Chapter 2 – Seriously Sirius

Harry sat stunned. He read and reread the front of the envelope several times while his brain was trying to process the situation.

"How…? Why…? When…?" Multiple questions sprung to mind but never fully formed. A single tear ran down Harry's face as the emotions he had thought he was over threatened to come back to the surface. He closed his eyes and took some deep cleansing breaths like Hermione had shown him once.

"Surely this can't be real," he thought as he opened his eyes. The envelope was still in his hands with his Godfather's writing on it. Harry turned it over and slowly, carefully broke the seal and opened it.

Inside was a sheaf of paper and a smaller envelope. He unfolded it and started reading:

Harry,

Time is short. I just found out that you (and knowing them - your friends) are in danger and have been lured into the DoM. Dumbledore doesn't want me to come, but I'm not going to be controlled by that old coot any longer.

If you are reading this I've either forgotten to pick it up but most likely I didn't make it out of the Ministry alive. Don't mourn for me pup, I knew something like this was inevitable given what I know. My time and luck were running out and people were beginning to suspect what I knew. I just hope that I went down fighting at your side.

You mean the world to me Harry. I hope you don't take offence, but I love you as my own son.

Harry had to stop here and compose himself. Sirius loved him. For the first time in his life he could remember a parental figure told him he was loved. So many questions raced through his mind. Eager to find out what information people would kill Sirius for, he kept reading the letter.

Harry, the information contained on these pages will change your whole view of the wizarding world and make you question almost everything you've been told up to now. Hopefully by the time you've read through this and followed the instructions on the last page, you will have at least some people around you who you know you can trust.

The following pages detail information and evidence of a conspiracy. Your mother Lily and I started finding clues about it when we worked for the DoM. Unfortunately, we slipped up and that set off a chain of events that got Lily killed and me thrown into Azkaban without a trial. I managed to put this and other evidence away safely out of harm's reach when I found out about your parents.

I hate to tell you this, but if the wrong people find the information you are holding, your life will be in danger. I was going to share this information with you over the summer and had planned for us to disappear. You see Harry; you are one of the keys to cracking this conspiracy.

I want you to read the papers now and, when you are ready, follow the instructions on the last page.

Sirius

Harry put the letter down and started reading the stack of pages Sirius left him. As he read through, the information he was absorbing turned his whole world upside down. Once he finished all but the last page, he took off his glasses, rubbed his temples and shook his head.

He started speaking to himself, "Well, if I thought my life couldn't get any worse after Dumbledore told me the prophecy about me and Voldemort, I was wrong. Now I know I have to fight a dark lord, to fulfill an ancient prophecy. I also find out that there are four of us who have to get together to defeat him but lord almighty, why did one of them have to be Him? How am I going to get him to cooperate? I mean, right now we aren't on the best of speaking terms."

He shook his head and chuckled, "well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

He read the last page.

Well Pup,

I'm sorry to have dropped this on you so suddenly, but then as you well know, life has a tendency to be unfair. Take this advice from an old Marauder; don't let the weight of this get you down. Make sure you keep good things in your life as well. Make the fight worth fighting! In short, get your head out of your ass and tell Hermione how you feel and for Merlin's sake snog!

Harry was stunned. Did he feel that way about her? Then it hit him like a well-aimed bludger – the look in her eyes, the contact on the train – did she feel something more towards him?

I wasn't the first time that night his brain shut down.

When he started to recover, he realized that he had cared about Hermione since the troll incident in first year. Second year he spent all his free time at her bedside as he tried to figure out the puzzle. He didn't go down to the Chamber for Ginny; he went down there for Hermione. She had always stood by him and never let him down. If he was honest with himself, he did feel something for her. He made up his made to talk to her about this as soon as he could.

That being sorted for now, he went back to the letter.

Recovered yet? Moony and I always thought it would take a bludger to the head to get you to see what everyone around you two does.

Now, read this carefully. This final page is a portkey that will take you directly to Gringotts. I know the old man won't let you out of your prison, so don't let anyone see you leave. Don't worry about the "wards" around the house; the portkey will take you through them.

Once you are at Gringotts, ask for Director Ragnok. Give him the small envelope.

Harry, don't leave those papers lying around. I've charmed them so only you and those you allow can read them. It's similar to a fidelius charm. You have to give someone explicit permission to read it. Anyone else will think it's an erotic story with him or her as the main character.

Harry smiled at the true Marauder spirit.

Now to activate the portkey, you just have to use the same method as activating the map. At Gringotts there is more evidence for you to see, plus I have a few surprises for you.

Take care Pup – I don't want to be seeing you for a very long time.

Padfoot

Harry put down the letter and tucked everything back into the big envelope and put it back under the floorboards.

As he settled into bed he thought, "Tomorrow's going to be a busy day."