AN: Here's chapter 5! My outline required that this chapter be a little shorter than the last couple, but don't worry, I'm sure the next one will be longer.

Special thanks to JeremyCamp-Stay (my brother) for his continued support, and to mysticruby for reviewing every chapter since I first posted! Also thanks to K,W,G,T,B; Sarcastic-Whiskers; VFPC; and amalia1313 for their reviews. Review responses at the bottom

Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one that I write of in this story. It all belongs to the wonderful, brilliant J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 5

Padfoot and Inferno

All was silent within the confines of the Dursley's. Harry lay on his bed lazily, trying desperately to cool off in the oppressive heat of the day.

It was the evening of Thursday, June 17th. He had taken Emily home that very morning, and was waiting for a visit from Dumbledore.

Fortunately, his relatives had gone out for dinner. Unfortunately, that also meant they turned the air conditioning off, as they didn't feel Harry needed that sort of luxury all to himself. It was a couple of hours until sunset, so the sun was still beating down mercilessly on the unfortunate inhabitants of Privet Drive.

Harry rubbed his stomach happily, feeling quite full. Even though he was sweating heavily, he was quite thankful that the Dursleys had gone out for dinner, as it gave him a chance to actually eat for a change.

He glanced at the clock on his nightstand. The headmaster was due any minute. He'd left Harry that morning as the boy was getting read to leave for the Stevenson's, saying he needed to attend to a few urgent matters and would return later that evening to talk some more.

There was a soft pop, and Albus Dumbledore appeared in Harry's bedroom. Harry noted with interest that Dumbledore's apparating pop was much quieter than anyone else's he'd heard previously. He supposed this had to do with the fact that the aging professor had been doing it far longer than anyone else Harry knew.

Harry didn't raise his wand at the man this time, for Dumbledore had told him that morning that the wards would not let anyone but himself and Harry apparate or disapparate inside the house.

"Welcome back, professor," he said politely. "I'm glad you could make it."

Dumbledore simply nodded and conjured a chintz chair to seat himself in. He gazed at Harry a moment, and noted the thin layer of sweat on his forehead. He waved his wand and the room instantly became pleasantly cool.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks professor. It was getting downright uncomfortable in here."

"You're quite welcome, Harry," Dumbledore replied. "Now, let's get down to business, shall we? Miss Tonks told me her story of what happened yesterday morning, but I'd like to hear your point of view."

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'm not really sure what happened actually. I had a rather nasty row with my uncle and stormed out. I just remember that I wanted to be alone. Surely that can't have been enough to cause what happened with Tonks can it? I know my magic gets away from me sometimes, but I don't think it's strong enough to cause that."

"On the contrary, my boy, it is entirely possible that your magic caused the strange inability to move that Miss Tonks felt," Dumbledore replied. "You are a powerful wizard, Harry, but your magic is still uncontrolled. If you very strongly wanted to be alone when your magic was at it's height, it may have taken over to make sure you got what you wanted."

"But professor," Harry protested. "Shouldn't I have stopped having Accidental Magic 'incidents' after I started going to Hogwarts?"

"Ordinarily yes, but you are more powerful than most Hogwarts students, Harry. It will take you longer than most to gain enough control to keep this sort of thing from happening."

Harry stared at him incredulously. "But I'm not that powerful! My marks aren't even that great..."

"Harry," Dumbledore interrupted him. "Being powerful and being a brilliant student like Miss Granger are two different things. I meant only that you have more raw magical power than most wizards your age, that doesn't automatically make you smarter. I wouldn't downplay your marks though, as what you lack in theory you make up for in practical application."

Harry blushed. "Are you sure that's all it is professor? My magic seems to be getting more out of control instead of less."

"Yes, Harry," said Dumbledore. "I am quite sure. I wouldn't worry about it. Just attempt to keep your emotions more under control, and the problem should eventually right itself as you practice your magic more."

Harry noticed that the professor didn't quite meet his eyes as he said this, and he inwardly seethed. He obviously was keeping something from him, even after everything that had happened the year before when he kept things from him.

Outwardly, he kept his demeanor calm, and just nodded pensively.

"Harry, is there anything you'd like to tell me?" asked Dumbledore.

Harry's mind immediately went to the dreams he'd been getting from Voldemort, but he dismissed the idea of telling Dumbledore without even considering it. If Dumbledore wasn't going to tell him anything, then he wasn't going to tell the headmaster anything either. He wasn't going to make the same mistake he did last year and keep it to himself (he'd tell Remus), but he certainly wasn't going to trust someone who didn't trust him.

"No, professor, there's nothing."

Dumbledore didn't look convinced, but there wasn't really anything he could do about it if Harry wasn't willing to talk. "Very well then," he said. "I must be going now, you'll tell me if anything happens, won't you?"

Harry nodded, and Dumbledore disappeared with another soft pop, still looking unconvinced.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, and laid back down on his bed tiredly. Lying to the headmaster was a very exhausting experience. He reached over and grabbed the letter he'd received from Ginny earlier that day, and read it again. She apparently had decided not to mention the Chamber or Sirius any more, and just told him a few things about her summer. Ron was still being a prat, though his reaction to what Harry had written about Dean was immensely funny, by her account.

By the time he finished reading, Harry's heart was bubbling with happiness, just as it had after he finished reading it the first time. She forgave him for not noticing her, and she wanted to be his friend. Harry paused. Why was he so happy about this? Sure, it was a good thing, but that didn't explain why he was so extraordinarily happy about it. He decided that he was just very glad to have a friend to talk to that wasn't trying to get him to talk about Sirius like Ron and Hermione were.

That made him look at the other two letters he'd received that day. One from each of his best friends. Ron's had mostly demanded to know why Harry had said nothing to him but what Ginny had asked him to say about Dean. Hermione, on the other hand, had started spouting about some psychology book she'd read that said 'discussing the victim's mental trauma can sometimes help to alleviate the emotional pain' or some such equally ridiculous nonsense.

Harry scowled as he thought about the two of them. What did they know anyway? They'd never caused the death of everyone they considered a parental figure. Even Ginny hadn't done that, but she did know at least some of what he was feeling. She was the only one who understood, and at least she just treated him normal, unlike everyone else.

Deciding to write Ginny back even though Hedwig was out, Harry leapt out of bed and strode quickly to his desk. He chewed on his quill thoughtfully. What should he say? Should he tell her about what happened with Emily? He eventually decided he could trust her with the information and wrote the story down for her.

When he finished, he pushed the letter to the side and decided to get started on his homework. After all, he was going to have to face Voldemort some day. He might as well learn as much as he could so as to have as much of an advantage as possible.

It's dark, cold. Spells of all colors are flying everywhere, like some kind of fancy muggle light show. Sirius and Bellatrix taunting each other. A jet of red light hits Sirius' chest. As if in slow motion, he falls backwards.....

Then everything goes dark. A strange shift, and a jolt. The Death Chamber again, but it's empty of the battle there previously. The veil flutters in an unseen breeze. A whisper of voices is heard, too low to make any words out.

The veil shifts slightly, and Sirius walks out. He starts forward. He looks truly awful, far worse than even when he had just escaped from Azkaban. His face is literally as pale as a ghost's, and his eyes are sunken and expressionless, no longer the warm eyes full of mirth and mishief his godson remembered. His body is so skinny that it's possible to see virtually every bone in his body with frightening clarity.

His gaze sweeps the room, and he spots his godson to one side. He stares at him with sightless eyes, making him cringe in guilt and horror. Sirius opens his mouth and croaks, "Harry, how could you?"

Everything went dark once again. Another strange shift and a jolt. Harry looked around in confusion. What was going on now? He was in the Great Hall at Hogwarts, and he was pretty sure he was still dreaming, but everything looked so real, even more so than the visions from Voldemort.

The doors of the Hall swung open, and in strode...Sirius? He looked far better than he had the last time Harry had seen him in real life (and understandably a thousand times better than the vision he'd been having). He looked fit, and happy. Bursting with youth and vitality, rather like the pictures Harry had of him before Azkaban.

He spotted Harry and grinned bigger than his godson had ever seen him grin before. "Harry!" he cried and ran forward to engulf the young man in a gigantic hug.

Harry didn't hug him back, and when he pulled away, he stared at him warily. "What's going on?" he asked.

Sirius' smile never faltered. "I've come to visit you, kid."

Harry was still wary, and stared at him suscpiciously. "How is that possible? You're dead."

"Ah, that I am. But when someone goes through that veil, they have a much stronger connection to the world, as opposed to those who die any other way. Since I also have a strong connection to you because I died saving you, I was able to combine the two enough to come pay you a visit in your dreams."

Harry was unconvinced. He wanted it to be true so badly it hurt, but he just couldn't believe something good like that could happen to him. So little good had happened to him in his life, why would he get a break now?

"How do I know this isn't some trick of Voldemort's?" he asked.

Sirius looked immensely pleased for some reason. "Constant Vigilance, eh? Glad to see you're being cautious. But anyway, do you think Voldemort would know this?"

He reached out and touched his finger to Harry's temple, and Harry felt a stream of memories flow into his conciousness. Images of all the brief moments he and Sirius had had together, images of times when his father and godfather had gone off to pull pranks on their own, images of summers spent at Harry's grandparents house, when Sirius had run away from his own home at Grimmauld Place.

Tears streamed down the young man's face as he looked at his godfather. "I'm so sorry Sirius. It's all my fault. All my fault."

Sirius smacked him upside the head lightly and pulled him into a tight embrace. "Don't ever talk like that. You risked your life to save me. Nothing could make me happier than to know you love me enough to do that."

"But I got you killed! If I had just remembered the mirror, or listened to Hermione, or thought of Snape..."

"Harry!" Sirius interrupted sharply. "It's over, it's in the past, and I'm proud of what you did, even if it wasn't the smartest thing. You did what you thought was right, no one can ask more of you, besides, I'm here now aren't I?"

"Sirius, I..."

"Don't. I don't ever want to hear another word about it."

Harry nodded, and for the first time since he'd lost his godfather, a real smile lit up his face. "How long can you stay for?" he asked.

Sirius just grinned. "Forever, kiddo. I'll be here every night, and we can talk." He took his arms from around Harry and stepped back again before continuing, "During the day I'll be like a voice in your head, though you'll be able to block me out when you want. I'm sure that will come in handy when you're having a heavy snog session with your girlfriend."

Harry blushed several amazing shades of red and stammered, "I don't have a girlfriend, Sirius. You know that!"

Sirius grinned even wider. "Yes, I know that quite well. We can't allow that to continue though can we? You're getting lessons in women every night here with me. Now, is there anyone you're interested in?"

Harry opened his mouth to object, but Sirius cut him off before he could say anything. "No, wait, don't tell me. James told me about the Potter men's tendency for redheads, I'll bet you fancy........Ginny Weasley!"

Harry once again opened his mouth to object, but closed it after a moment of not saying anything. Now that he thought about it, the idea wasn't that objectionable. The only reason he hadn't ever thought of it before was because to him, she was always 'Ron's little sister.' Now that he had pushed aside that thought, what was stopping him? She was a wonderful person, with a cheerful, friendly disposition, and a fiery temper when angered.

She wasn't that bad looking either, with her long, flaming red tresses, and warm, soft, chocolate-brown eyes.....

'Whoa!' Harry thought. 'Where the heck did that come from? Since when did I start thinking of Ginny that way?'

'Since you saw her as a peron instead of another Weasley,' said a voice at the back of Harry's mind. 'Or have you forgotten how happy you were she wanted to be your friend?'

He thought back to the last few months, and realized he had been thinking of her an awful lot. Especially in the last couple of weeks, when they had exchanged letters. Was it really that much of a stretch to think he could fancy her? She was, after all, a close friend, very pretty, and he enjoyed being around her.

Sirius watched the innner struggle of the young man before him in bemusement. It was obvious he was quite taken with Ginny, yet he was unable to admit it to himself. Harry seemed to come to come to some sort of decision and looked at his godfather once again. "She got over me a long time ago, Siri," he said sadly.

Sirius blinked in surprise. "So? She had feelings for you once, didn't she? You may have to win her over, but you can't just give up without a fight! Where's the Marauder in you?"

Harry seemed to brighten slightly. "You think it's possible she could like me again?" he asked hopefully.

"What's not to like? We'll just have to work on her eh? But enough about that, we have other things to discuss. Because of this link we have, I can pass on not only memories, as you've seen, but also knowledge. So you'll have the equivalent of a Hogwarts education from when I was your age. It takes a lot out of me (and you) though, so for tonight I'm just going to give you the animagus transformation info. With all that you'll get from me, you'll probably be able to transform fully when you wake up."

Harry was flabbergasted by this piece of news. He'd be an animagus in one day? How could that be possible? Before he had time to recover and ask the thousand and one questions on his mind, Sirius stepped forward once again and pressed a long finger to his temple.

Harry felt a rush of information flood his brain and staggered slightly under the onslaught. When it passed and he straightened again, he searched his mind for the knowledge. It was amazing. It was like he'd spent hours upon hours of studying the subject, yet he knew for a fact he hadn't.

He looked up to find Sirius grinning at him in amusement. "So are you going to find out what your form is or not? We can't induct you into the Marauders and give you a name until we find out what your animal form is you know!" said his godfather.

Harry just sat on the floor and concentrated on going into the animagus revealer trance. It was far easier for him than a normal person, since he had the knowledge of one who'd already done it instilled in his brain. Within two minutes, he was in the trance.

When he emerged moments later, he looked at Sirius in confusion. "Sirius," he said. "I thought it was impossible to have more than one form?"

Sirius frowned. "It is. Or it's supposed to be anyway, why?"

Harry looked troubled. "First I saw a Phoenix, then I saw a Rattlesnake, finally I saw a Hungarian Horntail Dragon. What does that mean?" he asked.

Sirius was stunned into silence. Harry had three forms? And two of them were magical? How the hell was that possible? He closed his mouth when he realized he was gaping, and took a moment to recover himself before he answered his godson.

"Well you're an extremely powerful wizard, Harry, I expect that others have had more than one form in the past, they just kept it secret. In any case, we have give you your Marauder name now."

He looked at the ground for a moment, frowning in thought. Then he straightened up with a bright smile on his face. "Since your first form is a Phoenix, I hereby dub thee...........Mr. Inferno! To be inducted into the Marauders, you must simply repeat the following oath after me:

"I solemnly swear to uphold the legacy of the Marauderst, to never rat on a fellow prankster, to never consort with any teacher, to prank always to the best of my ability, and above all, to give the Slytherins hell."

Harry repeated the vow, and they shook hands solemnly, before bursting out into hysterical laughter.

When they had recovered, Sirius embraced his godson once again. "Well, Harry," he said. "It's time for you to wake up now. Remember to do your animagus transformation today. It doesn't require a wand, so no troubles there. You'll have to wait to do the dragon one until you're somewhere more hidden. I'll see you tomorrow."

And with that, both he and the Great Hall slowly faded away, and Harry was left alone in the dark to wake up.

AN: Like it? Hate it? Review!

Review Responses:

K,W,G,T,B: Good question! The title's meaning will become clear the last day of summer.

amalia1313: This is an important part of the story, so I'm going to try not to tell you too much. I'll say only this: the triowill be friends once more before thefic ends, but he will never trust Dumbledore the same way he did again. He won't hate him, but he'll never think of him as an infallable superhuman above reproach (ok, that's extreme, but you get the idea) again.

The next chapter may be a bit small, as I'm going to write a small one-shot in honor of Christmas first. Don't worry though, next chapter up Thursday or Friday at the latest!