Harry was staring up at the trap door, hands clenched. "Is there any other way out of this tunnel?" he asked Black. "Any shortcut?"

"No," Black said. "The only entrances are the Shrieking Shack and the Whomping Willow."

"Dammit! Pettigrew is going to get away!"

"He's long gone, Harry," Hermione said. "The Hogwarts anti-disapparition wards end just past the Shrieking Shack."

Harry screamed in frustration. "Aargh! I was so close!" Harry pounded his fist against the wall of the tunnel.

"Um, Harry?" Ron's voice was unsteady. "Can we get back to the castle? Because I've got this broken leg…"

"Oh my gosh, Ron!" Hermione dashed to Ron's side and crouched down. "Are you okay? You didn't say anything!"

"Yeah, well, there was this whole 'surrounded by fugitive Dark Wizards thing…" Ron's face was white, and his freckles stood out starkly from his skin.

"Let's just get back to the castle," Harry muttered. "We need to talk to Dumbledore."

They formed a strange procession: Crookshanks trotted in the lead, tail proudly raised in the air. Black, by all appearances still a lunatic fugitive, followed. Hermione was next, levitating Ron with his own wand, and Harry brought up the rear, levitating the unconscious Severus Snape.

"Harry," said Black, "Did you grab Snape's wand?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I didn't think to pick it up. It must still be back in the Shrieking Shack."

"Bugger," Black said. "Would have been useful."

"I'm not sure I want to be the person giving away Professor Snape's wand," Harry said. "He seemed to dislike you especially, and I'm sure I'm in deep enough trouble as it is."

"Don't pay any attention to Snivellus," Black said. "He's probably been giving you a hard time for years, you being James's son and all. I'll make sure to put a stop to that."

"He's actually not that bad," Harry said.

"You don't have to defend him, Harry," Black said confidently. "I know what he's like. Your dad and I used to say that we had a golden trio of activities: playing quidditch, chasing girls, and pranking Snivellus." Black laughed. "Your dad and I played more pranks of Snivellus than the rest of Hogwarts combined! Once, I sent him to the Shieking Shack during the full moon, right through this passage. He almost made it, but your dad stopped him, first. You should have seen Snivellus's face. Absolutely classic."

Harry was bristling with anger. Who did Black think he was? Sending an unsuspecting schoolboy to confront a werewolf wasn't a prank, it was attempted murder.

Hermione sensed Harry's mood. "What I still don't understand is why Pettigrew hid as a rat for twelve years," she said loudly, making a flagrant attempt to change the subject. "Once you were in jail, couldn't he have revealed himself? It would have been so easy to say that he escaped your spell, but stayed in hiding until you were safely in Azkaban."

"He was hiding, but not from me," said Black. "He was hiding from upper echelon of the Death Eaters. They probably thought that he led Voldemort into a trap at James's house."

"Then why not later?" Hermione asked. "After the trials?"

"Those trials were a joke." Black scowled as he spoke. "There are plenty of Death Eaters walking free today. Most of them claimed that they were put under the Imperius Curse. It was easy enough to put an innocent man in Azkaban without a trial, but actual criminals with powerful names? Never." Black waved a hand at Snape's unconscious body. "Look at this greasy-haired git, for one."

"Stop it," said Harry. "Being in Slytherin doesn't mean you're a Death Eater."

"Oh, come off it, Harry. It's just us. It must be miserable for you, being stuck in Slytherin with all those snakes."

"Maybe you didn't notice the crest on my robes, Black, but I'm one of those snakes."

"And so was my whole family, before me," Black said. "Someone must have cast a confundus charm on the Sorting Hat, if you wound up in Slytherin. Maybe Snape did it himself…"

"I'm in Slytherin because I wanted to be," Harry said, his voice low and sharp. "I told the Sorting Hat where to put me. It wasn't an accident."

"But you were only eleven, Harry. If we petition Dumbledore, maybe we can get your house changed-"

"YOU DON'T KNOW ME! Stop talking like you do!" Harry shouted.

Sirius turned around. "Harry? I…" Black looked down, his face sad. "I'm sorry. It's just… you look so much like James."

"I don't care what you were to my father. You're nothing to me!"

Black leaned back slightly, as if Harry's words had physically struck him.

"What's next, Black? Are you going to tell me I have my mother's eyes? Yeah, I've heard. And my father was quite the quidditch player for Gryffindor, and my mother was a real crackerjack at charms. I take right after them." Harry rolled his eyes, then glared at Black. "You think I haven't heard it all before?"

Black ran a hand through his long hair. "This isn't how I wanted it to go," he muttered. "I've had a whole year, dreaming of this. Pettigrew unmasked, my name cleared, a reunion with my godson…"

"You held me for a few seconds when I was a baby," Harry said. "Big. Deal."

"It was more than that," Black said. "I was hoping that… I mean… I know you live with your aunt and uncle, but… well…" Black trailed off into silence. Harry waited only a moment before his frustration boiled over.

"Spit it out!"

"Your parents named me your guardian before they died," Black said. "I had been hoping that you would want to come live with me." He sounded pathetic, like a child who had just been told that his cat had been run over by a car.

"You can't be serious."

"I always am," said Black, smiling wanly. "Your father's favorite joke."

Harry threw his hands in the air. "You're making puns? I just spent the better part of a year dreaming of ways to murder you. I was five seconds away from doing it! And now you want me to come live with you, a man I've never known, in a house I've never seen? You can't even stay focused on an adult discussion for more than ten seconds. How do you expect to be somebody's guardian?" Harry began walking, pushing past Black. "Maybe Azkaban messed you up more than you realized."

Black didn't move for several seconds. It was as if he had been frozen in place. Harry continued up the passage, squeezing past Ron's floating body, not looking back. Hermione finally stepped past Black and dashed to catch up with Harry. In her hurry, she bumped Ron against the walls of the passage.

"Oi! Careful, there!" Ron yelled.

"Sorry, Ron!" Hermione called.

Harry continued ahead, eyes fixed forward. Did Black really expect to just waltz into Harry's life? Hello, chum, I didn't really murder your parents, would you like to live with me? Harry had thought that he would do anything to escape the Dursleys, but tonight he had discovered the limits of his desire.

Ron appeared next to Harry, floating past as Hermoine hurried to catch up. "Hey, mate," Ron said casually as he moved past, giving Harry a tiny wave. Ron ultimately stopped several feet ahead, next to Snape. Hermione, breathing heavily, was standing next to Harry.

"Harry," Hermione whispered, "Don't you think you're being a little hard on him?" She tilted her head backward to indicate Black.

"No," said Harry.

"Well, I do. He just spent a decade in Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit. You're his best friend's son. Can you give him a break, just a bit?"

"What, like the break he gave Ron? Sure, bring Black up here, I'll break his leg."

"So it's okay for you to make puns, but not Black?"

"Yes," he said with a huff. Harry realized exactly how ridiculous he was acting, but he felt entitled to a little petulance.

"You should apologize," Hermione said.

"I don't need to," Harry said confidently. "Black's going to apologize to me, probably before we get out of this tunnel. He's a Gryffindor, he'll pluck up the courage."

"Ugh. It's just like a Slytherin to hang back and wait for Gryffindors to do the hard work," Hermione said.

Harry could see that she was trying to goad him into doing what she wanted. It was terribly transparent and completely lacking in subtlety. If Draco and Pansy were around, they would laugh. But the worst part… was that it was working. Harry tried to resist, but he knew already that he would be the one to initiate the apology. But he wasn't going down without a fight.

"More like, 'Just like a Gryffindor, making work hard for Slytherins,'" Harry said. "If Black wasn't such a jerk, nobody would have to apologize."

"Just… think about it, okay? He looks terrible."

Harry looked back. Hermione was right. Black was plodding along behind them, eyes cast down to the ground. He looked empty.

Harry sighed. "Fine. I'll do it. But you owe me."

"Thanks, Harry." Hermione smiled.

"Hey! Hey, guys!" Ron had begun shouting. "Hey! What are you whispering about back there!?" Harry looked ahead. Ron was twisting his head and torso back and forth, trying to get a look at Hermione and Harry. He looked ridiculous.

"Nothing, Ronald," Hermione said, smiling wider.

"It sounds interesting!" Ron was now leaning straight backwards, turning his head upside down. He wasn't able to bend back far enough—he wound up looking at the ceiling. "Tell me what's going on!"

Harry burst into laughter.

"What?" Ron asked, still upside down.

"It's a good thing you're a laugh," Harry said. "Otherwise, I'd be embarrassed to be seen with you."

"You're darn right I'm a laugh," Ron said, pointing backward at where he imagined Harry to be. "Don't forget it."

Harry smiled and glanced behind him. Black had slowed his pace, and was dropping even farther behind.

"Look, Black," Harry said, slowing slightly and allowing Black to catch up. "I didn't mean to be a prat."
"No, you're right," Black said. "You don't owe me a thing."

"It's not like that," Harry said. He ran a hand through his hair. Black's expression brightened, recognizing the familiar gesture.

"Tonight was just so… sudden," Harry said. "I mean, three hours ago I thought that Pettigrew was a martyr and you were a murderer. I just need some time, okay?"

Black nodded. "I understand. I shouldn't presume. You live with family, you wouldn't want to come live with somebody like me."

"You clearly have never met my mother's family," Harry said with a small smile. "Look, you were important to my dad. I want to know you. I just… don't. Know you, that is. Yet. Why don't we get to know each other first, and we'll figure the rest out as we go along."

Black nodded. "I'd like that."

"Harry, we're here," Hermione said.

Harry turned and found that they had reached the Whomping Willow. Black walked ahead of everybody, pausing at the exit. He reached outside and pressed the secret knot, freezing the willow's branches in place. Black turned and ducked back into the secret passage.

"Let's go see Dumbledore," Black said.

There was a flicker of movement behind Sirius, a black flutter against the black of the night sky. Suddenly, the stars were no longer visible through the hole under the Whomping Willow. Harry felt a chill go through his bones.

Black turned and looked outside the tree. "Dementors," he whispered.

Harry shook his wand, terminating the mobilcorpus and abruptly dropping Snape to the ground. He strode quickly ahead, fixing an image of Ginny Weasley in his mind. When he reached Sirius's side, Harry extended his wand. "Expecto Patronum!"

A bright light burst out of Harry's wand. The dementor at the passage opening shied back, driven away by Harry's patronus shield. As the dementor moved away, Harry looked past it. If they were lucky, they could make it to the castle before the rest of the dementors responded.

It was too late. Hundreds of other dementors were swarming over and around the castle, moving toward the Whomping Willow like a massive wave.

Harry turned to Black. "Run."

Black transformed into a dog and burst out of the passage, sprinting toward the Forbidden Forest as fast as he could move. The flood of dementors turned smoothly away from the Whomping Willow, following the dog. Black was fast, but he was weak from living in hiding. The dementors quickly closed the distance between themselves and Black. But Harry couldn't understand why they were following the dog. Sirius had used his animagus form to escape from Azkaban, so why were they following now?

"He transformed in front of them," Harry said quietly. "They know the dog is Sirius." Harry climbed out of the passage and began running toward the forest.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled. "What are you doing?"

"He doesn't have a wand! He can't stop them!"

"What are you going to do!?" Hermione's voice faded as Harry sprinted away from her, but her words echoed in his ears.

What was he going to do?