Fledgling

Written by Christina E Lupin

A/N: Oh wow! I can see that you all loved the last chapter. Well, of course you would. Harry is no longer with the Dursleys! Now Harry has new guardians, including Fawkes, and he will grow into the boy he should have been. I will dedicate a few chapters, don't know how many, into Harry's training before I head into his first year. More details about his life will be revealed in his years at Hogwarts. Besides, I don't want to bore you all to death anyway. (author grins)

A few more announcements before I continue. The 18th of September was my 22nd birthday. I was hoping to have a few chapters for you all to read in celebration of my birthday, but I have not been feeling well. I have come down with a nasty cold and I think it has morphed into bronchitis. Icky. But my birthday went well. And one more announcement. On my fictionpress account, which is the same as this one, I have started a story there. It is called Childe and it is about vampires. If you want to read more, go ahead and head over to fictionpress to read it. My user number is: 520859. Look me up!

And now, without further announcements, I will begin the fifth chapter of Fledgling! I do have a poll for this story, so go ahead and give me your input.

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Fledgling

Chapter Five: Home

"Where are we going?"

Minerva smiled down at her charge. "We are going home, Harry."

Harry scrunched his face, causing smiles to break out on his guardian's faces, even Severus'. The past week with Harry caused the normally emotionless man to break the ice around his heart. Severus finally got over Harry's James-like appearance and saw the incredible personality of the child. Harry reminded him of Lily, a little, but he had his own personality that was nothing like his parents.

"Where is home?" the child asked.

"In London. You get to have your own room."

Minerva and Severus watched as their charge began to smile widely, his green eyes sparkling excitedly. "Really? I don't have to live in a cupboard?"

"No more cupboard," Severus said. "The only use the cupboards will have is to hold other things than a child." He then offered his hand to the dark-haired child. "Grab hold onto me and Minerva and we'll take you to our new home."

Harry immediately took both of their hands and he screwed his eyes shut. The adults smiled and they Apparated out into the empty spot they had chosen for their Apparation point. After they had bought the house, they began to build up several shields, along with the help of several other witches and wizards. Dumbledore offered his help, as well as Merrick Anderson, Amelia Bones, and the other professors at Hogwarts. Now the three were as protected as the Hogwarts castle was.

"Open your eyes, child."

Harry opened his eyes and he stared at the house with a smile. It was even bigger than his relative's house. The outside walls were painted a pretty blue, kind of like the sky, and there was a wraparound porch on the front of the house. It looked old, kind of Victorian, and had two floors.

"Like it?" Severus asked, the corners of his mouth turned upward.

Harry nodded his head excitedly. "Can we look at it?"

Minerva chuckled. "Yes, we can."

They led him into the house and watched his expressions as they showed him every room. It was an ordinary house with a kitchen, living room, study, a half bathroom, and several closets. The upstairs was also ordinary, with three bedrooms and a full bathroom.

"This is your room, Harry," Minerva said, gesturing to one of the doors.

Eyes wide, the little boy opened the door to his room and he gasped. It was a big room, even bigger than even Dudley's bedroom and play room. He even had a bed! His green eyes took in the many toy chests scattered around the room and the tall oak dresser on the far side of the room. He went over to the windows and found himself staring out at the backyard full of green grass.

"Do you like your room?"

He turned back to his guardians, his pretty green eyes shining with tears. "Love it," he whispered but he knew they heard him. He ran back to them and hugged them both around their knees.

"We can always change it if you want," Severus spoke, his hand brushing through the boy's thick hair. "This room is yours, and yours only. Let us know if you want to ever change it."

Harry nodded into their legs. He let go after a while and smiled up at them. "Can we plant a garden in the back? I liked to put the flowers in at Aunt Petunia's garden."

"Sure we can," Minerva replied. She turned toward Severus, smiling. "We might have a botanist on our hands, Severus. He might be good in Potions and Herbology when he gets to Hogwarts."

"He might," Severus responded.

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Fawkes settled on his new perch inside the McGonagall-Snape-Potter household, his eyes on the family outside in the back. The adults had bought some flowers and seeds and were now watching their charge plant them in the yard. Sometimes Minerva or Severus would help Harry out but he did it all by himself. Though Fawkes still hated the Dursleys for the way they treated their nephew, he was glad that Harry had learned how to do such things are gardening, cleaning, and making food. He was very proud of his fledgling and knew Harry would grow to be an independent young man.

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"Sirius, we need to talk."

Sirius glanced between his parents, both wearing serious looks, and he nodded. He ignored the look Regulus gave him as he followed them into one of the many parlors on the first floor. He knew what was coming and even though he was excited to finally get out of this hellhole, a cold feeling swept through him.

His father waited until he sat down and then he spoke. "Your mother and I have made a decision about you, son. We will not have a black mark against our name and that is exactly what you are doing. The Blacks have a long history of being nothing but purebloods and we only marry and associate with those of pure blood. By being Sorted into Gryffindor was the first step you took to smearing our good name in society. You cannot believe the comments we hear from the other families at our monthly meetings. Everyone is wondering if you will take His mark or not. It would be expected of you to do so, since you are the oldest son of our name."

"Father…" Sirius began, his mouth dry.

"No interruptions, young man," his mother snapped, glaring at him with her gray eyes. His own eyes.

Orion let out a sigh. "We have tried, Sirius. We really have. But we have no choice in the matter." He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Sirius, who paled. "Sirius Orion Black, I, Orion Edward Black, hereby disown you as my son and heir to the Black line. You may keep your trust fund, but you will never gain the Black family money or vaults or heirlooms."

Sirius felt the spell working as his father stopped talking and his mother began, saying her piece as well. Once she finished, he felt an odd pulling sensation in his soul. It wasn't painful, but it wasn't pleasant either. Then the sensation stopped. He stared at his parents once more before he ran from the parlor.

Sirius Black gasped for air as the Dementor left. He shivered and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He crawled up to the bars on his cell and he grasped the cool metal. He needed to get out of there, before he went mad. The past few years had blurred together and he had no sense of time nor place. He knew his mind was slowly going. He could no longer remember the more happier moments of his life, like going to Hogwarts or meeting his friends that he had called his brothers. No, all he could remember was the bad memories. The most popular scene to flash across his brain was the night he lost Lily and James Potter, the same night he gave up his godson to run after their traitor. He let out a short bark of laughter. Who knew Peter Pettigrew could outsmart Sirius Black?

"…did you hear?"

"Yeah, I know. It's mighty weird, if you ask me."

Sirius scrambled back into the shadows of his cell and pretended to be lost in thought as he listened to the Azkaban guards passing by.

"Cannot believe that little Harry Potter has been abused by his own relatives," one guard said. "Who would want to raise a hand to a little boy?"

Sirius froze. Harry was abused? When did this happen?

"But Dumbledore removed him from there and he's staying with someone else, I hear," the other guard responded.

"With who?"

"No idea. Dumbledore never said, but I don't blame him. He doesn't want anyone bugging the family or, worse, attacking them to get to little Harry."

He couldn't hear more, as the guards were now out of earshot. Rage boiled his blood. How dare those Dursleys abuse his cute little godson. He felt some shame that he had not fought harder for Harry's custody, but that was all in the past. Sirius pressed his back against the cold brick wall and he began to think of a plan. It was time to get out.

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End of chapter.

Well, I hope you guys love this chapter, especially with a little insight to our favorite character. More is coming. Now I will have to update MC and BB. I updated CL, if anyone is interested.