Sam smiled when Harry, Jack and Sirius walked into Dumbledore's office. The boy's face was splotched and his eyes were bright – a side effect of either anger or tears, or maybe both – but he seemed to have himself under control. He blushed when Sam hugged him, tightly, but was pleased to see her nonetheless. Jack was easy; for Harry he was something of a father figure or maybe an uncle that his Uncle Vernon would never be. Sam Carter on the other hand was nothing like an aunt or a mother. She was pretty, and her warm smile and gentle touch were just enough to make him uncomfortable – but not so uncomfortable that he didn't enjoy it.

"How are you feeling, Harry?" she asked him, pulling away and smiling again to see him so red.

"Good, Sam. How are you?"

"Everything's fine."

Daniel greeted Harry just as warmly – although without the hug – and Harry nodded a hello to Teal'c, who was someone that he hadn't figured out yet, and probably never would. The guy was just so… alien… and reserved. But he knew more about the wizard world than Jack and Daniel combined, Harry knew.

"Everything cleared up?" Dumbledore asked from his chair on the other side of the desk.

Harry blushed again, remembering his outburst, and nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"Good." Dumbledore wasn't going to embarrass the boy by rehashing things – if he said all was well between him and Sirius (and Jack) then he was going to believe him. Besides, from the easy manner Sirius and Jack had shown when they'd walked into the room with him, it was apparent that they were okay with things. "Did Jack tell you about what Voldemort wanted him for?"

"There wasn't a lot of time," Jack said, sitting down in the chair beside Sam's. "We discussed other things, instead."

And Jack hadn't known exactly what Dumbledore and the others wanted the boy to know and what needed to be kept a secret. There was, after all, that whole bond with Voldemort that they had to work with, and there were probably some things that Dumbledore and the others wouldn't want the Dark Lord to know about, right?

Dumbledore seemed to understand. He nodded, and looked at Harry.

"So now you know that Sirius is alive – and I presume you understand the necessity for keeping it a secret from you?"

Harry flushed; the anger he'd felt before still there – even though he was glad that Sirius was alive and he did understand the necessity for keeping it from him.

"Yes, sir."

"It wasn't a big joke for us, Harry," Dumbledore said, gently. "You know better than to think we'd find amusement in keeping you in the dark about something so important – something that was so close to you…"

"I know, sir."

"Good. So! Now the question remains; what to do with you for the rest of the summer vacation?"

Harry brightened.

"You mean I don't have to go back to the Dursley's?"

"Not this summer," Dumbledore said. "But you will have to return there next year – and we'll need to get you your school things before the term starts of course."

"Can I stay with Sirius?" Harry asked, turning to his godfather.

Sirius looked at Dumbledore, who hesitated, but then nodded.

"Yes. As long as you understand that there might be things we discuss that you can't be allowed to listen in on – and I mean it."

The look he gave Harry clearly told the boy that Dumbledore knew about the Weasley's extendable ears, and Harry flushed once more.

"Yes, sir."

Sirius grinned.

"Great!"

He was looking forward to spending some time with Harry – time that they might even be able to have some fun, instead of doing something serious or life-threatening.

Sam smiled at the enthusiastic reaction, and looked over at Jack.

"We should probably get back, sir. General Hammond is going to want to know that you're safe."

Jack nodded, and stood up – as did Daniel and Sam.

"As much as I hate to say it, she's right."

Of course, he was ready to get home. He was tired, and ached, and really needed a bath and a great big meal.

Dumbledore nodded, standing up as well.

"I hope you don't mind using floo powder," he told them. "Your fireplace, Jack, can be connected to the network easily – and it's untraceable if we do the connecting in the Gryffindor common room – which makes it secure."

Jack shrugged.

"It's better than riding a Thestral."

"What's a Thestral?" Daniel asked, curiously.

"You rode a Thestral?" Sam asked, impressed.

Jack scowled.

"Don't look so amazed," he told her. "It had a bony back, and my butt is killing me."

"It had to be better than riding a magic carpet," Daniel said. "That wasn't fun at all."

Jack looked over as they left Dumbledore's office.

"You rode on a magic carpet?"

"Yeah. I'd take a Thestral any day."

Even though he didn't have a clue what one was. Even floo powder was better than that carpet. At least it was faster.

"Jack?" Sirius said as they started down the corridor, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure."

He hung back as Sam and Harry started explaining to Daniel what a Thestral was, Dumbledore and Teal'c started discussing magic carpets and all the stairways in the castle, and soon he and Sirius were out of earshot of the rest of the group.

"What's up?" Jack asked.

"It's Sam."

"Oh?"

Sirius hid his smile, well aware of all the different inflections in Jack's voice at that one word.

"Well… I know you said that she isn't seeing anyone…"

"Yeah…?"

"I was wondering why not?"

"What?"

"Well… it's obvious you and her have a connection. Why aren't-"

"Because there are regulations against that kind of thing," Jack said, wondering how on earth they'd gotten into this conversation.

"So you don't mind if I ask her out?"

Jack scowled, and Sirius grinned.

"Okay. You do mind."

"Carter is her own woman," Jack said. "If she's interested in you, I'm not going to stand in the way. You're a nice guy – and she could do a lot worse."

Which was quite a compliment, Sirius decided.

"I wouldn't have a chance," he said, just a little wistfully. Jack could understand that feeling completely.

"Just don't play games with her," he said. "Because then I'd have to kick your ass."

Sirius smiled.

"I'll keep that in mind."

They caught up with the others just as they reached the portrait outside the Gryffindor common room, and the picture was already opened.

"You come back and visit real soon!" the fat lady told Jack as he passed by. "It's a pleasure to have one of our own actually here."

He nodded, uncomfortably – it wasn't all that often he chatted with people in pictures, after all – and even rarer that he'd be chatting with one who was distantly related to him somewhere in the past.

"I'll see what happens."

He went through the entrance and it closed behind him, effectively sealing them into the Gryffindor rooms.

Sam and the others were standing beside the fireplace – which wasn't lit just then – waiting for him.

"Are we ready?" he asked.

"Whenever you are, sir."

"After you guys…"

Floo powder wasn't all that fun, either, and he had no desire to go first.

"What do I say?" Teal'c asked Dumbledore, stepping forward to take a handful of the powder from the jar the old wizard was holding.

"Jack's house," Dumbledore replied.

Teal'c nodded, and stepped into the fireplace, but then looked at the small crowd of wizards watching.

"If you have need, call and we will come."

Dumbledore smiled.

"Thank you, Teal'c."

The Jaffa gave a slight bow, and threw the powder in his hand down, causing great purple flames to flare up around him.

"Jack's house!"

An instant later, he was gone.

Jack turned to Daniel.

"You're next."

"You know… I wouldn't mind taking a plane home…" Daniel said, looking at the floo powder with distaste. He always ended up on the floor looking for his glasses when he traveled by floo powder.

"Go, Daniel."

Daniel sighed, and gave Harry and the others a wry smile as he took a handful of powder and stepped into the fireplace.

"Next time, we'll have to stay longer."

"See you later, Daniel," Sirius said.

The archeologist threw down the handful of powder and vanished into the purple flames that sprang up around him.

"Jack's house!"

And he was gone, too.

Sam stepped forward, but before she took a handful of the powder, she smiled at Sirius and Harry.

"I'll see both of you soon, I hope."

Harry blushed again – and unaccountably, so did Sirius.

"It was good seeing you, Sam," Harry said. "I'm sorry about all of this…"

"Don't be," she said, taking the powder from the jar. "All well that ends well, right?"

Harry nodded.

"Major," Dumbledore said. "Feel free to call on us anytime."

She smiled.

"Maybe I should get myself an owl?"

Dumbledore chuckled, and Sam stepped into the fireplace and threw the powder down.

"Jack's place!"

And she was gone, too.

"Ready Colonel?" Dumbledore asked.

Jack nodded, stepping up and taking a handful of the powder. As he stepped into the fireplace, he looked over at Harry.

"No more house elves, Harry. Understood?"

Harry nodded.

"I'll keep him out of trouble," Sirius said, wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulders.

"Why don't I believe that?"

"Because he can't keep himself out of trouble," Dumbledore said.

Jack smiled.

"Like Teal'c said, call if you need us, and we'll come running."

"The same goes for you, Jack," Dumbledore said. "Make sure you stay vigilant, and watch for any signs of wizard activity. Just because Voldemort and his Deatheaters can't come to you at your home or work doesn't mean they're not going to try some other way."

Jack shrugged.

"I'm used to watching my back. And if all else fails, Voldemort doesn't have anything or anyone that can take on Teal'c."

Dumbledore nodded.

"Just be careful. You're a very tempting target."

"Yeah, the Goa'uld think so, too." He tossed down the powder, and they could see the smile on his face as he gave his destination and vanished.

"What's a Goa'uld?" Harry asked.

Sirius shrugged.

"Beats me." He slapped Harry's back. "Come on, let's get home, too."