"You have yet to explain what you mean by Sirius Black. We haven't been in touch for a decade, not since he was imprisoned."

"Falsely imprisoned. Do you truly believe him to actually have betrayed you? You were friends for years."

"What I do or do not believe is not important. The Ministry of Magic found him guilty, which is concrete enough for me to accept."

"He was your FRIEND for years. He was a Marauder!" Orion yelled.

Remus narrowed his eyes. "You forget. Peter Pettigrew, another one of my friends, another one of the Marauders, was killed by that very man who went to Azkaban." he snarled. "Even if I ever doubted him giving up the Potters, there are WITNESSES to him murdering Wormtail!"

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

Remus's wand flew out of his hand and landed in the outstretched palm of Orion. Before he could take advantage, however, Lupin slammed his foot into Orion's right thigh. Orion stumbled backward, dropping Remus's wand. With incredible reflexes, the werewolf snatched up his wand and pointed it towards Orion.

"PATRIFICUS-"

"BOMBARDA!" A bright light with a deafening crack was the last thing Remus saw before everything went black.

When Remus woke up, the boy, Orion, was tending to his injuries. Lupin's foot had done quite the damage, breaking a few bones at least. Remus raised his wand, intent on striking down the uninvited guest when he noticed bandages around his torso and left arm. Orion had dressed Remus's body with a soothing salve after removing all the splinters and other shrapnel, all before taking care of his own wound.

"Awake, are you?" Orion asked.

Remus tensed, expecting another attack.

"Relax. I'm sorry for earlier." Orion stretched, wincing when his makeshift bandages were tugged.

"What exactly happened earlier? I mean, you disarmed me and I kicked you. But after that…"

"I threw a Bombing Charm towards the kitchen table. The explosion knocked you out and did a nasty number on me as well." Orion pointed toward Remus's torso. "I tried to remove as many splinters as I could. You should get it checked out soon."

Orion hesitated before opening his mouth again. "I'm sorry… For attacking you, I mean. You didn't do anything wrong, there was nothing you could've done. But…" Orion cleared his throat. "Have faith in your friend, Lupin. Sirius may have been many things in his youth, but we both know that he was never the type to be a traitor, to join the Dark Lord."

With that, Orion turned to leave. Remus, as if shaken from a trance, rushed forward to stop him.

"What is it you came to me for? Surely it wasn't to just try and prove Sirius's innocence to me. I may be his friend, but why would Regulus send you to me just because of that?"

"It's because he had nobody else," Orion said, sadly. "My father, Regulus, followed the Dark Lord like a lost puppy. By the time he came to his senses, everyone close to him was either dead or dark. Sirius Black remained the only person that Regulus could leave my care to, and Regulus wanted me to stay with him." Orion took in a deep breath. "He also told me to seek out the Marauders, in case Sirius was unable to take care of me, with the times being difficult and our fates being uncertain. But James Potter is dead, Wormtail is a traitor. You are the only one. Remus Lupin, Moony the Marauder."

A single tear slipped across Remus's face, which he quickly wiped away. He cleared his throat, before speaking. "What do you mean by care? I mean, you seem pretty adept at magic already, though it appears that you aren't old enough to attend Hogwarts."

"Father taught me much. So did my previous guardian, Richard."

"Who's he?"

"He is, or was, an old and bitter man, who Regulus left me with before facing off with the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord. Richard Greengrass is his full name; he died about 2 years ago. Used to be a dueling master in his youth."

'Not exactly a lie.' Orion thought. 'Richard was indeed the closest thing to a friend that Regulus had. Only, he was killed by Death Eaters for refusing to join the Dark Lord a decade before Harry ever set foot in Hogwarts.'

"I'm… sorry for your loss."

"Don't be. I'm sure that he's content enough in the Underworld, battling the many dead duelists."

"So what can I do for you?" Remus asked.

Orion smiled, a thin line stretching across his face. "Be my new guardian."

"And what does that entail?"

"Oh, not much. Just formally adopting me and acting as my legal guardian as I go off to Hogwarts."

Much to Orion's surprise, it didn't take much to convince Remus to comply with the adoption. He would be signing the papers as assumed magical guardian, giving me many privileges over Orion including (but not mainly) the ability to sign the permission slip for him to go to the Hogsmeade weekend visits.

After the signing, Remus headed over to Gringotts to handle the more extensive adoption processes, while Orion decided to take a spin around Diagon Alley, to acquire some of the things he would need for the first year- and also for his rescue of Harry that would be coming up very soon. A mission that Remus knew absolutely nothing about, of course.

"Rune Carving Kits! Basic Elemental Stones! All for just 12 galleons!" A man practically screamed.

Orion flicked a coin towards him, mouthing for him to shut up. The man scowled but pocketed the money.

Browsing through the shops, Orion casually purchased some defensive equipment- mainly charmed accessories to give to Harry and Remus. His recent brush with death had created a fear of losing loved ones to stray spells that could easily be blocked by magical trinkets.

Finally, Orion arrived at Ollivanders.

"Mr. Ollivander sir, is my order ready?"

"Yes, it is, Lord Black." The wandmaker brandished a box from under the counter. Orion quickly handed over the want he had bent lent and picked up his new prize.

"It's as you requested, thirteen inches and made of yew. Interestingly, the thestral tail sample you provided for me worked well as a core, something that you don't quite see every day." Ollivander peered over the countertop, looking into Orion's eyes. "I expect you will use this wand for great and terrible things. I believe you will fulfill your purpose, or die a painful death while wielding this wand."

At Orion's tensed expression, Ollivander laughed.

"Or perhaps not, I'm only a wandmaker after all. That'll be 20 galleons."

Orion paid for his wand, and quietly left the shop. He'd had enough of Ollivander's creepiness to last this lifetime and the next. (If he did get another lifetime.)

Checking his watch, Orion casually stepped into a pub, putting on his hat to disguise his youth.

Searching the room, Orion then scooted next to another person who sported the obvious look to remain incognito. "Hi."

The man visibly tensed. "H- how can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Newt Scamander, the writer of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I was told I could find him here at the Manticore."

The man fidgeted away uncomfortably. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Orion scanned the room for any witnesses, before drawing back the other man's hood. "Hello, Newt."

The man, Newt, quickly raised back his hood, scowling. "What'd you go do that for?"

"I said I was looking for you, sir. And by looking for you, I meant now. It's very important that we have a nice and fruitful discussion."

Newt slumped back, taking a swig of his drink. "Go on."

Orion asked the waiter for some firewhisky, careful to conceal his age, and settled himself across from the other man. "First, I'd like to establish some facts. Tell me if what I'm saying is true."

Orion took a sip of his drink. "Your name is Newton Artemis Fido "Newt" Scamander. You are the Magizooligist who wrote the famous Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

"Yes, that's me."

"You then married Porpentina Esther Scamander née Goldstein. You have 3 children, all of whom are happily married themselves."

"I believe my biography that came out a few years ago covered that."

"During an accident with Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel and the Elixir of Life, there was an accident. Now, every few years you suddenly magically de-age. Because of this, you haven't been in contact with your wife and children in fear of them despising you-"

Newt slammed the table. His face was shaking with rage and… fear. "How- how do you know that?"

'Death told me.'

"An acquaintance of mine chanced upon that information," Orion replied.

"What do you want from me? Money? Some rare magical creature? Tell me, dammit." said Newt angrily.

Orion sighed. "I want you to enroll in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a teacher. I'm entering there in a few weeks without any backup, at all."

"Backup? Are you there on a mission or something?"

"You-Know-Who isn't dead. I want to be the one to finish him off for good."

Newt scowled. "That dark wizard hasn't been seen since that boy Potter's parents were killed. Even if he isn't dead, he certainly is no longer a threat. Besides, what does that have to do with going to Hogwarts?"

"That boy Potter is also going to Hogwarts. He's going to be a target for the Dark Lord's minions once he sets foot in the damned school. I'll need someone, one of the staff, to help me protect Harry and bring out the supporters and sympathizers of You-Know-Who to finish them off."

"Why not send Potter to Ilvermorny? I'm sure the financial difficulties of transfer won't-"

"Harry's parents wanted for him to go to Hogwarts. I'd like to respect their wishes and care for him like a son."

"Like a son? You seem far older than you appear to be, sir."

Orion cursed under his breath. "I want you to solemnly swear not to reveal what I am about to tell you. Swear it on your magic or I will be forced to Obliverate you." Orion raised his wand.

Newt made a move to draw his own wand but was quickly ensnared by Orion's magic. Struggling, Newt growled at Orion. "Let go of me."

"Swear it on your magic."

"No."

"Do it, and I will help you to remove the curse from that accident of all those years ago. You will be able to live with your family once again and grow to a ripe old age with your 'Tina'."

Newt stopped, his eyes widening. "HOW? Even Albus Dumbledore wouldn't do anything for me."

Newt lowered his voice so that it was barely louder than a whisper. "He told me to enjoy my immortality, that old bastard."

Orion slid over a slip of parchment that he had received from Rowena while in the Underworld. "This is a ritual that is made for cleansing a body of all potion effects. While normally, the Elixir of Life cannot be forcibly removed by magic; your case is unique enough to fit the requirements to undergo the ritual."

"And what requirement is that?"

Orion looked up, staring into the eyes of Newt Scamander. "The ritual for removing the Elixir of Life requires a strong desire for mortality and a loathing for everlasting life. The Elixir is extremely potent, but even it cannot suppress the human desire to live life to the fullest."

"And what exactly would I have to do for your help?"

"Listen to my story but tell nobody else of what you have heard. Join me at Hogwarts, so that we may rid the world of the evil known as Voldemort." As Orion said the name, the entire room seemed to become colder.

"Alright, I'm listening."

And so Orion relayed his entire experience of coming back to the past. Everything from being Harry's godfather as Sirius Black, and going back in time to become Orion Black, 'son' of Regulus Black. At the mention of Remus, Newt seemed to smile.

"It's good that you don't seem to hate this Remus. It's very good of him to agree to help you. Werewolves are very misunderstood people, who have simply acquired a very unfortunate disease. My colleagues are still trying to figure out a cure for the werewolves that aren't mere suppression such as the Wolfsbane Potion."

"Remus was one of my best friends when I first attended Hogwarts. How could I hate him? But anyway, you'll get to meet him soon. Anyway, will you help me by taking up the position of Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts?"

Newt sighed, rubbing his temple. "I'll do it. I should probably owl the current professor, Silvanus. We're almost the same in age, but he probably respects me enough to hand over the position." Newt's face darkened. "I'll also have to contact Dumbledore. What if he refuses giving me the job, just to spite me?"

"You two came together and took down Grindelwald numerous times. If he refuses you, he'll lose the confidence of many of your own supporters."

"Do NOT mention Grindelwald. He took too much from my life for his imprisonment to ever make me happy."

Newt took a deep sip of his own drink, sighing into his cup. "I used to respect the man that was Albus Dumbledore. He was brilliant while we were devising our plans for one of the many attacks on Grindelwald."

"What caused you two to drift apart? I mean, surely a trifling matter such as the Elixir accident wouldn't tear apart such a memorable friendship, right?"

Newt scrunched up his face. "Normally it wouldn't. It was indeed an accident, as neither of us expected it to ever happen. But what happened after that is the real problem, Orion. He refused to acknowledge that this accident has been the cause of my de-aging. It would put quite the dent in his reputation if word ever leaked out. That's why he refuses to even begin trying to treat me."

Orion nodded. His own opinion on the Headmaster of Hogwarts was turning sour, rather quickly.

The two of them kept drinking until Orion had to go for his appointment with Remus. They would now begin their plans for the new year at Hogwarts. Remus was always academically interested.

A/N: Fanfiction is having some technical difficulties regarding my posting .doc files for a new chapter. I've been thinking of a way around it, and I'm currently editing the document for Chapter 3 of Carpe Noctem for Chapter 4. Whether this will even work is questionable, but I'm crossing my fingers and pressing [Save]... now.

A/N: Alright, it appears that I can save the document file. I'll try posting a new chapter soon, but I'm going to write extra long due to the fact that this method is much more time consuming than just uploading a .doc file.

"The neighborhood is quite nice. It's always quiet, very peaceful here at Privet Drive," the estate agent said.

Orion, (Glamoured to take the appearance of a wealthy old man) nodded. His attention was more on the opposing house of Number 4 than on his own.

After signing the required papers, the agent left and Orion was left to his own devices. After thoroughly checking that no muggles were watching, Orion quickly set up the minimum wards that would prevent anyone from noticing Orion performing magic, or even noticing that he lived there at all.

'Soon, I'll be able to bring Harry over...'

Harry James Potter. The son of his best friend, and Sirius's godson. Even though Orion was no longer technically Padfoot, he wanted to remain as important of a part in Harry's life. All the adventures and horrors that Harry had faced, Orion would be there for him.

A vibration in the air alerted Orion to an oddity happening in the house across from his. Orion quickly turned around to see a young Harry being fiercely scolded by his uncle. The fat walrus of a man was ruthlessly cursing at the young boy of 10, who had his head bowed down in fear.

Orion's eyes narrowed in rage. The blood ward that had been set up near the house was the only thing stopping Orion from striding over there and destroying the Dursleys. Orion closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. As painful as it was to do, his best option didn't entail murdering the lot of them. Rowena taught him that much, at least. Letting Dumbledore know of his nearby residence would do him no good.

After Dursley (The big one) was done berating Harry (and locking him outside of the house), Orion made his move. Removing the glamour charms surrounding him and walking across the street, Orion tossed a pebble to the boy crying into his knees.

Harry looked up. Seeing Orion waving towards him, Harry shook his head.

Orion felt frustrated. "Come on, mate. It's going to rain soon!"

That was a lie. But if he had to do it, Orion was prepared to change the weather to convince Harry to follow him.

Reluctantly, Harry did. Brushing off his knees, the Boy-Who-Lived scrambled away from the house of his relatives and into the arms of Orion.

It was then that Orion realized that Harry wasn't just tired from verbal abuse. There was blood seeping from small bruises and cuts all over Harry's body. The traces of a few footprints were on the white (yet horribly oversized) shirt that Harry was wearing.

"Let's get you patched up at my house, mate."

Harry nodded. But from the look on his face, Orion knew that Harry was too exhausted to do much else.

"Where are your parents?" Harry asked, as soon as he recovered enough to speak.

For the past half hour, Orion was feeding Harry all sorts of things. From Chinese take-outs to McDonald hamburgers, since he didn't know what Harry liked, he just bought food from every store in a 10-mile radius.

While he hesitated at first, Harry soon dug into everything, too hungry to reconsider eating food from a complete stranger.

Orion just watched, occasionally sipping on his soda. While he felt content with feeding his rather starved godson, he also felt hatred for the people that starved him- namely, his relatives.

'I'll have to find a way past those blood wards someday. Those muggles will have to pay dearly for what they did to Harry.'

"My father is a CEO. He's always out on business, so I'm alone for most of the time."

"Huh? But you're around my age, aren't you?"

Orion nodded. Even though Harry was horribly skinny and small for his age, even he could tell that Orion was as young as himself.

"What is it that's wrong with the Dursleys, anyway? Why are they always so horrible towards you?" Though Orion knew the answer, he wanted to hear it for himself.

Harry looked down at his half-eaten burger. A single tear fell from his right eye, which he quickly wiped away. "Aunt Petunia is my mother's sister. Sometime after I was born, my parents died in a car crash. I think she blames me for my mom dying, which is why she never talks about my parents."

A flash of green light. Orion remembered being told that Harry had seen a flash of green light when his parents were murdered. The excuse that the Dursleys had come up with to hide that fact angered him, but also troubled him deeply. What could he possibly tell Harry that would be of any help?

After they were finished eating, Harry told Orion that he had to go. It was about time for him to prepare dinner for his relatives.

Orion stashed a few candy bars into Harry's large pockets. Harry furiously thanked him.

Just as Harry was about to go, Orion lightly grabbed him.

"Um... Harry. I know that we don't know each other that much, but... If you want, you can come over to my house. Maybe we could hang out?"

Harry's eyes widened. "Why would you hang out with me?"

"You seem like a great guy. I'd really like to be friends with you. This is very sudden, but I really hope you consider it."

Harry smiled. It was a proper smile, showing all of his teeth and some gum. "Th- thank you, Orion."

And then he was gone.

It was a few minutes after that that Orion realized that it was raining. The raindrops slithered down the windows of his new, empty house.

A/N: Ok, please do review- any feedback really does inspire me to write. Love ya~