That night Bella put Blacky outside with a bowl of water and some leftover stew she had fixed. He cleaned both bowls before trotting off into the woods. He quickly found Remus and transformed back to human. It was all he could do to tell Remus about the photo album without breaking down.
"They're good Moony I know they are." Sirius said, "No darkness about them at all. But tell Mad-eye I'm still keeping an eye out for it."
"Ok." Remus agreed and Padfoot returned to his spot by the back door.
On their third evening watching the house Tonks popped to Remus' side, "Death Eaters in town. Both Lestranges and Malfoy."
"Sending in the big guns." Remus commented, "We'll need to alert Sirius and get them all out."
"Tell me something I don't know." Tonks rolled her eyes.
"Fine so how do we do it?" Remus grumbled.
"Patronus." Tonks grinned and flicked her wand. A few moments later they heard a scream from the house and they grinned at each other and started towards the back door.
Inside Padfoot was lying on the floor by the fireplace while Harry and Bella were on the couch beside him. When a silver wolf resolved itself in the middle of the room Bella screamed and they both pulled their wands.
"Idiots one, two and three arrived in the village and are heading your way." Tonks voice said, "We're coming in the back door."
Sirius stood up from being a dog and turned to his cousin, "That means Lucius, your husband and his brother are on their way here. Pack up we need to get you out."
"Sirius?" Bella asked as Harry scrambled off the couch and began to wave his wand.
First a trunk appeared at his feet and then a wavering light appeared over it. Soon things were flying from all over the house and dropping through the light. They shrunk as they passed through the light and all of their belongings settled into the trunk and the lid slammed shut.
"What now?" Harry asked.
"WAIT!" Bella came to life, "Why should we trust you?"
"If I'd wanted to kill you I would have done it on the first night." Sirius pointed out, "I was only finding out what you were teaching Harry. We aren't headed to England we're going to a house in Toronto that we've been using as a base. This will get you out of range of the death eaters unless you want to stay and fight the three of them yourself."
"Aunty you said Sirius was trustworthy." Harry pointed out, "Let's go."
"Fine." she gave in.
"Great, back door everyone, I've got the trunk." Sirius levitated the trunk and moved it out the back door where they met with Remus and Tonks coming out of the woods. Pointing his wand at the two he waited.
"I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." Remus muttered.
"Mischief managed." Tonks added grinning.
"Excellent, I've got the emergency portkey. Everyone grab on." Sirius pulled out a plate.
"I hate portkeys." Harry grumbled, "I never land on my feet."
"Your dad never could either." Sirius grinned just before the portkey whisked them away.
Bella had seen the three death eaters come around the corner near the drive as they disappeared. She didn't think they could see into the back yard.
"What's going on?" the rough voice of Madeye Moody growled as they landed in the living room of the house.
"Death eaters found them." Tonks stated as she picked a chair to flop into, "I was detained in town by a guy trying to flirt with me. So I was late getting away. Just as I left him to head for the alley the three of them emerged and moved in the direction of these guys. So I apparated to Remi and we got them away."
"Who was it?" he asked.
"Rodolphus, Rabastian and Lucius." she replied.
"Sirius what's the scoop?" he turned to the dog animagus.
"She taught him lots of stuff, all of it light." he answered.
"Remus?" Moody faced the werewolf last.
"No dark aura." he replied.
"Welcome to the light." Moody turned to the stunned woman holding tightly onto Harry who was holding just as tightly onto her.
"Thanks." she replied, "What happens now?"
"We'll be heading back to England where you'll have to go to trial for what you have done wrong." he said, "But with saving Harry you shouldn't get more than probation."
"The Dark Lord will have me killed." she stated, "He has spies everywhere including the Wizengamot."
"Can you give me names?" he asked.
"Yes but its eight year old information I don't know if it's still true." she shrugged.
"It will give us a place to start investigating." Tonks replied. Four hours later Harry was asleep on the couch while the adults were still grilling Bellatrix.
"I really thought he'd have more control of the world by now." she sat back as they told her of the political setting in England.
"When he attacked Harry something happened." Sirius responded.
"It hurt him." Bellatrix agreed, "He was screaming in pain and then collapsed."
"What happened in the room?" Moody said.
Bellatrix tried to remember everything and even drew out what she thought the runes and patterns were. She explained the golden light going from Harry to Voldemort, "I took Harry into the next room to kill him and… I couldn't do it. Instead we ran."
"Voldemort was made near powerless for two years." Moody said, "Since then he has not fully regained his ability as far as we can tell. Harry slowed him down long enough for us to have a fighting chance."
"What have you told Harry?" Sirius asked.
"Everything except the details of the ritual chamber." she answered, "For his eighth birthday he refused any presents and just wanted answers to his questions. So that's what I gave him. I told him about the prophecy and everything I knew that concerned him."
"How old was he when you started the writing the letters to get me free?" Sirius asked.
"How did you know?" she asked.
"He told me all about them my first day." Sirius grinned, "He showed me his album."
"I never thought to look for an animagus." she shook her head, "He was three when I started. I didn't think of it before then sorry. I never thought I could return to England. You were our back up plan to take care of him during his school years."
"What prophecy?" Moody interrupted going back to the previous part of the conversation.
"The one that said Harry would defeat the Dark Lord." she said, "I never heard it word for word but it's the reason they were attacked."
"I never heard about a prophecy." Sirius stated, "You guys?"
"No." Remus and Tonks replied.
"I heard there was one but I don't know what it said." Moody acknowledged, "I didn't hear about it until Albus gave me this job to do."
The flash arrival of Fawkes interrupted them. He dropped a letter and settled on the arm of the couch next to Harry. Moody picked it up, huffed and then handed it to Tonks.
"Great timing Albus." Tonks said sarcastically, "Our spy said Voldemort is sending a team after Bellatrix. We need to get her and Harry to safety if we know where they are."
"With just those three after us I think we would have been ok." Bella stated, "Harry's very advanced."
"We heard you working on fourth year spells." Tonks stared at her aunt.
"I don't want him hurt when he goes to school. He's so Gryffindor it almost makes me want to scream, reminds me of you Sirius." Bella chuckled, "He smart and sly but not particularly ambitious. I think he'll be happier as an Auror than as Minister for Magic. No one will be able to push him around easily."
"One more question." Sirius stated, "What was that spell Harry put over the trunk when he was packing?"
"It's one he made up on his own." Bella chuckled, "He was tired of having to shrink each item down before packing it. He calls it a shrinking window. Everything that passes through the hazy spot shrinks, he tried to teach me but I can't do it."
"What's the incantation?" Sirius asked, "I didn't hear it."
"There isn't one." She shook her head, "He says you just have to want it there. I don't know how he does this stuff. It's not the only one he's made. I've not been able to do any of them."
With that the group went off to bed Sirius picked up Harry and took him to the room meant for him. Moody sent a reply back to Albus via Fawkes and set up several wards and protections around the house. Back with Voldemort Rabastian was sent to inform the Dark Lord that Bellatrix was not in the house. His screams from the curses were heard throughout the house. The next morning the group was all set to go to Hogwarts.
"You're sure?" Harry asked.
"I'm sure Harry." Bella nodded her head, "I'll be in hiding with you until my trial. After that we'll just have to see."
"Alright I'll go." Harry agreed.
"Finally." Bella said, "It never took this much to convince you to leave a place before."
"You weren't trying to convince me to let you take me back to England." Harry said, "I don't want the death eaters or dementors to get you."
"Just pick him up and let's go." Moody grumbled, "He's just a little kid, it can't be that hard."
"Want to bet on that Mad-eye?" Bella asked, "I think you'll be surprised."
"Surprise me later we need to get out of here before they find us and send an army." Moody growled.
"I said I'll go so let's go." Harry pointed out, "You're the one stalling now."
Tonks snickered holding onto the portkey. Sirius and Remus were both covering their mouths hoping to hide their grins. Bella grabbed the rope next to Harry and put her hand on his shoulder. On his other side Sirius did the same. Moody and Remus grabbed on the other side of Tonks and they disappeared. The Canadian aurors breathed a sigh of relief as the group disappeared. They were extremely glad to have that group gone. Maybe that dark lord would stay out of their country now. The group landed with a thump in the Headmasters office at Hogwarts.
"Alistor?" Albus called from his desk.
"Albus." he looked at the people in the room and sighed, "We have a few guests coming if you wouldn't mind emptying your office."
Harry and Belletrix where both disillusioned. Moody had insisted on it since they hadn't notified Albus ahead of time. It was a good thing because Cornelius Fudge along with several aurors was in the office.
"Mr. Black we were just discussing your whereabouts." Cornelius stated.
"Why?" he asked bluntly without any friendliness to his tone.
"I am asking for another trial." Cornelius stated, "We don't believe you really had veritaserum. I and several others believe you managed to worm your way out somehow."
"I believe being retried for the same crime falls under the same section of the law that says I must be given a trial." Sirius stated, "So unless you have new evidence to turn over my release I do believe you can't touch me."
"We have new evidence. We have a letter written by a Mrs. Pettigrew that claims you are an illegal animagus." he sneered.
"Actually he's not." Mad Eye cut in, "He registered through me several months ago. I've just been out of town and not had time to fill out the paperwork. I believe I have six months from proof of animagus status to submit the paperwork. I still have two months left."
"Minister they are correct." Kingsley Shacklebolt claimed, "You have nothing to bring him in on."
"I also told you that the healer that tested him verified in court that he was under the influence of a truth potion." Albus added with a frown at the man, "Unless that healer now wants to say he lied in court we are finished. Now I'll have to ask you to show yourselves out as Alistor has pointed out I have more guests on the way."
"This isn't over Black." Fudge growled, "I won't let you get away with this."
"What do you think I'm getting away with?" Sirius asked, "I've already proven that I wasn't the secret keeper."
Fudge didn't answer instead he stomped out of the office. Mad-Eye moved to the window and waited until he saw the group leave the castle grounds and apparate away.
"When are they getting here?" Albus asked.
"They're with us just disillusioned." Sirius answered, "We didn't know if you'd have anyone in your office. Bella has given evidence on mass corruption within the Ministry, including the Wizengamot."
Moody took the spell off the two extra people in the group and added, "Unfortunately they won't believe her so we have to do the investigations and prove it before we can let it be known that we have found them. Who has Fudge in their pocket?"
"Lucius Malfoy." Albus muttered, "He's trying to get custody of Harry as closest magical relative. Fudge won't believe he's a death eater. We'd have to catch him in robes during an attack and have a healer on standby to check for imperious curse. Even then I'm not sure Fudge would believe it."
"Can't you just testify against him?" Harry asked his aunt, "I mean you know he is a death eater. You know he would hurt me if he could."
"They won't believe me Harry. I was an outspoken supporter of the Dark Lord." she sighed.
"That is true I am sorry to say." Albus looked over the notes that they had taken during the interrogation the night before. He asked several questions about things before he asked, "Bellatrix would you mind letting me see the memory of the Ritual Chamber?"
"I don't mind but please just call me Bella." she shuddered, "Bellatrix was the death eater. Bella is the woman who saved and raised Harry."
"Very well Bella. Do you know how to use a pensieve?" he asked. She pulled the memory out and added it to the bowl.
"Can I see it?" Harry asked.
"No." Bella said before anyone else could, "You may see it when you're older."
When they emerged a shaken Dumbledore asked, "Do you know if he had tried that ritual before?"
"I don't know." she admitted, "I know it was dark just from the feel of the room but I didn't know what it was."
"That is one of the darkest spells wizards have ever made." Sirius said shakily, "Aurors don't even learn about those in training. I had to read about them once for punishment when I was placed in Gryffindor."
"Why were you punished for going to Gryffindor?" Harry asked.
"All my family before me were placed in Slytherin." Sirius shrugged, "My Mother guessed that I had insisted on going into Gryffindor instead of Slytherin, which was right, so I was punished for trying to bring shame to the family."
"She made you read about dark magic?" Harry was perplexed.
"Gryffindors are notorious for being light wizards while Slytherins are for being dark." Harry nodded he knew this but he was still confused by Sirius, "Well my mother decided I would be forced to learn all the dark magic and that it would change me. I was just as stubborn and decided I would defy her at every turn. I know a lot of dark magic but I refuse to use any of it."
"So why is one spell dark and another not?" he asked trying to understand everything.
"Dark magic generally revolves around death or harmful intent." Sirius replied, "It can't be used for anything good. For instance there is a dark cutting curse that is similar to our normal one. The difference is that it inflicts ten times the amount of pain with the cut. The intent is to hurt them badly."
"What happens if you can find a good use for a dark curse?" Harry asked, "Do they reclassify it as a normal spell?"
"I don't know." Sirius replied, "Albus do you?"
"It would be moved to a controlled spell." he answered, "That means only people with the proper authority could use it."
"That way it could be used for the good purpose but others would still be arrested for abusing it." Harry nodded, "That makes sense."
"All finished with the questions?" Albus asked and Harry nodded, "Ok, now where do we hide you?"
"Are we all three hiding together?" Harry asked.
"Of course." Albus smiled congenially, "It will be easiest that way. What about your mother's house Sirius?"
"No, I will not live there." Sirius shuddered, "You may use it for the Order if you want but I'm not living there."
"I agree." Bella added with a shake of her head, "Harry will not be raised in that house. It's too bad Potter Hall was lost."
"I know, James was the last secret keeper and he only told his parents and Lily." Sirius shook his head, "Harry was only a baby the last time they went. They would have hid there but James couldn't go into the house."
"Why not?" Harry asked.
"Too many memories." Sirius said, "He hadn't been able to face his parent's deaths yet. They died just after your first birthday."
"Wouldn't they have had to tell me the secret even if I didn't understand?" he asked.
"I honestly don't know about that." Albus said, "I could ask Filius he's the expert but he won't be back for a few more weeks."
"Does anyone know the general location and what it looks like?" Harry kept pushing.
"I do." Sirius said, "I guess we can just go by the area and see if you can see it. If you can maybe you can find the address written down inside somewhere."
It was a very unhappy Bella that was left behind while Harry and Sirius went to find Potter Hall. Even as they were leaving she was still giving the two of them instructions.
"Don't use Harry's name, call him Mike." she said, "Don't talk to strangers or anyone you even think you know. If death eaters attack use the emergency portkey Albus made for you. Be quick and don't linger. Get back here just as soon as you can."
"Yes mum." Sirius groaned as they finally got away, "Does she think we're children?"
"I am a child." Harry laughed, "And you certainly don't act much older than I do."
"Shut it Prongslett." Sirius ruffled his hair, "Hold on I'm going to apparate us now."
Once they landed and recovered Harry started looking around. They were at the edge of a forest with a large open field just outside. The field was obviously cultivated as it had rows of plants growing in it. Harry wasn't sure what they were growing but at least it was tall enough to hide them.
"Did you smuggle the brooms out?" he asked.
"Yes but we'll have to be disillusioned if we use them right now. Once we move off to the north about a mile we'll be well away from the muggles." Sirius answered.
"Let's just walk then." Harry said, "I hate that charm. I feel like someone has dropped an egg on my head."