Harry followed the two men down the tunnel, still confused about the recent events. They carried an unconscious Severus Snape with them. Over Harry's shoulder, he had Ron's arm, who was stumbling along. Hermione was behind them her wand out, hovering a coffin-like box in front of her. In it was the stunned form of Peter Pettigrew.

When they had caught him and turned him back, Professor Lupin had not wasted his time, stunning him in an instant. Harry was furious. He wanted answers, now, but Lupin had just smiled and said answers would come, but not in a room where the rat could easily escape. So they had put him in a box, sealed it magically and even wrapped a sheet around it, just to make sure he would not escape, neither in his rat form nor in any other.

Harry's gaze fell on the gaunt wraith-like figure with the chaotic hair in front of him. This was the infamous Sirius Black. He talked to Lupin fast, almost eager, like he had concerns he wouldn't be able to talk to him if he didn't. Once in a while, he turned his head looking at Harry with somewhat of a crazy look on his face. Was this normal behaviour or was he crazy after the whole prison stay. The neared the exit and Lupin stopped. He turned to them all.

"It is the full moon."

Silence followed his words because they all knew what this all meant. Lupin would turn the moment he stepped out of the tunnel and then they would have a problem.

"What do you want to do?" Harry readjusted Ron's weight on his shoulder.

Lupin turned to Black.

"I have drunk my potion, thanks to yours truly." He pointed down at the still unconscious Potions master. "So I will be somewhat lucid, but still of no big help. Here is what you people will do. The most important thing is to bring that." He pointed at the coffin. "to Dumbledore." He raised his hand stopping Sirius from speaking.

"I know you have your problems with Dumbledore but he will be the only one to hold off Fudge from killing you to have time to explain. Also, you will have to turn to your dog form until he had seen the Traitor. Are we clear?"

Sirius slowly nodded, looking at the children. Harry was nervous. He wasn't sure if he would like to be alone with this...madman, but Professor Lupin was right. And Peter was the traitor, not Black, so he wasn't a mass murderer. Harry nodded to himself. This time, the adults should do the heavy lifting.

"Okay. Mister Weasley, I think it would be best for you to hold onto my fur, I think Harry will need to carry Snivelus." A moment of silence followed his statement.

"I mean Professor Snape. I am really, really sorry I have to ask this unbearable task of you Harry." The way he said it, Harry almost chuckled. The amount of disgust was almost inches thick.

"Stay safe Padfoot." Remus hugged Black and Harry looked away.

"You too Mooney." Padfoot, Mooney? Professor Lupin knew how the map worked. He would have to ask later.

Black turned to Harry and Ron.

"Mister Weasley, I suppose we will have to make this work. I am sorry, I promise this time I will not bite." A small smirk appeared on Black's face. Harry was pretty sure the ex-convict didn't know how scary he looked at this moment. When he turned his head to Ron he could see in the pale face of his best friend that he thought the same thing.

"It will be all right Ron. If he wanted to hurt us, he would have done so." Ron turned his scared eyes to Harry, pointing at his leg.

"He already did!"

"You know what I mean." A moment of silence, then Ron nodded. Holding up his injured leg, he hopped over to the scruffy man, who nodded at him, before turning into a massive, yet scrawny black dog with uncared for fur. Ron hesitated for a moment, then put his arm on the back of the enormous hound. Together they made their way out. Lupin waited behind, leaning in when Harry came up next to him.

"I will wait here for a while. Go to the headmaster immediately. The password is "Sugarcane". You know where to find the headmasters office?"

Harry nodded. He had been there before. Lupin put his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Okay. Trust Sirius. I know it isn't easy but he is a good guy. The best in fact."

And with that, they departed. No-one stopped them in the dark of the night, not in the main hall, not up the staircases, not when they made their way to the Gargoyle. Harry whispered the password and the Gargoyle stretched jumping to the side revealing the staircase. Finally, the strange pile of people stood in front of the door, Harry knocked.

"Please enter" Dumbledores voice was clear and strong as ever. Harry opened the door, hovering the still out of it Snape in front of him.

Dumbledore sat behind his desk, getting up instantly. His eyes behind the half-moon glasses were wide and darted around trying to get a hold of the scene. Three students, one levitating his unconscious potions master, one hovering what appeared like a big box and one holding on to a scruffy dog.

"What..." For the first time since Harry knew the Headmaster, he found him out of words.

"Professor. We can explain." Dumbledore nodded, waving his wand. A couch and three chairs appeared in front of him.

"Of course. May I suggest Professor McGonagall to attend, as head of your house?" Harry nodded, placing Snape on the couch and helped Ron on his chair. They waited in silence for a minute when the door of the office was pushed open. Wearing a tartan dressing gown and a sleeping cap the Head of House Gryffindor stepped inside.

"What do you need Albus I..." Her eyes gazed over the scene in front of her.

"What is going on here?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled, sitting down behind his desk and folding his hands in front of him. He winked at the three students for a moment.

"That I think Minerva we will find out quite soon. If you may?"

Minerva McGonagall hesitated for a moment, then she conjuncted a tartan armchair and sat down. Her eyes turned to the black dog in irritation for a moment but she said nothing. Professor Dumbledore turned to the children.

"Okay Harry, now what is all this about."

Harry looked left and right to his friend who both nodded.

"We have found and captured the traitor who is responsible for the death of my parents." While pointing at the big box.

Silence followed Harry's words. McGonagall eyed the Box carefully.

"You have captured Black in that Box?" Her voice was somewhat disbelieving. While these three children have done impressive deeds in the past, this seemed a bit much to take in.

"Professor, is this office safe? Can no one enter or escape from it?"

Dumbledore raised a brow, then took up his wand and tapped it against a part of his desk. Mighty magic flowed through the room and Dumbledore nodded.

"Now it is nearly impossible to get out of here."

Harry nodded, turning to her friend Hermione. She nodded, pointing her wand at the box and started casting a few spells. The box sprang open revealing the form of Peter Pettigrew still huddled in one corner. His eyes darted around, looking for an escape route, then he turned utterly pale when he saw Dumbledore raising behind his desk. He started speaking hastily, quacking.

"P-Professor, I am so glad to see you this...this is all a big misunderstanding you see Black he." Pettigrew pointed at the black dog, who in return started growling. Minerva McGonagall jumped from her seat pointing her wand at the dog.

"That's Black?" She almost screamed. Harry jumped also upstanding between her and the dog.

"Yes, Professor but please listen he."

"Out of the Way Mister Potter he is dangerous!"

Harry waved his arms at her.

"No he is not, he is innocent!"

"What are you talking about Mister Potter?"

Suddenly a white flash came from Professor Dumbledore. Pettigrew had tried to crawl to the door in the commotion. Now he was lying face down, stiff as a board.

Silence while everyone in the room looked at the headmaster. The strongest wizard in the world lowered the wand in his hand placing it on the desk.

"Now, Mister Potter, please sit down again. I swear we will hear what you have to say, all of it before we take action. Minerva, you too sit down please."

Slowly eyeing the Transfiguration teacher, Harry sat back down. She in return sat back down, her eyes never leaving the growling black dog.

"Now, Sirius, I take it you are unarmed?" The dog nodded his head slightly.

"Then would you join us?"

A moment long the dog didn't react, then closed his eyes and moments later the scruffy uncombed figure in prisoner cloth appeared in front of them. Dumbledore waved his wand and a new chair appeared for the man. He sat down, nervously fiddling with his cloth.

"Now, slowly, what is going on here?"

Harry raised his eyes and his voice.

"Mr Black is not the traitor. He convinced my parents to make Pettigrew the secret keeper because no one would expect him to be the one. But Pettigrew betrayed my parents. After he found out Mr Black followed Pettigrew, cornered him and tried to make him talk, but the rat" Harry hissed the word with disgust." used his wand behind his back and exploded the street, turning into a rat and escaped, living with the Weasleys for the last twelve years."

The silence kept up at this moment. Dumbledore sighed, turning to the ex-convict.

"Is that true?" Black's right eye twitched for a moment, then he sighed.

"I would have elaborated more, but yes, that sums it up quite nicely." Dumbledore nodded, then turned to Hermione.

"Miss Granger, please take Mister Weasley to the hospital wing." He turned to Professor McGonagall.

"Minerva, please take Severus there too. After that, please contact the Minister and Madam Bones. This has to be sorted out."

"Professor..." Harry tried to get his word in.

"Harry, I think it would be best if you go with Miss Granger and Mister Weasley for the moment."

Harry stood.

"But Professor, didn't you hear what I said?"

Dumbledore stopped for a moment. Then his warm eyes turned to Harry again.

"Harry, don't worry, we will get to the bottom of this. I will see personally to it. It is good you told us. Now we will see what happens next."

Harry not sure felt a hand pulling at his sleeve. He turned seeing Hermione. She nodded.

"It's okay, Harry. Remember what Professor Lupin said. We should trust Professor Dumbledore." Harry nodded and left the room after Professor McGonagall. The last he saw when he turned his head was Sirius Black, looking after him before the door closed.

With a click the door closed. Dumbledore sat in his chair, looking at the man in front of him. For quite some time, they both eyed each other. The old wizard took in the sight of the man he hasn't seen in twelve years. Sirius' hair was in disarray, his clothes, still, the white and grey striped convict cloth from Azkaban, was torn and stained with blood and filth. Almost grey was his skin, a big tattoo on his chest, making him as a prisoner. His face was bearded and gaunt, his eyes with deep shadows underneath them and bloodshot. He had frenetic energy to himself. Dumbledore brushed through his beard before he folded his hands in front of himself.

"You look awful my boy."

Black blinked for a moment then brushed his hand through his hair.

"Yeah, Azkaban does that to you, you know?"

Again silence followed. Dumbledore was deep in his thoughts. What would change what would be happening because of the changes?

"I am sorry, Sirius. I should have done something but..."

Sirius raised an eyebrow, leaning forward.

"But? We have put our lives on the line for you, for your fight and you never even lifted a finger to help me!" Sirius bellowed it out. He tried to hold it in. He knew, he needed Dumbledore to get him out of this but all these years alone in a cell, with creatures right from hell on the hunt all day, it made him feel furious, and he needed to call the old puppet-master for his fraud.

The old wizard sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Then he blinked again and the facade of the loving grandfather fell, revealing a more calculated point of view.

"What did you want me to do? You never pleaded innocent, you never said a word since there was no reason to believe you were innocent and I just lost two people I cared a great deal about."

Sirius jumped from his chair pointing at Dumbledore, his gaze mad and his face scrunched to a crazy mask.

"You? Lost someone you cared? He was my best friend and Lils was like a sister to me! What do you think was I going through? Betrayed by my friend, my brother and sister dead, my family despised me and no one there to trust except someone the whole wizarding community called evil for something that isn't his fault! What should I have said? 'Oh, Peter and I are secretly animagi and he must have turned. No there is no evidence for that, but you have my word. And when should I have said it? In the trial that I didn't get? While I was stunned and carted to that shit hole of a prison? Or to the Dementors that guarded my cell for twelve years!? You tell me!"

Dumbledore sighed again.

"I am sure Veritaserum would-"

"You know full well, my family magic would have rendered it useless if I wanted it or not," Black grumbled crossing his arms. Dumbledore nodded, thinking about it.

"I that case I'm really sorry. I should have tried more to get you a fair trial." Black nodded to himself and the silence came back. Just the ticking of a clock came by. They both didn't look at each other, instead stared in the fire of the hearth, waiting.

"He seems a lot like James." Sirius words word quiet but full of emotion. Dumbledore looked up and turned to the ex-convict. His features had softened, while he brushed out the dirty hair from his face. A vague smile was on Sirius' face. Dumbledore nodded.

"He sure looks like him."

Sirius shook his head, looking back at the old headmaster.

"No, I meant he has a lot of James qualities. He is brave, he stood in front of his friends the whole time. Also, he is quite witty from what I have gathered."

Dumbledore smiles, the first genuine smile between the two of them but he shook his head.

"I think he comes more after his mother. He is kind, quite humble...well really humble actually. He also dislikes bullying and the misuse of power. Just like her."

Sirius' eyes watered a little bit when he let out a choked sound.

"Yeah, Lils was always this way. I think we can agree Harry has the best qualities of both of his parents don't you think Albus?"

Albus Dumbledore hummed in agreement and for the first time, the silence between the two of them was somewhat of a genuine. After a while, Sirius raised his voice again.

"What will happen now?"

Dumbledore blinked, looking over again.

"We will wait for Fudge and Miss Bones. Then we will explain the situation, give Mister Pettigrew over there Veritaserum and will see what he has to say."

Sirius nodded, looking down at the man he once called his friend. It felt weird, like something long past. Now he could only see the bad things about that man. Not just the betrayal and the murder and all but also old things. The way he had looked at the girls in their time in school, the way he always weaselled around, always afraid of a fight.

Sirius didn't get how someone like him could be a Gryffindor. That man had no courage in his whole body. To think that once he would have given his life for that worm, it seemed alien to him. Such a dark thought.

Then a shiver went down his spine. Ice crept on the glass of the window. Sirius saw again the image of the Potter home, burst and burning. He inhaled sharply.

"Oh he didn't," whispered Dumbledore when someone knocked on the door and opened it without waiting for an answer. In the door stood a man with a black hat and a moustache, in his hand a walking stick. Behind him a woman with rather stern features, wearing a black robe, the crest of House Bones, two crossed human bones under a red crown. Behind her was something dark, lurking, gaunt. A black robe and underneath... The man stepped in starting a sentence before he froze.

"Albus, you have really caught th..."

She stared at Black, who flinched back from the creature behind Madam Bones. Her eyes were wide, the man's mouth hung open. Then he shook his head.

"Kiss him!" He yelled pointing at Black.

"Hold up there Cornelius! Mister Black is unarmed and there have been new pieces of information."

Fudge, the Minister of Magic in Britain shook his head, pointing again at the ex-convict who had stood up retreating behind Dumbledore's desk.

"Nonsense! There is a Kiss on Sight order in place. I order you to deliver this now!"

The wraith-like creature flowed over his and Madam Bones' head, taking off the dark hood. Underneath was a skull-like face, with rotten flesh on it. No eyes were seen, no nose, just a gaping hole where the mouth of a human would be. This mouth opened, revealing just a dark hole behind it. Sirius clutched his hands to the sides of his head, trying to get away from the images of the burning house, of his best friends eyes, staring at the ceiling unmoving, dead. The body of the women he considered his sister by all but name, curled dead at the floor, between rubble and the scream of a terrified child.

The creature came closer, and the screams got louder. Sirius felt like drowning in a sea of sorrow. The creature's mouth seemed so wide, like the depth of the ocean where everything was cold and dark. The room seemed to lose its colour slowly, while everything slowed down. It felt like he saw the world only through a keyhole. Like...

"Expecto Patronum!"

Suddenly the creature shrieked back, holding his arms up to cover his face. A white shining phoenix gripped the arm, radiating bright light and pulling it back. The creature let out a scream of fear and panic, scrambling back from the hunched down figure of Sirius Black and out the corridor. Sirius felt like slowly the colours came back to his life. Still, he shivered madly.

"Dumbledore who do you think you are?" The voice of the man was high pitched, furious.

All the sudden the shadows deepened. The room made a strained sound, like a ship in a storm. Sirius felt a weight press on him. Like something heavy pressed his whole being down, aching. Dumbledore, just an old man, towered behind his desk, seemingly a giant, while he didn't increase his size. His eyes burned like embers and he pointed at Cornelius Fudge.

"I am Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and when I say there are new pieces of information, then you will listen to me, Mister Fudge! In this castle, I am still the highest authority. Do...you...understand?"

Every word was with power and might. For a short moment, the people in the room got an idea of what the mightiest wizard in the world really meant. Fudge swallowed hard, then he nodded.

Dumbledore smiled.

Just with that, the mighty presence disappeared and all the dominance was replaced with the grandfatherly demeanor from before. He smiles, pointing at the chairs Harry, Ron and Hermione had left just before.

"Please sit down. We have a lot to talk about. Chocolate anyone?"

His smile was bright like nothing had happened.