"Remus he doesn't remember us!" Sirius transformed back, hugging his godson.
"Really mutt, I'm starting to doubt your age." Snape growled.
"Both of you stop it!" The outburst from Harry caused both men to go silent. "Alright…this is too much at one time. Sirius, Remus, what the hell is going on?"
"Well" They look at each other. "It's a long story."
"I have plenty of time it seems."
A/N: Yes, another confusing chapter. BUT! It is crucial to the Snarry. Because what better way to understand someone, then to know their past? This chapter contains Sirius, Remus, and everyone's favorite potions master explaining some things that bring at least one memory back to Harry, but can in bring more? And what about Harry's first run with the wild werewolf?
"It seems like whoever cast the spell is using dark magic to keep almost all happy memories away from you…It's too bad Ted wouldn't let us bring Teddy, he could tell in a heartbeat who did this…kid's just like Tonks." Remus said. He was sitting in the kitchen of Malfoy Manor with Lucius, Luna, Neville, Blaise, Hermione(the later four who just came back, with no news of Draco), and Snape and Sirius standing out in the hallway.
"You just always have to find trouble don't cha Potter-"
"He is nothing like James!" The outburst interrupts Blaise as a curse hit's the door.
"I know he's not! You're the one who called him James during that fight!" Lucius and Remus sighed.
"Not another fight about James…" Remus shook his head.
"First one I've heard, but they sound ready to kill…what's Severus doing out of bed anyway? He'll reopen the cuts!" Lucius said.
"-And then you slept with Remy-"
"ALRIGHT! I think that is enough you two!" Remus snapped, the door flying open as something pulled the two arguing men into the room. "There are children in the room and one of them is your godson Sirius!" Lucius was barely hiding chuckles of amusement while Blaise, Neville, Harry, and Hermione looked bewildered at the outbursts. Luna simply rolled her eyes and got up to shut the door.
"I saw a lover's quarrel coming. Never thought it would involve four people though."
"That. Is. Enough." Remus growled. "Right now we need to focus on Harry getting his memory back."
"Maybe you could explain exactly WHY we are trusting Malfoy and his father, and why the hell they haven't turned me in to Voldemort yet." Harry retorted.
"No one told him?" Sirius asked.
"We…tried." Neville said. Sirius sighed.
"Pup, or better yet, Kit, listen. You know how you got sent to the Dursley's every year, instead of to me or Remus?"
"Dumbledore said it was because you were on the run and Remus was spying on the other werewolves so I couldn't stay with him." Harry looked at Sirius, who sat down in the chair next to him.
"Well, that was only half of it. Remus would've been fine to take you in until you were 5, Hell Snivellus would've been good to take you!" Sirius growled.
"No I wouldn't." Snape added.
"Bullshit. You couldn't turn him away when you found James and Lils dead! It took us all a week to get you to leave his side!"
"Sirius!" Barked Remus.
"Yea yea I know, explain things to Harry. Well, the main reason was to make sure you weren't a threat to Dumbledore. He knew Petunia hated magic, and Vernon hated it more. He thought that if he could break you not only at school but at home, you'd be his to control."
"He tried to get the order in on it too." Remus added. "But me, Severus, Siri, Tonks, Kingsly, and a few others didn't believe it. They started to use me and Severus to get closer to a few death eaters, learn some things we didn't know."
"What did you learn?" Hermione asked. She and the other three were never told the full story either, only the 'beaten around the bush' one.
"That Voldemort, or Tom as the inner circle is calling him now, was never dark." Sirius said. "He was under the imperious curse."
"What?" Harry looked back over to him, his thoughts swimming faster than ever. "But, My parents-"
"Dumbledore knew I would go to Voldemort with the prophecy." Snape, the only one out of the Inner Circle who never called him Tom, said. "Wormtail was the traitor to everyone. He made the connection of the curse to the Dark Lord when the war started. What no one expected, or knew though, was that you would survive."
'And how would he have survived if you weren't there when you were Severus.' Remus thought.
"So…who saved me then?"
"Your mother's love kept you alive, Harry." Sirius said softly. "But…who truly saved you, was Snape. The house was about to go up in flames because of Wormtail. Me and Remus were going to go get you when he scented Snape was already there. And with you in, dare I say it, safe hands, we decided to follow the other scent that was there. Wormtail's. You know what happens after that."
"And I'll take over now, since you were in jail…" Remus started. "The whole story…."
-Flashback-
"Remus run!" Sirius yelled. "If they catch you then Harry's doomed!"
"I can't just leave you!" Remus wailed, wishing they had more time before backup came.
"Remus only you me and Snape know the truth, you two need to go! Keep Harry safe!" Sirius snarled, shoving Remus away from himself. "I'll be fine." His voice softened. "Moony, go."
"Padfoot…" The wolf whimpered, Moony was pacing in his head, torn between his pup and a mate.
"Go." He whispered. Remus finally nodded, running back to the house. A sharp yip in his head stopped him dead in his tracks.
Go carefully. James and Lilly are dead in there. You know Sev is up there with Harry.
'I know.' Remus answered, slowly walking into the house, ignoring all the damage around him and closing his eyes when the smell of death hit his nose. 'Moony…'
Just think of the pup. He's probably scared.
Moony took Remus' movement as an answer as he slowly made his way around James' body, the wolf inside howling with loss. A sound that could almost echo in the too silent house. He walked up to Harry's room, noticing the boy safely in Snape's arms, sleeping soundlessly as Snape said a simple spell, stopping the blood from the lighting-shaped scar. Remus looked at his friend, noticing the unshed tears in his eyes.
"Severus, Sirius has been captured, they're blaming him, Wormtail got away." Snape simply nodded at the news, dismissing it as if it were nothing and handing Harry over to Remus. "We can't just hand him over can we?"
There was a pause before Snape finally answered. "What else can we do?" He said. "I'm in the Inner Circle, if he finds Harry in my care, he's as good as dead. While you have to run off during full moons, even during blue moons." Remus sighed, looking down at Harry before hugging him tightly, not looking towards Lilly's body, or the hallway where James' body was.
"They're both dead…" It was as if the news had just hit him fully, tears falling slowly from dull amber eyes. Moony howled with loss inside his head.
"There is…something we can do though." Remus looked back up at Severus, noticing for once the height difference. James always said Remus was small, but now, standing with the Potion's master he could tell.
"What?"
"Help him. Even if it means pushing him away."
-end flashback-
"So…what?" The four adults in the room sighed.
"Professor Snape was always mean to you to keep you safe Harry." Luna said, simplifying what Remus was trying to say.
"…oh." Was Harry's only response for a second. "But, why?"
"Didn't Sirius explain that with his outbursts in the hall?" Luna tried to coax Harry to figure out the answer on his own.
Harry thought for a moment before his expression changed. "YOU SLEPT WITH REMUS AND WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH JAMES?"
"Hit the nail on the head finally." Lucius rolled his eyes.
"Well Harry when two people feel attraction to one another-" Blaise stops to dodge a cup thrown by either Sirius or Snape, he couldn't tell.(Although according to Luna, it was Snape). "Let's just say that being in Remus' pack back then had it's perks."
"And you know this HOW?" Sirius glared at the Slytherin.
"Fred and George." Blaise said quickly. "They have like all of your school stuff."
Remus and Sirius groaned.
"Well then. Harry, what it has to do with us, is that we found it unsafe for Wormtail to be around me anymore during the full moon. I would always go after him first until Sirius started acting like a pup and bouncing around me." Remus started.
"We…we sorta thought it would be funny to watch Snivellus get tore up by Moony, but Moony had other plans." Sirius said sheepishly, allowing somewhat of an apologetic tone to sneak into his voice. "Me and James trapped Snape in the shrieking shack while Remus was transforming. We just never expected Snape to be an animagus."
"You're LUCKY I was an animagus…"
"And that's one of the reasons why Moony didn't attack." Sirius said. "We were all Earth elements. Except James, he was Water. But Moony was just leaping around wanting to play. It was the funniest thing we ever saw, watching Snape back away from him like he held the plague! Although to a raven it might seem a bit scary."
"He did…it's called 'let me scratch you just once so you can be a werewolf too.'"
"Oh shut it. I seem to remember a certain bird who we found there every full moon after that! Even though he'd only play with Moony…" Sirius half pouted, thinking of the memories.
"Wait, how is this helping me remember stuff?" Harry noticed how off track they had gotten.
"Because all of that happened during our 7th year of Hogwarts. It's close to the time you were born, so by telling of that, it might be easier to get you to remember some things."
"Well…I do remember something…a woman screaming my name and a blast of green light."
"Lilly!" Three of the men yell.
"You remember when your parents died, the day Tom started acting weird." Lucius explained.
"Well that's good isn't it?" Hermione said. "Maybe all we have to do is go from start to finish?"
"Maybe…but it can wait for tomorrow. Tonight's the full moon." Remus said. Harry finally noticed how tired the wolf looked.
Snape cast a quick glance over to Remus. "You did take the potion, right?"
"Of course, of course."
"Hey Remy!" Sirius grinned, wrapping one arm over Harry's shoulders. "Harry's finally big enough, hopefully, to come running with us!"
"Are you sure that's smart?" Hermione fretted.
"You can come if you want, we all can! Wait, you are all animagi right?"
"I'm a hawk. I taught Harry how to fly." Blaise said.
"An Otter…" Hermione seemed a bit doubtful about things, but if everyone was around, it was safe. Right?
"I'm a cat as well." Luna said in her dream-like voice.
"I-I'm a fox." Neville answered.
Sirius nodded. "Alright. I think we all need a break anyway even if things are just starting. It'll do us some good, and it might bring back some of Harry's memories."
"A-are you absolutely sure he won't attack?" Hermione asked once again after they got farther away from the house, Blaise resting on her shoulder.
"Of course silly Gryffindor." He teased, flexing the wing that wasn't right next to the girl's head. "Harry, is Hedwig out?"
"Yea. She's meeting with us later. She wanted to hunt first." He explained, accidentally running into Neville after not noticing the group had stopped. "Explain to me again who you are…please?" He asked Blaise.
"I'm Blaise. Slytherin in your year, and the boy hoping to get together with the girl you see as a sister." Hermione blushed and looked away from the red-tailed hawk. "Need explanations on Lucius too?" Harry nodded. "Well, he's Drake's father. One of Voldemort's more trusted people next to Snape and Bella, the guy who lead that mouse this summer right into Hedwig's talons. Now, as for Snape." He glided over to Harry's shoulder, landing gently. "He slipped something into the nutrition potions he was giving you to make you trust us." He flapped his wing over Harry's mouth when he saw the boy about to speak. "Now Harry, it was a simple calming drought with a few added ingredients to make you more trusting. He knew it would take forever to get you to listen to reason as it is now, but hey, just think, if he didn't do that, you wouldn't have met us."
"I wouldn't have lost my memories either…" Harry grumbled.
"Hey, the only important thing you need to remember about most of this summer, is that Bella said sorry for trying to kill Sirius. Getting that out of her is like pulling teeth out of a Nundu. You just don't do it." He joked before flying onto a branch of a tree. "This a good distance?" He called up to Remus, who was a bit ahead of everyone else.
"Huh? Oh, yes, it's fine. Everyone, I don't want to see any humans, only animals. Harry, Siri, Severus, I want you three closest to me." The three people walked forward, Sirius and Snape changing first. Harry hesitated for a moment before transforming himself. Everyone stared as the black wings flexed, glowing green eyes blinking in the moonlight. He stumbled a bit as the raven landed on his shoulders.
'Must be for safety…I wonder how huge Remus is as a wolf.' Harry didn't have to wonder long as Remus fell to the ground. He tensed to run over, relaxing when talons dug into his shoulders slightly.
"Think before you leap stupid brat." Harry sat down, noticing the others now as animagi. A howl brought his attention back to Remus just as Moony leapt at him, both falling in a tangle of wings, paws, and tails. Snape flew off of Harry's shoulders, protesting the whole time. Harry stayed still on his back, wings spread out, as Moony sniffed at his muzzle. The cat took his time gazing over the wolf. Even with Harry's size, his head would probably only reach the wolf's shoulders, leaving Moony's neck and head to tower over him. The russet fur seemed soft, Harry daring to raise his muzzle to Moony's.
'It is soft.'
Of course it is!
'Moony? Wait, how can you hear me!'
Long story short, after Sirius basically adopted you I could hear your thoughts if you were an animagus. A low growl of approval came from the wolf as he backed away, letting Harry stand up as an otter and smaller cat leap at him.
"Harry!"
"We thought he would kill you!" It was strange for him to hear Luna's voice anything but dreamy, but the cat's voice was laced with worry now. Harry had to stifle a laugh as Hermione leapt onto his back, small claws tickling him.
"H-Hermione stop!" He purred in laughter. "I'm fine." Hermione jumped off of him, letting him stretch his wings. Moony was off playing with Padfoot, Blaise and Luna were talking with Lucius, Hermione jumping into their conversation. Harry yawned and laid down under a tree, only looking up at the sound of flapping wings.
"Not going to play with the mutt and wolf?" Snape asked, sitting on a branch above the leopard.
"I don't exactly know how to play." Harry admitted. "I just found this form today, I don't even think I could fly. Besides, I'm tired, I want to go to bed, but I can't leave or rest in my normal form. Hey, what was Luna talking about anyway? A lover's quarrel with four people…?"
Snape sighed the best his raven form could. "Your father used to date Sirius, while Remus was in love with Sirius, and I guess the fourth person was Lilly."
"Oh…alright." Harry yawned again.
"Go to sleep. You need it."
'Why does it seem like he's hiding something…then again, it's Snape, he's always hiding something.' Harry thought. "Fine, I will." Standing up, the boy took a large leap into the tree, landing on the large branch Snape was on. "Rather be in a tree so Siri and Moony can't drag me out of my sleep to play."
"Whatever brat."
'Well, at least he's still acting the same. Then again, never suspected the dungeon bat to change much.' Harry curled up on the branch, closing his eyes and slowly drifting to sleep.
"Hermione! This doesn't make any sense!" Three weeks had passed since the full moon and it was getting closer to school time. Sirius was right, the full moon did help Harry remember some things, mainly his love of flying and hate of falling. Hermione had received her letter, as did Luna and Blaise. Harry and Neville did not, both planning to go as Hermione and Luna's familiars. They were working on Potions now, Snape saying that if they expected to stay in the N.E.W.T class they should practice.
"Harry just focus. Wolfsbane isn't that hard to do." She said, her potion already finished. The Potion's master split them up, each doing a different one. Hermione had done a calming drought, Harry got Wolfsbane, Neville a nutrition potion(Luna was secretly checking on him every few seconds and helping him, her batch of the draught of the living dead already done), and Blaise had a simple healing potion.
"Don't see why I have to do this…Neville either, we're just going as familiars." Harry grumbled. "Shouldn't we be training in combat or something? I doubt we can just walk up to someone and give them an instant killing potion or something."
"You never know Mr. Potter. Now pay attention." Snape said, looking at everyone's potion.
"He always did seem like more of a fighter." Lucius commented, making sure Snape's back was turned before helping Harry out a bit. "Counterclockwise, then add that in, there it should be good now." He looked back up at his friend. "Has the mark been hurting at all?"
"No."
"Do you know when Tom's coming back?"
"No."
Lucius stared at Snape. "Can you say something other than no?"
"No."
"…No wonder you fail so many students, they don't want to listen to you act like a prat anymore." Lucius said before walking out. Harry looked at his potion, noticing how it actually seemed calm, and the right color.
"Hermione, is this right?" He asked. She leaned over to check it.
"Yes Harry! It's perfect!" She praised. Harry nodded distractedly.
'Ok, so I'm no good at potions without help, and I remember that I never liked his class. Why did this happen to me though? And who did it…wait, they said Malfoy went missing, then did he…what if he was the one to do this?'
A/N: The reason for all the explaining is stated at the beginning, but I'll add a bit more to it so I don't get reviews or messages about it being too confusing. As I said, what better way to trust someone than to know their past, so Sirius, Remus, and a reluctant Severus decided to tell Harry a bit about their past. And as for Severus' confusing talk (James dating Sirius while Remus loved Sirius) that will be explained in a later chapter(If I remember to...)