"Brumous"

"Chapter Three: The Fugue State"

Harry rubbed his fingers into his eyes. He and Ron had spent their entire Sunday figuring out their full astrological charts. The only thing that had even been remotely interesting was that somehow the school had obtained copies of their birth records from the Ministry of Magic. Harry stared at his parents' full names on his birth record before they glided across the page to find out that he had been born at a small wizarding clinic in Hereford, England at a quarter past eleven in the evening.

"Where were you born?" Harry asked in a casual tone, his quill drawing a straight line on the natal chart.

"St. Mungo's," Ron replied. "Ruddy hell. I can't draw a straight line to save my life!"

Harry nodded. "I was born in Hereford."

Ron looked up. "Really? Bit odd, isn't it? St. Mungo's is the best hospital in the country! But… well…" Ron trailed off, his face twisting.

"Well, what?" Harry pressed.

"Well, I suppose your family was well off," Ron replied, his face wincing. "The Potters were a pureblood family. Old money. Not as old money as the Blacks, mind you, but the Potters have been around a long time. A lot of purebloods used to turn their noses up at St. Mungo's. Didn't want to be with the regular wizards, you know? I bet it's some posh hospital."

Harry blinked. "I don't think my dad would have turned up his nose at St. Mungo's."

Even as the words left his mouth, he didn't actually know if that was true. He knew next to nothing about his dad except that he bullied Snape and fought in the Order of the Phoenix. Surely, the Potters were a lot like the Weasleys. Harry glanced at the hospital name Hereford Medical Centre. He had the sudden urge to talk to Sirius about it.

The two worked for another hour on their charts before they were finally done. Harry sighed, tossing his quill on the table and hoping he didn't have to look at another astrological chart for as long as he lived.

"Want to compare our charts?" Ron asked as he stretched. "It's bloody ridiculous that we have actual real work now that Trelawney's gone."

Harry pushed his chart over to Ron before leaning back in his chair. He felt mentally exhausted after charting. It wasn't the first nor the last time he regretted taking Divination. He and Ron assumed it would be a doss subject, which it had been before since they just predicted their untimely death with whatever method of divination they were using in class. Except now Firenze actually expected them to work. It wasn't that Harry minded actually doing the work, but he didn't believe that the positions of the planets actually had anything to do with the person he was.

"We are so best friends," Ron commented as he ran his fingers down the list of planets. "Jupiter in Virgo. Saturn in Virgo. Neptune in Sagittarius. Pluto in ruddy Libra! We're like Bludgers in the sky together! The second half of our charts are identical!"

"I don't know what any of that means," Harry admitted.

Ron shrugged as he slid the chart across the table at Harry. "Fuck if I know. As long as Firenze assumes we did the calculations right, I'll be happy."

"Yeah, hopefully," Harry replied as he pushed his glasses up into his hair to scrub his palms against his eyes.

"You all right, mate?"

Harry nodded. "I'm just tired. I didn't sleep well last night."

The previous night his dreams had been plagued by the long corridor in the Ministry of Magic, the cloudy balls lined up neatly in endless rows. He had no idea what the Ministry was hiding or why the Order was protecting it. But he knew Voldemort was obsessed with that room. Harry dreamed about it more and more lately until he found himself obsessing about it in his waking moments as well. He needed answers.

"I think I might sneak off to the Room of Requirement and talk to Sirius for a bit," Harry announced as he slowly rose from his chair and gathered his Divination work.

Ron nodded. "Need a lookout? I don't have to meet Hermione for rounds for another two hours."

Harry shook his head. "I should be fine. I was more paranoid in the beginning. Nobody really pays attention anymore."

Ron cleared his throat. "Ginny would help."

Harry froze, his eyes moving to look at his best mate. His heart pounded in his chest because if he wasn't dreaming about what was hidden in the Ministry of Magic then he was dreaming about kissing Ginny Weasley. Both were particularly unwanted because he woke up startled no matter what he was dreaming about. One left him sweaty and the other left him with hard-on, while both left him breathless. Maybe Ron had overheard one of his snogging dream sessions.

"Yeah…" Harry trailed off. "She's been nice to me lately. We're friends, you know?"

Ron nodded. "I heard she broke it off with Michael Corner. I hope the next bloke she chooses to date is a bit better. Someone who is kind and funny and not a complete wanker."

Harry shifted as Ron gave him a very piercing look. "Yeah, hopefully. She's a… she deserves it."

Ron tapped his fingers on the table between them. "Yeah, she does. There aren't many blokes I'd approve of her dating. In fact, I can only think of one that I think would treat her the way she deserves to be treated."

Harry wanted to know who Ron wanted Ginny to date. It was probably someone safe like Neville. But Harry couldn't see Ginny dating Neville. His face pinched when he remembered Ginny in the flowy emerald green dress she wore to the Yule Ball, dancing and laughing with Neville. Or maybe he could picture Ginny liking Neville. They had gone to the Yule Ball together so Neville must like her if he asked her. Ginny accepted so she must like Neville back. Harry had the sudden urge to go off on Neville.

"I'll see you after your patrol," Harry muttered as he slung his satchel over his shoulder and made his way out of the small study room in the back of the library.

Making his way through the library, he spotted Ginny at one of the tables in the main room with Luna and Demelza. Demelza stood up, doing some sort of impression that had Ginny collapsing in her chair and Luna smiling brightly. Harry's mood only soured more. Ginny did deserve a nice bloke who would treat her right. Neville was the perfect choice. Not only was he kind and dependable, he didn't have a mad wizard trying to kill him every single bloody year.

Rolling his eyes, Harry darted out of the library and made his way to the seventh floor. A few people looked at him curiously as he paced in front of the tapestry before slipping inside into a room that looked like a replica of the Gryffindor common room. Tossing his bag down onto the sofa, Harry collapsed next to it feeling moodier than he really should be.

It's not like Ginny and Neville were even dating. It was silly to be so upset with Neville when he hadn't even done anything. But Harry couldn't help the nagging in the back of his mind. What did Neville have that he didn't? Why would Ron want Ginny with Neville over his best mate? Harry winced, digging through his satchel for the mirror.

"Sirius Black," Harry mumbled, trying to not let his bad mood consume him.

The mirrors connected in an instant. Harry felt some of the tension leave his shoulders when Sirius appeared in the glass. He looked to be in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place.

"Hey, Harry, are you all right?" Sirius answered, his eyebrows knitting downward.

"Fine," Harry replied, pushing Ginny out of his mind and thinking back to his homework session with Ron. "Can I ask you a question?"

Sirius nodded. "Anything."

Harry gripped the mirror with one hand as he dug through his satchel for his birth record. "For Divination, we had to do our astrological charts. They gave us all copies of our birth records. Ron said it was odd that I wasn't born in St. Mungo's."

Sirius shrugged. "I mean, St. Mungo's is the largest wizarding hospital in England. Most people do have their babies there. But you were born in a small hospital right outside of Godric's Hollow. Lily and James liked the smallness of it all. Felt more intimate, I suppose."

Harry nodded, fingering the birth record. "It says my dad's middle name was Fleamont. My mum's was Josephine. I never knew their middle names before."

Sirius sucked in a breath, his head nodding. "Fleamont is an old family name. It was…" Sirius paused, his fingers rubbing his chin as he cleared his throat. "James' great-grandmother's maiden name, I think. The Fleamonts were a dying family name. A string of a lot of females born. She was the last of the Fleamont line, didn't want it to die out. So, James' grandfather named his only son Fleamont. It was your grandmother's idea to give James the name as well, keep the tradition going. I remember your grandmother said your middle name should be Fleamont as well but James refused, so consider yourself lucky."

Harry's bottom lip slid between his teeth at the family history being passed down to him. He was grateful that his parents didn't actually name him Harry Fleamont Potter. He liked James a lot better.

"You know, you're named after your great-grandfather," Sirius continued. "His name was Henry. Your parents chose a variation of it in honor of him. He died of a heart attack in the spring of our fifth year."

Harry looked up at the mirror at that tidbit. His heart beating harshly in his chest.

"He was a member of the Wizengamot," Sirius added. "He fought for equal rights for Muggleborns. Wrote quite a few laws that are still in effect today. Caused a minor controversy when he spoke out publicly against a former Minister of Magic."

Henry Potter fought for equal rights? Harry liked the sounds of that, amazed that he had never even thought to look up his family before. Surely, his great-grandfather had been written about somewhere if he was so instrumental in a bunch of laws that helped give equal rights to Muggleborns.

"What did my grandfather do? Fleamont?" Harry asked, the birth record long forgotten on his lap.

Sirius chuckled. "Well, nothing as important as Henry. He was a potioneer. You ever hear of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion?"

Harry's brow furrowed, knowing he'd heard that name before. He wracked his brain before he remembered the Yule Ball and Hermione saying she used an entire bottle to get her hair straight and smooth.

"Yeah?" Harry replied, his brows furrowing.

"Your grandfather invented it," Sirius explained. "As well as an entire line of hair products. It was really successful. James worked there after Hogwarts, did a lot of marketing for Sleakeazy's until he went into hiding. He wrote commercials for the wireless and drew cartoons for paper advertisements. But he had no interest in running the place. I think Fleamont kind of hoped that maybe one of his grandkids would take it over, but your grandparents died when you were a few months old. James had a lot of other things on his mind with the war. So when your grandparents died, James relinquished control of the business but he held onto some royalties to the company. James and Lily made that your trust fund, actually. That vault you have access to for your school things? That's all from Sleekeazy's royalties."

It was a lot of information to take in. Harry felt like it was an overload of information being thrown his way. He didn't know how to process it all. His great-grandfather was a distinguished member of the Wizengamot, his grandfather was a successful potioneer, his father had worked in advertising. They seemed like real people with actual lives. Harry had never felt closer to his family than he did in that moment.

"What did my mum do?" Harry asked, curious what sort of job his mother held before they went into hiding.

"A potioneer at the hospital you were born actually," Sirius replied. "Another reason they chose the smaller hospital. Lily knew a bunch of people there. She quit after you were born."

Harry nodded, finding all the information more than fascinating. He wished he had his grandfather's and mother's genes when it came to being brilliant at potions. Perhaps, his father was terrible at it and that's why he was so dreadful at it.

"What did you do before... well, everything?" Harry asked.

Sirius chuckled. "Nothing. I lived off the money my Uncle Alphard left me actually. I just went on Order missions, fought the good fight. Your grandfather tried to convince me to join the Aurors but… I don't know. I don't do well with authority. I liked the freedom of just picking up Order assignments as I saw fit. No rules. No obligations."

"An Auror?" Harry repeated, his eyebrows rising in the air.

He couldn't help but wonder how different their lives would have been if Sirius had actually been an Auror. Sirius probably would have been given a trial, an opportunity to explain what had really happened.

"Yeah, I mean, in hindsight I probably should have applied. I would have been accepted because, while my grades suffered at Hogwarts for lack of actually turning in homework and blowing off a test or two, I received all the appropriate N.E.W.T.s," Sirius explained, his hand carding through his dark hair. "I was proud when you said you wanted to be an Auror over the summer. I think it's an excellent career path. I wish I could tell my younger self to just do it and stop being such a pillock."

"I want to be an Auror but I don't think I'll get the O.W.L.s I need," Harry admitted.

Sirius nodded. "What ones are you worried about?"

Harry swallowed. "Mostly just Potions. I'm rubbish at it and Snape only takes Outstandings. There's no way I'll get an Outstanding."

Sirius' jaw clenched. "I wasn't the best at Potions, but I managed an Exceeding Expectations and made my way into N.E.W.T. level Potions. We had a different professor back then, obviously, but he only took interest in students he thought had potential or would make a name for themselves. He stopped caring about me when I refused to go to his little tea parties but he wasn't outright nasty to students like Snape."

"Ginny's helping me too," Harry added even though he knew Sirius already knew this tidbit from when he called him about a week ago, his stomach doing a little somersault at the taste of her name on his tongue. "She's really brilliant at it."

"She's very bright," Sirius said, the corners of his lips turning up. "You've been hanging around her a lot lately, haven't you?"

Harry shrugged as he was not going to admit to his godfather that he had been having thoughts and dreams of Ginny with a limited amount of clothes on. "She's just nice. A lot of people aren't that nice to me at the moment. I mean, it's gotten better, but… I don't know. The Boy Who Lies headlines over the summer have stuck with a lot of people."

An unreadable expression crossed Sirius' face, one that Harry didn't have the social skills to decipher. He shifted, his bottom lips sliding between his teeth as he waited for Sirius to say something.

"Look, I know what it's like to have people talk about you behind your back," Sirius started, his gray eyes staring at him. "I fought alongside people in the Order of the Phoenix every single day, but in the end, they never liked me. None of them stood up for me when I was arrested. None of them believed me. They all thought the worst about me. Honestly, Harry, none of those people matter. I've found there's only a select few people you can and should trust, a small group of people whose opinion of you actually matters. The rest can go fuck themselves."

Harry nodded, knowing Sirius was more than right. Honestly, he had spent the entire first half of his life believing that he could rely on nobody but himself. Then, at eleven he had friends for the first time ever. He had relished in the feeling of being wanted and liked. He had been so eager to make friends that Dudley couldn't bully into not talking to him and have professors that the Dursleys couldn't lie to. It seemed like every single year, he just had more and more people judge him and think poorly on him as he went from being the heir of Slytherin, to the cheater in the Triwizard Tournament, to being a liar and an attention-seeker.

"I know," Harry replied. "It's just…" He sighed, not knowing how to express himself.

"I get it," Sirius interrupted. "Truly, I do."

There wasn't a doubt in Harry's mind, he knew Sirius truly did understand him. He was one of the few that did. Harry's grip on the mirror tightened, but the tension in his shoulders eased. He had never been more grateful to have Sirius in his life. He was so much more than just a godfather.

Sirius stood in the entryway of Grimmauld Place, nodding curtly at the Order members as they arrived for the meeting. They all gave him odd looks as they entered but he couldn't be bothered to check his expression. There was only one person he wanted to talk to. Said person had been avoiding him for a week now, and Sirius wanted to know why.

"Wotcher, cousin!" Dora greeted with a smile.

Sirius nodded as he stepped in front of the troll leg umbrella stand so she wouldn't trip over it. "Where's Remus?"

Dora frowned at him. "Well, aren't you all cheery? Want to try smiling a little?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Remus hasn't been by in a week and he's not answering his mirror. I know for a bloody fact that he's shagging you so has he been with you?"

Dora laughed. "Do you miss him?"

Sirius crossed his arms over his chest, taking a step away from her since he invaded her personal space. "No, I just want to make sure he's all right."

"He's fine," Dora assured him. "We've just been busy on an assignment."

Sirius narrowed his eyes at her. "What assignment?"

Dora's eyes sparkled. "Why do you care so much? Going to punch him again if he doesn't tell you every little thing he's doing?"

Sirius felt a growl brew in the back of his throat. "It was a different time back then. What's the fucking assignment?"

"What's that, Kingsley?" Dora shouted, her hand cupping her ear.

"What?" Kingsley asked as he turned around.

Dora gave him two thumbs up. "I'll be right there!" She turned back to Sirius. "Sorry, but Kingsley needs me!"

Dora dashed away from Sirius, tripping over her own two feet in the process. Bill grabbed her around the arm, saving her from face-planting onto the floor. Sirius only shook his head, wondering what Remus and Dora were hiding from him. His jaw clenched, his eyes snapping back to the front door.

"Good evening, Sirius," Emmeline greeted with a smile.

"Yeah, what's so good about it, Emmeline?" Sirius snapped back, his annoyance peaking the longer Remus didn't show his ugly mug.

The Order members continued to pile into the house. Remus was a straggler, coming in next to last. He eyed Sirius as he entered, his face completely neutral.

"Sirius," Remus greeted. "What are you doing in the hall?"

Sirius grunted. "Dumbledore tested out a spell on Walburga's portrait to shut her the fuck up. I'm making sure it holds. So far so good. Why are you late? You're always here early."

Remus shrugged as he made his way towards the kitchen. Sirius followed him, keeping in step. He wasn't going to let Remus get away with being tight-lipped.

"What assignment are you on with Dora? Molly and I didn't schedule you for anything nor did we receive anything about pulling you off the schedule because of your special assignment," Sirius pressed, his voice low.

"It's not an assignment that needs scheduling nor is it affecting our other Order duties," Remus replied in a simple tone that made Sirius want to rip his fucking head off.

"What are you doing?" Sirius asked again as they made their way down the stairs to the kitchen.

"It's not an assignment, per say. We're following a hunch and doing some investigating," Remus replied with a sigh.

Sirius still wasn't satisfied. "Look, there was a lot of mistrust between us the first time around-"

Remus paused, whipping around to stare at Sirius. His eyes flashed.

"Are you ruddy serious right now?" Remus hissed. "After everything we've been through, you're going to stand there and accuse me of being a spy? Again?"

Sirius' jaw clenched. "No, I'm not accusing you of anything. But we're all that's left of our group! I know we were both closest to James, but James isn't here anymore. We only have each other!"

"I know you're used to there being no secrets between you and James, but I don't like to talk about things until I am right and ready to," Remus explained. "You know that. It doesn't reflect poorly on our friendship or indicate anything nefarious. I need to work out problems first before I come running to you. Trust me, when I figure out what is going on, you will be the first person I tell because you are my best friend."

Sirius nodded, still not satisfied with the answer but he knew pushing Remus would only cause him to become even more tight-lipped than he already was. Remus reached out, gripping Sirius' shoulder tightly.

"I promise, just let me work out this problem before we talk about it," Remus whispered.

"Fine," Sirius agreed. "But we need to have a serious conversation about a few things."

Remus rolled his eyes. "I'm not talking to you about your cousin."

"Oh, you bloody well are!" Sirius replied as he pushed open the door to the kitchen. "I'm the only one you should be talking about it with. We could be family."

"Shut up and sit down, Sirius," Remus snapped.

Sirius saw two seats open next to Dora. Sirius rushed forward to take the end one, forcing Remus to sit between him and Dora. He wiggled his eyebrows at his friend. Scowling, Remus hit him across the back of the head as he passed behind him before taking his seat.

Dumbledore clapped his hands together. "Excellent. Thank you for joining us, Sirius, Remus. Are we all here now?" Dumbledore asked as he surveyed the room. "We have some new members joining us today, courtesy of Alastor and Kingsley recruiting the finest that the Auror Department has to offer," Dumbledore spoke, a small smile on his lips as he gestured towards a small group of people to his side.

Sirius squinted at the group of newcomers, recognizing a few of them but not being able to place names with any of them. He was shit with names, especially after his stint in Azkaban. Everything that wasn't of great importance in his life before just seemed to have been taken away from him, sucked dry and spat out on the concrete.

"I would like to introduce you to two senior Aurors in the Violent Crimes division, Gawain Robards and Tegan Robins," Dumbledore started as two in the small group of four took a step forward.

The names sounded so familiar and he was fairly certain they had attended Hogwarts together. He tried to place them when Remus leaned into his side, his lips close to his ear.

"They were Head Boy and Head Girl in our fifth year," Remus supplied. "I think you upset Gawain more than a few times that year, if I remember correctly."

Sirius let out a small chuckle. Ahh, yes, Gawain looked older than he should with his curly locks nearly all gray by this point. Tegan too looked a lot older and more haggard-looking than he remembered her. Sirius wondered if that just came with the territory of being an Auror.

"We also have Axel Lowe and Beauregard Sutton who are junior Aurors here with us today as well," Dumbledore introduced the other two and Sirius didn't recognize them at all.

Sirius leaned towards Remus. "What kind of fucking name is Axel?"

"Sirius, don't start," Remus warned him.

Sirius leaned back in his chair, folding his hands neatly in his lap as he listened to the debriefs. Everyone seemed to have something to say except for him, because he was stuck in a forsaken haunted house. Sirius' eyes roamed until they landed on Snape, and Sirius couldn't help the snarl that worked its way onto his features. It took everything he had in him not to jump up from his chair and have words with the greasy git.

Snape wasn't going to stop Harry from achieving his dream of being an Auror. He certainly wasn't going to fucking stop giving his godson the Occlumency lessons he needed. In fact, Sirius wrote and rewrote a little speech in his head for the next hour as everyone talked. He was going to impress Remus by being so calm, cool, and collected that he would think Sirius had been put under the Imperius Curse. Oh, Sirius could play the long game.

When the meeting concluded, chairs scraped across the tile floor. Chatter broke out around them. Sirius beelined towards Snape who made a mad dash towards the kitchen door like he did after every single meeting. Sirius followed him out of the kitchen and up the stairs, picking up his pace to square off with him in the entryway.

"Snape!" Sirius hissed before he could reach the front door.

Snape whipped around, his black robes swirling around him in some odd and unnecessarily dramatic way that probably intimidated the first years. "What is it, Black?"

Sirius arched an eyebrow, shoving his hands into his trouser pockets. "I heard you stopped giving Harry Occlumency lessons."

Snape didn't say anything. A sour look crossed his features.

"He needs those lessons," Sirius insisted, standing his ground.

"He's unteachable," Snape replied, wrapping his cloak around his body and looking like a bat right-side up.

"Maybe you're just a shit professor," Sirius replied, his speech he practiced for an hour going to shit when his anger flared.

Remus stepped up next to him, a little out of breath.

"Severus!" Remus said in a loud voice as he took a step forward. "This is important. You know it is. Do you really want Lily's sacrifice to go to waste?"

"Do not talk to me about her," Snape hissed out, his words low and drawn out.

"I know why you put that memory in the Pensieve," Sirius said, taking no mirth from the situation. "While Harry shouldn't snoop, you shouldn't leave your things out when you're expecting someone. Harry's middle name is curious and you can't deny that. He walks by a Pensieve and sees his father and you expect him not to look? The father he lost, the father he never knew, the father he craves, and you think he's not going to want to know more?"

"It's not my job to teach him how much of an ingrate his father was," Snape replied, his lips pulling back to show his yellow teeth.

"It's your fucking job to teach him how to block his mind!" Sirius shouted. "You haven't done that! You've left him vulnerable to an attack!"

"Severus, you need to resume Occlumency lessons with Harry," Remus interjected, placing a hand on Sirius' shoulder. "You know the importance of it just as much as we do. Harry is not James. Harry is not Sirius. Harry is nobody but Harry. You cannot punish him for the sins of his father or his godfather."

Snape scoffed. "He is arrogant-"

"He isn't!" Remus yelled, his head shaking. "You look at him and it is so easy to see James. I understand that. He looks exactly like James! But the moment he opens his mouth, he is nothing like James. You must realize that!"

Sirius' jaw clenched, his fingers curling into fists inside his pockets. It took every single fiber of his being not to pound Snape into the fucking ground. Harry was the most modest person that Sirius had ever met. Snape could only grasp at broom bristles instead of admitting that Harry was an outstanding kid.

Snape's face twisted like he had swallowed a lemon whole. "You can lead a horse to water but you cannot force it to drink."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Sirius snapped.

"Potter must get his intelligence from his godfather then," Snape retorted. "It means there is only so much I can do. I can give Potter the tools and the knowledge. If he cannot perform the magic, there isn't anything else I can do for him. He is a lost cause."

"He is not a lost cause!" Sirius roared.

"You will teach him, Severus," Dumbledore's voice sounded from behind Sirius.

Turning around, Sirius caught sight of Dumbledore standing in the entryway. He looked tired, and Sirius couldn't blame him. It was one shit storm after the next lately.

"Harry needs to learn to close his mind," Dumbledore continued, stepping towards the trio. "You know the things he sees. You know how important it is to keep Harry at school where he is safe. I fear it is only a matter of time before Lord Voldemort discovers their connection and he uses it against Harry. I fear we may already be too late, that Lord Voldemort already knows about the connection and he is plotting how to use it against him."

"He is unteachable," Snape insisted in a low voice.

"He is not unteachable," Dumbledore replied, his face pulling down. "Harry is a very bright boy, but he does not respond well to your style of teaching, Severus."

Snape's jaw clenched, his head shaking. "Yes, let's change the way I teach because Potter is far too precious and needs to be coddled when he is taught."

"Harry responds well when he knows the why behind things," Remus interjected. "When I taught him the Patronus Charm, he wasn't thinking of powerful enough memories. He was just thinking of times he was happy, not understanding that it was the power of the memory that drove the spell. Once I explained this to him, his Patronus became stronger and stronger until he unlocked the precious memory that allowed him to cast his first Patronus. Once he knew the power of the memory needed, he excelled and cast a perfect Patronus each and every single time. How are you telling him to block his mind? Did you tell him why he needs to do it the way you're telling him to? If you explain the why, I think you'll start to see results."

Snape didn't say anything. Sirius didn't know how much longer he could last without punching the living daylights out of him.

"Severus?" Dumbledore pressed.

"I'll take that under advisement," Snape spoke in a low drawl, clearly bored with the conversation.

"I'd like a report on his progress from here on out, Severus," Dumbledore added.

Snape gave a curt nod before he stormed out of the house, his black robes billowing behind him just like they had when they were at school. Dumbledore glanced at Sirius and Remus before he let himself out, the silence deafening between them. When the door closed behind him, Sirius turned towards Remus.

"I don't know why he's mad at us," Sirius grumbled. "Snape stopped teaching Harry."

Remus pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "It's just annoying is all, Sirius. After all these years, he's still dealing with the petty fights."

Sirius scoffed. "They're not petty. He treats Harry like dirt for no bloody reason."

Remus nodded. "You're right, but let him act like the child next time, Sirius, yeah?"

"Fuck off, Remus," Sirius snapped before he trudged up the stairs towards his bedroom.

Sirius thought he was rather composed. Snape didn't end up on the floor and Sirius didn't have any bloody knuckles. There were no wands drawn this time either. That's progress. Sirius didn't know how much calmer he could be unless he was high on some strong potions.

Once inside his room, he collapsed on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. His chest heaved, hating every single second he spent in the house. Turning on his side, Sirius caught sight of the wrought-iron bedpost. His finger trailed along the strip of the post that was dented and discolored, never fixed. A lump formed in his throat as he started to count in his head, waiting for everyone to leave Grimmauld Place so that he could drink himself into an oblivion and forget why he hated the fucking house so damn much.

Ginny growled as she entered the library, more than a little peeved that Snape had added even more homework to their load all because Colin exploded his cauldron and she had tried to help him clean it up.

"Lessons must be learned alone, Miss Weasley," Snape sneered down at her as she wiped up armadillo blood from the floor. "Ten points from Gryffindor for interfering in a lesson and also write me an essay on why exactly Mr Creevey's potion exploded."

Ginny huffed as she rounded the corner and trailed down the aisles looking for the potions section. She paused in her stride when she saw Harry running his finger along the spines of political history books. Not being able to help herself, because she was a sucker for making herself miserable pining after a bloke who only thought of her as his best mate's little sister, she walked down the aisle and stopped at his elbow.

He jumped at her sudden appearance, his head turning to look at her. His body relaxed when he saw it was her, but Ginny knew better than to read anything into it. She was really trying to be his friend and only his friend.

"Did Binns get sacked and now we're actually going to learn modern history?" Ginny asked, her eyes reading the title in Harry's hands.

Tradition Versus Progress: A Look into the Wizengamot Members Who Changed Our World by Fletcher Bellew with a Special Forward by Albus Dumbledore.

Ginny's brows furrowed, wondering when Harry had become interested in wizarding politics. It didn't really seem like Harry. Pressing her back against the bookshelves, she looked up at him.

"Uh, no, he's still around," Harry replied, the book shifting from hand to hand. "Sirius told me about my grandfather, actually. He was a member of the Wizengamot and enacted a bunch of laws that are still in effect today."

Ginny blinked. "Oh, that's wicked. What was his name? What laws did he enact?"

Harry visibly swallowed. "Henry Potter. They were laws that gave Muggleborns equal rights to purebloods and all that. I thought maybe, well, I thought if they were that important than maybe he'd be in a book or two. I don't know what any of my family looks like besides my parents."

"Let's find some books then," Ginny suggested, more than happy to take a zero on the latest homework assignment from Snape if that meant helping Harry with something so personal.

They spent the next twenty minutes pulling books that seemed like they could mention Henry Potter before they found themselves a private study room in the back of the library. Ginny locked the door behind them with a flick of her wand and sat down next to him.

"Let's do the one you found first," Ginny suggested as she grabbed Tradition Versus Progress. "It seemed like a good one."

Harry nodded as he opened the book and flipped to the table of contents. His finger ran down the list and Ginny followed with her eyes. Her heart jumped to her throat when she saw a chapter entitled Henry Potter's Ascent on the Wizengamot.

Harry flipped through the book, and Ginny could practically feel him vibrating next to her. Opening to the correct page, Ginny couldn't help but smile at the old photo of a man who looked remarkably like Harry with his untidy black hair and thin nose. He posed for the picture with his chin slightly raised, his hair peppered with gray and he wore old traditional wizarding robes. Her gaze flitted across the book to see another picture on the next page with the same man posing with a beautiful brunette with hazel eyes and a young boy who looked so much like Harry when she first met him. Ginny had no doubt that the Potter genes were strong as all the men seemed to resemble one another.

"Henry Potter age thirty-four with wife Elizabeth Potter age thirty-three, née McKinnon, with son Fleamont Potter age ten," Harry read the caption below the picture. "It was right here for years and I never knew about it. Why didn't I ever think to check the library for information on my family?"

"You look exactly like your family," Ginny commented, her hand resting between his shoulder blades as she leaned in close to him. "Fleamont? Merlin, what a fantastic family name."

Harry wrinkled his nose. "Sirius said my grandmother wanted my middle name to be Fleamont."

Ginny leaned in even further, resting her cheek against his shoulder. "I'm so sorry you were robbed of that opportunity. I don't think I'd call you anything other than Fleamont if that was your middle name."

Harry chuckled, his fingers flipping through the chapter and Ginny could only assume he was looking for more pictures before he read. "I'm glad for my sake that my dad had some sense about him."

"You mean lack of sense," Ginny stressed as she cocked her head to look up at him.

Harry shook his head, pausing on a page to see another picture of Henry Potter with a group of other wizards in traditional Wizengamot robes. "I'm not sure I trust your taste in names if you think Fleamont is a good one. Not to mention, you did name Pig."

"Pigwidgeon is a fantastic name for an owl," Ginny protested, pushing him in his chair. "It's cute and endearing!"

Harry chuckled, swaying in his chair just a tad. He shot her a brilliant grin that lit up his entire face and made him look like he was eleven again when he saw the Hogwarts Express for the first time. His gaze dropped to the book as he closed it.

"You're not reading it?" Ginny questioned.

"I am. I was going to check it out of the library to read when I have more time," Harry explained. "I just wanted to pick out a few that looked good. Take my time with them."

Ginny stayed in the library with Harry for an hour flipping through books. By the time they were done, they had a good eight books Harry wanted to check out so she helped him carry them out to the main part of the library. Harry struggled to balance the books as he pulled his wand out of his back pocket and tossed it in the small box by the entrance of the library before they piled the books in to check them out. A pale blue light engulfed the contents of the box before it spat out a bit of parchment with Harry's name on it and the list of books with their return dates listed next to them. Harry grabbed the parchment and shoved it into his satchel before he stuffed the books inside.

They left the library together, walking side-by-side with a comfortable air about them. Ginny glanced up at him, a faraway look crossing his features. It just felt right to be walking so close together in such a comfortable silence. She wondered if he felt the same way, if he noticed just how easy it was between them.

"Potter!" a voice snapped behind them and Ginny winced.

Turning around slowly, Snape walked towards them with pure disdain clear as day on his features. He looked Harry up and down, a sneer working on his face.

"Your remedial potion lessons will begin again. Tonight. My office in fifteen minutes," Snape explained as though it pained him to do so.

"What?" Harry asked, his brows furrowing. "I thought you-"

"It is not my choice," Snape interrupted. "Your useless godfather has insisted that these little lessons continue, against my better judgment."

Ginny watched Harry's face fall, his sigh escaping his lips.

"I am told you are not a lost cause," Snape continued, his lips snarling. "I beg to differ. I believe you are just as talentless and worthless as your father."

Ginny huffed, her fingers curling into fists at her side. She shot a glance over at Harry to see him not even flinch at the words, his eyes just glaring straight ahead at Snape. Normally, Harry always had a biting retort. Except now, Harry's shoulders just sagged as though he didn't have any fighting words left within him. Ginny's brows furrowed, her lips tugging down.

"A response is needed, Potter," Snape snapped. "My office in fifteen minutes. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Harry replied in a monotone voice.

Snape swept by them without another word. Harry's eyes slid shut, heaving a deep sigh. He turned towards Ginny.

"Can you take my bag to my room?" Harry asked. "I don't want Snape to see that I have all these Wizengamot books or find the mirror. I just need my wand for the lesson."

"Yeah, of course," Ginny said with a nod as she accepted the satchel. "I'll sit it on your bed."

Harry offered her a tight smile. "Thanks, Gin. I really appreciate it."

Ginny returned the smile before he walked past her. Turning around, she watched as he went. She sighed, hiking both her and Harry's satchels on her shoulder before she made the journey back to Gryffindor tower alone.

She scanned the common room for Ron so he could take Harry's satchel upstairs but he was nowhere to be found. He must be on prefect duty and that's why Harry was alone in the library. The two of them were normally inseparable, tagging along no matter what the other one did. Looking around for Neville, she didn't see him either. Squaring her shoulders, she walked up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.

Pushing the door open to the fifth-year boys' dorm, she spotted Dean Thomas sitting on his bed with a sketchpad in hand. He looked up at her, his eyebrows raising at the sight of her.

"Hey, Ginny," Dean greeted.

"Sorry!" Ginny replied. "I didn't know anyone would be in here yet."

Dean shook his head. "No worries. Ron's not here. He's patrolling with Hermione."

"Oh, I'm not here for Ron," Ginny announced.

Dean sat up a little straighter. "Yeah? Who are you here for then?"

"Harry asked me to bring his bag back to the dorm," Ginny supplied. "Err, which one is his bed?"

Dean's face fell just slightly as he pointed to the bed closest to the door. "The first one. Harry has always preferred the bed by the door for some reason."

Ginny nodded as she walked over towards the bed to see it unmade with a small pile of clothes lying at the bottom. She shrugged his satchel off her shoulder and sat it in the middle of the bed.

"Are you and Harry dating?" Dean asked.

Ginny snapped her attention towards him to see him rubbing the back of his neck. "No, we're just friends."

Dean nodded, relaxing. "That's brilliant. I mean, it's good that you're his friend. He's, uh, Harry's nice and all but he's very standoffish. I swear he's content with being friends with only Ron and Hermione. He could use another friend."

Ginny narrowed her eyes at Dean. "Nobody takes the time to get to know him."

Dean chewed on his bottom lip. "He's just not someone that's easy to get to know. He doesn't like to talk. I've roomed with the bloke for five years and there's only a handful of information I know about him. I heard that's why he and Cho broke up. He never talked to her about anything real, you know?"

"Thanks for the advice," Ginny snapped, her eyes rolling before adding under her breath, "Wanker."

"Ginny, wait! I'm sorry!" Dean shouted as he scrambled off his bed. "I heard what happened with Michael. He's such a git and only interested in one thing from what I hear. I just, well, Harry's a nice bloke and all but I don't want you to get hurt again."

Ginny tensed. "What does it matter to you, anyway? I've known Harry since I was ten. He's stayed with my family nearly every single summer. We spent Christmas together. I think I know Harry plenty well without your help."

"Look, I'm mucking this all up," Dean said with a pained look crossing his features. "I, well, I like you, Ginny. I was just trying to gauge if you were interested in Harry. Because if you're not, I'd love to go to the last Hogsmeade weekend with you."

Ginny stilled at the words. Dean Thomas was asking her out? She probably would have jumped at the idea a few months ago when things with Michael started to sour, happy to date a boy she knew a bit better and who seemed nice. Except, ever since Easter, she and Harry had become increasingly closer. They talked, laughed, and studied together. He had taken to eating breakfast with her and her friends since Ron always slept in and Hermione tried to squeeze in a few hours of study time before class. Harry called out to her when he saw her in the corridors, telling her some funny story that had happened in class or to ask if she wanted to study together when Ron and Hermione had prefect duty.

There was a glimmer of hope that Harry was starting to see her as someone other than Ron's little sister. He accepted her affection, he smiled at her, and he sought out her company. Surely things were progressing? A little nagging voice in the back of her head told her that he only saw her as a friend and would never see her as anything more. She was short and freckled with red hair. Harry had dated Cho, tall and gorgeous with shiny black hair. They were the polar opposites, so surely Harry didn't find her attractive if he had dated someone like Cho Chang.

"I'm sorry, I already told Demelza and Luna I'd go with them," Ginny replied, even though she knew Demelza and Luna would be fine if she didn't go with them.

"Oh, maybe some other time then?" Dean pressed.

Ginny frowned. "I'm sorry. I just got out of my relationship with Michael and I'm not looking to date anytime soon."

Dean nodded. "No worries. I understand. Let me know if you change your mind, yeah?"

Ginny offered him a tight smile. "I will. Night, Dean."

She turned and left the dormitory, her heart aching in her chest. She turned down a perfectly nice bloke on the very slim possibility that Harry liked her. She was a bloody moron. Having no interest in socializing, Ginny made her way up to her dormitory to work on her bloody homework from Snape. She wanted to at least have something down on the parchment. Opening the door to her dormitory, she saw Demelza lounging in her bed with a Charms book open.

Demelza glanced up at Ginny. "What's wrong with you?"

"Dean Thomas asked me out," Ginny replied, tossing her satchel on her bed next to Demelza's.

"If you said yes, I will rip your fucking fingernails off!" Demelza hissed. "Harry totally fancies you! I swear to Merlin if you muck this up!"

"I said no," Ginny replied as she collapsed on her bed. "He's nice though. Very good-looking. Tall, dark-hair, gorgeous eyes."

"Sounds like you're describing Harry," Demelza retorted. "Funny how the features you find attractive on Dean are the exact same as Harry."

"Emotionally available," Ginny added. "Dean is emotionally available. Harry is moody and closed off."

"Ooh, mysterious and broody?" Demelza teased as she made her way over towards Ginny's bed and plopped down next to her. "You know you like Harry's broodiness."

Ginny groaned. "Merlin fuck, I do. What is wrong with me? Who likes that in a bloke?"

"Apparently, you," Demelza replied, her tone light and teasing as she elbowed Ginny in the side. "There's something appealing about Harry. He's not like other blokes out there."

"He's one of a kind," Ginny added. "Not just because he's the Boy Who Lived or whatever. I mean, originally, that's why I liked him. He was cute and I grew up hearing about him. But you meet him and he's nothing like you thought he'd be. So I thought it'd be easy to get over my crush, you know? He was always so quiet and intense. But then he saved my life. I remember waking up in the Chamber of Secrets with him looming over me. Merlin, Demelza, I swear my silly little crush was full blown love when I saw him hovering above me all bloody and dirty and…" Ginny sighed.

"He killed a basilisk for you," Demelza added, her lips twitching. "I don't know, Ginny, if someone slayed a monster for me, I'd have a hard time keeping my knickers dry when they're around."

Ginny closed her eyes, a vivid image of a twelve-year-old Harry staring at her with his intense green eyes with dirt and blood smeared across his ashen cheeks. "I'm doomed. That's just it. I'm doomed to forever be lonely because no bloke will ever measure up to Harry Potter. I compared Michael to Harry at every opportunity. It's like a sickness."

"You're not doomed if he feels the same way as you do," Demelza pointed out.

Ginny frowned. "I thought things were changing between us ever since Easter."

"When you helped him out with some mysterious thing you can't tell me about?" Demelza clarified.

Ginny turned her head to look at Demelza, wishing more than anything she could tell her the full truth. "Yeah, since then. But he hasn't asked me out. He hasn't kissed me. He hasn't indicated at all that he fancies me."

"Besides the smoldering looks he gives you all the bloody time. Or how he eats breakfast with us every ruddy morning now. Oh, or how he's always walking with you and talking with you and laughing with you," Demelza listed off. "I mean, yesterday, he shouted in the corridor after you to tell you about how Seamus knocked over his cauldron and his trousers dissolved in Potions."

Ginny laughed, remembering the laughter that had sparkled in Harry's eyes at the story. "He wanted to tell me a funny story."

"Immediately after it happened," Demelza pointed out. "He didn't wait until he saw you next. He sought you out, knowing you'd laugh with him."

Ginny shrugged. "It could just be because I'm his friend."

"Keep telling yourself that," Demelza replied. "I bet you by the end of the year, he's asking you out."

Ginny sighed. "I hope you're right."

"Or, you know, you could ask him out," Demelza added, her toes pressing into Ginny's leg.

Ginny winced. "I think I'll let him take the lead."

"Since when does Ginny Weasley wait for a bloke to take the lead?" Demelza questioned.

"Since Harry's different and he knows I had a silly crush on him thanks to my wanker brothers," Ginny replied, a groan sounding in the back of her throat. "It would be mortifying to ask him and then have him be all weird afterward. It would ruin our friendship. Things are nice right now. I don't want to ruin it."

Harry had been more than kind towards her even after Ron, Fred, and George let it slip that she fancied him when he stayed over at the Burrow before her first year. She couldn't talk to him, too nervous to do anything but put her elbow in the butter dish. But he had been kind and talked to her anyway. Or, well, talked to her while she just stared at him wide-eyed and nervous. Now, she wasn't nervous. It felt like actual friendship between the two of them. She was very well aware that there was a slim chance that friendship would evolve into something more. She wasn't about ready to ruin it because she was impatient.

Remus glanced over at Dumbledore, wondering how the wizard with an arrest warrant hanging over his head seemed unbothered with being in public. Muggles gave Dumbledore odd looks, although Remus had to give the old wizard credit for attempting to blend in. While he wore a three-piece Muggle suit with a fedora, it contrasted dreadfully with his long white beard and hair. Remus didn't know what was worse: being noticed by all the Muggles who passed them in Castle Combe or to actually be seen in the small wizarding village and risk the Hit Wizards being alerted.

"Wicked beard, mister!" a small child shouted, tugging on his mother's arm.

Dumbledore smiled. "Thank you. It took me a good thirty years to get the length just right."

Remus shifted, shooting the mother an apologetic smile as she pulled her son away from the pair. Glancing down at his watch, Remus wondered if Marlene had left the small wizarding village through the Floo Network. According to her schedule, she should have been off the clock a half hour prior.

"Healers never leave on time, Remus," Dumbledore commented, his sparkling eyes glancing over at Remus. "Just ask Ted Tonks."

Remus nodded. "I'm just… it's her. I know it is."

"I must say, Remus, when you initially told me about your suspicions, I didn't believe it. It seemed like a coincidence that she looked like Ms McKinnon and bared the name Bella Riddle. How could a spell that complex last for nearly fifteen years without any cracks? It kept me up many nights this past week," Dumbledore explained, his bushy white eyebrows lowering on his face. "Yesterday, I sat down with Bill, Andromeda, and Ted. We had a very enlightening conversation. Andromeda had some very eye-opening information about her sister Bellatrix, information that Sirius would know as well. Do you remember when Sirius ran away from home in your fifth year?"

Remus stilled at the words, his heart hammering in his chest. "Yes."

Licking his bottom lip, Remus could clearly remember Sirius after the Christmas holidays. He had been skinny, pale, and moodier than ever. James kept him under a careful and watchful eye, making sure he knew where Sirius was at all times the rest of that year. Whatever had happened had left James unhinged as he had left Regulus Black bloody and broken after a rather intense Muggle duel. Remus was fairly certain James may have killed him if he and Peter hadn't pulled James off Regulus.

"I never knew exactly what had transpired over that Christmas holiday," Dumbledore continued. "I was fairly certain that Sirius had only told Fleamont everything, because Fleamont made some very, shall we say, disturbing accusations against Walburga and Orion. It was part of the reason I mistrusted Sirius so much during the first war. I feared Walburga had dug her claws deep within Sirius' mind, that she could easily manipulate him and control him. But yesterday, Andromeda told me that it was Bellatrix and not Walburga who had successfully penetrated Sirius' mind during that time. She had tried to plant ideas and memories into his mind, to make him more compliant and obedient. Luckily for Sirius, he had managed to escape before she could complete that task."

"You think this is Bellatrix's handiwork?" Remus questioned.

"The Blacks knew of Lord Voldemort's true identity because of his connection with Walburga," Dumbledore explained, his attention snapping back to the Butter Cross. "I would say it is very possible that Bellatrix renamed Ms McKinnon after herself and Lord Voldemort. She wanted Sirius to know it was her who destroyed the love of his life."

"But how?" Remus whispered. "She just wiped memories and planted new ones?"

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Well, Ted believes that Bellatrix induced what the Muggles would call a fugue state."

"A fugue state?" Remus repeated, his head shaking. "I've never heard of that."

"It is a type of memory loss that can be triggered by extreme stress after a traumatic event. The person disassociates from their life. They form an entirely new identity and travel away from their home."

"Can… can she get her memories back?" Remus asked.

"Ted says that Muggles in fugue states may regain their memories, but there can be a host of problems after the fugue state has been lifted. If this fugue state was helped along with use of magic, well, Bill says it may need to be broken by magic," Dumbledore explained. "Bill suggested the use of not only Medical Curse-Breakers to help Ms McKinnon but also to enlist the Department of Mysteries, specifically their Thought Chamber. I must say, I know that Gareth Greengrass is the head of the Thought Chamber and I'm not sure I trust him to actually help her."

Before Remus could ask any more questions, Marlene emerged from the Butter Cross. Her hair was pulled back in a loose bun, her head bowed down. Dumbledore glanced over at Remus, his eyebrows raising. Remus nodded, ready to help Marlene. Dumbledore turned away and made his way over to Marlene. Remus followed suit. He only hoped that she would believe them and allow them to help her.

"Ms Riddle," Dumbledore called.

Marlene paused in her stride, her body slowly turning towards Dumbledore. Her eyebrows raised in surprise at the sight of Dumbledore until her gaze caught sight of Remus. Her face pulled, a frown tugging on her lips.

"Professor Dumbledore," Marlene greeted.

"Ah, so you remember me?" Dumbledore inquired as he took his hat off his head.

"Yes, everyone knows who you are. You were headmaster when I attended Hogwarts," Marlene explained.

Dumbledore smiled. "What years did you attend Hogwarts?"

Marlene opened her mouth but froze. Her eyes darted from side-to-side as though she was trying to recall information that wasn't there. Her lips moved but no words escaped.

"I have taught at Hogwarts for a very long time, Ms Riddle. I remember each and every student that has passed through those doors," Dumbledore spoke in a soft voice. "There was never a Bella Riddle who attended Hogwarts. Of that, I am sure."

"You-you must have forgotten me," Marlene insisted.

"Tell me, who were your friends at Hogwarts? What house were you in? How many O.W.L.s did you receive?" Dumbledore questioned.

Remus watched as Marlene only shook her head, her body crumbling when she realized that she could not answer any of those questions.

"I don't know," Marlene replied in a small voice.

"I knew a witch by the name of Marlene McKinnon," Dumbledore continued, his eyebrows knitting down low to his eyes. "She was a very bright young woman. She fought for what was right, and I worked alongside her. The most unthinkable thing happened to her. You see, she was celebrating her father's birthday in their Manchester home when Death Eaters attacked. Her entire family died, and their house nearly burned down. There was only one body not recovered that night, but the Aurors found her wand and her blood everywhere. They assumed, as I did as well, that Ms McKinnon perished with the rest of her family and that her body had simply been burned in the wing of the home that burned. You look remarkably like her. You look to be around the same age."

Tears welled in Marlene's eyes, her head shaking. "That's not me."

"Tell me one thing about your childhood. Who are your parents? Do you have siblings? Can you recall one Christmas? A family holiday? Anything?" Dumbledore pressed in a gentle tone. When Marlene didn't say anything, Dumbledore offered her a tight smile. "I would like you to come with me. I would like to help you figure out your past."

Remus reached into his jacket pocket to pull out a photograph. He glanced down at the two women and the small child in the picture. Marlene was all smiles as she held a six-month-old Harry on her hip, the baby tugging on her long brown hair. Lily stood next to her, her long auburn hair pulled up high in a ponytail and a patch of wetness on her shirt. They were laughing about something. Remus didn't know. He hadn't been there, but he had found the photo in Sirius' old cottage. Handing it over to Marlene, he offered her a weak smile.

"That was your best friend, Lily Potter. That's your godson, Harry Potter," Remus explained.

"Harry Potter?" Marlene whispered, tracing the face of the chubby infant. "I'm not…"

Dumbledore reached out, his fingers wrapping around Marlene's arm. "We must leave here. You were brought to this town by those that did this to you. They wanted to watch you. Please, we must go now."

Marlene looked up at him, tears freely pouring down her face. "All right."

"Remus, take my arm. Quick," Dumbledore instructed, leaving no room for arguing, as his free arm shot out towards Remus.

Without hesitation, Remus grabbed onto Dumbledore's arm just as he caught sight of a herd of Hit Wizards marching towards them with their wands out. In a flash, they were gone.

They reappeared in the familiar and sleepy town of Godric's Hollow. Remus' blood ran cold as he hadn't stepped foot in the village since Lily and James' funeral. They were on the opposite side of town as the Potters' cottage. For that, Remus was grateful but it didn't ease his uncomfortableness in the slightest. Dumbledore gestured to a cottage in front of them and the trio made their way inside.

"Please, make yourself comfortable," Dumbledore announced after he led them into a parlor.

Remus glanced around the room. The walls were lined with bookshelves and there was a red velvet seating area. Remus took the armchair, his eyes catching sight of a photograph of a young teenage girl with haunted eyes.

"I'm sorry for the quick exit, but I am wanted by the Ministry of Magic for forming an illegal defense group at Hogwarts that was created to overthrow the Ministry through the use of child soldiers," Dumbledore explained as he gestured for Marlene to take a seat. "Yes, it is as ludicrous as it sounds."

Marlene tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes wandering around the room. "Where are we?"

"My home in Godric's Hollow," Dumbledore answered as he took a seat on the sofa across from Remus. "Please, make yourself comfortable. We have plenty to discuss."

Marlene took a seat, her body tightly wound and taking up as little space as possible. "Discuss what?"

"Remus has done his research on Bella Riddle," Dumbledore began. "Before your employment at Hyacinth Hospital, you do not exist. There are no birth records, no Hogwarts records, no Ministry records. The only records that exist are your employment records. In fact, the house that you live in is not in your name. The house belongs to Lucius Malfoy according to the Ministry of Magic records."

Marlene gulped. "That's not possible. I bought that house."

"When?" Dumbledore inquired in a patient tone, his hands folding neatly in his lap.

A fresh tear leaked from Marlene's eye. "I don't remember."

"It's because Bella Riddle didn't exist until the twenty-fourth of July, nineteen-eighty-one, created out of the broken mind of Marlene McKinnon," Dumbledore whispered. "Everything you know has been a lie. If I may be as bold to suggest, a lie crafted by a woman named Bellatrix Lestrange who sought to destroy you for your connection with a single person."

Marlene's breath hitched. "Who?"

Dumbledore held her gaze for a few moments, the air around them so deafeningly silent. "Sirius Black."

Marlene clapped a hand over her mouth, her head shaking. "He hurt me," she said in a muffled voice.

Dumbledore glanced over at Remus, a slight nod letting him know he should take over from there. Remus rubbed his palms on his trousers as he reached into his jacket pocket to pull out a stack of photographs. He sat them in a neat pile on his lap before he pulled the top picture off. It was a picture of Sirius and Marlene at James and Lily's wedding. They were in each other's arms dancing with wide smiles on their faces. Sirius dipped her, and she laughed. Remus flipped the picture over for Marlene to see.

"You two were in love," Remus explained. "He would never hurt you. Bellatrix Lestrange is his cousin. She would hurt you in order to hurt him." Remus licked his bottom lip as he tossed the picture onto the coffee table before he pulled up the next photo of Sirius in a party hat holding a seven-month-old Harry in one arm with his other arm around Marlene. It had been James' twenty-first birthday and they had celebrated with party hats, cake, and a lot of giggles from Harry. "You attended Hogwarts together. You started working as a Curse-Breaker right out of Hogwarts but you quit a year later, saying you wanted to fight in the Order of the Phoenix full time. It's what Sirius did. Sirius never even applied for a job. He lived off his inheritance from his uncle and fought in the Order. You wanted to join him. You thought the cause was worthy and you didn't need the money. You had as cushy of a trust fund as Sirius did."

"I'm a Healer…" Marlene trailed off, her brows furrowing.

"No, you were never a Healer. You never had formal training as a Healer," Remus explained as he tossed the photo on the coffee table.

The next picture he showed her was Marlene and Sirius not long after they started dating, in front of the Black Lake. They were in their Hogwarts uniforms, except Sirius had forgone the robes in favor of a leather jacket. They did wear their pointy hats though, a cigarette dangling out of Sirius' mouth as he had an arm wrapped around Marlene. The gust of wind nearly took Marlene's hat off, her hands shooting up to keep it from flying away. Sirius merely shrugged when his landed in the lake.

"Whatever you may have read in the papers about Sirius is false. He never murdered anyone," Remus continued, flipping to the next picture of a nearly one-year-old Harry sitting between Marlene and Sirius on a sofa at the Hollow. She allowed Harry to chew on her long brown strands as Sirius laughed easily next to her with an arm slung across the back of the sofa. "In fact, you knew who the backstabber was. You tried to warn everyone. You circled the real backstabber's picture in your blood in a moment of defiance and bravery. We don't know how you escaped that house that night. It seems impossible, but you did. It destroyed Sirius. It was the beginning of the end for him. He made one poor choice after the other, completely heartbroken and spiraling out of control. He loved you, Marlene."

Remus held out the small stack of photos for her to take. She did so with trembling hands. There were a ton of pictures of Marlene and Sirius with Harry, the two godparents who were supposed to raise Harry if anything had happened to Lily and James. Except the world was cruel and had ripped the three of them apart, placing them on separate corners. Isolated, alone, and petrified.

Marlene soaked in the pictures, tears pouring down her face. "It looks like me, but it can't be me. This isn't… I don't remember any of this."

"Let me help you," Dumbledore insisted. "It is not safe for you there any longer."

Marlene let out a shaky breath, her head nodding, the hesitation on her face giving way to a steely look of resolve. "Okay."

Remus leaned back in his chair, a weight lifting off his shoulders. He had been scared that the spell she was under would affect her judgment too much to have her agree to accepting help. But they had gotten through to her. There must have been a small part of her that was still the old Marlene. She had been a fighter and Remus could see that small glimmer still shining brightly within her.

Remus didn't even know how to go about telling Sirius, nor did he even know what Sirius' reaction would be. But Marlene was alive. That's all that truly mattered, wasn't it?

I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter! You better start to buckle up because chapter five is almost upon us when we delve deeper into the main plot of the story! Don't forget to drop a review. They motivate me to keep writing, they can even inspire new ideas, and they just plain make this whole writing thing worth it. Show a little love.

Special thanks to Bell for editing. She's a rockstar.