Disclaimer: all characters mentioned in this chapter belong to J.K Rowling. I'm just using them to write these little fanfiction.

I know, I know, don't moan - it's taken a LONG time for me to update. Much of Hayley poking me. It's here though, isn't it? Hee hee. I promise to get more regular with this, as it's had some good response!

Okay, answering questions:

Spirel - Harry is supposed to be14 here.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Here's the long awaited Second Chapter, and I hope you like it as much as the first:D

Stalemate

Harry sat moodily in his assigned room. As far as he knew, he was in some kind of house. Not a building, not a Ministry department…just a plain, simple building. Well, maybe not too plain and simple. He'd seen a surprising amount of House-Elf heads mounted as lampshades on his way up the stairs. It was rather odd to think that Dumbledore and the others were residing in a…well, a Dark wizard's home.

He picked absent-mindedly at the holey quilt covering the lumpy bed. There was an empty picture frame on the wall against which he was leaning. He was wary of it. He sensed magic in every inch of this house, and he wasn't going to let a picture escape his attention.

'Idiots.' He mumbled, angrily. He thought back to two days ago, when freedom had been taken from him…snatched from him like the life from his parents all those years ago. 'Traitors.' He snarled, ripping a long thread from the blanket.

'Typical teenagers.' A voice snickered.

Harry whirled up from the bed, spinning around and aiming a short blade at the wall. At…nothing. He lowered the knife. Seeing as Dumbledore had seen fit to have Black remove Harry's wand, there was little way of him using any magic for his defence…but he didn't just need magic to stay safe.

'Show yourself.' He demanded, feeling uncertainty rush through him with the adrenaline. He shifted slightly, preparing for an attack…

'Jumpy…still, what else is to be expected from a little brat?' the voice sneered again. Harry frowned, if he didn't know better, he'd guess hat voice was coming from the blank canvas hanging in its frame above the bed.

'Knew I didn't like that thing for a reason.' He said, kneeling on the bed. He dropped the knife onto the pillow, and then took two hands up to the picture, gripped it, and tugged hard.

It stayed still.

'Perfect.' He seethed. He knew the Charm used to keep the picture glued to that wall was impossible to overcome whilst his wand had been confiscated. 'You watch it.' he warned the painting, shrugging off the feelings of foolishness as he threatened the empty picture.

'I'm shaking with fear.' The voice said, sarcastically. Then, silence seemed to reign down again. Harry felt that the person, whoever he was, had left – for the time being.

'Shit.' He muttered to himself, through gritted teeth. He cast a dark glare out of the rain-speckled window. It was like the weather was mirroring his mood. He felt bitter, angry…the whole spectrum of emotions in the negative category seemed to course through his mind and body…wracking his soul.

He walked over to the window and pressed his forehead against it. His long fringe was flattened between his face and the glass, but he didn't bother to move it.

'Right. That's it.' he said, straightening up. 'I don't give a damn. Let's go.' He shook himself once, and then turned and strode to the door. His hand was inches from the handle when it turned of its own accord, and the door pushed inwards.

'Comfortable?' a voice asked, politely. Lupin's fairly good-natured smile came peering round the door with the rest of his prematurely weathered face. He frowned when he saw Harry right in front of him.

Thoughts flashed through Harry's mind, thoughts like "don't", "think about it", "be reasonable", but the others, which yelled "run!", "move" and "Go! Go! Go!" took charge, and before Lupin could react Harry had ducked, twisted and dived out the door. He slid between the older man's legs, his own slicing out in both directions to knock Lupin down to the ground.

As soon as Lupin hit the floor Harry was on him. His hands went straight to the pocket of the man's jacket, enclosed around the long wooden wand inside, before he leapt up and sprinted down the stairs.

He bounded down three at a time, his heart pounding in his chest and head as he raced for freedom…

'Sirius!' Lupin's voice called from the staircase, way behind Harry now, as he jumped the last few steps and landed in the hallway, knees bending to absorb the impact.

Black was clambering out of the dining room, where Harry had been interrogated about an hour ago. With his face pale, his hair everywhere and his eyes wide, Black drew his wand and opened his mouth to shout his spell.

'Expelliarmus!' Harry yelled, shoving Lupin's wand out in front of him, chest height. Black's entire body jolted as he attempted to keep the wand in his hand, but it soared high from his grip, and Harry caught it triumphantly.

A wicked smile crossed the young boy's face, and he twiddled the newly acquired wand in his fingers, before stuffing it into his pocket and turning on his heel, blasting the locks on the front door.

Once the very last one had crashed to the floor, he threw open the gateway to his escape…one thought occurred to him as he threw himself from the large house…

Why aren't they trying to stop me anymore? His question was soon answered. Something, some kind of invisible barrier, it seemed, was acting as a force field between Harry and the world outside.

The instant his body collided with it, it absorbed his strength and rebounded it at him, hurling him back inside.

He skidded along the ground, scuffing his elbows and knees as the door slammed tight shut and locks leapt back to their previous positions, magically mended as they bolted themselves shut.

Harry, his entire body aching as though he had been repeatedly smashed all over again and again, pushed himself up with his arms. He was smarting, and his face was red with embarrassment and humiliation.

He rolled back from Black, thrusting up his wand arm again and aiming it at the scruffy man.

'Don't move.' He warned. 'I don't care how many years you've been in Azkaban, I've done my own fair share of crime and I won't hesitate to prove that.' His eyes were flashing maliciously; Black felt a chill run down his spine. He looked Harry straight in the eyes, and realised that this boy, his godson, was almost demented.

'Harry.' Lupin said. He had appeared on the stairs. He looked worried and nervous, but seemed able to keep his voice fairly level as he spoke. 'Harry, put the wand down…'

'Shut up.' Harry snapped, angrily. He didn't even bother turning a wand on the other man. He felt no threat from Lupin whatsoever, and felt that, even if the man was armed, he wouldn't dare throw a spell at the boy. He didn't have the nerve.

'How's this going to end, eh?' Black said, fiercely. His own eyes still retained a haunted notion of Azkaban in their black depths. Harry could see it…the torture and anguish, but he had long since learned to switch off any empathic feelings that would obscure his ability to reach an objective.

'Quite simply.' He said, calmly. 'You're gonna remove the Barrier Charm on the house, and I'm gonna remove myself from this house.'

'And what if we don't?' Black countered.

'Then, we might end up with Black-shish-ka-bob.' Harry said, a smile creeping over his pale face, but his hand still steady as it stayed aimed straight for Black's heart.

'Sirius, no!' Lupin yelled – too late. The man had dived for Harry, knowing it was the only way to break the stalemate.

Harry didn't even think about it.

'Stupefy!' he yelled, and the red light shot from the wand and hit Black right through the centre of the chest. The man crumpled to the floor and lay very still.

Harry hadn't even bothered to check this, for he was already on his feet, his wand flashing out at Lupin as he cried out a Freezing Charm to immobilise the man in his footsteps. Lupin froze to the spot, like a large statue.

'Warned you…warned you both.' Harry sighed, getting to his feet. He glanced at Black…the man was definitely unconscious. Good. Just how he should be, git. Harry thought, glaring at the body.

He turned to the door. 'Now, how to do this…' he muttered to himself, approaching it with far more caution that before.

'Going somewhere, Harry?' that voice. Dumbledore. Harry's grip tightened on his wand.

And so concludes Chapter numero 2. Hope you liked it!

R&R!

:D