Author's Note:

I do like the way that I have Sirius in my head so I do tend to write his character similar in every story I have concocted. He was one of my first fictional crushes (along with Nat Eaton from The Witch of Blackbird Pond, if anyone is curious).

Anyway, I got this written after work today as well as three random scenes that have been bugging me, but I don't know where they fit into the story yet so they are on hold.

Reviews and Comments: To Matelle: Thank you! I can definitely picture Sirius doing this as well. To gabbywatts017: Thank you! I'm so happy to hear that you are so invested in my universe! To E-Dett: Thank you! It was a fun chapter! To darkhk: Always love it when a chapter makes someone grin the whole time. Yes, Harry will have some ptsd from the Dursleys. It will be addressed in this chapter below. To Queen Helen: I completely agree that Ginny's cake was triple chocolate (what else kind of cake is there). Ginny received a stuffed animal of a dog, sidewalk chalk, and bubbles from Harry. Thank you! To M: Nope, there really is never a dull moment at the Burrow lol. Yes, if Molly ever finds out that Sirius helped the twins, she will definitely kill him. To lojosmom: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed my mini history! I wanted to give the Weasleys some family and who doesn't love Fred and George, really. To kirsty21: Thank you!

And to those asking about the Death Eaters still being strong, I just want to reiterate that the Death Eaters weren't acting so strongly after Voldemort it was more those that refused to believe that Voldemort was gone. The Longbottoms were the last big incident after his "defeat," but those that refused to believe it were still trying to prove to their Dark Lord that they were loyal. I always imagined that within a few months, it was mostly cleaned up and the people that the Death Eaters were going after were those they knew were loyal to Dumbledore — in my head, by January of 1982 it was pretty much over. However, I think that Dumbledore, who didn't truly believe Voldemort to be gone, would have tried to keep the Order of the Phoenix up and running in an attempt to find out where he went and what he was doing, but after two years of nothing, the Order scattered.

Thank you very much for reading and please, please review!

Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you!

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR:

The One With the Bad Dreams

Spending the day with the Weasley Family had been fun. Harry loved it and from the moment they left, he'd rattled on and on to Sirius all about Ron — who collected Chocolate Frog Cards, loved to read some comic about Marvin the Mad Muggle, and liked to play with the garden gnomes. About Ginny — who loved to have fun, prank her older brothers, and who adored Bill completely. Harry told Sirius about how he helped her prank the twins near the broom shed. About Luna — who was Ginny's best friend from the village, and how they loved to play outside and climb trees, and dance. Luna was nice and she liked to talk about all sorts of strange things that Ron and Ginny claimed weren't real. She had kind of a dreamy expression a lot and she also like to play with the garden gnomes.

He was excited to see them again and Sirius had promised him that Ginny, Ron, and Luna could all be invited over soon. They ate dinner and Sirius got Harry's bath ready for him. Remus dropped Marauder off on his way home just in time for Harry to go to bed.

As Harry crawled into bed that night, he smiled warmly at Sirius. "Today was fun. Thanks, Uncle Siri."

Sirius smiled, leaning down to kiss Harry on the forehead. "You're very welcome, Harry."

"The Weasleys are nice," he said, yawning hugely as Marauder licked his face, making him giggle.

"Yes, they are," Sirius told him, smiling. He tucked Harry in and gently scratched Marauder behind the ears. "Goodnight, Harry. I love you."

"Goodnight," Harry said, smiling widely. "I love you, too."

Sirius kissed his forehead once more before he stood up and closed the door halfway behind him before he made his way downstairs. He had thoroughly enjoyed himself that afternoon and he was pleased to see that Harry had as well. The Weasleys were a loud and boisterous group and Sirius thought that they were exactly what Harry needed: What a real family looked like.

He cleaned up the kitchen a bit before he sat down at the table with some ink and parchment. There were a few things that he wanted to do over the next few weeks and he jotted them down as a reminder. The next thing he knew it was after eleven and he decided to head up to bed. He locked the house up and then checked on Harry, who was sleeping soundly with Marauder. He changed into plaid pyjama pants and he climbed into his own bed.

His eyes had barely closed before he was fast asleep.

~ ASC ~

It was dark.

He knew it was night time, but the darkness encircled him, and he shivered under the thin sheet. His stomach growled impatiently and he rubbed a hand over the ache, hoping it would stop. He reached for the string that turned on the light, forgetting that he had lost the privilege of having a lightbulb in his cupboard.

He could feel something crawling on his arm and he swatted at it, wincing when he felt the spider fall off. Spiders didn't really bother him, but he didn't want them crawling all over him.

It was the third night in a row that he had been locked in his cupboard.

A little girl named Chloe had befriended him at school. She had curly blonde hair and a big smile. He remembered how she giggled and clapped when he had hung upside down from the monkey bars in the playground. She had hugged him after recess and said that they were going to be the best of friends. The warm feeling in the pit of his stomach had made him smile.

He was excited to have a friend.

She waited for him at playtime and they ran to the monkey bars - laughing, and having fun. Then Dudley had come over, shoving Harry off of the top so that he fell over the side, landing awkwardly on his leg. He'd bitten his lip so hard that it had bled in his attempt not to cry.

Chloe had fallen next to him. "Harry! Harry! Are you okay? Does it hurt?" she asked, touching his leg in concern.

"Yes."

Dudley had snickered. "Baby."

Chloe stood up, her face red in anger. "You pushed him off, you big bully!"

Dudley shoved her and she fell back onto her butt. "Did not! Liar!"

Chloe's bottom lip trembled as tears fell down her cheeks. "You're mean!"

Dudley laughed, grinning at Piers Polkiss, a friend of his who laughed along with him. "Don't hang out with baby Harry, Chloe. Find a better friend."

"I'm not a baby!" Harry demanded, standing up, his leg shaky beneath his feet.

"You wet the bed!"

Chloe's eyes widened at this declaration. "You do?"

Piers laughed uproariously and Harry flushed. "Baby Harry! Only babies pee in their nappies! Are you wearing a nappy under those trousers?"

Harry glared at them. "No! I don't wear nappies — I'm not a baby!"

Piers grinned at Chloe. "Unless you want to be a big baby too, stay away from that freak!"

"Freak!" Dudley yelled, shoving Harry so hard that he fell back on his bum. "Freak!"

Dudley and Piers' taunts had been enough to drive her away.

He had limped into the house, his ankle swollen and sprained from his fall — and Dudley had shoved him. He tripped in front of his cupboard, sliding across the floor.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Aunt Petunia shrieked, picking Harry up by the shoulders and shaking him so hard that his glasses slid down his nose. "I just washed the floor! Put your school things away and get over here! You can re-do the smudges you made!"

Harry immediately got to work under Aunt Petunia's critical eye. He scrubbed the hardwood floor with a sponge and a bucket of soapy water. He had just finished when Uncle Vernon came home. He stepped over Harry, looking down at him in distaste and chastely kissed Petunia on the lips.

"That freak causing trouble again?"

Aunt Petunia pursed her lips. "He dirtied my clean floor. Dudders said that he was picking on some poor girl named Chloe today."

"That wasn't me!" Harry exclaimed, standing up to glare at his aunt. "Dudley was doing it! She's my friend!"

Petunia stared at him. "My Dudders would never pick on a little girl! How dare you tell such lies, Harry James Potter! You are a dirty ungrateful little freak who will NEVER have any friends!"

"I'm not a freak!" Harry yelled back at them and then yelped when the back of Uncle Vernon's hand hit him so hard that he fell to the ground.

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO YOUR AUNT LIKE THAT, BOY! WE TOOK YOU IN OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF OUR HEARTS AND YOU WILL TREAT US WITH RESPECT, YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE SNOT-NOSED BRAT!"

He raised his hand again and Harry winced a second before the slap hit him and he cried out at the pain in his ankle when he fell on it once more.

Uncle Vernon picked him up by the scruff of his shirt and bodily threw him into his cupboard. He unscrewed the light bulb and closed the door, locking it.

"Let me out!" Harry cried, banging his fists on the door.

Uncle Vernon smacked the door loudly. "You will not a make sound in there, boy! Not one sound! You can come out when I have deemed you grateful. Only grateful children deserve light. The dark will do you some good!"

It had been three days and Harry hadn't been let out of the darkness. He had soiled himself repeatedly. His head pounded, his ankle was swollen, and his stomach cramped in hunger pains.

When he finally was free, Aunt Petunia had forced him into an ice cold bath, scrubbed him so clean that his skin was red and blistered and then had sent him off to school without any breakfast. If he could be a good boy at school, he would get something to eat when he got home she had told him.

Chloe had approached him carefully at playtime, her head downcast. "Hi, Harry."

"Hi, Chloe," he responded already knowing why she was talking to him.

Chloe smiled at him. "I want to be your friend, but Dudley and Piers… they're so mean."

"It's okay," he told her. He was used to people leaving him. "I know."

He watched her hurry off to play with another girl named Amy and he sat on the ground by the monkey bars all alone once again.

Harry woke up, his heart pounding in his chest and blinked owlishly at the semi-darkness as the memory left him. He wiped tears from his eyes. He had always wanted a friend. Chloe had been so nice, but he hadn't dared try to talk to her again in fear of what Dudley and Piers would do.

Ginny, he thought. She was the nicest person he'd ever met. She had a big smile and she was full of laughter and Ron — he was funny and kind and Luna, so sweet. He grabbed the stuffed animal of the doe, hugging Lily to himself as the tears fell.

What would they do when they found out what a freak he was? They wouldn't want to be his friend anymore either. Sirius still liked him, he thought, grabbing the stuffed dog of Padfoot. The fairy light charm illuminated his bedroom and he felt comforted by it. Marauder was sleeping next to him, which was comforting too, but he wanted his godfather, he realized.

He crept silently out of the bed and stuck his head out the door. A small light lit up the hallway to the bath, but the downstairs was dark.

Harry moved into the hall and slowly made his way to Sirius' room, pushing open the door quietly. Sirius was sleeping sprawled across the large bed, snoring lightly. Harry hesitated for a minute. He had never snuck into Sirius' room in the middle of the night before — what if he was angry? He hovered in the doorway for a moment, trembling, and then he made up his mind, hurried into the room and climbed up onto the big bed to make himself comfortable under the covers. He moved closer to Sirius, until he felt his arm touching him, and only then did he close his eyes and go to sleep.

~ ASC ~

Sirius woke up with daylight shining through the window. He had forgotten to set an alarm, he realized, glancing at the clock in front of him. It was almost eight. Still early, but a little later than he liked to get up for his daily routine with Harry. He felt movement next to him and he turned, surprised to find Harry snuggled in his bed.

He reached for the child, tugging him close as he kissed the top of his head and Harry stirred in his arms, wrapping his arms around Sirius' neck and hugging him tight.

"Good morning, Prongslet," Sirius said with a smile. "What are you doing in here?"

Harry flushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry."

Sirius kissed his cheek. "It's okay, Harry. You can always come to me." He gently brushed the dark hair away from his face. "What's wrong, Prongslet? Did you have a bad dream?"

"No," he murmured, tears rolling down his cheeks.

Sirius sat up, pulling the child fully into his lap and keeping his arms around him. "What's wrong, Prongslet?"

"Ginny… and Ron… and Luna… they won't be my friends anymore."

Sirius' eyebrow rose. "What makes you say that?"

"Freaks don't have friends."

"Prongslet," Sirius said carefully. "You're not a freak. You have never been a freak. And you will never be a freak. Of course they're your friends."

Harry shook his head. "Uncle Vernon says I don't deserve friends."

"Well, Vernon is a fucking arse," he said, his eyes flashing in anger. "Harry, everything your Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia ever told you — is a lie. I don't want you to ever listen to it or believe it. Nothing they ever told you is true. Nothing!"

Tears welled up in Harry's eyes and he sucked them back, looking up at Sirius. "In my dream, I remembered how Dudley scared Chloe away and Aunt Petunia told me it was me. What if they find out about me? They won't like me no more."

Sirius kissed Harry's forehead, then both of his cheeks and then he cradled him in his arms like an infant and rocked him back and forth. "That would be stupid of them. And what are they going to find out about you, Harry? How kind you are? Or funny? Or nice? Or how much fun you like to have? Or how you like to read? Or how helpful you are? That all sounds like a pretty amazing friend to me."

Harry let the tears fall and stayed snuggled in Sirius' arms, his face pressed against his godfather's bare chest. "Promise?"

Sirius simply held him close. "I promise."

~ ASC ~

After a hearty breakfast and some more reassurances, Harry seemed to have recovered from whatever nightmare had put him into a twist about his new friends deserting him. Sirius mentioned it in passing to Remus and they both agreed that it was obviously a good idea to invite one, if not all three of them, over as soon as possible to let Harry know that he still had friends.

It only further reminded Sirius of the terrible way that the Dursleys had treated Harry. Every time he hoped Harry was past it, something dark crept up from the boy's memories and it irked him. He wanted Harry to be past it and he knew how unrealistic that was. He had spent over four years being abused by them; he didn't even remember what it was like to be happy and to be loved by his parents. Sirius needed to remind him of that.

He hugged Harry goodbye as he settled himself into the sunroom with Remus. Sirius stepped into the Floo and landed in McGonagall's office, checking his watch, and knew that she must be around somewhere. He had just stepped into the hallway when Peeves zoomed by, backtracking and cackling with glee.

"Why Sirius-so-serious, whatever are you here for?"

"Not now, Peeves," Sirius said impatiently, ignoring the poltergeist who merely cackled as he zoomed away.

He had just stopped in front of Dumbledore's office when the statue moved and Dumbledore himself stepped out.

"Sirius!" he exclaimed in surprise. "Was I expecting you?"

Sirius shook his head, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black jeans. "No. I just… I was looking for Minerva actually, but if you have a moment?"

Dumbledore nodded and stepped back to allow Sirius into the moving staircase. "Of course, after you."

They rode up to the office together and Dumbledore followed Sirius inside, sitting on the edge of his desk and gesturing for Sirius to take a seat.

"How's young Harry doing?"

"Good. He's doing good." He ran his fingers through his hair and then let out a big breath. "He has nightmares about the Dursleys."

Dumbledore's eyes looked sad. "I regret that more than I can possibly put into words, Sirius. How are you dealing with his nightmares?"

Sirius shrugged, sitting down. "I don't know. I comfort him. I hold him. I kiss him. I tell him how loved he is. I told him that everything his aunt and uncle ever told him is a lie — and to not believe it. I don't know if I'm doing it right."

"It sounds right to me," Dumbledore told him with a smile. "You're giving him the love and attention that he needs. Trust your heart, Sirius. You love him, and that alone means that you're doing what feels right."

Sirius nodded. "Prof-Albus, he doesn't remember anything about James and Lily and how much they loved him. I mean, tidbits here and there. I sang to him one night after a bad dream and he faintly remembered the song as something Jamie used to sing to him; a far-off memory etched in his brain. I think that's wonderful, but I wish he remembered more."

"It's rare that anyone remembers anything of their life before the age of three and having suffered through a trauma such as watching his mother die before his eyes, anything he may have remembered he might have pushed further back inside of him," Dumbledore explained, tapping his long fingers together as he spoke. "I imagine the image of Voldemort pointing his wand at his head after having killed his mother is not something that he would want to remember even if he could. Then I made a terrible decision and put him with his Muggle relatives and he suffered abuse, emotionally and physically."

"So it's a miracle that he's even as kind and loving as he is, is that what you're telling me?"

"He's a remarkable boy, Sirius," Dumbledore told him. "But children are amazingly resilient."

"I know he is," Sirius said, smiling. "He's smart and he's kind and I absolutely love his laugh. He's starting to laugh a lot more now; deep laughs that seem to start in his belly and work their way up. I want him to be happy."

"He is and over time he will get past the bad memories he does have and he'll remember all of the good ones you have given him in their place."

Sirius nodded. He knew that was true, but sometimes he just worried so much about what Harry had gone through and it made him remember his own childhood. The last thing that he wanted was to inflict any damage on Harry the way his parents had damaged him.

"I just wish that there was a way he could remember the good stuff about his parents. They loved him so much, Albus. Jamie used to sing to him and Lily would dance with him in her arms. The silly stories they used to tell him. I just… I wish they were here to see their son. That's all."

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling and he stood up from his desk and moved to the cupboard by the door. "When one becomes Headmaster of the school, there are a few wonderful artefacts we are gifted with. One of them is a Pensieve. Do you know what that is, Sirius?"

Sirius stood up to look at the Pensieve, watching the silvery liquid swirling within, and nodded. "It contains memories."

"Memories that can be relived. It helps clear the mind and helps one to see things more clearly. They can be immensely useful as proved at your trial, but many wizards are afraid of them, for they can unintentionally hold all of our dark secrets," he explained, twirling his wand in the silvery substance. "But sometimes, reliving a memory can be a wonderful experience, something to bring joy back to our lives."

Sirius stared at him a moment and then a slow smile crept into his face. "You think I should fill a Pensieve for Harry?"

Dumbledore smiled. "He's a little young yet to truly understand, but if you were to start collecting memories, not just from yourself, but from those that knew his parents — I would imagine you could give him a wonderful gift in the future, maybe even obtain his own early memories and slip them into the gift. It could be the ticket to help him remember those who loved him and who love him now."

"Albus, that's genius!"

"I have my moments, I daresay," he said with a grin. "My brother Aberforth knows a few people who deal in the metal-making of a Pensieve bowl. I would be happy to speak with him about getting one made for you?"

Sirius nodded, smiling widely. "That would be fantastic. Thank you."

"Of course," he said warmly.

"Albus, there was something else that I've been wondering. I wrote to Minerva to ask her opinion on the subject, but I haven't heard back yet. Did you see that article about the potion invented by Belby in the Daily Prophet?"

Dumbledore nodded, moving to take a seat in one of the chairs. "Yes, the Wolfsbane Potion. It seems to be causing quite the stir at the Ministry as of late. The Wizengamot sessions have been full of it. You are thinking of Mr Lupin, I presume?"

"Yes," Sirius told him. "I know he doesn't read the paper much, so he probably isn't even aware of its existence yet, but — what do you know about it?"

"Alas, not much," Dumbledore admitted, scratching the end of his very long nose. "From what I understand by drinking the potion, the transformation of the werewolf is the same, but it allows one to keep their own mind, to be aware of their surroundings the entire time, and to not lose themselves in the mind of the creature. Which in turn, keeps them calm and tame. It is very advanced magic, but not a cure by any means."

"I understand that," Sirius said carefully. "But Remus… the not knowing if he hurt someone or how he hurt himself… it's eaten at him as long as I've known him. If this is truly a chance for him to stay himself and to take away the chance of him hurting himself or others, I think that it's something good."

"I agree," Dumbledore said carefully. "But you are aware that the potion is only being released to those who register and cooperate fully within the Ministry of Magic guidelines of the experiment under the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. They are not planning on selling it at any Apothecary — they want full access to anyone with lycanthropy."

Sirius' eyes darkened as he took a seat across from Dumbledore. "Oh, I'm well aware of that. And that's exactly what's not going to happen to Remus. He's mistreated enough in our community as it is for being 'ill' so often. You have connections within the Ministry, is there any chance that you can get the ingredients to this potion? I'll make it for him if necessary."

"Sirius, this is a very difficult potion to brew. I'm not saying that you couldn't make it, but any tiny mistake could alter the effects catastrophically."

"I have to try."

Dumbledore smiled and nodded. "Your love and admiration for Mr Lupin is remarkably well placed. I'll do what I can to try to find out more about this potion; what it contains and what the warnings are in terms of brewing it. I can't make any guarantees, but I will promise to look into it."

"Thank you, Albus. That's all I ask."

Dumbledore smiled and stood up. "Well, I myself am very late for a meeting with Madam Bagnold and Cornelius at the Ministry and I imagine that Fudge is positively fuming with my tardiness by now," he said as Sirius chuckled. "Minerva is probably still out on the Quidditch pitch if you happened to still be looking for her. She likes to fly in the mornings when the students aren't here."

"Thanks," Sirius said, extending his hand.

Dumbledore shook his hand with a smile. "You'll hear from me soon, Sirius."

Sirius watched him step into the fire and Floo away and he smiled. He felt surprisingly better. He made his way out of Dumbledore's office and down out into the grounds. He could see two figures zooming around on brooms and it made him smile. McGonagall always had been a bit of a Quidditch fanatic, especially with her house team, but he had never before seen her fly.

He made himself comfortable on the bleachers and watched as she zoomed around, then realized it was Madam Hooch who was flying with her. He only waited ten minutes before she landed smoothly in front of him.

"Sirius."

"Minnie," he said in the same tone as he grinned at her. "I didn't know that you were a flyer."

"I'm not really, but I like to be out on the field every once in a while." She turned to Madam Hooch, promising to meet with her again for lunch and took a seat next to Sirius on the bleachers. "What are you doing here today?"

"Looking for you," he said with a smile and leaned in to kiss her cheek, making her blush.

"Oh, you!" she exclaimed, smacking his arm. "Never did have any manners."

"I told you I'd marry you, but you turned me down."

"First of all, you were in second year. Secondly, I am much too old for you and third, it was a ridiculous statement."

He chuckled and draped his arm over her shoulders. "I'd say it was fifty-fifty in the how much I actually meant it department."

"I should have said yes and watched you squirm," she told him with a grin. "How's Harry?"

Sirius shrugged. "All right. Still has nightmares every once in a while, but he trusts Remus and I and he's quite really taken with my cousin Tonks, so that's kind of nice. We were at the Weasleys' house yesterday, young Ginny was having her birthday celebration and Harry was invited after meeting her at the park. He's worried that they won't want to be his friend because he's a freak according to that dickwad named Dursley. I told him that was stupid and that he's wonderful and of course they are his friends. It's just… I'm always worried that I'm saying the wrong thing," he rambled, surprising himself in how much had simply come out at the sight of seeing McGonagall.

McGonagall smiled warmly at him. "It sounds like you're doing the right thing, Sirius. These things take time. You can't expect him to just be perfect after one day with you, nor a few months. He's going to remember the bad times as well as the good ones."

He nodded. "I'm coming to understand that. I ran into Dumbledore when I was looking for you and we talked. He suggested that I store memories in a Pensieve to help Harry remember his parents. I really like that idea. I think Dumbledore's right and he's a little too young now to appreciate them, but I would like to start collecting them. I want Harry to remember how loved he was and to see how loved he is now. That's important to me."

"That sounds like a wonderful plan," McGonagall said. "I'd be happy to supply a few memories for him myself of some of the escapades you boys got into while in my classroom."

Sirius grinned widely. "We were angels, Minnie. I don't know why you spout these lies."

"Bollocks."

"Minnie! Language, my dear!"

She rolled her eyes at him. "I'm sorry I haven't replied to your owl concerning Remus either, I just haven't had a moment to look into it. I think speaking to Dumbledore is the best course of action as he has Ministry connections."

"I did actually speak with Dumbledore about it this morning," Sirius told her with a smile. "He said that he would look into it for me and we'll go from there."

"Good," McGonagall told him with a smile. "Now, why don't you walk me back up to the castle and tell me more about Harry."

Sirius offered his arm out to her when she stood up. "Of course. When are you coming over for dinner so that Harry can see his Auntie Minnie?"

McGonagall smiled at him in amusement. "You're lucky I like you, Sirius."

He simply smirked. "Don't I know it."

~ ASC ~

Remus spent the morning working on Latin with Harry. He was doing very well and he enjoyed watching Harry's progress, but there was something today that seemed to be bothering him. Sirius had mentioned the fact that Harry had snuck into his room last night, but he hadn't said much else. But as Remus watched him he could tell something was wrong.

After an hour of reading and translating the Latin, he decided a break was very much in order.

"All right, Harry, let's take a little break for the day, yeah?"

Harry simply nodded, sliding down to the floor to rub Marauder's belly.

Remus smiled. "Let's let Marauder run outside for a bit."

Harry opened the backdoor, grinning when Marauder made a beeline for the yard and took off, but he didn't follow. He simply moved to sit on the grass and watched Marauder in the distance.

Remus moved to sit next to him, criss crossing his legs the way Harry was sitting. "Wotcher, little Prongs?"

Harry shrugged and peeked at Remus under his lashes. "Okay."

Remus watched him for a moment before he spoke. "You know, when I was at Hogwarts with your dad and Uncle Sirius and your mum, they always told me that I was the best listener. They could always tell me anything and I would just listen."

Harry didn't say anything.

"Your mum especially. She used to complain about her big sister Petunia and how she used to call her a freak, but she thought maybe she was just jealous because she didn't have any magical powers."

"Aunt Petunia called my mum a freak?"

Remus nodded, his eyes on Harry. "She did. All the time. It hurt your mum's feelings, not because of the name-calling, but because she felt like her big sister didn't like her anymore because she could do magic and Petunia couldn't."

"Aunt Petunia said I was a freak."

"You're not. Neither was your mum."

Harry glanced at him shyly. "I had a dream that I was back in my cupboard and it was dark and I was hungry and all alone. They locked me up because I was a freak. And Dudley scared Chloe off so I was a freak with no friends. I was alone."

"You're not alone now, Harry," Remus said softly, squeezing the boy's shoulder gently. "I'm here and Uncle Sirius is here for you and you started to make some new friends with Ginny Weasley, didn't you?"

Harry nodded. "She's nice."

"How was her birthday party?"

"It was fun," Harry told him with a smile. "I met her brother Ron and her friend Luna and her brother Percy and her brother Fred and her brother George and her brother Charlie and her brother Bill. They were nice. Uncle Siri said they are my friends and they won't call me a freak, but…"

"But what, Harry?" Remus asked gently.

Harry stared at the grass, tugging on the pieces as he spoke. "What if he's wrong? What if Uncle Vernon was right and I don't deserve any friends?"

Remus smiled sympathetically. "Well, I don't think that he's right. Ginny really liked you and she invited you to her birthday and she introduced you to all sorts of new friends. That doesn't sound like someone who doesn't want to be your friend. And I think that you know by now that Vernon and Petunia… they weren't very nice people."

"Uncle Sirius said Uncle Vernon was a fucking arse."

"Er, well yes. Harry, let's try not to repeat those kinds of bad words, even if Uncle Sirius says them, okay?"

Harry stared up at him. "But the other day when you tripped over Marauder you said —bloody fucking bollocks — is that okay to say it if you said it?"

Remus flushed, sighing as he realized that he was honestly just as bad when it came to swearing as Sirius was. "No, definitely not. Sirius and I will try to… we'll stop saying bad words and so will you. Deal?"

Harry smiled. "Deal." He stood up, moving to hug Remus tightly. "I love you, Uncle Moony."

Remus hugged him back, kissing his cheek. "I love you too, Harry. And remember, you have lots of people who love you and lots of new friends who want to get to know you. Don't forget that. You are NOT a freak. You're special."

Harry nodded, grinning at him. "I'm special."

"Very special," he said with a smile. "Now, how about we ditch school for the day and go see a film?"

Harry grinned widely. "Really?"

"Really," Remus said with a grin, standing up and extending his hand. "Let's go."