*walks in, sneezes into a hanky, offers it back to Snape who makes a face and nodds for her to keep it* ugh. What do you know. I am sick AGAIN. Occupational hazard of being a teacher. *Snape sneers* a MUGGLE teacher. *rhe*

Anyhow. I am nervous about this chapter. I have never before written Sirius Black. I am not... practiced in the guy. So please don't hit me. Oh, and just a note-- I don't think we are told Madam Hooch's name, and so I christened her Matty. (means 'eye' in greek. I think it could fit)

Anyhow... Chapter 11. *hits play*

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Severus Snape was walking from the quidditch pitch to the castle, brow furrowed. It was mid-August now, and in two weeks the school year would start. Two weeks before he would have to once again become even stealthier about his true colours, about helping Potter, about being a protector rather than a threat to the great mass of the frivolous potential futures of today's wizarding world.

And he had a growing suspicion that the Golden Boy would want to still play Quidditch.

He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he did not notice the environment around him, or a large black labrador running up to him with speed. He looked up only when he heard a subtle 'pop', but then it was too late: he was already grabbed by the neck and smashed against the stone outer wall of the castle.

"What do you mean blind!? What did you do to him, -Snape-?" Black's eyes were dark with malice, his face twisted into a mask of pure anger and as he spat Snape's name he pushed in his grip. Snape grabbed at the fugitive's hand to allow some blood to go up to the brain and some air to go down to the lungs. Then he proceeded to sneer at him.

"Obviously what you have been incapable of doing-- reconstructing his life." he said and then kicked swiftly and mercilessly towards Black's groin. Black released him with a moan. Snape's sardonic expression gave way to a hateful scowl as he took out his wand and pointed it to the curled up man, ready to inflict more pain.

"Sirius, Severus, break it up!" Remus' voice sounded like a blast from the past-- he had called the same thing so many times when they were still students. Snape looked up, the scowl still there, and saw the werewolf running up to them both. He grabbed Sirius just in time to hold him back from lunging at the potions master again. Which was not very easy as the fugitive was livid at apparently both Snape and Lupin.

"Why didn't you tell me Moony? you knew all this time, and I have to learn it from a letter that is not even in my godson's handwriting?"

"This is exactly why I didn't tell you, Padfoot. Harry has developped beautifully in many ways, and Severus did the most part. Calm down-- someone might see you. Dumbledore is waiting for us, and Harry, in his office." Remus managed to say while struggling with the taller man. At the mention of Harry's name, the pop was heard again and the big black dog bolted in the right direction.

It left both Snape and Remus bringing up the rear, rearranging their robes so that they wouldn't look too dishevelled. They made sure they did not meet each other's gaze.

And neither noticed the rat skulking off at top speed.

***

Harry's hands were gripping and releasing nervously the handle of Hermione's cane. It had come to be a tool that Harry appreciated almost as much as his wand. He heard the jingle of china as Dumbledore was pouring tea into cups.

"Tea?" he requested in his usual amiable manner. Harry smiled wryly.

"If Sirius is about to come in--"

As if on cue, the big dog barged in, popped into Sirius Black and virtually threw himself at the young Gryffindor, almost smothering him up in the enormous hug, tightly against his chest.

"Harry, tell me this is all a big joke, tell me you are alright.." Sirius kept babbling as Harry hugged him back at first, but then tried to break free as he found he was needing more air than he could get in his current position.

"Dear Sirius, I believe you can get your reassurance better if you let young Harry breathe." Dumbledore said kindly, and Sirius gently released Harry, chagrined.

Harry bit his lip, and binked a couple of times, fingering the handle of the cane again. He smiled thinly at the direction of his godfather.

"I am okay, Sirius, really I am. I said as much in the letter I sent you."

He heard Sirius take in his breath sharply-- Harry assumed that by now he had scrutinised him enough to take in the unfocused glance, the lack of glasses and the bandaged wand-hand. He took in a deep breath.

"However... I really am blind. It's not as... as bad as it sounds." he offered, but it sounded lame even to him. The silence that ensued in the room was very unsettling-- Harry had no way to fathom Sirius' expression, no way of knowing what was going through the man's mind, no way of preparing himself for his reaction. It made him queazy. Especially since he heard Snape's and Remus' footsteps entering, and he knew by definition that the chemistry would escalate to explosive levels exponentially.

"Sirius, Harry has been making us all proud these past few weeks." Remus' voice.

"Who did this to you?" Sirius' voice had, if that ever could be possible, more venom than Snape himself. Harry shivered.

"Sirius... it doesn't matter."

"It DOES matter! People have to pay!" Sirius growled.

"I assume that you are the one to make them?" Snape's voice was dripping acid.

"I do believe that this is not what young Harry would benefit from." Dumbledore's voice echoed like a steady anchor in Harry's ears. Immediately the atmosphere changed from dangerous to cool.

"Perhaps Harry and Sirius have some catching up to do." Dumbledore added.

Snape huffed, muttering something that Harry's developing hearing caught as 'as long as he doesn't smother him', and heard Remus say that he would be around. The two wizards left, and Dumbledore sat up.

"You can use my office for however long you wishl of course."

"Headmaster, if you don't mind, would it be safe to go out somewhere?" Harry asked urgently, a plan forming vaguely in his mind-- he had at all costs to impress his godfather.

Dumbledore hesitated, then said:

"You may use the Covered Gardens. I am sure Poppy and Matty won't mind. Use the floo from your room to go there."

***

Sirius watched Harry as he quickly and deftly directed himself towards his room, tapping gently in front of him with the light-coloured cane. No sound was emitted, but it seemed to aid Harry effectively. He was somewhat surprised, and, he discovered guiltily, a little disappointed at seeing Harry so agile-- and happy. Of course he was happy.

It only bothered him that Snape had aided him to reach this level, and not himself. If he had not been in his dog form, following his godson, he would have scowled.

Harry was nervous. He knew that Sirius' rivalry with Snape would not help matters. He had tried in his letter to present his situation in the best terms. But presently, Harry doubted if his hot headed godfather had even bothered to read all of his letter. As soon as they were in Harry's room and the door was closed, Sirius popped back to his human version and sighed, still watching Harry warily.

"Don't you need any help with that?" he asked as Harry's fingers traced the mantel of the fireplaced and snaked around the floo pot.

"No, it's alright." Harry pressed himself to make his voice as carefree as possible. As he uncovered the floo pot, Sasha's head peeked from under his robe's sleeve, tasting the air. Sirius jumped and gasped.

"That's a CORAL snake!" he squeaked, his voice an octave higher. It made Harry want to giggle.

"She's Sasha. My familiar, and when I need to, my eyes."

"She's POISONOUS!" Sirius made a step and Sasha's body coiled tighter around Harry's wrist, as she bared her pointy fangs at the fugitive.

"Yes, and you are agitating her into thinking you are an enemy." Harry rolled his eyes, threw in the floo and shouted 'Covered Gardens'.

When Sirius emerged through, he still was going on and on about Sasha.

"She could bite you in your sleep! You don't let her sleep with you, do you?"

"She prefers to sleep coiled up at the foot of the bed, where most covers are piled up. Really, Sirius, she is not danger to me or Professor Snape woudln't have--"

"Snape gave you that snake? Get rid of it now!" Sirius cried and made a move as if to detach the multicoloured bracelet of a snake from Harry's hand.

Harry found that perhaps Sirius would need some information hammered into him rather than coaxed into him. He got out his wand and said:

"Pago". Sirius instantly froze in his position, but he was still able to talk.

"Snape also taught me how to be able to pull this off. And Remus how not to be afraid of the darkness. And Dumbledore how to still believe in my own self." Harry circled Sirius' still form, talking strongly, almost harshly, and each name was a blow to the fugitive. He asked meekly, eyes downcast although he knew that his expression would be lost on Harry now.

"Do you need me at all?"

That checked Harry's speed, the voice, the hue and the slight tremble he heard in Sirius' voice, making him feel rediculously stronger than the older wizard was. He was, for the first time since his blindness, in a position to support rather than be supported.

"Finite Incantatem. I need you Sirius... to show me that you can still treat me as you always have... That I still have a chance at being Harry... and not someone even more... special."

Sirius felt like crying in happiness as well as sorrow, and he embraced his godson once more, then smirked.

"You look great Harry." he glanced about. "and wow. We are in Pomfrey's and Hooch's secret garden. What didn't I and your dad give to find them when we were here." he said wistfully, and Harry laughed, relieved.

"Then tell me what it looks like already!" Harry nudged his godfather playfully, and Sirius steered him down the path of the tropical-looking gardens, describing everything as graphically and amusingly as humanly -and inhumanly- possible.

***

"Alright, Potter. I have been discussing this with Flitwick. I liked the homing in quality of your Lepidae curse-- and I think it would be more efficient to find a way to apply this to anything you might want to hurl at an adversary." Snape said to the boy standing opposite him at the ready.

Harry nodded. Professor Flitwick had arrived in Hogwarts about two days before Sirius, but Harry had steered clear of the tiny professor solely for the reason that he seemed to hear covert sniffling every time the professor was nearby. Snape continued.

"You can charm your wand to fire off a spell and have it home in on the target. All you need to do is say 'Ento' before the charm's or curse's words."

"It's that easy?" Harry was almost incredulous.

Snape smirked.

"Gryffindor luck holds out, Potter. Yes, it is that easy. There is only one catch."

Harry snorted, and twirled the wand in his hands.

"It draws more energy from you-- you get tired quickly. So it is best you don't use it flippantly, or with silly curses. Flitwick advises not to use it more than 3 successive times."

"Or what?" Harry asked.

"Or you die and the bad guys win." Snape said with sordid amusement.

Harry had to laugh.

"Also, Potter-- I have decided to make this more interesting, as it has been some time that the duel was solely one-on-one."

Harry's eyebrows shot up to his hairline as he heard the familiar footsteps-- Remus Lupin.

"Re-- Professor Lupin?" he blurted out.

"Hi Harry. I thought I'd drop by." Remus' gentle voice held excitement.

"You are duelling with two adversaries as of now, Potter. Never expect Voldemort to be fair."

"Or forgiving..." Remus added and shot the first curse at Harry, who heard it in time and jumped out of the way.

Harry scowled as always, but he was overtly excited. As he dodged Snape's curse, he hurled the disarming spell towards the muttering he was hearing.

"Forget the Expelliarmus already! You never aim that well!" Snape's voice snapped and Harry growled the first curse that came to mind.

"Fagouro!"

Snape nearly dropped his wand from the wave of itchiness that hit him, and Harry turned to Remus while the potions master was busy...

...only to hear the last syllable of a curse coming his way. Reflexively, he casted a shield-- but not quickly enough. While the pulse spell Remus threw at Harry didn't completely throw him against the wall, it did manage to throw him on his back.

He heard the clacking of the heel, pointed his wand that way, and to be extra sure, he casted:

"Ento Expelliarmus!" and there was a grunt and a wand flew into his hand. He grinned, but moments later he found himself in a bodybind.

"You rejoice too soon, Potter-- got to work on that arrogance. Or is it Gryffindor stupidity?" he heard as he struggled.

"Release the boy Severus-- he did quite well for a first time, and he managed to curse you accurately and disarm me. He could have had us both."

"He COULD. But he didn't. Let this be a lesson to you, Potter-- once you gain leverage, you NEVER let it go, or it will never come back." he heard Snape's rather irritated voice, and Harry was released. He got up.

"Fine, then, a re-match? and I will direct something more substantial than a tickle curse at you." Harry snorted.

"You bet this is not over--" there was a grunt that stunted Snape's talk, and a clutter of a wand. Harry frowned as he heard Remus' shuffling feet go to where he calculated the potions master to be standing.

"Professor?"

"It's okay Harry, don't worry." Remus' voice implied nothing of the sort.

Harry approached, and somehow he knew, from the intake of Snape's breaths, to the slight gritting of his teeth that he heard.

"It's the mark. Isn't it?"

"Right on Potter. Now get lost. Go find your puppy."

Remus whispered to him to obey, and with a sigh, Harry summoned Hermione's wand to him, went to retrieve Sasha, and exited. He knew the potions master could take care of himself.

Then why did he feel particularly bad about this?

***

Voldemort turned as a pop was heard and Wormtail approached, hunched and trembling.

"Well, my faithful sservant?" he asked, while petting Nagini.

"Ha..ha-harry Potter is blind, indeed, m'Lord..." the man ventured.

"And..?"

"And... and he's being trained... by Snape and.. and Lupin, m'Lord."

"And what of Snape?"

"He... he said to Black... he.. he arrived to Hogwarts too, my Lord... so he said to Black that... that he... he was reconstructing P-p-potter's life, m'Lord. And Lupin said... that Snape... had helped the most, my Lord."

"That .... is not promising... but did you actually see Snape help Potter?"

Wormtail went ashen.

"I did-- didn't stay, my Lord... I did not... want to be noticed." Wormtail managed to say through his chattering teeth. "But... but he did sound sincere..." he tried to add in his desperation.

Voldemort clicked his tongue.

"You did not serve me as well as I would like... and I do not tolerate failure." he purred, gazing into Nagini's cold eyes. Wormtail fell on the floor, grovelling.

"However, you did offer me another... shall we call it... point of view. So I am not too cross. Crucio."

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hee hee. That's that.

Innocence: I hope wormtail and sirius were satisfactory.

Koneko Tenshi: That is definately not good. *laughs* I am glad you like Sasha. She can be temperamental. *gets cookies* always a pleasure.

venus4280: Good points! And all valid! Voldie does not trust snape. Sirius wasn't at the b-day party cos well... nobody had yet told him, knowing how he'd react. He went to the dursleys on Harry's bday, and ound out he wasn't there, and contacted Remus.

Dark Storm: I am so glad you approve. :) Vernon couldn't care less about relinquishing Harry... just not in the state Harry was at the time, he was... rather taken aback and afraid. A day earlier, he would have had no problem.

Lady Lunar Phoenix: Trust wormtail not to do his job right. *L* As for Snape stripping: he threatened me at wandpoint that was as far as he'd go. *sly grin* at least in public.

Darkhorse: I am not sure... but let's say they do have enough differentiated vision to help in potions and the like. Heh. I hope my sirius satisfied you.

Prairie Flower 617: Yes, they are. *evil smile* Nope, I am not crossing HP with DD... I have not yet seen the movie, either. *pouts*

Phoenix Flight: I know what you mean. I wish I could find another similar story, too. Thank you for your compliment :)

Kaat Shadow Lover: *eats it up delightfully* When I meant Severus changed his voice, I mean he let himself drop some guards, in short, he allowed his voice to be less harsh and more human, truthful. Not that he changed a voice like he switched it off or on. The different tilt in Harry's head implied that he again depended on sound, whereas before he was looking though the snakes eyes. He does see everything through Sasha's POV. Sasha LOVES rat tartar. :) As for Sirius... I will try. And cheese cake next time, please :)

Sakura Blossom: *watches you bounce happily* I try to write as fast as possible-- but I was so nervous bout Sirius I was postponing all the time. I am glad you approve of Sasha. :)

Melissa Lupin: I was tempted to have it work out smoothly like that... but then... well it just wouldn't have drama, would it?

Zardi: I worship RJ Anderson. I did not take the ide from her tho, although I did toy with the owl idea. She rocks!

Reignbow: I could... but that would drain Harry when he will need his magic energy for other stuff.

Temporary Insanity: Hey, we will find out on Chapter 12!

phreakreader: I am glad you like my Harry! Thank you for your review and your compliment.

Katy999: I am sorry! I am telling you something now :) His other familiar is Hedwig! *laughs* the canon familiar.

Myk: *L* thanks! *hands you a cookie*

Zardiphillian Beryllix: hee hee. Glad you like Sasha. I hope Ron stays that way.

kateydidn't: I have read it, and LOVED it. And I think your question's answered. Hope you liked Sirius.

Lee Lee Potter: soon, dear, soon. *chuckles* it's HARD to make Snape smile.

Mindel: of course he will! But at strategic times. Heh. As for Snape, he will... eventually. I hope. heh.