Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Prince of Tennis!

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...

"Back already, Echizen-san?" Ishihara Yuika asked when Hari entered the examination room at the hospital. He was the same doctor who had checked her shoulder and the one who had treated her when she had the bruised rib. He was young and had a friendly smile and sharp eyes behind a pair of round glasses.

"Hey, doc," Hari smiled slightly. "Sorry to bother you."

He smiled back and shook his head, "well, at least you know what to do."

Hari sat down on the examination table and watched as her dad fretted around her while Ryuzaki was calmer. She sighed.

"Calm down, Otou-chan," Hari said. "I'm fine."

"You're back at the hospital again," Nanjiro scowled at her.

"It's no big deal," Hari rolled her eyes. "I said I didn't need to go to the hospital."

"We need to get your knee checked out," Ryuzaki said calmly.

"So, it's your knee this time?" Ishihara intervened.

"Yes," Hari nodded. "I got hit with a couple of tennis balls and had to keep running on it. I guess it hurts a little."

Okay, so maybe a little more than a little, but she didn't want Nanjiro to worry too much. He was already looking rather pale.

"And your chin?" Ishihara asked as he came closer and poked at her knee.

"Another tennis ball," Hari said. "I'm fine."

Nanjiro huffed and folded his arms over his chest as he looked at the doctor at work.

"You sure seem to get into trouble a lot, Echizen-san," Ishihara commented looking up at her.

She shrugged because she knew it was true. Though, the trouble she got in here wasn't anything like the trouble she got in back at Hogwarts, so she didn't mind it. This was just sports injuries, and it would heal.

Ishihara examined her knee and then moved up to take a look at her chin before moving back to his desk and typed on his computer.

"What's the verdict, doc?" Hari asked. "Otou-chan will go crazy, or crazier, if you don't tell us soon."

Nanjiro scoffed at her, but she just smiled back and heard Ryuzaki snort amused.

"You'll be fine," Ishihara said, looking over at her. "I want you to use crutches for a couple of days just to give your knee a rest but it's only a minor sprain. Nothing serious."

Hari grimaced, "I had hoped to avoid the crutches."

"Sorry," Ishihara said, but she didn't think he sounded sorry so she mock glared at him.

"Fine," she said.

"And the bruise on your chin will fade away with time," Ishihara said. "Does it hurt?"

"Not much," Hari shrugged, "just feels a little stiff and sore."

Ishihara nodded.

"So, did you at least win?" he asked.

"Yes!" Hari grinned. "I did, and the team won the final!"

"Congratulations," Ishihara said. "Then I guess you're on your way to celebrate?"

Hari nodded.

"Don't push yourself too hard," Ishihara ordered, "but have a good time."

"Thanks, doc," Hari said.

...

Hari frowned as she waited for Nanjiro and Ryuzaki to finish the paperwork. She leaned on the crutches that Ishihara had given her and grumbled slightly, knowing that the others would give her their concerned looks when they saw the crutches. She sighed. She didn't like making them worry… Well, at least it was only for a couple of days…

Her mind drifted over to Seiichi, and she couldn't help but worry. He had not talked to her after the match and from what she'd seen had kept away from the rest of his team during the medal ceremony as well. He had seemed… different.

Had losing affected him that much?

Something wasn't right, and it nagged at her, but she wasn't sure how much she should press. Was it too soon for her to call him?

She pulled out her phone and was disappointed when she saw that he hadn't called or texted her. She hesitated for a moment before she found his contact information and hit the call button. She wanted to hear his voice.

The phone went straight to voice mail, and she put the phone back in her pocket with a deeper frown. What was going on? Well, maybe he just needed some time to digest the loss. She could understand that… and respect it.

"Ready to see the others?" Ryuzaki asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Hari smiled and nodded before groaning as a pair of strong arms surrounded her and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Otou-chan…" she groaned.

"My girl is the best!" Nanjiro grinned. "You played well today, Hari-chan!"

"Thanks," Hari blushed but pushed at him. "Now… let go before I pass out."

Nanjiro pouted but let go and she felt the air return and gasped lightly.

"Seriously," she said. "I need air too, you know."

Ryuzaki shook her head as she watched her former student with his daughter. Their bickering went on to the car, but it was amusing and fond, and Ryuzaki knew that Nanjiro was both proud and worried.

"I don't like that she keeps getting hurt playing tennis, coach," he'd told her when they had worked on finishing the paperwork.

Ryuzaki knew that, and she didn't like it either. And the fact that Nanjiro had called her coach and not an old hag like he normally did, told her just how serious he was and how worried he was.

Unfortunately, she didn't have an appropriate answer for him and knew that this was a part of the game. Though, Hari did seem to get injured more often than the others.

...

Hari and Ryuzaki arrived a little late for their normal after match celebration at Kawamura's sushi place. Even from the outside, they could hear the laughter and excited chatter coming from the restaurant and a note stating the place was booked for the rest of the day.

"Ready?" Ryuzaki asked.

Hari nodded with a smile, and Ryuzaki opened the door and waited for Hari to go inside.

"Hari-chan!"

"It's Hari-chan!"

"You're back!"

Hari was immediately surrounded and hugged or patted on the shoulder.

"You okay?" Ryoma asked, eying the crutches.

"Fine," Hari said. "It's just a minor sprain."

"The crutches?"

"Just to give my knee a rest," Hari reassured.

"She will be fine," Ryuzaki assured them and Hari pouted slightly when they only seemed to relax then.

"Mean…" Hari muttered but smiled when Kaido led her to a table and pushed her down so she could sit. It was a little awkward to sit down because it was on the floor and her knee was stiff both because of the sprain and also because of the bandage.

"What can I get you, Hari-chan?" Kawamura's father asked kindly.

"Oh… um, surprise me," Hari grinned. "Your sushi is the best!"

"Thank you," he laughed. "I'm glad to hear that you are fine, Hari-chan."

She smiled at him, and he started to work on the food.

"We won, nya!" Kikumaru cheered.

Hari watched as they talked and laughed and joined in as well, but her thoughts also went to Seiichi again, wondering where he was and how he was doing. She wished he had stopped to see her before leaving the courts. She had seen Sanada look after him before looking back at her, and she'd seen the worry in his eyes too. He had gone after Seiichi though, so she wasn't sure what he was thinking either.

"You okay?" Fuji asked as he sat down beside her and gave her a look.

"I'm fine," Hari said again. "Just thinking."

"About Yukimura?" Fuji asked.

Hari shrugged and took another sushi.

"He seemed a little rattled during your match," Fuji commented.

Hari frowned and nodded. She had noticed.

"Yeah," she said quietly.

Fuji looked at her for a moment but didn't say anything else about it but changed the subject to talk about the match itself instead of her boyfriend. She appreciated it because she didn't really want to talk about Seiichi right now. She was too worried, and it didn't feel right to talk about it like this.

...

Seiichi stood outside of the sushi restaurant. He had a hand on the door but hesitated. He wanted to open it and enter to see her, but something held him back.

"You should have talked to her, Seiichi," Sanada had said when he had caught up to him. "She was looking worried."

Could she really have been worried or was it just Sanada trying to comfort him? How could she be worried about him now? He was the one who had decided to have Kirihara playing against her, and she had gotten hurt.

What kind of boyfriend was he?

He heard the laugher from inside. Should he interrupt their celebration like this? Uncertainty was not something he was used to feeling, and he didn't like it. He inhaled deeply before he slid the door slightly opened and looked inside.

He saw her right away. She was seated at one table closest to the door, her back was to the door and he saw the way her knee was supported on a pillow and a pair of crutches was lying behind her. She'd gotten hurt enough to need crutches? Fuji was also beside her and he could tell that they were talking.

He watched for a moment longer, the rest of Seigaku cheering and having fun faded into the background as he watched Hari and Fuji, but mostly Hari. She was smiling, but she also seemed sad and he wondered if it was because of him? Maybe she was thinking about how to end it.

Would she break up with him?

He swallowed before he closed the door without going inside. He just couldn't face it right now. He turned and walked away feeling his heart twist heavily in his chest at every step and everything in him told him to turn around and talk to her but he just couldn't… he couldn't.

He didn't say anything as he got back to his aunt and uncle's house and made his way to the room he used there. He closed the door and sat on the bed and thought.

...

"You look tired," Sirius commented when he saw Hari the next day.

Hari just shrugged and sat down at the bench beside Sirius. She hadn't slept all that well, having gone over the match repeatedly and worried about her boyfriend who still didn't return her calls or her texts. She was getting angry too because she thought they had agreed to at least tell each other if they needed time.

Had she done something wrong? Was he angry at her now because they won? But that went against everything she knew about him. Seiichi wasn't the type to hold something like this against anyone… so why did he ignore her?!

"How's your knee?" Sirius asked.

"Fine," she muttered. "Don't hurt that bad, and I had a potion I got from my social worked. It took most of the pain away too."

"Good," Sirius said. "But you still have the crutches?"

"It's mostly a prop," Hari said. "In case someone who doesn't know about magic sees."

"Ah, I guess you have to think about things like that," Sirius said.

He looked at her and saw the pensive look in her eyes as she looked over the shrine. He wondered what she was thinking about but wasn't sure he should push her to talk. He didn't like the uncertainty he felt around her. He should know how to talk to her or get her to talk, he should have worked out how to get her to talk and if he had been the one to raise her like she should have been in the event of James and Lily's… death, then he would have known that.

"I need to tell them about you," Hari suddenly said and looked away from whatever she had been looking at and over at him.

"Your family, you mean," Sirius stated.

Hari nodded, "I can't lie to them, Sirius. At least not if you plan on sticking around."

He heard the question and hope in her voice and he couldn't help the smile that crossed his lips as he picked up on it.

"You want me to stick around?" he asked.

Hari looked at him and nodded, "well, yeah. But that might not be safe…"

Sirius nodded, "I know. I wished it would be, though."

Hari sighed and leaned back slightly.

"But still… I want you to meet Otou-chan and Okaa-chan," Hari said. "You'd like them, I think."

"They seem nice," Sirius said before grimacing at the vague words.

"They are," Hari nodded.

"You trust them, Hari?" Sirius asked seriously.

Hari was silent for a moment and Sirius knew she was thinking hard.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I do."

Sirius wasn't sure what to do or think. He wanted to meet Nanjiro and Rinko, well meet them officially and not as Padfoot. He wanted the chance to talk to them and get to know them so he could really be reassured that they cared for Hari.

But could he take the chance to meet them? Well, he had magic, so it wasn't like he couldn't get away if he needed to. He looked at Hari who was watching him closely and he saw the nerves in her eyes but she didn't say anything. He knew right then and there that this meant a lot to her and he couldn't say no.

"Okay," he said. "I would like to meet them."

Hari smiled relieved and hugged him. Sirius hugged her back, thinking that agreeing to meet her adoptive parents was worth it if she reacted like this. If he could make her happy like this, then he would meet the Minister of Magic himself.

...

Hari scowled as she pushed the phone back into her pocket after another failed attempt at getting a hold of Seiichi. Just how well could that boy hide? She grumbled to herself and she walked or rather hobbled on the crutches toward his aunt and uncle's house. Sirius was beside her as Padfoot (of course) and kept giving her looks that clearly showed he thought she was being foolish for walking like this.

"Hey, Hari-chan!" Minoru called, having just come out of the house with a bag thrown over his shoulder. He waved.

"Hey," Hari smiled slightly, trying to catch her breath. It was tiresome to walk a longer distance on crutches. "You're on your way somewhere?"

"Training," Minoru smiled. "Why are you here?"

Hari swallowed and looked up at the house and saw Kasumi appearing in the doorway. She smiled when she saw Hari.

"Um… I was wondering if Sei-chan was still here," Hari said a little uncomfortable.

"No," Minoru shook his head. "He and the team left this morning."

He had left?

Hari gripped her crutches tighter as she tried her best to push back the hurt and confusion she felt back.

"Oh… I see," she said forcing a smile.

"You have to hurry, Minoru-chan," Kasumi interrupted. "Or you'll be late."

"Ah! Sorry, Hari-chan! See you later," he said, and with a wave and smile, he was off.

Hari watched him run down the street and ignored the eyes from Seiichi's aunt that was watching her.

"He's hurting," Kasumi said quietly. "Give him some time and he'll come around."

Hari glanced at her and nodded. She wasn't sure what to say, and she wasn't sure she could say anything without her voice cracking, and she didn't want to show Seiichi's aunt how hurt she felt right now. It wouldn't be right…

"Okay," she finally managed.

"Are you okay, Hari-chan?" Kasumi asked and glanced down at her knee.

"I'm fine," Hari said. "The crutches are just to give my knee a rest, and only for a couple of days."

"Good," Kasumi smiled. "Do you want to come in and rest for a bit?"

"No, thank you," Hari said. "I should get back… I just thought I'd check if I could catch Sei-chan before he left. Ryo-chan is waiting for me, anyway."

"Okay," Kasumi said.

Hari nodded, and with a forced smile started to make her way back.

...

Hari's mind felt like it was spinning out of control with thoughts about Seiichi and Sirius. She was getting angry, or maybe she had passed the getting-part and gone straight into the angry part because why did Seiichi ignore her like this?

What was with the pained look he'd given her during the match the day before? He had looked so upset… why? And why was he ignoring her? What had she done wrong?

Well, she knew it had to do with Kirihara too. He had played rough, but it wasn't like Seiichi didn't know that about his own teammate… was that why he was upset? But he hadn't even checked to see how she was… so maybe not? But then what was his problem?

And then there was Sirius, who she knew she should introduce to her family as fast as she could. She knew she owed them an explanation and that they should know that the dog that had shown up wasn't really a dog. She also knew that she had told Sirius that she wanted him to meet them and while that was true she also knew it wasn't the entire truth.

She was scared.

She was scared they wouldn't understand or listen. What would she do if they didn't listen? What if they told her to turn him in? Would they ask her to do that?

She couldn't do that. She knew she couldn't. Even if they were the ones asking, and if they got him caught… She frowned. She wasn't sure what she would do then. Was that something she could forgive?

Was it a chance she was willing to take?

She had told Sirius that she trusted them… and she had meant it. Hadn't she?

The question made her pause, and she groaned as she fell back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Sirius barked from his position on the floor, but she ignored him.

What should she do?

Should she tell Sirius that she had changed her mind? That he should leave? Did she want him to leave?

No, not really. She kind of wanted the chance to get to know him… but did Nanjiro and Rinko really need to know that the dog they knew as Snuffles was really a wizard named Sirius Black and her godfather? Was that necessary? They didn't really need to know, right?

But she wanted them to know. She knew that deep down she wanted her family to know Sirius and to know about him and his part of her life because without them knowing all of this felt wrong. She had enough secrets from them, with her concerns about Voldemort and the dreams and everything she had done back at Hogwarts. She didn't want Sirius to be a secret from them too…

What should she do?

...

Rolling off the bed, she moved over to her desk and pulled out the journal she had gotten from Ron and Hermione. She needed to talk to someone.

Hari: Hello!

Hari watched her words and waited. Maybe they weren't near the book yet… maybe they wouldn't be there to talk to. But then she saw words appear on the page.

Hermione: Hey, Hari! How are you?

Hari: I'm fine. How are you?

Hermione: I'm fine, just finishing my homework for the summer. I can't believe it's almost over now and we're going back to Hogwarts soon.

Hari: A lot has happened this summer, huh?

Hermione: You could say that. So, how is your tennis going?

Hari paused, wondering what to say. Her mind went back to Seiichi…

Hari: We won the Kanto Final yesterday against Rikkai Dai.

Hermione: That's Yukimura's school, right?

Hari: Yes…

Hermione: Congratulations, Hari. Did you play?

Hari: Thanks. And yeah, I played Kirihara.

Hermione: I wish I could have seen it. Do you know that Fred and George have tried to recreate tennis on brooms?

Hari: They have? That sounds fun! Though, I'm not sure how it would work properly.

Hermione: Ron said it looked a little ridiculous.

Hari: Haha… I bet.

Hermione: So… why did you really contact me, Hari?

Hari: Padfoot is here.

Hermione: Already? Well, I'm not too surprised. He was determined to find you.

Hari: Yeah… he showed up a few days ago while I was at training camp with the team… he showed up in front of them as Padfoot. Attacked a bear-man who tried to attack me.

Hermione: Bear-man? Attack you?! Are you all right?

Hari: I'm fine… it was just a man who had dressed up as a bear in order to rob the cabins in the area… It was nothing big, really.

Hermione:… okay, I think I will just take that explanation even if I know that your "nothing big" is normally an understatement of what really happened.

Hari: You're so mean...

Hermione: Real mature, Hari. So… Padfoot?

Hari: Right… he's here. In my room at the moment and keeps giving me looks.

Hermione: Have you told Nanjiro and Rinko?

Hari:… no? I want to, and I've told him I was going to, and that I wanted him to meet them.

Hermione: did he agree?

Hari: Yes… but what if they don't react well? What if they tell me to turn him in? What if they get him caught, Hermione? I don't know if I can take the chance…

Hermione: I can understand that… it's difficult.

Hari: What should I do, Hermione? I don't know what to do…

Hermione: I can't tell you that, Hari. It's up to you to decide what you want, but I think you can trust them.

Hermione: And you have the benefit that they're not magical so they don't have the same fear of him as witches and wizards do. They haven't spent years fearing him, so that's on your side in this.

Hari: Guess so… but Rinko is a lawyer.

Hermione: Then she will be interested in why he didn't get a fair trial and see the injustice in that.

Hari: that's true…

Hermione: I can't tell you what to do, Hari, but you need to decide. If he's going to stick around, then they should know… they would notice that he doesn't really act like an actual dog should over time.

Hari: I know… okay, I'll tell them like I had decided to do. Thanks, Hermione.

Hermione: Of course. Contact me again soon, okay? I want to hear more about how your tennis match went and everything that's happened since we left, and how Padfoot is. Okay?

Hari: Okay.

...

Hari felt calmer after having talked to Hermione. It helped to have talked to her even if it was over the pages on a journal. She looked over at Sirius, who seemed to sleep. She smiled slightly as she looked back at the journal and put it back inside the drawer she kept it in.

The doorbell rang, but she ignored it.

"Hari-chan!" Nanako called up. "Your tutor is here!"

Hari blinked, and she glanced at the clock. It was almost three, and she remembered the tutoring she was supposed to be doing and that they had agreed to push the time to later in the day because of her tennis match the day before.

"Coming!" She called back down as she jumped to her feet and grabbed her books. She couldn't believe that she had forgotten about it! She looked at Sirius, who had raised his head, "stay here. He's a wizard and I don't want him to see you."

Sirius nodded but didn't look too happy about it.

"Echizen-san," Kasuya said when she came down the stairs.

"Kazuya-san," Hari said back.

They walked to the office and sat down. Kazuya immediately pulled opened the books and eyed her, so she hurried to do the same.

"Defence Against the Dark Arts," he said. "It's your best subject if I'm to understand you correctly."

"When we had a decent teacher," Hari nodded. "Which was only third year…"

Kazuya hummed, "well, it's a more practical subject. Or it's practical in a different way than the others. I have talked with Akiyama Yuko and she agrees that having you practising duelling will be beneficial."

Hari blinked at him, "you want me to learn how to duel?"

He nodded, "have you had any duelling lessons before?"

Hari snorted, "sort of, but our teacher was a fraud. He didn't really teach us anything other than the disarming charm… and that wasn't really him either, but rather Snape."

She grimaced, remembering the potion teacher.

"Well, then I guess we will start at looking at spells that are useful during duels," Kazuya said.

"Okay," Hari said, thinking that learning more about this wouldn't be a terrible idea and she was a little surprised that he brought it up.

Two hours later Kazuya ended the lesson and Hari felt her mind spinning with everything he had gone over and tried to remember it all.

"Good work, Echizen-san," he said.

Hari smiled slightly and nodded back. She watched as he put his books away and with a curt goodbye left.

...

Hari was barely aware of the concerned looks she'd gotten through dinner, but no one had called her out on her distraction. At least not yet. Her mind was going back and forth between Seiichi and Sirius, and she knew there was very little she could do about Seiichi at the moment.

Her eyes fell on Sirius, who was lying on the floor by the door to the living room. He had his head resting on his paws, and eyes closed. He didn't look nervous, but she knew he had to be.

"I have something to tell you," Hari said breaking the silence and caused the others to look over at her.

"Why don't we go into the living room?" Rinko asked.

Hari nodded and got up watching as Sirius raised his head and got up as well and stretched his back arching upward making him look larger than before while he yawned.

Hari followed her family into the living room, knowing that this was important in more ways than she could imagine. She had a feeling of change and her stomach did some strange flip-flop as she again wondered if she was doing the right thing.

No. She would not question herself anymore. She had made her decision, and she would stick to it. She looked at Nanjiro and Rinko, the ones who had taken her in and didn't even question their decision. From the moment she had shown up they had welcomed her and pulled her closer, they had done everything they could to make her feel home and safe. They never pressed to get her to tell them what had happened before she left; they never made her feel like she didn't belong.

She knew that it was more than she had a right to expect from them. Few people would open their homes as they had without question. After all, they had only known her for a summer when she was eight years old. They didn't have any obligations to her, but they had taken her in, regardless.

Hari loved them, and she trusted them.

She looked at Ryoga and Ryoma. Both were looking at her curiously and she felt a wave of affection wash through her as she looked at them. Her brothers… Ryoma had been special to her since she first met him. He was the first how had looked at her and really seen her. He had offered her friendship without question and offered her belonging in a way she hadn't known until she met him. He had been a comfort to her even in the years they hadn't talked (stupid Dumbledore) and when she found out he hadn't forgotten her and had tried to keep in touch she had latched onto him as a safety net and escape from her life in Britain.

In truth, he had been her brother since she first met him, even if she hadn't had the words to put on her feelings for him at the time.

Ryoga was someone she hadn't known for that long in comparison with the others, but he still was someone important and had found his ways past her defences. Maybe it was because he was a part of this family and therefor someone she had an easier time to trust, but mostly it was because he looked at her like he wanted to protect her.

When had someone looked at her like that? Everyone always looked at her to protect them, not the other way around. But Ryoga didn't… he had become her big brother without even trying to.

Nanako was kind and always offered her smiles. Hari hadn't spent too much time with her, but she still saw her as family. Nanako was often busy with her own schooling or helping Rinko around the house.

"Um… I guess it is about Snuffles," Hari said.

"Snuffles?" Nanjiro blinked and looked at the dog. "Your dog?"

"He's not…" Hari started before trailing off and frowned.

"I don't mind you keeping him," Nanjiro shrugged.

"As long as you take care of him," Rinko said.

Hari shook her head, "it's not… I don't…"

"Then what is it?" Nanjiro asked curiously.

"He's not a dog," Hari blurted and then winced because that was not how she had intended to say it.

"Excuse me?" Rinko asked.

"Did you say that he isn't a dog?" Ryoma asked confused. "He's clearly a dog… what other animals could he be?"

"Maybe a beast," Ryoga offered, looking at Sirius, who looked mildly offended. "He's large enough at least."

"He's not a beast," Hari rolled her eyes.

"I'm confused," Nanjiro said. "If he's not a dog, then what is he? Is it a code for something?"

Hari grimaced and watched them closely for a moment before she looked at Sirius who looked back at her and after a long moment he grew and soon Sirius stood there in his human form.

"What…?!"

"Eh?!"

Nanjiro jumped to his feet as he stared wide-eyed at Sirius while Rinko had put a hand to her chest as she stared at the man who suddenly appeared in place of the dog.

Ryoga and Ryoma both jerked back startled and wide-eyed stared at the man with half-long black hair and grey eyes, the same grey eyes as the dog they noticed. Nanako also startled, and her eyes were wide as she stared at Sirius.

"Hello," Sirius said calmly, though his eyes were wary as he eyed them all and they could see the tension in his shoulders. "Nice to meet you."

Hari knew that if the situation hadn't been so serious then he would have enjoyed the shock he was causing.

"A dog turned into a man," Nanjiro said stunned before his eyes narrowed and he looked from Sirius to Hari and back again. "And what does a dog pretending to be a man or is it man pretending to be a dog do around my daughter? What kind of situation is this?!"

Sirius frowned slightly.

"I'm not a dog," he said. "I'm a man."

"A wizard," Hari offered.

"And why are you around Hari?" Nanjiro glared stepping forward and seemed very severe and unlike his usual cheerful self. "What's your deal?"

Sirius scowled back at him. "I'm not doing anything!"

"Hari-chan?" Rinko asked. "Maybe you should explain before things get out of hand…"

Hari swallowed and nodded.

"He's my godfather," Hari said, "Sirius Black."

"Godfather?" Nanjiro repeated, looking between them.

"Yes," Sirius said. "I'm her godfather. Her dad was my best friend."

"And a dog…" Ryoma commented. "How is that possible?"

"Magic," Hari said. "It's possible for witches and wizard to learn how to turn into an animal at will. It's what we call an animagus and Sirius is one."

"Strange," Ryoga said.

"And you knew who he was from the moment he showed up at the training camp?" Ryoma asked.

"Yes," Hari said. "I knew."

Rinko sighed and looked between them and then over at Nanjiro, who was still frowning as he stared at Sirius.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Ryoma asked looking a little hurt.

Hari grimaced and looked at Sirius who looked wary again and Rinko noticed that he fidgeted a little.

"It's a long story," Hari said carefully. "And… It's part of the reason I was suspended from school."

"He's the reason you got suspended?" Nanjiro asked.

Hari shrugged, "kind of."

"I am sorry about that," Sirius said.

"I know," Hari said looking at him and smiled slightly.

"Okay, sit down so we can talk," Rinko said and eyed Nanjiro when he made to protest but then sat down with a sulk and glared at Sirius.

Sirius sat down when Hari gave him a pleading look.

...

"Hari-chan," Rinko seemed to take the lead, and it relieved Hari because Rinko always kept calm and wouldn't overreact. "What's going on?"

Hari took a breath and looked at Sirius and then back at her family.

"It's a long story," Hari said. "And… I don't know how to start, really."

"Start with what he's doing here," Nanjiro said gruffly.

"I came looking for Hari when I heard she was missing," Sirius said and scowled back at Nanjiro. "I had to know that she was safe."

Nanjiro frowned, "missing?"

"I haven't exactly told anyone in the magical world where I am," Hari muttered. "You know that, though."

"But if he's your godfather, then shouldn't he know?" Ryoga asked, looking between them.

Hari grimaced.

"I was… unavailable," Sirius said, glancing over at Hari.

Hari sighed, "it's complicated."

"You're being vague," Rinko said. "Hari, you need to tell us."

Hari nodded, knowing that she was vague but unable to stop herself. And while she had prepared herself, she found it was harder than she thought. The words didn't seem to come, and she hadn't really intended to just have Sirius shift in front of them like that. It had probably been a little too blunt, but she just hadn't found the words to explain.

"Sirius was my dad's best friend," Hari said glancing over at Sirius who looked down sadly. "Are you okay with me telling this? You could wait somewhere else…"

"I'm fine, Hari," Sirius said. "I should be here if they have questions…"

"Fine," Hari said and looked back to the others. "So, they met when they were 11 years old…"

"At the train to Hogwarts," Sirius said. "We became best friends right away."

"When they finished school and dad married mum, Sirius was his best man," Hari said. "Then when they had me, he became my godfather."

"The least they could do having made me watch James running after Lily for almost all of Hogwarts and making a fool of himself while she called him an arrogant toe-rag," Sirius grinned. "It was hilarious, though."

Hari glanced at him and blinked. "Eh?"

"Yeah, your mum only agreed to date James when they were in their seventh year," Sirius said. "Until then she thought he was arrogant and spoilt. Which he was."

"I see," Hari said a little stunned. She hadn't known that… "Um, well…"

Sirius looked at her and smiled sadly, "sorry, Hari. I'll be quiet now."

...

Hari continued to give them an explanation of Sirius story, she kept some details about Voldemort vague because she didn't want to go into that discussion or have them knowing too much about him just yet or at all. But she told them how her parents had been killed and how Sirius had been blamed for the betrayal of them and arrested before being thrown in jail without a trial (Rinko had interrupted and asked questions about that and frowned).

She explained how Mr Weasley had warned her that Sirius had broken out of prison to kill her (and had to reassure them that he hadn't) and that she had found out by accident that he was her godfather by overhearing her professors talking about him.

Hari then explained how she had first met Sirius with Ron and Hermione at the Shrieking Shack (and had to explain why she hadn't gone for help from an adult when Ron had been dragged away by a large then-unfamiliar dog).

Hari had been hesitant to explain about Remus being a werewolf, but Sirius had done that and told Hari that Remus would understand and not blame her for spilling his secret. She reassured them that Remus was kind and not evil and was relieved to see them accept it.

Then she explained how they had forced Pettigrew to transform from his form as Scabbers into his human form and how he had pleaded, begged, whined and made excuses for selling her parents out and tried to get Hari to show him mercy.

Nanjiro had been particularly angry at the rat and had paced back and forth on the floor until Rinko finally got him to sit down and shut up. She had been listening intently as Hari told them her story.

It was tough to tell them about the escape of Pettigrew and how Sirius had been caught and the Dementors; she shivered when she told them about the Dementors and tried her best to ignore the echoes of her parents dying in her mind and she saw Sirius shivering too looking even paler than before.

"Wait," Rinko said, and Hari paused. "You mean your headmaster told you and Hermione how to save Sirius?"

"Yes," Hari said. "He told us to use Hermione's Time-Turner and go back to save Sirius and have him escape on Buckbeak."

Rinko frowned again or rather her frowned deepened she looked very unhappy.

"And he couldn't have done something himself?" she asked.

Hari shrugged, "don't know"

Rinko huffed but didn't say anything else as she motioned for Hari to continue.

Hari told them about the use of the Time-Turner and how she and Hermione had gone back in time to save Sirius and how they had freed Buckbeak and waited until they got out from the Shrieking Shack again. She told them how she had driven the Dementors away before flying up to the Charms classroom to free Sirius and how he had used Buckbeak to fly away while Hari and Hermione had made it back to the hospital wing without being seen (luckily).

...

"That's… some story," Ryoga said looking from Hari to Sirius who had been mostly silent as Hari had talked. He was tense and looked ready to run at any moment, but he was also calm as he met Ryoga's eyes.

"It's the truth," Hari said and looked to Rinko and Nanjiro almost pleadingly. "I couldn't let them give him the Kiss when he was innocent, and they would not listen! They didn't listen when we tried to tell them what had happened and I had to do something!"

"I understand that," Rinko said after a moment and Nanjiro nodded in agreement looking unhappy as well and his arms were folded over his chest.

"This is why you were suspended?" Nanjiro asked, looking at Hari with a frown.

"Yeah," Hari mumbled. "Fudge needed someone to blame, and he blamed me. It was clear that I believed Sirius to be innocent, and he claimed that I had allowed him to escape, or at least prevented the Aurors from arresting him again."

"And this is the Minister of Magic?" Ryoma asked with a frown.

"He's more of a joke," Hari grumbled. "But yeah."

"And he has the power to do that?" Ryoga asked. "Can the Ministry interfere at your school like this?"

Hari shrugged, "not normally no, but he did something to make it possible. Used a loophole in the laws or something that said that if the headmaster was seen as unable to make a fair decision the Minister of Magic could step in and do it instead."

"But why would Dumbledore be unable to make a fair decision?" Nanjiro frowned.

Hari sighed. "Who knows? They said that he was more like my grandfather or something because he has shown more interest in me than others, it's not true, of course, but that was the excuse they used and Dumbledore didn't really protest it too much. I don't know why."

"That can't be legal," Rinko frowned. "I know I don't know magical law, but if that's legal then…"

She seemed unable to find words to describe what she meant, but it was clear anyway. Hari just shrugged. She had accepted what happened and was rather pleased with the results. Without that happening, she wouldn't have been there when Ryoma's letter had arrived and she wouldn't have known he was still writing to her and thinking about her. She wouldn't be here if she hadn't been suspended.

"And not even getting a trial," Rinko continued looking over at Sirius, who blinked as he looked at her. "That's not good! There has to be something you can do about that! Everyone has the right to a trial when they face criminal charges."

"I don't really know what to do," Sirius said. "If I can capture Pettigrew again, then I would have proof they can't ignore and it might be enough to prove that I'm not guilty or get them to listen, but without it… they would rather hide it away and refuse to listen to a word I say."

Rinko furrowed her brows as she watched him and Hari could tell that she was thinking hard about this, but she didn't say anything else for now.

...

"And you came here for Hari?" Nanjiro asked. "How did you find her?"

"I found Ron and Hermione," Sirius said, glancing at Hari before looking back at Nanjiro who was eying him contemplatively. "I heard they had gone on a vacation and thought it strange, so I went to visit them. I was there when they arrived home and got them to tell me."

"Did you know he would come?" Ryoga asked Hari.

"Hermione told me," Hari admitted. "I wasn't sure when, though."

"And I came here for her," Sirius said, going back to answer Nanjiro's first question. "I wanted to make sure she was safe and happy."

"So you're not here to take her away?" Nanjiro asked.

Sirius looked at him for a moment before he sighed.

"No," he said. "I know you've adopted her, Echizen-san. I am aware of that, and I am not in a position where I can keep her safe. I know that, but I had to make sure she was safe, and that she was happy with you. Ron and Hermione told me she was, but I had to see it myself. And… I want to be in her life, even if it can't be anything other than a visit now and then."

Nanjiro nodded slowly and looked over at Hari who was still feeling tense but she had started to hope and it didn't really seem to be going too badly. They had listened and asked the right questions, and while she could tell that they were a little apprehensive, it didn't seem like they were panicking.

So, all in all… good.

...

Rinko offered the guest room for Sirius, who was a little hesitant to accept it, but when Hari had looked at him with a pleading look, he had accepted it. Hari knew she would need to be prepared for him to tell her it was time for him to leave, but right now she was just relieved and happy that he would stay for a little while longer and that her family had accepted it as they had.

She knew they probably would have more questions later, and that she had opened up a door to her past that she would be unable to close again. She had seen the worry in their eyes and the questions when she had talked about her parents. She hadn't gone into details about how they had died before, and now that Rinko and Nanjiro knew that they had been killed… well, she suspected that there might be questions.

Back in her room and prepared for bed she found that her thoughts returned to Seiichi who still hadn't called her back or answered any of her texts. She sighed and closed her eyes… she couldn't think about it right now. She just didn't have the energy to think at all anymore.

...

...

AN: What do you think? XD

Next chapter will be up soon! Then there will be more Seiichi! XD Promise ;)

Thank you for reading! :)