Sirius flipped through the Quidditch magazine, sitting on the sofa in his hospital room. It was not even seven thirty and still too early to call it a night.

The Healer had conducted the mandatory examination and left only five minutes ago after dropping off his dinner. They wouldn't bother him until tomorrow for breakfast.

Beep!

Beep!

Beep!

Sirius dropped the magazine in his hand and his eyes shot towards his wand which was glowing a bright red.

Damnit!

He was on his feet in an instant. He grabbed his wand and pocketed it. The corridor was empty. All patients were in their rooms and the Healers had wrapped up their shift. The night shift Healers wouldn't arrive for the next ten minutes.

He couldn't risk using the floo as it would cause a lot of noise. That left him with only one option.

The black dog ran at top speed, down the stairs and towards the exit. It didn't take him long to get there.

Once outside, he transformed back.

All the while, there was this horrible feeling inside him and worry for his godson only seemed to increase with each second.

Was he ill? Hurt? Or did the alert have something to do with Harry's relatives?

Please be okay, pup.

It had been a while since he'd apparated. Approximately a decade. There was a good chance he might have lost touch. He braced himself and took a deep breath.

You can do this, Black. You better be able to do this. That boy may need you right now.

Number Four, Privet Drive. He repeated the address in his head and closed his eyes.

And then he was sucked into that familiar tube of darkness.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a Muggle neighbourhood, standing in front of a house. The number four sign was polished and gleaming in the moonlight.

His Animagus senses could make out a variety of noises coming from inside: shouting, sniffling, a thud, the television.

Dammit! What was going on in there?

I'm here now, kiddo.

He went up the front steps of the house and knocked. He hoped Harry was here.

There was some shuffling and the television's volume was turned down. He could hear footsteps approaching and the door opened.

Vernon Dursley was exactly how Harry had described. A walrus of a man with no neck, a red face, bulging eyes and oily hair that had been combed to a side.

He was panting slightly like he had been working hard.

"Can I help you, sir?"

His eyes took in Sirius' dark blue track pants, white t-shirt and home slippers.

"Good evening, Mr. Dursley. My name is Sirius Black, Harry's godfather. I'd like to see my godson for a minute."

The man's eyes widened. "Godson? You're one of them lot! No, you cannot see him now! I ask that you leave immediately. The fr-boy is busy."

Sirius narrowed his eyes at Vernon, noticing the slip. "I insist."

Sirius could practically feel the nervousness and fear radiating from the beefy man. What was he afraid about?

He was hiding something.

When Vernon moved to shut the door, Sirius easily pushed back. Vernon staggered backward from the impact and Sirius took advantage and stepped inside.

He closed the door behind him with a quiet click.

Vernon's face went white as the lock clicked into place. He gulped fearfully. He had a feeling that he'd seen this man somewhere before and was desperately trying to remember where.

There was a gleam in his eyes that almost made Vernon wet himself.

If he found out what Vernon had done...

"I d-demand that you leave now, sir! This is rude and you are trespassing!" What was supposed to sound assertive came out all squeaky.

"Rude? You're the one who isn't allowing me to see my godson. I'm his legal guardian, so I can see him whenever I please. I am not leaving until I've seen the boy."

He heard hushed whispers coming from the living room. Frowning, he brushed past Vernon and through the short hallway.

The Dursley living room was exactly as he'd pictured.

He saw an obese boy sitting on the couch with a horse faced woman next to him. Petunia and Dudley Dursley.

No Harry.

Petunia screamed when she saw him. "Y-You're the man from the news!" She wrapped her arms around her son, almost suffocating him. "You're the mass murderer!"

Petunia clutched her beloved Dudders, afraid for her family's lives. Now she remembered where she had heard the name Sirius Black. He had been on the news a few months ago.

Was this murderer a freak as well?

Sirius watched as her entire posture stiffened. Hadn't they announced his innocence in the Muggle world yet?

He then remembered what the Ministry had told him, that it would take a while to smooth things out in the Muggle world and to complete all formalities.

So that's why they were so terrified of him.

But then again, Vernon had paled the moment he'd introduced himself as Harry's godfather.

Then something caught his eye and he saw red.

There, lying on the kitchen counter was a thick leather belt folded in half. Dread filled him and he desperately prayed that this didn't mean what he thought it did.

He whirled around on Vernon, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Where. Is. He?"

Still petrified, Vernon pointed one meaty finger up the stairs.

"Don't move." He promised himself that he would deal with this bastard later and rushed up the stairs, discreetly locking the front door on his way up.

He reached the top of the stairs in seconds. There were two rooms on his left and one room on his right. The door was shut.

He paused outside the room and listened for any sounds. He could hear soft sniffles coming from inside and they broke his heart.

Worried for the boy Sirius loved as his own, he turned the handle and pushed the door open.

Harry was curled up on his small, hard and uncomfortable bed, his entire body aching.

His lip was bleeding from the first slap, his scalp was hurting terribly because Vernon had used it to drag and bend him over the kitchen counter and lastly, his back and backside were on fire from the merciless whipping he had received from that cursed leather belt.

The worst part? Vernon wasn't done yet.

Just when the pain had started to become unbearable, there had been a knock on the door. Vernon had cursed and hastily shoved him in the direction of the stairs: Go to your room, boy! I'll deal with you later.

Fear had sunk its sharp claws deep into Harry's mind. He had completely embarrassed himself by sobbing like a baby, begging Vernon to stop.

Harry had curled up on the bed, wishing that he was anywhere but here.

Then he heard footsteps coming his way and tensed up. But the footsteps were different. They weren't heavy like Vernon's.

The door opened and—

"Pup?"

Shocked, Harry bolted upright, hissing when his backside hit the hard mattress.

No bloody way! He had to be imagining this.

There was no way Sirius could be here, in Privet Drive and inside this rotten house.

Sirius watched as Harry's green eyes widened. Even in the room's dim lighting, he could make out that the boy's hair was tousled, there was a small cut on his lip and tear tracks on his cheeks.

Before he knew it, he had crossed the room and engulfed Harry in a fierce hug, cradling the back of his head.

He immediately removed his hand from his godson's back when the latter hissed in pain.

I'm so sorry, kiddo.

Harry positively melted into the embrace, tucking his face in the crook of Sirius' neck. He locked his arms around the man's waist like his life depended on it.

He took a few minutes to pull himself together before he spoke.

"Sirius? What are you... what are you doing here?"

Sirius didn't reply. He would explain everything to Harry later. Now, he wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. This was a bloody cursed place.

Harry had no idea about what was going on. All he knew was that Sirius was indeed here in this mundane muggle neighbourhood.

Did he know?

"Sirius, I—"

"I'll explain everything once we get home, I promise."

Home. The word sent a thrill through his person. "I'm leaving? Now? But I thought you couldn't l—"

"Screw them all, pup. You're coming with me."

Harry grinned so wide that he felt his busted lip hurt but he didn't care.

Sirius frowned slightly when he observed the boy's face up close. He wiped away the tears and healed the bleeding lip as best as he could.

The rest would have to wait until they were home.

"Where are your things?" His godfather asked, noticing the bare room.

"Locked in the cupboard under the stairs."

He worried when the man's face darkened with anger. "I see. We'll grab them on the way out."

Sirius ruffled his hair gently, a stark contrast to Vernon nearly pulling his hair out.

"Wait for me up here. I'll come and get you shortly. I need to have a word with your aunt and uncle. In the mean time, why don't you see if there's anything in here you want to take with you?"

"But—"

"It won't take long, kiddo."

Oh he was going to have a word with those vile human beings.

"Okay."

Promising himself that he wouldn't take longer than fifteen minutes, Sirius went downstairs.

He waved his wand, wordlessly casting a privacy ward in the living room. He didn't want Harry listening to the conversation he was about to have with the couple.

He went inside and saw the muggles still frozen together.

Sirius casually took a seat on the sofa opposite the couch, crossing his legs at the knee.

He snapped his fingers at Dudley. "Upstairs, now. The grown ups need to talk."

The parents were relieved and Petunia all but shoved her son towards the stairs. Sirius watched the fat boy wobble up the stairs and for some reason, he was holding his arse with both his hands.

"Tell me something, do you two know why I was in prison?"

"You're a... you're a murderer."

"Indeed."

He didn't tell them the truth about him being innocent.

Fear was a very powerful tool and he intended on taking full advantage of it.

The utter terror on their faces was exactly what he wanted. They had dared to lay a hand on his pup, his precious godson who had a heart of pure gold.

"I was convicted for the murder of thirteen people. I blew them up leaving absolutely no trace of their existence. They arrested me but I escaped."

"Why are you... why are you telling us this?" Vernon asked, his hands shaking.

Sirius wanted to snap the man's wrists and break his fingers one at a time, to watch him bleed and beg for mercy.

Those were the very hands that had beaten and abused his godson, made him feel exposed, afraid and unloved.

Vernon and Petunia Dursley deserved to pay.

"I blew up thirteen innocent muggles," he said the word like it left a bad taste in his mouth.

"—merely because they got in my way. Imagine what I would do to those who harmed the one person I care about more than anyone else."

Petunia's grip on Vernon's arm tightened in fear.

"Tell me something, Dursley, what would be a fitting punishment for your crimes? Should I drown you in a cauldron of boiling oil? Break every bone in your body? Or should I cut out off those hands you used to hurt Harry? Maybe I should rip your tongue out, simply because I can."

Sirius smirked, allowing a hint of malice into his words. "Or," he flicked his wand and the leather belt on the kitchen counter floated into the kitchen, in front of the muggles.

"I should whip you with this very belt that you used to hurt my godson, a child who never did anything wrong. Whip you until the pain numbs your mind and the only thing you're begging for is death. Sound good, Vernon?"

Petunia was stricken while Vernon gulped thickly. Petunia didn't know what to say or do. There was a murderer in her house who just so happened to be her blasted nephew's godfather. She had no idea of what he was about to do to her family.

Vernon was terrified. For the last ten years, he hadn't thought twice about punishing that damn freak of a boy. He hadn't paid any heed to the brat's pleas and cries.

But now, as his own belt hovered dangerously close to his face, he knew that he had made a terrible mistake.

The belt inched closer and he flinched backward, as far as he could. "S-Stop this!"

"Stop? I'm only just getting started." Suddenly, Sirius was out of his seat, slamming Vernon against the kitchen wall.

It was against the laws to use magic against muggles. But, there were no such restrictions regarding grabbing a walrus of a man by the collar and roughing him up a bit.

"Harry was a little boy, a mere baby! You were supposed to love and protect him you bastard! Not abuse him! No child deserves that."

"L—"

Sirius rounded on Petunia, dropping Vernon and letting him slump to the ground. "And you! Don't even get me started with you! She was your sister!

"She was a freak!"

"No, she was a woman who died before she realized what a real bitch her sister is! Your husband mercilessly beat him and you did nothing to stop him. On the contrary, you encouraged him! Even joined in I presume?"

Sirius was livid.

"Tell me, Tuney, how would you feel if someone treated your precious son the way you treated my Harry? To have your boy spend every second in fear, anger and pain? To be mistreated by his own flesh and blood? To be unloved and belittled every single day? You hurt my godson, it's only fair if I... even the scales at least a little bit."

There was no way Sirius was going to lay a finger on Dudley. Child abuse was the one thing he despised above everything else. But Petunia didn't know that.

All she knew was he was an insane, escaped prisoner capable of doing anything.

"Please," she begged, her face white as milk. "Don't hurt Dudley. He's just a child."

"So is Harry. But then you never realised that, did you?"

Sirius shook his head at her, clearly disappointed. "Don't worry, Petunia. I'm not going to harm your son. Like you said, he's just a child. But the two of you on the other hand..."

He looked down at Vernon who was still on the floor. He waved his wand and Petunia shrieked when her husband was lifted off the floor and dumped on the sofa next to her.

If his knee accidentally hit the wooden coffee table hard, Sirius didn't complain.

"First of all, I'm not going to kill you. Or torture you."

"You're not?"

"No. Death is too kind a punishment for someone as rotten as you two. Killing you would mean doing you a kindness that you most certainly do not deserve."

"W-What?"

"You heard me. Why kill you when there are a million other ways to make you suffer?"

Sirius wanted to hex them, jinx and curse them until they were beyond recognition. But unfortunately, the laws were very stringent in regards to Muggles.

He had only just gotten out of prison. He didn't want anymore trouble. He couldn't afford to spend anymore time away from Harry.

There was already a lot to make up for.

"Are you aware that there's a separate section of laws in the Ministry of Magic that deals with Muggle Jurisdiction? And that protection against child abuse and mistreatment is included in said laws?"

"In the eyes of Magical law, you both are criminals and will be brought to trial."

"Criminals?" Petunia's voice was barely above a whisper.

Sirius was pretty certain that if he wasn't a murderer, Petunia Dursley would have screamed herself hoarse, demanding that he leave her precious neighbourhood right that instant.

He narrowed his eyes at her and when he spoke, his voice was soft but menacing. "You were always jealous of Lily. When her son was placed on your doorstep, you took out your insecurities on a baby who never did anything wrong to you. My godson was a baby. He didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of your misplaced hatred and bitterness."

"And you, Vernon. You easily led a little boy to believe that he was a freak, an abomination who didn't deserve to be loved. You and your wife went out of your way to ruin his childhood, to make sure he spent all his time terrified and unhappy." Sirius' voice trembled with raw fury.

They didn't understand the amount of restraint he was exercising at that moment. He wanted to rip them both to shreds.

He knew what it felt like to be the outcast, to be shunned by his own flesh and blood. Sirius had turned angry and mistrustful of all around him. But Harry was still so trusting, innocent and childlike after everything he'd been through.

He would watch them burn.

"I will ruin you. Utterly and thoroughly."

His words were simple and yet absolute. The Dursleys' fate had been sealed.

He would deal with them later. "Goodnight."

He got up from his seat and made towards the stairs to get his godson and leave this godforsaken place.

He stopped and snapped his fingers without turning around. The abandoned leather belt landed on Vernon's thigh with a resounding crack.

The man's painful cry followed by a whimper was like a soothing balm to the fiery, white hot ball of rage inside him.

When he went upstairs, he found Harry standing in the room, almost bouncing on the balls of his feet. There was a flash of worry before the boy's face lit up when he spotted his godfather.

"Ready?"

"Absolutely."

In the living room, Harry saw his aunt and uncle sitting on the couch with identical terrified expressions.

What could Sirius have possibly said to them?

He was worried about what would happen now. So far, he had managed to keep his relatives' antics a secret. But now, his godfather knew everything.

He looked up at the man who was far too occupied glaring at the muggles.

Sirius unlocked the cupboard under the stairs and levitated Harry's things out. He shrunk and pocketed the trunk, broomstick and empty cage.

He caught Harry's worried glance and could practically sense the lad's uneasiness. He gave him a reassuring wink.

They still had a lot to talk about but that was okay. Harry was with him now and he'd make sure that the boy was never hurt again.

Without another backward look at the Dursleys (they would get what they deserve), Sirius led Harry outside and slammed the door shut.

It was chilly outside and he felt the boy shiver next to him. He instructed Harry to grip his arm tightly and got ready to apparate.

"Come on, pup. Let's go home."

Next chapter on the way!

It's about time those f-ing Dursleys get their dues!

Honestly, I was floored by the awesome positive response for this story! One chapter and 85 follows! That's a record.

Thanks for the support you guys!

For those of you who are reading My Godfather, I'm still working on the update and hope to have it ready soon.