The Green in the Grey

by TheBlack'sResurgence

A prophecy left unfulfilled, a family torn apart by repercussions of war and one child left to a life of neglect. But there were those not content to allow this to pass. Harry Potter may have been abandoned at the end of the war but he will rise to be more than any could have imagined. Minimal bashing, rated M for violence etc. Harry/Tonks, James/Lily Main plot begins GOF

2. The Folly of the Light

A/N

So on with chapter 2 we go. Just to clarify, Dumbledore genuinely believes that he is doing the right thing and is focusing far too much on the prophecy. James and Lily trust his judgment and they are not aware of all of the steps he has taken. They do not know that he has messed with the Dursleys or Sirius. The only thing they know is that whatever Harry is afflicted with is something never encountered before. They only know that Dumbledore is working on trying to fix it but this will be explained more in this chapter.

But Dumbledore is going to get a severe reality check as will James and Lily. Things are about to come undone at the seams and it will leave Dumbledore getting his just deserts for his actions.

There will be some time skips as we go along so I don't have to write several chapters before we get to the main plot. This does mean that throughout the story there will unfortunately be flashbacks but I will keep them as infrequent as possible and they will not dominate the story. I will keep the length of them manageable so that we aren't losing the thread of where we are and what is happening.

Chapter 2: The Folly of the Light (July 1982)

Sirius Black ticked off the final activity on his to-do list with a flourish and grinned happily as he thought back on the last eight months of travelling. He had been to China, he had seen the countries of South America and he had spent much time on the Caribbean Islands shaking off the final vestiges of the war. He could now add India to the list of places visited and decide on where he was to go next.

He shook his head as a familiar feeling of longing overcame him.

Ever since he had left Britain and found himself ready to explore somewhere new he would get the urge to return home. Something in the back of his mind would momentarily scream at him to return. It would still him for some time until he considered the logic behind such a move.

There truly was nothing for him to return to that was pressing.

Both James and Lily were getting some much needed time with the boys after being holed up for so long and he had no family of his own that he wanted to be with. It had been his dream to travel and now that he had the opportunity, he was going to take full advantage of it.

He shook his head as he drew out a second list, a list of places he had yet been. All thoughts of heading back to Britain left as he scanned the countries he himself had written down many years ago.

"Perhaps Japan this time," he muttered under his breath. "Lets just hope Aunt Cassie isn't there this time".

That had been a very unwelcome surprise for the young man indeed. On his very first venture out of his homeland he had somehow managed to run into his wayward Aunt, not once, but twice. The first time had been in China where he had been visiting the Great Wall that he had heard so much about. He had merely been minding his own business when the woman suddenly appeared, demanding to speak with him. He had no desire to do so whatsoever and had fled as quickly as possible. He had apparated directly into the room he was renting and left as quickly as possible after packing his things and retrieving his motorcycle.

A very similar incident had occurred in Peru, much to his chagrin. This time he was sat in a restaurant enjoying his breakfast when the woman had interrupted him, almost pleading him to hear her out. Again, he had managed to escape her clutches. He had nothing to say to the woman and certainly she had nothing to say that he would want to hear. He did not have fond memories of her from when he was growing up in the home of his mother. She had always been too close to his mother or grandfather and the rumours he had heard surrounding the woman did not endear her to him in any way.

He smiled as he decided firmly on visiting Japan. Tokyo was a large city in itself and it would be almost impossible for him to be found there.

He used his wand to pack his belongings and shrink his trunk before making sure his bike primed and ready for the journey ahead.

He reveled in the sound of the engine firing in to life and set off down the Mumbai road, heading into a more rural area so that he could take to the sky.

"Japan, here I come," he thought gleefully.

(BREAK)

Cassiopeia Black had been tracking her errant great nephew for months now and the task she had been set had long ago been trying on her patience. It had now gotten to the point that she wished she had ignored the summons from her brother back in October, but the man was insistent that Sirius be found.

He had explained that something had been done to the boy, someone had attempted and likely succeeded in altering his mind in some way and that was unacceptable to the Lord Black, regardless of his feelings towards Sirius.

She had found him twice, once in China and again in Peru. She had tried to adopt a diplomatic approach to ascertain what it was had happened, but the boy had refused to comply. She had been hesitant to use magic to keep from escaping, but her efforts were to no avail. The second he had become aware of her presence he had fled before she had barely managed to utter a sentence.

This time however would be different.

She would locate the boy, follow him and wait until she could strike. She had her own life to get back to and her plans did not involve stalking a member of her own family around the globe just because he had been foolish enough to allow his mind to be played with.

She steadied herself as the portkey deposited her in the arrival room of the Japanese Ministry. After having her wand registered she exited the building and withdrew the family head of house ring from her pocket, smirking in triumph as it vibrated strongly. The boy was here, now all she had to do was locate him. This time however, she would ensure that he would not get away. She just needed to be patient and wait for the opportune moment.

(BREAK)

Sirius entered his hotel room and threw himself on to his bed, sighing in a mixture of contentment and exhaustion. The day had been a very busy one and his feet were feeling the effects.

He had taken his breakfast at a local café located a few dozen steps away from the very hotel he was staying in. He had never enjoyed pancakes so much but found the Japanese version much more palatable. From there he had visited the Samurai Museum and taken lunch before simply wondering around and basking in the culture of the eastern people.

Lying on his bed in the Japanese capital was bliss. This is what he would have been doing years ago had his life not been sidetracked by the war.

He stretched and groaned as a smile tugged at his lips, putting his memories of the war to the back of his mind. It was done now and Sirius Black could enjoy the freedom he now had guilt-free.

He was pulled from his musings and sat up sharply, the gentle sound of apparation putting him immediately on alert. He briefly managed to glimpse his aunt and all he could manage to do was stare dumbly as the familiar sight of a stunning spell turned his vision black.

"Finally," Cassiopeia huffed irritably.

She had managed to track the man at a local museum and had had a difficult day following him. Though the crowd of people was useful for concealing her, they were equally a hindrance and she had lost sight of him more than a few times. Once he'd reached the hotel, she had thanked the Gods that her task was coming to an end. Or so she believed.

She levitated her unconscious nephew into the single chair that occupied the room before binding him to it. She then flicked her wand several times, placing various wards to ensure that they would not be disturbed.

"Ennervate," She incanted rousing the stunned man.

Sirius groaned as his vision swam before him, his head pounding. He attempted to assuage his throbbing temples but found that he could not raise his arms to do so. He managed to focus on the woman sat on his bed, stating intently at him.

It was a woman he knew only too well. Her thick ebony hair only beginning to be flecked with her first greys and those oddly matching near-black eyes along with the typical aristocratic, pointy features of the Black line had him groaning once more. He remembered her as a short and lithe woman, but he was not deceived by the delicate appearance. His Aunt was not a woman to cross, as many had found out over her decades on this plain much to their own detriment.

She was known to be amongst the most cunning and ruthless when there was something for her to gain and much more dangerous if her ire was provoked. It had been a blessing to the people of Britain when she had chosen to leave the Island, he could remember the conversations well as they rejoiced in the departure of Cassiopeia Black.

"What do you want you mad cow?" he questioned irritably.

Cassiopeia raised a delicate eyebrow in response before hitting the boy with a stinging hex on the thigh causing him to hiss in discomfort.

"My, my Sirius, whatever happened to your manners?"

The man barked out a short laughter of amusement.

"I left those behind the day that sow of a woman cast me out," he spat.

Cassiopeia shook her head and sighed.

"Manners are something that should never be forgotten," She chastised.

"Says the woman who stalks and stuns one of their own blood," he grumbled.

"Hmm, perhaps you're right," she conceded with a smirk. "But I did attempt to approach you twice and you scarpered away like a coward. This is clearly the only way you would listen to me".

"Well what is it you want?" the man demanded again irritably.

"Me? There is nothing you have that I would ever want," She returned with a grin. "Your Grandfather is concerned however that someone has been playing with your mind," she simpered as she tapped his head with her wand.

Sirius began struggling at his bonds, desperate to escape at the mention of his Grandfather.

"So he's sent you to kill me?"

Cassiopeia giggled in amusement.

"My boy, if a Black wants you dead then you'd be dead and be none the wiser," She tittered. "But no, he doesn't want you dead. He only wishes to grant you one last favour before he passes on".

"That old bastard will out live us all," Sirius muttered.

"More than likely," his aunt agreed, the teasing smile never leaving her face. "Now are you going to be a good little boy and let me take a peep in your noggin, or are we going to have to play nasty?"

This time she leered in excitement at the prospect of a battle of the minds but her nephew merely shook his head in confusion.

"What the bloody hell are you talking about woman?"

She sighed over dramatically before tapping his head with her wand once more.

"Someone has been playing little tricks in your head Sirius and your Grandfather wants me to take a look and see why someone would want to mess with your tiny brain," she explained as though she was talking to a petulant child.

"No one has been messing with my head," Sirius denied vehemently.

"Then there's no harm in me taking a look," Cassiopeia countered.

"Will you leave and never come back once you're done?" he grumbled.

"I have better things to be doing than following you around the world boy," she assured him. "On my honour as a Black I will leave you be," she added.

"Fine," he finally conceded. "But no funny business," he warned.

The woman shrugged as she pointed her wand and entered his mind with little more than a whisper.

Sirius felt her presence but is was nothing like any other Legilimency he had ever experienced before. When he was younger and trained by his father, it felt as though a battering ram was repeatedly pounding in to his skull. His Aunt however, simply glided through his mind like a gentle breeze. He knew she was there, he could feel her and he very much doubted he could have forced her out if he wanted to.

The woman emerged only after a few minutes a frown marring her features.

"Well, how very interesting," she mused.

Sirius sighed in annoyance.

"What is so very interesting?"

"Well your mind has been tampered with. A few memory blanks here and there and a few compulsions to go with it," she informed him.

The man shook his head.

"Blanks? Why would I have blanks?"

"You have been obliviated I imagine and the compulsions only add to that suspicion," she shrugged.

The man fell silent and tried to think of when it could of happened, but he only drew a blank. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to himself in any way.

"Well I can unblock them for you or you can live your life in ignorance," Cassiopeia broke in. "Whatever you choose make it quick, I have things to do," she added, flicking her wand and freeing the man from his restraints.

"Unblock them," he demanded, a feeling of concern settling in.

Cassiopeia shrugged and entered his mind once more. She was not particularly fond of the man but she worked accurately and delicately to restore his memories. She left the compulsion in tact knowing that his head would already be pounding and that they would likely be broken when the memories became settled once more.

She vacated his mind and watched him clinging tightly to his head whilst on his knees gasping for air.

"Shit that hurt," he growled as he shakily made his way to his feet.

It was then that his mind was assaulted with the memories that had been wiped from him and pushed somewhere deep into his subconscious. His eyes widened in horror as he was flooded with what had happened and the days following the previous Halloween. He hissed in pain as the compulsion charms broke and his mind was dominated by only one thought.

"HARRY," he screamed.

(BREAK)

Said little boy was currently cowering, quivering and curled up on the floor of his cupboard that had become his bedroom. He ached all over and he was cold and hungry, his ears ringing from the most recent treatment at the hands of his uncle.

Silent tears streamed down his cheeks as he fought the urge to sob aloud; that would only bring further punishment as he had learnt before when he had dared to voice his suffering.

Why was this happening to him?

He remembered the good times with his Aunt and Uncle. They had been forthcoming with affection, always making sure he was well fed and clean. He had his own room where he was allowed to play with his toys or even watch the little portable TV they had brought him.

And now, here he lied. He was beaten, unwashed and covered in his own excrement.

All he wanted was for someone to love him, for someone to take him away from here. He smiled slightly at the thought of a redheaded woman. She had always had a smile for him. Had held him if he cried and always kissed him goodnight before tucking him in.

He remembered the man with the glasses too. He would read him a story and ruffle his hair playfully. He spent lots of time with this man and another.

The other man always smiled. He had long black hair that the little boy could pull and though it hurt, the man never complained. He would simply laugh and comment on his strong grip before pulling him into a hug, eliciting giggles from the boy.

He wished that these people didn't have to go away. He wished that one day they would come for him and give him back his smile.

(BREAK)

The past months had been very trying on one Albus Dumbledore. Too many things had happened that had left him with a constant headache. He pulled at his beard in thought as he leaned back in his chair trying to piece together how everything had become such a mess.

The first issue had been with Harry Potter himself and what he had discovered during his time inside the mind of the young boy. As clear as day he had seen what had transpired that faithful night and all that was achieved was the man being left at even more of a loss. As he had already suspected, the younger sibling had been the initial target of Tom, yet things certainly had not gone to plan; the man had not taken into the account that little Harry would be there or he would have the audacity to interfere in the ritual resulting in the unexpected ramifications. The shock of the man had only increased when Harry had selflessly dived in front of the killing curse, not only interrupting the ritual itself, but also somehow surviving the encounter in some way. This is what had the man worried himself.

The curse should have stripped the life from him immediately but this had not happened. Instead, the elder Potter boy had clung on to his life and at the very least a part of his own soul as his own tests had determined.

It had saddened the older man that he had repressed this particular memory among many others to prevent the boy from mourning a life he was unlikely to ever experience again. From what Albus Dumbledore could now confidently deduce, the boy would have to die for the Dark Lord to truly fall. All that was left now was to determine how many of these soul anchors Tom had managed to create before destroying them and inevitably causing the one in the boy to become much more active and dangerous.

He shook his head, wishing that this were the least of his worries.

Alas, no. On two occasions thus far he had had to visit the relatives of the boy to reestablish the charms he had put in place on the very night he had delivered him to their home. Somehow they had managed to repel against them much to his displeasure. The boy had started to receive some unhealthy treatment because of this but the headmaster had put it right. He had vowed to keep a much closer eye on the situation and take further measures if necessary.

Again he found himself wishing that his problems had ended here but he once more found himself shaking his head in displeasure.

The biggest problem of them all had been the Potter parents themselves. They had been utterly inconsolable at the decision they had initially made to trust the headmaster with their infant son, a decision they had wanted to change almost immediately.

The very moment he had returned from dropping off the boy he had found both James and Lily waiting for him in his office, demanding the return of their boy. It had taken many hours and a few well-timed compulsion charms for the, to return home, once more content that everything was in hand and that he was doing everything possible to remedy the situation.

This had of course all taken place before the true reality of the situation had been understood by the old man and now, too much had happened for him to simply return the boy.

The Horcrux of course was a major factor and something that Dumbledore believed could only be dealt with one way and even his own brilliant mind could not be certain of the outcome. Not only that, it was very unlikely that the Potters would allow such a thing to transpire and the headmaster could not blame them. Who on earth would allow their son to be hit by another killing curse? And one that would have to be taken selflessly at that?

They had been insistent on being allowed to at least visit their son in his new home and usually the headmaster would of course allow this, if the steps he had taken initially had not been so drastic.

He found the only way that he would get the boy to settle into his knew home is if he believed that his parents were dead. He still felt great shame for making such a move, but he had and he'd have to live with that.

He had managed to plant a very vague false memory that would leave Harry believing that both James and Lily had perished during the war. The love and fondness the boy felt for them would have been too strong if left unchecked and would likely have been a catalyst for his other charms to come undone. Adding to this, the likelihood of the memories he had purposely repressed resurfacing would increase exponentially if access to such powerful, emotionally charged memories were to be allowed.

Regardless of any assurances he had made to the parents, their insistence only grew and Albus once more found himself having to take measures that left him feeling even more shameful. They had one day burst into his office, threatening to involve the Ministry if he did not have their child returned immediately. Albus had once again managed to appease them with promises that they would be able to visit the boy.

He instead paid a late night trip to the small home and placed a few charms on their order pendants. The charms would merely amplify the feelings of trust they felt towards the man. Not the most ethical of move in any sense, but Albus felt it was necessary.

It was the next step that made him feel sick with guilt and one that he carried out as what he saw to be a last resort.

Whilst they were sleeping, he managed to implant a fake memory into each of their minds, a memory of them visiting little Harry at his Aunt and Uncles home. The act itself had left the headmaster completely disgusted with himself and sleep had not come easily to him since and he knew he deserved such restlessness. The feelings left with him because of said act could barely touch the surface however of the self-loathing he felt when the pair had entered the office the next morning with smiles he hadn't seen since their school days. They even thanked him profusely for allowing the visit.

A few tears escaped him at this memory and he hung his head in shame.

Albus knew that he was in way over his head. For the first time in his life he felt as though he was at a loss with what to do next. Even the death of his sister, an occurrence that still plagued him, had never left him feeling so lost.

Nicholas flat out refused to speak to him on the matter and there was no one else he could trust with such information without it possibly being leaked.

He had cried almost daily at what he had done, but he was in too deep to go back without the family rightfully hating him for what he had done.

He still believed that his intentions were good and honourable and that is the one thought he found solace in. He had never intended for such a thing to become such a mess, but here he was.

He would of course strive to end the presence of Tom Riddle and he would of course come clean when the time was right. But for now, it was Albus against the world, just as it always seemed to be ever since Gellert had left his side and ever since he had killed the same man all those years ago.

(BREAK)

It had taken what seemed to be an eternity for Cassiopeia Black to even begin to calm down her frantic great nephew. Even then the man rambled about memory charms, the Dark Lord dying and his godson being taken away from him. She had had to resort to giving him several calming draughts and only then had she managed to make sense at what it was he had been trying to tell her.

She had no love for the Potters to begin with but now she found herself furious at the naivety. How could anyone allow their child to be taken away under any circumstances? Let alone on the words of a man of Albus Dumbledore's calibre. She knew things about the man that would make any who would believe such things recoil in disgust and yet, she had never voiced her knowledge to any. It was information that she would only use if the man attempted to wrong her in any way. Fortunately for him he was wary enough of the name Black to not try his luck in that regard. It would end badly for him after all.

Her great nephew however was now a different matter. He was frantic, unpredictable and likely to do something foolish in his current state.

"Sirius, you need to calm down and think about this logically," she explained as calmly as she could, though she could understand his rage.

"CALM DOWN," the man roared. "That wrinkled old bastard did this and James and Lily allowed it to happen".

Cassiopeia shook her head. She did not want to involve herself in this but her upbringing took precedence.

"Family first," she grumbled.

Sirius frowned at her but said nothing. Instead he began pacing back and forth, muttering his plans to himself.

"You are certain that you re his sworn Godfather?" She questioned the man.

He nodded.

"I took an oath by blood and magic. If James and Lily could no longer care for him or for some reason did not want to then he would be mine to raise".

"Then you have the legal right to take him, but that would mean going against Dumbledore," she pointed out.

Sirius growled in fury at the mention of the man.

Cassiopeia sighed.

"Do you know where the boy is?"

"Dumbledore said something about placing her with Lily's muggle sister," he informed her.

The woman nodded her understanding.

"Do you know where she lives?"

Sirius shook his head in the negative.

"I only know that she is in Surrey".

"Well that narrows it down," she mumbled.

She took a moment to consider her options. She could of course simply leave and allow Sirius to do as he pleases. She could then just continue with her own life and travel, though admittedly this had become rather tedious in the previous years. Much of the reason that she was humouring Arcturus with her help in locating the man had stemmed from her own boredom. She could have told the man to do it himself; he couldn't exactly force her to do anything.

The next option brought a cruel smile to her face. The thought of getting the better of the leader of the light held a certain appeal to her. She wasn't particularly fond of Sirius beyond the fact that he was blood, but the boy would not doubt act foolish and land himself in severe trouble. No, what needed to be done would require a mind of cunning and guile and herself along with her brother were perfect for this. Just seeing the look on old Albus's face would make the effort worthwhile.

"Stay here Sirius," She commanded as she stood and fastened her cloak about her shoulders.

"Stay here?" the man questioned furiously.

She held up a hand to halt his protests.

"I will return shortly, I just need to know the name of the muggle sister".

Sirius frowned in confusion.

"It's Dursley I think, Petunia Dursely".

Cassiopeia nodded.

"Wait for me here, I will return once I have found where we are going".

Sirius merely raised his eyebrows in surprise. He didn't know why his Aunt was helping him, but he was grateful for her aide. He himself had no idea how to navigate the muggle world or track someone down. Clearly his Aunt Cassie did and he was not going to bite off his nose to spite his face.

The wait was full of apprehension for the man but thankfully the woman returned only thirty-six hours later looking utterly exhausted.

"Well?" he asked impatiently.

"I found them, but I did not go to the property yet. We don't know if Dumbledore would have put any other wards or protections up so we have to tread carefully," she warned.

The man nodded his understanding.

"Why are you helping me?"

Cassiopeia grinned evilly.

"Because it is about time someone got one over on that self-righteous old fool," she replied, but did not elaborate.

Sirius could only shake his head. He would make a deal with the devil himself if it ensured the safety of his Godson, not that working with his Aunt was truly any better.

"When do we leave?"

"It is only now morning there, we will leave at nightfall, just to be on the safe side".

Sirius sighed and grumbled to himself. He did not want to wait at all but would take the advice of the woman. She was much more experienced in this underhand stuff after all.

"So we just go in and take him," he stated rather than questioned.

Cassiopeia shook her head firmly.

"No, we will check on him only, it would do us no good to provoke the ire of Albus. He is a very powerful man and could make life infinitely difficult for us. What he has done to you is wrong but you will find it impossible to prove and even before you could utter any accusation against him, you will find yourself silenced very quickly," she warned.

Sirius growled a dog-like growl before slumping into his chair.

He did not like the idea of waiting nor did he like the idea of leaving Harry where he was but he could see the benefit of what the woman was suggesting. He needed time to plan, to make sure that himself and Harry could live in peace and have no worries about any long-term repercussions.

The hours seemed to drag and Sirius barely managed to fitfully doze whilst he waited to take action. He had packed his trunk, shrunk his bike and checked everything thoroughly at least a half dozen times in his nervous state. Cassiopeia had fallen into a sound sleep not long after her arrival and had been out for most of the day. She had only recently woken and was now sat sipping on a cup of tea whilst Sirius fidgeted in his chair.

"I believe it would be a good time to leave," she finally announced. "It will do us no good by arriving at the Ministry but I have a way in which we can avoid that".

She removed the head of house ring and offered Sirius her hand.

"I'm not cursed you know," she sighed as he hesitated to take the offered appendage.

The man took her hand in his own and felt the familiar sensation of the hook in the navel as he was pulled into the abyss, his feet finally slamming down on a hard wooden floor.

Sirius shuddered as he recognised the room he found himself in. He had only been here a few times as a young child with his mother and younger brother. The memories here were not pleasant ones. He remembered knocking a vase off of the mantelpiece and his mother punishing him in her own loving way.

He shuddered again and grimaced in distaste.

"Come Sirius," Cassiopeia demanded. "We have things to do," she reminded him unnecessarily.

She again offered her hand that her great nephew took this time without pausing. Once the unpleasant feeling of the side-along apparation had passed, Sirius once again took in his surroundings.

"Who would want to live here?" he muttered in disdain.

All of the houses on both sides of the street looked almost identical. They were all pristinely kept; the grass cut short and all lined with flowerbeds. The only real differences that could be seen were the various preferred door colours and vehicles that sat upon the driveway.

"It's number four," Cassiopeia informed him as she began to lead the way.

Sirius followed, his wand gripped in his hand ready. He wouldn't put it past Dumbledore to have placed illegal wards in the area to detect the arrival of anyone magic. He now wouldn't put it past Dumbledore to do anything he deemed necessary in any case.

The duo arrived at the aforementioned address and Sirius paused at the edge of the driveway. The house blended in perfectly with all the others. There was nothing in place to suggest that a young wizard dwelled here at all.

"Are you sure this is it?" he asked with a frown.

"I am no fool Sirius," the woman hissed irritably. "Let us check on the boy and then leave. I can't sense any wards but Dumbledore is a crafty old goat".

Sirius snorted as he made his way towards the front door, the number four flawlessly polished. He flicked his wand towards the door and opened it with a gentle creek before steeping inside, his great aunt in tow.

He grimaced once more as the overpowering smell of bleach filled his nostrils and he took in the lay out of the house. It was as immaculate on the inside as it was out. The beige carpet was thick under his feet and the light brown walls were littered with photos of the family that called this place home.

He stopped to inspect one of these.

In the photo was a very thin and drawn, blonde woman. She was as pale as an Azkaban inmate but her eyes were not dull. They shined a bright blue, a look full of pride at the bundle she carried in her arms. Very little could be seen of the baby except from a tuft of dirty blonde hair that protruded from the blanket it was swathed in.

He found himself almost laughing at the final occupant of the photograph and probably would have had the situation not been so severe.

The man was enormous; it was a wonder he could have fit into the picture along with the woman. He had very beady eyes, slicked back hair and an overly large moustache. It was the eyes that had Sirius's attention however. In this form they looked rather kind an unassuming but there was something in them that screamed of distrust. It was as though the picture itself was too perfect and the large man shown did not quite fit with such a notion.

Sirius stepped back and found himself faced with dozens of such images. Many were clearly recent additions to the house as demonstrated by the young infant in them, but there were some that predated his birth. The concern was that Harry had been here for many months now and not one photo demonstrated this.

"Are you certain this is right?" he questioned once more in a whisper that was a little strained.

Cassiopeia only nodded firmly.

After a quick glance into the kitchen and living room Sirius began making his way up the stairs, silencing his feet with a quick wave of his wand.

He opened the first room he came to only to be met by the most horrendous snoring imaginable. How anyone could sleep through that, he didn't know. He pulled the door shut once more and continued on his way. The second room he came to was merely filled with toys, toys for a very young child. They were strewn all over said room, enough of them to keep a whole orphanage of children happy.

His frown deepened as he left this one be and noted that there was only one room left.

This one was clearly a nursery, occupied by the same little blonde boy he had seen in the photos about the house, but no other. He turned to exit, now convinced that his aunt had gotten it wrong, Harry was not here at all.

He quickly made his way back down the stairs and found his aunt waiting close to the front door.

"Well?" she asked.

"He's not here," Sirius hissed in reply.

Cassiopeia held up a handful of envelopes as she pointed to the address on the front.

"Petunia Dursley," she pointed out. "Are you certain this is the place Dumbledore said he would bring the boy?"

Sirius nodded confidently as a look of worry overcame him.

If Harry wasn't here, then where was he taken?

"I don't like it," he whispered mechanically. "Something doesn't feel right".

Cassiopeia sighed as she drew her wand.

"Homenum Revelio," she muttered.

She huffed as the results were fed back to her.

"There are four people in this house other than us," she assured him. "One of them is down here," she added with a frown.

"I checked," Sirius, returned, frustration mounting in his tone.

"What about in here?" Cassiopeia hissed irritably.

She was pointing at a door that could only be a cupboard. It was situated under the stairs, a small door with a tiny vent in the top centre.

"That is a cupboard," Sirius deadpanned as he turned back towards the front door.

If Harry wasn't here then he needed to find him. Clearly Dumbledore had second thoughts about placing his Godson here. There was nowhere else he could have been taken however and Sirius knew that. It just added to his frustration as pulled the front door open.

Cassiopeia shook her head at the form of her retreating nephew.

Out of curiosity she pulled the cupboard door open and found her hand instinctively placed over her mouth and nose as the smell of feces bombarded her.

She retched twice.

Once was at the smell that was permeating from the cupboard the second however was because of the sight that met her. Her eyes widened in shock at the state of the unconscious boy within.

Lying upon only a small and filthy mattress was a very thin and pale boy. He was unmoving and Cassiopeia could not even be certain if he was alive. The smell only made the suspicion stronger. From what she could see in the limited light, he was covered in welts and bruises, was underfed and not at all in good condition.

"Sweet Merlin," she gasped.

She herself had never been a maternal woman but the sight of this boy left her equally as upset as she was furious. No child deserved such treatment and she would make them pay for what they had done to the boy, all of them.

Sirius, upon hearing the uncharacteristic exclamation of his aunt immediately hurried to her side and sunk to his nears at the sight.

"Harry," he whimpered as he shuffled forwards completely ignorant of the smell.

He pulled the boy into his arms and sobbed at the sight of him. His tiny body felt much lighter than it used to, his ribs and other bones prominently stood out of his skin and he was covered from head to toe in grime.

He stood with the boy cradled in his arms and dried his tears with one hand.

"I'll kill them," he whispered weakly.

Cassiopeia placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Take him," she urged. "Take him to Arcturus".

"He needs a healer," Sirius bit back hotly.

"We don't know how long it will take before Dumbledore notices he is missing," she growled. "Arcturus will help," she insisted.

Sirius looked as though he wanted to protest as a look of fury formed. Before he could speak however, Cassiopeia interrupted the inevitable outburst.

"The boy is your priority," she chastised him firmly. "Tap it and say home," she instructed as she handed him the ring. "I will deal with these monsters".

Her expression was grim but the smirk assured Sirius that she would indeed handle this adequately. He exited the house as quickly as possible and activated the portkey, Harry needed help as soon as possible.

After Sirius had left, Cassiopeia steadied herself on the wall and allowed a few tears to fall. This was something that would remain with her for the rest of her days. The sight of the boy had affected more than she would care to admit and the thought of what had been done to him filled her with a rage that she had not felt in almost forty years.

She growled as she made her way up the stairs. She knew she could not outright murder the muggles, it would bring too much attention upon the situation and that needed to be avoided as much as possible until a plan was formulated in regards to the boy. But she would be damned if they would ever get another peaceful night sleep in their lives again.

She smirked in pure bliss as she invaded the minds of the two adults in the house. She tinkered around with the most unpleasant memories she could find and ensured they would be repeatedly played over and over again whenever they slept. She then manipulated the minds so that when these were done, they would have only thoughts of being on the receiving end of some of the worst abuse and torture imaginable.

She nodded happily and began humming as she exited the home; pleased that the muggles were now enjoying one of many fitful nights rest.

(BREAK)

Sirius staggered but managed to somehow keep his balance as he was deposited into an opulent foyer, despite the presence of the boy still clutched firmly in his arms. Without even having to take in the house, he knew this was not a place he had visited. Before he could even gather his bearings, he was caught short by a high-pitched yet authoritative voice.

"Whos be you?" it demanded.

Sirius spun only to find himself facing a house elf, reasonably young but with a severe expression on its face.

"I'm Sirius Black," he introduced himself. "Take me to my Grandfather," he requested firmly. "Immediately," he added when the elf seemed as though it would protest.

The elf stared at him speculatively for a moment before nodding and leading the way.

Sirius mutely followed as the impending meeting with the man made itself known consciously. He had not spoken to Arcturus in around seven years, not since he was a schoolboy and the thought of him still made him tremble through nervousness. The man he remembered had a vicious temper if provoked or even if he simply disliked you. He couldn't help the shudder that passed through him but he fought the urge to leave knowing that, in this moment, he needed the man. The boy in his arms spurred him on and he found that he couldn't care less if Arcturus cursed him, so long as he helped Harry in any way he could.

The elf paused as it reached a large mahogany door, but did not push it open. It seemed to sense that this was going to be an uncomfortable moment.

"Master be in theres," he spoke quietly before disappearing with a soft pop.

Sirius knocked gently on the door knowing that if the man behind deemed it to loud or disrespectful, it would provoke his ire.

"Enter," a cold voice allowed.

Sirius swallowed deeply before steadying himself and opening the door. Stepping in, he found himself in what seemed to be an office more than anything else and sat behind the large desk that matched the door was his Grandfather.

The man looked surprised to see him, but only briefly. The look of bewilderment gave way to a stoic mask and Sirius found himself scanned through narrowed eyes.

"Sirius," the older man hissed. "What have you done you idiot boy?" he questioned as he noticed the small child in his arms.

The sound of his Grandfathers voice had the younger Black freezing momentarily before he found himself stuttering out an explanation of everything that had happened since the Halloween night. He couldn't fight the tears as they spilled from him and the boy in arms was only pulled tighter.

He somehow managed to explain the salient points and came to an abrupt stop, breathless and completely exhausted, the feeling of uselessness weighing heavy upon him.

Arcturus allowed the man to vent, it was clear that he was in shock and was about a hairbreadths away from having a complete meltdown. He was furious that the boy had come, he certainly had not intended for it to be this way. But said fury had found other targets the more and more his Grandson spoke and the more he did speak, the more the fury grew.

"And why did you come here?" he asked irritably.

Despite everything, the boy had been cast out and Arcturus no longer had any responsibility for him. Yes, he had his sister locate him but that was only to ensure he was not being used against his will. He was a Black after all.

"He is a Black after all," he sighed internally.

"I told him to come here," the voice of Cassiopeia sounded as she entered the room, looking more grim than Arcturus had seen her in decades. "Do be a good brother and send for a discreet healer," she requested sweetly, though her tone was dangerous.

Arcturus rubbed his temples as the inevitable headache started to form but he summoned his elf to carry out the instructions. By the time he had turned to face his sister she had placed Sirius in a chair with a glass of firewhiskey as she now cradled the boy.

Arcturus shook his head at what he deemed a ridiculous scene playing out in front of him. Cassie had never at all been fond of children.

"You explain to me what has ended with the two of you and a toddler being here tonight," he demanded of his younger sister.

He had managed to catch only snippets of what Sirius had said although most of it had been rambling. He knew Dumbledore and the Potters were to blame for this and the state of the infant but he needed to know everything. He had reluctantly already accepted that he was going to be dragged into this mess, that was made clear by the fact that his sister deemed him necessary to be involved, but he wanted every minute detail so he would know how best to act.

Cassiopeia acquiesced and explained everything from the moment she had found Sirius to what they had found that very evening. Sirius even managed to fill in all the blanks, though he did so in an almost robotic way and only if prompted.

Arcturus found himself pacing and snarling at the situation, though he could not help but be amused that his sister and grandson had defied Dumbledore in such a way. He wasn't sure on how he would deal with that part of the issue but it was obvious what needed to be done about Sirius and the boy.

"So what you have essentially done is kidnap the heir Potter?" he asked with a frown.

Sirius gaped but did not have time to respond as Arcturus continued.

"This is one hell of a mess," he grumbled, more to himself than any body present.

A knocking on the door then interrupted him and he bid the new arrival entrance.

"Arcturus," the elderly man acknowledged as he entered. "Are you alright?" he enquired in concern.

He seemed to be older than the Black patriarch but his eyes were sharp, his awareness had already taken in the three other occupants of the room.

"Tullius," Arcturus responded in kind. "I am fine," he insisted. "It is the child that requires your services".

The haler looked upon the boy in the arms of Cassiopeia and nodded, a deep frown forming on his aged face.

"Same as usual," Arcturus stated firmly as the man gestured for the boy to be placed on the floor.

His response consisted only in a nod of understanding as he began to wave his wand over the child, the rest of the occupants silent as he carried out his work.

"Who is responsible for this?" the man gritted out after a few moments of working.

"It is of no consequence, they have been dealt with," Cassiopeia informed him.

The man nodded in satisfaction and sighed deeply.

"Physically he will recover," he placated them. "He has a few broken bones but it is mostly bruising and malnutrition".

Sirius let out a deep breath of relief.

"Mentally however, this will scar him," the healer warned. "He is old enough to remember this".

He reached into his robes and resized a trunk before pulling out several vials of potions and placing them on the desk.

"He will need two of each daily for the next week," he explained as he gestured to them. "The green ones he will need for two. They are strong doses of nutrient potion," he explained.

Sirius muttered his gratitude as the healer shrunk the trunk and placed it back within his robes.

"Is there a particular reason his magic has been bound?"

Arcturus frowned at the question but it was Sirius that spoke.

"There is," he confirmed nervously. "But the less you know about that, the better".

The man nodded his understanding and cast a few healing charms upon the boy to deal with any of the immediate concerns.

"He will need a mind healer," he said firmly. "Maybe not now, but one day he will need it," he reiterated.

"Thank you Tullius," Arcturus broke in dismissively.

The man took the hint and offered them a bow before exiting the room.

"The reason for the bound magic?" Arcturus insisted.

This was something that Sirius had neglected to explain to either his aunt or grandfather but he readied himself to do so. Both were experts on the darkest of magic and if anything could be done for his godson, these two between them would have the knowledge.

"His scar contains a Horcrux," he said in just above a whisper.

Arcturus exploded to his feet, shaking in rage.

"HE'S A WHAT?" he roared.

Cassiopeia's eyes widened in what would usually be a comic manner if the situation had not been so dire.

"A Horcrux," she whispered in horror.

Sirius could only nod as fresh tears broke free. From their tone he could already tell they were out of their depth.

"And you brought him in my house?" Arcturus hissed.

Cassiopeia held up a hand to calm her apoplectic brother.

"Explain everything that has been done for him," she demanded.

Arcturus looked upon the woman in disbelief but allowed Sirius to explain what he knew.

"So it is best he is left as is," the woman surmised.

Sirius simply shrugged dumbly. He had no idea what they were dealing with.

"Is he safe?" Arcturus asked frantically.

Cassiopeia nodded.

"I believe so as long as his magic and the soul piece stay bound," she said with a little confidence. "If we allow his magic to absorb it, I can't be certain what would happen," she admitted.

"What's the worst case scenario?" he older brother demanded causing her to sigh.

"Worst case is that his magic absorbs the soul and he becomes irreparably possessed".

"So he is little more than a squib," Arcturus grumbled.

"Not necessarily," Cassiopeia mused. "When he is older there is a possibility that his own magic will fight against its bindings and absorb the soul piece no matter what we try. It could be that he is mentally strong enough to fight the possession".

Arcturus snorted.

"That is nothing more than hopeful conjecture," he stated in annoyance.

Cassiopeia sighed.

"It may well be but he at least deserves a chance to live".

"Are you getting sentimental in your advanced years Cassie?" Arcturus questioned, his voice laced with slight amusement.

The woman frowned in response and ignored the mocking of her brother.

"I think I should take a look," she decided. "We can see what exactly it is we are dealing with and also just check on the condition of the boy".

It was not something she was particularly keen on doing but felt that it was necessary. She was more than aware that it was likely she would bare witness to the abuse that the boy had been subjected to but she also wouldn't put it past Dumbledore to have influenced his mind in some way.

"Is that wise?"

The question came from Arcturus who did not appear at all in favour of such a thing.

"Probably not," the woman conceded. "But it is needed".

Arcturus grudgingly nodded.

"Wait," Sirius demanded, a look of deep concern etched into his features.

"I am not going to hurt him Sirius," Cassiopeia assured the man. "But we need to know and I doubt there is anyone more qualified than myself to do it".

Sirius seemed to think it over for a moment before nodding reluctantly.

"Please be careful with him," he almost pleaded.

Cassiopeia nodded as she drew her wand, a determined yet sober look on her face.

"Legillimens," She whispered before her mind was pulled into the void.

She was in there for around fifteen minutes and had started to sweat almost immediately. The two men could only wait nervously for her return knowing that interfering in such a practice could be fatal for both parties.

She eventually emerged, gasping for air and attempted to wipe the perspiration from her brow.

"What did you see?" Arcturus demanded once it seemed she had composed herself.

Her eyes were alight with fury as she heaved a little more, holding up a hand that requested patience.

"Someone has obliviated him several times and filled his mind with false memories. He now believes that his parents are dead and that he has been raised by those monsters for almost his whole life".

The more she spoke the more evident the fury became. She seemed to become aware of this and took a deep breath to calm herself.

"That can be dealt with easily enough but a lot of his memories have been repressed".

Arcturus growled in anger and Sirius wore a look of confusion.

"It means that they will have to be left. If I allow them to surface artificially then it could overwhelm his mind and cause a lot of damage," she explained.

"So we have to leave them?" Sirius stated more than questioned.

Cassiopeia nodded.

"If I undo the obliviations then the memories will come back eventually but it will have to happen in their own time".

"And what about the Horcrux?" Arcturus asked.

"That's the only thing the old fool has done right," she grumbled. "It is bound tight and I added another layer of protection just to be sure".

Sirius sighed in relief and Arcturus nodded, his own plan formulating.

"There is a problem however," Cassiopeia continued. "His magic is strong and the binding on that will not hold indefinitely. At some point it will break free," she warned.

"So it would be kinder to just kill the boy," Arcturus surmised.

Cassiopeia shook her head firmly before Sirius could object.

"If he is trained in the mind arts, it is possible that he himself could seize control of the Horcrux and prevent it from taking control of him".

"Only a possibility," Arcturus pointed out.

"He will need a competent teacher".

Arcturus snorted.

"You mean yourself," he responded knowingly.

The woman nodded.

"I think it would work".

Arcturus looked between his sister and great nephew, lost for words at the conclusions he was drawing and shook his head.

"Why are you so willing to help the mudblood boy?"

"Because he deserves at least a chance Arcturus," Cassiopeia bit back. "And he is family, as distant as that may be".

Arcturus visibly flinched at the word and sighed deeply.

"I don't like it," he huffed. "But what you both do is your choice," he conceded.

He already knew that fighting the pair on this would be a lost cause, his sister was the most stubborn person he had ever met, more so than he. He took a few moments to finalize his plan and nodded to himself. This was a very messy and equally delicate situation but this was for the last person he considered his true family.

Cassiopeia smirked in victory as she could see her brother had already given in.

"Alright," he growled in defeat. "This is what is going to happen, no arguments," he insisted.

The two younger Blacks nodded and waited for him to continue.

"Dumbledore is going to come after you, that is a given," he pointed out. "I want everything you have on him. What we have learnt here is a good start but I want to make sure I can hang the bastard out to dry".

"Done," Cassiopeia agreed.

"You are to leave Britain. There are a few places you can choose from all protected and warded sufficiently by various generations of the family".

Sirius nodded his compliance.

"If that Horcrux takes control of that boy, you kill him, no questions asked," he stated firmly.

"I will do it," Cassiopeia replied.

Sirius knew that she would too. She may have shown some kind of compassion this evening but this was still his Great Aunt, not a woman that would go back on her word once given.

"Finally and most importantly," Arcturus began once more. "You are certain that you are his sworn Godfather?" he asked Sirius.

Sirius nodded confidently.

"Blood, magic and oath," he confirmed.

Arcturus sneered.

"Usually I would curse you for such foolishness but it turns out your stupidity may well be a saving grace for the family".

Sirius frowned whilst Cassiopeia wore a look of surprise.

"What do you mean?" Sirius enquired.

Arcturus ignored the question and seemed to debate with himself for a moment before he rubbed at his right eye furiously with the palm of his hand.

"You will raise him Black," he commanded. "As a true Black," he added sternly. "If the boy proves his worth, if he can overcome what he has to face then he will one day be the Lord Black".

Sirius was stunned momentarily into silence.

"Why?" he asked dumbly.

"You have been cast out and are no longer eligible and the only other option is the spawn of Lucius Malfoy," Arcturus spat. "But there are things that will have to be done first".

"What things?" Sirius questioned worriedly.

"You will have to fully adopt him".

He held up a hand to prevent the boy from interrupting.

"He has a small amount of Black blood but not enough for the ring to accept him," Arcturus explained. "But that is something we can discuss later, I just want your word that you will adhere to my stipulations for now".

Sirius hesitated. He knew that this man would not offer such a thing without gaining from it. His aunt was of the same nature and something did not sit right with him.

"What's in it for you? Both of you?"

Arcturus narrowed his eyes but nodded appreciatively at the question. It seemed that his Grandson was learning to not be so trusting, which would only serve him well.

"Two things," he responded. "I finally get to take Dumbledore down a few pegs and I potentially will have a worthy heir if all goes to plan".

Sirius nodded his understanding and turned his attention to his great aunt.

"It will be an interesting project," she admitted without shame. "It's something never seen before and I get to be the first to study it".

Sirius was not at all keen on her motivations but he appreciated the honesty, even if it was more blunt than he deemed necessary.

"So what happens now?"

"You choose a place to go and you don't come back until the boy is of age, if he makes it that far," Arcturus offered with a casual shrug.

"And you will deal with Dumbledore?"

The older man smirked and nodded.

"And she will be coming too?" Sirius asked, already knowing the answer.

"She will be, it is her responsibility to ensure that he stays safe," Arcturus reminded him.

Sirius shook his head at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"Okay," he finally conceded. "Where should we go?"

(BREAK)

It was three weeks later that the Black Patriarch received a formal missive from the Hogwarts headmaster, requesting an audience with the man himself. Arcturus snorted at the letter in distaste. The time it took for the man to notice the boy was missing stood testament to how negligent he had been in his protection of the Potter boy.

He had prepared everything necessary and Cassiopeia had provided him with even more dirt on the man with whom he would be meeting. The fool could be hung three times over with what he now had and he would indeed ensure such a thing would occur if the man did not comply with his will.

He had heard that the trio had settled in well and that under the circumstances, the boy was doing much better than expected. Cassiopeia had restored the obliviated memories but had left the repressed ones as they were. By all accounts, young Potter was slowly but surely on the mend and had a lot of memories of Sirius although he was rather shy and wary. This was of course completely understandable due to what he had already endured in his short life. He was quiet for the most part but wanting and willing to please so had been happy to take any and all lessons that he was currently being offered.

Of course, with the binding on his magic it was not now nor may ever be possible for him to use his magic practically, but Sirius and Cassiopeia were insistent on teaching him as many as the non-wand subjects as possible beginning with the mind arts. They were the priority after all.

Whatever the chose for the boy was just that, their decision. The only thing Arcturus had promised was to handle Dumbledore and a large part of him was excited at the prospect of having the once thought untouchable man at his mercy.

He smirked evilly at the upcoming meeting.

He had replied to the invitation with an invitation of his own and a portkey. It was after all in his own interest to hold the meeting in his own home where he could control the wards; he did have quite the unpleasant surprise for the man upon his arrival. The Black wards were famous all over Britain and Albus Dumbledore was going to experience one of their functions first hand.

He had taken an immense amount of pleasure in making the Chief Warlock sweat however. He had waited for a few days before even humouring the man with a reply and even then he had made him wait a further three before making himself available. To some it would seem petty but to Arcturus, it was all about controlling the situation. He was not going to cater to the whims of an enemy; an enemy that he knew was extremely dangerous.

The portkey he had provided the older man would deposit him directly into his study and not even give him the chance ascertain where exactly he was. The land was unplottable but Arcturus was taking no risks.

The moment the portkey had deposited the man in front of him he activated a part of the ward protections, a part that would allow him complete authority within the room.

"What have you done to me?" Dumbledore sputtered.

He felt as though he was being pressed tightly on all sides. His magic was no longer accessible to him and he was being painfully compressed as it fought back.

"It will only hurt more the more you fight it," Arcturus replied, his eyes alight with amusement. "You are merely experiencing one function of my wards, it serves to ensure that no attempt can be made on my life or my mind," he finished with a glare.

Dumbledore was visibly sweating now but the pain had receded a little the moment he reined his own magic in. This was not how he had foreseen this meeting taking place but he should have suspected some kind of measures. He had foolishly gotten lost in the relief that the Lord Black would see him. He had not prepared to be on the defensive as he found himself now.

"Now let us get to the reason you are here," Arcturus continued. "In all my days I never once considered I would be sought out by the great Albus Dumbledore. I'm certain that this is not a social visit".

Dumbledore shook his head.

"The Potter boy," he gritted out.

"The Potter boy?" Arcturus questioned dumbly, enjoying seeing the leader of the light in such discomfort.

"Sirius took him, I know it," Dumbledore spoke firmly, but winced again.

"Hmm," Arcturus feigned ignorance with a scratch of his chin. "He may have been here," he added.

"It is imperative that the boy is returned," Dumbledore demanded desperately.

Arcturus shook his head and smirked.

"I think not," he returned angrily, all pretense of amusement now gone.

"Sirius had no right to take him," Dumbledore bit back just as furiously.

Arcturus slammed his hand on his desk and glared at the man opposite him.

"No Dumbledore, you had no right to do what you did," he spat. "Oh, I know everything," he continued. "What you did to my Grandson and what you allowed to happen to the boy," he hissed.

"You don't understand," Dumbledore tried feebly.

"No, I understand everything, I know everything," Arcturus fired back. "I know what the boy is and I know exactly what you did. How did you manage to convince the Potters to give up their son?"

"I only did what was necessary".

"No, you did what was best for yourself".

Dumbledore glared at the man.

"And in what capacity was it that you acted?" Arcturus questioned. "Was it as the Supreme Mugwump or as the Chief Warlock? Because if it was either of those then you will have the necessary paperwork, yes?"

Dumbledore had the decency to at least look abashed.

"You overstepped," Arcturus spat. "And the moment the boys parents gave him up he became the responsibility of one Sirius Orion Black," he explained gleefully. "And I assure you Dumbledore, I have the documentation to prove that".

Dumbledore could only gape in response but inside he was fuming. All of his plans had been completely undone by Sirius and it was because of the boy the world was potentially in danger of a Lord Voldemort resurrected into a much younger body, one that would outlive him with no doubt.

"Now," Arcturus continued as he pulled out a thick folder from the desk of his draw. "This contains every last misdeed and discrepancy that you have ever been a part of," he explained as he placed the file back. "If I even get a whisper of an interference from you or any other I can promise it will be handed over to every last member of the public. Then they will see what kind of man you really are".

Dumbledore snorted in skepticism.

"Do you doubt my word?" Arcturus hissed. "It has everything I can assure you. Every last detail of your relationship with Grindelwald, every single account of those involved in the investigation of your daughter and even a few letters between yourself and the Dark Lord that you supposedly defeated in 1945. A very interesting read I assure you".

The Headmaster was completely staggered by the level of information Arcturus held on him and he knew deep down that the man would use it if he felt the need. He could only hang his head in defeat at the list of revelations.

"What is it you want?" he whispered.

Arcturus shook his head dispassionately.

"You will forget about the Potter boy and you will leave Sirius be," he demanded. "To you, Harry Potter died last October and to you he is nothing".

Dumbledore sighed and nodded reluctantly.

"What do I tell his parents?"

Arcturus shrugged.

"I don't care," he growled. "The day they gave him up the way they did is the day they deemed themselves unfit as parents".

"They didn't want to," the headmaster pointed out.

"And yet they did, on the words of a foolish man such as yourself".

Dumbledore again nodded.

"So Albus Dumbledore, have we reached an accord?"

The older man mulled things over for a moment but finally nodded, knowing that he had been beaten this time.

"Excellent," Arcturus exclaimed. "But one final word of warning," he added with a growl. "Do not test me on this, I can promise you it will end badly should you attempt anything".

Dumbledore snorted.

"Why go to so much trouble for the boy?"

"Because he is family, no matter how distant, he is family and one of the very few I have left," Arcturus returned.

It was clear that Dumbledore did not believe him but voicing his thoughts on the matter would not solve a thing. He had been beaten this time and in truth, the Blacks were not a family he wanted to make an enemy of, regardless of how much they had diminished recently.

"Now that we have established how things are going to be, I shall return you to your school and you and I will have no further contact, just as it has always been," Arcturus informed him. "Do not attempt to find your way back here, the wards will be most unforgiving," he warned.

With the warning being their parting words, he placed a pre-prepared portkey in the hands of the headmaster and watched him disappear. He then poured himself a generous measure of whiskey before slumping into his chair, sighing with relief.

"Fucking goat," he growled.

He finished his drink and penned a note to Sirius and Cassie to let them know that the issue of Dumbledore had now been dealt with but the original stipulations stood. Sirius was not to bring the boy back to magical Britain before he came of age.

(BREAK)

Albus Dumbledore took a deep ragged breath as he was deposited outside the gates of Hogwarts. It took a few moments for his magic settle and he reveled in the relief he felt to feel it flowing normally once more. The trip had been an unpleasant one on all fronts. Not only had he failed to locate let alone retrieve Harry Potter, he had well and truly been blackmailed into submission and could no longer attempt anything in regards to the boy. He now found his position more precarious than ever and had to decide what it was he would do.

He had no doubt that the Lord Black would carry out his threats should he try but that only left him with very limited options. The biggest issue now was with how he would deal with the Potters and he knew he only had two possibilities.

The first would be to come clean about everything and that did not sit well with the man at all. Not only would he tarnish his own reputation but also the parents would demand the return of the boy causing Arcturus to act. No, that would not do at all.

The only other option was little more appealing to the man, but it still presented much work for himself. He would simply have to continue the charade that the boy was well and living with his muggle relatives. He would of course have to make the occasional late night trip to ensure James and Lily would remain compliant with his plans. He did not like the idea of tampering with their memories, he however knew it would have to be this way and just pray that old Arcturus would die and he could somehow remedy the situation further down the line.

He sighed as he made his way back up to the near empty castle already feeling that something would go wrong with his plan. But nonetheless he stuck to it.

Over more than a period of a decade later Albus Dumbledore was continuing his rouse and the Potter family remained ignorant of what had developed and transpired in the intervening time. They believed that Albus Dumbledore was doing everything he could to help Harry and that the boy was both safe and happy without them.

As Albus Dumbledore suspected the first night his attempts had been quelled, things did fall apart and something of this magnitude could only fall apart badly for the headmaster and the unwitting family he had manipulated for so long.

(BREAK)

4 Years later – July 1986

Life with Harry had been even more than a challenge than Sirius Black could ever have expected. The boy was pleasant enough and demonstrated a high level of intelligence, but the abuse he had suffered had left a mark. He was distrustful of most and stubborn to fault, but Sirius could not love the boy any more than he did.

The first year had been the worst. Progress with him was a struggle and the repressed memories had failed to surface in any way. This was still the case but it was now the norm for the man. Harry had recognised him when he woke and that was as good as he could hope for. He had clung to Sirius for the first month as though he was a lifeline but eventually became comfortable in their new home and trusted the man enough to believe that he would not be left again. But no matter how hard he tried, he could not get the boy to even acknowledge the eight months he spent with the muggles. He would simply become silent, almost lost in his own mind.

Cassiopeia had of course been training him in the mind arts almost from the moment the boy had regained consciousness however, he either did not want to or could not confront the horror he had been exposed to. It was frustrating, but Sirius could understand. He too had felt the neglect and abuse at the hands of his mother and father and it was not something he had been able to comprehend until he had been sixteen years old.

He could only wait for the boy to face these things when he felt ready to do so.

At six years old Harry had become curious and began asking questions about his parents. The conversation that followed had been a most uncomfortable one and the little boy had shut himself away for several days, only emerging from his room to take part in meals.

Sirius had refused to lie to the boy in any way. He had always been honest with who he was, who his parents were and why it was Sirius now taking care of him. He had felt guilty at being so honest but he could not bring himself to lie about any of it. He knew that Harry probably felt unwanted but ever since that day he had made all the extra effort to prove his Godson wrong and he felt as though he was achieving just that on a regular basis.

As planned, both himself and Aunt Cassie had been teaching him the basics in all of the non-wand subjects and they were astounded at how naturally he took to most of them. They quickly established that he struggled with Ancient Runes but grasped the concepts of potions, arithmancy and herbology with surprising ease. But it was the former they wanted to focus on now. They wanted him to have a solid grounding in the basics of the four before they would progress him any further. That is why Sirius had decided to take him on a trip to Ancient Egypt. The hieroglyphs were among the easiest to learn and the magical culture here was fascinating for both children and adults alike.

It was his own trip here that had piqued his interest in the subject of runes and he was hopeful that it would do the same for his Godson.

"Harry," he called up the stairs of the home. "We will be late if you don't hurry".

The boy huffed as he entered the kitchen, dragging a large trunk in his wake.

His black locks were as messy as ever and his eyes just as green and bright. Physically, he took more after Lily. He was lithely built and would always be rather wiry but he was tall for his age. His features however screamed James Potter, though his nose was not as bulbous. It had always served as a painful reminder for the former marauder but over the years he had managed to no longer see James when he looked at his son. He was just Harry, his Godson.

"I don't want to go to Egypt," the boy stated as he dropped into his seat and began helping himself to some porridge.

"Harry, we've spoken about this," the man gently chastised. "We are not just going for the runes," he sighed. "We will learn the culture of another country and it will do us both good to get out of Switzerland for a while".

The house that himself and Cassiopeia had selected was in Sion in the south west of the country. It was small enough to ensure their privacy but not too small that they would be completely isolated.

"Fine," the young boy allowed. "But you have to promise to hold my pads".

Sirius chuckled.

Cassiopeia had insisted that Harry be taught to defend himself and had signed him up for boxing classes along with Ju-Jitsu and tae kwon do. This had served to be a very good move as the boy had quite the temper at times and this served as an outlet. It did not hurt that he enjoyed such things and became a dedicated student of the arts. He just wished he would show the same enthusiasm for runes.

"Deal," the man quickly agreed with a smile.

"Is Aunt Cassie coming?"

"I'm afraid not kiddo. She has a lot of things she needs to do, but we will have a good time," he promised.

Harry had grown very close to the woman, which had surprised Sirius to no end. It had taken quite some time for him to initially warm up to her but the time spent on their lessons in mind magic had forged a bond between the pair and now Harry was almost as close to her as he was Sirius. The man would never have believed his Aunt was capable of such a relationship if he hadn't seen it for himself. It seemed that she too had grown very fond of the boy and had stuck to her word with Arcturus. Harry was being raised as a Black, the pureblood customs, family history and the ruthlessness all included.

"We will make sure we bring her back something nice," the boy insisted.

"I don't think we will be allowed to bring back the corpse of a virgin," Sirius mumbled.

Sirius and Cassiopeia may have spent most of the passing years together but that did not mean they had become particularly close. They clashed fairly regularly but both were there in the interest of the boy now glaring at him. There was far too much history between the pair for much of a bond but they had come to some form of silent agreement. They would both do what was best for Harry and they would tolerate each other as much as possible. Sirius was just grateful that she left fairly regularly.

"Sirius," Harry sighed.

"I was only joking," the man replied, holding his hands up in placating gesture.

The boy frowned but returned to his breakfast without another word.

The duo arrived at the Swiss Ministry to catch their portkey, a place that Sirius was very familiar with. Although Arcturus had set up a stipend for the trio, Sirius occasionally took work as a hit wizard. It not only kept him sharp with his wand but also gave him his independence. He would take contracts from the Ministry and hunt down wanted fugitives. Not only did it pay quite well, it was not that much different from being an auror.

"Mr. Black and Godson," a large, blonde Swiss man greeted them as they approached the desk to collect their portkey.

"Morning David," Sirius replied. "How's life?"

"Quiet, just the way I like it," the man replied with a grin. "Egypt is it?"

Sirius nodded.

"Two weeks in the sun," he confirmed.

"Ahh just keep this one away from the cursed tombs," he warned in humour.

Sirius chuckled.

"Best keep the tombs away from him," he returned.

Harry frowned at the two men. He wasn't that bad, though he did have a tendency to end up in mischievous situations. Not that he ever did it on purpose; it just seemed to be his luck to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Just like when he turned his Aunt Cassie's hair blue, even though it was Sirius's fault really. He had attempted to spike Harry's porridge with the potion but the boy had inadvertently sat in a different seat that day. Before Sirius could notice it had been too late and Aunt Cassie had threatened them both quite heavily and refused to speak to either of them until it had worn off.

"We shall see you in a couple of weeks David, have fun," Sirius bade the man as he made sure Harry was holding the portkey before he activated.

After the violent spinning had ended and Harry had pulled himself back to his feet, the first thing he noted was the stifling heat, apart from the horrific sickness he had always felt. Sirius had explained that it was because of the problems with his magic, he just wished he knew what those problems were. It was the only thing that both Aunt Cassie and Sirius would not discuss with him.

"Feeling okay Harry?" Sirius questioned worriedly.

Harry nodded and offered the man a lukewarm smile.

"Fine," he murmured.

Sirius nodded and led the boy from the Ministry. He knew why Harry was not happy right now but he would always perk up after a few hours. This was the one thing Sirius kept from him. He simply could not tell him why his magic was bound or explain the headaches he often fell victim to. No matter how much he wanted to, he just couldn't put him through such horrific news, not yet anyway. The boy was only just nearing his eighth birthday after all.

Harry's mood did indeed improve and the pair managed to enjoy their first couple of days in Cairo just taking in the sights and soaking up some much needed sun. Sirius wanted to allow his Godson at least a little time for relaxation before they approached the main purpose of the trip. He would be less likely to comply if it was forced upon him immediately.

Their respite did come to an end however and on the third day the two were making their way to visit some of the pyramids, the perfect place to study hieroglyphs. Harry had initially not been pleased but had himself become excited at the prospect of visiting the final resting places of the most prominent figures in Egyptian history. He may not have much interest in their languages but his morbid curiosity won out when he realised he would see mummies.

They had spent the day touring the smaller surrounding pyramids before entering the mammoth structure that was Khufu. Harry learnt very little about the ruler himself but found the building to be fascinating, even if Sirius had been intent on him focusing on the hieroglyphs within. It was as they were finishing the guided tour that the duo came upon a man in wizards' robes that the muggles had completely bypassed, seemingly having not even seen the man.

"What's behind there?" Sirius enquired, noting that the man was stood in front of a crude carving in one of the walls.

The man was clearly startled out of a stupor at being addressed but smiled as he took note of the young man and boy.

"Ahh, it has been a while since a wizard has visited this place," he said in somewhat broken English. "I am Fidel, the tour guide of the wizarding portion in Khufu".

Sirius shook his hand and returned the smile.

"As for what is behind here, come," he beckoned.

Sirius shrugged as he led Harry into the deep crevice and down a narrow flight of worn stone steps. They emerged in a large cavern that was mostly empty aside a large table of the same material that was surrounded by runes, a type of rune that Sirius was not familiar with.

"What is this place?" Sirius questioned.

The man shrugged uncertainly.

"We became aware of it some fifty years ago," he explained. "Though we have never figured out its exact purpose. We have had the best historians take a look but even they are completely stumped. The only agreed upon use was that of a ritual room".

Sirius was more than a little intrigued by the mystery of the place but felt a shudder of fear at the word ritual. Rituals were very dangerous things to play around with.

"What about cursebreakers?" he asked with a frown.

"They too have been here but only picked up residual magic," the man replied. "But there was one interesting thing found when the place was first discovered," he whispered conspiratorially.

Sirius breathed a sigh of relief that there was no active magic present.

"What was found?" he questioned wearily.

"Only some text that we have managed to translate," Fidel assured him with a chuckle. "We did find a few golden ornaments on the table also, but nothing of note".

"What did the text say?"

"See for yourself," Fidel invited as he waved his wand towards a large wall, revealing a series of hieroglyphs of the same unreadable variety strewn around the room.

He waved his wand a few more times and letters formed on the floor in front, these in English and made up of flames.

Sirius frowned as he read the translation.

Here we lay to rest the abominations of the foul Greek. No longer will his creations plague our land and no longer shall he be free to taint our treasures. We pledge our souls for the collection of his own and pray that none fall upon his works. Our souls and magic for his and for the cleansing of our precious lot.

"It makes no sense," Sirius muttered.

"Indeed," Fidel agreed. "Although many Greeks have spent time here. Some of their most famous scholars amongst them, even before the muggle Messiah made himself known".

Sirius scratched his chin in thought. Despite not being able to make head or tail of what he had just learnt, it was interesting nonetheless.

Unfortunately for the two conversing adults, they had failed to notice the seven-year-old boy approaching the large stone table and their attention only turned to his direction when a scream of agony escaped him.

The boy was horizontal and hovering a few feet above the table, completely surrounded by a large golden domed shield. Aside from the scream he seemed to be completely unresponsive and had now fallen unconscious.

"HARRY," Sirius screamed as he charged towards the shield. Fidel simply stood in complete shock, his mouth agape.

Sirius reached said shield only to be thrown a dozen or so feet back as he attempted to pass it. He immediately shot to his feet in desperation and began firing every spell he knew to bring it down, but it did not waver even remotely. He persisted however, despite how futile the situation had become. If anything, the shield became stronger with every spell he cast.

"Harry," he whimpered in defeat as he fell to his knees in exhaustion. He hung his head, feeling more guilt than he ever had, tears spilling over.

His attention was once again brought to the golden dome however as another scream sounded, an inhuman one at that. He balked as he witnessed an inky black mass seemingly emerging from the scar of his godson. The mass took the form of a face with red-slit eyes that darted around desperately as it seemed to become aware that it was no longer inside its human host. It pushed frantically against the shield but it could not escape. It instead found itself being enclosed by the golden creation that was now shrinking rapidly, eventually disappearing with its prey with what sounded like a rumble of thunder. As both vanished, the body of Harry James Potter was dropped on to the stone table with a thump and his Godfather was by his side only a few seconds later.

"I need a healer," he roared.

He had found a pulse and with that a sense of relief he never knew could have existed. But it was weak. Harry needed immediate medical attention if he had any chance of surviving whatever had just happened.

"My c-cousin is a healer," Fidel stuttered, still in shock.

"Then take me to him now," Sirius demanded.

The man nodded dumbly and took hold Sirius's arm, apparating them away immediately.

They appeared in a small reception room, painted white with a few chairs lining the walls. The moment they landed, Fidel rushed into an adjoining room calling to get the attention of his cousin.

Sirius found that he was now alone and cradling the still unconscious Harry, too scared to even move.

Fidel returned after only a minute or so with another man in tow. They were conversing frantically in Arabic but it was clear to Sirius that Fidel was making no sense. His cousin grew tired of the rambling ad held up a hand to silence.

"The boy is sick?" he questioned in an accent similar to his relative.

Sirius could only nod and the man gestured towards the room he had just entered from.

"In there and on the bed," he requested in a commanding tone.

Sirius complied and found himself in a room fairly similar to the last though this one contained a single bed with an array of medical supplies. He placed Harry on the bed as instructed and found himself pushed aside by the healer as he set about his work.

He drew his wand and frowned at the results of the spells he was casting. The frown only deepened the more and more he cast.

"What happened?" he asked gently.

Sirius explained as best he could without going into any details about Harry's medical history. The man clearly knew that not everything had been disclosed but he nodded.

"Whatever it was that has happened has left him in a strange state," he began. "His magic is the only thing really sustaining him but it won't be able to for more than a few hours. He needs blood and a lot of it. It has to be of a relations and magical or I am afraid he will die," the healer warned.

"I am his sworn Godfather and we are related by blood, will that suffice?" he asked desperately.

The man nodded.

"It will," he confirmed. "But your blood will not be enough, you would die trying to give as much as he needs," he sighed.

"My Aunt," Sirius whispered. "She will help".

The healer again nodded.

"As you are his sworn Godfather it will work so long as you give it first. Any blood given from your relative after would also be acceptable".

"Okay," Sirius choked. "I just need to send for her. Where are we?"

"We are at Marku's on Muizz Street in Cairo," the man explained. "Ensure that she makes haste, time is of the essence".

Sirius nodded and fired off a patronus, praying that his Aunt would come.

"Whilst we wait, we shall get you hooked up. This will not be pleasant," he warned. "And this will change him".

"Change him how?" Sirius questioned worriedly.

"He will become more of you and whoever else gives him blood".

(BREAK)

Cassiopeia was currently sat with her brother in his office as she filled him in on the progress of Harry. The pride in her eyes was obvious and Arcturus had been teasing her since she had arrived. This had been the first time since the night she had left with Sirius and Harry that she had been back here and she had certainly enjoyed seeing Dumbledore put back in his place in Arcturus's pensieve.

"I never thought I'd see the day," she sighed happily.

"I never thought I'd see the day that you would willingly care for a child," Arcturus replied with a smirk.

Cassiopeia huffed indignantly.

"I will admit that he has grown on me," she conceded. "Both of them," she added with a frown.

"Sirius too?" Arcturus questioned with raised eyebrows.

"He's changed," the woman shrugged. "He seems to have found something to make him grow up".

"It's a shame he didn't do it much sooner," Arcturus grumbled.

Before either of them could continue their conversation they were startled by the arrival of a Patronus in the form of a large shaggy dog.

"Harry needs you, Marku's on Muizz Street in Cairo, hurry," the panicked voice of Sirius sounded throughout the room.

Cassiopeia immediately sprung to her feet, followed by her brother.

"What the hell is going on?" he demanded.

"I don't know, but he knows not to send for me unless it is an emergency," she responded hurriedly.

"Alright, I'm coming," Arcturus, announced as he summoned his elf. "The house is on lockdown," he informed the creature. "We will use the ring, it will take us close," he explained.

Cassiopeia nodded her understanding and took her brothers hand, though she could not fathom as to why he was accompanying her. She was rather familiar with the functions of the ring however and knew it would take them nearby to the man.

(BREAK)

Sirius found himself sat in a chair next to the bed that Harry was occupying with a long needle in his arm that was drawing his blood into a tube. The same tube was attached to Harry in an equal manner.

He flexed his aching arm as the apparatus continued its work, both Fidel and his cousin watching with a mixture of fascination and worry. He was becoming tired and dizzy, the blood replenishing potions not being able to keep up with the amount he was losing to his Godson. It was with a breath of relief that the door opened and admitted his Aunt and much to his surprise, his grandfather.

"What is going on Sirius?" Cassiopeia demanded as she took in the room she now found herself.

Sirius rubbed his eyes tiredly as he explained what had happened.

Cassiopeia frowned as he spoke and shook her head in confusion at the translation of the words he had been shown in the chamber.

"The foul Greek?" Arcturus questioned in just as much confusion as his sister was demonstrating.

"Herpo, perhaps," the woman mused. "How is Harry now?"

"The boy is in magical shock," Fidel's cousin answered. "My apologies I am Marku," he added as an introduction.

"Magical shock?" Arcturus asked.

The man nodded gravely.

"It is rare but happens when someone experiences a severe overload of magic. His own is very unstable at the moment and seems to be fighting a conflict of sorts. It is drawing on his very life force to help but I am afraid it is also killing him," he explained sadly. "The reason for the blood is to give him time. We can only hope it is enough for his magic to stabilize itself," he added with a laboured sigh.

"How long will that take?" Cassiopeia broke in.

The man shrugged uncertainly.

"It is hard to say," he admitted. "But it has calmed since he arrived and is continuing to do so".

"So his magic is no longer bound?" she continued with her enquiries.

The man frowned and shook his head.

"There was no binding," he assured her.

"Then it may have come loose," she whispered worriedly.

"Check him," Arcturus commanded.

"Is it safe to use mind magic?"

The healer nodded.

"It will be no problem, the concern we face is not in his mind".

Cassiopeia drew her wand and approached the boy as she pointed it at him.

"Legillimens," she whispered as she prepared herself for the worst.

Sirius and Arcturus waited nervously for her to emerge. If the Horcrux was still present then it was likely that it would not be Harry who was waking up, this was something they had ascertained long ago.

She returned to them a while later with a look of both shock and surprise on her face.

"It's gone," she whispered. "There's no sign of it. That must be what you saw pulled from his scar," she theorised.

"We won't know for sure until he wakes," Arcturus interjected. "Do not celebrate yet".

A somber silence fell amongst the group for a while until the healer noticed Sirius was turning a dangerous pale.

"You must allow someone else to take over, you have almost nothing left to give," he warned the man.

Sirius nodded reluctantly.

"Is it safe for me to do this?" Cassiopeia asked without hesitating to take her great nephews place.

"It is," the healer confirmed once more. "He is a blood relative of you now".

Cassiopeia frowned as she took her seat.

"Does this mean we have blood adopted him?"

"In a way I suppose that is correct," Marku mused aloud. "But we cannot be sure what will happen. A blood adoption usually uses only a few drops of blood," he explained.

"You mentioned earlier that it would change him," Sirius reminded the man. "Could you be more specific?"

Marku shrugged.

"I doubt physically he will change much, perhaps he will take on some of your family traits, but I cannot be certain," he offered. "It is more likely that the stronger parts of his own magic will remain and he will take in only the parts that will increase his strength, but again I am only giving an educated guess".

Sirius nodded his understanding or lack thereof.

"We can only wait and see and keep praying that he does indeed wake".

The group continued their silent vigil by the bedside of the young boy, waiting for his magic to stabilize. Much to the surprise of both Cassiopeia and Sirius, Arcturus opted to give his blood next once it became clear the former needed a rest.

"If he's going to have our blood, he'd be better served with the strongest we have to offer," he explained with a chuckle of amusement.

Cassiopeia rolled her eyes at her brother whilst he equally rolled up his sleeves to take her place. Sirius would have found the entire situation bizarre had he not been so worried for Harry, but he did not have time for such frivolity. Marku had insisted on checking Harry every thirty minutes for progress and his smile widened more each time he did so.

"It is almost at a stable level," he finally announced after almost 7 hours of switching between the three elder Blacks being hooked up to the machine to give blood.

The next several hours were spent in trepidation. Harry's magic had stabilized not so long after Marku's penultimate check but he had not woken yet. The healer had ensured them that he was physically fine for the most part and that he should wake soon.

The boy began to stir slightly and the three Blacks immediately gathered around his bed, both Arcturus and Cassiopeia having drawn their wands also, just in case.

Slowly, but surely his eyes fluttered open and the trio gasped as he looked upon each of them individually.

Instead of his usual emerald orbs, they found themselves looking into a gaze of silvery-grey, the eyes of the Black males for as many generations as ever documented.

"Are you okay, little prince?" Cassiopeia asked hesitantly.

The boy rolled his newly coloured eyes in exasperation, just as he always did when the woman referred to him with his hated nickname.

"I'm ok Aunt Cassie," he replied a little hoarsely. "Just tired".

Cassiopeia smiled in relief as she hugged the boy tightly.

"Then you go back to sleep Harry," she encouraged. "It's been quite a day".

The boy smiled as he snuggled into his blankets and was asleep almost immediately as the adults stared dumbly at one another.

"What does this mean?" Cassiopeia finally questioned.

"It means he will be alright," Sirius answered with a beaming smile.

"It means I have my heir," Arcturus growled triumphantly.

After thanking the healer and his cousin for their assistance, Arcturus placed a sizable bag of gold in each of their hands.

"We were never here, " he stated warningly.

Both men nodded their understanding.

"You were never here," Marku readily agreed. He very much doubted anyone would believe a word of it should he of been inclined to share his experience.

"Get a hotel," Arcturus advised. "We will be gone by morning once the boy is rested".

Both men left the room quickly to give the family some much-needed privacy. Marku would not return for two days, just to be sure and Fidel decided to take a long leave of absence from his job. He certainly never wanted to be experience anything like that again.

"What do we do now?" Sirius asked his older relatives.

"We stick to the original plan," Arcturus said sternly. "The only thing that changes is that you can now teach him practical magic," he added with a grin.

Cassiopeia followed suit with a smile of her own.

A/N

Another one in the bag and the next chapter will be the beginning of the main plot. There will of course be a significant time skip but any necessary gaps will be explained in flashbacks (As short as possible as promised) This one was quite the ride and I hope that this gives a little more direction to where the story is going. (Bonus points for those who can now see where the inspiration for the title came from. HINT it will be a characteristic of Harry's)

Anyway, Follow favourite and review as always and of course you can PM any questions or ideas. (Any recommended fics to read are also always welcome)

TBR