Announcement

Not knowing the wards he erected around the Dursley household didn't keep Sirius Black out of Harry's life, Albus Dumbledore was quite a happy man. Once it was time for Harry to attend Hogwarts, Dumbledore planned to make a petition to become his new magical guardian, claiming the current one never visited him during all those years Harry lived with the Dursleys. Since Sirius cannot use the wards as an excuse without admitting he was indeed a Death Eater, Dumbledore was sure he'd win. Dumbledore would have done it earlier but Harry needed to stay isolated from the Wizarding World before attending Hogwarts. What Dumbledore didn't suspect was that, at this very moment, Harry Potter was at the Black Family home in Grimmauld Place.

"Uncle Sirius, are you sure we can trust this Skeeter woman?" Harry asked. "Her articles give me the impression she doesn't care about whose reputations she ruins as long as she sells stories."

"There's no need to worry, Prongslet." Sirius calmly replied. "I happen to know Rita Skeeter is secretly an unregistered Beetle animagus. Since she's never been an auror, she's not exempt from the law requiring registration. She'd never write anything bad about me ever since I found out her secret."

Kreacher the House Elf then apparated in front of Harry and Sirius. "Master, beetle witch has been caught sneaking around in her animagus form again." The elf grumbled.

"Bring her here, Kreacher." Sirius ordered. With a POP, Kreacher disapparated and, with another POP, he reapparated with Rita Skeeter, who was quickly forced back into human form. "Rita, I hoped you had learned your lesson the last time you tried to sneak around. Especially now you were indeed invited. Don't tell me you expected to find something on me to keep me quiet about you being an unregistered animagus?"

"Well, it seems I did find." She replied while staring at Harry.

"Oh, but it's to talk about him I've called you here, Ms. Skeeter." Sirius said. "Now that my godson is about to return to the Wizarding World and attend Hogwarts, I can reveal that I've been raising the Boy-Who-Lived as expected by his parents when they appointed me as his guardian on his will."

"What?" Rita asked in shock. "I thought Dumbledore had sent the Boy-Who-Lived to live with his mother's relatives."

"While I have nothing against Muggles in general, Harry Potter is the last heir of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter and needs someone to raise him to be ready for the duties that come with the position." Sirius replied and Rita nodded in agreement.

"But, Sirius, do they trust you after all you did?"

"After all I've been accused of doing, you mean." Sirius sternly replied. "I've been acquitted. And Dumbledore had set wards to keep Harry from being found by any wizard or witch meaning him harm, so the fact I did find him must mean something."

"Indeed, Mr. Black."

"Well, I've told all I wanted to, Ms. Skeeter." Sirius commented. "Any more questions?"

"Yes. Does Dumbledore approve you bringing Harry Potter here?"

"I don't depend on his approval." Sirius replied. "I am Harry Potter's magical guardian and therefore legally allowed to have him at my house whenever I want. I only let him live with his Muggle relatives because the wards protecting him from the remaining Death Eaters depend on Harry living with them long enough to consider their home his own as well."

"Well, thank you for the interview, Mr. Black. My readers will certainly be surprised."

Soon after that, Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall received Harry Potter's reply to his acceptance letter. Upon opening the envelope, she found herself surprised the letter had been written on parchment instead of paper.

Minerva's P.O.V.

A parchment? Nothing against using them but, where would a boy who grew up with no contact to the Wizarding World get parchment to write on? I was expecting him to write his reply on paper. Well, I'd better stop musing on it and read the reply.

Professor McGonagall

I, Harry James Potter, reluctantly agree to become a student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My reluctance is based on the fact there's a Death Eater among the faculty members. Severus Snape, the Potions Master, is the Death Eater who told Tom Marvolo Riddle about the prophecy. Despite this, my family convinced me to give Hogwarts a chance.

Signed,

Harry James Potter

Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter

P.S.: Would you ask Headmaster Dumbledore to return the Invisibility Cloak my father left under his care and Hagrid to return my godfather's flying motorcycle?

I was confused. The Dursleys actually cared about Harry to the point of telling him his place in our world? Who is this Tom Marvolo Riddle? How do they know about Hagrid having Black's motorcycle? I then took the letter to Headmaster Dumbledore for answers.

Nobody's P.O.V.

"Albus!" She yelled after meeting the Headmaster in his office with the other Heads of Houses. "Read this letter, NOW!" She pleaded.

"What's wrong, Minerva?" The now confused headmaster asked.

"This is Harry Potter's reply to the acceptance letter he was sent." She answered.

"The Potter brat is just another kid who answered to an offer to join our student body." Snape said with disdain. "What's the big deal?"

"Read the letter and find out."

Dumbledore did so and got one shock after another. First, that Harry was reluctant about becoming a Hogwarts student; second, that Harry knew Severus was a Death Eater; third, that Harry knew Voldemort's real name; fourth, that Harry knew Severus was the one to tell Voldemort about the prophecy; fifth, that Harry knew about the prophecy; sixth, that Harry knew about the cloak. But the worst is that Harry somehow heard about having a godfather.

"Albus, who is this Tom Marvolo Riddle and why would Harry hate it that he knows about the prophecy?" Minerva asked/demanded.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle is the real name of Voldemort." Headmaster Dumbledore simply answered.

Professor McGonagall then pointed her wand at Severus Snape. "And YOU told him about the prophecy? You're more at fault than Black for the deaths of James and Lily!" She shouted.

"Don't you dare compare me to the likes of Sirius Black!" Snape replied.

"Minerva, I assure you Severus regrets being a Death Eater." Dumbledore said.

"Albus, if Severus Snape is somehow the reason You-Know-Who or Tom Riddle wanted to kill the Potters, then I agree with Minerva about him being more at fault for their deaths than Black is." Professor Flitwick commented and Professor Sprout nodded in agreement.

"I didn't know he'd go after Lily." Snape defended himself.

"Anyway, my main concern is finding out what Harry knows about his godfather." Albus replied. "I'll go to Privet Drive."

Dumbledore then left Hogwarts grounds and apparated at Privet Drive, where he rushed towards Number 4 and rang the door bell. "You? What do you want here?" Petunia screeched.

"I want to see Harry Potter, please." Dumbledore calmly replied.

"He's spending summer with his godfather as usual." Petunia answered, shocking Dumbledore.

"Usual?" Dumbledore asked. "Do you allow Harry to meet Sirius Black on a regular basis?"

"How often my nephew visits his godfather is none of your business, Dumbledore." Petunia replied. "Harry still lives here long enough to consider it his home as well."

"Petunia, I don't know which lies Sirius Black told you, but he's a Death Eater and helped Voldemort to kill James and your sister!" Dumbledore desperately pleaded. "Not to mention he's a mass murderer who avoided justice."

"Peter Pettigrew was the real Secret-Keeper!" Petunia replied. "Black wouldn't be able to find us if he really did what he was accused of or so I was led to believe by what you told me about the wards protecting the house. Now, if you excuse me, I must ask you to leave before the neighbors start asking questions." She then slammed the door.

As Dumbledore left, he started pondering on what Petunia said and arrived at the conclusion that Sirius Black must have known some way to bypass the wards. Dumbledore was now telling himself he should have told Petunia about Black. Dumbledore always believed himself capable to commit mistakes, just not as often as most people but, when he committed, their consequences were usually graver than the ones from other people's mistakes. Wondering how Black might have approached the Dursleys without Mrs. Figg noticing, he went to her home.

"Albus, what can I do for you?"

"You could start explaining how come Sirius Black might have reached Harry and the Dursleys and you never told me anything." Dumbledore said without the usual eye twinkle or his grandfatherly smile, showing how worried he was.

"What?" She was shocked. "I don't know what you're talking about! The only visitors the Dursleys ever had were Muggles."

"Petunia told me Harry has the habit of spending summers with his godfather." Dumbledore sadly replied. "She even believes the lies Black told the Wizengamot to avoid Azkaban."

"How could she?" Arabella asked in horror.

"I'm afraid this is my fault." Dumbledore answered full of sorrow. "Having the same kind of arrogance I once berated Tom for, I believed my wards would have prevented Black from finding Harry. Because of that, I didn't find it necessary to warn the Dursleys about him. But that doesn't explain you not knowing he was around."

"He wasn't!" She exclaimed. "Unless… Albus, how were his Muggle Studies grades?"

"Better than I dared to hope from people from that family. Why do you ask?"

"There's a man who regularly visits the Dursleys." Arabella explained. "I've noticed he looked like Sirius Black but I was so sure that he was either a Muggle or someone who knows better than most wizards about how to dress like a Muggle I believed it wasn't him."

"I understand, Arabella. Please try to warn the Dursleys about Black while I go to his house to rescue Harry before Black finds a way to hurt him without being stopped by the wards."

Dumbledore then apparated at Grimmauld Place and went straight to the only residence in that street Muggles couldn't see: Number 12. Knowing even he couldn't force entry without Black knowing it and unwilling to bring in Aurors out of fear Black would hold Harry as hostage, Dumbledore decided to knock at the door.

Inside the house, Kreacher was the first to notice Dumbledore at the door. "Master, Headmaster Dumbledore is at the door."

"Let him in and then prepare enough tea to fill three cups." Sirius replied.

"Welcome to my home, Headmaster." Sirius said as Dumbledore entered the living room. "We're having tea. Do you want some?"

"No, thank you, Sirius." Dumbledore calmly replied as seeing Harry seemingly unharmed made the old wizard regain his grandfatherly tone and the twinkle of his eyes. "You must know the reason of my visit."

"Not exactly." Sirius replied. "I might have an idea but I'd rather let you say than make any assumptions. It was for assuming certain people were Death Eaters that Crouch would have let them rot in Azkaban without a trial. If not for the actions of those who understand the value of due process, several innocent people would be in Azkaban by now."

"Too bad some real Death Eaters tricked the Wizengamot into acquitting them." Dumbledore replied.

"Well, if Crouch were willing to watch pensieve memories of the accused Death Eaters, the ones who really were victims of the Imperius Curse would be able to show memories of being hit by the curse." Sirius said. "And I would have been able to show Pettigrew being made the Secret-Keeper, casting the blasting hex that killed those Muggles and cutting down his own finger to make it look like the explosion killed him as well."

"Still insisting on this, Sirius?" Dumbledore replied. "Bartemius Crouch is no longer a part of Magical Law Enforcement. Amelia Bones certainly would have heard you."

"She did. But Bagnold and now Fudge are threatening her to keep it suppressed. Remember how Crouch reacted when I've brought a letter Lily wrote mentioning the real Secret-Keeper's identity?" Sirius asked.

"He got fined for destroying evidence that could either make the Wizarding World believe Peter was the Potter's real betrayer or get you convicted for forging evidence."

"I believe we're digressing, Headmaster." Sirius said. "I believe you were wondering if I had any idea of why you're visiting me and I said I'd rather not make any assumptions."

"In that case, I'm here because you somehow managed to bypass the wards I've set in order to protect Harry."

"Excuse me, Headmaster."

"Yes, Harry?"

"I believe all those wards were supposed to do was keeping me and my family hidden from anyone trying to harm me." Harry said. "Why do you think they should have kept my godfather away from me?"

"I'm not sure what he told you, but he's a Death Eater who betrayed your parents to Voldemort, murdered Peter Pettigrew and several Muggles." Dumbledore said.

"No, he's innocent." Harry replied. "Pettigrew was the real Secret-Keeper, killed those Muggles and cut off one of his own fingers to make people think he died with them. Otherwise, how would my godfather be able to find a place warded against anyone desiring to harm me?"

"I'm afraid to say it, Harry, but Sirius comes from a family that's particularly versed on the Dark Arts." Dumbledore replied. "He must have found a way to bypass my wards."

"Or he must be really innocent." Harry commented.

"I find it rather unlikely, Harry."

"Then why have you never told Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia not to trust him?" Harry asked. "They're family. If you believed my godfather betrayed my parents, became a mass murderer and tricked his way out of prison, you should have told them."

"Yes, I recognize my mistake." Dumbledore sadly replied. "I don't make as many of them as most people. However, when I make one, its consequences are bigger than the consequences of other people's mistakes."

"Professor Dumbledore, my godfather has been participating on my upbringing for as long as I can remember." Harry pleaded. "Are you sure there's no way he might really be innocent?"

"Unfortunately yes." Dumbledore answered. "The tale he told at the Wizengamot was too ridiculous."

"Not ridiculous enough the Wizengamot wouldn't acquit him based on it." Harry replied.

"Those who voted for his acquittal were just upset at how certain procedures were ignored. And I must admit: had those procedures been followed, we'd have managed to prove it was from Black's wand that Blasting Hex came."

"Or from Pettigrew's wand." Harry replied with a stern voice. "Have you at least tried to check it or had it been snapped as well?"

"It's been buried with Peter's finger." Dumbledore answered.

"Then why don't you use Priori Incantatum on it?" Harry suggested. "I know it's too late to use it as evidence but it'd at least end the doubts."

"Even if I had any, I'd not desecrate a tomb for this." Dumbledore sternly answered.

"It's a living person's tomb!"

Before anyone had a chance to reply, two owls showed up. Each one had an issue of the Evening Prophet: one for Sirius and another for Albus. Sirius was quite pleased (and Albus horrified) at reading the interview.

"You've got Rita Skeeter involved!"

"Yep. Now everyone will know I've honored my duties as Harry Potter's guardian." Sirius proudly answered.

"Professor Dumbledore, may I have my father's Invisibility Cloak?" Harry asked.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I'd rather keep it confiscated until you show yourself responsible enough to make a better use of it than James did or until you become of age. Whatever happens first."

"I see." Harry replied, remembering all Sirius told him about how the Marauders used that cloak.

"Well, I'm sorry for leaving so abruptly but I have other duties to attend." Dumbledore said and then left. As he made it back at Hogwarts, he found the professors really worried. "What's wrong?"

"Albus, Arabella called us to inform that the Dursleys were confounded into thinking Lily had told them about the change of plans regarding the choice of Secret-Keeper." Minerva desperately told him. "Filius has just gone there to cancel the charm."

"Good!" Dumbledore happily replied. "Then we'll be able to keep Harry safe from Sirius."

Filius Flitwick, the Head of Ravenclaw House and Charms Professor, returned with a somber face. "What's wrong, Filius?" Dumbledore asked with a worried tone.

"There was no Confundus Charm." The diminutive professor said with a solemn face. "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley did get a letter from Lily mentioning that Peter Pettigrew was indeed the Secret-Keeper. It was the letter Crouch destroyed in a moment of anger."

"Black was cleverer than I thought!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "He probably hoped the Dursleys would have mentioned the letter when I took Harry to their home."

"And why haven't they?" Snape asked, certain the Dursleys would have asked why wouldn't any of Potter and Lily's friends ask for custody of the brat.

Before either Albus or Minerva would admit having left a baby at a doorstep, they were floo-called. "Remus?"

"May I get in, Headmaster? It's an emergency!"

Please review. I hope I'm not making anyone upset my making long chapters. Longer than I'm used to, I mean.