A/N: Wow! Within twenty-four hours (or maybe more like twelve) I had seven reviews! Thank you all! I can't tell you what it means to me. Get used to hearing that because I'm completely honest. Oh, and I'm sorry this took me so long. FF.N kept saying I had bad parameters whenever I tried to upload. Anyone know what that means? Me neither.

Oh, and a warning: this chapter contains mild swearing. I don't usually do that, but my fingers sort of got ahead of my brain and I decided to leave it at that. I have a few more chapters written and being beta'd right now (thank you, Keladry Sakura!), and I'm working on more. So there, you insane plot mice who made me revise about three of them.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not even the Extendable Ears. Oh, how I wish I did. I'd get someone to invent me my own personal portable library - complete with window seat - if I had that kind of money. But heck, chocolate's good too.

Someone Beside Me

Chapter two

"What's going on?"

"Shut up, Fred! They'll hear us!"

"Well, if you would stop breathing so loudly - "

"Shut up!"

Quietly - or not - Fred and George Weasley crept along the hallway of number twelve, Grimmauld Place. Although Dumbledore was acting like he normally did, Kingsley had come to the Order meeting looking unusually solemn, even for him. Knowing that the Auror worked at the Ministry, the twins had resolved to find out what was happening. This was where their newest product, known as the Extendable Ear, came in.

"Hello, Sirius," came a pleasant voice.

"Dammit," Fred sword, dragging George behind a bookshelf. "Dumbledore!"

The minute they had ducked out of sight the Headmaster of Hogwarts himself appeared, accompanied by a slightly unhappy-looking Sirius Black.

"Good morning, Dumbledore," replied Sirius politely, voice devoid of emotion.

Dumbledore gave a quick look around the hall to make sure no one was listening (though it evidently wasn't a very thorough check, as he missed Fred and George) before lowering his voice. "Listen, Sirius, you are always welcome to come. But today I'll just be giving people new assignments. I'm sorry, but at the present time I won't be giving you one."

Sirius's shoulders visibly slumped. "I see. I guess I'll just go sit with Buckbeak for a while, then." He turned to go, but stopped and looked back. "When will Harry be able to come?"

Dumbledore looked at him with something akin to pity. "I believe that he is safest with his aunt and uncle for now. However, we shall see. It won't be too long," he said gently.

Sirius headed back upstairs without another word. The Headmaster looked after him for a moment before continuing into the dining room.

Fred and George stared at each other, eyebrows raised. "What d'you reckon?" George whispered finally. "Was he lying?"

"I don't know. It seems fishy, like Dumbledore didn't want Sirius there," mused Fred. "Well, only one way to find out."

Together they tiptoed to the stairs, settling themselves about halfway up. George untangled two long flesh-colored strings, which wriggled their way down the stairs and under the dining room door. Once the twins had inserted the free end into their ears, they could hear as though they were in the room with the Order members.

" - here? Good. Let's begin." It was Dumbledore, sounding slightly more tired than he normally did. "Before we do anything else, Kingsley has some rather disturbing news."

The sounds of a chair being pushed back came through the Ears. "I was called at about three this morning to deliver a detainee to Azkaban," Kingsley rumbled. The room grew silent. "Harry Potter is being held awaiting trial for the death of Cedric Diggory."

Fred and George stared at each other. How could the Ministry actually believe that Harry had killed Cedric?

"Oh, the poor boy!" Mrs. Weasley sniffed back in the dining room. "What are we going to do? You are planning to get him released, aren't you?"

Lupin's mild voice came through. "Dumbledore, we need to get him out of there, fast. You know how badly the dementors affect him. It'll only be worse after the scene in the graveyard. Is he heavily guarded?"

Fred and George knew their former professor well enough to realize that when he said something needed to be done quickly, he was serious. Remus Lupin didn't choose his words lightly

"There'll be a dementor right outside his cell from sunup to sundown," replied Kingsley. "I suppose they decided a wandless fourteen-year-old isn't much of a threat at night."

"How do you suppose his dear godfather will react? I assume this is why he isn't at the meeting?" Fred's lip curled upon hearing Snape's oily voice.

"Sirius will be out of his mind with worry. He knows better than any of us the effects of being in Azkaban for a prolonged period of time. How in Merlin's name did you keep him away from this meeting? Do you intend to tell him?" Lupin asked. His tone changed as he addressed Dumbledore; there was a small amount of anger on behalf of his friend.

"I said that we were going to discuss the new assignments, which is true enough once we've done with this. Remus, I leave it up to you whether to tell Sirius or not. You know him best of all of us. And Severus," Dumbledore's voice held a note of warning now, "I don't want to hear of you baiting Sirius. Actually, I simply don't want you to do it, whether I hear of it or not. That man has had enough hardship in his life without your taunting."

Snape chose not to comment.

"But you'll start the legal ways to get Harry out, won't you, Albus?" McGonagall said. "Alert the press. The public won't be happy - "

"I dare not, Minerva. Fudge told Kingsley and Dawlish in no uncertain terms that if this information got out, they would lose their jobs. He's keeping it under wraps. I in particular was not to know."

Silence.

"Rest assured that I am doing all in my power to have Harry released. With any luck he'll be here by the end of the week." Dumbledore sounded as though he was trying to convince himself as well as the Order. "Now, for new assignments. Arthur, I need you to - "

Fred and George didn't bother to wait and find out what their dad was up to. Pulling the Ears after them they scrambled up to their youngest brother's room. Inside, both Ron and Hermione were bent over a book.

"Stop that, Hermione. You're having a bad influence on our brother. We have to live with him, you know," George sniggered. Ron looked up, scowling.

"What's so important that you didn't bother to Apparate?" He asked.

The smile disappeared. "It's Harry," said Fred. "We were listening in on an Order meeting - you know, with the Ears. Fudge had him arrested and taken to Azkaban. They think he killed Diggory."

Hermione breathed in sharply and Ron went pale as they considered this news.

"Or, more likely, Fudge decided that Harry was a liability to his position and wanted him out of the way," Hermione said, assessing the situation as quickly as she always did.

"Too true," agreed George, casting a dark look at the old Daily Prophet issue in the corner.

Ron stood. "Is Dumbledore going to free him? Harry - doesn't like - dementors very much," he said awkwardly. Both he and Hermione knew just how much of an understatement that was.

"Not from what we heard," George said grimly. "It sounded like Dumbledore had no idea what to do. He's not supposed to know. And Lupin said the same thing, Ron. He fainted in your third year, didn't he?"

"He hears his parents death," Hermione told him softly.

They were silent for a moment, each contemplating how they would feel if they were forced to hear their mom and dad die over and over.

"But Sirius won't stand for it, will he?" Hermione sounded as though she were pleading. "He broke out of Azkaban after twelve years there. I'm sure he could get back in. And the two people he cares most about are Professor Lupin and Harry. There's no way Sirius would let Harry stay in that… place."

Fred shook his head. "Sirius doesn't know. Dumbledore got him not to come to the meeting. I guess he thinks Sirius'll do something rash."

"And they're just leaving Harry in that place?" Ron clenched his fingers into a fist, as if he wanted to punch something - or someone.

"Yup." George confirmed. "That's what it sounded like."

"Thanks for telling us, guys. C'mon, 'Mione," Ron said determinedly. We're going to talk to a certain huge black dog." He practically dragged his friend out of the room, though Hermione didn't need much persuasion.

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Sirius was up in Buckbeak's room, brooding and pacing by turns. He felt so trapped, unable to do anything. Snape's snide remarks didn't help matters, and to top it off Sirius was back in the one place he hated almost as much as Azkaban.

"Um, Sirius? Can we come in?" Hermione poked her head around the door timidly.

Sirius jumped, then smiled as he saw Harry's two best friends. "Of course," he said courteously, gesturing.

As Ron and Hermione seated themselves on the floor next to Buckbeak, Sirius noticed that they both looked extremely upset. "What's up? Percy hasn't gone and done something else, has he?"

Ron snorted. "Percy wouldn't lower himself to speak to any of us, and good riddance, even if it does make Mum sad."

"Then what's happened? You both look like someone died," he pressed. "It's not - Harry, is it?"

The look on their faces confirmed his worst fear: that something had happened to his godson. "Tell me." The words came out more harshly than he'd intended, but Sirius didn't stop to apologize.

"Fudge evidently decided that Harry was a threat to his job," Ron spilled, an uncharacteristically ugly look on his face. "He had Harry arrested and put in Azkaban for killing Diggory, just this morning."

Sirius nearly screamed aloud. That place was hell on earth for a person with the normal run of bad moments, and Harry had enough distressing memories to fill his entire life. He was only fourteen! "So that's why Dumbledore didn't want me at the meeting. How'd you know?" Sirius tried to sound calm, but for some reason his hands simply wouldn't stop shaking.

"Fred and George. They've invented a new product - the Extendable Ear, I think it's called."

"But Dumbledore'll have him out by this afternoon, right?"

Hermione looked away. "From what the twins heard, Dumbledore has no idea what to do. He apparently wasn't that specific except to say that Kingsley would lose his job if Fudge knew that Dumbledore had been informed, or if the press heard of it."

Sirius sagged, then straightened. "I'm getting Harry out of there. He's not staying in that hellhole a minute longer than he has to." He stood and started for the door.

Hermione and Ron each grabbed an arm, holding fast. "Sirius, wait! This is exactly why I expect Dumbledore didn't tell you. I agree that Harry can't stay in there, but we need to plan properly. And if the other adults find out we know, there'll be major trouble."

At the tears glistening in Hermione's eyes, Sirius stopped. "All right. Would you go get Fred and George? And Ginny," he added as an afterthought. "If we leave her out… let's just say that I don't want to be on the wrong end of one of her Bat-Bogey Hexes."

Ron almost cracked a smile as he and Hermione filed out of Buckbeak's room, promising to be back within ten minutes.

Sirius's heart ached at the thought of the boy who was like a son to him on that godforsaken island, especially after the horrible events at the end of June. Hold on, Harry, he thought desperately. I'll bring you home, back here, if it's the last thing I do.

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"No! Not Harry! Please - I'll do anything - "

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

A body falling; a high, cold laugh -

- Cedric, lying spread on the ground, dead -

"Bow to death, Harry… It might even be painless… I would not know… I have never died…"

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A/N: If you didn't get it, it's daylight now and the last part was Harry's memories in Azkaban. If you thought it was weird and confusing, so much the better. Hey, Harry's trapped in his own mind during the day. Cut a boy some slack, would you (we'll just forget that I'm not a boy)?

Thanks are due to chelleb0b, Tasha Teh Fox, Paula79, gatermage, Magnificent the Destroyer Lord, Go-ruden Kiba, Quillian, nativewildmage and of course Keladry Sakura (who happens to be my wonderful beta, though this chapter isn't exactly beta'd. She does, however, have the next two chapters. Thank you!) for reviewing. I probably won't always do review responses, but I really felt like it. I'm in a very happy mood today. Hmm, it might have to do with the fact that I just celebrated my sister's birthday and got two slices of cake… even if one of my other sisters did blow up when Mom and Dad found the half-eaten container of frosting in her bed. It also might just be that I'm happy about all the positive reviews. I love you all!

chelleb0b: Thanks! Seriously, I mean it. smiles happily I promise to update ASAP.

Tasha Teh Fox: I don't think Harry likes it in there very much, though, so I guess I'll have to get him out some way… erm, you sort of saw that in this chapter… more coming… and I'm honored! Thank you!

Paula79: Thank you! I'll update…

gatermage: I'll try to keep it going. Thanks!

Magnificent the Destroyer Lord: Basically. I love Latin. It's so fascinating the way JKR uses it in Harry Potter. You'd think they'd teach it at Hogwarts. Yeah, Fudge is a complete idiot. Hopefully he'll get his comeuppance.

Go-ruden Kiba: Oh yes, there will be more chapters. I couldn't just leave Harry hanging, could I now?

Keladry Sakura: Thank you for beta-ing! Erm, that's all I have to say, since I've already emailed you.

Quillian: Thanks!

nativewildmage: I just wanted to say that I really appreciate that you review everything I post. Thank you so much!

All right, I'll sign off for now so that I can actually attempt (again) to post this thing instead of just thinking about it for the next few days. I love you, and remember to review!

Lunaterra