AN: Thank you all for the support! It is very deeply appreciated!

Peter swore Jesus had never fully forgiven him for denying him three times. What other explanation was there for being roped into dealing with Sirius Black?

"I don't know much about Cormac, but I know he needs to be stopped!" Sirius exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, but there's little we can do."

"Maybe you can't do anything, but I can!"

"True, you could give Hermione advice on how to handle this situation and have Severus relay it."

"No! I need to haunt him until he regrets ever laying eyes on her!"

"Your job is to help, not haunt, people."

"I am going to help Hermione by haunting Cormac."

"You will do no such thing."

"But if I haunt Cormac until he leaves Hermione alone, she will be happy. Isn't my mission to make her happy?"

"Her happiness will not be gained if you intimidate everyone who harasses her, regardless of how abhorrently they are behaving."

"I disagree. I think keeping Cormac away from Hermione would contribute to her well-being."

"While I agree that he is troubling her and he is a creep…"

"That's putting it mildly."

"We do not interfere in such matters."

"Can't we make an exception?"

"No, it is not our job to do things for the living."

"Why not?"

"Because then they would become dependent upon our powers for every aspect of their life. They would never learn to resolve their own problems, which would cause them to miss out on some of the triumphs in life. This could negatively affect their experience of heaven."

"How?"

"To begin with, they would not appreciate eternal peace if they got everything they ever wanted with the snap of their fingers. Heaven would be the same as earth."

"True, but that shouldn't be a big of a problem."

"It wouldn't be if that didn't affect how they interact with each other too."

"I don't understand."

"Most souls past a certain age want to feel as if their lives had meaning. This meaning is often found by overcoming obstacles and creating good from the evil they've been given. It is through overcoming obstacles that they can relate and respect each other. If this is taken away, they won't be able to build these important relationships."

"I'll relate much better to other souls if I can get Cormac to leave Hermione alone! I could solve all her problems if I could just get rid of him!"

"I know, but the Pilot Purgatory Program was not designed to solve all her problems, only give her the tools to find her own sense of eudaimonia."

Sirius scowled. "I still think this is the best way to do it."

"Okay," Peter gripped his golden staff tighter. "Let's pretend that souls have always had the ability to interfere in earthly matters and could intimidate anyone who is behaving immorally."

"That would be a perfect world."

"Oh really?"

"Yes."

"How exactly would you have felt if Severus cried to one of us when he was hanging from that tree, knowing that once he did so we would wreak havoc upon your life?"

Sirius' eyes widened as his glow went white.

"I do not believe you would have appreciated our interference."

"This is completely different."

"How? Cormac is harassing Hermione, and you were bullying Severus. Why should we ignore him and help her?"

"Because he was," Sirius' glow pulsated. "Because he was into the dark arts, a Slytherin, and very unpleasant. He deserved everything I gave him!"

Peter pointed his staff at Sirius and turned orange. "It is this exact reasoning and self-righteousness which has earned you a millennium in purgatory!"

Sirius cowered.

The saint's glow returned to its regular hue. "It is painful to watch a loved one suffer. Every soul in heaven knows that. There is so much evil in the world, many of which we wish we could prevent, and would if it were permitted. Still, we have rules which must be followed. If we begin to allow exceptions, then the system falls apart. As unjust as it seems, the system must be maintained."

"So it's fine to allow people to suffer for your precious system to work?"

"You weren't complaining about our system when you were calling Severus, 'Snivellus' and firing hexes at him. Why is it so abhorrent to you now?"

Sirius snarled as he became red. Peter's expression did not change.

"St. Peter, what an unexpected surprise."

Both spirits' eyes fell on the newcomer. Severus strolled over to the couch and took his seat.

"You have a partner," Peter returned his attention to Sirius. "Work on this problem together."

"What problem?" Severus groaned.

"I am certain that Sirius will be more than happy to explain."

Before either of the spirits could respond, St. Peter raised his cane and disappeared.

After a moment of silence, Severus shook his head. "What have you done now?"

"I tried to make Hermione's life perfect, but St. Pete wants me to follow some stupid rules," Sirius snapped.

"Please tell me you did not do anything to jeopardize our mission."

"How can I? All I can do is sit back and watch Hermione. I can't interfere or even talk to her!"

Severus leaned against the arm rest of the sofa.

"I can't protect her or haunt those who want to hurt her."

Severus' eyes widened. "Someone wants to hurt Ms. Granger?"

"Yes."

"What is that supposed to mean?

"There is an absolute bastard, Cormac, who is harassing Hermione."

"Cormac McLaggen?"

"Maybe, I don't know his last name."

"I'm sure it's him. Mr. McLaggen had quite the crush on Ms. Granger."

"For how long?"

"I am not entirely sure. I wasn't paying attention."

"And here I thought you were a super spy."

"Honestly my most vivid memory of Mr. McLaggen is him vomiting on my best pair of shoes."

Sirius smiled. "Really?"

"Yes," Severus replied. "He got a month's worth of detention for ruining them."

Sirius smirked. "Usually, I'd yell at you for being an unjust professor, but Cormac is such an arse I am fine with you giving him a detention for any reason."

"He must have been quite the threat to Ms. Granger if he has you agreeing with my teaching methods."

"Believe me, I still think you're the most unjust professor who's ever walked the halls of Hogwarts."

"And I think you're among the most dunderheaded students who ever graced its halls."

"Then we're even."

"Indeed."

Sirius' glow dimmed. "In all seriousness, he is harassing her, and I cannot haunt him away."

"You were going to haunt someone for harassing Ms. Granger?"

"If it got him to stay away from her, it might have brought her some happiness."

"I will admit that would improve her overall contentment with life."

"In other words, she'll achieve eudaimonia if we get her away from Cormac?"

"It could get her closer to it," Severus scratched his chin. "Though I'm still suspicious with how straightforward this mission is."

"Would you stop worrying?" Sirius replied. "All we need to do is figure out to get rid of Cormac, make her potion, and then we'll be in heaven."

"I will be in heaven. You just get a few years shaved from your sentence, and then it's right back to Purgatory."

"That's a technicality. Once they see how well we achieved our mission they'll beg us to walk through the pearly gates."

"That's assume you don't muck this up."

"I figured out the Cormac part of the equation. That's already some progress."

"True."

"Now all we have to do is figure out how to get rid of him without haunting him."

"I will admit to being at a loss for how to help." Severus slumped.

"I suppose you would have difficulty since you've never had a suitor, much less an unwanted one."

Severus furrowed his eyebrows.

"In my experience, the best way to get rid of an unwanted advance is to fight back or find someone else who will fight back for you."

"It's been made clear that we can't fight for her, and I am certain Ms. Granger is more than capable of fighting him off if things become too out of control."

"She seemed meeker when he was speaking with her, like she was less sure of herself then she was before we died."

"Why would she be unsure of herself?"

"I don't know." Sirius mused aloud. "I suppose it's our job to find out."

"Which means that since I can talk to her, that task falls to me."

"Pretty much."

"Do you want me to begin counseling Ms. Granger to get to the root of her alleged deep seated pain? I'll ask her to lie on a couch while I sit on her armchair. I'll write some notes on a clipboard while she talks about how her dad did not love her enough." Severus asked

Sirius' eyes bulged. "Please tell me that is a joke."

"Partially, though if you think that would work…"

"No, no, no. We need a new plan."

"What would you propose?"

"I don't know."

Severus tapped the armrest. "I propose that we analyze the situation more carefully before making a final decision, unless you feel Cormac is an immediate threat."

"No, she's probably not in any physical danger."

"Then observe how she interacts with people and any clues she can give as to why she feels inadequate. In the meantime I will help her with the potion and if the conversation allows me to, I will ask her if there is anything else I can do for her in addition to this potion."

"That could work."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Did you just agree with me without a hint of sarcasm?"

"No, I'm just too tired to argue."

"How can you be tired? Spirits cannot grow weary."

"I'm a special spirit who gets tired."

"Of course you'e special. How could you be anything else?"

"I couldn't be."

Severus sneered and turned from Sirius.

"Before St. Pete came, I was reading The Trial of Socrates. Can I have it?"

"You are more than capable of coming over here and picking up a book, though I may give you the one you desire."

"Seriously? You're going to give me a grammar lesson?"

"Proper grammar is a virtue."

"Maybe to a stuffy professor like you," Sirius muttered.

Severus handed the book to the other spirit.

"It actually isn't as boring as I thought it would be." Sirius opened the book.

Severus grunted and picked up a red book entitled, The Timaeus.

"I still don't know what any of this has to do with eudaimonia, but at least it's something to do."

"If it keeps your mouth shut for a few minutes then I am eternally grateful for your newfound interest in Greek philosophy."

"You know what I think?"

"You are capable of thinking?"

"I think you like talking to me more than you let on." Sirius grinned.

"I think you make Dante's Purgatory look downright pleasant."

"You can always quit the program."

"I do not like leaving projects undone."

Sirius' voice was quieter. "Is that all this is to you, a project?"

"What do you think?" Severus turned the page.

Sirius' glow brightened as he began to read. Although it was unlikely Plato would offer him any clues on how to handle Cormac, it was a nice diversion. Sometimes, that was the sweetest thing one could ask for.