Disclaimer: I don't own HP or any of the character's!

Chapter 84

"You're free to go Mr. Potter. Please do try to stay safe this summer."

Harry grinned. "I dunno, Madam Pomphrey. That might make it a boring summer."

"Naturally," she said dryly.

Harry put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. After tying his shoes and making sure he had the things everyone had brought to him, he headed up toward the Room of Requirement.

He entered the Founder's Library and saw a box with some books next to it on the table.

"Anyone here?" he called out.

No one answered.

"I've only got a couple minutes," he said out loud again.

Still nothing.

He went over to look at the box. It was simple, but beautiful. The box was black with silver gilded edges. On the sides were each of the four house symbols. The lid had the Hogwarts crest on it.

Harry picked it up and shivered. He felt a wave of magic wash over him.

"Odd," he muttered.

When he tried to open the box, it wouldn't. He tried poking and prodding it, and even tickling each of the symbols but still nothing.

Ten minutes later, the box lid popped open. "I'm an idiot," he muttered.

There was a ghostly laugh. "Sometimes the best way to confound people is to do something very simple. So simple, most would not even try it."

Harry looked up to see the ghost of Rowena Ravenclaw floating in front of him. "I take it this was a test?"

"Naturally. If you did not figure out how to open the box, you would not have been able to take any of the books out of this room."

Harry nodded. "Are these the books the sorting hat suggested I read?"

"They are. The Headmaster and another were arguing so passionately over you that Helga gave the sorting hat a ... little poke so to speak."

"Who was he arguing with?"

"Not my place to say. Now, this box is enchanted with all sorts of spells. No one will be able to touch it except you. I know right now that there is another war brewing, that you are in danger more so than a lot of other people. If something should happen to you, the box and the books will automatically port back to this room."

Harry nodded.

"No one will be able to touch the books other than yourself, even if they are a parselmouth. The books will appear blank to anyone other than yourself should they look over your shoulder while reading. When you are not reading a book, they are to stay in their case and in the box. There are preservation charms on both."

"Anything else?"

"Not really. Just make sure before you start any of the things I describe in these books, that you have a good solid grip on meditation."

"Thank you, Lady Ravenclaw."

"You better hurry. Your godfather is about to head up to the dorms to check on you."

"Gah." Harry carefully put the books in the box and ran to Gryffindor Tower.

It didn't take long for him to pack. As he was heading back to the Headmaster's office, he saw a streak of black duck down a side hallway. His eyes narrowed. That had to have been Snape. He followed him.

"Professor?" he called out, which made Snape pause.

"What do you want Potter? Shouldn't you be running off with your godfather today?"

"I'm on my way to meet him, but you promised me that you would tell me this big secret of yours."

"I have since changed my mind," he said shortly and started to walk away again.

"But Professor, you gave me your word that you would tell me."

Severus sighed and stepped into an empty classroom, which made the boy follow him in. He watched as Harry shut the door. "Potter, in the grand scheme of things, what I have to tell you is not that important."

"It seemed to be important enough that you've tried to tell me all year long."

"Technically, it is important, but I cannot tell you now with the way things are. Maybe one day I will be able to, but not now."

"I don't understand. Did Voldemort coming back change whatever it was that you had to tell me?"

"No, it does not change what I had to tell you, but it changes a lot of the things concerning what I had to tell you."

That statement made absolutely no sense to Harry. "Just tell me already. You're acting like the world's biggest prat," said Harry, rather bravely and really annoyed. He wanted the truth. This evasion was getting old.

"You really want to know? You want to know the truth?"

"I do. I hate being kept in the dark, especially when it concerns me."

"Fine," he spat. "The truth is that I'm your f-"

"What's going on in here?" demanded Sirius as he ran in the room.

"Padfoot, no!" came the shout of Remus from further down the hallway.

Snape suddenly looked like a kneezle that had been caught in a bright light. He put a mask of neutrality on and stormed out of the room.

"Harry, are you alright?" asked Sirius. "He didn't hurt you did he?"

Harry was furious but at who, he didn't know. "No. Let's go. The Headmaster is waiting."

Severus had barricaded himself in his room. He had been about to yell at his own son that he was the boy's father. Honestly. Even a sour man like himself knew that was not the way to tell the boy the truth.

And Harry calling him the worlds biggest prat. If Severus hadn't been so furious about the whole situation he might have laughed. He hadn't expected to be caught by the boy, otherwise he would have stayed in the dungeons, but Albus had sent him to retrieve something from one of his colleagues.

He suddenly groaned. That conniving man. Albus was in for an earful later that evening. Though, he was annoyed with himself more for not realizing the manipulation sooner.

He headed to his potion's lab to get some work done. Anything to keep his mind off of what just occurred and no doubt how his son was about to become someone else's son.

That thought alone made his heart break all over again.

Black may be dense, stupid, arrogant, and a whole list of other things, but he loved Harry. He would be able to provide a good home to him, which was something Severus could not do while he was a spy.

Severus felt his heart break even more at the realization that it was not he who was providing Harry with a home, yet he could have been was it not for the Dark Lord. He also knew that it was mostly his fault as well. He really should not have waited so long to tell Harry the truth.

Just as Severus lit a fire under the cauldron, his Dark Mark burned. He extinguished it, grabbed his robes and mask, and headed out of the castle.

Harry rubbed his temples. The Diggory's had just left and now he had a headache. The interview had not been easy, especially since he still felt responsible for Cedric's death, despite what everyone kept telling him. His parents had insisted on Harry taking the full sum of the Tri-Wizard money, insisting that Cedric would have wanted him too. After a lot of protesting, he caved.

He was putting it in his robes when Sirius entered the room with a smile. "You ready to go home Harry?"

Home. That world seemed to foreign, yet safe at the same time.

Harry nodded.

The Headmaster wrote something down and handed it to Sirius.

"Have a good summer, Harry. I'm sure I'll see you a few times before it's over."

"You too Professor Dumbledore."

"Ugh. Apparating is uncomfortable," Harry told his godfather.

"At least you didn't get sick. The first time your mother was side apparated, she got sick everywhere."

Harry's eyes widened.

"And besides, when you do it by yourself, it's not so bad."

"You'll be teaching me how, right?"

Sirius nodded. "Now, concentrate and memorize this note. When it's memorized, tell me and I'll destroy it."

Confused, Harry done so. When he looked up, 12 Grimmauld Place was now in front of him where it hadn't been a second ago.

"Wicked."

Sirius just chuckled.

Harry's eyes widened when he opened the door. "Wow, Sirius. This place is huge."

"Three stories. Plus an attic. You are to stay out of the attic by the way. During my cleaning of the house, I put any dark object I found up there. I've not had a chance to go through it yet. Albus said that he was going to help me with it actually."

Harry nodded that he understood.

"Just be quiet around the picture of my mother. We don't want her to wake up."

Harry chuckled. Sirius had mentioned the portrait in one of his previous letters. "Still not found a way to make her be quiet?"

"No. I've tried everything I can think of."

"Have you tried removing the wall with her picture on it?"

"Yeah. You can't. It's part of one of the many spells on the house."

Harry shrugged. "It was an idea."

"Let's go pick out a room for you then I'll give you a tour of the place."

"I get to pick out my own room?" asked Harry.

"You do."

The third floor had the bedrooms. Harry automatically went toward the smallest one.

"Oh no you don't kiddo. The smallest one is off limits."

Five minutes later, Harry had picked out one that he liked.

"Good. Now, while you unpack, I want you to think of what color you want your room to be. I'll change it for you tonight."

Harry grinned as he looked around the room. There was a huge bed, a night stand, a desk with a chair, a window seat like Ron had in his room, a wardrobe, bookshelves, and a door leading off to his own bathroom.

He couldn't believe it.

Harry crossed the room to open the window. When he did, Hedwig flew in. "Just think girl, no more Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia to threaten you."

She hooted.

"Where do you want me to put your perch?"

Harry watched as his owl landed in a spot on the other side of the night stand, near the window.

"Then that's where I'll put it."

Harry had so little stuff that it only took him 20 minutes to put everything away. His trunk he stowed in the bottom of his wardrobe. He left the box the ghost of the Founder's had given him inside of his trunk.

When Sirius walked back in the room, Harry was sitting on his bed.

"Taking a break?"

"I'm done."

Sirius frowned. "Already?"

Harry shrugged. "I didn't have much to begin with."

"Is there anything of yours still at the Dursley's?"

"No." Unfortunately that made Sirius frown even deeper, so Harry changed the topic. "I've decided what color I want my room."

"Red and gold perhaps?"

Harry laughed. "No. Something more calmer than that. Think I could have the walls a light blue and the carpet white?"

"White?"

Harry shrugged. "I think that it will make the room feel more open." After growing up in the cupboard, while he was not claustrophobic, he preferred the open spaces.

Sirius nodded and waved his wand a few times. "Like this?"

Harry nodded eagerly. He then ran over and gave Sirius a hug. "Thank you, Sirius."

"No problem. Let's go give you a tour of your new home."

Home. Harry truly did have a home now.

"No, my Lord. He has been talking about it but hasn't officially called them together yet."

"And will you be apart of the Order this time around?"

"Yes, my Lord. The Headmaster trusts me."

"Very well. I currently have Lucius going around trying ensure that my presence remains unnoticed for as long as possible. What you have given me on the old fool will help lessen his credibility. Are you staying at the castle during the summer?"

"I normally do, my Lord, but if you wish me to re-open my house, I can do so."

"No ... no. Then you won't have an excuse to roam the castle. Stay at Hogwarts."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Here is a list of potions. I want them as soon as they are ready."

Severus took the list and looked it over. "My Lord, a couple of these take three months to brew."

"Crucio! I know that Severus. I suggest you return to the castle to get started as soon as you can."

Severus picked himself up off of the ground and bowed out of the room.

"Ahh! No!"

"Harry, wake up! It's just a nightmare."

Harry flinched. "I'm sorry Uncle Vernon. It won't happen again."

Sirius' eyes darkened. "Harry, wake up. It's Sirius."

Harry suddenly sat straight up in bed. "Oh no. I woke you up didn't I?"

"It's alright, Harry."

"It's not. You've been so good to me. Giving me my own room and feeding me, I shouldn't wake you up too," he said groggily.

"Nonsense Harry."

"Since I can't do magic, can you cast a silencing charm on me or on the room? You'll never get any sleep otherwise."

"No because then I won't be able to hear you to wake you up."

"Don't know why you'd want to. Silencing charm is better," sighed Harry. However, he was so exhausted, he fell back asleep before Sirius could reply.

Sirius carefully tucked him back in and as he went to leave the room, he saw that Harry's face was scrunched up in another nightmare. He was at a loss because he didn't know how to fix it. Maybe Harry would tell him about the nightmares and he would be able to help him then.

With a last look at his godson, he headed back to his own bed.

A/N: So I promised you all a chapter on Sunday, but I forgot that it was Easter weekend. As a result, I didn't get to spend a lot of time editing and such. I had family in and they wouldn't hardly leave me alone. This chapter was originally longer, then it was shorter than it is now, then it was longer again. I *could* have put the next section in this one I believe and made it work, but I decided to just leave it where it was. I'm sorry this was so short. I'll try to make up for it in the next one. I'm going to aim for a Thursday/Friday posting.

And before I get lynched, I promise that the truth is going to come out. When you ask? Soonerish (TM) hehe Actually, Dumbles yells at poor Sevvie in the next chapter for procrastinating again.

*flees before the pitch forks can be thrown*