Thank you to everyone who has favorite/followed and left reviews!

Chapter 4: An Innocent Man

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, had been having a rather boring day before an unknown owl swooped into his office and deposited a letter on his desk. While there was always something to be done in the school, Dumbledore had found himself in a small reprieve in which no one was asking for his attention, either at Hogwarts, at the Ministry, or the International Federation of Wizards. There were no policies being voted on, no matter that required international cooperation, and, by some miracle, nothing happening at the school that would prove to be either hurtful, amusing, or some odd culmination of both. During this time, the headmaster's thoughts turned to the young savior of the wizarding world, as it so often did.

Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, the subject of a great prophecy and bearer of a terrible burden. Dumbldedore had often wondered if he'd made the right choice in leaving the young boy with his relatives all those years ago. They certainly offered a level of protection to Harry that would have been hard to establish anywhere else, nor would it have been as effective as the blood magic that Lily Potter's death had invoked. He had known a bit about the strife between Lily and her sister, Petunia, but had hoped that old grudges could be let go in the wake of such a tragedy.

Perhaps Albus should have made more of an effort to check in on the young boy as he grew up. Maybe then, he wouldn't have so many questions about Harry and how he was doing. Was the boy prepared for Hogwarts? Had his relatives told him anything about his parents, or the wizarding world at all? And most importantly, was Harry able to have the happy childhood that he had so desperately deserved? The last question weighed heavily in his mind as Dumbledore watched the owl enter his office, drop the letter on his desk, and then move to perch beside Fawkes. Clearly, the one who sent the letter expected a response.

Dumbledore moved to his desk and took a seat, picking up the envelope addressed to him and turning it around to reveal the wax seal on the back. The wax held an image of a smoking volcano, the letters 'I' and 'A' written in elegant script in the great mountain base. It was an insignia that Dumbledore knew of though he had never spoken to anyone who worked at Ignis Academy. Most wizards in Europe didn't know of the Academy at all and those that did seemed to be rather selective about who they told about the school. Dumbledore knew only that it was a preparatory school that students could attend a year prior to regular schooling, but he had no idea what classes were taught there. He had no idea why anyone at Ignis would be reaching out to him.

Curious, Dumbledore broke the wax seal, pulled the parchment out of the envelope, and began to read.

Headmaster Dumbledore,

I am writing to you on behalf of one of your future students: Mr. Harry J. Potter.

Dumbledore stopped short upon reading the name, a plethora of horrors and worries filling his mind. Fawkes gave a soothing trill from his perch beside the waiting owl. Dumbledore read on.

Before they went into hiding, James and Lily contacted me and secured a position for Harry here at Ignis Academy to begin the year before his first year at Hogwarts. It was agreed that if I had not heard from James, Lily, or Harry's Godfather, Sirius Black, that I would travel to Britain and bring the boy to the Academy myself. This was something that I had done just this past July.

I was surprised to find Harry in a rough state. He was underweight, wearing clothes that were at least triple as big as he was. He knew nothing of the wizarding world or what had happened to his parents when I retrieved him from his relatives and though he hasn't said anything yet, I am quite certain that he has no desire to return.

From a letter left to Harry by his parents, Harry has learned of his godfather, as well as two other people that were intended to be involved in Harry's life. I explained what I knew of Sirius and his placement in Azkaban only for Harry to show me the letter his parents left. The letter states that Sirius was in fact not the Potter's Secret Keeper. That role belonged to a man named Peter.

I have made several inquiries on Harry's behalf as to figuring out why Mr. Black was sentenced to life in Azkaban. I have not had any response. I spoke with Mr. Potter about the possibility of you being able to inquire more and we decided that it would be best to reach out to you. I don't have any intention of stepping in where I am not welcome, but as the wellbeing of Harry is my concern until he leaves Ignis, I will try my best to help him in this matter however I can.

I humbly request your assistance in ascertaining the truth of the matter with Sirius Black. If, as I believe you will, you are willing to help, please send a response. I will arrange a time to meet with you as needed and, if things turn out the way that we hope they will, I will be happy to invite both yourself and Mr. Black to Ignis Academy to meet Harry.

Regards,

Alexander Scythe, Headmaster of Ignis Academy.

That was certainly unexpected. Dumbledore regarded the letter cautiously and then proceeded to cast every diagnostic spell on the parchment that he could. He couldn't find anything that hinted at malicious intent which did ease some of his worries but Albus wouldn't allow himself to relax fully. This was a matter involving the young savior of the wizarding world and the most notorious criminal of the last war. It was not to be taken lightly.

He picked up the envelope that the letter had arrived in and found another piece of parchment folded within that he quickly read as well. This letter was from James and Lily Potter to their son and clearly stated several things that made Dumbledore increasingly uneasy: Sirius was not the Secret Keeper and was the one intended to raise Harry if Lily and James couldn't do so themselves. It had been speculated that that was the case, but Dumbledore didn't have access to whatever will the Potters might have left and the blood magic Lily enacted was too powerful to ignore. Albus had done the best he could with the information he'd had at the time.

Rising from his desk and moving to the fireplace, Albus threw a handful of floo powder into the fire and connected it to Minerva's office. His deputy headmistress was perched at her desk, grading papers, and she looked to the fireplace when the flames turned green.

"What can I do for you, Albus?" Minerva asked, looking at him over the rim of the glasses perched on her nose.

"Something rather important has come up. I will need to be away from Hogwarts for the rest of the day and most probably tomorrow as well." Albus said. "Of course, I am only an owl away if needed, but it is very important that I leave as soon as possible."

"Well, alright. I'll let the rest of the staff know." Minerva nodded sharply once and then returned to her grading, her dismissive gesture enough to let Albus know that he could expect a full inquisition whenever he returned. He had high hopes that any news he brought back to Hogwarts would be good news indeed.

With the school passed into the proper hands while he was away, Albus used Fawkes to travel to the Ministry and made his way down to the subfloor where the Wizengamot meeting and trial records were stored. He was allowed access without question due to his position as Supreme Mugwump and it took only a few minutes of perusing through the aisles to find the section that he was looking for.

As he tapped the shelf with his wand, the shelf itself expanded to show the files held therein and Albus flicked through them until he came across the one he was looking for. The trial transcripts from just after the first war were numerous and each file itself was filled with witness statements, transcripts, pleas, case notes, and all manner of other forms of evidence that had been submitted over the course of the dozens upon dozens of death eater trials. Sirius Black was one of the first to be submitted for trial a mere few days after Voldemort disappeared, and with the heaps of evidence and accusations thrown against him, Albus expected the file on Sirius Black to be one of the largest of the bunch.

His surprise was only matched by the dread he felt when he finally reached the file he was looking for and found it exceedingly empty. A single document resided inside, with the words 'trial pending' stamped on the bottom of the page that detailed the crimes Sirius had been accused of: conspiring against the Ministry of Magic, unlawful use of Dark Magic, and 13 counts of first degree murder. An anecdote at the bottom called for witness accounts of the night of the murders and clarification on the Black heir's status as Secret Keeper to James and Lily Potter.

Sirius Black, one of the most notorious death eaters of the last war, had spent the last decade in prison for crimes that he was never tried for and, according to Headmaster Scythe, had never committed in the first place.

Albus had the sudden realization that he was about to long for the easy day at Hogwarts he'd been having before that letter arrived. He made his way from the records room back up the floor of the Ministry that houses the Department for Magical Law Enforcement and hurried to the Head Auror Rufus Scrimgeour's office.

"Professor, how lovely to see you." Rufus greeted the man warmly, though his tone quickly shifted as he took in the haggard expression on Albus' face and noted the slim file the man was holding. "What is it?"

"I'm afraid there is a grave error that must be corrected, one that even I could not have anticipated." Albus handed the Auror the file he was holding and then reached into the pocket of his robes to get the two letters and show them to Rufus as well. "I now have reason to suspect that Sirius Black is innocent of all pending charges against him."

"Pending?" Rufus scoffed. "Black has been in Azkaban for nearly ten years now. I'd say his guilt is as notorious as his name."

"The charges against him, however well known they may be, are still pending. As you can see in the file, a trial was never held for Mr. Black."

"That's preposterous." Rufus harshly opened the file, his features growing pale with every word he read. "It can't be."

"I'm afraid, it is. But it can be fixed. If you'll have a look at the two letters I've brought, they will explain more."

Rufus did so, the grim expression on his face growing tighter as he read. It felt as if the office grew ten degrees colder in the time it took Rufus to read both of the letters. He thrust them back towards Dumbledore when he was done with them, his jaw straining with the force with which he clenched his teeth.

"We must bring this to Minister Fudge," Rufus said sharply. He kept hold of the file containing Sirius' trial information, or lack thereof. The two men wasted no time in making their way towards the lift and healing into the higher levels of the ministry.

"That account of Harry Potter," Rufus said, breaking the tense silence that had settled over them after the lift had closed and began moving upwards. "Is that true? He grew up without knowing any of our world?"

"I can't say for sure," Albus admitted. "I am ashamed to say that I had assumed the young boy would be raised to know and understand who he is and where he comes from and so, I haven't made it a priority to check in with him throughout the years. His caretaker wasn't fond of magic, but I believed her to be the best option."

"I certainly hope you decide to reevaluate." Rufus stated. "This ordeal is already going to be a media circus when the Prophet catches wind of a decade long wrongful incarceration. I can only imagine what they would say if they learned that the Boy-Who-Lived was raised in a neglectful household."

Albus nodded silently, though he was much more worried about the effects growing up in such a house would have on Harry's development. A media scandal could be dealt with and as Harry was a minor, no publication discussing him could be released without permission from his guardians. The results of having too little to eat and repressing magical abilities could be far worse than anything the media might throw against them. Albus did have hope that Harry wasn't too severely impacted if he was excelling at Ignis Academy.

The conversation with Minister Cornelius Fudge proceeded in much the manner as it had with Auror Scrimgeour. Minister Fudge ordered Rufus to retrieve Black from Azkaban that day and the man hastened to do so, instructing Albus to call an emergency meeting of the Wizengamot first thing in the morning.

"And what of young Mr. Potter?" Fudge asked. "Can we call him in as a witness?"

"I do not believe that to be necessary, Cornelius. I intended to write back to Headmaster Scythe once I return to Hogwarts and remain in communication with him as we untangle this situation. I do not wish to disrupt Harry's instruction or bring into the public eye."

"The Prophet will surely be keen to rip this administration to shreds." Cornelius agreed.

"There is a way to paint a slightly better light on the situation, though it might not be overly effective. Once all is said and done, release a statement to address the correction of a mistake made by the previous administration. I will declare the trial itself confidential and seal the transcripts as soon as they are completed. All the public will know is that new evidence called for a re-trial of Sirius Black and he was found innocent of his crimes. Mr. Black can then make a statement if he so desires."

"I doubt that will help much but it is better than nothing." Cornelious said. "I am sure Mr. Black will have his own ideas of what he would like to do if he is proven to be innocent."

Albus returned to Hogwarts soon after his conversation with Cornelious and summoned Minerva to his office. While he waited, Albus drafted a letter to Headmaster Scythe that expressed his gratitude to the Headmaster for bringing this matter to his attention, explained all that he had done so far, and inquired about the well-being of Harry. He had just attached the letter to the still waiting owl when Minerva came into his office.

"I assume you've settled whatever matter called you away." Minerva took a seat in the chair that she swore was more comfortable than the other.

"Unfortunately, I have not. I must ask you to supervise the school tomorrow morning while I attend an emergency Wizengamot session of the utmost importance." Albus took his seat at his desk, placing the two letters atop the surface. "I must also ask that you not divulge anything that I say this evening to anyone, even other staff members."

"Something serious, then." Minerva said. Albus smiled slightly.

"Serious indeed," Albus said, amusement shining through his tone for all too brief a moment before he sobered again and kept on. "It has come to my attention that Sirius Black has been wrongfully imprisoned for the past decade and is, in fact, innocent of all the crimes against him."

"How can that be?" Minerva said, stunned.

"I'm afraid I can't share the details. The trial has been declared confidential and the outstanding consequences of Mr. Black's imprisonment is an even more sensitive matter that I dare not discuss with anyone but Sirius himself." Albus folded his hands together, resting his elbows on the arm of his chair. He met Minerva's eyes and waited as the deputy put the pieces of what he had said - and what he didn't say - together. He could see the moment Minerva had deduced the reason that Albus was being overly cautious and smiled in satisfaction.

"Very well then," Minerva stood. "I expect that you have enough to worry about. I will keep the school running as normal while you are away."

"Thank you, Minerva." Albus said. "Your dedication to Hogwarts and her students is as appreciated as always."

Minerva left the office quickly, leaving Albus alone with his thoughts for the night.

At the Ministry, a weak, barely conscious Sirius Black was sitting in a holding cell to await his apparent re-trial. He'd been astounded when Rufus Scrimgeour had come to his cell in Azkaban, requesting that Sirius go with him without putting up too much of a fuss. Not that Sirius was in any position to fight anyway. Even with the ability to shield his mind and hide behind the simple mind of Padfoot for a lot of the time he was imprisoned, one could not stay in Azkaban for ten years without feeling the pressure of the stay. Meals that were far too irregular and had almost no nutritional value left Sirius as barely more than skin and bones and the constant torture of the dementors ensured that Sirius didn't have any strength left to hope for release, let alone the power to stand on his own two feet without swaying.

Sirius had risen from the threadbare cot he lay on and walked on unsteady feet out of his cell. With a wave of his wand, Scrimgeour had bound his hands together and then took him by the shoulder to walk him out of the prison. The dementors were kept at bay by the regular guard's patronus charm but Sirius could still feel the empty eyes following his every step. A portkey was waiting for them at the docks of the island that Azkaban resided on and they were transported directly to the holding cells.

Sirius collapsed immediately, his empty stomach heaving at the abrupt change of scenery. It had been so long since he had been around magic of any kind that even the small magic used in connecting travelers by portkey had completely disrupted his body. Scirmgeour seemed to take pity on the weakened man and used a levitation spell to place him on the small cot along the back wall of the cell. It was barely any better than the one he'd used in Azkaban but it still felt like laying on a cloud in comparison.

"I'll have a Healer called in for you. Can't have you collapsing in the middle of your trial."

Sirius shifted on the cot, sitting up enough that could clear his throat and attempt to speak. His voice was barely audible, his vocal chords straining with the effort of speaking and all he managed to say was one word.

"Harry?"

"I'm afraid I can't say anything at the moment but if things turn out as they should, you should find out soon enough." Scrimgeour said. "The Healer will be here soon."

Scrimgeour took his leave and Sirius was left there on his own again, resting against the too-thin mattress of the cot and wondering what had changed. Sirius had lost hope that he would ever be put on trial and even if he was, it had been so long that there were surely no doubts about his guilt. Yet, Scrimgeour didn't treat him like a known criminal and had even given him some small assurance that he would be able to see about Harry soon enough. Something had changed, Sirius was sure. He just had no idea what it could possibly be.

The Healer who attended to Sirius was a young woman that treated the sores on his wrists, gave him several potions to soothe the various aches and pains around his body, and then doused him with a sleeping drought to get through the night. Sirius awoke feeling better than he had in years, the work of the potions no doubt, and was given time to shower and clean himself up a bit before he was ordered to change into a set of simple black robes and escorted to the Wizengamot Chamber. The entirety of the Wizengamot was present and Sirius could see the surprise, fear, and anger in their expressions as he was placed into the charmed seat and kept there by the chains on his arms. Once Sirius was settled, Dumbledore called the court to order.

"We have gathered today in order to correct a grievous mistake made by previous Ministry administration members. It is well known to us all that in the days following the fall of Lord Voldemort, many, many trials were conducted and several death eaters were safely removed from our society and those who were proven innocent were returned to their rightful place. No matter who the accused is, we all accept that every witch or wizard accused of any crime deserves a fair and just trial. To my great personal shame, this did not happen for all the accused.

"Sitting before you is Sirius Black, a man accused of betraying Lily and James Potter to the dark lord and for the murder of 12 muggles and one wizard. It was brought to my attention by the Headmaster of a well-known but selective school that he had reason to believe Mr. Black to be innocent of the crimes he has been accused of. This evidence comes from a letter written by James and Lily Potter to their son, Harry."

With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore sent a copy of the letter in question to every member of the Wizengamot and one that hovered just before Sirius. He read the letter quickly, sighing in relief.

"The letters you see before you are copies of the original, unedited. This has been verified by Head Auror Scrimgeour." Dumbledore continued. "I was sent a copy of this letter by Alexander Scythe, the headmaster of a well-known but selective school. Young Mr. Potter has been in attendance at this school since last August and shared the letter with the Headmaster, who then contacted me in the hopes that I would be able to assist in acquiring a retrial for Mr. Black. As I looked through the records for the original trial transcripts, I discovered the most improbable situation: Black was never given a trial. He has been unlawfully imprisoned for nearly a decade."

Another wave of magic and everyone was looking at a copied version of the original transcript from the time Sirius had been arrested, the words 'trial pending' branding themselves into Sirius' mind.

"Due to a conflict of interest and my role in bringing this situation to the attention of Wizengamot, I will withhold my vote and pass the gavel to Auror Scrimgeour to preside over the rest of this trial."

Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling madly as he looked at Sirius, took his seat and waited patiently. Sirius, try as he might, couldn't be bothered to follow the conversation of the Wizengamot. He was much more concerned with once again reading the letter from James and Lily. He could hear their voices in his head as he read, though the memory of them was hazy and clouded with despair. He'd tried not to think of them often so that the dementors couldn't steal the memories from him but it was a difficult task when so much of his life had been wrapped up in his friends.

He read the words his closest friends had left to their son and felt his eyes well with tears. Sirius would never regret anything more than his decision to leave Harry with Hagrid that night while he embarked on his pointless, fruitless quest for revenge. He'd failed Harry by abandoning them, failed James and Lily by refusing to do the one thing they'd asked of him if the worst came to pass. Failed himself by being bull-headed and reckless and losing everything and everyone that had ever mattered to him.

Sirius had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't realized Auror Scrimgeour was calling for his attention until the third time his name had been repeated. He lifted his head and turned his gaze to the Wizengamot.

"Sorry?"

"Tell us where you were and what you did beginning on Halloween night 1981 and ending with the day you were placed in Azkaban."

"Right." Sirius cleared his throat. He explained slowly, struggling to remember the details though they became clearer the longer he spoke. He told the story of how he had arrived at the cottage in Godric's Hollow to find the bodies of James and Lily Potter, their son unharmed barring the scar on his forehead. Hagrid had turned up soon after and Sirius lent the giant his motorbike to get Harry out of there safely and quickly, wary of death eaters popping up at any moment. Sirius had known right away what had happened. The Potters had been betrayed by their Secret Keeper: Peter Pettigrew.

Sirius had been hellbent on revenge, unable to think of anything else as he tracked his once friend down. It had taken him a few days to track the rat down and when he finally did, Peter had caused the explosion that killed 12 muggles and then cut off his own finger before turning into his animagus form, a rat, and running off. Sirius had laughed madly, in shock at the turn of events, and when the Auror's arrived, Sirius was too far gone to care. The next thing he remembered was waking up in Azkaban.

Once he was finished, Sirius again let himself be distracted by his thoughts. He thought mostly of Harry. He wondered how the boy was doing now, what he thought of his class at Ignis. He didn't remember much of what Lily had told him about the school, only that Harry would be learning a different approach to magic that would hopefully help him survive if and when Voldemort came for him. Sirius was brought out of his thoughts a few times to answer questions for the Wizengamot, clarifying things that he had said earlier.

Eventually, a census was reached and Sirius was instructed to stand.

"Mr. Black, it is the decision of this Wizengamot that you shall be cleared of all charges against you. We offer you our most sincere apologies for the suffering you have endured due to the failure of previous members to perform their duties correctly. Though we know that it cannot erase or undo all that you have suffered, the Ministry offers 15,000 galleons per year of imprisonment as recompense." Scrimgeour said with finality. Dumbledore rose again.

"The contents of this trial and everything discussed within have been placed under the highest level of confidentiality. The records will be sealed. Minister Fudge has drafted a short announcement declaring Mr. Black free of all charges. No other statement is necessary."

And with that, the trial was over. Sirius was free.

He collapsed back into his seat, overwhelmed with emotion. His vision was blurry with his tears and he barely noticed when a figure approached him. He jumped in surprise, eyes wide with fear, when Dumbledore reached out to grasp his shoulder.

"I can only imagine how you must be feeling, my dear boy," the Headmaster said. "I would like to have you accompany me to Hogwarts, if you don't mind. Poppy will check you over and we'll be able to discuss things privately."

"Yes, sir." Sirius said automatically. Dumbledore offered him a kind smile and then helped him to his feet. They left the courtroom and went directly to the apparition point in the lobby, Dumbledore carrying them to the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts where Sirius was quickly deposited on a bed and Madam Pomfrey summoned. Sirius was aware that a conversation had happened between the Headmaster and the Healer but he couldn't recall any of the words that had been said. He was barely conscious anyway, the turbulent emotions of the last twenty four hours catching up to him all at once so even as the dreamless sleep potion was poured into his mouth, Sirius doubted that it had much work to do before he was asleep.

When Sirius next awoke, he was laying in a double bed in a room that was very obviously not the Hogwarts hospital wing. The walls were a warm burgundy color, there was a pleasant fire roaring in the fireplace near the corner of the room, and, best of all, Sirius was not alone.

"It is good to see you, my friend." Remus Lupin said, grinning from the chair that he was sat in by Sirius' bedside.

"Moony?" Sirius asked, then coughed into his hands. Remus moved closer, holding out a glass of water. Sirius took a few small sips and cleared his throat. "What are you doing here?"

"My oldest friend was just released from Azkaban after finally receiving a fair trial," Remus said. "Dumbledore sent me an owl as soon as the news broke and I came straight here. They moved you from the Hospital Wing to an empty staff quarters when the statement came out. You've been asleep for four days while your body and magic recovered."

"I don't feel all that recovered," Sirius said. He didn't feel nearly as bad as he did in Azkaban, but neither did he feel like he did before.

"I'd expect not. Madam Pomfrey will surely have you on bedrest for another few days. I doubt you'll be able to perform any magic of your own right now other than transforming into Padfoot and even then, I suspect that you're only able to do that because it was the one magical skill you could use while in Azkaban." Remus explained.

"But what about Harry? I've got to speak with him, to explain."

"You will," Remus placed his hand on Sirius' shoulder and gently squeezed in comfort. "But you need to spend some time recovering first. And then there are a few things for you to get in order before you go traveling off to where Harry is. Quite a bit has happened since you were put away."

"I don't care about all of that! I just want to see Harry."

"You should care, Lord Black." Remus said. Sirius blinked in surprise. "Yes, you are Lord Black now that you are out of Azkaban. Your grandfather died a few years ago now."

Sirius had never thought he'd hold the position of Lord Black, nor had he wanted it. His parents had cast him from their ancestral home when he was 15 and Sirius had been happy to leave, but his grandfather had refused to formally remove him from the line of succession. Sirius had always planned to give the Lordship to Regulus, though that couldn't happen now. Remus informed him that no one had heard from Regulus in years.

Before Sirius could say more, the door to the room opened and Dumbledore entered. He smiled warmly at Sirius, his eyes holding that familiar twinkle.

"Ah, Mr. Black, you are finally awake. I will have Poppy come to check on you posthaste," Dumbledore said. He strode further into the room and conjured a chair for himself beside the one that Remus occupied. "I assume Mr. Lupin has been filling you in on matters?"

"Only just, Professor." Remus said.

"I want to see Harry as soon as possible." Sirius said quickly. "I know that I have other matters to attend to, as Remus has been telling me, and I will deal with them. But I want to see Harry directly after."

"I had assumed as much," Dumbledore retrieved a letter from the pocket of his robes. "I took the liberty of contacting the Headmaster of the school that Harry is currently attending on your behalf. Headmaster Scythe asked me to pass along this note to you."

Sirius took the letter eagerly, holding it with only slightly trembling hands as he read.

Dear Mr. Black,

I was glad to receive word of your release from Azkaban. I cannot imagine the trauma you must have endured for so many years. I won't do you the disservice of offering sympathy as I know that it will mean very little. What I can offer you, however, is healing.

Vulcan's Isle, the home of Ignis Academy, is also in possession of several warm springs in which the waters are imbued with healing properties, as well as being home to some of the most advanced practitioners of healing magics. Our Healer, Michael, has offered his services to you in order to help you recover from your prolonged dementor exposure. The Academy can also offer you the utmost privacy as the entire Isle is well hidden and virtually inaccessible without an invitation.

Additionally, and as I suspect you are most concerned with, Harry Potter is currently in attendance at Ignis Academy and eagerly awaiting the chance to meet you. Harry does not yet know that you have been released from Azkaban at the request of Professor Dumbledore, though I am ready and willing to tell him whenever you would like me to do so.

This letter serves as your formal invitation to Ignis Academy. You can visit with Harry first and then meet with Healer Michael if you choose to do so. Please respond with a date and time for when you plan to arrive and I will arrange for a portkey to be readied for you.

Regards,

Alexander Scythe, Headmaster of Ignis Academy.

"He's invited me to Ignis Academy to meet Harry and discuss being treated there with their Healer." Sirius said as he set the letter down. "Whenever I'm ready, he'll arrange the portkey."

"Wonderful news, Padfoot." Remus said. "A few days of bedrest, some meetings with the goblins to get your affairs in order, and then you'll be off."

"Indeed," Albus agreed. "I know that you must be eager to see Mr. Potter, but I must ask that you take the time to regain your strength first. And, I must admit that I am curious. I wasn't aware that Harry was to attend Ignis Academy before."

"That was decided just before James and Lily went into hiding," Sirius said. "Lily found an account of the Academy in a journal held in the Potter Vault, sent an owl to the current Headmaster, and secured Harry a place there. The headmaster agreed to come and retrieve Harry the day before his tenth birthday if he hadn't received communication from either myself or James and Lily. I'm afraid I don't know much else about it."

"I've been told that Harry is doing very well at the school in my communications with Headmaster Scythe. Scythe was sparse on the details, though I am certain Harry will be happy to tell you everything he has learned so far."

"I hope so," Sirius said. "I've missed so much already."

"A matter to be rectified as soon as possible, and with that in mind, I will take my leave Poppy will be here shortly to check in on you and Remus, the quarters next to this one have been prepared for you if you'd like to use them."

"Thank you, sir."

Albus stood, vanished the chair he'd conjured, and left the room. It was not ten minutes later when Madam Pomfrey came into the room. Remus excused himself while the mediwitch looked over Sirius now that he was awake. Sirius was placed on a potion regime to help him regain enough strength to run the errands he needed to do around the UK before he left for Ignis Academy. At his request, Sirius was given a few more doses of Dreamless Sleep Draught that he would be able to use at his discretion before Madam Pomfrey took her leave and left Sirius alone again. He didn't remain that way for long though as Remus re-entered a few moments later, a tray laden with food levitating before him and the two friends stayed up late into the evening, talking, reminiscing, and planning for what would come next.

After two days of bed rest, Sirius was finally allowed to leave the castle grounds. Remus went with him, assisting Sirius by side-apparating him to Diagon Alley so he could begin his plethora of errands.

After meeting with the goblins of Gringotts to regain access to his vaults - Sirius had decided to forgo claiming his Lordship for the time being. Once he was Lord Black, he would be expected to rejoin wizarding society, take his family seat on the Wizengamot and fully put himself back out there, none of which were things he was ready to do. In the meantime, with access to the multitude of funds held within the Black vault, Sirius was able to complete the rest of what he needed to do in Diagon Alley.

He first went to Ollivander's for a new wand, his old one having been snapped years ago when he was imprisoned. It took several tries to match with a new wand but he did so eventually, a dark oak, 11 inch, a quite swishy wand with a dragon heartstring core. After getting his wand, Sirius visited Madam Malkins and Twilfit and Tattings to get both casual robes and one set of formal robes of good quality.

The short trip to Diagon Alley had been enough to exhaust Sirius and though he hadn't wanted to do so, he decided that it would be best to wait a day or two before he went to Grimmauld Place to see the state of things and figure out how to go about cleaning it up. He'd set the time to travel to Ignis Academy for three weeks from the day he'd awoken at Hogwarts, giving himself enough time to get used to being a proper wizard again, so he didn't need to worry about delays.

Sirius was finally free of the burdens placed on his body, the chains of Azkaban thankfully far behind him, though the burdens on his soul were as present and vital as ever. It would take time for Sirius to be alright again, but he was determined to do so. If not for himself, than for the young boy that he never should have abandoned.

Fourteen boring days later Sirius and Professor Dumbledore grasped onto a length black rope just before 10:00 in the morning, waiting for the portkey to whisk them away. They arrived in a simply decorated yet tasteful office, a man whom Sirius presumed to be Headmaster Scythe waiting for them along with another man wearing white healer's robes.

"Welcome to Ignis Academy, gentlemen." Scythe said in greeting. The healer had nearly immediately stepped to Sirius' side, helping the man to balance after his less than graceful landing. At least he did manage to remain on his feet, though he was still weak and barely able to perform more than the simplest of magic.

"Headmaster Scythe, it is a great pleasure to finally meet you." Dumbledore said.

"You as well, Professor Dumbledore." Scythe turned his attention to Sirius, who noted with interest that Scythe hadn't greeted Albus with the title of Headmaster. "And Lord Black, I am glad to see you have been freed of your wrongful imprisonment."

"Sirius, please," Sirius requested. "And I'm told that you had a great deal to do with that freedom."

"Hardly, all I did was send an owl." Scythe waved off the praise. "Nevertheless, we are not here to discuss that. I believe there is a young boy that you must be very eager to meet again."

"Yes, as soon as possible, if you don't mind."

"Of course, but I must ask for your attention a bit longer to discuss a matter that I believe to be quite serious indeed, if you'll pardon the pun." Scythe gestured to the two chairs that were sat before his desk and a wave of his hand brought a third chair up from the ground. The healer helped Sirius to one of the seats and then sat in the conjured chair himself, leaving the other chair for Dumbledore.

"What is it?"

"First, this is Healer Michael. He is our school healer and very adept at all healing arts. Sirius, I do hope you will stay long enough to have a private chat with him about your own healing needs, but for now, we need to talk about Harry." Scythe gestured for Healer Michael to continue and the healer did so quickly.

From a scroll that he seemed to pull out of his sleeve, Healer Michael made a motion with his hands that made an intricate, runic design along his skin glow faintly. It was blood magic, Sirius knew, though it was far more complex than any blood magic he had ever seen used. Whatever Healer Michael had done to the scroll had projected two images, both the outline of a young boy.

"These two projections are from Mr. Potter's last two health screenings. The first one was administered the day after he arrived. Mr. Potter presented signs of malnutrition and delayed growth, as well as a few minor injuries that had thankfully healed well enough on their own that he didn't need any magical corrections. His eyesight seems to be genetic and he has been advised that it can be corrected with potions once he's a bit older.

"As you can see from the second projection, pulled from a screening in January, Harry was able to catch up to his peers in height and weight, as well as his magical core growing stronger. That is common once our students begin school as the free use of magic lets their bodies adapt to the use of it over time. However, I'd like to direct your attention to the black mark on his forehead."

"The scar left by Lord Voldemort the night of the attack." Dumbledore said. There was something off about his tone, but Sirius couldn't pinpoint what it was. He was too busy thinking about the signs of the neglect that had been present in Harry's first health screening to care too much about what Albus was thinking.

"It does seem, at first glance, to be a simple curse scar, but that is not the case. When I performed the screening, the runic result for that scar was something that I had never seen before and so I brought it to the Headmaster."

"And, after a lot of research, I discovered something truly horrifying." Scythe turned his attention solely to Sirius, a glint of anger in his eyes that had Sirius nearly shifting in his seat. The look reminded him of the resolute disappointment in his father's eyes when Sirius came home from his first year at Hogwarts, the red Gryffindor house crest proudly displayed on his robes.

"There is a soul fragment buried in that scar. A horcrux." Scythe said, his tone dark. "Harry is rather fortunate that the magic of that soul piece hasn't negatively affected him, but it is there, and because it is there, I am certain Voldemort is not gone. He is simply waiting to come back to full power."

"My godson has a piece of Voldemort's soul in his head?" Sirius turned accusingly to Dumbledore. "Did you know about this?"

"I suspected that might be the case, yes," Albus said slowly. "I had no way of knowing for sure."

"There is no safe way of removing a horcrux from a living person," Healer Michael said. "I have looked into every option that exists, followed every trail until it went cold. I have a plan for removing the horcrux, but it can't be done for a few years. Harry's magical core must be fully matured or we risk turning him into a squib, not to mention that he'll have to master Occlumency if he has any hope of retaining his sanity after the removal. In all cases that I've heard of, which is admittedly - and thankfully - very small, the horcrux will always attack the host as a means of self-defense."

"How soon can the removal be attempted?" Sirius asked.

"Most wizards reach magical maturity between the ages of 15 and 16. As long as Harry returns to Ignis for the summer sessions moving forward, I can monitor the progression of his core."

"Occlumency is another matter." Scythe said. "Harry has been in our Occlumency class for nearly 9 months now and he is struggling. I believe aptitude testing showed that he had a natural affinity for Legilimency, so learning the opposite of that is proving to be a challenge."

"This would happen years in the future," Dumbledore said. "Harry is still growing, he deserves the chance to be a child for as long as he can."

"I certainly hope that you are not about to suggest that we keep Harry in the dark about something happening within his own body." Scythe said, his voice dripping with ice. "Nor that you suggest a child who spent 9 years sleeping in the cupboard under the stairs had ever been given the opportunity to be a child."

"He what?" Sirius yelled, jumping to his feet. Albus had paled considerably beneath his beard, the twinkle in his eyes fading.

"He what?" His voice was much softer than Sirius, barely above a whisper. "No, that can't be. Petunia-"

"Has no regard for magic or magical beings." Scythe interrupted. "I spoke with her for all of five minutes before she insulted all of wizardkind to my face. I can't imagine what she must have said to Harry over the years." Scythe shook his head and turned back to Sirius. "In any case, as you are Harry's rightful legal guardian, and have been appointed by the late Lord and Lady Potter as Harry's caretaker for school related matters, I defer to your judgment on what to tell Harry, Sirius."

"Thank you, Headmaster." Sirius said. "I must admit that I am rather taken aback. I'd never have imagined this."

"I understand." Scythe said. "Perhaps you should take some time to think about it. In the meantime, I'll send Harry a message to have him report to my office. Michael, your services have been greatly appreciated."

Sirius remained silent as Scythe penned a short summons to Harry and Healer Michael left the room, the third chair vanishing into the floor as he did. It felt like an eternity had passed by the time the door opened again and Harry entered the office. Sirius could tell it was him right away, the unkempt hair and the wire-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. He could have passed for his father's twin, if not for the vibrant green of his eyes.

There was a medium sized pup walking at his heels, leaving burning footprints in its wake and immediately jumping into Harry's lap when he sat down on the couch on one side of the room. Sirius watched Harry as he introduced his familiar and then spoke shortly with Albus before those familiar green eyes settled on him.

"Sirius Black," he introduced himself. "I'm your godfather, Harry."