BEYOND SECRETS AND LIES

By: Chiki Yumeshisa

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter…all original characters/ideas are mine to claim though.

AN: Hi everyone! Thanks for waiting for this chapter - as some of you may already know, my computer got virused and I had to re-write this as I couldn't retrieve the file anymore. Please enjoy the next chapter.

Chapter 15

- Duel! -

Professor McGonogall stopped teaching as all heads turned toward the door. There was a clattering sound followed by a curse.

At the entryway, Harry had dropped all his books in his rush of get inside the class. Picking them up, he hurriedly went to his place next to Ron, who looked up in surprise.

"All right there, mate?" He asked, putting down his quill. Harry seemed winded and paler than usual. Something else was wrong but he couldn't quite put his finger on what.

"Just fine." Harry whispered back, throwing his bag underneath his desk and flopping into his chair. "It's complicated…"

"You weren't in the common room last night." Ron insisted.

Harry opened his mouth to make some sort of excuse, but he was interrupted as Professor McGonogall snapped, "Mr. Potter, it's bad enough that you're late, please don't talk during class. You'll disrupt everyone's concentration."

Padma Patil and her friend giggled at this, jostling each other with their elbows. Face reddening Harry mumbled an apology, before bending over his books.

He had not had a very restful sleep at all – he had tried to stay awake so as not to have to face Bryce in his dreams – but his fatigue overwhelmed him in the end. Thankfully, he had had a dreamless sleep, but he had slept in, right through his alarm clock.

The lesson was long and tedious covering something Harry already knew. Beside him, Ron was absent-mindedly writing the letters 'H.G' on his page, tracing them over and over again, until Harry was quite certain that the ink had leaked through the parchment and stuck permanently onto the desk underneath. Funny how it was not just the girls who did stupid things like that when they daydreamed.

Across the aisle from them, Hermione was feverishly taking notes, her quill moving so fast that it was a blur. Finally, after the formal lesson had finished and everyone had been instructed on what to do, they began to practice. The books were handed out and the transfigurations had begun.

Ron turned to Harry again, brandishing his wand. "We were worried about you, because we saw you running by yesterday. Were you okay? Where were you? What was so complicated?" It seemed that he had not forgotten the topic so easily.

Harry hunched his shoulders slightly at the sudden onslaught of questions he had known were coming. "I wasn't well, so I was in the hospital wing." He lied.

Number one.

He eyed Ron's wand apprehensively, as the boy flicked it, tapping the book cover, but not getting the results that were expected. Harry waved his own wand, tapping the book and efficiently turning it into a pillow as they had been instructed to do. "We learned it at Durmstrang." He explained, as Ron gaped in surprise – his book had changed into a deformed-looking pincushion. "Anyway, I'm fine now, but Madam Pomfrey may want to keep me in the wing for another night."

Number two.

"What happened?" Ron asked, picking up his transfigured product and poking at it experimentally. Harry reached over and returned the book to its original state with a sigh.

"A nasty spell." He allowed. "A severe headache." At least that wasn't a lie. "Oh, look." He hastily changed the subject, pointing to Neville who had managed to somehow change his book into a half-chicken, sprouting wings and feathers, the book letting out an ugly squawk. Ron rolled his eyes and Professor McGonogall ran over to help correct the problem.

"Listen, you don't suppose you could teach me how it's done, do you? McGonogall's like to give me extra homework if I don't get it right." He looked nervously at the Professor who did not seem very pleased with Neville's handiwork.

"Sure." Harry said, shrugging. He was glad Ron was not thinking about his earlier questions. "If you teach me how to play wizard's chess later."

"Deal." Ron said eagerly, picking up his wand again.

0-0-0-0-0

Double Potions was something that Harry was not looking forward to. How would Snape react? Would he revert to being the same as he had been back then? Would he give away his secret?

He found out as he took his place beside Hermione who did not have the chance to speak because Snape swept into the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Take your seats." He all but growled, causing the class to pipe down. On the board, the words "Essence of Murtlap" magically appeared. "Today, you'll be concocting the potion in which to heal cuts and wounds." He announced. "The instructions are on the board," as he spoke, the ingredients and steps appeared on the board right under the title, "as are the things you will need.

"I want a vial of it at the end of the period, and there is no need for talking." He looked pointedly in Harry's direction. "Mr. Potter has already lost a generous amount of points from Gryffindor over the vacation, so if you'd like to thank him for that, you may." He smirked, as some of the Gryffindors turned to shoot Harry some nasty glares. It caused the teen to redden. He felt his anger spark, but he reminded himself not to get ruffled: it was probably Snape's way of testing him.

"I suggest," Snape was saying, "that everyone keep their mouths shut unless you've something intelligent to say, which in that case, everyone should say nothing at all as they never do."

He glared at them all, as if challenging them to protest. When no one did, he nodded slightly. "Begin."

There was a great scraping of seats as the students scrambled to get their ingredients and set up.

Harry bent down to his bag as well. Snape had a bad habit of bearing down on him in that class so he wanted to make sure that he was up to scratch. However, with a sinking feeling, he realized that he had left all his things back in his dormitory room. As he had gone immediately to his lessons from the dungeons, he had had no time to get them.

He glanced in Snape's direction and was relieved to find that he was busy hovering over someone else's cauldron on the other side of the room. He kept his voice to a whisper. "Hermione…could I share with you? I left my things…."

She glanced in Snape's direction too and then raised an eyebrow at him before pushing the ingredients forward. She glanced in Snape's direction once more for extra measure before whispering back, "Harry, what on earth made Snape mad enough to take house points off during the vacation?"

Harry rolled his eyes, reaching for the Murtlap leaves. "My mere existence makes him mad." He wanted to tell her that the fact that he was the Professor's flesh and blood had something to do with it too. But this was not the time nor the place to do it though.

"Honestly, Harry…." She sighed, prodding her potion with her stir stick.

He began to protest. "I didn't do anything, I just - "

He cut himself off as Snape descended upon them quite suddenly. "That's another 5 points from Gryffindor, Potter, for deliberately ignoring my instructions. And 5 more Miss Granger, for helping him."

At this, Hermione looked furious. "But sir, I wasn't - "

But Snape had turned away and behind them, the Slytherins tittered.

Hermione pursed her lips and angrily hurled her red peas inside the bubbling concoction. She did not look in Harry's direction for the rest of the lesson and when the class ended, she put her perfect potion on Snape's desk next to Harry's (which had not quite turned out as properly) and turned to walk out.

Harry ran out after her. "Hermione…."

"I wasn't even helping you and he took off points!" She burst out angrily, stamping her foot in frustration just as Ron managed to catch up with them.

Smiling vaguely as if to say I-told-you-so, Harry scratched the back of his head. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have spoken."

"He's a git." Ron said, darkly. "All the Slytherins are, including their Head of House."

They spent the rest of the time insulting the other House while walking to the Great Hall for some much needed lunch. Harry found he was starving – having missed so many meals and having to spend so much time with Snape had been draining. He looked forward to relishing in his friends' company.

By the table next to them, Malfoy swept by, knocking Ron on the shoulder rudely as he made his way to his seat. Hermione prevented the red-haired teen from flying across the hall and knocking Draco out. "That wanker…" Ron hissed, "If I get my hands on him, I swear…."

"You wouldn't dare to do anything." Hermione said lightly. "Or else he'd run to his 'daddy' – just forget about him, he's not worth it."

Sulkily, Ron went back to eating his Shepherd's Pie. Hermione tried to cheer him up, but anything she said made him look even moodier. She glanced helplessly at Harry, who, knowing Ron's pride was hurt, merely shrugged.

Out of the corner of his eye, and quite unwillingly, he caught sight of Paige Hart locked in a rather affectionate embrace with Draco. He glanced away when she looked up right at him.

Of course the most gorgeous girl in the school would be with the richest boy. Despite the fact that Draco was a selfish, self-assured kid, he was a very good looking one at that, and it couldn't be denied that half the girls in the school fancied him.

"Aren't they just perfect for each other?" Ron asked, scathingly when he saw what Harry had seen, watching the pair in disgust. "Don't they know such things should be done in private?"

Hermione sniffed in disdain also. The kissing had gotten so intense that almost everyone in the room was staring. "It's like they're eating each other." She said, making a face. "I don't see how anyone could want to ever kiss Malfoy's slimy face." At that, Ron latched onto her insult and the two of them enjoyed making fun of them while Harry let his eyes slide up to watch again.

He wondered if Paige knew what type of guy Draco really was. But maybe she did, as she was in the same House as him after all. She was older than him, wasn't she? He watched for a little while before getting to his feet. He did not want to watch any longer a strange ache in his chest.

Ron and Hermione broke off in their giggling, looking up at him. "Where are you going?"

"Madam Pomfrey's." Harry heard himself say, detachedly. He was relieved that neither of his friends raised an objective to that, and bade him farewell until their next lesson. They must have been accustomed to him doing so already.

Madam Pomfrey, however, was not in a good mood at all that day. As she went to work checking Harry's usual conditions, she said not a word, angrily scribbling down her findings. The ferocity at which she did so alarmed the boy.

"Madam, is there something wrong?" He asked tentatively when the papers she was holding ripped in two with her unexplained vengeance.

"Never you mind." She snapped. "Now hurry off to lessons – I've enough to bear with."

Knowing that she wasn't exactly angry at him, Harry couldn't help but feel as though he had done something wrong. Holding his tongue wisely, he hopped off the bed, moving towards the door after saying goodbye.

To his great disappointment, Professor Lupin was not in a good mood either. Instead of his usual, jolly manner, he looked extremely worn. "Right then, wands away." He said impatiently, as the class eagerly sat awaiting the start of class.

Ron and Harry exchanged glances before slowly returning their wands to their bags with disappointment, along with the rest of the class who were just as disappointed.

"We will be reading from our textbooks today, on WoolCaps," He continued, watching as the class reluctantly placed their textbooks on their desks. "By the end of the class, the chapter should be read." At the collective groan he smiled only slightly. "Not to worry," he announced, raising his voice slightly, "it's not long. Once finished, you may leave.

"However, I require a one page essay on them in detail on what they do to be handed in tomorrow. We'll start learning how to protect ourselves from them then."

As one, they turned to the appropriate page, Hermione already immersed in her book.

To their surprise, Professor Lupin stepped out of the class and the moment he did, the class broke out into murmurs.

"I hear that Dumbledore's let Dementors guard the castle." Harry heard Seamus saying behind him.

"Dementors?" Dean repeated, aghast. "Why?"

Ron turned around. "You reckon that's why all the teachers are in a fit today?"
Seamus shrugged. "Might well be."

"What are Dementors?" Harry wondered aloud.

"Guards of the Azkaban prison." Hermione quoted, not looking up from the open book before her. "One of the foulest creatures alive – they attack anyone who stands in their way; friend or foe."

Once again, Harry and Ron exchanged glances. They had thought that she had not been paying attention to their conversation.

Leaning forward, Harry asked, "What do they do?"

"They suck a person's soul out." She replied, turning the page of her book still not looking up. "They make you feel like you'll never feel happy ever again. Your fear is their strength."

Harry sat back, frowning. "Dumbledore's gotta be mad letting things like that in…"

"What, are you scared, Potter?" Malfoy's sudden jeer rang out over the room. All heads turned to watch as he stood up, shaking the fine strands of his pale blond hair out of his eyes.

Harry scowled in annoyance. "No one was talking to you."

"Well, I was talking to you." Malfoy said. "How is it that you don't know what a Dementor is? I thought you've done the Dark Arts." A knowing smile spread across his lips, making Harry's blood go cold.

He knew.

Heart hammering in his chest, he shot back, "I've never been to Azkaban to check." It sounded like a rather pathetic plea in his ears.

Malfoy laughed, and so did his cronies. A few nervous giggles littered the class and everyone watched eagerly as Malfoy drew his wand.

"I'll bet you're scared they'll find you." He said, still in that knowing voice.

Harry feigned ignorance. "I'm not afraid of you, Malfoy."

"Prove it." He hissed.

As Harry began to draw his own wand, Hermione's hand reached out and clamped around Harry's. She was no longer absorbed in her book. Now, her eyes were wide and her lips pressed together in a disapproving fashion. "Are you insane? You'll get in trouble!"

"Shut it Granger!" Malfoy snapped, before Harry could reply. "Stick your nose back into your book where it always is." At that, the Slytherins laughed and the Gryffindors shouted angrily. Hermione's face flushed and Harry got to his feet.

"Watch it, Malfoy!"
Draco smirked. "Or what?"

They faced off for a few moments when suddenly, Malfoy shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

But Harry had learned his lessons well. "Protego!" The spell bounced off his shield and Malfoy stumbled back a few paces while everyone else scattered out of the way, the scraping of chairs so loud that Harry almost missed hearing the next spell. As was the case, he was not fast enough to block. "Impendimenta!" His legs kicked and jerked out from under him and Harry fell, face first to the ground.

Before he hit it though, he sent a hex of his own. "Petrificus Totalus!" The spell missed by an inch, hitting the closest desk, making splinters fly and earning shrieks of fear.

"Stop it!" Hermione screamed, as the wind was knocked out of the raven-haired teen. But Harry didn't stop – he wouldn't. He refused to be beaten down again by anyone. The jinx that Malfoy had sent his way had been weak and had worn off quickly so that when he forced himself to his feet, he was able to find solid ground.

Spells flew back and forth, and pretty soon, the whole class was huddled toward the back of the room, while the two dueled.

"Give it up!" Harry shouted, as the other got hit in the chest with a stinging hex. Draco's scream made Harry's spine tingle. It was obvious to anyone that Harry was the better dueler: he knew more spells than anyone in the class, and he knew how to wield them almost expertly.

Hermione screamed out for them to stop again as Draco lunged with his wand, a blue streak of light emanating from the tip. But her cry went unheard as Harry tripped backward, his legs locked together.

Malfoy's face lit up triumphantly and when he smiled, his teeth were all bloody. "Torsecona!" It felt like a concrete block hit Harry in the face, snapping his head back and hitting the floor with a sickening thud.

The class cried out again, moving closer. The battle had gotten outrageously out of hand and no one, it seemed, could stop it. It was as if no one else existed in the room but the two of them, and no one dared to get too close.

Forcing the darkness that was invading his peripheral vision away, Harry raised his wand in a shaking fist. One side of his glasses was broken and he squinted, seeing Tankov's face in his mind's eye. "Tangora!"

For a moment, nothing happened, and Harry thought that the spell didn't work. Just as Malfoy was about to gloat about it, he found himself spun up tightly in a web on the wall very much the same as Harry had been in his earlier years in Durmstrang.

"Stop it! Stop it right now, the both of you!" Hermione's shriek rang loud in Harry's ears and even Malfoy looked up in alarm. They stared at her, both breathing hard. Her eyes were full of tears and her voice shook when she spoke. "Please…just stop…."

"Arpengio." A calm, collective voice said. Both Harry and Draco were released from their bonds, the latter falling in a tangled heap of robes on the floor.

Everyone turned to see who had spoken the incantation, and were shocked to see none other than Professor Dumbledore standing there.

The room suddenly went so quiet, one could have heard a pin drop. Frightened glances darted about the room. Nobody moved.

Malfoy turned paler than was possibly normal and Harry could not help but feel the same way – his heart felt like it had managed to lodge itself in his throat somehow.

With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore caused the room to right itself, the scattered papers flying back to their original places and the broken furniture and glass mending themselves up. In no time, the room looked as it had before Lupin had stepped out – save the fact that the students were out of their seats, huddled together in a crowd, while two certain students stood haphazardly in the wake of the Headmaster.

"What an interesting lesson." Dumbledore finally said, watching as the students flinched. "I hope everyone learned something."

At this, Hermione did burst into tears. To stifle her sobs, she pressed her face against Ron's shoulder. Dumbledore did not look in her direction, but merely folded his hands together as was his habit, seeming not to notice her distress. His voice, though very soft, rang through the room like a whip. "Please take your seats." There was a mad rush as students ran to obey, sitting up poker straight. Hermione, however, did not move a muscle, so Ron could only stand there, patting her back in a comforting fashion.

Once everyone was seated, Dumbledore turned to the pair. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, would you follow me please? Students, please attend to your studies."

Now, Harry felt as though his heart had melted and found its way to his stomach. His legs shook with every step as he followed Draco outside. The latter didn't look too well either.

Heads turned with wonder as they exited, and the moment the door closed behind them, were put together to contemplate their fates.

"He'll get expelled, I know it!" Hermione wailed into Ron's shoulder.

"He won't." Ron told her firmly, (though he didn't quite believe so himself) pulling her away gently and looking into her eyes. His fingers went out to wipe the tears away tenderly. "He didn't start the fight, remember? He was only protecting himself."

"I hope Potter gets into trouble!" They heard Pansy Parkinson saying, sounding hysterical. "Did you see some of the things he did?"

At that, the class began to murmur. It was true: some of the things that he had done they had never seen before or heard of.

"What do you expect? Durmstrang specializes in the Dark Arts from what I've heard." Someone sitting toward the back said.

The Gryffindors looked at each other worriedly. They did not want anymore house points taken off.

0-0-0-0-0

"I must say I'm disappointed in the both of you." Dumbledore said, as he led them toward the end of the hallway where both their heads of house stood waiting. "Mr. Malfoy, I had hoped that as a Prefect you would prevent these things from happening instead of starting them, and Mr. Potter, I was hoping that you wouldn't rise to the bait so easily seeing as how these things have been done to you before."

Neither boy responded, not daring to look at each other. "I shall leave your punishments with your Head of House to decide, but take note that this behavior is not tolerated at Hogwarts, do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir." They said.

"I shall not have to talk to you both as though you were mere boys, again." He warned.

"Yes sir." They repeated.

When Snape and McGonogall collected them, neither looked very pleased. Afterwards, they spoke to the Headmaster quietly for a long while before they were led away in the opposite directions. More than once, there was a raised voice in anger, but whatever they said was not loud enough to be heard.

Snape did not look once at Harry as they parted.

Professor McGonogall led Harry into her office. "Sit down." She instructed, and he did not dare to disobey. He sat stiffly in the straight-back chair that faced her desk.

"What can I say to show you how upset I am, Mr. Potter?"

Harry said nothing, knowing that she was looking down at him expectantly, but he was unable to bring his gaze up to her. "Evidently," She continued, "the point system we have is not enough to deter you from doing these things as I've heard tell that you've lost us quite a bit of ours.

"Conducting yourself in such a childish behavior! At this rate, we'll be classified as no better than the Slytherins."

"I'm sorry Professor." Harry said, finally. "I know we shouldn't have dueled, but you can't have expected me to just sit there and let Malfoy hex me, do you?"

The professor took in a deep, calming breath. "I suppose not, but for heaven's sake, child, the damage you did to him! It's Defense Against The Dark Arts – not the Dark Arts practical!"

Harry blushed, scratching his cheek. He had gotten a bit carried away… "Well, I think he deserved what he got."

Professor McGonogall's mouth twitched slightly at his remark, but she turned away briskly. "I've in mind a suspension for you."

"Suspension?" Harry asked, incredulously. "But Professor-!"

"For a week." She said, ignoring his protest. "Perhaps you will appreciate school more if you were out of it."

Harry stared in shock. He was being punished so unfairly!

"Be happy you're not expelled." McGonogall said. "That is the usual punishment for the kind of behavior you've shown today. You should know very well that underage wizards are not allowed to wield such dangerous magic around carelessly – and what's more, on another student!"

He opened his mouth to tell her that he was no longer underage, but remembered that this was not to be known. Instead, he asked, "Have you spoken to Dumbledore about this?"
"Of course I have." She said, sitting down across from him.

He leaned forward in his seat. "Then you must know that I've no where to go."

"Oh, yes you do." She said, in an agitated manner. "Your guardian will be along shortly to collect you."

Now Harry was confused. "Guardian, Professor?"

She looked as if she had sucked on a lemon. Her expression was so sour that Harry could not help but wonder if somehow, Professor McGonogall had found out about his parentage.

"Yes, your guardian. You will go and pack your things, collect your homework for the next week and be in the lobby in the next half hour."

It all seemed like a dream, as Harry stood up from his chair.

Why did all these things have to happen to him?

Thirty minutes later, dressed warmly in his cloak, scarf and mittens, and bandaged from his earlier fight, he moved toward the lobby, pulling his trunk behind him, morosely. It had been the most humiliating thing to have heads turn in his direction and people whisper their theories about him, that he was almost glad to be leaving the school.

Luckily for him, Malfoy was in the same boat, and if he had looked pale earlier, he was paler now.

The front doors leading into the castle were opened with a bang, and in walked Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father, looking positively furious. If not for the crowd of people who had gathered to watch the departure, he probably would have cuffed his son right then and there.

His cold blue eyes swept over Harry momentarily, making the poor boy flinch. "Mr. Potter," He sneered, flicking his pale blond hair back. "Always the troublemaker, I see."

Before Harry could respond, Snape entered and had a few words with Lucius before turning to face him. "Potter, you will come with me to the train station, where your guardian will pick you up."

Now Harry was even more baffled. He had thought that the Guardian would be Snape, and he opened his mouth to ask, but was distracted by Draco, who swept past him, knocking him back a pace or two.

The crowd was talking excitedly now, and Harry gripped his trunk tighter, as Snape began to lead the way out.

As the doors closed behind them, Harry felt as if a huge weight had been taken off his chest. There were no people to ask questions anymore. No people to hurt. No people to see his changes.

"You've got everything you need?" He heard Severus ask.

"Yeah." Harry said, trudging behind him, his boots crunching away at the snow beneath his feet.

"You've taken several vials of the potion with you?"

"Yes sir. Sir, who exactly is my guardian?" His breath rose in a cloudy mist before him. He could no longer contain his curiosity.

It was a long moment before Snape answered. "I am your guardian – dimwitted as you are, surely you don't think I was going to announce in front of the whole school?" He sounded faintly disgusted. "But you will not be staying with me. The person you will be staying with for the week is your Uncle."

Harry stopped in his tracks.

No.

He would not go back there.

Snape stopped too, the bottoms of his cloak spotted with white snow, his face pallid against the darkness of his demeanor. "What's wrong?"

A mixture of fear and loathing coursed through Harry. "I'm not going." He heard himself say stubbornly.

Severus sighed. "Don't be a fool."

Now Harry got angry. "I'm not a fool. You wouldn't understand ­– because of you, I lead a horrible 10 years of my life at the Dursleys and now you want me to go back? Or are you just trying to deposit me on someone else's door step again?"

He shouldn't have said that.

He knew that Snape would get angry. "I was trying to save your life, if you haven't already realized that, you ingrate." He spat. "And for your information, you're not returning to the Dursleys, you're going to be staying with…." He trailed off for a moment, gathering his composure. "You're going to be staying with your mother's brother…"

Harry blinked. His mother's brother?

They walked some more, until they reached a carriage that was drawn up. Harry could see no horse present as he climbed in after Snape who shrunk his suitcase so that it would fit inside the cart.

"While you're there, try not to let his idiocy heighten your own." Snape said suddenly, breaking out of his brooding.

Harry caught the insult and flung one back. "Don't worry, I'll keep it to your level."

As the cart began to move, he heard Severus mutter, "You should have been expelled."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Harry demanded sitting back against his seat and wincing as the cart flew over a particularly sharp bump in the road. "I thought you were my only living relative."

"So did I." Snape said, tightly. "I'm not particularly happy that you are staying with him, but I'm given no choice – things are…complicated."

Funny, Harry had used the same word that morning.

"If there is a problem, you are to contact me immediately by mail or by floo. Do you understand?"
Why were the adults always asking him if he understood? Annoyed, Harry nodded. "What could possibly go wrong?" He asked, sarcastically.

Snape let out a bark of laughter. "Oh, trust me, with him, anything is possible."

The carriage had been traveling for a good ten minutes, and soon, Harry could see the train station, the purple and red Hogwarts Express waiting to take off. The platform was empty, save for a stray dog that was wagging its tail, sitting close to the edge.

"Surprise, surprise, he's early." Snape said, more to himself than to Harry.

"Excuse me, sir…" Harry leaned forward as the carriage came to a stop. He peered out again at the platform and still saw nobody. "Who exactly is 'he'?"

Snape pushed himself out of the carriage, and Harry stumbled after him, lugging his trunk with him, now full in size. "Your Uncle." And he nodded at the dog.

Harry pushed his glasses up, wondering if he was quite sane. His uncle was….a dog!

More confused than anything else, he hurried to keep up with the Professor who had begun to make his way to the platform. By the time they reached it, the dog was gone and in its place stood a man, with long dark hair and sharp blue eyes.

Snape stopped a few paces away from him, and Harry kept a few steps behind him, staring at the stranger in wonder. "This is Harry." He said, somewhat reluctantly to the man. "And this," he said to the teen, "is Sirius Black."

To Be Continued….

AN: I hope you enjoyed that last chapter. Again, sorry for the late update. The next chapter shouldn't be that late in coming. Anyway, here's a preview:

Sirius took most of the impact, toppling backward with the teen caught up in his arms, and they landed with a loud thud at the base of the wooden stairs, the older man hitting his head against the closet door so hard that his peripheral vision turned white with the pain.

Groaning, he blinked, trying to get himself to focus, and shook Harry, who had not made a sound.

"Harry? Oh my god – Harry! Are you okay?"

When Harry did not respond, Sirius began to panic.

Please review and thanks for reading,

-Chiki