Author's Note:

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the lovely Dumbledore scene (though I did tweak it a wee bit). Thank you, JKR.

As I said before — little changes.

Reviews and Comments: To Guest: I appreciate you willing to beg for more lol. Thank you. To Guest: I'm sorry to hear that you like Althea over Zee. Zee is a nickname, her real name is Zahira and I'm sorry it makes you think of zombies. You think she is an irresponsible bitch with no personality. Okay. I disagree (obviously), but thanks for your thoughts. To Claire Fraser: Thank you for saying you really like Zee, complete opposite of the person before you. Sirius is having fun with her and ha, you want Sirius to marry her? Thank you! Yes, I imagine it was quite jarring for Remus and Sirius to see Harry open the invisibility cloak. To geekymom: Thank you! To coloredwords: Ha, Sirius will definitely lose his shit if Harry battles Quirrell for the stone haha. Remus and Tonks will work their issues out. You think if he teaches in third year he won't want to be away from her? Interesting. Thank you for wanting Sirius to be happy and yes, he does need to tell Harry about Zee. To alix33: Thank you. Hermione and Neville have their own families to spend Christmas with. I'm sure they had lovely Christmases, too. As to your nitpicking edits, I do not have a beta for this story and no matter how many times I come back to edit, I am not perfect.

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 SEVENTY-TWO:

The One Where Minnie Tells Sirius To Get A Job

It wasn't until Christmas dinner at the Tonks residence that Harry managed to corner Remus. All of the research that they had been doing on Nicholas Flamel had had led them to come up empty handed and Harry knew that if anyone would know who the elusive wizard was, it would be Remus.

He was the smartest adult that he knew.

Remus was sitting in an armchair in the corner of the living room drinking eggnog. His eyes were on Tonks, who was laughing with Sirius about something. Harry took a seat on the arm of the chair, snapping his fingers in front of his uncle's face to get his attention.

"Uncle Rem!"

Remus jolted, blushing when he realized that he'd been caught staring. She'd hardly spoken to him since he'd so coldly shut her down. Not that he could blame her. He had been a complete arse and he knew it. But he missed her friendship and he missed the way that bright smile would shine in his direction every once in a while. And to have been caught staring at her like a lovesick pup was rather mortifying.

"Harry, sorry, I was… thinking," he said quickly.

Harry looked at him in amusement. "Really? Because it looked like you were staring at Tonks."

Remus shook his head. "Well, er… I wasn't."

Harry bit back a smirk. He knew that Tonks fancied his uncle and he thought that it was rather amusing. He remembered how when he was six, Tonks told him that one day she was going to marry his uncle and that he would be forced to call her auntie. Harry had giggled madly and told her that she was mental. But now that he was older, he found the idea rather appealing. Obviously his uncle felt the same about her, or at least in theory.

"So, since you're not too busy staring at Tonks, can I ask you something?"

Remus flushed. "I wasn't staring at — never mind," he muttered in exasperation. "What can I do for you, Harry?"

"I have a question for you," Harry said. "I was wondering if you knew who Nicholas Flamel is? I read his name somewhere before, but I can't remember where I know it and it's been nagging at me. Hagrid mentioned that he's friends with Dumbledore."

Remus nodded, shaking the cobwebs from his brain. "He is. We talked about him before — he's a rather famous alchemist, Harry. He actually created the Philosopher's Stone, which is said to grant the user immortality and unlimited gold. He's a pretty famous bloke so, it makes complete sense that Dumbledore would know him. Why do you want to know?"

Harry shrugged, feigning indifference. "No reason. I was just curious."

Remus stared at him for a moment, his whiskey eyes only watching him. "You're lying to me, little Prongs. Your eyes get really bright when you lie."

Harry stood up. "It's nothing to worry about, Uncle Rem. Honest, I just heard the name somewhere and I wanted to know who he was."

Remus kept his eyes on his son. "Is this going to get you into any trouble?"

"No," he answered a little too quickly.

Remus chuckled. The mischief in Harry's eyes was so delightful that he couldn't stop his smile. "All right, I'll let it pass. Behave."

Harry just grinned back at him. "Mischief managed. Promise."

But the first thing that Harry did was send an owl to Hermione and to Neville informing them of what Remus had told him and who Nicholas Flamel was. He filled Ron in after they went to bed. By the time they returned to Hogwarts, all of them were convinced that the ability to be immortal was a dangerous weapon and that it had to be the thing Dumbledore was hiding in the school. And who wouldn't want that? It made sense that Snape would try to steal it.

But the thought of Snape being immortal rather made Harry want to vomit and they agreed to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity on Snape's part.

The first night back, Harry decided to use his invisibility cloak. He was going to see if Ron wanted to sneak out with him, but he changed his mind. The first time he used the cloak — his dad's cloak — he wanted to be alone.

He wandered the halls aimlessly, listening around him and feeling invincible at the thought that no one could see him. He swore when he turned a corner and almost walked directly into Filch. Harry caught himself before he fell and ran down the corridor when Mrs Norris started to meow. Invisible or not, he was still solid, and the last thing that he needed was to be caught out of bed after curfew.

He stumbled through an old classroom and gasped in surprise to see a huge mirror standing at the back of the room. It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

He closed the door behind him and approached it cautiously. It reminded him of Alice and her looking glass and he wondered briefly if it was safe for him to touch it or would he find himself in a new world as he fell through the glass. As he got closer, he wondered how cool it would be to look in a mirror and not see himself reflected back.

He grinned widely, jumping in front of the mirror, and he almost fell over in shock.

Not only was he clearly visible in the reflection, but James, Lily, Fleamont, and Euphemia were all standing behind him along with Sirius and Remus.

He whirled around, hands grasping the air, but he felt nothing. He turned back to the mirror, swallowing carefully. They were smiling at him and waving. The sight of his family before him brought tears to his eyes and he wondered how it was possible that they were there before him.

His family.

Together and whole and happy.

Harry practically ran back to Gryffindor Tower. He woke up Neville first and then Ron, tugging them both with him and begging them to come see the mirror that showed him his parents and his grandparents.

Ron whined the whole time claiming that he could look at pictures of Harry's family in the morning, but Neville seemed intrigued.

"Look!" Harry exclaimed as he stood in front of the mirror. "Do you see them? Look how happy they are!"

Ron looked bewildered. "I only see you, Harry."

Harry frowned. "Nev?"

Neville shook his head, moving to stand next to Harry. "I just see us."

"Ron, stand here proper, now do you see them?" he asked.

Ron's eyes had widened the moment he stood in front of the mirror alone. "Bloody hell! It's me!"

Neville rolled his eyes. "Of course it's you, Ron, it's a bloody mirror!"

Ron ignored him. "No, it's me! And I look good. I'm — I'm Head Boy and Quidditch Captain, too!"

Harry's eyebrow rose in confusion. "That doesn't make any sense."

Neville moved to stand in front of the mirror. "Let me see."

Ron moved aside rather grudgingly and Neville's eyes became as big as saucers.

"What do you see, Nev?" Ron asked, craning to get a look, but only seeing Neville's reflection in the pane.

"I… I'm grown and… my mum and dad are behind me, smiling and holding hands, holding me… they…" He smiled, tears in his eyes. "They're happy and whole."

Harry gently nudged his friend, smiling. "They're healed."

"Do you think this mirror shows us the future?" Ron asked, hurrying to get in front of it again.

Neville's eyes widened. "It could! That's why you're so successful and why my parents are back and Harry's family is — oh," he finished lamely, his eyes sad. "That doesn't make sense."

"It can't be the future, my parents and grandparents are dead."

"Or it's foreshadowing that one day your family will all be together and — oh," Neville said again, clamping his mouth shut. "Forget I said that."

Harry glared at him. "That everyone I love is going to be dead? Is that what you're saying, Neville?"

Neville looked apologetic. "No, Harry — I'm sorry! I just got excited about Ron's theory."

"It does not show the future," Harry insisted, his eyes flashing angrily now.

Ron nodded, clearing his throat. "No, no, of course not." He and Neville exchanged guilty looks. "Should we head back up to bed then?"

Harry nodded, his thoughts still on the mysterious mirror as he followed his friends back to Gryffindor Tower.

But he found himself drawn back to it again and again.

He didn't know why he went.

He had pictures of his family. He had so many photos from Sirius and Remus, happy memories of them all laughing and smiling, but seeing them standing there behind him was a feeling unlike anything he could explain. It gave him butterflies in his stomach and made his heart ache. If his parents and grandparents had lived… if Sirius and Remus had been around to be his fun uncles instead of his fathers… to have grandparents and real parents — it would be the most amazing thing.

Then he felt guilty.

He did have parents. Two amazing dads who loved him more than life itself.

There was no one that he loved more than Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, but the thought of having James and Lily around too was something that he had dreamed about.

When he wrote to Sirius and Remus at the end of the week he contemplated writing about discovering the mirror, but he didn't know how to put it into words. He didn't want to hurt their feelings. He didn't want them to know that sometimes he wished that he had a mother and a father, that sometimes he wanted it so badly, it hurt. Sirius and Remus were the best dads that he could ever have asked for and he loved them so much that wanting more seemed like he was saying that the two of them weren't enough.

And that just wasn't true.

So he omitted the mirror and told them instead that he had taken Neville and Ron under the cloak just to explore.

When he returned to the classroom that night, he ran to the mirror quickly, throwing the cloak off without any thought and sat in front of the mirror. The smile that came over him at the sight of his family made his heart ache.

The voice that came from behind him gave him a start.

"So — back again, Harry?"

Harry felt as though his insides had turned to ice.

He looked behind him. Sitting on one of the desks by the wall was none other than Albus Dumbledore. Harry must have walked straight past him, so desperate to get to the mirror that he hadn't noticed him.

"I-I didn't see you, Sir."

"Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you," Dumbledore said, and Harry was relieved to see that he was smiling. "So," Dumbledore said, slipping off of the desk to sit on the floor with Harry, "you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."

"I didn't know it was called that, Sir."

"But I expect you've realized by now what it does?"

"It — well — it shows me my family…"

"And it showed your friend Ron himself as Head Boy and Neville with his family."

"How did you know —?"

"I don't need a cloak to become invisible," Dumbledore said gently. "Now, can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?"

Harry shook his head.

"Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?"

Harry thought. Then he said slowly, "It shows us what we want... whatever we want..."

"Yes, and no," Dumbledore said quietly. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you the way that they should have been. Neville Longbottom, sees his parents cured and healed and being the parents that he has always dreamed of having. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge nor truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible. The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, and I ask that you not go looking for it again. If you ever do run across it, you will now be prepared. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed?"

Harry stood up. "Sir — Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?"

"Obviously, you've just done so," Dumbledore smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however."

"What do you see when you look in the mirror?"

"I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woollen socks."

Harry stared.

"One can never have enough socks," Dumbledore said. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books."

It was only when he was back in bed that it struck Harry that Dumbledore might not have been quite truthful. But then, he thought, it had been quite a personal question.

~ ASC ~

As the end of January came to a close, Sirius continued to visit the children's ward of St Mungo's and the Muggle hospital on a weekly basis. He started bringing Marauder along with him as the dog eagerly played with the children, desperate for the attention that he missed with Harry being gone again. Being there with the kids, playing with them, reading to them, and just listening to them was something that he truly enjoyed, but he still felt like he needed to do something.

He said as much to McGonagall when she popped over for Sunday tea one weekend. Her eyebrow had merely risen in amusement.

"Are you actually considering getting a job?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Everyone says that like it's so dramatic. I did belong to the Order once. I did work."

She smiled. "And being a full time father is a job in itself, I know that. Now that Harry has flown the nest, you feel a little lost. How are the bikes coming along?"

Sirius shrugged. "Great. The Ducati is almost done and I started tweaking the Adler last week. I love working on them, but I just think I need something else."

McGonagall took a sip of her tea and reached for a chocolate biscuit with a smile. "I have a suggestion, but I don't know if it's one that you're going to like or not."

"I'm intrigued, Minnie — hit me."

She smiled. "There happens to be a spot opening up on the Hogwarts Board of Governors. It's run by wealthy patrons of the school and some parents who oversee how the school is run."

Sirius' eyebrow in amusement. "And why the hell do you think that I'd be any good at that?"

She chuckled. "You'd have a say in what's happening at the school. You'd have access to Hogwarts on a regular basis — without having to resort to sneaking through my Floo, uninvited, might I add. I think it would be good for you. There are twelve governors and from what I understand Mr Ferryweather is retiring and stepping down at the end of the year. They are looking for fresh blood and being a Black, I think that makes you qualified enough for them."

"I don't know, Minnie," he said nervously. "That sounds like a lot of work that I know nothing about. Not to mention a whole lot of politics."

McGonagall smiled at him. "It's one a day week, Sirius. You meet for one to two hours every Wednesday night to discuss what is happening at Hogwarts, the educational system, and what needs to be addressed. You can make suggestions on things to add or take away from the school. You were always full of ideas."

"So, can I suggest having a school wide slip n' slide tournament using the house tables?" he asked eagerly.

McGonagall pursed her lips at him. "Within reason, Sirius."

He grinned. "Ooh, what about allowing boys into the girls' dormitories?"

McGonagall rolled her eyes. "If you're not going to take it seriously, then forget I said anything at all."

Sirius looked shocked. "Why Minnie! I, Sirius Orion Black, take everything seriously for I am Sirius, the most serious of them all."

"Oh, brother," she muttered, drinking her tea.

Sirius chuckled and grinned at her. "I'm honoured that you'd think of me, Minnie. And maybe I will see about filling that twelfth spot. I think I would like a say in terms of what Harry gets to learn at school. I still think Muggle Studies should be a mandatory class, for example."

McGonagall smiled at him. "See, that's the kind of thing I meant. You have good ideas, Sirius and I think your opinion would do a lot to change how the governors think and work."

Sirius nodded, a small smile on his lips. "I'll consider it."

~ ASC ~

When Harry filled Hermione in on how Dumbledore had found him in the classroom with the Mirror of Erised and had only been intrigued that Harry had found it, rather than angry he had been sneaking out, she only stared at him in wonder.

"I always thought that he was a little strange to be honest," she admitted, looking lost in thought. "I wonder what I would see if I looked into the mirror."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Probably the world's largest library."

Hermione, who had been staring off into space, suddenly blushed. She stacked her books in front of her and glared at Ron before turning back to Harry.

"We still have to figure out why we think Snape would be after the Philosopher's Stone."

Harry nodded in agreement.

But soon all thoughts of the mirror and the stone were gone from his mind when they went to visit Hagrid and found him locked in his hut, all of the windows, doors, and curtains closed.

Harry understood why when his eyes fell on the dragon egg. Ron quickly identified the breed as Norwegian Ridgeback and Harry could only agree. But knowing the breed didn't help the situation. It was illegal to have a pet dragon in Britain, not to mention how incredibly dangerous it was for Hagrid to have it in his hut.

Hermione tried to reason with him, telling him that he lived in a wooden house, but Hagrid would hear none of it. He had always dreamed of having a pet dragon and nothing anyone said to him would sway him from the idea.

Harry had snuck down after dinner one night to help Hagrid feed the dragon some fish (as Ridgebacks were apparently quite fond of aquatic creatures), but when he turned the corner to head down to the castle grounds, he walked straight into Draco Malfoy, falling on his butt.

"Ow," he muttered as Draco glared at him.

"Watch it, Potter!" Draco said, menacingly.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Where are your goons, Draco?"

Draco sneered at him. "Like I need them to take you on."

Harry merely raised an eyebrow. "Well, you were too cowardly to show up for our duel; ratted me out to Filch instead, so forgive me for thinking that you need them."

Draco shoved him and Harry shoved him back. "I am not a coward, Potter!"

Harry smirked now. "Whatever you say."

He made to move past him, surprised when Draco grabbed his arm.

"I know what your friend is hiding in there," he said, smugly.

"What are you talking about?"

Draco smirked at him. "Dragons don't make good pets, Potter. You better tell the stupid oaf that before his house gets burned to the ground or before someone anonymously informs the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures that an illegal dragon was spotted in Scotland. It would be a real shame if he got himself arrested for his stupidity."

Harry glared at him. "Hagrid doesn't deserve to be arrested."

"Maybe you should be nicer to me then," Draco said. "I wouldn't want to let such a secret slip out."

"What do you want, Draco?"

Draco simply grinned at him. "A favour."

Harry's eyes narrowed. He wasn't sure that agreeing to anything said by Draco Malfoy was a good idea. "What kind of favour?"

"I haven't decided yet," he said, smugly. "You'll owe me." He held his pale hand out with a smirk. "Have we got ourselves a deal?"

Harry sighed. "Fine. Deal. But, you don't say a word to anyone!"

Draco simply grinned and Harry felt like he had just made a pact with the devil. He said as much to Ron when he got back to his dorm. They both agreed that Hagrid had to get rid of Norbert (the name that he had given the baby dragon) as soon as possible.

Ron decided to write to Charlie to see if maybe he could help. They got a response back a few days later and Harry was relieved to read that a few of Charlie's friends would be able to stop by to pick up the dragon on their way to Romania.

Ron,

It is VERY dangerous for them to be caught bringing an illegal creature over international borders. You and Harry have to get the dragon up to the Astronomy Tower on Friday night at eleven PM. Don't be late.

It didn't quite work out as planned.

Norbert accidentally set Ron's robes on fire and bit his arm causing him to be stuck in the hospital wing. Malfoy decided to visit Ron and gloat about how his arm was injured, taunting him about telling the school nurse how he really got hurt. He knocked over Ron's school books on his way out and his eyes fell on Charlie's letter, eyes widening as he read it.

It was too late to change the plan now and Harry didn't know what exactly Malfoy was going to do with the information that they planned on getting rid of the dragon, but he knew that even owing him a favour wasn't going to help in this situation. Neville agreed to be the look out as Harry and Hermione tried to convince Hagrid to let Norbert go. Hagrid agreed that it was for the best, but it broke Harry's heart a little to see the big man cry as he carefully placed the baby dragon in the large crate they were going to store him in for the trip.

Harry and Hermione used his new invisibility cloak to reach the top of the tower in time for Charlie's friends to take the dragon away. They were cheering their success when McGonagall stepped out onto the top of the tower with Neville and Draco in tow. Harry shoved the invisibility cloak under his robes as he hung his head in shame while she lectured them.

Out of bed after curfew.

In the forbidden area of the Astronomy Tower.

Telling tall tales to get each other in trouble.

She was beyond livid.

Harry found out exactly how livid when she took fifty points from each of them and gave all four of them detention to be served on the next Saturday night.

Harry knew the next morning was going to be rough when Gryffindor House found out that three students lost one hundred fifty points overnight. He had been so worried about the reaction of the other Gryffindor students that he forgot about how his godfather would react.

The sight of Persephone landing at the table the next morning had Harry swallowing slowly. He thanked his lucky stars that it wasn't a Howler (which Neville had been unlucky enough to receive from his grandmother, but smart enough to take it and run before the whole hall could hear it).

Harry carefully opened the envelope and read the note.

Harry,

Minnie tells me that you were not only out of bounds hours after curfew, but alone at the top of the Astronomy Tower with one Hermione Granger? Is there something that you want to tell me? Fifty points is a lot to lose in one night — I hope the witch is worth it. And what kind of lies were you and your friends making up about dragons?

Explain.

I already know the loss of points and detention is punishment enough and being out past curfew and out of bounds past midnight is something I myself did many times in school so, I don't think that I have the right to judge. However, as your godfather and de-facto father, I feel I must tell you, if you don't stop misbehaving and getting caught, I will have to ground you over the summer holidays.

Stop getting caught, Prongslet.

Love,

Uncle Sirius

Harry read the letter and chuckled, making Hermione glare at him.

"What is so funny, Harry Potter?" she demanded, her hazel eyes on his. "We lost one hundred and fifty points and you're laughing?"

Harry shrugged, smiling at her. "No, not about that. It's what Uncle Sirius said is all. He doesn't care that I snuck out, but that I got caught and he wants to know why I was alone up in the Astronomy Tower with you."

Hermione frowned at that. "Well, we weren't alone, there was a dragon and Charlie's friends from the reserve."

Harry smirked at her. "But he doesn't know that, Hermione."

"Oh," she said and then her eyes widened. "Oh!" Her cheeks flushed red. "Well, you better correct him, Harry!"

"Correct him?" Harry asked her in amusement. "Whatever do you mean?"

"She means, Potter, that Black thinks you were up there snogging her brains out," Draco said dryly from behind them. "Are all Gryffindors this slow or are you just special?"

Harry rolled his eyes, turning around to glare at the Slytherin. "What do you want, Malfoy? None of this would even be happening if you hadn't ratted us out!"

"You think I liked losing my house fifty points and having to serve detention with you losers? Please," he scoffed, rocking on his heels. "But you still owe me a favour and I intend to collect."

"Deal is moot, Malfoy," Harry said angrily. "You told."

Draco shook his head, grinning widely. "Ah, but I didn't. I said that YOU were sneaking a dragon out of the school, I never once implicated Hagrid."

Harry opened his mouth to protest and then frowned. "Shit."

Hermione smacked him. "Harry!"

Harry sighed. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

Draco grinned at him. "We'll be in touch, Potter."

And when he sauntered back to his table as Blaise called his name, Harry just sighed. He really didn't like the sound of that.