Harry woke in a cold sweat, twisting deliriously in his bed covers. His scar burned fiercely and with every absent heartbeat the ache on his soul grew, pulsing outwards as the darkness inside of him simmered. Coldness seeped through his very existence and his mind plunged into terror.

Riddle. Lyra.

Harry jolted up, head swimming as his surroundings blurred in and out of rapid focus and the raised voices that had been speaking stopped. The candles that lit the room flickered and dimmed, nearly extinguishing before a clammy hand entwined in his.

"It's okay-"

Tom's voice was calming, but Harry still fumbled to sit up.

"Lyra-" Harry started.

"Is fine," Tom whispered and he shifted close, his hot breath tickling Harry's ear. "We're not alone."

Harry clung to Tom, memories of the last day overwhelming. The maurauder's map, Hogsmeade, the diary piece and then his soul, exposed and hunted.

Lupin barely registered, the carriage ride and the dementors so insignificant but Harry still gave a start when he noticed Lupin and Niamh's absence.

Instead, Professor Dumbledore was standing in front of the unlit fireplace. The room remained dark, no light filtering in as the sun had long since set. Fawkes perched on the end of Harry's bedpost.

Harry twitched at this, his breath stealing more warmth as he shifted ever so slightly forwards. Tom placed his hand firmly on Harry's shoulder.

The phoenix cooed, infuriating Harry further, but Dumbledore seemed unconcerned.

"Tom has already explained everything to me."

Harry twisted to Tom, anger overwhelming all other emotion.

"I told him about Riddle," Tom said very carefully, his gaze slipped to the bedside table. Harry's wand was lying a top it. "About how he had promised you back your wand if you went to Hogsmeade."

Without a moments hesitation, Harry leapt to seize it, the wood warming in his chilling grasp.

Neither Tom nor Dumbledore stopped him.

Dumbledore however, linked his fingers together and sighed.

"Harry, I must apologise to you," Dumbledore said. "I should have explained the implications of giving you a wand previously."

Startled, Harry looked between Tom and Dumbledore. What had they been discussing.

"So I can keep it?" Harry asked tentatively.

"I'm afraid that given the current situation, I think it best if Tom hangs onto your wand for the time being," Dumbledore said. "At least until you have gained a more stable control in Occlumency."

Tom gave a little start at this, but it was minute, his fingers clenching slightly against Harry's shoulder.

"I haven't done magic in over a year," Harry protested. "How am I meant to catch up if you don't let me actually use it?"

"Harry, you need to put things in perspective," Dumbledore said gravely. "You have learnt and overcome things that your classmates have never faced. I ask you to wait a little longer."

Harry opened his mouth to protest, but Tom's jerked his head slightly, his desperation screaming across their bond.

Swallowing his deadly chill, Harry relented and passed his wand to Tom, who took it and pocketed it. If Tom had his wand their was time to fight for it later.

"Thank you, Harry," Dumbledore smiled. "Now, I wouldn't stay up here too long. The Hallowe'en feast will be starting soon and it would be a shame to miss out."

"That's it?" Harry was barely thinking straight, too much had happened, was still happening. "But what about our punishment?"

Fawkes took flight, soaring towards the doorway but Dumbledore paused, a wary smile crossing the old headmaster's face.

"As I've made perfectly clear to Tom, the best course of action would be for your complete focus and commitment to your classes with Professor Snape and Professor Lupin. Particularly noting your-ah-slip up today. I believe you already understand what the consequences would have been if Professor Lupin had not been there."

Harry sat back, brow furrowing.

"It would also be my preference that you don't leave the school boundaries at the invitation of a piece of Lord Voldemort's soul in future. Although Harry," Dumbledore added, and he peered over the top of his half moon glasses. "I will ask, is there anything else you wish to tell me? I suspect Tom has been more conservative with the details regarding today."

Lyra flashed in Harry's mind, his chest hurt from the sheer rising terror. He diverted his eyes.

"No," Harry said. "There isn't anything, sir."

Dumbledore looked for a moment that he would press the issue, but he merely nodded and followed Fawkes out of the room. The metal grate slide upwards.

The door closed and Tom shifted onto the bed so that he was next to Harry, his arms wrapping desperately around him.

"What happened?" Tom pressed urgently, his panic which had been so well hidden with Dumbledore present, poured across their bond.

Harry swallowed, and he pressed his hand to his chest knowing the next statement was fact.

"Lyra's not alone," Harry said.

Tom fixed Harry with a sharp look at this, drawing back.

"You said-"

"She's not with Riddle," Harry said hurriedly. "I'm certain on that. No, someone else got to Lyra after him."

Harry didn't need to explain any further.

"Sirius Black," Tom said, pinching the bridge of his nose in pained understanding. "He's been hunting Lyra since the start."

Harry nodded slowly.

"I think so-"

"Harry," Tom gripped Harry's shoulder's suddenly and shook him slightly. "You have to be sure. This isn't something you can just leave to chance. If Black does have Lyra then he won't hesitate to harm her-"

Then Tom stilled, his finger's slackening as he knelt back onto his heels, a hard stare crossing his face as he whispered.

"Black's dæmon is a dog."

Harry didn't say anything, noting Tom's sudden comprehension.

"One of the dæmons on the map was a dog," Tom continued. "And another a wolf."

Harry tilted his head, staring at Tom with a disbelieving look.

"Lupin and Black?" Harry said. "That's a stretch."

"We know they were friends," Tom said, ignoring Harry. "And Niamh was talking about a rat dæmon on the carriage back from Hogsmeade. And a rat was another of the dæmons pictured."

Harry had completely forgotten about Niamh's sudden obsession with Scabbers. Lyra had been his priority then.

"And not forgetting, Lupin is a werewolf," Tom continued, his voice quickening as everything slotted together. "Moony is a very fitting nickname don't you think? And I swear I've read somewhere recently about someone who had a rat for a dæmon-"

"So Black knows how to get into the castle?"

"Seems like it," Tom agreed with an edge to his voice. "If we used the passageway to get to Honeydukes then so will Black. And Lupin knows it."

"So Lupin's a Death Eater too?"

"No," Tom said "But he could still be helping Black. Not that Black would need to, if he already has Lyra-"

"Or-" Harry said slowly, as a sharp realisation came to him. He shifted, pushing Tom away as he made to slip of the bed. "Maybe that's precisely what Black wants to do."

"What-"

"Black came to me first," Harry said hurriedly. "He found me in St Pancras remember? He told me he could find her. Why would he do that unless he wants to reunite us? He could have gone straight for Lyra."

Tom stilled as he stared incredulously at Harry.

"You want to leave Lyra with Black just on the off chance he'll bring her to you? Harry, you can't- he's a Death Eater."

Harry shrugged, despite the darkness swirling in his chest. He had to believe it. Lyra had to be okay, he couldn't afford to think otherwise.

"A Death Eater who acted against Riddle. Anyway, you're the Dark Lord, and what would I do without you."

Tom's mouth tugged despite this, but his gaze remained deadly serious as he seised Harry's wrist.

"Harry, think of what you're saying. Circumstances have changed, we can't leave Lyra on her own anymore. Now she's visible, anyone can find her. We-" And now Tom took a deep breath, a pain crossing over his face. "We need to tell Dumbledore."

Harry shot a scathing look at Tom and tried to twist away.

"No."

"Harry, you know where Lyra is, we can follow her link and-"

"I said no," Harry snapped, and he jerked his wrist away from Tom's grip and stood. His legs buckled slightly, his strength still compromised, but Harry still shrugged off Tom who had moved to support him.

"I'm not ready for Lyra, you know I'm not. You constantly have to watch me with dæmons, how could I manage with her being so close all the time. Dumbledore will take Lyra and keep her from me."

"But she'll be safe," Tom insisted.

"Will she?" Harry said. "Do you honestly believe that?"

"I believe she'll be safer then with Black and with Riddle still hunting her."

"Riddle got into Hogwarts once before," Harry said. "If Lyra was here then Riddle hunting her wouldn't make a difference."

"But you think Lyra is safe with Black?" Tom stressed. "Harry, she's your soul!"

Harry ran his withered hands over his face, as he shook his head. They didn't really have any other option.

"We need to find out more about Sirius Black," Harry said finally.

Tom fixed Harry with a hard look, they were both silent for a moment before Tom nodded.

"Okay, but any wrong move from Black and we go to Dumbledore."

"Fine," Harry said. "You think we should ask Lupin?"

"I don't trust Lupin either," Tom said. "No, I want to speak to someone who knows about Death Eaters, someone we can trust."

Harry wrinkled his nose.

"I don't trust Snape."

Tom smiled grimly.

"I had someone else in mind."

The Great Hall was bustling with teachers, students, dæmons and ghosts. Giant pumpkins spilled over the side of each of the four house tables as hundreds of live bats swooped down from rafters.

Tom made his way a short distance along the house tables before taking a seat at the Gryffindor table. The surrounding students skirted further up the benches, their dæmons scurrying to clear a space around them.

Harry stopped short of sitting down beside Tom. He didn't think he could sit still, already his doubt was growing at if it would consume him.

Tom glanced up at him.

"Dumbledore is already suspicious enough that I didn't tell him the whole story," Tom said. "I thought you wanted to keep him out of this?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then sit down and eat something. There's nothing we can do yet that wouldn't draw attention to ourselves."

Agitated, Harry glanced across at the Slytherin table, before he reluctantly let Tom tug him down beside him.

"You can still change your mind," Tom said, his voice slightly gentler than before.

Harry shook his head fiercely and started to help himself to food he didn't even want to eat.

The hall was still filling up as dæmons bounded in, closely followed by groups of students, chatting excitedly, making the most after a day in Hogsmeade.

Fred and George had no trouble slotting into the empty seats that surrounded Harry and Tom. Celendia and Demetria skirted around the edge of benches, clearly not eager to approach any further than they needed.

"Well how did it go?" Fred pressed when neither Harry or Tom said anything.

When Harry continued to push around his pumpkin pie, Tom bit the bullet.

"There was a slight hiccup. Professor Lupin caught up with us."

"You'd wiped the map though?" George said.

Tom nodded before retrieving the parchment from pocket and handing it back to Fred.
"Any ideas about who the marauder's are?" Tom asked.

"No idea," Fred said. "We found the map in our first year-"

"Got in a spot of trouble with Filch and he'd hauled us down to his office-"

"Filch has a draw labelled Confiscated and Highly Dangerous-"

"So naturally, we just had to have a look," George grinned. "Celendia and Demetria caused a distraction by chasing Mrs Norris and Fred reached in and found this-"

"Must have been their years, it was coated in dust and cobwebs. Don't know how old it is, so the maurauder's could be anyone-"

"We thought the easiest one to spot would be the person with the doe dæmon," George said. "We've had no such luck though- the dog would be the hardest, being that lots of people have dogs for dæmons."

Celendia and Demetria barked at this, but then immediately regretted it as Harry turned his dead eye on them. Tom nudged Harry underneath the table and he looked away, instead turning his attention the long teachers table.

As it was the Hallowe'en feast the staff table was full of all the staff and their dæmons, the only professor notably missing was Lupin.

Tom leaned across, whispering in Harry's ear.

"Lupin wasn't there when I woke up either, only Dumbledore and Fawkes."

"Mmm," Harry said, his dead eye blind to where they could possibly be.

Right then, Ron and Hermione appeared, still laden with their Hogsmeade shopping. Sephronia and Ramiron were growling at each other. Hermione was hot in the face as she scowled at Ron, and she sat down and started to help herself to some pumpkin juice without so much as a hello.

"Here," Ron said, proceeding to dump a small bag in front of Harry. "We got you some stuff from Honeydukes. Mind, it probably doesn't compare to a dæmon."

Harry forced a grin.

"Thanks, Ron."

"I tried to bring you a butterbeer but Madam Rosmerta set her dæmon on Seph, I'm telling you that swan can do some serious damage."

Sephronia who had jumped up beside Ron growled at this before seemingly starting to nurse what appeared to be a bruised paw.

"So what happened?" Ron asked as he started helping himself to some pumpkin pie. "One minute it was day time and then I couldn't see two feet in front of my face."

"We had an argument," Tom said easily without looking at Harry. "Things got a little out of hand."

Hermione glanced up at this, shooting a look at Harry. He ignored her.

"Must have done," Ron said. "I didn't even know dementors could do that-"

"Of course they can," Hermione interjected suddenly. "We've been past them twice today, we you not paying attention."

Ron took the bait in an instant, Sephronia and Ramiron looked ready to pounce at one another.

"I was too busy trying to calm Scabbers down," Ron snapped. "Plus, what Harry did was way more impressive, it's not like the dementors made all of Hogsmeade go dark."

Now that caught Tom's attention, he looked between the two of them.

"How do dementors do it?" he asked.

Hermione didn't stop glaring at Ron as she answered.

"They just influence their immediate surroundings, I guess with Harry it's more tied in with his magic which is why it had more of an impact."

No wonder Scrimgeour had been so alarmed.

"I think that's also why Harry has such explosive tendencies when he makes everything go cold and frost over," Hermione said.

"Dementors do that too," Ron bit back.

"Yes," Hermione said coolly. "But it's not as dramatic or abrupt, with a dementor it sort of creeps up on you."

"Well that's better then," Fred said as he pulled himself away from his conversation with George and leaned across the table to grab a pasty. "Harry can just freeze the Hufflepuff's in our first match-"

"I'd rather have their dæmons," Harry said glumly.

Harry ignored their faltering smiles and the shift as their dæmons retreated slightly. Precious time was drifting away and Harry and Tom were still no closer to finding out anything about Sirius Black.

The constant fear and doubt of Lyra being exposed drummed in Harry's mind. It was just like first year all over again, when he'd first realised Lyra's importance. Harry almost wished Riddle could touch her again, at least then he'd know what was happening, the lack of any further emotion from Lyra really made her feel a world away.

Tom barely looked at him, only adding to Harry's rising anxiousness, barely suppressed as if one moment could break him. So it was a relief when students who had eaten enough food for the next week, started to make their way out of the Great Hall, their dæmons trailing behind them.

Harry shot up as soon as the third year Slytherin's started to move.

Tom was at least right behind him, which caused a group of Ravenclaws and their dæmons up ahead to give a start and start walking a bit quicker.

"Draco," Tom called as the group of Slytherin's and dæmons started to leave the Great Hall.

Draco spun about as Adara who had been skirting around his feet jumped up and scurried onto his shoulder.

"We've got a few things we're hoping you can help us with," Tom said.

"Let me guess," Draco said as he rolled his eyes. "You still can't manage that dive properly, I've told you, you need to lean into the broom with Harry. If you're leaning backwards you're going to throw him off balance."

Despite the situation, Harry couldn't help but grin at this. Tom didn't bat an eyelid however.

"Actually, it's about Sirius Black."

That certainly took Draco by surprise and for a moment he didn't look like he knew what to say. Adara had tensed, her wide eyes darting between Harry and Tom as if trying to work out what they could possibly want.

"Come down to our common room," Draco said with a reluctant sigh. "We'll talk there."

The Slytherin common room was largely empty. Most of the students had already traipsed upstairs to their dormitories, only a few lingered, still riding on the excitement of the feast. At the sight of Harry and Tom however, their dæmons took no hesitation in making themselves scarce. Soon the room emptied until only Harry, Tom, Draco and Adara remained.

Draco settled himself down in a chair in front of the fire, but he looked far from comfortable as Adara skirted cautiously around his shoulders. Harry wondered if Lyra had ever sat on his own shoulder. Pine Martens were similar to ferrets after all, she would be small enough to perch close by.

Draco looked reluctant to say anything, but at Harry and Tom's continued silence he gave in.

"What do you know about Sirius Black?" Draco asked somewhat stiffly.

"He's a Death Eater who murdered a load of muggles and got thrown in Azkaban for it," Tom said. "That's about it."

Harry bit his tongue. It was odd that he hadn't really given much thought to Sirius Black given their brief interaction, but that had been right before Harry's transformation and then everything had changed.

Draco opened his mouth, looking suddenly very unnerved as he stared between the two of them.

"That's it? That's all you know?"

"That's what's in the Prophet," Tom said. "What are we missing?"

Adara leapt down from Draco's shoulders, her claws digging into his legs as she gave him a hurried shake of her small head.

"Don't," she whispered. "It's not for us to say."

"Draco," Tom warned a hard edge creeping into his voice. "What do you know?"

The Slytherin definitely looked anxious as he rung his hands together, but at the sharp look from Harry and Tom he relented.

"It was after Hogwarts had shut last year, just after Harry had gone missing and my father has just made a large donation to St Mungo's. Well the Minister had come to thank my father personally. They were in the drawing room and I overheard them talking about Black's recent escape. The door was ajar-" Draco said hurriedly. "But I thought you'd know, surely someone would have told you-"

"Get to the point," Tom said curtly.

But Draco wasn't looking to Tom like he normally did, if anything his eyes were locked onto Harry.

"I really thought you knew, that Dumbledore or someone would have told you-"

"Tell me what?" Harry said blankly.

Draco took a deep uncomfortable breath, but Harry was too focused to be swayed by temptation.

"Sirius Black is Harry's godfather."

Whatever Harry and Tom expected, that wasn't it. Harry felt his soul tug slightly, the ache of Lyra all the more painful. Tom's mouth had parted slightly.

"Apparently, Harry's father and Black were best friends," Draco continued. "That's what the Minister was saying. I thought I misheard at first, but my father didn't sound surprised. They were as thick as thieves throughout their Hogwarts years and when they left school."

There was a brief pause, before Tom asked softly.

"There's more to it isn't there?"

Draco nodded slowly, but now he looked distinctly miserable.

"Apparently, the Minister said that the Potter's knew the Dark Lord was after them," Draco said. Tom tilted his head at this, eyes narrowing, but he remained completely silent. "Well the Potters did something called the Fidelius Charm. I can't really remember how they said it worked-"

"It's a concealment charm," Tom said quietly, "Where you hide a secret within a single, living soul."

"A dæmon?" Harry asked.

Tom nodded, but he was still focused on Draco.

"The information is inside the dæmon, the Secret Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find – unless, of course, the Secret Keeper chooses to divulge it."

"I don't understand?" Harry said.

But Tom's attention was firmly on Draco.

"Black was the Potters' Secret Keeper?" Tom asked. "He hid the Potter's location secret in his dæmon?"

Draco nodded as Adara made a funny whining noise.

"And then he gave up the secret to the Dark Lord."

The Slytherin common room was decreasing rapidly in temperature as Harry's creeping dread rose. Adara had pressed herself into Draco's jumper, her small body shivering from terror. Tom slipped his own hand into Harry's and squeezed it tightly, but he wanted to press on.

"Black wasn't a known Death Eater before then?" Tom asked. "Before he betrayed Harry's parents?"

Draco shook his head.

"No, but Black's brother was, and-" Draco paused slightly. "And his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, although she wasn't sentenced to Azkaban until after the Dark Lords fall. She's my aunt."

Tom's eyes widened slightly at this.
"So it's not completely surprising?"

"I asked my father about Black afterwards," Draco said. "He said that only the Dark Lord knew who who all of his most devoted follows are. The Minister was saying that Black is mad. Completely mad. He thinks the reason Black escaped Azkaban was to finish the job," Draco looked at Harry at this. "My father agreed, they think Black is looking for your dæmon, so he can, well you know-"

Harry didn't say anything.

They left the Slytherin common room half a hour later.

"What was your fathers dæmon?" Tom asked as they set off in a hurried pace.

An uncomfortable feeling shot through Harry, but when he didn't say anything Tom didn't press.

"I want to talk to Lupin," Harry said instead.

Tom opened his mouth, looking like he was going to protest before he shut it and nodded.

"Harry-"

"If Black betrayed my parents then why did he take Lyra from Riddle? Why did he fight the Death Eaters at St Pancras?" Harry's thoughts were racing, as he kept walking, not breaking pace. "Why would Black escape Azkaban just to kill me- I was missing at the time-why did he wait until then? And why hasn't he rejoined Voldemort since?"

Tom seised Harry's wrist at this, whirling him to a stop as he locked eyes on him.

"We don't know why Black has done anything," Tom said. "For all we know he wants to kill you himself, Lyra is only half what he wants."

Harry who had already made to pull away stopped.

"Every action Black has taken has been to help me, to help Lyra," Harry said. "You know it."

"No, I don't," Tom said. "You're grasping at nothing, listen to the facts Harry. Black is dangerous, you can't leave Lyra with him."

"Better him than Riddle."

"Did you hear what Draco said at all? Black is the reason your parents are dead," Tom said exasperated.

"He's also the reason I have you," Harry bit back.

That certainly caught Tom off guard, his usually quick response falling briefly. It was only after Tom had taken a deep breath did he speak again.

"It's Black's intentions that matter, not any incidental consequences that feed from it, please, Harry, you're not thinking properly."

And Harry knew it. When Riddle had held Lyra it felt as if the world would swallow him. Now, Harry could only feel the long desperate ache for Lyra that had always been there. Nothing more. No indication of how Lyra was, if she was happy or safe.

"I want to speak to Lupin," Harry repeated as they climbed onto one of the moving staircases.

The corridors were for the most part empty, only a few stragglers from the feast were still about,

But Lupin didn't answer when they knocked on his office door.

"The full moon was last night," Tom said after awhile. "Lupin was looking a little worse for wear today."

"I hadn't noticed," Harry mumbled.

They knocked again.

"Let me see," Harry said. "If Niamh is in there-"

Tom gave Harry a sharp look and instead raised his wand and pointed it at the door handle.

"Alohomora,"

The was a sharp click of the large bolt slid open.

Lupin's office was empty.

Tom stepped inside keeping his wand raised as the torch brackets flames roared into life.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked.

"Finding answers. Maybe Lupin has been communicating with Sirius Black-"

Lupin's office was much the same as it usually was, including his locked trunk. The desk was littered with an assortment of items, including a tall glass tank which was empty.

Tom waved his wand, and Lupin's trunk exploded in a world of books, parchment, robes, ink pots and a mixture of empty and half filled potion bottles.

The contents of the trunk hung in the air as Tom weaved his way between them, inspecting each as he went.

Harry dodged around a floating copy of The Essential Defence Against the Dark Arts by Arsenius Jigger as he peered into Lupin's near empty trunk.

Tom came to stand beside him and he knelt down, moving aside a couple of very old and battered books. A couple of photographs had been tucked away under all those layers of books and parchment, as if they had been thrown in and long forgotten about.

Tom reached in and picked up on of the photographs. He paused, frowning before he handed it to Harry.

Harry's stomach did a horrible double flip, out of everything he had expected to see, a bride and groom surrounded by friends was not one of them.

The bride was a very pretty woman. She had dark red hair and her eyes were bright green, just like Harry's non-demented eye. Her dæmon was a stag, he had a thick brown coat of fur and antlers which spanned wide and branch like. The groom was beside her, he was tall, thin, wore glasses and had a mass of messy black hair. His dæmon was a doe, much smaller than the stag, but still just as impressive with her wide eyes. Both of them were smiling and waving at him.

It was Harry's parents on their wedding day.

A few of the other people Harry recognised. Sirius Black was beaming, his arm around James' shoulder as a healthy Mintaka sat proudly in front of him. Lupin was there with Niamh and another man, that Harry didn't recognise stood to the right of the photograph. The other man was short and plump with mousy brown hair and a top of his shoulder was a rat.

Tom came to peer over Harry's shoulder. He wrapped his arms around Harry.

"There was something funny about Lupin," Tom said quietly. "I couldn't understand why he was going out of his way to help you. I thought it was just sympathy at first, but he's complicit in you taking illegal potions, intervened against the aurors in Hogsmeade- this explains everything."

Harry went silent, his mouth tightening slightly.

"Why does it matter?"

Tom pulled away and tilted his head, a slightly smile tugging at his lips.

"It means Lupin genuinely cares about you."

Harry didn't respond to this.

"Don't underestimate what people will do for those they care about. Knowing that Lupin is here for you and that he's not just one of Dumbledore's men goes along way Harry."

Harry shrugged a this, not meeting Tom's eyes.

"So why didn't Lupin tell me any of this?"

"There's probably a few reasons, one I imagine has something to do with me," Tom said mildly.

"What-" Harry said, now totally confused.

"Well," Tom said. "I'm very protective over you, so Lupin probably didn't want to seem like he was encroaching."

Harry scowled at Tom at this.

"That's a stupid reason. He shouldn't care what you think."

Tom just shrugged.

"You've been through enough, Harry. Lupin is probably just being cautious."

Harry turned back to the photograph and his smiling parents. Had Sirius Black truly betrayed his best friend to Lord Voldemort.

Tom seemed to be thinking the same thing as he gently tugged the photograph out of Harry's hands and slipped it back into Lupin's trunk.

"Do you trust Black enough to leave Lyra with him?" Tom asked.

The thought swirled in Harry's mind, but there was that growing feeling, that itch that he couldn't just dismiss, as if Lyra was so close but just out of reach.

"Lyra isn't with Riddle because of Black. That's a good thing." Harry said at last.

Tom nodded as he ran his hand over his brow.

"Black could take her straight to Voldemort."

"We'd know by now if that's the case," Harry said, he placed his hand on his chest, curling his fingers near his absent heart, where Lyra's hidden link spilled out. "Black wouldn't have saved Lyra from Riddle."

Tom shifted closer, his own hand coming to rest directly on top of Harry's. The desperate ache for completeness still lingered, had never really healed, not since Lyra had left. And nothing Tom could do would ever change that.

"You didn't answer my question," Tom said pressed.

Harry sighed, but he'd already made up his mind when he'd refused to talk to Scrimgeour in Hogsmeade.

"Lyra stays with Black, for now. I don't want the Ministry or Dumbledore getting her either."

"You're too trusting with your soul," Tom said quietly. "First Riddle and now Black."

Harry opened his mouth and interject, only he shut it again immediately as Tom held up his hands.

"But okay, Lyra stays with Black. If that's truly your decision."

Harry blinked surprised. For the second time in just a couple of days, Tom had been more agreeable than Harry had expected. After barely having to convince Tom to visit Hogsmeade, this was becoming an unexpected trend.

He just hoped that his choice wasn't wrong. Lyra's life was now hanging precariously in the balance. Based on a mere feeling alone.

They didn't see any sign of Lupin until their next Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson on Monday morning. The encouraging thing was that Harry had felt no further disruption from Lyra. Even Tom who was ready to act at a moment's notice seemed to have acknowledged that there seemed to be more going on then first appeared.

Still Harry didn't want to wait any longer than they needed to. So it was a relief when the bell finally rang to signal the end of class.

Harry was just dithering packing up his bag when Professor Lupin called over the voices of the class.

"Mr Weasley, if you'd stay behind for a moment?"

Ron grumbled and threw down his bag, which gave out a squeak and narrowly missed Sephronia.

"My homework was three feet, I measured it twice."

Harry was going to linger, but Tom grabbed his hand and pulled him from the classroom.

Tom lent against the stone wall outside, waiting for the corridors to empty. Hermione and Ramiron waved them goodbye, and they hurried off to her Ancient Runes class.

"So Scabbers is meant to be an animagis, like Black?" Harry asked. "I can't think why else Lupin would care about a rat."

"Looks like it," Tom said. "He must really think that Scabbers is the man from the photograph-"

"Well it was Niamh who got all riled up, I guess she'd have no problem spotting a dæmon."

Tom nodded.

"Dæmons have more instincts them humans in of itself. But if she knew Scabbers when he was in his rat form she'd probably smell him out easy enough."

Ten minutes later Ron reappeared. Sephronia gave a small start when she saw Harry was waiting for them.

"What did Lupin want?" Tom asked as they fell into step beside Ron.

"To apologise for Niamh's reaction in Hogmeade. Lupin said he'd since heard how unwell Scabbers has been and that he thinks he can help. Well anything anyway from that furball can't be bad for him, I've left him there for a few days to see if he improves-"

"I'm sure Scabbers will be fine," Tom said with an encouraging smile towards Ron. Sephronia skipped a bit at this and brushed herself briefly against Tom's leg.

"Thanks," Ron mumbled.

"How long have you had Scabbers?" Harry asked.

"Since first year. Percy got a new owl so-" Ron shrugged, suddenly going a bit pink. "Well, I got Scabbers."

"How long has he been in your family?"

"Oh, I dunno," Ron said. "Ages, Percy had him before me, I don't really remember Scabbers not being there-"

Harry and Tom, who didn't have a class, left Ron at the corridor that lead up to the North Tower and his Divination class.

As soon as they were gone, Tom stopped and slotted both his hand into Harry's.

"I'll give you ten seconds, no more, okay?"

Harry couldn't help it, his decayed mouth twisted into a grin at the prospect of being able to see dæmons when not confined to their room.

"Don't get distracted," Tom warned.

And in a moment, the castle bloomed in golden light. The chaotic light of each and every dæmon there for him to devour.

"Harry-" Tom interrupted, his voice sharp.

Harry swirled his dead eye to look at the direction of Lupin's office, pin pointing only Niamh's ferocious form, and the thin sprinkling of dust that clung to Lupin's skin. Otherwise there was nothing else amongst all of the beautiful light.

"There's no one else there," Harry said finally.

And then it was gone, Tom shutting off Harry's vision abruptly.

"Okay," Tom said. "I didn't think there would be. If Scabbers has remained a rat for years, come on-"

Tom started to make off in the direction of the library.

"Do you think my dad was an animagis too?" Harry asked as he followed.

"It would make sense," Tom agreed. "Seems a little odd if he wasn't. I wonder if it had anything to do with Niamh being a werewolf. Anyway I wanted to look at the Animagis Registry-"

"Black was unregistered," Harry said. "The Ministry didn't know he was an animagis, I assume the same would be true for my dad and Scabbers?"

"Good point," Tom said. "But it's still worth a look. I want to find out who this rat really is."

Ron's rat really did look awful, she was dreadfully thin and large tufts of her hair was missing with a particularly notably bold patch on her back.

"Peter-" Remus whispered. He didn't even need to inspect the missing finger, he'd known it had been Sesti, Peter's dæmon, as soon as Ron had withdrawn her from his bag. "It really is you."

But the only reply Remus got was a squeak as the rat pressed itself into the furthest corner of the cage.

"You've forgotten," Remus said, his voice odd as he stared at the rat in the cage. "You've been merged so long with Sesti you've forgotten you were human. But why Peter?"

He crouched down so that he was level with the small rodent.

"Why did you hide all this time, Sirius was in Azkaban, he couldn't have harmed you-"

At the sound of Sirius' name, the small rodent began squeaking and scrabbling at the bars uncontrollably, small teeth failing to tear through the steel mesh.

Niamh was growling, her hind legs raised as she bared her teeth, she looked ready to bring her jaw down on the small cage.

Startled, Remus coiled his fingers into her mane.

"Nia-"

But his dæmon could not be calmed. Just like when she'd first smelled Peter in Hogsmeade, she was almost uncontrollable now, as she scratched her claws further into the stone.

"Can't you see it?" Niamh growled, "There's only one reason Peter would hide."

Lupin withdrew his hand, his exhaustion from his monthly transformation ached in his bones. Niamh spun to face him, her eyes alight as if her true form was ready to burst forth.

"Sirius didn't kill Peter-" Niamh growled. "Sirius didn't betray James and Lily."

All feeling drained from Lupin as his mouth opened. A chill had descended, as if Harry was there himself, stealing all hope from the room.

It just wasn't possible.

Sirius watched as Lyra flicked between different animal forms. First she was a small cat, then she transformed into a butterfly, flicking about above Sirius' head, before she finally settled on a much more familiar form.

Sirius' heart ached. Before him, stood an exact replica of Mintaka, only she looked so much younger, healthier and happier than Sirius could remember.

Beside her, Mintaka growled slightly, her own mattered fur seeming all the more mangy, and her rib cage all the more visible.

"It's not normal," Mintaka muttered. "Dæmons shouldn't change."

Sirius however ignored her as he fixed Lyra with a thin smile.

"Can you do a doe?" he asked absently.

Lyra didn't hesitate and in a blink of an eye a young doe stood before them.

"James' dæmon was a doe," Sirius said and a thin smile grimaced his lips. "We called him Prongs. Lily's dæmon was a stag and was so impressive, James was envious when he could finally transform and didn't have the antlers. We thought the name was rather fitting."

In response, Lyra transformed again and a stag with large antlers stood before him.

Sirius blinked before asking.

"What animal were you before you could change?"

In response, Lyra returned to the form they had first seen her in. A small pine marten with light brown fur, darker brown surrounded her eyes on her face which was white.

"A pine marten, huh?"

Sirius turned his attention back to the wound on his leg. Riddle's wand felt comfortable enough in his palm, but Sirius weighed it up cautiously.

"Does the trace work around someone's dæmon?" Sirius asked. "I mean, because Harry's not of age, will the Ministry find us if I use magic around Lyra?"

Mintaka blinked slowly, as Lyra moved to settle herself down beside her.

"Do we want to find out?"

"It would be good to know if we could use magic, I mean it looks like it's safe enough to transform," Sirius said grimly. He didn't particular want to waste any time. Lyra had been away from Harry too long already, and from her continued silence and her ability to transform it was starting to get even more worrisome. "But now we've got Lyra I don't want to draw any attention to ourselves, shy of apparting straight to Hogsmeade."

"We don't even know if Harry is at Hogwarts," Mintaka said. "Last we read in the Prophet he was in St Mungo's."

"No," Sirius said. "Harry was back in Hogwarts briefly before he went missing remember."

"Then we should take Lyra to Dumbledore," Mintaka said.

"I'm taking Lyra to Harry and no one else," Sirius said gruffly. "Besides, anyone else would throw us straight back to the dementors."

"So do we head South to London and St Mungo's or North to Hogwarts?"

Sirius ran his hand over his roughened face.

"We need to find out more, Harry's photograph was littered over the daily prophet when he went missing-"

"Right," Mintaka agreed as Lyra curled up and stifled a yawn. "The nearest wizarding house it is then."