Author's Note:

Time jumps are a thing and will be for probably the rest of the story in various areas — just not huge ones, but little ones. I hope you are enjoying my never-ending story (at least the maybe six people who are reading it now) LOL.

Reviews and Comments: To Brainarius: Yes, Remus and Sirius would be able to identify Peter, but Percy's rat ran away when Ron was six right after Harry showed up for Ginny's birthday. Suspicious, wasn't it? To Fire Tempest: A new reviewer! Hi! Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. To E-Dett: Thank you! He definitely saw his entire family! It was something I loved in the books that the movies changed. To alix33: Thank you. I agree that Snape becoming immortal is not ideal. To Sleepyhawk502: Another new reviewer! I might have ten people reading this story now lol, so thank you! I'm honoured that you haven't been able to stop reading it. Thank you!

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-THREE:

The One Where No One Listens So Harry Has To Do Everything and

His Friends Follow Him So He Doesn't Die

Sirius read the latest letter from Althea with a smile on his face.

Sirius,

The more you tell me about your Zee, the more it sounds like you are completely smitten with her. Zahira sounds like she's quite the match for you on many levels.

Xander and I are doing well. I am hugely pregnant and can no longer see my feet, but we're very happy. Niko and Nilo are walking already which makes me trying to waddle after them very amusing, I'm sure. Xander's mother hired a house elf for us named Missy. She's been a blessing and she dotes on the boys. I'm due in four weeks and I feel like I will implode if he doesn't come soon. We've decided on a name, Phoenix Nikolas. It's a boy, not twins again, so bite your tongue for even throwing that out into the world!

As for Harry, it sounds like he is having quite an intense first year. His new friend Hermione does sound like a platonic friend, but Harry is going to be twelve this summer. It might be time to have the talk about sex with him. You don't want to wait too long and learn that you're too late. Think of how old you were when you started to appreciate girls, or to masturbate, or when you had your first kiss. Take it into consideration and this summer might be the right time to have that talk.

I want to hear more about Zahira's trips — Zee sounds like she has the most fun job and I know that she goes by Zee, but I love that name, Zahira. It sounds rather exotic, doesn't it? Tell me more about what you two get up to. She sounds good for you. Remember, you can't put your life on hold for Harry. You deserve a life too.

Thea

Sirius folded up the letter with a smile as Remus came into the living room and passed him the glass of Firewhiskey.

"What does Althea have to say?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. She's having another boy and they've decided on a name. And she's a bit entertained by Harry's adventures." When Remus made a face in response, Sirius grinned. "You don't find it amusing?"

Remus glared at his friend. He could see why Sirius thought it was funny, but he was trying to get his friend to see the implications of it as well. "Siri, I know that we weren't exactly well behaved in school, but it's only his first year and Harry has already gotten into a fight with a mountain troll, he's been caught out of bed after hours, sneaking around the school doing God knows what with a witch named Hermione Granger, and someone tried to kill him at his first ever Quidditch match! I think that we should be a bit concerned."

"I know! And that terrifies me, Rem, but nothing has happened since then!" he insisted, taking a drink. "As for the Granger thing, Harry said that Hagrid acquired a baby dragon and they were sneaking it off to some friends of Charlie Weasley's who were going to get it safely to the reserve in Romania."

Remus' eyebrow rose. "I don't know if we should let him keep that invisibility cloak, Sirius."

Sirius shook his head, crossing his arms in front of him. "I won't take it away from him, Rem. It belonged to Jamie and it's been passed down in the Potter family for generations. He deserves to have it. Not to mention that I'm glad he's having little adventures, even ones with girls."

Remus pursed his lips. "I think you might have to have that sex talk with him a little earlier than you planned on."

Sirius smirked and stretched his legs out, propping his feet up on the coffee table in the living room. "You think that he's a stud already?"

"Be serious for one minute."

Sirius grinned. "I am Sirius."

He rolled his eyes. "Sometimes talking to you is like talking to a brick wall."

Sirius laughed. "I get what you're saying, Rem, and I agree. Harry has been over stepping a bit, and we'll talk about that. I'm not playing that down. I just want him to have a little fun is all. Like we did."

"Like we did?" Remus repeated, shaking his head. "Sirius, you do realize that when we were in school we broke underage magic laws! We broke school rules left and right. We snuck out of Hogwarts on a regular basis and into Hogsmeade. We broke Dumbledore's trust by letting a werewolf loose on the grounds. We smoked pot, drank, and not to mention that you became an Animagi, quite illegally. He should follow in our footsteps, then?"

Sirius frowned at that. "Well, when you put it that way… shit."

Remus chuckled. "Exactly what I'm trying to say, Siri."

Sirius scratched his chin. "We'll talk when he comes home for the summer. I mean, after fighting a mountain troll, a little late night exploring isn't anything to worry about, but yeah — we'll talk."

Remus smiled and nodded at his friend. "Good." He took a sip of his own Firewhiskey.

Sirius grinned at him. "Maybe if he could find our map he wouldn't get caught so often? I mean, it has to be in Filch's office somewhere."

Remus shook his head. "And then he'll get caught sneaking into Filch's office — let's not encourage that, Sirius."

Sirius only sighed, "I guess so."

Remus took another sip of his whiskey. "So… how's Zee?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Subtle, Moony."

"Wasn't trying to be."

He smirked. "She's fine. She's been busy, I haven't seen her in a few days."

"Hmm," he said, bringing his glass to his lips.

"Don't 'hmm' me, Rem," Sirius said in annoyance. "I told you, I like her. We have fun together, but she has a full time job that keeps her very busy. In fact, next week she's taking off for Arizona. Apparently there's a colony of Thunderbirds there and she has always wanted to see one. The Ministry is letting her go for one month to study them and to document how they live. She's going to be writing an article about it for the magazine Nature's Magic."

"An entire month, eh?"

Sirius scowled at him. "Don't worry about me, Rem, I'm going to shag her before she leaves."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Not my point. You two have just been spending a lot of time together. Have you told Harry that you have a girlfriend yet."

"She's not my girlfriend," Sirius protested. "We're just… hanging out."

"She was gone for the holiday to spend time in Russia and she was barely back two weeks before she left again for Australia for another two weeks and you pined for her. You invited her to my birthday dinner a few weeks ago. I think it's interesting for someone who's just… hanging out." He added with a grin. "Thought I'd point that out."

Sirius decided not to comment. "Hmm, speaking of points, have I told you today what an idiot you are?"

Remus' eyebrow arched.

"You didn't make up with Tonks. In fact, I think you two became even less friends than you were before. At your birthday dinner, you acted like you weren't even friends. What is wrong with you? You obviously want her, so stop being an idiot — and make a damn move on her already!"

"I thought that you said that you weren't going to get involved?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "You just turned thirty-two and you're acting like a twelve-year-old. You look at her and I can just see how much you want her, until you clam up and deny it."

"I… it's complicated."

"No, it's really not," Sirius said in annoyance. "You just have to make a choice."

"Sirius —"

"No," he insisted. "It's not that hard. You need to apologize to her; tell her that you still want to be friends or that you want to shag her, I don't care which — but make it up to her. You're friends and I refuse to let you throw that away because you're too much of a bloody coward to make a move on her."

"I'm not a coward," he said angrily, his eyes flashing in annoyance. "You just don't understand what I'm feeling! What I want —" He clamped his mouth shut, hissing through his teeth.

Sirius stared at his friend. "What are you feeling, Rem? What have you been keeping from me? I know that there's something that you haven't been telling me about why you are pushing her away and I can't for the life of me figure out what it is. At this point, I know the age difference is a bullshit excuse. So, what is it?"

"When I'm near her my… my blood hums, it sings and it… being near her is… it's enough. I'm not going to subject her to my will and — she deserves better than me."

"Your blood hums… what does that even…" he paled, his eyes widening as he felt it all click into place. "She's your fucking mate!"

Remus flushed and stood up, storming into the kitchen and downing the rest of his Firewhiskey in one quick motion.

Sirius marched into the kitchen behind him. "She's your fucking mate and you are ignoring her! No wonder the two of you are so incredibly drawn to the other! What the fuck is wrong with you? You finally find the one person who you are meant to be with and you bloody-well push her away!"

Remus whirled on him, slamming the glass on the counter. "What I do with my personal life is none of your fucking business, Sirius! I made a mistake, all right! I know that! I lost my chance with her. I pushed her away and now she wants nothing to do with me! She deserves someone so much better than me… why can't you see that?"

"You're right," Sirius said, quietly, as Remus' wounded eyes met his. "She does deserve someone better than you. She deserves a man who isn't too much of a fucking coward to take what he wants. Go ahead and be fucking miserable. I don't care anymore."

Then he turned and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Remus alone with his thoughts.

~ ASC ~

While Sirius and Remus were arguing at Black Cottage, Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Draco were being led by Filch down to the Forbidden Forest where they were meant to serve their detention.

Draco had stared at Filch in horror when he had told them this, declaring that the forest was forbidden, and he wouldn't dare send them in there. Filch had only smirked at him and left them with Hagrid, much to Harry's relief. He was mildly curious about the forest, but the idea of venturing in with Filch had made him a bit uneasy. But the sight of Hagrid and his boar-hound Fang, cheered him up some.

Apparently something in the forest was killing unicorns and Hagrid was doing his best to find out what that could be. They split off into groups, Draco claimed that he wanted Fang so, he went off with Neville and the dog and Harry and Hermione stayed with Hagrid. Hermione clutched Harry's arm at almost every sound and when they met the centaurs, she stared at them in awe. Harry had to admit, they were incredibly impressive.

Draco was being a twat to Neville and they split up again, this time Harry and Draco with Fang and Neville with Hermione and Hagrid. They had just moved down the path into a rocky terrain when Draco gasped.

"What?" Harry asked him, turning around.

Draco looked around him carefully. "Nothing, I thought I heard — never mind." He took a deep breath before he followed Harry down the forest path. "I can't believe that Dumbledore sanctions detentions in the forest! Wait until my father hears about this!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Do you have to be a complete whiny prat all of the time?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Grow a pair."

Draco snorted. "If you think I'm afraid, Potter, then you don't know me at all!"

"If it walks like a chicken and talks like a chicken…"

Draco glared at him and then his eyes landed on something behind Harry. "What is that?"

Harry turned to look in the direction that Draco was pointing. They had found the dead unicorn. Silver blood littered the ground around the animal, but that wasn't what was appalling. A hooded figure was kneeling next to the animal, bent over it, and drinking the blood.

Draco screamed and the figure looked up, silver blood dripping from the mouth. Draco ran for it, but Harry found himself frozen in place; a sharp pain radiating from where his scar sat, and he gasped from the pain of it. The centaur that jumped in front of him, startled him out of his stupor and he only watched in amazement as the figure ran, disappearing as if it had never been.

When he returned to the castle that night and told his friends the story, he still wasn't sure what to make of it.

According to Firenze, there was only one person in the world who would be drinking the blood of a unicorn, who was willing to live a cursed life, a half life in order to gain access to the Philosopher's Stone and to resurrect.

And that person was Lord Voldemort.

Suddenly it all clicked into place — Snape was trying to steal the stone for Voldemort.

The fear that pooled in the pit of Harry's stomach had his hands clenching together nervously. Voldemort wasn't dead and he was looking for a way to be immortal, to come back.

It was the worst thing that Harry could imagine.

"Are you going to tell Sirius and Remus, Harry?" Neville asked, his eyes wide and fearful as he twisted his hands nervously in his lap.

Harry shook his head. The last thing that he wanted was to worry his fathers even more. "No, I think its better if we just keep this between us for now. I mean, we don't have any real proof that it was actually Voldemort in the forest."

Hermione nodded, her eyes wide. "And you're forgetting one thing, Harry."

"What's that?"

"Who is the one person that You Know Who feared the most? Dumbledore! As long as Dumbledore's here, the stone is safe. As long as Dumbledore runs this school, the stone can't be touched."

Harry had never felt so relieved to hear those words. Hermione was right. Dumbledore was one of the bravest wizards he knew. Remus had told him the story and the legend that surrounded Dumbledore and his great defeat over the wizard Grindelwald. If Dumbledore was here, they were safe.

"Besides," Ron added. "We don't have any real proof, do we, just our conjecture?"

Harry nodded. His friends had a point. "Maybe we should find some."

Proof came a few weeks later when Ron received a letter from Charlie telling him about the dragon that they had taken into the reserve and how well Norberta (for it had turned out to be a girl dragon) was fitting in, that Harry realized that none of them had once questioned how Hagrid had come to own an illegal dragon in the first place. Where had he gotten it?

He had practically rushed down to Hagrid's hut the next day only to find out that Hagrid had won the dragon in The Hog's Head and that the man who had given it to him had been very interested in the types of magical creatures that Hagrid had taken care of. Hagrid had told him about Fluffy and that if you played music, the dog fell straight asleep.

A deep sense of foreboding took over Harry. He didn't even wait to see if his friends were following him, he ran immediately to see McGonagall.

"Auntie Minnie!" he exclaimed, out of breath when he crashed through her office with Ron and Hermione behind him.

McGonagall huffed in annoyance. "Mr Potter, for the last time, we are at school, and when we are at school you will address me as Professor."

"I'm sorry," he panted, eyes wide. "But we need to talk to Professor Dumbledore, immediately!"

McGonagall merely raised an eyebrow at him. "Professor Dumbledore isn't here, Potter. He's had an urgent owl from the Ministry and he's left."

Harry's eyes widened in shock. "He's gone?"

"Harry, the Headmaster is a very busy wizard and he doesn't just lay around the school all day. Why do you need to see him? What's going on?"

Harry moved closer to her desk, placing both of his hands flat down on it. "Auntie-Professor, it's about the Philosopher's Stone."

McGonagall's eyes widened in surprise as she stood up. "How do you three even know about the stone?"

"It's a long story, Professor, but someone is going to try to steal it!"

McGonagall snorted. "I assure you that the stone is very well protected and that you have nothing to worry about. Goodness Potter, I had hoped that you would be less trouble than your godfather, but I can see now that you are looking to cause mischief just as much as Sirius once did."

"Auntie Minnie, it's not safe!"

"Harry!" she exclaimed, her tone annoyed. "The stone is perfectly safe where it is. Now stop worrying about it and go outside, relish in being done your exams. Go on!"

Harry trudged off gloomily, glancing up at his friends. "She didn't believe me."

Hermione shrugged and bit her bottom lip. "It does sound a bit mad when we say it aloud."

Harry glanced behind him at McGonagall's closed office door. "If Dumbledore's gone, Snape's going to try to take it tonight."

Ron swallowed carefully. "And you want to stop him."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "Well, I don't want to, but no one else even knows about it. We have to try!"

Hermione nodded. "Okay."

~ ASC ~

Sirius was curled up on the chesterfield, Zee in his arms. She had been in Arizona for almost two months, having stayed a few weeks longer to work with a Magizoologist named Evelynn Garcia, and he had missed her more than he'd realized. They'd exchanged owls, but having her here, holding her close, was what he had missed. They'd spent the afternoon playing water games in her big bathtub together before they'd thrown together a quick meal. Zee told him all about her trip and he filled her in on his fight with Remus about Tonks, the latest news from Harry, and how his friend Althea had given birth to a new baby boy at the beginning of April who they named Phoenix Nikolas.

She'd opened another bottle of wine before they'd settled on the chesterfield. He had hooked up the television and the VCR and they were watching some cheesy romantic comedy called Overboard that was one of Zee's all time favourites. He had to admit, it was pretty entertaining and the rich bitch definitely had it coming. She had just spent an entire day taking care of 'her kids' when the cat patronus burst into the living room making both of them jump.

McGonagall's voice echoed in the room.

"Harry is in the hospital wing. Professor Quirrell is dead. Come immediately."

Sirius jumped to his feet, almost knocking Zee to the ground as his hands went to his hair. "Where the fuck are my shoes?"

Zee jumped up and grabbed his boots for him, helping him put them on. "I'm sure he's okay, Sirius. She didn't say that he wasn't."

Sirius turned to glare at her. "And she didn't say that he was either!"

He stepped into the fireplace and Flooed to McGonagall's office. She was pacing while she waited for him.

"Harry?" he asked desperately, reaching for her.

McGonagall hugged him tightly. "He's all right, Sirius. He's sleeping it off. Madam Pomfrey's taking care of him."

"What the hell happened? Is Harry asking for me? Quirrell is dead? Why is Harry in the hospital wing? What the fuck happened?" Sirius demanded, firing off the questions rapidly.

McGonagall pulled back and smiled weakly at him. "He tried to tell me and I didn't believe him."

"Tried to tell you what?"

"The Philosopher's Stone," she breathed anxiously. "It's been hidden in the school all year, under safe guard and protection from each of the teachers. He somehow discovered its whereabouts and what it was, Merlin only knows how, but… he told me that someone was going to try to steal it and I thought that he was just causing trouble as he's been a bit of a mischief maker this year and I pushed him off and… then a few hours later Dumbledore comes upstairs carrying an unconscious Harry into the hospital wing, scraped up and I just knew… he tried to stop it himself. Foolish, brave boy!"

Sirius was gripping her arms tightly. "Take me to him."

He rushed through the halls, stepping into the hospital wing and seeing Dumbledore standing near one of the beds with Madam Pomfrey.

"Albus?"

"Sirius, good," Dumbledore said with a smile, gesturing him over. "Don't worry, Harry is going to be just fine. A few scrapes and bruises that will soon heal."

Sirius pushed past the headmaster, falling to his knees next to Harry's bed. He had a few shallow cuts on his face, hands, and neck and what looked like a good bruise on his ribs, but other than that, he looked all right. "Why is he unconscious?"

"Poppy gave him some sleeping draught to help him heal. He's been through quite an ordeal."

Sirius kissed Harry's forehead, taking the boy's hand in his and squeezing lightly. "What the hell happened? Minnie said something about you hiding some magical stone here and that Harry was personally trying to protect it? Why the bloody hell would he do that?"

Dumbledore nodded, pulling a chair over and taking a seat. Sirius sat in a chair as well, not letting go of Harry's hand. "My friend Nicholas Flamel invented it a few centuries ago, the Philosopher's Stone that is. It produces the Elixir of Life among other things. He and his wife have lived for centuries off of it. He became concerned that it was no longer safe to keep it stored where he had it so, I offered Hogwarts at his discretion and we put it under detailed protection. Hagrid gave us a Cerberus to guard the door. Pomona, a large Devil's Snare to keep out any unwanted visitors. Filius, a locked door only opened by a magical key with hundreds to choose from all flying around the room. Quirinus, a troll to be fought and passed. Minerva transfigured a giant chess set that had to be played as a chess piece successfully to make it to the door on the other side. Severus a riddle with a poison and a potion offering safe passage to choose from in order to cross safely. And, myself, I hid the stone within a magical mirror. Harry, Ron, and Hermione got through all of them."

Sirius' eyes widened in disbelief. "They — what? All of them?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Miss Granger and Mr Weasley told me everything after I got Harry to the hospital wing. Miss Granger had apparently sent me an owl at the Ministry, but when I got there, I just felt like I had to be back here. I pulled Harry off of Quirinus, I think just in time might I add. I thought he was…"

"I don't understand," Sirius said, gently brushing Harry's hair from his forehead. "You said that he's all right?"

Dumbledore nodded at Harry. "That scar saved his life, Sirius. The love that his mother had for him… she died protecting him, sacrificed herself for her son. I think that gave him a level of protection that is in his very blood. It's why I originally sent him to Petunia Evans because of that blood protection. It was an attempt to strengthen that bond. Voldemort is alive, Sirius."

Sirius paled, his eyes raking over Harry desperately, his hands on his stomach, his ribs, his arms. He kissed his son's forehead, kissed the lightning bolt scar. When he finally spoke, his voice was dead calm and almost a whisper.

"Are you telling me that my son faced Voldemort tonight?"

He nodded curtly. "He had latched onto Quirinus like a parasite, living within him. He was controlling him."

"AND YOU HAD THIS MAN BLOODY TEACHING HERE?" Sirius exploded angrily.

McGonagall's hands fell onto his shoulders. "Sirius, there was no way for us to know." She kissed his cheek and she felt him calm down a little. "Harry is safe. He saved the day. That's what matters."

Sirius smiled at that, his eyes on Harry's unconscious form again. "Go on, Albus."

Dumbledore nodded at McGonagall kindly before his eyes fell back on Sirius. Sirius wasn't looking at him, his focus was entirely on the sleeping comatose form of Harry, the child's hand still clutched tightly in his own. He cleared his throat before he continued.

"Voldemort was using Quirinus to get to the stone, but I hid it in the Mirror of Erised. Harry had stumbled across this mirror back in January, as I had it in a classroom until I placed it below."

"You wanted him to find the mirror," McGonagall said in surprise. "Why did you move it into a classroom when it was already below guarding the stone? You knew that he would discover it."

Dumbledore smiled at her. "I've been watching him, Minerva. He's a brave boy and I admit that I was curious to see what would happen if he found the mirror. I never in my life imagined that this would happen as a result of it."

"What did happen, Albus?" Sirius demanded, rubbing his fingers along the top of Harry's hand.

"I hid the stone in the mirror so that only someone who wanted to find the stone, find it, but not use it, would be able to get it. Harry stood in front of the mirror and he acquired the stone whereas Quirrell could not. Voldemort knew that he was lying and he attacked him but —" he said quickly as Sirius' eyes flashed dangerously. "— when Harry touched him, the blood protection from his mother burned him."

"Burned him how?" he asked curiously.

Dumbledore gestured his head and Sirius turned his gaze to where one hospital bed was closed off and he gasped when Madam Pomfrey pulled back the curtain showing, the burned and decayed body of the defence professor.

"He's dead," Madam Pomfrey said.

"Bloody hell," Sirius mumbled, his eyes on the corpse. "What the hell… how the fuck did that happen?"

"I pulled him off," Dumbledore continued. "I was terrified that Harry was dead as well when I saw the state of Quirinus, but he was alive. Harry was very weak so, I brought him to Poppy straight away. He's going to be okay."

He took the stone out of his pocket, holding it in his palm.

"I need to get this back to Nicholas. Harry will be out for a few more hours at least, Sirius. Try to get some rest."

Sirius only scoffed at that as Dumbledore hurried out of the hospital wing. He turned back to Harry, bringing his hand to his lips and kissing it softly. He ran his fingers through his son's hair.

He smiled kindly at McGonagall when she sat next to him, looping her arm through his. "I'm sorry that I didn't believe him."

"Why the hell would you? I can't believe all of this happened and I had no idea… I mean… he didn't tell me any of it. I thought that we were a team. I thought he… I thought he trusted me," he said sadly.

"Sirius," McGonagall said softly, kissing his cheek. "That boy practically worships the ground you walk on. You are everything to him. He trusts you implicitly. You were an eleven-year-old-boy once, if you were doing something that was very much in the rule breaking category, had already been lectured by myself for it, and were planning on doing more rule breaking - would you have told me about it?"

Sirius sighed. She had a point. The fact that she had used herself instead of Orion Black as the example only proved to him how much she had a point, but he didn't have to like it. "No."

She smiled and squeezed his shoulder. "Exactly."

Sirius kissed Harry's hand again. "He faced Voldemort, Minnie."

McGonagall sighed. "He's vanished again. He's not inside Quirrell anymore, but that also means that he doesn't have a body. He's not strong enough on his own to do any damage. He's not a threat right now."

"But he could be," Sirius said, turning to look at her as he held Harry's limp hand to his cheek. "If he finds another body, another person to control… he's going to want to finish what he started. And to know that Harry is alive, the baby he tried to kill, who then in turn ruined his life… he's going to come after him."

"And you will protect him," McGonagall said softly. "We all will. He's not a threat right now."

Sirius stared at Harry for a moment, his eyes lingering on the lightning bolt scar. "I need Remus here. He needs to… he's going to want to see Harry."

McGonagall nodded and stood up. "I'll send word immediately."

Sirius only nodded and closed his eyes, his lips brushing Harry's hand again.

Voldemort was alive, he had always known it. Deep down he had always known he wasn't gone.

But it didn't make him feel any better to know that he had been right.

End Author's Notes:

Althea and Xander now have 3 boys. As of June 1992, they are as follows:

Niko Alexander (16months)

Nilo Alexander Papakonstantinou (16months)

Phoenix Nikolas (3months)

Thank you and please review!