Disclaimer: Everything you recognise is J.K.Rowling's property.
Chapter two: free
Albus Dumbledore sat on his office, thinking. It had been two months since Harry Potter had disappeared. Neither Muggle police nor Aurors had found any evidence of where he might be, and he was unofficially believed dead in both the muggle and the wizarding world.
Albus was in disgrace, thanks to Rita Skeeter who had revealed to everyone that it was his choice to leave little Harry in the "care of his unsuitable guardians".
Some even discussed his ability as a Headmaster, as he "had proven he shouldn't be left with children in his care".
Thankfully, nearly everyone still thought it was just "a regrettable mistake that only shows he's human".
Still, Minerva hold a grudge against him ever since, and rightfully so. If only he had listened to her… checked on the boy…
But no, he had to trust human nature so much that he disregarded the idea almost at once. Granted, the Dursleys might not have liked wizardkind very much, but surely they would never take it on a child!
How wrong he had been … and now he didn't know where Harry was. Worse, the boy might hate him too once he learned that he was the one to place him there. And according to the prophecy, the boy was Voldemort's equal. If he hated him, he might turn to the other side…
But no, he wouldn't think about it just yet. The boy was just six, and he already made him be a powerful evil wizard!
There was time. Time for Harry to forgive, to learn, to trust, to love, even, if he still could, and if only they could find him now Albus swore to himself that he would find a suitable guardian. Perhaps Severus or Minerva? Or maybe the Weasleys? After all, they already had seven children, what would be one more?
Yes, he would think of something. Now, all he had to do was find the boy.
The fact was, Harry, or Han as he called himself now, didn't want to be found. He was perfectly, well, happy wasn't really the word, but at least perfectly content, with his new life.
He had travelled again and again by train, always hidden, to be sure he wasn't followed, and to complicate the unlikely search. Yes, unlikely, because he really didn't think anyone would research for him. After all, who cared what happened to a freak? And why would they search for him?
Even if they did find him, where could he go? Surely not to his uncle. And his aunt and cousin had left. Did they want to make him go to an orphanage? He was better off in the streets, thank you very much.
In fact, the thought that he might be searched for wouldn't even have crossed his mind if he hadn't seen his own face in a milk's bottle once, along with words he still couldn't read, but understood well enough, for having seen the same under missing people before.
It had shocked him so much that he had stared at the little picture long enough for the shopkeeper to become worried and ask him what was wrong. Harry was relieved to see that the man hadn't recognised him, but it wasn't that strange. He had changed a lot since the day he left.
He was less thin, now that he could eat whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. He stole a lot, and even if he still didn't like it, he knew he had to. He was becoming quite skilled at that. He found that no one was suspicious with a little child with an innocent expression in his face, and he used it a lot.
His pale skin had also became much more tanned now that he had to spend most of his time outside. And without his glasses, which he never found, he didn't look like the boy in the picture that much.
Besides, the Dursleys didn't have any picture of him, so the image was from the last school picture in which he was half hidden behind a friend of Dudley.
Without glasses he wasn't able to see very much, but it didn't really bother him since he had had them for only a couple of months. He was so used to be nearly blind that he could function well enough without.
To avoid even more suspicions, he told that he was called Han to anyone who asked him (mostly old women who thought he was lost and looked at him as if he was the cutest boy in the universe, while he innocently reached a hand to grab their wallet).
He remembered Dudley watching a movie called "The Empire Strikes Back" one time and there was a very brave and funny man called that in it, and he sort of liked the thought of having anything in common with him, even just a name.
He moved a lot because he didn't want to be found. He feared that if he stayed in the same place for too much time, then people would begin to wonder who he was, where were his parents and whether or not he had anything to do with the missing food.
Still, one thing bothered him. School started this week, and he would really have liked to enter Primary School, where you learned to write, and read, and count! It sounded exciting and he really wished he could go. But he knew schools required a name he could use officially, and he didn't have any.
Until now, since his escape, he could just steal everything he wanted. But you couldn't steal a name, could you?
He had to find a solution.
He liked his new life, really he did. He was free. No one told him what to do, or ordered him around. He didn't have to do chores. His injuries had healed fast (so fast it was pretty strange in fact) and now that he could eat three times a day, he was a healthy little boy.
But as enjoyable as freedom was, it was also very lonely.
He had never really had anyone who cared about him, he knew it. But even if it was just to insult him or order him around, his aunt and uncle and cousin had talked to him. Now, the only people he talked to were complete strangers. People he bought food to, people he stole money to…
Because he was always moving, he didn't have any friends. And it pained him. Before, he never really had any friends because Dudley scared them away. But now, there wasn't any Dudley anymore. If only he could go to school…
Just then, he heard two children around his age talking about it, a girl and a boy. How they hated school, how they hated homework, and how much they couldn't wait to be in holidays again…
He clenched his fists. How unfair it was. They could have what he wanted most and they were complaining about it! If only they could change places…
Then he had an idea. He remembered that when Dudley had to do something he didn't like, he would make Harry do it. What about homework? If he found a child his age who didn't like homework, perhaps he could ask if he could do them instead? This way he would learn… and maybe even get paid! Great.
Now all he had to do was talking to one of them (he didn't dare talking to both of them at once, in case they were bullies).
Harry sighed in contentment. He had managed to follow the girl at home, and talk to her. They had agreed on a plan even better than what Harry had wanted! Kathleen would teach him all she learned, and in exchange he would have to do all her homework. She had only agreed to teach him because he told her he wouldn't be able to do her homework as well if he didn't know what they learned, plus it would make her learn more effectively. They agreed to meet every evening after school.
Which posed one problem. Harry would have to stay nearby for a long time…
He actually pretty much liked the idea. Kathleen had agreed not to tell anyone about him, not even her mum, so as long as he made himself scarce, he would be safe. Plus, the town was nearby the sea, and he rather liked sleeping in the little cave he had found. This would do, for now…
The Order of the Phoenix was having an emergency meeting for the second time in two months. Really, this was almost worse than when Voldemort was on the loose. Why couldn't they live in peace now? But it was too much to ask. There would always be problems, always Dark Wizards on the loose, and from Severus Snape's point of view, the Dark Lord hadn't been any worse than Sirius Black.
Years ago, he had thought he would never have to hear about the mutt again, who had been sentenced for life. Poetic justice, he thought, since Black had never really been properly punished for trying to feed him to a werewolf.
But, a week ago, Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban.
How? He had no idea, and neither did any of the others, except maybe Lupin, who was having a private meeting with the Headmaster…
But they all knew why.
Two weeks ago, the news of Harry Potter's disappearance were on the front page of the Daily Prophet. A seven year old boy, responsible for the fall of the Dark Lord, was injured and alone in the streets. Every Death Eater in the loose was looking for him, and Sirius Black was no exception…
Now if only the Order could put their hand on the boy before he did…
Severus sighed. Only a Potter could create such a mess without even being there!
Albus Dumbledore smiled sadly, watching the children go away for the Christmas Holidays. They were all so happy at this time of year. So delighted to go home with their family to spent Christmas Eve, to get presents, to go visit their grandparents…
At this time of the year, even more than any other time, he thought about Harry, and where the hell he could be. It had been two years and a half since he had vanished, and sometimes even he doubted that he was still alive… There had been no sightings of him, or too many claims. The tracking charms weren't working, which usually meant that somebody was dead… Still, he found himself hoping. Was he celebrating Christmas as well? Was he alone on the streets, begging for money with his bright green eyes? Or had he perhaps already been found by his Godfather, who wanted nothing more than kill him as he had killed James and Lily?
A soft knock on his office's door shook him from his daydreaming. He waved lazily his hand to open the door, but wasn't prepared to see an escaped convict enter his office. Abruptly standing, he was about to cast a body-bind curse when Sirius yelled:
"Wait! Please Headmaster. Listen to me…"
"I frankly do not think you have anything to say that I want to hear."
"Please Sir. I have the proof! This is Wormtail!" he said, brandishing a stunned rat. "Believe me! I'll take Veritaserum. If you would just listen to me! For Harry's sake!"
"What do you mean for Harry's sake? Do you know anything about him? Did you find him?"
"No. I didn't look for him, in fact. What use would I be for him while I am running from the Ministry? I looked for Peter, instead, and I finally found him! so now I'll be exonerated and I'll be able to take care of him if only you would listen!"
Albus looked up sharply at Peter's name. Peter? The rat? But how… He looked into Black's eyes, which were filled with despair and anger and hope… And he recalled the conversation he had had with Remus when they heard that Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban. Three unregistered Animagi, a dog, a stag and a rat…
And then he nodded. Maybe, just maybe, this could work out…
At his nod, Sirius seemed to relax, and he smiled for the first time since James' death. The smile changed his face marginally, illuminating it and throwing away the tiredness he bore, and Albus relaxed too. For he knew that even if an error had indeed been made about the man, he wasn't totally broken by his five years in Azkaban.
Minutes later, his office was filled by his most trustful allies. Remus Lupin, whose face was totally white since he had seen his former friend, and whose eyes couldn't detach themselves from the rat he was holding. Severus Snape, whom Albus had silenced with a spell when it became obvious that he couldn't refrain from making comments. Minerva MacGonagall, who looked torn between her hope that maybe Sirius would know where Harry was, and regret about what had become of one of her former favourite students. And of course Rubeus Hagrid, who had burst into tears at the sight of the man he thought responsible for the death of Harry's parents.
Albus broke the stunned silence when he asked:
"Severus? Do you have the Veritaserum I asked you? No need to speak, just hand it over" he added hastily, under the glare of his Potion teacher, who mouthed 'if I had known whom it was intended to, I wouldn't have improved the taste!'.
"Sirius? Will you drink it?" Albus asked, chuckling.
Sirius nodded, then gulped the Potion, shooting an incredulous look at his former nemesis that seemed to say 'that's what you call improving the taste?' and sat on one of the chairs, still holding the rat with his trembling hands. Then began the interrogation. Albus asked the questions carefully, first testing the validity of the Potion by asking something he knew Sirius wouldn't want known by the others. He didn't take any pleasure to humiliate the man, but it was necessary.
"What is your full name?"
"Sirius Orion Black."
"When you were at school, who were you secretly in love with?"
Sirius Black gave him a betrayed look and tried to fight the potion to avoid answering, but he did nevertheless, blushing.
"Remus Lupin."
Shocked gasps answered his admission, but Albus cut them:
"He says the truth. I was aware of that when he was in seventh year. I apologise Sirius for making you telling it, but I had to ask you something you wouldn't want to answer truthfully, to test the potion."
"Now we can begin. First of all, how did you escape from Azkaban?"
"I'm an Animagus. I can transform into a dog. One evening, when they brought my meal, I sneaked out in the corridors in my dog's form. The Dementors didn't notice me because it's much more difficult for them to get animal's emotions. I was so slim I was able to pass through the bars… I left the isle and I swam… "
"Why didn't you escape before? Why did you wait five years?"
"Before I wasn't strong enough… Even in my dog's form, the Dementors managed to influence me, and I spent the first five years being tormented by the worst things on my past… In the end I didn't have any happy memory left. I was a total mess. I didn't care anymore."
"What changed?"
"An official from the Ministry came to inspect the prison as they did once a year. As usual, he gave me a copy of the Daily Prophet, knowing that I was one of the few remaining more or less sane… And I saw Harry on the cover."
"So you escaped to kill Harry now that he was defenceless?" asked Minerva, who was immediately silenced by a glare from Albus.
"NO! I would never do him any harm!"
"Then why did you escape?" intervened Albus.
"To offer him a home where he wouldn't be beaten to death. Where he would be loved. To protect him…"
Even Minerva couldn't find an answer to that. But Sirius had more to say.
"I'm his Godfather. James named me to take care of his child if anything were to happen to him. I escaped to prove my innocence and take custody of my Godson."
There was no doubt about the truth in this statement. Even without the Veritaserum, Remus would have believed him. He asked with a shaking voice:
"Sirius? Is this Wormtail?"
Sirius, who was avoiding to look at his old friend ever since he had unwillingly admitted being in love with him, looked up.
"Yes, it is."
"But… if he wasn't dead, then why did he hide all these years?"
"Don't you understand? I never killed these thirteen muggles, he did. I never betrayed James and Lily… He did."
"But that's not possible…" began to say Remus, but he was cut by Dumbledore.
"Sirius, who was James and Lily's Secret Keeper?"
They all kept their breaths. Then, Sirius Black said in his deepest voice:
"Wormtail."
