Hey everyone! :)

Thank you so so much for everyone who left comments and Kudos! :) This is the LAST chapter of this story (and the longest!), I am sad to finish it, but excited to post my next story, Transforming Thomas, in January!

Here's a quick Transforming Thomas summary for you: Voldemort and Gryffindor have teamed up to fight against Dumbledore, but when Tom makes the repeated mistake to torment Gryffindor's youngest, Sirius, Gryffindor punishes him by deaging him to his five year old self, forcing him to tell Sirius why he treated him so horribly before he gets transformed back. Tom is not willing to give in, fighting Gryffindor and his oldest son Aurelius on every step, knowing very well why he treated Sirius the way he did- but his embarrassment about telling the truth might prevent him from getting what he really wants- a family.

It will have the usual themes: Spanking/ CP, H/C, angst, fluff, humiliation, and brotherly love ;) Hope you will check it out!

WARNING: SPANKING in this chap! And Dumbles gruesome punishment part 2! :D

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY! STAY SAFE! :)


He tried. He really did try, but after ten minutes of pinching himself and silently reciting chess strategies to himself, his eyes closed, and soon later, he was fast asleep, snuggled into Sirius.

Aurelius smiled when he opened the door an hour and a half later, seeing his brothers cuddling in their sleep. He knew that Tom desperately wanted to be taken seriously by his family-but he did not realize that he was going about it the wrong way.

Sweet baby bear- trying so hard to act like a grown up.

He walked closer to the bed, softly humming something, and his smile got wider when Tom slowly opened his eyes, blinking at him sleepily, "I…I wasn't sleeping, just…resting my eyes", he blurted out, his face turning red.

Stubborn boy.

The boy turned his head, refusing to look at him, "and I did not snuggle- Sirius snuggled up to me cause he's still little."

"That's very nice of you that you let him snuggle with you, Tommy- you are a great big brother", Aurelius said softly, knowing what his brother was struggling with, and he stepped closer, "I am actually glad you are awake- I could really need your help right now."

The boy blinked again, a hesitant expression on his face, "my…help?", he sounded disbelieving, "what…could I help you with?"

I can't even keep my eyes open at nap time.

Aurelius smiled, "well, I could need some help with the fireworks for tonight- there are some issues with the timing part, and Dad really wants them to all go off at the same time."

"Yeah, he told me that", the boy mumbled, scrambling out of the bed, "I…I don't think I can help with that, though. Sounds like a grown up problem", and now he sounded almost heart-broken, and Aurelius wanted nothing more than to hug his little brother.

My sad little baby bear.

"Hmmm…I think it's more of a teenager problem to be honest with you", he eventually said, liking how Tom's face lit up at the word teenager, "and since I happen to know the smartest teenager in the whole country, I thought I'd ask you."

"You think I am a teenager, Relius?", the boy blurted out, excitement in his voice, "and smart? The smartest one?"

"The smartest teenager", Aurelius confirmed, his eyes twinkling, "now, how about we take a look at the fireworks? We can let Sirius sleep, don't you think?"

Tom was practically beaming at this point, happy to be asked his opinion, "yah, I think- he's still little, he needs his sleep. He's not a teenager like me."

Aurelius stifled a laugh, "let's go then, Tommy. I'll let you walk on your own if you promise not to run."

Tom smiled, proud of the fact that he did not have to hold Aurelius' hand, "I don't run, Relius", he explained to his older brother then, "teenagers don't run."

This time, his brother did laugh, "I'll remember that, Tommybear. Come on, we don't want to wake up Sirius."

They left the room, and then Aurelius took him to the attic where they stored their firework. It was a family tradition to have fireworks on Christmas, and Aurelius was looking forward to share this tradition with his younger brothers. He had not been lying when he had told Tom that there were some issues with the timing of the firework- and he knew Tom was smart and good at thinking logically, and he figured it would help his little brother to understand that he did not need to be a grown up to be helpful and to solve problems.

They spent about an hour trying to figure out the timing, and finally, Tom cried out in triumph, "I know what's wrong with it, Relius! Look!", he showed him a certain piece of the structure, explaining what to do with it, and Aurelius listened intently, a look of pride on his face.

"Good job, Tommy", he praised his brother, fondness in his voice, "I knew you would be able to solve this", and he pulled him into a hug, "my smart brother."

"Smart teenager brother", Tom corrected, enjoying the closeness to his brother, "and you're welcome", he smiled at him, "you'll tell Daddy I solved it all by myself?"

You tell him so he's proud of me?

"Yes, Tommy, I will", he smiled back at the boy, "let's go and find Sirius- you might be able to go outside for a little while if it's not too cold already."

They went back downstairs and as it turned out, Sirius was already outside, playing in the snow with Bacon, who was happily barking, chasing snowflakes.

"Do you want to go play, Tommy?"

"Yah! I wanna play with Bacon!", the boy blurted out, obviously forgetting all about acting like a teenager, and Aurelius stifled a smile, "let's get you dressed, baby bear, and then you can go play."

"I need mittens, Relius, so I can make snowballs!"

"We'll get you mittens then, Tommybear", he led the excited boy to the closet, and then he patiently dressed him in a warm coat, a hat, and mittens, "there you go- all ready to play, hmm?"

"Can you play, too?", the boy asked, "play with me?", he looked at him questioningly, and Aurelius gave him a quick kiss on his hat, "yes, Tommy, I'll play with you. How about a snowball fight?"

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!", the boy was shouting with delight, and Aurelius had to laugh, hurrying to get dressed as well. He would show the boy that even teenagers enjoyed playing in the snow.

They all played for about two hours, and then they had their tea. Tom was talking excitedly to Sirius about his new sled, and he did not even think about Hogwarts at all. Later, they were watching the fireworks, and Tom was smiling proudly when Aurelius told his Daddy that he helped with the timing issue.

"My smart boy", he glowed at the praise, he loved nothing more than making his Daddy proud, and when Gryffindor picked him up, hugging him, he was beaming.

I love you, Daddy.

Godric and Salazar both carefully avoided bringing up Hogwarts again, and Tom ignored the fact as well, enjoying the next days by playing outside, sledding, skiing, and eating way too much candy.

New Year's Eve was another big celebration, and Tom loved attending the New Year's Quidditch Cup with his family, and then they spend all night playing games, and at midnight, they enjoyed fireworks again. It was not until a couple days later when Gryffindor decided it was time for his middle son to face the reality of going to Hogwarts. He had wanted his boy to enjoy the holiday season, but school was going to start in a week, and he had planned to apparate to Diagon Alley with his sons today to buy their school supplies.

As expected, Tom's face instantly darkened when he informed his boys about that plan.

"I'm not going."

"You are going, Tom- and Sirius and Aurelius will go as well. Your Dad and I will also be at Hogwarts for a while, Salazar is going to help teach Defense, and I am going to assist McGonagall with her headmistress duties", Gryffindor explained, hoping that knowing that his parents would be there would help the boy warm up to the idea- but the opposite happened.

"I don't need you there to help me! I am a big boy! I am a teenager!", Tom was practically shouting now, his eyes sparkling with defiance, "I can take care of myself! I wanna go to Belvedere! I hate stupid Hogwarts!"

"Watch your tone, Thomas", and now Gryffindor's voice was cold, "you are forgetting who you are talking to."

Tom actually stomped his foot, furious, "I know, you think you can always tell me what to do, and that you know everything, but you don't! I know what I want, and I know better than you!"

Gryffindor had heard enough- his boy clearly needed a reminder about how to talk to his father, "that's a spanking, Thomas", he informed his son, his voice still cold, "you are being a bad boy right now, and I am not very pleased with you."

Bad boy.

Tears welled up in his eyes, his stomach clenching at the thought of displeasing his Daddy, but he was too obstinate to give in, "I don't deserve a spanking!", he shouted, "I am not…"

"Enough", and now his voice was dangerous, "you will let me be the judge of what you deserve or not, Thomas, and as of right now, you are getting two punishments- you will get spanked for your disrespectful tone, and you will get corner time for talking back to me like that. Keep it up, and you will also be grounded for the next two days."

The boy sobbed, hanging his head, "no…not fair!"

I did nothing wrong!

"Let's go, Thomas- you know the way", Gryffindor's expression was hard, it had been a long time since he had needed to discipline his boy like this, but Tom had had it coming- ever since he had gotten corner time on Christmas.

I should have spanked him right then- but it was Christmas…I am really getting too soft.

Tom sobbed again, but he slowly started to walk, making his way to Gryffindor's office on the third floor, the room where he usually disciplined his boys. The last time he had spanked Tom he had allowed the boy to keep his pants on, but this time, he meant to remind him who was in charge- and that meant he would get a naughty boy punishment.

"Drop the pants, and come over here, Thomas", he ordered, sitting down in his chair.

"Wanna keep my pants on!", the boy pushed his back against the closed door, his body trembling, "that's for little boys like Sirius!"

"It's for naughty boys who don't listen", Gryffindor corrected, "and you have three seconds to come over here- or this is getting a lot more unpleasant for you, Thomas. My patience is not endless."

The boy just stared at him, seemingly willing to take this to the next level, and Gryffindor sighed inwardly. He had expected Tom to test his boundaries at some point, which was perfectly normal, but he simply refused to let his son act like that- especially when they were about to send him to Hogwarts.

"Three seconds, my boy- or I will have to use the belt on you."

"No! No belt!", and now the boy was crying, but he was not crying out of sadness- he was crying out of anger, "I'm coming! I'm coming!", he stumbled over to his Daddy, hastily dropping his pants, basically throwing them on the floor.

Gryffindor decided to ignore that, knowing how to pick his battles, "up you get, big boy", and then he carefully put the struggling boy across his lap, resting his hand on his exposed backside, "you'll get ten today, Tommybear", he used the nickname on purpose, needing his boy to know that he still loved him, "and you will count them nice and loud for me, understand?"

The boy wiggled, sobbing, "ye…yes, Daddy."

"Good boy, Tommy", and then, he began.

Smack.

"One, Daddy."

Smack.

"Two."

Smack.

"Three!"

He was wiggling harder now, which did not surprise Gryffindor- he was not holding back this time, determined to let his boy know how displeased he was with his attitude.

Smack.

"F…four!", the boy burst into tears, "don't want to go to Hogwarts!"

Smack.

He kept spanking his boy, and by the time they reached eight, Tom was crying in earnest, desperately struggling to get away from the pain, "no more, Daddy! Please! I want to be good!"

Gryffindor rested his hand on his now burning backside, "does that mean you are going to go to Hogwarts with your brothers?"

He could feel the hesitation radiating off his boy, and there was a silence.

"Don't wanna go, Daddy", his boy eventually whispered, a tremble in his voice. He was clearly expecting a harsher punishment now, but Godric would never beat his boy into being submissive- especially after everything that had happened. He sighed, looking at the squirming boy on his lap- and then suddenly, he got an idea.

That might actually work- and will cure him nicely.

"Corner time for you now, baby bear", he told his boy calmly, "and the pants will stay down. If I see any rubbing or movement, it's back over my lap for you, understand?"

"Yes, Daddy", his boy replied softly, a hint of confusion in his voice.

I have two more spanks- and I said no, why is he…not mad?

Gryffindor did not explain himself though, he simply watched his boy walking over to the corner, and then he touched a button on his desk, and a small house elf appeared, "yes, Master Gryffindor?"

"Go and get my oldest son, please", Godric ordered casually, and the elf bowed his head, "as Master Gryffindor wishes", and then the elf disappeared.

Aurelius walked in minutes later, frowning when he saw his little brother in the corner, "anything you need, Dad?"

"I do- I have a quick errand to run, and I would like you to keep an eye on your brother for me. He has got fifteen minutes, and he knows he's not allowed to rub or talk. If he is being disobedient, he will get another spanking once I am back- but I hope that won't be necessary", his voice was low and threatening, and he heard his boy softly whimper in the corner.

"I understand, Dad", Aurelius agreed, sitting down in his chair, "I'll take care of Tom."

"Thank you, Aurelius", he winked at his oldest son, and then he left the room. His idea might be a little unconventional, but he was certain it might work. Minutes later, he had apparated, right into the entryway of Belvedere. Renard had given him permission to apparate on the grounds whenever he wanted.

"Godric! That's a surprise!", Renard Belvedere was smiling when he spotted him, immediately walking closer to him, "how are you? How are the boys?"

"They are good- I'm just having a little bit of an issue with Thomas right now", and he went on explaining that the boy refused to go to Hogwarts, and then he told Renard about his plan- and Belvedere had to laugh, "interesting idea- giving him what he wants so he can see that it is not what he wants", he chuckled in amusement, "fine by me. Bring your boy over today, classes actually start tomorrow- talking about perfect timing", he chuckled again.

"Thank you- I appreciate it. What supplies will he need?"

"It will be taken care of- he will have everything he needs once he arrives."

Gryffindor nodded, pleased with that answer. He had decided to let his boy figure it out by himself now- he wanted to go to Belvedere, thinking he was ready, well, maybe it was time to make that wish come true.

He apparated back home, going straight to his office. Tom was not in the corner anymore, but he was snuggled into Aurelius' lap, looking pale and unhappy.

"I just spoke to Renard Belvedere", Godric said without an introduction, "and we have decided to give you the chance to attend Belvedere- you can go for a week, and if you like it, you can stay on, and if not, you will go to Hogwarts with your brothers next week. How does that sound?"

Tom blinked, "sounds…good, Daddy", he eventually said, hesitance in his voice.

Sounds too good to be true.

"We are in a little bit of a time pressure- their break is over tomorrow, so you would have to leave tonight, Tommy", Gryffindor told him, "would that be a problem?"

Tom swallowed, he wanted to say yes, that he needed more time, but he was a big boy- and this was the opportunity to show his family that he was old enough to take care of himself.

"No…no problem, Daddy."

Gryffindor smiled, "perfect. Renard told me he will have all your supplies ready for you- all you need to do is pack a few personal belongings."

Tom nodded, trying hard to be casual about the whole thing- and he excitedly told Sirius and his Dad and packed his suitcase, but when his Daddy apparated with him after a heartfelt goodbye to his brothers, his Dad, and Bacon, he felt like crying.

Belvedere was huge- much bigger than Hogwarts, and a lot more…sophisticated. The students- all boys- all looked very serious when he walked by them with his Daddy, and he suddenly felt very small.

Renard was expecting them, smiling broadly, and after a short introduction, he ordered another boy into his study to show him his room.

"Time to say goodbye now, Tommy- but I will see you in week, hmm?", Gryffindor smiled at his boy, secretly thinking that he would see him much earlier than that, and Tom nodded, looking miserable, "I…I'll miss you, Daddy", he finally said quietly, "but…I'll be fine. This is what I want."

He sounded like he was convincing himself, and Godric had to force himself to not stop the act right there- but he needed his boy to figure this out on his own. They hugged, and then Tom slowly picked up his suitcase, following the much older boy.

"I'm George, one of the prefects", the other boy introduced himself, "welcome to Belvedere. You will be sharing a room with Finnigan and Williams."

Tom thought that those were strange names, but he kept that thought to himself, mumbling a quick reply.

George wasted no time leading him through the building- which really was enormous- and Tom was amazed at the fact that none of the boys were running, shouting, or even laughing loudly.

This is weird- they all act like robots.

They actually did not- they behaved like disciplined teenagers, but Tom was still too much of a wild little boy to realize that.

"Here we are- unpack quickly, dinner is in twenty minutes. Put the uniform on right away, you will find it in your closet. You have to wear it all times, and if you get it dirty, you will be forced to wear it until it's laundry day", George told him, opening the door to his room.

Tom looked around in amazement, this definitely beat the dorms at Hogwarts- this room was furnished expensively, and he knew he would sleep very well in the big canopy bed.

"Finnigan, Williams, meet your new roommate. This is…"

"I'm Tom", Tom blurted out, extending a hand to the tall, blonde boy to his right, "nice to meet you."

The boy looked at him like he was a bug, "did no one tell the new boy the rules, George?"

"Apparently not", George sounded displeased, "that is one for interrupting me- and one for speaking out of turn. You will be silent for the rest of the day."

Tom stared at him in shock, "but why…"

"Silencio."

He forced back the tears, not wanting to cry right away, and all three boys gave him a look of contempt, "go unpack, new boy, and pull yourself together. This is not home, no one here is going to cuddle you", the blonde boy said, "I am Aldric Williams by the way- and his name", he nodded at the other boy, "is Quirin Finnigan. I believe he has a relative at Hogwarts…your father's school."

"My cousin Seamus is a fourth grader there", Quirin told him, "any reason why you are here and not at Hogwarts? Seems a little strange to me since the school was literally built by your parents."

Tom shrugged, unable to speak, and Quirin sighed, "I see. Well, hurry up and unpack- I am not willing to get an order mark because you are being lazy."

I'm not lazy! This is stupid!

He was angry, and he did not understand why the boys were being so hostile towards him- he did not know that all new students had to earn their place at first. Tom opened his suitcase, and then he started to slam his clothes into the drawers, not caring much to organize them, and Aldric gave a short laugh, "you better stop tantruming, new boy- and act your age. You are thirteen, aren't you? Has no one ever taught you how to put your clothes away nicely?"

Tom balled his hands into fists, his face flushed with shame. He did try to organize his clothes better after that comment, and later, he silently followed his roommates into the dining hall, his heart beating in his chest. There were so many boys- and they all seemed so at ease with everything, and he felt…excluded.

Dinner was delicious, but he got reprimanded again- for not using his knife correctly, for eating too greedily, and for not keeping his head down. Apparently, new boys had to look down until they got addressed. After dinner, Aldric and Quirin gave him a tour of the building, and he was excited when they showed him the art rooms- the whole reason he was here. He would show them tomorrow how could he could draw, and then they would admire him and stop being so mean to him.

I'll show you!

They took him to George, whose name was actually Sebastian- they all went by last names here- and the prefect made him kneel in front of him, which served as an apology obviously, and then he took the Silencio spell off him. By the time he was laying in his bed, Tom wanted to cry. He missed his family, and he missed snuggling with Aurelius before falling asleep- he had left Bagel at home, telling his Daddy he did not need a stuffie, but he did need him badly now.

It took him forever to fall asleep, and when he got up the next morning, he was tired and miserable. They had to exercise before breakfast, and since it was January, it was cold- but he did not dare to complain, he just went with the others, embarrassed to realize that all of the other boys were much more athletic than he was.

After breakfast, it was finally time for classes- and Tom was so excited about the prospect of drawing that he completely forgot not to speak unless addressed, "what kind of stuff do we draw? I really like to draw Bacon, that's my puppy", he blurted out when he was walking to class with a group of boys his age, and he was surprised when they all started to laugh.

"You think we just spend our time here drawing whatever we want, new boy?", one of them asked, his tone mocking, "I hate to disappoint you- but we only have drawing classes in the afternoon, and before you don't take all the history of art and design classes, you will not be drawing by yourself at all- only under supervision."

Tom stared at the boy in shock, "but then…what do we do in the mornings?", he asked hesitantly, and his face started to burn when the boys howled with laughter, "we have classes, idiot!", a freckled boy told him, "arithmetic, and debating, and creative writing, and a whole bunch of other things- you sound like your Daddy has been pampering you at home all day."

"That's not true, how dare…"

"And that's another one for speaking out of turn", the freckled boy interrupted him, his tone smug, "your prefect is George, right? He'll be putting you under a Silencio for a week if you keep this up- spoiled little prince."

This time, he had to sob- and it made the boys laugh even more, "you going to cry, new boy?"

He would not cry, though- he wouldn't. He could do this. He had to. With that thought, he marched into the classroom, but he was soon in for another unpleasant surprise- noticing that every single boy in his class was way ahead of him. The level at Belvedere was high- and the school was proud of the fact that their test scores were way above average. His head was swirling with all the new information, and he could not even enjoy the art class in the afternoon after realizing that his drawings were mediocre compared to what some of the boys were able to do.

So much for impressing them…

After lunch, Sebastian George put another Silencio spell on him, telling him that it would stay on until dinner, and Tom hung his head in shame, knowing now that this was one of the worst punishments to get at Belvedere, being forced to stay silent.

He dreaded another night tossing in his bed, without the comfort of his stuffie and the safe hold of his older brother, and when time came to go to sleep, he was silently crying into his pillow.

Wanna go home, Daddy! I hate it here! Need you, Daddy!

"Shhh…Daddy is here, sweet boy", and then suddenly, strong arms lifted him out of his bed, and he started to cry loudly when he realized that he was not dreaming- his Daddy really was here, in his room, smiling at him, "I missed you, baby bear."

Tom just clung to his Daddy with all his might, almost blinded by the tears. His Daddy carried him out of the room, humming softly, "I think someone has learned his lesson, hmm?"

He sobbed, "this was…a test? And I failed?"

"You did not fail, Tommybear- but yes, it was a test. I thought I'll give you what you want, so you can see for yourself how difficult it can be to be a big boy- especially when you are not, hmm?", he winked at him, and Tom flushed, "I thought…I get to draw all day", it sounded silly in his own ears now, and Gryffindor chuckled, "I know, my boy."

"And I missed Bacon. And Bagel. And snuggling with you, and Relius holding me at night, and I think I don't wanna be a teenager yet", he blurted out, "I just…wanna go home, Daddy."

"We will, baby bear- and then we'll snuggle, hmm?", his Daddy gave him a soft kiss on his head, and then, they apparated- and Tom wanted to cry with relief when he saw the familiar entry hall of Gryffindor Manor- his home.

I'm home.

His Daddy took him upstairs, and they did snuggle together in his bed- and he listened quietly when his Daddy told him in a low voice how much he had missed him, and what a good boy he was.

"I missed you, too, Daddy", he eventually whispered, "the boys were all so mean- I don't wanna go back there ever again."

Gryffindor just smiled, "how did they act like?"

Tom thought about it for a minute, "like…Relius", he finally mumbled, "like a mean version of Relius. They were all really strict about the rules, and they were all so…serious, and hard working."

"Does that mean they did not laugh or play?", Gryffindor asked, wanting his boy to figure this out on his own, and Tom frowned, "no, they did joke around- and they played after dinner."

"Hmmm…", Gryffindor did not say anything else, and his smile got wider when he saw the lightbulb going on in Tom's head, "they…that's how teenagers act, right? They care about work and being independent, and…maybe they were just kinda mean cause I was new?"

"Smart boy", Gryffindor pulled him into a hug, "my smart baby bear."

Tom beamed, snuggling into the hug, "maybe…I can try again when…I am older?"

"I think that's a great idea, Tommy. You will know when you are ready."

"I love you, Daddy", he was suddenly getting sleepy, "and I'll go to Hogwarts with you- might be fun, actually…and you will be there, keeping me safe."

Gryffindor smiled, and then he gave his boy a goodnight kiss, his heart filled with love and pride at his son and how far he'd come, "Daddy loves you, too, Tommy. I'll always keep you safe, my boy."

EPILOGUE- TWO YEARS LATER

"I am going to miss you, big brother."

Tom turned around and smiled, "you'll be fine, Sirius- Dad will be there, and we will see each other for Christmas- that's only three and a half months away."

Sirius sighed, "I know- and I am happy for you, I know you've worked really hard to get accepted at Belvedere, it's just that Hogwarts will be less fun without you and Aurelius there."

"Well, try to see the bright side- no brothers to boss you around anymore, and you have tons of friends at Hogwarts, and Dad will be the Potion Master this year- finally letting Snape make his wish come true being the Defense teacher", Tom chuckled at that, "I am kind of glad I am not there for that to be honest with you."

"I know, right?", Sirius had to laugh, and then he got up and went over to his brother, "are you almost done packing?"

"Almost- I am going to pack my art supplies tomorrow morning, they are too bulky, and I want to finish one of my paintings tonight."

"The one with the forest?"

"Yes, it's going to be my new masterpiece", he winked at him, and Sirius laughed again. Tom's art had improved drastically since his Dad had allowed him to take private art classes, but his brother was never arrogant about his talent, even though he already won a few contests with his paintings.

The door opened, and Aurelius, the oldest brother entered the room. He was eighteen years old now, and had just graduated Hogwarts with honors. He had decided to focus on a career as a lawyer, and was taking an internship at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement right now, but he would head to a private law school in Scotland soon to get his degree there.

"Almost done packing, Tommy?", he smiled at his younger brother, "are you excited to go back?"

"I am- and yes, I am excited. I know it will be great."

He was a different person now than the wild, stubborn boy he had been two years ago, and thanks to the disciplining and teaching of his parents and older brother, he was now ready to go to Belvedere.

"I know you will be great", Aurelius pulled him into a quick hug, "you are talented, Tommy, and I am so proud of you."

His face started to heat like it always did when his older brother praised him. He still worshipped Aurelius, but he did not need him as much anymore as he had two years ago. He did not need him to remind him about everyday stuff anymore, and he had not corrected his speech in ages now.

"I am proud of you, too!", Sirius added, throwing himself into the hug, "and I can't wait to see you both for Christmas break!"

"I was hoping to see you before that, baby boy- for a Hogsmeade weekend", Aurelius ruffled Sirius' hair, "and we'll write each other, okay?"

"Every week", Tom promised, "and I am going to send you some drawings with each letter."

Sirius' face lit up, "yay! That sounds great! Can you draw Bacon for me?"

The dog's ears perked up at the mention of his name and he gave a quick bark, then went back to sleep at the foot of Tom's bed. He was no longer a playful puppy, but had grown into a rather big, easy-going dog who enjoyed roaming through the gardens of Gryffindor Manor, and he still slept in Tom's bed every night.

"I'll draw you whatever you want, little brother", Tom told him, and then he went and closed his suitcase, "all done. Is it tea time yet?"

"In ten minutes", Aurelius replied, "that was actually the reason I came to get you. Dad wants to make sure all his boys are there for one more tea time before you boys go back to school tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me- I am starving anyways", Tom was grinning, "when are you heading to St. Francis, Relius?"

"In two weeks- but I will be back for Christmas, I'll actually have a break for three weeks", his brother told him while they were walking down the hallway, "the internship has been fantastic so far- and I am glad that Dad is there to mentor me every day."

They kept talking, conversation flowed easy between the three brothers, and their parents were already waiting for them with tea and biscuits when they entered the living room. It was cold for early September, and the fire in the fireplace was burning.

Gryffindor looked at his boys with approval- but this was a different look of approval than he had given them years ago at that meeting where he had agreed to the bet. This time, he felt nothing but pride for his boys. Aurelius had graduated Hogwarts at the top of his class and had gotten a scholarship for St. Francis, a private college in Scotland. Tom had thrived at Hogwarts as well, taking private art classes on the side, and Renard Belvedere had told him that the boy had a very promising future as an artist or architect when he had seen his recent work. His youngest, Sirius, would be a third grader in Hogwarts this year- a popular boy in his class, who enjoyed playing Chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and who was also on top of his class.

"Sit down and eat, boys", he smiled at his sons, "let's enjoy this last tea we have together."

Tom playfully rolled his eyes, "we'll be back, Dad- it's not like you will never see us again."

Gryffindor had to laugh, there would always be parts of his middle son that were blunt, outspoken, and wild, and he would not want his boy any other way, "I know- but I will miss you and your brother, Tommy, not to forget your Dad who will be the new Potion's teacher at Hogwarts. At least I get to see Aurelius for another two weeks until he leaves for college."

"Tom promised to write me", Sirius chimed in, "and to draw a picture with each letter!"

They kept talking, and laughing, and the tea was as delicious as always- and the next day, Sirius and Tom left for school, excited and nervous at the same time, Salazar going with Sirius.

The months until Christmas were flying, and Godric found himself wandering the streets of Hogsmeade one day, quietly humming along to a Christmas song a musician was playing on his violin outside a store. His heart was full- he had just met with Sirius, it had been a Hogsmeade weekend, and it was only one more week until Christmas break- until all three of his boys would be home again. Aurelius loved the independency and freedom he had at college, and he had already hinted at a girl he was liking, and Tom had won another contest, thriving at Belvedere.

Maybe it's time…to let go now.

He stopped walking abruptly, decision made. He took a deep breath, and then he apparated- to the place he had not been in two years. Azkaban.

The guards bowed when they saw him, and he had to tighten his coat, it was freezing in here. They led him to Dumbledore's cell, and if he had not known it was him, he would not have recognized the former arrogant headmaster of Hogwarts. His white hair and beard were sticky with blood and dirt, and he could see the lice crawling around in it with the naked eye. He was thin, basically skeletal, and there was an open wound on his shoulder from lying down constantly, exposing raw flesh with maggots feasting inside it. His lower body parts were covered in excrements, and the smell of it all was horrendous enough that he put a quick spell on his nose, preventing him from being forced to inhale it any longer.

He deactivated the spell with a wave of his hand, but Dumbledore showed no reaction to the fact that he was able to hear, smell, and talk again. He would not let him see or move, though.

"Hey there, Dumbledore. Can you hear me?"

"Grrnnggrr…ggrr", it was more of a grunt than anything else, and Gryffindor smiled. He had expected Dumbledore's mental abilities to deteriorate quickly from being trapped inside his mind, so this was no surprise.

"Have you been behaving for me?"

"Urrgggrrrr!"

"You hungry?", he guessed, "you get fed three times a day, don't you?"

"Rkkkrrrkkk!", it sounded more desperate, and he had to chuckle, turning to the guards, "do you know what he's saying?"

"He probably is hungry- we've been reducing the meals, but he does get treats when he's being good", one of the guards told him, "once he realized that his suicide attempts get punished severely, he's been trying to behave. We even let him smell his own filth sometimes, and whenever we feel like it, he gets to hear and talk."

"How long has he been making those noises?"

"About a year I would say- he is definitely not able to comprehend anything anymore. All he wants is the pain to end and the hunger to stop, that's all he cares about at this point, isn't that right, Dumbledore?", the guard gave him a hard kick into his bloated stomach, and the former headmaster screeched, his eyes rolling wildly.

"Gggkkkrrr!"

"You tell him", the other guard said mockingly, and they both had to laugh.

Gryffindor chuckled as well, but he knew it was time to end this- Dumbledore had been suffering enough, and he knew he could never justify this in front of any court- not that they cared, but still- so he raised his wand, "you won't get any food from me, Dumbledore- but I've got something even better for you. Death. Do you want to die, Dumbledore? Your miserable existence to end?"

"KKKRRGGRRRKK! KKRGRRG!"

He had to laugh, "you understand that, hmm? Interesting."

He had thought about making his death painful, too- but at the end, he decided that Dumbledore had already wasted enough of his time, "Avada Kedavra!"

Dumbledore's eyes instantly stopped rolling, his mouth stood wide open, his body as stiff as it had been for years now. The expression on his face reflected the agony he had been put through for two years, and now it was finally over.

Gryffindor put his wand away, smiling, "Merry Christmas, Dumbledore", he repeated the words he had said two years ago, "looks like you got your Christmas wish after all."

And then, he left- he had Christmas to prepare for, and it was going to be perfect, just like his boys were.


yep...that's it :( hope you enjoyed it, I'd love some feedback!

read you soon ;)

xoxo, Antonie :)