Sirius Black started as he walked through London. He had just seen…
"Harry!" He yelled at the eight-year-old boy. The boy didn't turn around. He followed the boy around a corner and up the street. The boy stood waiting outside a shop while the woman went in. Quickly he walked up to the child.
"What is your name? Can you tell me where we are?" Sirius decided to pretend to be a lost tourist or vacationer.
"Pa-foot." The child stuttered. "Boy."
"You remember me?"
"Yes, Boy, Pa-foot." The green eyed boy replied softly. Sirius was nearly in tears as it was Harry, there was no doubt. No one else had a scar or eyes like that. And he didn't even know how to speak or even his name. He had to go and find Albus. Then maybe he could get Harry in his custody. And to school of some description.
"Boy" Harry shrugged; he didn't understand why the man was so upset.
"You are Harry." Sirius whispered leaning down to look in his eyes. Harry looked shocked, that noise sounded familiar to him, where had he heard it?
"I'll find you."
"Boy!" Harry sounded frightened now. Sirius felt a tear slip down his cheek as he walked away.
"Harry…Harry." The little boy was obviously trying to remember. This bought a slight smile to Sirius. He promised himself he would teach Harry all about his family, and the wonders that were in the world.
"Albus, please, he's not being treated well. I saw him! He couldn't even say his name and seemed very thin. Just let me go and get him. I will look after him from now on. Or send Remus." Sirius begged of the headmaster.
"Alright, I will send someone to get him, and bring him to you. But you must go and fix your place so that he will be comfortable and safe. Make everything dangerous out of his reach."
"Do you think I'm stupid? This is going to be a lot of work but, I'll be damned if I'm giving up." Sirius said forcefully.
"I get the point, get going, Harry will be at your place in a couple of hours."
"Now, you listen here, that child will be coming with us, to be placed in a better home. You can help us or we will use force, is that clear?" Tonks demanded, holding out her hand to Harry, who looked terrified. Vernon sighed and knelt down to the boy, looking him in the eye and glaring at him, finally he nodded, stood and pushed Harry at Tonks.
"Now piss off, and never darken our doorstep again." Vernon spat, slamming the door. Harry stared straight ahead, determined not to cry and not to look back. He mutely grabbed the back of Tonks' robes and refused to let go for fear of getting lost. He maintained this miserable silence until they reached their destination.
"We're here!"
"Where is he? Did…" Sirius stopped, and looked down at the boy who had just recognised him and started smiling nervously.
"Pa-foot! Boy." He said softly, pointing at Sirius, who shook his head.
"Sirius." He pointed to himself. "Harry." He pointed at Harry, who repeated:
"Sirius." With much difficulty, and couldn't seem to make up his mind on something. "'Boy?' Harry?" he looked confused. Tonks suddenly understood, it was that he'd never been taught to talk that he'd been so quiet. She nodded to Sirius and left them to it. Harry looked around himself hesitantly, hoping to see something familiar, a cupboard under the stairs for example, before blushing as his stomach rumbled.
"Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?" Sirius said slowly, and then sighed because the boy obviously didn't understand. Harry stared blankly and waited to be given something to do. He was most surprised when the kind man took his hand and led him into the kitchen, lifting him onto a chair, before returning with two plates of tea, and putting them on the table. Harry looked embarrassed and turned away, not eating; he was never allowed to eat anything at the Dursleys. Sirius didn't know what to do. Maybe Harry had an allergy to something on the plate? But Tonks had taken him to get checked earlier, and called to say he had no allergies. He tentatively nudged it in the direction of the boy, motioning with his eyes that he was supposed to eat. Harry seemed skeptical, but ate a few forkfuls and stopped. It was, however obvious that he wanted more. Sirius sighed, and repeated the gesture. Harry this time seemed to get the message and went on to consume about a third of the plate before he smiled and pushed the food away. He was full. Sirius looked at the plate, he hadn't put an awful lot on there, but it wasn't even close to empty. When Sirius finished his meal, Harry made to clean the table, and do the dishes. Sirius allowed him to put his own plate in the sink, but when he came over for the second plate, he got a firm shake of the head, which confused him. Sirius put his own plate away and washed the dishes, while Harry dried and neatly placed them where he was shown. He didn't understand why Sirius had not made him do the work, in truth it was because, while Harry would be occasionally expected to do minor chores, Sirius was not about to let him do all the work.
After, Harry wondered idly where his sleeping mat was. He needed to rest.
"Come on, Harry." Sirius took the boys hand and led him into the bathroom. Here he ran some warm water into a giant tub and got the little boy somewhat cleaner. Harry seemed to love the water, and bubbles, and when it was time to get out he did so reluctantly with a pout, but was soon giggling softly as Sirius wrapped his in a fluffy towel and dried him. Pajama clad, Harry was led into a room, which had a fair amount of toys, a bed, a desk, and some quidditch posters and a chest of drawers in a corner and a cupboard next to it. Was all this for him?
"Boy?"
"Harry." Sirius said firmly and nodded, grinning at the delighted expression, then frowning, as Harry looked sad.
"How about a sleep? I suppose you are tired after today?" Harry tilted his head too the side, then yawned, looking for his sleeping mat again. Sirius pointed to the bed and Harry, who was beginning to understand that things were different here, immediately climbed in, closing his eyes.
"Goodnight boyo. Have a good night." Chuckled the older man, as he went to close the door. Harry suddenly sat bolt upright, making a noise of protest. Sirius got the meaning, and left the door open, with the light from the hallway shining.
Over the next day, Sirius showed Harry the whole house, pointing to each new item and enunciating what it was clearly, waiting for Harry to repeat the word and nod that he understood.
"Siri…Sirius. No." Harry tried to get his message across pointing to objects randomly.
"You want to have a break?" Sirius asked slowly.
"Break…" Harry repeated slowly. "Little."
"Alright, we'll go and have something to eat, huh?"
"Food." Harry nodded and grinned. Sirius grinned too. Harry's enthusiasm for his new home was contagious. He had not even reached for any jobs, just content to help do the dishes and tidy his room, before going outside and playing on the slide for a bit. Sirius marveled at how Harry constantly seemed to need to be around him. He also wondered at the boy recognizing him. A small while later Remus arrived, to see Harry. Harry hid behind Sirius until he saw the man.
"Hi Remus."
"Now, where's that boy? I want to give him some sweets." Remus pulled out a sucker and piece of chocolate
"Moo-ey?" he asked Sirius, without even being told.
"You know him too?" Harry pointed to his head.
"Moo-ey." He said firmly.
"Moony, Remus, Padfoot, Sirius, Harry." Sirius smiled
"Moony, Remus, Padfoot, Sirius, Harry!" Harry said immediately and pointed, knowing he would get a grin.
"Good boy, go and say 'Hello.'" Sirius nodded, giving the boy a small push.
"Hello, Moony." Harry said carefully. Remus laughed and ruffled his hair, leaned down and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Hello, Harry James Potter." He said slowly, offering the sweets to the raven-haired youth, who giggled and accepted them shyly before putting the sucker in his mouth and going to put the chocolate in his room, on his desk.
"Do you think that it would be a good idea to arrange a play-date with Molly?" Sirius frowned, thinking.
"Meeting some kids might be good for Harry. But I would only have one or two to start, just adjust him slowly. I believe her youngest son, Ron is Harry's age." Remus supplied.
"I'll fire call her tonight. Harry! Where are you?"
"Draw. Remus." Was the exited shout he got in return.
"That's lovely Harry." Sirius grinned, not realizing how lovely a surprise he would get when Harry trotted out to show them.
"Sirius! This is amazing! Thank you Harry. I love it!" Congratulated Remus, trying to sound casual and get Sirius' attention. He passed it over and the other man stared at it, taking in the forest, and the picnic and the three people sitting talking and the stream. And that the image was moving. It looked like a photograph.
"Nice one Harry." There was no hiding Sirius smile. Harry was a wizard, so it was alright to show him a little magic, and he would not be shocked when Hogwarts sent for him.
"Harry, now don't be rude! Go and play with Ron." So far Harry had refused to come out of his hiding place behind his godfather. Slowly, casting glances at Remus, who was nodding encouragingly, Harry left his safe haven.
"Um…Um…Hi Ron."
"Hi Harry." The redheaded boy replied gently.
"Play, slide?"
"You like the slide too? Yeah, lead the way. Do you have swings and sand?
"Uh huh, Swing high!" Harry giggled, running and gesturing for Ron to follow. They played together outside for most of the afternoon. Only stopping long enough to grab a handful of biscuits and a drink.
"So, Harry, do you like Ron?"
"Yeah. Play tomorrow?" Harry asked sleepily.
"Not tomorrow, boyo. Next week."
"Oh, alright. Moony liked draw?"
"Yes, he did. Now close your eyes and go to sleep."
The next day Harry decided he wanted to roast marshmallows, so he nicked a bag from the cupboard and went down into the back corner or the yard. He was totally unaware that Sirius had followed him. Sirius watched curiously as Harry piled twigs and leaves for a fire in the barbeque pit. What he didn't expect was the spark that jumped out of the boys hand and then the gentle pillar of breeze that seemed to come out of nowhere and cause the fire the grow larger. Finishing the packet of marshmallows, Harry quickly used water to put out the fire and a good breeze to get rid of the smoke. Bored now Harry decided to try something new, he picked out a withering seedling his hand on its trunk. Within minutes it was twice the size and had a healthy amount of green leaves. Sirius was slack jawed with awe. It was about this time that Harry stiffened, sensing Sirius watching him. Hoping he was wrong he turned around slowly…to see exactly what he hoped wasn't there.
"Sirius?" He asked softly
"Harry. I can't believe this. You're the Avatar?"
"Avatar?"
"Um… Elemental?" Sirius tried but to no avail.
"Er…You have magic with outside. Animals, trees, wind, water, dirt,… fire."
"Around me?"
"Yeah, but you can do spells too? Um try Accio…Say 'Accio Hat', but picture the hat in your head."
"Accio Hat!" Harry demanded of the hat in Sirius hand, then giggled madly when it gently floated in his direction.
"You could have used wind for that. Lets try 'Expecto Patronum'. Think of a really happy memory as you say it" Sirius was exited now.
"Expecto Patronum" Harry chanted imagining the day Sirius saved him. A feint stag formed before disappearing.
"I love you Harry!" Sirius cried hugging the child to him. Oh there was going to be a few shocks when Harry got to school. He was going to teach Harry everything he knew. He would ace all his classes, just like his mother did.