"Sirius Black is innocent." Dumbledore gave a small smile, then leaned forward.

"Tell me everything."

"I don't have any actual evidence," replied Remus, shifting from one foot to the other in a rare display of nerves, "it's just that, if you saw them, Sirius and Harry that is, you wouldn't be able to conclude anything else." Dumbledore nodded.

"I think you had better take me to them."

Sirius stood vaguely to attention as he watched his old headmaster emerge from the fire. They stood looking at one another, neither quite sure what to say when Harry stepped in front of Sirius, "If you're going to take Sirius away you'll have to take me too," he said firmly and Dumbledore burst out laughing, feeling a rush of affection for this boy he hadn't seen in so long, "I'm serious," said Harry indignantly, drawing himself up to his full height which, unfortunately for Harry, wasn't that high.

"I'm sure you are," he said kindly, but not patronisingly, his eyes twinkling, "but we have spent so long thinking that Sirius was the traitor that this is quite a turn up for the books. However," he turned back to Sirius, his face grave, "I'm not sure I approve of taking Harry from the Dursleys, he was safe there -"

"I hated it there," Harry said angrily, "they locked me in the cupboard without food and I had no friends because of them. They made my life hell because they thought I was a freak," he stuck his chin out in defiance, "there are more important things than safety. Besides," Harry's voice became cold and unmoveable, "it's not your decision any more. It's mine. I'm not a baby anymore Professor," he glared at Dumbledore with alarming ferocity for one so young. Dumbledore, after a moment, knelt down in front of Harry so they were the same height.

"I agree," he said wistfully, "I wondered at the time whether I was doing the right thing, whether you would ever forgive me for it. I believed your safety to be paramount, and at that place," he shuddered slightly as he trailed off, "I hoped I would not have to tell you so soon, but it seems I have no choice. The reason you survived that terrible night, the reason the curse rebounded and you survived was that your mother died to save you, and that was magic far deeper and more powerful than Voldemort ever knew or even acknowledged. That was love. Voldemort tried to kill you, but, because of your mother's sacrifice, the curse rebounded on Voldemort. That same sacrifice would still protect you as long as you lived with a blood relation of your mother's, and the only living relation was her sister, your Aunt Petunia. There are many who would wish to kill you Harry, Voldemort's old supporters who escaped Azkaban. They see you as responsible for their master's downfall and would seek revenge. That is why I considered your safety the most important consideration, but you are right, Harry, there are more important things. Your mother should have taught me that. The most important thing is love." Dumbledore stood again, now looking at Sirius, "Sirius, James and Lily named you as Harry's godfather, made you his guardian in the case of their deaths. I give you my word that I do all I can to clear your name and keep you and Harry together." Sirius nodded, unable to speak.

Dumbledore wondered quite what it was that convinced him that Sirius was innocent. As Remus had told him, there was no evidence, no evidence a court would accept any way, especially as the Ministry would be unwilling to admit that it had been wrong about Sirius and they had sent an innocent man to Azkaban without trial. There was just the simple fact that it was impossible to believe that the Sirius standing before them was guilty, but Dumbledore, despite his earlier words, had to be sure. Although he hated resorting to such methods, he could use Legilimency. Although it would be easier with his wand, he needed to be discreet and so he would have to perform the spell wandless. He quietly said, "Legilimens," and was plunged into Sirius' memories.

Anger … pain … betrayal. Pettigrew. James ... Lily ... dead. Harry. Little Harry … helpless … alone. Revenge. Hatred consuming him. He allowed it to … easier than grief. Pettigrew escaped. Street blown to bits. People. Bodies. Rivers of blood. Nothing left to live for. Explosion of emotions … unable to control. Something unhinged in his mind. He was laughing … he couldn't stop … not sure why … nothing to laugh about. He couldn't stop. Little Wormtail had finally gotten one up on them. They would have died for their little Wormtail. Now they were. Darkness … Azkaban … I'm innocent … I'm innocent … I'm innocent.

Dumbledore withdrew from Sirius' mind quickly. There was no doubt, Sirius Black was innocent. Remus glanced at him, no doubt aware that he wouldn't take the evidence at face value. He nodded slightly and Remus smiled back with the quiet joy of one who cannot quite believe his luck. He ignored the fact that all the anger and betrayal he had felt towards Sirius must now be transferred onto Peter, towards whom he had always had a fond spot, like a forgiving older brother. That could be dealt with later, for now he would enjoy having Sirius back.

Peter Pettigrew munched on his food quite contentedly. He had been scared a few years ago when he had heard that Sirius had escaped. He had felt guilty, even, when Sirius had taken Harry, but he was quite sure the danger had passed. It was true that the Ministry hadn't caught him, although he knew that was because Sirius had the perfect disguise, just as he had. It was true that Sirius could, potentially, still find him and expose him, but Sirius hadn't been sighted in years. Sirius was alone, friendless and in hiding and, therefore, incapable of hunting for a rat. As long as people believed in Sirius' guilt then he was safe, and he was sure that they would, after all there was no reason why they wouldn't. As long as Sirius remained alone and friendless he was safe. Peter drifted off too sleep. All was well.

The Dementors are different to humans in many ways; they do not sleep and they do not feel pain. The biggest difference is their inability to feel love or know friendship, they live for the hunt. They do not know the difference between happy memories and sad memories, only what is food and what is not food. The Dementors are simple creatures in many ways, even though they feed on complex emotions and possess a fierce intelligence. They have no sense of loyalty, but will follow those who feed them, obey whatever orders they might be given if those orders lead to food. They guard Azkaban because Azkaban gives them a delicious supply of food. Every now and then a person leaves because the wizards command it, they do not like it, but, for this tenuous alliance between wizard and Dementor to continue, they must accept it. Now one had escaped Azkaban, one had done something no wizard has ever done before, something that was supposed to be impossible. A latent sense of pride had been reawakened inside the Dementors and they hunted relentlessly for the one who had escaped them. They hunted long after their wizard masters had all but given up, they never forgot the one who had cheated them. They never forgot their shame. The Dementors do not know his name, they do not understand names, but they know his feelings, his memories, his life and they will not rest until they have consumed it entirely.

Minerva McGonagall was sitting in her office marking an essay when Professor Dumbledore burst into her office, a huge grin on his face. McGonagall stood, thrown by this unusual behaviour. Dumbledore would never usually burst into her office, but knock first and this large grin was most unlike the Headmaster, who usually displayed a slightly odd whimsical sense of humour. Minerva could only think of one reason for Dumbledore's spectacularly good mood. She inclined her head just so and Dumbeldore nodded, "Harry is alive, he is safe and he is happy," she opened her mouth to speak, but Dumbledore interrupted her, "unfortunately Minerva, I cannot tell you who Harry is staying with, I can only tell you that he is loved and safe. I am sorry, but you must trust me on this." McGonagall nodded. She always trusted Dumbledore and she knew she would find out in due course. She looked back at the essay on human transfiguration she was marking and realised, to her surprise, that it wasn't as bad as she had thought it was and gave it an 'E'.

There was a tense silence in Grimmauld Place, eventually broken by Harry, "So you're Moony?" he asked. Remus nodded, "and you're a werewolf?"

"Once a month,"

"Why don't people like werewolves?"

"I don't know," said Remus dryly, "I guess people don't like the idea of people turning into a great, slavering, bloodthirsty monster once a month. I could be wrong," Harry frowned,

"But it's not your fault,"

"No it isn't," agreed Remus, a trace of bitterness in his voice that he had never managed to get over,

"Then people shouldn't treat you badly for it," the sheer indignation in Harry's voice made Remus grin,

"But they do. Don't worry about me Harry, I'm used to it,"

"You shouldn't have to be," said Harry, looking just as defiant and fierce as he had when he was talking to Dumbledore, "like I shouldn't have been used to the way the Dursleys treated me, but I was. It doesn't make it right. If things are wrong now then they've got to change, you've got to risk stuff, like when Sirius took me away from the Dursleys. We'll change what people think and Sirius will help," Remus was slightly shell shocked at Harry's declaration and didn't reply,

"The thing is," Sirius had whispered in Remus' ear later, "you might laugh at him or dismiss him now, but one day I think he really could change the world. He has a tendency to do anything he sets his mind to."

"I don't doubt it,"

Somewhere, deep in the forests of Albania, in a place where the creatures feared to go, a dark shadow stirred as a bumbling, foolish wizard strayed it's path and the shadow saw it's chance.

Lord Voldemort would rise again.