son and his friends.
Dumbledore must have noticed this, but what does not escape the blue eyes? "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, I believe we have room up here for you too."
Harry smiled; Ron looked petrified at the idea that they would, more then likely, be sitting with Snape the rest of Christmas break. Hermione was positively glee full at getting a chance to sit at the professors' table.
Up at the table Lily took the seat across from Professor Flitwick. James sat beside her then Sirius; who was across from Remus, who was sitting in his usual seat. Harry sat next to Sirius and then Hermione and Ron.
Most of the teachers, for the exception of McGonagall, were looking at the headmaster like he was out of his mind to be openly inviting the murderer Sirius Black into the Great Hall, and then up to eat at the table. Then there was the fact that Lily and James Potter were with them too. For all they knew they could be Death Eaters.
"Professor Dumbledore, Perhaps you could explain . . . . this?" Snape motioned over the group that had joined them.
James took a double take at Snape. "Severus?"
Snape sneered. "Potter."
"I take it your Potions master? Thought you would have go out for Defense against the Dark arts."
Snape clenched and un-clenched his hands, looking as if he wished nothing more to get his wand and curse James back to their school days.
"Gentlemen," Dumbledore scolded softly.
Sirius decided he had had enough of everyone staring at him like he was going to suddenly stand and kill them all.
Looking around the table he said, "You all can relax, I'm not going to kill you or anything."
"Not unless you get in the way of him and food." Remus mumbled.
"Watch your self wolf boy."
Harry shook his head, "Not again."
Before Remus could retaliate, Professor McGonagall spoke, "Albus, I believe you have some explaining to do."
"Of course, my dear; first and foremost, Sirius is not guilty,"
"Of what?" asked Amanda Hooch.
"Take your pick." Sirius muttered darkly.
Dumbledore cast a disapproving look to his former pupil. "He was framed by one Mr. Peter Pettigrew."
Eyes were turned to Sirius who was lowly talking to James, not at all paying attention to what Dumbledore was saying. More then likely it would cause another outburst and Sirius was not one who wanted to face the headmaster when he got angry.
The head master recounted the events of that fate full night then Harry's third year. Skillfully skipping over exactly how Sirius escaped. Then recounted the abridged version of what happened the year before.
When he was done all, wide, eyes were turned on to Sirius, who turned away from James and looked around the table, "Breakfast time yet?"
A few of the female teachers were dabbing at their eyes.
"You still owe us the expiation of how the Potters and Black came back." Snape said a frown upon his face.
"Nice to know you care, Snivellus." James said.
Snape recoiled as if he had been struck.
Under the table, Lily smacked her husband's leg, though he did not show on his face that any thing had happened.
Dumbledore cleared his throat.
This time everyone present at the table turned an ear to the headmaster.
"I was getting to that Severus. The day after that fateful Halloween night I was in my office looking over books that could possibly help us. For I knew that Voldemort would be back, it was just a question of when."
"I had looked through all the books in my office when I came upon one I had never seen before; Ancient Potionsby Goric GryffindorFlipping it open, the page I happened to first find was titled, Deade htk cabg nir bot."
"To bring back the dead," Hermione murmured.
"Correct Miss Granger. The list of ingredients themselves took up ten pages; the instructions an added an additional twenty. I had little hope of gathering all ingredients needed. For example, it required the leaves of a moonflower that could only be pulled once every two years, on a blue moon.
"But I had to try, knowing that when Voldemort did return, we would need the best to fight him."
At this James and Lily blushed.
"I was only so lucky to have the potion ready when Mr. Black passed." Dumbledore said, inclining his head towards Sirius. "The problem that I had was how to get a piece of Mr. and Mrs. Potter, and Mr. Black."
James looked at the headmaster like he was mad. "You . . . you dug us up?"
Dumbledore chuckled. "No, no James. If I could require a bit of your son's hair, the potion would recognize the father and or mother that were gone and bring that person back. Sense it was both of you-"
Sirius interrupted, "So how did you get some of me, I mean I don't think you could have very well gone through the veil."
"No Mr. Black, all I had to do was look around your room." Dumbledore left out where exactly Sirius's room was located.
"I don't remember you pulling out any of my hair." Harry said.
Dumbledore chuckled. "No Mr. Potter, I also only had to look in your dormitory."
"After the potion was completed all had to do was add the hairs and wait three weeks, hoping that I had made it correctly."
"But you told me that there was not spell to re-awaken the dead." Harry said.
"A potion is not a spell, Potter. Rather a mix of magical substances that, when combined, can do most extraordinary things." Snape explained.
"Give you fame, glory, and put a stopper in death. We know, we know." Ron muttered under his breath.
Remus broke into a fit of coughing after trying to hold in his laughter. He had heard, from the trio, about Snape's famous first day speech.
Harry had the same reaction as Remus. Earning them both frown's from Lily.
"Yes Harry," Dumbledore said, "Keep in mind that I had never seen or even heard of this book before that night 16 years ago."
"So you have known all this time that my parents would come back to life, and last year about Sirius too!" Harry started to get upset, "Why did you not tell me?"
"You see Harry; I did not know for sure that it would even work. I did not want to get your hopes up just to see them crash down. Also, do you think you would even be able to concentrate on your education at all?"
Harry shook his head.
Sirius butted in, or rather his stomach did, growling, and earning disapproving looks from all around the table. "Ok now that we have that cleared up can we eat?"
As soon as that was said the plates before them filled with toast, cereal, oatmeal, eggs, sausages, potatoes. The pictures filled with orange and pumpkin juice.
Everyone dug in. "I've forgotten how good Hogwarts' food is." James said as he helped himself to some more eggs.
"That better not be a insult to my cooking James Potter." Lily said.
"Oh, Not at all dear, just not eating for 16 years kind of makes anything taste good."
"Way to get out of that one Prongs." Sirius snickered.
"You watch your self Sirius, or you'll find your self not getting any apple pie."
Sirius smile soon turned in to a horror stricken one. "Harry, what ever you do, never make your mum mad enough at you to refuse you apple pie."
Harry looked puzzled at his godfather. "Why?"
Remus joined in. "Your mother happens to make the best apple pie know to wizard kind."
Lily smiled. "At least one of you knows their stuff."
Breakfast continued with light conversations. Snape was keeping quite and scowling at his plate.
"Sirius, I think I got somethin' of yer's." Hagrid said when everyone was about finished. "Mind yeh it needs cleaned up a fair bit."
Sirius looked at the half giant with confusion.
Hagrid reached into on of his many pockets and tossed something to Sirius.
Opening his hand he found a key, a motorcycle key to be exact. "You've got to be kidding me." Sirius said shakily.
Hagrid smiled and shook his head. "It's in the shed, behind the house."
"Come on, what are we waiting for?" Sirius said, jumping up from his seat. Like a little kid who had presents waiting for him at Christmas.
Laughing, James and Remus got up as well.
"You not going to teach Harry to ride that thing are you?" Lily asked.
Sirius turned around, "And why exactly not? It's not any more dangerous then Quidditch."
Lily huffed.
"Honestly Mum, I've got a better chance of being hurt when playing Quidditch when there's Bludgers trying to knock me off my broom then sitting on a bike." Harry said, getting up too.
"I don't stand a chance do I?" Lily asked her husband.
"Not one." James replied. "Are you going to come with us?"
Lily shook her head. "I'm going to catch up with Amanda."
James kissed his wife on the cheek. "You girls have fun."
And with that the Marauders and the trio quickly went back to the common room, where they had to spend a good fifteen minutes telling the fat lady Sirius's story.
By the end she was sniffling, "You poor dear."
Sirius smiled. "No need to be sorry ma'am, it is I who should be sorry, what can I do to make I up to you?"
The fat lady smiled. "Well, what did I always make you do when you came back at the crack of dawn?"
Sirius paled a bit before kissing the lady's cheek.
She giggled and sung open.
The boys went up to their dormitories while Hermione went to hers.
Quickly they grabbed their cloaks and gloves. James and Sirius took some of Harry's old stuff and enlarge them to fit. Remus summoned his old, patched cloak; which made him stand out between Sirius, James, Ron, and Harry who all had Gryffindor cloaks on.
"Now really Moony, this will this will not do." Sirius said.
James reached once more into Harry's trunk, took out a sock, and transfigured it into a cloak with the Gryffindor seal on it for him.
Remus took it and happily slipped it on.
Sirius was busy transfiguring spare bits of parchment that were lying around into red and gold scarves for them.
Once bundled up, they went downstairs to join Hermione.
Quickly they walked down to the front doors of the castle. Pushing them open, they found them selves in a winter wonderland.
As they walked down to the grounds keeper's house Sirius rambled on about his beloved motorcycle.
Remus caught the trio's eyes and rolled his own.
"I still remember the first time I took you up, Harry." Sirius said. "You were about a year old. Fell asleep while we were up."
"I think that was the only night he actually slept all night long." James said.
"I take it Harry was not a night time baby." Hermione said.
Harry glared at her.
Remus laughed. "He was a night owl. You could never get him to go to sleep. Wanted to stay up and play all night."
Ron and Hermione laughed while Harry blushed.
"Any other Harry-as-a-baby stories?" Hermione asked sweetly.
"Well there was this one time-"
"Here's the shed!" Harry hurriedly interrupted his father.
Ron proudly marched over to it. "Alohomora!" There was the sound of the lock un-locking. The red head pulled the door open.
The trio lit their wands and slipped into the building. With Hagrid storing stuff in here who knew what you could find.
Harry glanced up on the selves that ran the length of the shed he saw a green can of flesh-eating slug repellent.
"Got it I think!" Came Hermione's voice from the back.
Harry and Ron walked over towards her; she was standing beside a large object covered in a blanket.
Lifting it up they found a gleaming, black and chrome, motorcycle. Harry and Ron pulled it the rest of the way off while Hermione kicked up the kickstand.
They started to wheel it backwards, maneuvering around boxes and other large, covered, objects. Coming out of the shed they said "Nox!"
Harry pushed the kickstand back down and the trio backed away.
Sirius went over to it, inspecting it from end to end. "That old dog!" He exclaimed, "There's nothing that needs cleaned!"
Sirius took the key from his pocket and swung his leg over one side, settling into the seat. Inserting the key and turning it, the Black Shadow roared to life.
He revved the engine, pushing the gold button on the side of the handle bar, the added hum was taken on and the bike rose into the air.
Sirius flew around for a while then landed in front of the group.
"Have fun Padfoot?" Moony asked.
He did not really have to ask. Sirius's blue eyes were alight and the brightest Harry had ever seen them, a big grin spread over his face.
"Ok, who's going up with me?" Sirius asked. "Harry, come on." Sirius scooted forward on the seat to make room behind himself for his godson.
Harry clamored on to the back of the seat.
Rising up into the air, Harry grabbed a hold of the back of Sirius's robes.
"What do you think?" Sirius called over the roar.
"I don't think they would let me use it in Quidditch."
Harry could here the bark like laugh as they flew over the Quidditch pitch.
Flying around for a while longer, they started to descend, "Mark my words when I say that you will know how to drive this before this school years out." Sirius said.
After they touched down, Sirius cut the motor so they could hear each other with out shouting.
"What did you think, son?" James asked.
"It was . . ." Harry could not quite describe it. It was nothing like his Firebolt, which was silent and did not vibrate under you. But it was quite trilling all the same.
By the time they were heading back to the Great Hall, Hermione and Ron had also gotten to go up with Sirius.
Hermione said she preferred it to a hippogriff. Harry had to agree with her. Those huge wings beating on either side of you made it feel like you were going to be thrown off at any moment.
Ron thought it was the greatest thing. "Don't you tell your mother about it," Sirius warned. "She knows I 'used' to have one and spent a good hour lecturing me about how unsafe it was and dangerous.
James and Remus also got their own turns, both all ready knowing how to drive.
Sirius tenderly rolled it back into the shed and locked the door.
Walking back up the castle, Harry slowed to grab a hand full of snow and mold it into a snowball.
Taking aim he threw it right at his godfathers back, who whipped around to find a very innocent face.
"This is war."
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