Anything in italics is a thought.

Enjoy!

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Broken Halleluiah
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A fifteen-year-old Harry Potter found himself lying on the floor the next morning, when consciousness decided to grace him with its presence again. He was very glad that the Dursley's weren't usually prone to early morning breakfast or to check on him during the night. For if they did, they would have found a very different looking Harry lying among tattered clothes and blood.

His own blood.

A shocked expression bloomed upon his face after all, it is not everyday that you wake up lying in your own blood and extremely sore. However, no matter how much he tried to search his body for the source he was unable to detect any traces of magic or bruise. His body was flawless.

So where had all the blood come from? And why am I on the floor?

At first naught occurred to him about the previous night. Gradually the memory of anxiously waiting for his birthday began to reform in his mind, together with it came the memory of a sudden pain…and then nothing. Pain being the last thing he remembered from the preceding night leads to the conclusion that the blood must have appeared whilst he was unconscious.

But then why aren't there any cuts on me? How did all this blood get out?

Another thing came to mind then. Judging by the amount of dried blood on the floor, he should have been feeling extremely light headed and, possibly, hungry at the moment but he wasn't. In fact, if possible, he was actually feeling renewed in a peculiar sort of way. If not for blunt proof of the blood in his room he wouldn't have thought, or even noticed, that something was amiss with him.

Hearing noises outside, all those questioning thoughts quickly left his mind as Harry became extremely worried about the mess in his room. He might not be feeling any pain now, but if his Uncle Vernon woke up, found breakfast not ready and this mess in his room, he new for certain he would be in a lot of pain. He quickly set about cleaning it up, as silently as possible.

So worried was he in cleaning everything up and getting breakfast ready that it failed to register that he seemed clumsier than usual that morning. Often hitting and dropping things on the floor as if his arms had suddenly grown longer overnight and he knew not how to make use of them.

OOOooo§oooOOO

Minutes later, he realised that it would not be possible for him to clean everything up before the whole house was awake and demanding breakfast. Having cleaned up what he could he covered the rest up with his thin blanket and prayed no one would enter his room before he had a chance to wipe everything off.

It was as he made to leave his room and have a quick shower that he noticed four owls sitting on his window. Realising how distracted he was by the recent events that he had not even noticed one of them and coming to the conclusion that they must be his birthday cards, he made as if to get them, accidentally bumping his hand with Hedwing's cadge in the process. She protested at the rough treatment and snapped her beak at him in anger.

"Sorry girl, I don't know what is wrong with me today."

He quickly relieved the owls of their packages but as he went to open then he noticed the blood stains on his hands.

"Guess it is best to have that shower then before I get this room any dirtier than it is."

Grabbing a small towel and a change of clothes he quietly made his way to the bathroom. Normally he would have to wait until after the Dursleys were about with their business, but the thought of any of them catching him in his blood stained state was enough to quench any hesitations he might have.

Closing the door behind him and swiftly got undressed to his undergarments, as he couldn't take his chances and take too long in there.

As he made to turn on the shower, he couldn't help but glance at himself in the mirror, and gasp as what he saw…

OOOooo§oooOOO

Meanwhile, a black haired man, having had the chance to seclude himself in his room before the event caught up with him finally allowed the tears to run free as he let a fifteen-year-old grief possess him. A burst of jumbled feelings were coursing through him as his memories strived to reassemble themselves. All that he had felt at the time and asked to be relieved of in order not to go crazy was making itself known again.

He couldn't believe what he just learnt, or rather, remembered and yet it was like a blessing from the heavens.

We were such fools! I can't believe I allowed her to do that! Things could have happened in such a different way if only we had planned it better…

Before those thought consumed him, the man stood up and started pacing about the room.

"Everything was supposed to have worked out perfectly! I would not have been able to betray any secrets because these memories would be blocked from my mind until the danger passed. No one was supposed to find them at their hideout leaving James, Lily and Harry safe… safe! Not dead! Not dead… and Harry….Harry! He doesn't even know! Hell! Even I didn't fully know until some minutes ago. Fuck! What the fuck am I going to do?"

He stopped pacing, slapping his forehead.

"Great Sirius, just great. Some father you turned out to be…"

He suddenly realised that he needed to get out. Get out of the room and purge himself of these memories. There was only one person he would trust to hear him out at this stage. The hard thing was going to be getting there… after that... well he could cross that bridge once he got there.

OOOooo§oooOOO

What the hell has happened to me?

He couldn't accept that the person looking back at him through the mirror was him, despite that fact that it was copying his exact movements.

Well, the reflection is also wearing the necklace that Sirius gave me for Christmas…so I guess, it probably is me…

His hair, while still black, was not unruly anymore. It was now silky and soft as, well, silk! Falling in a perfectly behaved manner around his face. It also appeared to have grown, although how he had no idea. Surprisingly he felt that he missed his messy hair which characterised him so much like his father…

Then there was his face. If in fact it was actually his face staring back at him, for now it held a more gracefully air to it, and together with his new hair made him look completely different.

He attempted to splash some water on his face when he noticed that the sink seemed shorter. Straitening up again and bumping his head on the cupboard during the process he finally realised that he was also taller.

Damn! I seem to be around 5'11… This is great!

It was always a sore spot for him to be shorter than Hermione and it didn't help matters that Ron was insanely tall. As he leaned closer to ensure himself that his eyes still remained the same colour he noticed that he had acquired a slight tan. It had always puzzled him that no matter how long he spent under the sun doing his summer chores that his skin never burnt or darkened. How his skin had tanned itself during that night was more puzzling still!

It also made him look more like his mother, he never admitted it, but it had always disturbed him how he looked like the exact replica of his father except for his eyes. Not that he disliked looking like his father, for he did, but it sometimes felt as if his mother was missing from his appearance. Now a bit of his nose, mouth, cheekbones all appeared to be similar to those of his mothers, or at least from what he could get of the pictures he had of her.

Overall, after he had a few minutes to get over his shock he had to admit, even if grudgingly that the changes to his appearance here rather pleasant. He didn't look as innocent anymore, nor as childish which was always an asset.

Just to make sure that he was indeed looking at himself he lifted his fringe – a part of him hoped that the blasted scar has disappeared amidst all those changes – alas he was disappointed for it remained still in its prized place on his forehead.

Unfortunately for him, his amazement towards his new appearance soon left his mind. How could they remain there, when Uncle Vernon's enraged reflection suddenly appeared behind him?

OOOooo§oooOOO

Remus Lupin has just arrived home after a long day of work, wanting nothing more than a cup of hot tea and his couch.

Ever since Voldemort's return last year Dumbledore has been contacting the old crowd to resuscitate the Order of Phoenix. His last few weeks had been filled with trips around England, alternating between contacting old Order members and visiting werewolf colonies as an attempt to gain their support. This was a mission in itself as werewolves were not known for their hospitality skills.

As he made his way towards the kitchen, his aim the so desired cup of tea, his door bell rang. It seemed that he would have to wait a couple of minutes before having his drink. As he opened the door the first thought that registered on his mind as a black form gallantly made its way inside his house was that he would not have to wait a few minutes… probably a few hours.

Signing in resignation he closed the door while muttering "What the hell is Padfoot doing out of headquarters anyway? Has he finally lost what little sense he has?"

After ensuring that all the doors and windows were locked and that privacy spells had been erected, he made his way back to the living room where he found Sirius sitting on his couch drinking a cup of tea and couldn't help his envious glare.

"Is black tea the strongest beverage you have in this bloody house of yours?" Sirius' voice croaked.

"Is empty space the only thing you have inside that bloody head of yours?" He snapped back as he sat down on the wooden chair and finally conjured his beloved cup of tea.

It was the lack of a comeback that made Remus realise that something was bothering his friend. Taking a minute to look him over he noticed the defeated look lingering behind his eyes and the way he was toying with his drink. Despite his complaint Remus knew that Sirius didn't actually mind black tea.

"What happened Sirius?"

Sirius merely looked at him, as if words failed in their quest to express what he was feeling at the moment. After a couple of failed tries he finally said "I…don't even know where to start Moony…How could it all have gone so wrong? We didn't leave any fall back plan to prevent this from happening and now Harry is suffering the consequences of it and I have no idea what to do! And-"

A glass suddenly appeared in front of him, the familiar smell of fire whiskey registering in his brain.

"Stop right there. Let's start from the beginning because you, my friend, are not making any sense at all. Not that you ever do, mind you, but it has rarely been as bad as this."

"Thanks Moony"

Taking a sip of the drink and pausing a moment to gather his thoughts, Sirius began his tentative explanation.

OOOooo§oooOOO

The door to old Grimmauld Place opened to a hall devoid of darkness, despite the fact that our newcomer knew that at least five other people were present within the household. Casting a lighting spell around the room she made her way to where the kitchen was, only to find a distressed looking Molly Weasley there.

"Minerva! I'm so glad! We can't find Sirius anywhere in the house!" She said as she latched herself to one of her arms.

"Can't find him? Are you absolutely sure?"

"We've checked his room, the library and the living room as well as most of the other rooms about the house and he was in none of them."

"It would be better to have the whole house searched. Pairs I think should be safer in case we meet with anything unexpected"

Molly nodded "I shall notify the others" and left the kitchen.

Minutes later pairs were designated together with searching areas.

Minerva McGonagall huffed in annoyance and muttered as she, together wit the other four, started to search anew for the missing man, "I swear if this is one of his deranged ideas of fun I will give him a talking to that he hasn't had since he was a student!"

OOOooo§oooOOO

Remus Lupin was shocked.

Completely, utterly shocked, this was something to say the least, as he had spent seven years living and being a Marauder and it was not trifle a thing which was capable of shocking him so.

At first it didn't seem possible and he was quite sure that his friend was delirious. However as proof upon proof and fact upon fact was revealed even his logical brain was forced to accept and face the truth.

Sirius Black was Harry Potter's father!

Nearly two hours had gone by since Sirius has showed up on his doorstep and started his astonishing tale. The fact that his friend was supposed to be hiding in an unplotable location within London had rapidly fled his mind as the ramifications of what he said sunk in his brain.

In all the 22 years he has known him, Remus had never seen Sirius looking so lost and desperate for consolation. Battling with all his emotions he strived to find something to say to break the silence that was hanging between them. It was then that something came to him! A question that even taking their present situation, made him angry.

"Why did you never tell me this?!" Remus suddenly hissed out, surprising Sirius with this outburst.

It took sometime for Sirius to answer, perhaps because he was startled out of his pensive state or perhaps because it was not the reaction he was expecting.

Out of all the questions that he could ask, this was the one I was least expecting…

"I forgot to tell you that -" Sirius said in a whisper

"You forgot to tell me?" Remus repeated slowly, his tone of voice clearly stating his disbelief.

"That Lily bound my memories and locked them away from myself as a protection when the Fidelius charm was placed so that, should I had been captured, this secret couldn't have been extorted from me." He finished, ignoring Remus' interruption.

"And why did you not bother to tell me this while Lily was still alive?"

A grimace and then an answer "The least who knew the better… at that time, above all else we weren't sure who to trust…I'm sorry Moony. But it wouldn't have changed anything! In fact, your memories would also have been bound and then we'd have two people suffering a reload of information instead of just one. The only difference being that you would be drinking fire whiskey with me right now."

Remus signed, accepting grudgingly what Sirius was saying.

"Still… we could have thought of something, gone to Dumbledore or-"

Sirius snorted, "No. I told you Moony, the least people knowing the better. Not even Dumbledore knows about this, at least, I am sure no one has told him."

"Is that why he was convinced of your guilt on the attack at Godric's Hollow?"

"Probably, I suppose that had he known there might have been some way to prevent me going to Azkaban or I might still have ended up there, who knows?"

"How can you be so blasé about something like this!"

"Remus, even if Dumbledore had known, had he used this information to sway the ministry from sending me to Azkaban we would have to deal with one angry Ministry of Magic. By defeating Voldemort Harry became the Boy-Who-Lived, and the Ministry would not be pleased to find out he was not the son of the light and powerful Potters but in fact, belonged to a family filled with known Voldemort supporters. It was safer that way. The same way he didn't know about the switch in secret keepers he didn't and still doesn't know about this."

"You could have explained everything to the ministry! Dumbledore would have helped you to protect Harry from them!"

"Perhaps… perhaps not… at the time I was so bent up on revenge… I new I was going to be imprisoned – for obvious reasons – so I decided to kill Peter and then have a real reason to be imprisoned for."

"Yes and a rather stupid thing to do, if I say so! Harry has had to live fatherless for all these years because of that revenge that didn't even work!" Remus mumbled.

"What would you have had me do? At the time I didn't even consciously know that Harry was my son!"

He noticed that Sirius's temper was about to get hold of him, so in order to avert it he quickly asked, "Who came up with the idea to switch? I must admit, it is worthy of Dumbledore."

"Why thank you Moony. I never thought I'd see the day when you would compare me to Dumbledore in a favourable way." Sirius smirked, his temper abated. "When the Ministry threatened us, Lily and I, we didn't know what to do at first. It was only days later that this idea came upon me, for there was no way we were going to abide by the Ministry's rule. It was James, however who came up with the plan to use Polyjuice instead of a simple charm. Of course, it was Lily who created the spell that all three of us placed on Harry after he was born."

"The Ministry threatened you? Why?"

Sirius nearly gave a bitter laugh, "Why? Because they came to know about a Prophecy – a fucking Prophecy made by that old hag!"

"I never knew that Ministry could do that…"

"Well they can, and they did apparently fucking us all up in the process" Sirius snarled.

"I thought there is a law that says only those mentioned in the prophecy can listen to it" Remus inquired, when Sirius said nothing.

"There is, of course, it is not common knowledge, no, no. In fact, very few know about it but it is the Unspeakables job to ensure that all prophecies are carried out to their best ability, and it was them who threatened us."

"But if the Ministry wanted an heir from James and Lily because of the power he would have to defeat Voldemort how come he did just what the prophecy predicted if he isn't James' son?"

"I don't know for sure…it might be that Lily and I still managed to fulfil the requirements for the prophecy to happen or it may be due to the spell we all placed upon him. In addition to the masking spell I know I, at least, placed a special protection spell on him which only works on those of the Black family line. Who knows that Lily and James added to that?"

"Harry was one be spelled baby" Remus said lightly

Sirius chuckled "Probably the most protected baby in all England"

"So, just to make sure I have all the facts, all that time everyone thought Lily was married to James… it was you using a Polyjuice potion? And James was pretending to be you only to fool the ministry of magic?"

Sirius nodded "Most of the time, of course we couldn't keep the façade always up since it was tiring, not to mention risky."

"But Sirius, why now? Why not before? What made your memories return now and not sooner or later?"

"The only reason that I can think is if the spell masking Harry has finally dissipated, taking with it the blockage within my mind. This means that by the time Harry goes back to Hogwarts he will be looking somewhat different than when he left."

"Different?"

"Yes, prettier looking for one" He said with a wink "Besides I have had enough with the Ministry. I do hope that old Voldie warts has a go at them, I might even help him depending on the situation. Let's see how they like it when people fuck up with their lives"

Remus smirked, "I knew I did a good thing in befriending you during our first year, you have one nasty revenge streak. So the fact the you and James were related way back to your great-great-grandmother or something similar enabled you to place the spell which made him look like a carbon copy of Prongs, is that it?"

"Basically, it is more complicated than that but even I do not know the complete theory on it. That was Lily's job anyway. At first we used to place a temporary illusion charm on Harry when we went out to make him look like James, but some weeks later, after we had been notified that Voldemort could be after them Lily thought it better to place a more permanent charm on him. We spent hours researching a spell that would work and finally managed to combine two spells to reach the desired effect. It took all three of us to cast it and left us with a bloody strong headache afterwards… but I suppose it was worth it if it did last these past fifteen years."

"Okay, I have another question."

"When don't you?" Sirius said with a laugh

"How did you ever manage to convince James and Lily to sit in a room together to even agree to this? If I remember correctly they hated each other which was why everyone was surprised when their marriage was announced" Remus continued, ignoring his laughing friend.

Sirius stopped laughing, but couldn't suppress his smile at the memory, "Let's just say that I am a very persuasive person"

Remus looked at him unbelievingly, "You do know how bad that sounds don't you?"

"And it took a lot of effort –" He continued with a smirk

"Sirius… just stop. I really don't want to know how you convinced them anymore! I know I shall be haunted by these mental images now." This made Sirius start his laughing hysteria again.

"Moony, Moony, what a dirty mind you have. I'm appalled; I thought you were the most innocent among us. Besides, I never intended my words to have such a meaning." Sirius said with mock surprise and an innocent expression which didn't fool Remus one bit.

"I'm sure it is a consequence of my constant contact with you. I shall endeavour to minimise it from now on."

"You know, Lily was absolutely revolted at the idea that the whole wizardry world would think her married to James and vice versa" was Sirius' response.

"I imagined that." Remus said smiling slightly.

Silence fell between them, however it was not an uncomfortable one, but one filled with pleasant memories to their past. Unfortunately Remus felt he had to break it in order to ask something very important.

"Padfoot, you are going to tell Harry, right?"

"Yes." There was a determination in his voice that Remus had heard a couple of times before, and he knew that Sirius would do as he stated. "I will have to anyway, the only thing I need before I do that is an excuse to get him out of the Dursley's."

"I suppose I could invite him over, although Dumbledore might not allow it since it would leave him vulnerable to attacks. Hmm…maybe once headquarters is ready Harry might be moved there."

"Yes, that's an idea. This means, however, more works at that wretched old place." Sirius grumbled as he started a small sulk.

"Then I guess it is better that we return there and get started. Besides, I'm sure that your absence has been noted." Remus said smiling while standing up. On his way to the kitchen he added, "Ah yes, Sirius, today is Harry's birthday. Be a nice dad and send him a card will you?"

He laughed, "Good thing that I placed my order for his present in advance. There was no way I'd have remembered it yesterday with all that happened." Just as he was making his was to the kitchen after Remus a sudden chill came over him. At first he thought a window had come open but soon discarded that idea when he noticed that is was coming from his necklace. The corresponding necklace to the one he had given Harry with the protection charms on it. It would only go cold if Harry was in serious danger.

In fact the last time it had gone this cold his son had been portkeyed to a graveyard to help resurrect the Dark Lord.

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Feedback is always appreciated.
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So second chapter re-written, isn't it wonderful? Chapters are longer, for one and the story is flowing much better. At least I think so P Let's see who can spot the other changes made to the story plot now )

Now, for Heaven's Demon's has insisted on writing some behind the scenes stories, here is the first one:

[ Battling with all his emotions he strived to find something to say to break the silence that was hanging between them. It was then that something came to him! A question that even taking their present situation, made him angry.

"Where is the food?!" Remus suddenly hissed out, surprising Sirius with this outburst.

It took sometime for Sirius to answer, perhaps because he was startled out of his pensive state or perhaps because it was not the reaction he was expecting.

I knew he would ask that…

"How am I supposed to know!" Sirius said in a whisper

"You knew where the tea was," Remus repeated slowly, his tone of voice clearly stating his disbelief. "confess, you sandwich stealer!"

"Remus, you're the only person I know who can stomach a pickle, peanut butter, jam and cheese sandwich! Why would I steal that?"

"I don't know, you're the criminal mastermind behind all this, not me!"

They looked at each other and started to laugh, while Hell's Angel can be seen in the background hitting her head against the wall. "Why can't you two ever follow the script?! AGAIN!"

Unitl next time,

Hell's Angel & Heaven's Demon