Chapter 18
Christmas was quiet for the Tyler family. Ewan was constantly in his room, but thankfully it was because he didn't want anyone to read the letters Katie sent to him. Although, Harry had noticed owl's fluttery through Ewan's bedroom windows. Christmas break passed quickly for every one. Ewan said bye to his parents then got on the train to meet up with Katie.
"Harry, keep an eye on Ewan for us, we want to know what going on with him and Katie?" Lara said quietly. Her son was going out and she wanted to know everything.
"Okay"
* * *
Ewan was doing his prefect rounds one night when he found Ron's Rat, Scabbers.
"What are you doing out here?"
Silence.
"Great I'm talking to a rat. I've gone insane…"
More silence.
"You're making me crazy" he told the rat. "What's wrong with your paw there…." It looked like Scabber's had a missing toe. "How did that happen?"
"Mr. Tyler, who are you talking to?"
"Oh, Professor Lupin, good evening. I was talking to this rat. He has a missing toe." Ewan answered. Lupin looked at the rat, he faced seem to drain of color.
"Where did you find it?" asked Lupin.
"It's Ron Weasley's… why?"
"Come. We must take this to Dumbledore."
Ewan followed the Professor and held tight to the Rat. It was twisting and turning in his hands, like it was trying to get away. When they arrived at the stone gargoyles, Lupin said the password.
Dumbledore was awake already when Lupin and Ewan stepped into the office. Lupin started talking immediately while Ewan looked around the office he loved looking at the phoenix, Fawkes.
"Ewan, may I have the Rat?" asked the Headmaster.
Ewan handed the Rat over. Dumbledore started inspecting it, then a flash of blue-white light erupted form the Headmasters wand. One second there was a rat, they next there was a man.
"Peter Pettigrew." said the Headmaster, pointing his wand at the man.
"Peter Petti- but… but Pettigrew is dead." said Ewan, his wide emerald eyes staring at the man.
"Ewan… perhaps it's best for you to go to your dorm, while the Headmaster and I deal with him."
"No, I'm not a child, I'm sixteen! Tell me the truth!" said Ewan.
The Headmasters looked to the boy with sad old eyes. "This man is Peter Pettigrew, the man who betrayed your parents."
"But… Sirius Black?"
"…is innocent."
"Yeah, I know he wasn't the secret-keeper but… I thought he really did kill Pettigrew. "
Ewan stood awestruck for a moment. Meanwhile, Professors Snape and McGonagall arrived to watch over the man. The Minister was called in, followed shortly by a few Auror's. Ewan wasn't paying that much attention though. He was still reeling over this new information. He knew Sirius was innocent, he also knew he couldn't prove it, until now. He would get his godfather back!
* * *
"Wakey, Wakey!"
"Shut it, Roger!"
"What? I'm just trying to wake him."
"He can wake up on his own!"
"Will you three be quiet!" said Ewan, opening his eyes.
"Good evening!" said Le.
"What time is it?"
"A little after five p.m."
"You missed all your classes, but don't worry I have notes." said Liam.
"Guess what!?" said Roger. "Guess what was in the news!?"
"What?"
"Sirius Black is innocent, they found Peter Pettigrew and he admitted everything!"
"Peter Pettigrew? Oh!" Ewan said running out of the rooms to the common room.
"Where are you going!?" yelled Liam.
Ewan ran out of the dorm, ran all the way to Dumbledore's office. "Pixie Stix!" The stone gargoyle jumped out of the way. Ewan ran up the stairs two at a time, and then knocked on the door.
* * *
Professor Dumbledore, Professor Lupin, and Sirius Black were sitting around the Headmasters desk, drinking tea. Ewan didn't know what to make of the scene.
"Mr. Potter, how are you feeling?" asked the Headmaster.
But Ewan had his eyes on one man, Sirius.
"Ah, yes, excuse me. Mr. Ewan Tyler meet Mr. Sirius Black." said Dumbledore with a smile on his face.
"You look so much like your mother…" said Black, "Harry looks like James and you look like Lily…"
"Hi." Ewan said. 'Hi! 'That's all you can say!? You idiot!'
"Hello. It's nice to see you again… I never thought I would ever get the chance… I owe you so much, you found Pettigrew, told the Headmaster what you knew, of course Fudge wouldn't let me out without proof but you did it! I am so proud of you."
Ewan smiled. "You're welcome."
Dumbledore was smiling with the twinkle in his eye.
"What happened to Pettigrew?" asked Ewan.
"He's in Azkaban, awaiting a trial." answered Lupin.
"Sirius didn't get a trial!" he said.
"The wizardry community made a grave error by not allowing Sirius a trail, they are not going to put anyone else in Azkaban without now." Lupin said.
"Either way, Peter is gone; he won't be bothering anyone anymore." said Sirius.
"Does Ron know? About Scabber's being Peter, I mean…"
"Yes, Professor Lupin informed him this morning. Sirius has actually seen to it to replace Scabbers." said the Headmaster.
"You are? What are getting him?"
"Maybe an owl?" asked Sirius.
"That's good choice. Harry and Ron write to each other over the summer, and poor Hedwig is doing all the work."
Sirius laughed at that. "Then I'll definitely get him an owl, for Hedwig's sake."
"Does Harry know? About you being free?"
"Yes, we actually talked already."
"And how did he take it?"
"Good, I want to think."
"I've been wondering. How is it that you didn't go insane like the other prisoners?"
"Oh yeah… I was able to control myself… go into my dog form."
"You're an animagus?"
"Yup! A dog."
"….Padfoot?"
"That's me!"
"I used to call you Uncle…."
"Yeah, and I used to call you pup…" Sirius smiled. Ewan couldn't help but smile back.
"What about Fudge? He knows I'm alive." asked Ewan.
"He took a wizards oath, never to tell anyone who doesn't already know, who you really were." answered the Headmaster.
"So I'm still Ewan Tyler?"
"Yes."
"Excellent."
* * *
In February, Ewan was in Hogsmeade with Sirius and Harry. After his release many believed that Sirius Black had been mistreated, so along with a very sincere apology, the wizardry world also gave him a check, it was almost twice of what was in his vaults already, and the Black Family vault was huge.
After gaining back his fortune and the Black family estates, Sirius had wanted to get guardianship over Ewan and Harry, but there was one snag, Ewan.
"I like who I live with now, I'm sorry, but Jon and Lara ARE my mum and dad." said Ewan.
"But James and Lily made me your godfather before you met Jon and Lily." Complained Sirius
"This argument had been going on for weeks now!" complained Harry. "Why don't the Tyler's have guardianship over Ewan in the muggle world and Sirius you have guardianship over him in the wizardry, either way in one year, Ewan is going to be of age. He can choose, then."
Sirius and Ewan were quiet after that.
"What about you Harry?" asked Sirius. "Are you sure you want to live with me?"
"Of course, are you mental, I can't wait to get rid of the Dursley's." said Harry. "By the way, thanks for giving your permission for me to go to Hogsmeade."
"Those filthy muggles should have given you permission to start with." said Sirius.
Just then, Ron and Hermione ran up. "Harry, you want to come to Zonko's with us?" asked Ron.
"Sure." said Harry. "Bye."
"Bye." said Sirius. "Don't forget to write, young man!"
"See you, Harry!" said Ewan.
"So… how have the Tyler's been?" asked Sirius.
"They're great!" said Ewan. "I mean, I'm sure my mum and dad would be happy that I'm happy, right?"
"Right… I just thought... you know… you just didn't want me in your life." said Sirius, half mumbling.
"It's not that, it just, I don't want to just leave the people who've taken care of my since I was four. I'm not leaving them just because Uncle Padfoot is back." said Ewan.
"I can understand that." Sirius said. "You know, you are so much like your mother it's scares me." He laughed.
"Why?" said Ewan.
"She used to yell at me all the time." said Sirius. "For example when you were just born, your father and I were on my bike, driving through London, when some muggle authorities tried to arrest us. Well, while that was happing three death eaters tried to attack us. Of course, your father and I were able to defend ourselves and the ministry obliviated the muggles. But when we got back to your dads house, Lily yelled at us, we were both scared. But ten minutes later, she would be fussing all over us, make sure we were okay."
"She sounds brilliant."
"She was. Your father on the other hand… lets probably best I save those stories for later, at least till you out of school and can't copy what we did."
"Speaking of copying, there was one thing I wanted to learn from you." said Ewan.
"What's that?"
"I want to learn how to become an animagus."
"Oh. Well, that can take awhile."
"I'm a patient person."
"Okay, we'll start during the Easter holidays, okay."
"Okay."
For the rest of the day, Sirius and Ewan walked around Hogsmeade, stopping to buy Harry a replacement broom and Ewan a new broom, since he was still using school brooms.
"Harry's going to flip!" said Ewan holding his and Harry's new Firebolt's. "You know you didn't have to spend so much. Harry and I would have been happy with Nimbus 2001's or even Nimbus 2000's."
"Nonsense, no self-respecting quidditch stars will be playing own last season brooms."
"Quidditch stars?"
"Have you seen yourself fly, or Harry fly. You two are better than James was, and that's saying something."
"Well, thanks."
"Consider it twelve years of Christmas and birthday gifts."
"I gotta show Harry! I'll write you! Bye!" yelled Ewan running off to go find Harry.
* * *
Before the Easter Holidays, fifth year students were given career advice by their head of house. So, on a cool Sunday afternoon, Ewan was with Professor Flitwick in his office.
"So Mr. Tyler, what is it you're interested in doing?" the small wizard asked.
"I have no idea, truthfully…"
"Oh well. Your grades have always been excellent. I'm sure your have no problems with your OWLs. Are you sure there is nothing that interests you with your future?"
"Not really, sir."
"What about you're O.W.L.s, are you worried about that?"
"No, I plan on getting an 'O' in everything." Ewan answered, causing the small wizard to laugh. However, Ewan was serious. "I'll be getting an 'O' in everything, I assure you, sir."
"Well, if you have any questions or need any advice, my door is always open." said the small wizard with a smile.
"Yes, sir. Thank you"
* * *
The Easter holidays was spent at Sirius house, 12 Grimmauld Place, cleaning it. Most of the house had been purged of Black family heirlooms and possessions, all of which were dangerous. The house-elf, Kreacher, a pest. While cleaning the house, Kreacher would steal certain belongings. For example, while cleaning Ewan found a locket.
"Hey, Sirius, this thing won't open." said Ewan holding a locket with an 'S' on it.
"I've never seen this before." said Sirius. "I guess you can chuck it."
"Okay, so I was thinking, about going back to the Potter name, you know… openly being Ewan Potter."
"If you wish, it's up to you. Although, if your coming out in the open, I would be more cautious if I were you."
"I will."
* * *
The rest of the year passed quietly for the students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ravenclaw took the Quidditch Cup, while Gryffindor won the House Cup. Sirius Black was a permanent part of Harry and Ewan's life.
Exams results came out on the last day of term. Harry, Ron, and Hermione passed everything. Ewan got top O.W.L.'s of the fifth years. Celebrations lasted till everyone started boarding the Hogwarts Express. It was late in the afternoon when they pulled into the station. Harry said his goodbyes to Ron and Hermione, while Ewan said bye to Katie, Fred, and George.
Jon, Lara, and Sirius were there to greet the boys. Ewan wasn't sure how Jon would react to having Sirius Black in their lives, that's why Ewan was shocked to see how quick Jon and Sirius became friends.
Ewan, with a smile on his face, passed the barrier to the muggle world, with his family right behind him.
