Author's Note:

I am posting a new chapter today because I surpassed 2000 reviews today — so thank you so much! However, because this chapter is a fun early surprise and because I have family coming in from out of town this weekend — there will be no new chapter until next week. But I promise, this one doesn't end on a cliffhanger. Enjoy!

Reviews and Comments: To Blaze1313: Thank you! I leave it on cliffhangers in hopes that people will come back. To midnitewanderer: I'm sorry the suspense is making your heart hurt, I think that's a high compliment! Thank you! To mdauben: It is a bit of a dramatic defence, but I think it will help! Thank you! To alix33: Thanks for loving the stuffing out of Ted and Andy! To Steelcode: Yes, I did. Thank you! To AntarticInferno: Yes, go Sirius indeed! Thank you! To azphzbrd: Umbridge and Fudge should be fired, well I can assure you, things are not going to go well for them. To scrappy8: Thank you! To Guest: Thank you! Remus definitely doesn't deserve this! To x-shadow-x-kisses-x: I do try to keep people on their toes. Yes, I have written a few books of my own, not that I've ever let anyone read them LOL. To E-Dett: Umbitch definitely deserves to go to Azkaban. She gets away with too much, but it's so easy to hate her. Thank you!

To KittenWithAnAx: Ha, I may be a little crazy, but aren't the best people a little mad? Thank you! To derek. : It's only a little mean to leave that cliffhanger, isn't it? To Shamelessnweird: Thank you! I'm happy despite the cliffhanger, you are still filled with hope! To LunaFireFly11: Thank you! To purplevictory: Thank you! I am happy to share my creativity with you! To Hinny FTW: I will take three holy shits LOL. Thank you! I think Percy and Ginny did very well! Thank you so much! To aj613: Ha, I love that you this going extremely well and yet are still not ready for it. Thank you! To Taraimperatrice: Thank you! I think it is a good plan to prove Remus' innocence. Having Percy and Penelope there will also help. Thank you! To Sparkawk537: Thank you! Next one will be soon! To coloredwords: Your heart should break for Lupin as long as you have a soul LOL. Thank you! To rolly21: Thank you! To Guest: Thanks for saying ASC is officially canon to you! To ninaz08: Thank you! To Josh: Thank you very much! Thanks for saying it's the best HP fanfiction you've ever read!

To PolarWriter95: I love that the suspense is killing you! Thank you! To Moony The Sheep: You're welcome for making you hate Umbitch even more. What can I say, it wasn't all wrapped up in one chapter! Thank you! To speedsONEandONLY: Thank you! Yes, Dora is in Remus' lap and Percy will present the petition! Thank you! To Guest: Thank you for saying my series of cliffies have left you breathless! Thank you for calling me an amazing writer and yes, Umbitch is just as evil as Bella in her own warped way! To Hellpony: Ape-shit is a good way to describe the room. They are definitely a bit shocked with what is happening! To JMC6509: Thank you for binging and saying it's like watching a new series of Netflix. Thanks for loving it! To Fenrix_Shadowbane: Expecting someone to do something stupid like attacking the wolf is a fair assumption. To Jmcglynn522: Thank you! I promise you won't die from my cliffhangers! Ha, Umbitch is a twatnugget! Thank you for that laugh!

Thank you to Steel for mentioning this idea — even though we were on the same wavelength here, still appreciate the advice.

Thank you to my Beta — SilverStarwolfe!

My posting schedule: Every Tuesday or Wednesday (usually the latter) and sometimes on the weekends.

As always, 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 for all of your continued support!

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-TWO:

The One Where Harry Shouts At Sirius

And He Just Shouts Right Back

Remus stood up, eyes wide. "This is a mistake! Please, let them out, I don't want to hurt anyone!"

Tonks stood up, grabbing his hands in her own. "You will not hurt anyone, Remus. It's us."

Kingsley smiled at him and turned to the court. "Lord Black wishes the Assembly to watch what happens to Mr Lupin over the next ten minutes and then the Wizengamot will continue with the proceedings."

Lord Mackelbee stood up, his eyes flashing. "This is ludicrous! Get that woman and young man out of there immediately before they are killed, or worse, infected!"

Remus flinched at his words and Tonks carefully unbuttoned his shirt, slipping it off his shoulders. She could feel him trembling and she brushed her fingers against his skin, smiling as she whispered to him.

"You won't hurt any of us, Remus. You won't, darling, I promise. I trust you. Now you have to trust me."

Remus took her hands in his and stared at her for a moment before he undressed. The back of his neck flushing in embarrassment at the thought of standing naked in this cage before everyone. Tonks sensed his discomfort and she stood close to him, her stomach pressed against his groin, keeping him decent.

Padfoot nudged his friend's hip and Tonks helped him to the ground as he jolted in pain and she stepped back as the transformation began. Harry pulled her into his arms, eyes wide as he watched as his uncle's bones seemed to break and rip apart, the pain on his face etched into every line and he squeezed her tightly when she gasped.

Moments later, Remus was gone and in his place was a fifty-five kilogram wolf, dark golden blond fur with hints of silver, shiny white teeth glistening, and whisky and amber glowing eyes.

Remus growled as Padfoot nudged him back against the wall of the cage.

Harry moved forward. His heart was beating a quick rhumba in his chest, but he knew that Sirius was right. Remus had recognized him last night in the forest. He had known exactly who he was and he had known that he wasn't going to hurt him.

"It's Harry, Uncle Rem, your pup," he said, softly.

Remus' large head nuzzled his arm, his shoulder and then he licked Harry's face making him laugh in surprise.

Tonks moved over to him, her hands out. "Remus, it's me, it's your Dora."

Remus moved around Harry and Padfoot, sniffing, and he moved to lick her hand. He knelt down before her and he nuzzled against her in contentment as Harry moved closer again.

"Hi, Uncle Rem," he said softly, his hand out before him. "Your family is here. Your pack is here."

Padfoot was lying next to Tonks and Harry gently placed his hand on the top of Remus' head. Remus simply stared at him, yawned loudly, and snuggled himself into his mate's arms, allowing Harry to pet him calmly.

Padfoot ushered for Harry to stand, making Remus raise his large head, but Tonks gently held him back against her and he stayed there.

"You can unlock the cage," Tonks called out.

Without hesitation, Kingsley did as instructed. Harry and Padfoot both stepped out of the cage before Kingsley locked the door once more, leaving Remus with Tonks.

Padfoot transformed back into Sirius and nudged Harry to go back to sit with Ted and Andromeda. He pointed at the cage. "Does that look like a crazed murderer?"

"That's impossible!" someone shouted from the front. "Werewolves cannot be tamed. They are not wolves who have gone through obedience school!"

"I'm not saying that a werewolf can be tamed, CWM Anderson, Remus Lupin is not tamed. But he is in control. He does not wish to hurt anyone and as you can see, he knows his family."

Griselda Marchbanks held her wand up before she stood to address the Assembly. "That is truly remarkable, Lord Black, and I can see how you think that proves him innocent but, if he is provoked, will he not lash out?"

"CWM Marchbanks, if I provoked you, would you not lash out?"

She snorted at that. "Point made."

Walters cleared her throat. "We understand that Remus Lupin has committed a crime here. But his crime is not that he is a werewolf. His crime is that he failed to register his status as a werewolf with the Werewolf Registry and he can be sentenced for up to three years in Azkaban for this crime. Lyall Lupin, the father of Remus Lupin made his son promise not to register himself because the Ministry of Magic's Department for the Regulation and the Control of Magical Creatures failed him by allowing the werewolf, Greyback, freedom and accusing Lyall Lupin of declaring Greyback of being a werewolf under false pretences; only to have Greyback attack his son in retaliation for his rightful claims. Remus was four-years-old, the registration shouldn't have been his responsibility until he reached of age. The issue here is whether he should be charged for falsifying his identity considering the circumstances."

Dumbledore nodded at Walters. "I took Mr Lupin under my care at Hogwarts and made sure that he was given the opportunity to have the education that he deserved as a young wizard. I hired him as the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor because I knew that he was more than capable of the job and I would hire him again in a heartbeat. I have already accepted the fine on the matter of harbouring a werewolf and have every intention of paying it."

"Professor?" Percy Weasley asked from his spot next to Penelope Clearwater in the Youth Representative section.

"Mr Weasley?"

"Miss Clearwater and I would like to present something to the Assembly on Professor Lupin's behalf?"

Dumbledore nodded and Percy hurried up to him with the petition in his hands. "Mr Weasley and Miss Clearwater are the Head Boy and Head Girl at Hogwarts this year and as you know, they have attended all of the Wizengamot sessions this year as part of the Youth Representation Program," he said to the Assembly. "Mr Weasley, what is this?"

Percy smiled smugly, pushing his glasses up his nose. "That is the signatures and comments of two hundred and seventy students from Hogwarts, as well as the signatures of the entire Hogwarts staff, who all claim that Professor Lupin is the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher that we've ever had."

Penelope smiled from next to him. "The students have not only signed their names to the document, but have all provided personal anecdotes and comments about why Professor Lupin should be immediately rehired by the school board. The professors have also made similar comments and declared that he is one of the best to be on their faculty."

Umbridge stood up now, her little 'hem, hem' sound making Sirius want to hex her. "This is all well and good, Miss Clearwater, but in light of recent events, Mr Lupin will hardly be asked to return to the school in a teaching capacity. He has been accused of helping the Death Eaters escape from Azkaban Prison."

"He is innocent of those charges," Sirius told her, hotly.

"Lord Black, your admiration for your best friend is honourable, but you cannot protect him of crimes that he is guilty of nor are you an acceptable witness due to your relationship with the accused," Umbridge said sweetly.

Lady Bones raised her wand before she climbed to her feet. "There is zero evidence against Mr Lupin that he assisted the escaped prisoners in any way. In fact, given that one of the escaped prisoners was in fact Peter Pettigrew, the very man accused of betraying the Potters, who were close personal friends of the accused, it is highly unlikely that Lupin would assist him in any way. Miss Walters and Agent Barrow reviewed Lupin's memories as well as memories provided by Lord Black, Chief Warlock Dumbledore, and Auror Tonks proving that he has no ties to the two escaped prisoners. In fact, the memories show that he attempted to go after Pettigrew that night and capture him or even harm him to save his nephew, which he would not bother with if he had in fact helped Pettigrew escape prison to begin with. Do you, Madam Umbridge, have some other form of proof of Mr Lupin's treason that we are unaware of?"

Umbridge looked flustered by this. "There is no definitive proof that he orchestrated such an escape, but the coincidence alone implies that —"

"— Coincidence is not evidence, Dolores," Lady Bones interrupted, sharply. "As Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, I declare all charges dropped immediately due to false evidence on the matter and a false claim."

Umbridge was seething in her seat.

Fudge stood up, looking a bit flustered himself as he looked around the room. "I agree with Lady Bones, Lupin was breaking the law by keeping his identity of a werewolf a secret, however ordering his execution was uncalled for as well as unjust. Madam Umbridge did not have the right to do so and an inquiry will be made into why she did so."

Umbridge flushed in embarrassment, her eyes flashing in anger. "Minister, I was looking out for the —"

"— Dolores, it's over. We will talk about your position and the power you wield, you can be sure of that," Fudge said, sternly, his eyes on his Senior Undersecretary. "I declare all charges dropped immediately due to false evidence on the matter and a false claim."

Dumbledore smiled at him. "I also stand behind that, Lady Bones, Minister. The motion is passed."

Agent Barrow raised his wand tentatively. "The only charge that we must insist on is for Mr Lupin's failure to register himself as a werewolf and to report the werewolf who bit him to the Werewolf Registry. We understand his reasoning behind it; the fear behind Agent Lyall Lupin's promise from his son, but now that it is out in the open, Remus Lupin must be formally added to the Werewolf Registry for his own safety as well as for the safety of our community."

Walters nodded. "As a member of Werewolf Support Services, I will be here to assist him in his care and make sure that he is being treated fairly and justly by the Ministry of Magic."

"Agreed," Agent Barrow declared. "And with that registration comes the charge of not registering - which means that Mr Lupin will be fined three hundred Galleons and sentenced to time in Azkaban Prison."

"No!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Lord Black," Dumbledore said, sternly.

Agent Barrow held up his wand. "But given the circumstances of why Mr Lupin did not register, the false claims made against him and an attempt at executing an innocent man on false charges; the Department for the Regulation and the Control of Magical Creatures has decided to greatly reduce his prison time to one day for every year that he has spent as an unregistered werewolf. We therefore sentence Mr Lupin to thirty days in Azkaban Prison."

Kingsley nodded at Dumbledore. "I second Agent Barrow's request with the note that all other charges against Remus Lupin be dropped and voided from his file as a misconduct of the Ministry."

"Agreed," Lady Bones declared, nodding at Kingsley. "Mr Lupin will be returned to Azkaban and will be sentenced to thirty days, one day for every year that he failed to register himself. He will be sent to Azkaban first thing in the morning after the moon sets and his release date with be the twenty-fourth of June, 1994. As for the petition brought forth by Mr Weasley and Miss Clearwater — if Mr Lupin wants to teach at Hogwarts, as far as I'm concerned, the job is his. Two hundred and seventy students have signed in his favour on top of the entire staff and if we learned anything from the Lockhart fiasco last year, good teachers are hard to come by. Dumbledore, you yourself have already been fined two thousand Galleons for harbouring Lupin as a known werewolf, both as a child and as a professor. Lord Black and Auror Tonks, you have also both been fined two thousand Galleons for not reporting Lupin's werewolf status. You have one month to pay off the fine or you can be sentenced to prison as well. For those of you questioning the authority of the Chief Warlock to run this meeting, he has already paid his fine and is here only in an advisory capacity today."

Dumbledore smiled and waved his wand. "Lady Bones, if you would formally close the Assembly for me tonight?"

Lady Bones nodded curtly at him. "Lady Bones closing for Chief Warlock Dumbledore, proclaiming that the Wizengamot sentences Remus Lupin to thirty days in Azkaban and fined him three hundred Galleons which will come from his Hogwarts salary in return for him coming back to teach in September. Assembly dismissed."

Sirius turned to the cage, his eyes on Tonks. "Thirty days is the best that we could do."

She nodded, her hands lovingly stroking the wolf's neck. "I know."

"Miss Tonks?" The guard spoke from next to the cage. "I need for you to step away from the wolf and come slowly to the door. You cannot stay in there with him any longer."

Tonks continued to stroke her hands over his neck and jaw. "No."

"Tonks, I know that you don't want to leave him, but you have to come out."

She only turned to glare at Sirius. "I won't. Not until the morning; not until he knows what has happened here."

The guard swallowed, unlocking the cage door. "Miss Tonks, please," he held his hand out to her cautiously. "Take my hand, come with me."

The wolf lifted his head and growled at the guard. Tonks simply pressed a kiss to the top of the wolf's head as if he was a loving dog and he calmed down, his eyes still on the guard.

Sirius pulled the guard from the cage and closed the door, locking it again. "If you try to remove her from that cage, he will attack you. Let her stay with him until the sun rises."

The guard was pale and he nodded. "Yes, Lord Black."

"Stay here and guard the cage with Davidson," Kingsley instructed before turning to Sirius. "She can stay until the morning, but only until the sun comes up," he said, staring at his Auror.

Tonks nodded, her eyes not leaving Remus. "Okay."

Sirius' fingers curled around the iron bars of the cage. "It's only thirty days, Tonks, and he'll be all right. I can promise you that."

Kingsley came to stand next to Sirius. "I will have Aurors guarding him the entire time. He won't be left alone."

"I want to be on guard duty at the prison," Tonks said, quietly.

Kingsley stared at her. "You know why I can't allow that, Tonks."

Her eyes met Kingsley's, sadly. "Please."

"Tonks, I would love to allow that for you, but I can't. You can pick the Aurors you want to guard him, I'll allow you some say on that matter, but I cannot allow you to go. It's a conflict of interest and you know it — and you are still suspended, two weeks, remember?"

Tonks nodded, her hands stroking the calm wolf in her lap.

Sirius moved away from the cage, his eyes on Harry who was sitting in between Ted and Andromeda. Andromeda had her arms wrapped around Harry, her eyes wide as she looked at her daughter, who was still locked in the cage with the werewolf, holding him as if he was a large, harmless dog.

Harry stood up and moved to Sirius, who put his arm over his son's shoulders. "He still has to go to prison?"

Sirius nodded, his eyes sad. "He does. But only for thirty days and given what we fought for tonight, that's a blessing. Prison is the mandatory sentence for anyone who hasn't registered themselves as a werewolf and it usually is a minimum of six months. Remus has kept it a secret for thirty years, but given that he was almost executed, this is the lightest sentence that he could be given. We have to be grateful for that; grateful that Walters and Barrow listened to us and took his past as well as his character into consideration. The fact that he has never harmed anyone also helped his cause." He turned back to look at Tonks. "I'll take care of the fines, Tonks; don't even worry about it." She only nodded at him and his gaze moved to his cousin and her husband. "Andy, you all right?"

Ted wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders and kissed her temple. "She's fine. Today was a lot for her to take in and she's been handling it very well."

Andromeda's eyes flashed in anger. "Don't think that I'm not still upset with you, Edward Tonks!"

He winced at her gaze. "Finding out that Remus is a werewolf on top of everything else happening today was a big deal and not exactly the secret that she thought we were keeping."

"You and Dora both kept this from me! And you too, Sirius, how could you not have told me that he was a werewolf? To have read it in the paper and…"

"Would it have affected how you thought about him?"

"No! He's the sweetest and the kindest man and he clearly loves our Dora more than life!"

Sirius smiled. "So, why does it matter?"

Ted pulled his wife closer into his arms. "Don't get her started, Sirius," he said as he kissed her cheek and they stood up. "We're going to head home. We'll be back in the morning to collect Dora. I don't want her going off by herself once they take him to Azkaban."

Sirius nodded. "I'll meet you here at six."

Harry watched Ted and Andromeda leave as Zee hurried towards them.

"I've spoken to Agent Barrow, he's going to work with Kingsley to make sure that Remus understands what happened today in the morning and that he will be sentenced to thirty days in prison. They are also going to organize a constant stream of Auror guards to stay at Azkaban and to make sure that he is protected from the Dementors."

"What about Umbridge?" Harry demanded. "Isn't she going to be punished for trying to have him executed?"

Sirius squeezed Harry a bit tighter to his side. "It's not that simple, Harry."

"How is it not that simple? She was in the wrong! She tried to have an innocent man killed! She should be the one sent to Azkaban!"

Sirius gripped Harry's arms tightly, his voice low. "Harry, Dolores Umbridge is the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic. She has a lot of power and she knows that she was in the wrong, but the scare of still having two escaped prisoners on the loose is the bigger problem right now and the Ministry knows that. You heard Fudge, what she did today will be addressed, but there's nothing else that we can do about it. We were incredibly lucky today. We almost lost him due to the fear and misunderstanding of others. It would have been easy to let him take the fall and the blame, to be the scapegoat for everything and no one would have blinked an eye. Remus broke the law by not registering. He always knew that if he was ever caught he would have to spend time in Azkaban and we've talked about this. Thirty days is an extremely lenient punishment and we're very lucky. Remus is very lucky."

Harry nodded, his eyes flashing angrily. "That's not fair."

"Sometimes life isn't fair, Harry," he said, simply. "Come on; let's get you back to the school."

Harry tried not to grumble as Sirius and Zee both led him from the Ministry. Zee hugged him goodbye, kissing his cheek and promised to see him when he came home for the summer and that they would talk about spending some time in Georgia.

He hugged her back in turn and then let Sirius Apparate with him to Hogsmeade.

Sirius kept his arm draped across Harry's shoulders as they walked. "You know, this is not exactly how I pictured ending my day either, Prongslet."

"Harry," he said, stubbornly, kicking at the pebbles on the road.

Sirius blew his hair out of his eyes. "All right, Harry. Look, I know that you're upset and I'm angry, too, but this is the best that we could do with the cards that we were dealt. Moony was breaking the law by not registering himself as a werewolf and he almost died today because of it. This is a blessing that we were even able to stop it from happening."

"But it's not fair that Umbridge isn't going to be punished! She's evil! She's a foul, ugly old toad!"

"That I agree with," Sirius said, kicking the pebbles on the road as well and smirking at his son's rather adept description of the Senior Undersecretary. "At the next meeting of the Wizengamot, it will be discussed; what she tried to do. Hopefully it will be enough to put her bill into the ground for good. But right now we have to contend with the fact that the Minister of Magic is taking an inquiry into her work."

"Why does she get away with so much?"

Sirius sighed. He wasn't sure how exactly to explain the political ramifications of the magical world. "Politics are a dangerous business, Harry. It's all about wit and how you manoeuvre and manipulate people and things to be where you need and want them to be at the right time. My grandfather was a master manipulator and despite his many, many flaws, Arcturus Black was very good at politics. I'm still new to it and I know what I can and cannot push for. Right now, Umbridge is the right hand of the Minister of Magic, which means that she has a lot of power at her disposal and she's been using it very well to get what she wants. That power isn't going to be around forever and after this, she is well aware of that and is willing to bide her time. She wants this bill passed because she is scared of anyone or anything that she doesn't understand."

"She's just as dangerous as Voldemort!"

Sirius stopped Harry on the bridge moving to the school. "Yes, I suppose she is to some extent."

"She might as well be a Death Eater!"

Sirius nodded, his expression grim. "As easy as it would be to do so, Harry, the world is not divided between good people and Death Eaters. There's a lot of grey in the world sometimes and sometimes it is that grey that needs to be sculpted and utilized. Politics are generally a grey area. We will have to tread very carefully around Umbridge from here on out and I will do my best to keep fighting her bill from my position as a lord within the Wizengamot. Do you understand what I'm telling you, Harry?"

"That she's not going to be punished for trying to have Uncle Rem executed."

Sirius sighed. "I'm not saying that she will never be punished, Harry, but right now, no, she will not be punished as despite how she went about it and the illogical conclusions she jumped to, she was in fact doing her job, albeit not well, but she was."

Harry stared at Sirius for a moment. "I thought… I thought that I had saved you only to lose Uncle Moony and…"

Tears welled up in his eyes and he stubbornly bit his lip to send them back.

Sirius moved to wrap his arms around his son, his chin resting on the top of his head. The way that he was growing he figured another year and he'd be as tall as him already. He really wasn't a kid anymore and his heart ached a little at the realization. He kissed the top of his head.

"You're not going to lose me or Uncle Moony."

Harry clung to him a moment, nodding against his chest. "Can we really just let Uncle Moony go to prison?"

"We don't have a choice, Prongs-Harry. And I can promise you that it will be terrible for him no doubt, but he will be fine, and then he will be home and safe with us soon enough. And a lot of that has to do with that amazing petition for him to return back to Hogwarts. I read a few of those comments. The students really love and respect him and I can't wait for him to read those comments himself and see how well liked he is. Percy Weasley really did that with the Head Girl?"

"Ginny," he said, pulling back to look up at his father. "Percy said that it was all Ginny."

"That little spitfire is truly amazing," Sirius murmured, his arm around Harry again. "Come on; let's get you back up to your dorm. How are Ron and Neville doing?"

"Ron was okay. Madam Pomfrey said that he could leave the hospital wing in the morning as his leg should be fully healed by then. Neville was awake, but still sore. He said that Bellatrix Lestrange used the torture curse on him and that it felt like his body was inside out and that he was being stabbed and burned alive at the same time."

Sirius shuddered. "That's an apt description."

"Uncle Siri?"

"Yes, Harry?"

He shifted on his feet before he touched his father's arm and turned him to look at him. "Did your Mum really use the Cruciatus Curse on you like it showed us when we destroyed the locket?"

Sirius let out a long slow breath. "Harry, that was a long time ago."

"She really did? How? How could she do that to her own son?"

"I wasn't the son that she wanted me to be," he said, simply. "I had a terrible childhood and it was Jamie and Rem and Pete and Lily that made me realize that I had them; that they were my family. Fee and Monty were my real parents in every sense of the word. They were all I needed and now, I have you."

"And Zee."

"And Zee," he said with a smile. "I have my family and what happened in the past was the past and talking about it isn't going to change anything."

"But talking would help," Harry told him, his green eyes on his. "You always tell me that and you're always right about it. I do feel better after I talk about it. Your memories were hurting you when the Dementors were there and… you lost your Patronus because of your memories."

"Harry," Sirius began.

Harry shook his head. "Uncle Moony told me that the most important part of keeping your Patronus strong was keeping a happy memory in your head and that the more unhappy or terrible memories someone has, the harder that it is for them to keep that happy memory and that sometimes if they suppress the bad memories, the happy ones aren't as strong as they could be. You suppress everything, Uncle Sirius!"

Sirius stared at him. "I do not suppress everything, Harry. I was beaten and abused by my parents and I took it. It was what I was used to and I did it to protect my little brother, who I loved more than anything in the world. But he turned away from me when my parents disowned me and… I should have fought harder for him; maybe if I had, maybe he would have come to me with that locket years ago, and maybe he would still be alive. I lost my brother and then I lost two of my best friends and was sentenced to prison for a crime that I never even committed. Finding you and keeping you is my happy memory. I don't need you to tell me about my life when you don't understand it!"

"I understand just fine! You're doing it again, pushing it all down, and letting it boil under the surface! You need to start talking about it! I want to know and understand what you went through, maybe I can help!"

Sirius' eyes flashed, angrily. "We are not talking about this, Harry. I am your parent, not the other way around. You don't tell me what to do, Prongslet!"

"It's Harry, not Prongslet! I'm not a sodding child!" Harry shot back. "Hermione and I captured Peter last night, not you, and we saved you from the Dementor's Kiss! Could a child do all of that?"

Sirius took a calming breath. "Okay, you are not a child, but you're not a man yet either."

Harry glared at him and made to storm off, but Sirius grabbed his arm.

"Don't walk away from me, Harry. I didn't say that this conversation was over."

"What conversation? You don't talk about anything!"

"Harry James Potter, you will watch how you speak to me! You show me the same respect that I show you!"

Harry's face flushed in anger and shame. "I'm sorry."

Sirius let out a slow breath, his own face flushed in anger. "What did you mean when you said that you saved me from the Dementor's Kiss and captured Peter?"

"Never mind," Harry said, stubbornly, tugging his arm free.

"No," Sirius insisted. "How did you and Hermione capture Peter? Zee told me that you were brought into the infirmary passed out on a stretcher next to me and I know that you passed out before I did. There's no logical explanation of how you could have captured Peter in that time frame. Your Patronus did save me from the Dementor's Kiss, but then you fainted from the power of it."

Harry stared at him. "I did what you couldn't do. If you're the parent, why did I have to save you?"

Sirius scoffed at him. "Prongslet, I —"

Harry glared at him. "It's Harry! I won't say it again! I'm tired of you coddling me and treating me like I'm still the little boy that you took from the Dursleys! I'm not! I bloody saved you from the Dementors! If it hadn't been for my Patronus, you would have fucking died! You would have died and then without you, Zee would leave too and then where would Uncle Remus be? It would be your fault that he had died! Your fault that he was arrested in the first place!"

Sirius grabbed him. "You are acting like a bloody child, Harry James Potter! Yes, you saved my life and I will forever be grateful to you for that, but don't you dare try to pin Remus' arrest on me! Fucking Snape is the one who told the Aurors about him being a werewolf, not me!"

Harry struggled in his father's arms, catching Sirius off guard when his hand moved into a fist and he grabbed it in his hand. "Let me go!"

Sirius pulled him tighter against him. The top of Harry's head brushed just under his chin making him very much aware of how much he was no longer a child if his current actions hadn't done so.

"Were you just going to punch me? Is that how we're going to solve this now? Physical violence is never the answer, I thought that I taught you better than that."

"Let me go! I don't want you here!" Harry insisted, struggling against his father's embrace as they fell to their knees on the ground of the bridge outside of the castle, the moonlight raining down on them.

Sirius tugged Harry closer in his arms and kissed the top of his head. "Never! I will never let you go. I will never leave you alone. I love you, Harry. I love you so much and I know that you're not a child. I know that you're growing up, but you have to give me some time to get used to it, all right?"

Harry stopped struggling, his face squished into Sirius' chest, and then he began to cry.

Sirius ran his hands up and down his son's back, gently reassuring him. "Shh, Harry, shh, it's all right," he whispered. "It's all right. I love you forever and forever, love you with all my heart, love you whenever we're together and I love you when we're apart," he sang quietly in his son's ear in an attempt to soothe the tears.

Harry used the back of his hand to wipe away his tears as he sniffed. "You died."

"What?" Sirius asked, his thumb wiping away a stray tear from his son's face. "I didn't die, Harry."

"You did," Harry insisted. "The Dementors Kissed you and you died and… Zee was crying over your body and… you were dead!"

Sirius let Harry pull himself away and watched his son storm over to look out across the Black Lake. He took a deep calming breath before he spoke. "Harry, I didn't die. I'm right here."

Harry spun around, his green eyes flashing. "You did! The Dementors fed on you and snapped your neck!"

Sirius stared at him, shaking his head. "Harry…" He stood up and reached out to put a hand on his son's shoulder and Harry brushed it off. "Harry, talk to me. We don't lie to each other, remember?"

Harry snorted. "That's not true. You never told me about your childhood and how bad it was."

He let out a slow breath. "It's not something that I can easily bring up in conversation. Harry, look at me. I did not die. I'm alive. I'm here, right here in front of you."

Harry slammed his fist on the stone, the pain of it making his entire arm rattle, but he didn't make a sound. "But you were!" He spun around, his eyes wide as he blurted out the next words in one breath. "Dumbledore locked us in the infirmary and said that three turns should do it and Hermione and I used a Time Turner and we went back in time to save you and to capture Pettigrew!"

Sirius stared at him for a full minute, his eyes wide. "You used a… Time Turners are illegal and highly volatile to failure and to the danger of the user. Why did Dumbledore give two thirteen-year-olds one to play with?"

"Hermione's fourteen," he said, bitterly.

Sirius snorted. "Not the issue here, Harry."

"Hermione's been using it all year for her classes. It was a special request from the Department of Mysteries. She's been taking every class offered and using the Time Turner to do it."

"She's been — and you — and her — went back — in time?" Sirius spluttered as he stared at him in alarm.

"Yes. Hermione grabbed Peter when he transformed and I sent my Patronus to protect us from the Dementors."

Sirius only nodded meekly, his breathing heavy as he tried to wrap his mind around what his son was telling him. "Which is why it kept circling us after you had collapsed because you were still standing nearby, the true caster."

"Er, right," Harry said, staring at him in confusion.

"Harry, I'm sorry. I should have saved you, you're right. I'm the parent and therefore I am the one who should be protecting you, not the other way around. And I'm sorry that I left that responsibility up to you. I've forced you to grow up a lot in the last year and maybe that was wrong of me. Maybe I should have kept you more in the dark about everything."

"No," Harry said, stubbornly. "I want to know because we're a team!"

Sirius smiled at him. "Yeah, we are a team." He put his hand on his son's shoulder again, squeezing. "I knew that you were keeping something from me, but I didn't think my death was the big secret."

Harry shifted on his feet. "I'm sorry."

Sirius bent his head to kiss his son's hair. "I'm sorry, too. I don't want to fight with you. I love you more than anyone or anything in this world."

"I don't want to fight with you either," Harry admitted.

Sirius smiled at him. "When you come home, we'll talk. I'll tell you everything about my childhood; everything and anything that you want to know. I should talk about it, you're right. We'll talk about everything. Okay? Just me and you. I promise."

Harry nodded, his eyes on his father. "Okay."

~ ASC ~

Sirius was tired.

He was beyond tired if he was completely honest with himself. His whole body hurt and his mind hurt and his heart hurt. His talk with Harry had been illuminating and terrifying at the same time. He knew that his son was right on many levels; he should have been the one to save his son. It shouldn't have been left up to Harry to save the day.

But it had been and Dumbledore had orchestrated it.

What was the man thinking giving a fourteen-year-old-girl access to a Time Turner just for her education? Hermione was a bright witch, he'd give the old man that, but that seemed needlessly dangerous for her to have access too.

And if she didn't have access to it you'd be dead, the other voice in his head told him.

He let himself into the cottage, dragging his hands over his face and Marauder barked enthusiastically at him.

"Hey, Marauder, hi, boy, I'm sorry that I haven't been here all day. You must be starving. That was inexcusable!"

He hurried into the kitchen and poured a huge bowl of food for the dog, and feeling guilty, opened the ice box and added some strips of sirloin steak.

He refilled his water dish and then he opened the fridge himself, making himself a ham sandwich and eating it standing up. He grabbed the stack of mail that had been delivered that morning and tucked it under his arm.

Marauder ate happily and then followed him upstairs.

Sirius left a trail of clothing to the shower, standing under the hot spray as the water beat down on him, his mind still on his conversation with Harry. He had died. Harry had saved him or stopped his death, he wasn't sure. The essence of time travel was the most fundamentally difficult subject to assess. Had he in fact died and Harry brought him back to life or had Harry simply prevented his death by going back in time to change it?

The thought made his head hurt more.

He washed his hair, sighing as his hands massaged his scalp. Harry wasn't a child anymore either and he did have to reckon that with himself. He had to call him Harry now and not Prongslet anymore, which tugged at his heart strings a little. Harry was dating now; snogging girls and getting more powerful every day. He was growing up and not just his height. He was a young man now; almost fourteen. The thought made him wince as he realized that by the time he had been fourteen, he had already lost his virginity.

Different times, Black, he thought.

Then there was Peter.

Why had he risked his life to find Harry to pass on that message to him? The cup was in Bella's vault. That was very important information; more important than Peter could possibly even know. As a Black, he did have access to her vault, especially since she was an escaped prisoner. He would make an appointment at Gringotts in the morning to go over the Black holdings and see about gaining access to her things. As for Peter, Dumbledore thought that he could be useful and Sirius had to agree. The idea that Bella needed to stop torturing Neville to make sure that the Dark Lord was fed was a disturbing image to him. What had that meant? Did it mean that they had already found him a body?

There was no way that Peter could stay at Hogwarts. The last place that he wanted him was anywhere near Harry and not to mention the idea of him being in the school made him nervous. He knew that he would be locked away somewhere in the school, but he still didn't like it. He was still dangerous and a wanted criminal at that. But finding a place to hide him was something else entirely. Number Twelve was a viable option. Kreacher would gladly help keep him under house arrest and they could essentially keep him a prisoner there.

But that would also mean that he was close to all of their discussions and their meetings and Sirius wasn't sure if he liked that idea either.

The water turned cold on him so he shut it off, too lazy to get his wand. He used a towel to dry off and combed his hair back before padding into his bedroom naked. The mail on his bed made him sigh and he quickly leafed through the envelopes, stopping when he recognized Althea's scrawl and ripped open the envelope.

Sirius,

Xander and I are finally ready to share our exciting news — we're having twins — again! Can you believe it? It's going to be a lot of work with our three boys already and thankfully, this time, we're getting one of each. But Niko, Nilo, and Phoenix are all doing so well, the terrors. Can you believe the twins are already three? Phoenix has officially entered his terrible twos as well, which has made my life VERY interesting. We're still discussing names for the new twins, but the idea of having a boy and a girl makes me more happy than I can explain. I need a girl to help me get away from all of these boys!

How is everything going with you there? How's Harry? I laughed myself silly when I read how Zee had surprised you with her whole family for her birthday and Harry had met them all first already. It's very sneaky and I love it. You love her. I can see that and so can Harry. It sounds like he loves her too. I know that he's not a child anymore, growing up to be a young man, but he does still crave a woman in his life, a maternal figure, and I think that he is gravitating toward Zahira to be in that role. So. my question for you is: How do you feel about that and what are you going to do about it?

It sounds like you really killed it in the Wizengamot, trashing that horrid bill to the ground. It really was full of prejudice and it was sickening to me that anyone could draft something up like that and actually expect the community to be on board. Please keep me posted on what will be happening there. I'm proud of you for stepping up and taking your family seat in the government. I think that you can do some real good if you put your mind to it.

Xander asked me to thank you for the copies of the diagnostic scans that you sent. He noted that they are almost eight years apart and thought that you would be pleased to know that in that time frame, the dark magic did not change or alter in any way, but stayed constant. I'm not sure what that means, but he said that you would understand. He spends a lot of his time locked up in his study looking at the scans and making notes. He says that he is optimistic.

I'm as a big as a hippogriff by now and can barely move around, but a few more months and then these babies will be free and these are the last two! We only planned on four in the first place as it was and we have been blessed with a little extra surprise.

Hope you are well.

Thea

He smiled as he read the letter, tucking it back into its envelope and putting it on his nightstand. He sorted a few bills into place to be taken care of and then his eyes fell on the letter addressed from The Quibbler. He tore it open quickly, his eyes pouring over it for any sort of news.

Sirius,

I was surprised to hear from you and on such an interesting subject of discussion! I do in fact wear that symbol around my neck. I have for many years. It was something that my Pandora and I loved to discuss and debate together. The mythology behind it, the truth behind it, and most of all, the many, many questions.

My Luna tells me that she is going to become an Animagus with your boy. I am thrilled to hear so. She would make a marvellous animal and I look forward to hearing all about her stories. Stories are what make the world go round, are they not? You must think I am getting whimsical, but stories are what's important here, after all it is but a simple children's story where the symbol is originally derived. I'm sure that you've heard of it, The Tale of the Three Brothers? My Luna does love that story herself, the mystery behind it, and the sadness.

It is called the Deathly Hallows and it is said to represent the Master of Death. Each brother in the story was given a gift: An Unbeatable Wand ( I ), a Resurrection Stone ( O ), and a Cloak of Invisibility (△). When they are put together, they make the symbol of the Deathly Hallows.

It is believed that this story is more than just fiction, but in fact that the gifts belonged to the three Peverell Brothers: Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus. Antioch Peverell is the easiest brother to trace throughout history due to the rumour of his having the Elder Wand, otherwise known as the "Deathstick" or the "Wand of Destiny." Many believe that Gellert Grindelwald claimed the infamous wand for himself as he was known to wear the symbol of the Deathly Hallows, but after his defeat in 1945, no sign of it has ever been seen. Cadmus Peverell had the Resurrection Stone and through his story, he used it to see the woman that he had loved and lost. They say that it was passed down through generations of Peverells before it was eventually lost to time. There are a few who believe that the stone was cast into a ring, but no one has ever seen it. As for Ignotus Peverell, the cloak is blessed with both everlasting invisibility and a unique protection for its owner. Ignotus passed it down to his son, who passed it down over the generations and it is believed that it still resides in that family bloodline today, though the last name is unknown.

It is said that the witch or wizard who holds all three in their possession is said to become the Master of Death. It is a fascinating story and a subject that I love to read about; to discover new things and to maybe discover where the objects are one day. I wouldn't want to be the Master of Death myself, but the idea and the objects intrigue me.

Where did you see the symbol of the Hallows? It was on a ring? Please let me know if I can be of anymore assistance on the subject.

Yours Sincerely,

Xenophilius Lovegood

Sirius stared at the letter in surprise. It was a story — a children's story with a basis in fact. A cloak that had been passed down through generations… he jumped up off the bed, running downstairs to the sunroom and digging through the books on the shelves until he came across a copy of Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy. He took a seat on the desk and flipped through it to the Peverell section, reading down the list and his eyes widened slightly.

The eldest granddaughter of Ignotus Peverell, Iolanthe Peverell married Hardwin, son of Linfred of Stinchcombe, known to be 'The Potterer.' His eyes travelled down the page, smiling as he went. Jamie's cloak was the mythical one of the Hallows. The cloak that Harry now possessed. And the Gaunt ring… he quickly flipped to the Gaunt section of the genealogy, who indeed had married into the Peverell line, which would make the stone in the ring…

Sirius' eyes widened. The idea of it being a Resurrection Stone was completely ridiculous. He was letting his brain get away from him with the idea of fairy tales and children's stories and he didn't have time for it. He was too tired to think straight.

He closed the book and ran his hands over his tired face. He was too tired to be thinking about this and his brain was overthinking it. He needed to get some sleep.

He had to be back at the Ministry in three hours to talk to Remus, to let him know that he would be spending time in Azkaban and then he wanted to talk to Peter to find what he could find out from him, but that would be later on. He first needed to call another meeting of FUVP to discuss what he had learned about the symbol of the Deathly Hallows and he had to get to Gringotts and see about obtaining that cup.

Sirius contemplated going back upstairs, voted the sofa was closer, and tugged the blanket down over his naked body. He set a quick alarm on the clock on the wall, wondered why Zee hadn't come over and what it meant in terms of how much he missed her when she wasn't around.

He fell asleep in moments, snoring lightly with Marauder at his feet.

End Author's Notes:

Just a reminder of the Wizengamot Members and people present at the trial:

Albus Dumbledore (Chief Warlock)

Lady Amelia Bones (Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement)

Lord Cornelius Fudge (Minister of Magic)

Lady Dolores Umbridge (Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic)

Lord Pius Thicknesse (Undersecretary to the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement)

Lady Augusta Longbottom (Lady Cumbria)

Lord Tiberius Ogden

Lord Aaron Mackelbee

Lord Lucius Malfoy (Lord Wiltshire)

CWM Griselda Marchbanks

Lady Lucretia Dettweiler

Lord Marcus Bulstrode

CWM Kingsley Shacklebolt (Head Auror of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement)

Agent Walter Barrow (Beast Division, Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures)

Agent Elizabeth Walters (Werewolf Support Services, Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures)

CWM Kendra Norton

Nolan Winters (Head Guard of Azkaban Prison)

CWM Anderson

Percy Weasley, Hogwarts Youth Representative to the Wizengamot

Penelope Clearwater, Hogwarts Youth Representative to the Wizengamot

Thanks for reading and please review!