Chapter 4: A new year

"I can't believe they let them on the train!" Sirius was pacing back and forth in Dumbledore's office. They were just before the feast but when the Headmaster heard what happened, he sent out McGonagall to take care of Harry and asked Sirius to come to his office.

"Please calm down! Nothing happened…"

"But can you imagine what could have happened!" He knew that he was shouting and maybe overreacting but didn't care. "The Ministry…"

"The Ministry can't control the dementors' every step" Dumbledore said patiently. "I agree with you that they shouldn't let them on the loose but they did. I can though assure you that they won't come near the school…"

"Maybe you can't control them, either" he was much quieter now.

"I'm not alone. But now… we have to appear at the feast. Come, walk with me" they left the office together and while walking slowly to the Great Hall the Headmaster asked. "Well, how was your first encounter with Harry?"

Sirius smiled rather sadly.

"He really looks like James… only his eyes…"

"Yes, he has Lily's eyes."

Sirius sighed.

"Do you think I should talk to him? Tell him the truth?"

"To be honest, I don't know. On one hand Harry is very mature, maybe he could handle it… but on the other hand… he's still a child…"

"I don't want to hurt him… maybe the Ministry was right: I'm not appropriated to bring up a child."

Dumbledore stopped and put his right hand on Sirius' shoulder.

"You mustn't think like this! I have to tell you that firstly I agreed with the Ministry but now that I met you again I think we could have acted differently. It might have been better for Harry if he had lived with you…"

Sirius smiled sadly.

"Thank you, Headmaster…"

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They arrived in the Great Hall and sat down. Dumbledore had to notice how Severus was watching Sirius. He knew of course that the potion master didn't agree with his choice. He said often enough that Black was crazy and instable and that he would surely help Lupin to get into the castle. Dumbledore warned him though not to provoke Sirius in any way. He had the foresight to seat them on the opposite sides of the table.

He decided of course that he would watch Sirius closely. He trusted him not to do anything to endanger Harry or the other children but he still was worried about him. He knew how much he had suffered. At last, he was there in St. Mungo when the aurors brought him in after he had been found. He remembered those days too clearly. They lost many good men then.

After getting a tip the aurors planned a raid against an abounded muggle house. During the raid they arrested five Death Eaters - the Lestranges amongst them - and they found not just Sirius but the Longbottoms as well. Sirius was luckier than the couple but first the healers didn't think so. They said he certainly suffered permanent damage after those many Cruciatus curses. Really, he was a mess. There was not one part in his body where the healers couldn't find a broken bone or some other injury. But this was only one thing: magical healing skills could handle those, even if not perfectly as it was shown by his limp and his many remaining scars.

What worried Dumbledore and the healers was his mental status and his eyesight. Sirius was kept in darkness during his whole ordeal in a magical way. The Death Eaters used a blinding spell on him again and again. This caused a kind of permanent damage and because of this he still had to take potions every day. If he hadn't taken his medicine regularly he would have lost his eyesight again.

He was held in St. Mungo's for a long time, almost a year. After he regained consciousness (which in itself was counted as a miracle) he had to learn a lot of things again. Even his ability to speak came back slowly. However he changed totally. The carefree young man who liked to joke and prank disappeared and a quiet, haunted and temperamental man appeared in his place. When he realized what had happened to his friends he decided to get back to the feet though. He never wanted to believe that Remus Lupin was the traitor and he bombarded the Ministry, especially Crouch and Fudge, with letters. When he was released from hospital he started to visit them in person, as well. After a while he wasn't even allowed to enter, especially, as he also wanted to get custody over Harry. The Ministry denied it so many times that Dumbledore couldn't even count.

Then once he went so far that he attacked Crouch physically. Only Dumbledore's influence saved him from a trial that time and it was the last drop. After that even Dumbledore warned him to back down and that was the day when Sirius left the magical community for good.

But Dumbledore visited him during these years quite often and he noted that slowly Sirius calmed down. He was gaining back his self-control and knew that he would do anything to do this job right and to protect Harry.

Anyway, he was sure that an interesting and very dangerous year stood ahead of them.

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The feast was as perfect as Harry remembered it from first year. He really enjoyed it but during the whole meal he couldn't forget that terrible creature…the dementor. Why did it make him faint? Noone else fainted! Was he really as weak as Malfoy and his gang tried to display?

The first-years were sorted, Dumbledore made a speech and introduced Professor Black and the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher, who was – to Harry's big joy – Hagrid.

After dinner they went back to the Gryffindor Tower and stayed in the common room for a while. They studied their timetables.

"How can you go to so many lessons?" Ron asked after he read Hermione's timetable. "This is impossible!"

"No it isn't, I talked with Professor McGonagall about it and she helps me to organize everything…"

"But still. You have lessons that are at the same time!"

Hermione grabbed the parchment out of his hand.

"Nobody can't be at two places at the same time!" she declared.

"That's exactly what I was referring to…"

Harry looked around and realized that everybody went to sleep by now, only some fourth years were chatting in the opposite corner, but they were too far away to hear what they were talking about. He thought it was time to tell his friends his story.

"I have to tell you something" he started and hearing the seriousness in his voice Ron and Hermione instantly stopped arguing.

"What's wrong?" the girl asked in a worried tone.

"Yesterday evening when we were in the pub I've overheard something Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were talking about…" and he explained how the Ministry thought that Remus Lupin was after him.

"But he's a werewolf!" Ron said in a panicking voice.

"I know."

"Oh, my God, Harry! You must be afraid…" Hermione said.

"Not really…" and it was true. Hogwarts was the safest place in the magical world after all. Even Voldemort feared Dumbledore then his follower must be scared of him as well.

"Are you stupid?" Ron asked agitated. "Do you know what kind of special powers werewolfs have? They can blend in the shadows, they can sneak in everywhere without being seen!"

"This is Hogwarst, Ron!" Harry answered. "You can't just sneak in…"

Ron shrugged.

"Maybe, but werewolfs are more dangerous than any dark wizard… except You-Know-Who, of course. There were a lot of werewolfs amongst his followers and as my parents told Lupin was the most dangerous."

"And why was that?"

"Because he seemed to be nice… or so did my mother say."

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