Chapter 2: Answers and promises

Albus Dumbledore was not a happy man. He was sure that Tom Riddle, aka Lord Voldemort, would have tracked down the Potters by now. When Sybil Trelawney recited a prophecy about a child having the power to end Voldemort and knowing that Severus was listening in, he hatched a plan. He would sacrifice James and Lily to defeat Tom, then take their infant son to be raised by his muggle relatives. Where they would treat him like how most pureblood supremacists would treat house elves. He put James under a compulsion charm and a loyalty potion to ensure his plans would meet with success. The man was already loyal to him, but like all Potters, he was stubborn and would do anything to protect his wife and son. Lily, however, was a different story as she always questioned him and his motives. She had become a bloody nuisance and would demolish what he was planning. And then there was Sirius. He put a powerful mind-altering spell on the young man so he and Peter Pettigrew would switch so the latter would become the secret keeper.

Of course, he knew Pettigrew was the spy in the Order. He was a master legilimens. But as weak and untalented at magic as he was, the fool could get information about people. So when Voldemort kills James and Lily, Sirius would be overcome with grief and act irrationally. In his anger, he would leave his godson with Hagrid and go after Peter and hopefully get himself thrown in Azkaban for killing three of his friends. Thus removing him from having any influence in Harry's life and leaving him as the only potential person for the child to turn to. However, this did not go as planned.

When Hagrid arrived to meet Minerva and himself. He explained how Harry was gone by the time either he or Sirius could arrive at the cottage. That was when Albus himself apparated to the cottage to investigate. Through the wreckage, he could not find the dead bodies of James and Lily. Moreover, the boy was nowhere to be found. Quickly pulling his wand out, he performed some diagnostic spells to see if any residual traces of magic were left. The only signatures he could confirm present were Voldemort's, Harry's, and a group of elves. Then he realized that only one person could know where young Harry was. The boy's grandfather. Lord Charlus Potter.

He couldn't believe he had forgotten about that man. Lord Potter was not a man to be taken lightly nor easily crossed. During the war with Gellert, he laid waste to several hundreds of Grindelwald's forces and was even responsible for executing a good number of Death Eaters. The mere thought of harry being raised by that man sent shivers down Albus's spine, and his inner beast roared with anger. It is imperative that he'd find Potter manor and bring Harry under his control. But that was easier said than done. The Potters were notoriously secretive, and finding their ancestral home would be most difficult, if not impossible.

(0^0)

At Potter manor Charlus, Arcturus, Saul, and Andromeda went to the dungeon to get some answers from their two guests. The former was now on the warpath, filled with anger, sadness, and vengeance. Nothing was going to stop him from obtaining answers. Taking his key, he and the others walked in to see Severus and Sirius chained to the ground sitting on opposite sides of the dungeon. Neither of them had their wands, as they were in the hands of the elves.

"Time for some answers. You first," Charlus motioned for Saul to approach Severus. "Make sure he's not charmed or potioned, and see if there are any tracking or listening spells on him."

"Roger that," Algernon waved his wand around Severus, performing every diagnostic spell known to man. A few minutes later, he turned around after the results turned negative. "He's clean!" Charlus gave him the green light to proceed.

Opening his mouth, Algernon poured the entire bottle of veritaserum down his throat. Normally only three drops were required, but a master occlumens was a different story; an entire bottle would be needed. "What is your name, and how old are you?"

With glassy eyes, he answered. "Severus Tobias Snape. Age 21."

"What house were you sorted to at Hogwarts?"

"House of Slytherin."

"The potion works," Saul told the others.

Charlus approached the man as Saul moved away. "What was your reason for coming here? How did you get past the wards?"

"I made a magical vow to your son that in the event of his and Lily's death, then, before they could leave the country, I would bring the child here. James Potter gave it to me a short while after he and Lily came to my house asking for help."

This was interesting. From what he knew of James's rants, he and Snape had a bitter rivalry that would sometimes escalate into open hostility. To hear that he went to this man for help and wanted to leave the country was vexing. Something was amiss. "When they came to you, was it of their own volition? What did you discuss with them?

"Yes, I first made contact with Lily to warn her about the coming attack. I felt that someone would betray them to the Dark Lord. He said he had a mole in the Order of Phoenix. Who? I didn't know until Black spouted about Peter Pettigrew and revenge. Lily and I talked about our distrust of Dumbledore. According to her, she never fully trusted nor was loyal enough like her husband. Despite everything and our mutual dislike of one another, I didn't want him dead. When he arrived with his son, I took them to my potions lab, where I examined all three of their bloods to see if they were not acting on their own accord. Harry and Lily were clean, but James Potter. . ."

"What did you find in my son?" Charlus growled.

"A strong compulsion charm and a very powerful loyalty potion in his system."

"Who put them there?"

"We theorized it might have been Albus Dumbledore, though we weren't entirely sure," Severus replied.

Arcturus walked forward, "one final question. When you went to retrieve the boy, what were your intentions?"

"I intended to honor the magical vow I swore and promised to both him and myself that I would help look after him."

Arcturus turned to Charlus, "he speaks the truth." Lord Potter then administered the antidote and watched the man's eyes return to normal.

Then turning to a red-faced Sirius, they walked over to him where Arcturus had Andromeda and Saul check him over. Andromeda scowled when she found a strong loyalty potion on confundus charm weaved into a compulsion spell on his person. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her trunk of potions she found and administered the antidotes to him. Sirius groaned in pain as his head hurt like hell.

"What—What did you force down my throat?"

"Those were antidotes to the loyalty potion and mind-altering spells," Andromeda replied. "Someone powerful put you under them." Sirius began spluttering incoherently.

"Where's that traitorous bastard Pettigrew? He sold James and Lily to Voldemort, and what is Snape doing here?" He would have said more but was stopped by Arcturus, who came over.

"That is not important right now," taking a knee before his grandson after Saul handed him the last bottle of veritaserum. As a security precaution, every member of the House of Black was to be trained in occlumency before they were enrolled at Hogwarts. Sirius's shields may not have been at a master's level, but they were proficient enough to block any normal legilimens out. The minute his eyes turned glassy and Arcturus directed his chin at him. "Eyes on me, boy."

"What is your name, and how old are you?"

"Sirius Orion Black III. Age 21."

"When the Potters went into hiding, you were believed to be the secret keeper. Did you sell them out?" He and everyone else needed to hear from the boy himself.

"No, I was a decoy."

"Explain," demanded in unison.

"When they were supposed to go into hiding, James and Lily wanted me to be the secret keeper, and I would have accepted. But Dumbledore stepped in, saying that it would be too obvious, given how close I was to them. He then recommended we use Peter as no one would suspect him. Initially, I was against it, but I agreed to the plan the next day when we reconvened at the cottage."

Charlus snarled as his anger renewed itself with a vengeance. He would see to it that Dumbledore would pay for this afront if it was the last thing he ever do.

Sensing his friend's anger, he continued. "How did you know to go to the cottage tonight?"

"When I was at my flat, a dark feeling washed over me, and so I decided to go check on Pettigrew to ensure that he was still at his safe place. When I arrived at the house, he was not there, and there had been no sign of struggle or forced entries. That was when I knew something was wrong, and I immediately hopped on my motorcycle and went to the cottage. That was when my worst fears came to light. James and Lily were dead and being taken to Potter Manor."

Tears rolled down his eyes as he was given the antidote. "Please tell me. Tell me that Harry is okay?" The betrayal of Wormtail and the deaths of James and Lily are heavy enough, but if his godson died, he did not know if he could go on living.

"The child was hit with the killing curse but somehow managed to survive. Though not unscathed," Saul admitted feeling sympathy for the young man.

"Wh-What's. . .wro-wrong with. . .him," he croaked.

"That is on a need-to-know basis and—"

"I am his godfather and have a right to know what happened to him!" Sirius shouted through his sobbing.

After receiving a nod from Arcturus, Saul proceeded, "the boy received a lightning bolt scar on his forehead and now houses a part of Voldemort's soul. Any attempt to remove it while he's recovering and this young will kill him."

Sirius went extremely pale. His godson. His beloved godson, the boy he swore to protect, was now a Horcrux. There had to be something they could do for him. "Is there anything you can do for him?"

"For starters, Dumbledore will have no influence in his life. That fucking bastard has crossed me for the last time. Both my son and daughter-in-law are dead thanks to his machinations, but I will be damned if I let him take my grandson," Charlus declared. "The old goat will likely use his positions as Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump to get custody of Harry and send him to who knows where. Not on my watch."

"We will need to get this man-child a trial to have him cleared of any charges that might be used against him," Arcturus reminded. "Barty Crouch and Millicent Bagnold are idiots and would just send him to Azkaban without a second thought." Crouch Sr. is the Director of the DMLE and is known for fighting fire with fire. He authorized the use of unforgivables on Death Eaters and was on the fast track to becoming the next Minister of Magic. The man had a severe distaste for Death Eaters and anyone associated with Voldemort and would not hesitate to kill or lock them up.

Millicent Bagnold, the current Minister of Magic, was said to be retiring soon and was as gullible as she was shortsighted. Moreover, she had no guts to argue with people who wielded power and influence. Not to mention she was one of Dumbledore's loyal followers even if she tried to hide it or wouldn't openly voice it. But he knew. She'd automatically do whatever Dumbledore said, offering little resistance. This was one hell of a mess, but nothing he hadn't dealt with before. While his first instinct would have just been to let the boy defend himself, he was still part of the House of Black and his grandson. Despite being cast out, he was loyal to the people he considered a part of his family, like James, Dorea, Andromeda, Regulus, Lily, and his godson. Finally, coming to a decision, he let out an annoyed breath.

"I will ensure you get a fair trial. Neither Crouch nor Dumbledore will have you sent to Azkaban if I can help it. Do not make me regret this," Arcturus warned.

Sirius's red eyes met his grandfather's silver ones. His grandfather was a tough bastard and a powerful lord, but since he ran away when he was 16. The man had disowned him and therefore had no further ties to him. "Why would you help me? I left the family thanks to my bitch of a mother, remember?"

"I'm doing this because despite being a disappointment, you still share my blood, and you were extremely loyal to James and his wife. And like you said, Harry is your godson and will therefore need you in his life. However, let me make this clear," narrowing his eyes. "If you do anything to endanger the boy, I will kill you myself. Understand?"

Sirius nodded as he knew his grandfather meant what he said. Arcturus Orion Black was a man of his word and would not hesitate to kill who dared to go after a member of his House. Hell, when he heard that Aunt Dorea had been struck down by a squad of Death Eaters led by Edward Dolohov. Antonin Dolohov's father. He wasted no words in killing them in the most brutal and violent ways imaginable.

Andromeda then cleared her throat, bringing the attention to her. "What do we do with him?" She pointed to Severus.

"Hmm. . ." Charlus walked over to the man in deep thought. "You are a Death Eater who tried to save my son and his family. While I would just kill you right here for telling that murdering bastard the first part of the prophecy. You brought my grandson to me before Dumbledore could get his hands on him. If I remove your chains, then what is to stop you from returning to Dumbledore or any of the other Death Eaters and bringing them here?"

"I have no loyalty to Dumbledore nor the other Death Eaters. Especially not after what they did." He truthfully said. "I promised to look after Harry, which I intend to do. In the memory of the woman I loved, I swear on my life and magic that I will do everything in my power to protect him from Dumbledore's machinations."

Charlus's eyes widened. He heard no deception in the man's words, nor did he sense any malicious intent from him. Severus closed his eyes when Lord Potter aimed his wand at him thinking the man would kill him. The man had every right to end his life. Just when he thought he would take his last breath, the chains around his wrist unclasped and fell to the floor. Stunned to stillness, Severus opened his eyes to see the older man lower his wand. "I do not understand. Why did you remove the chains?"

"You and my son may not have gotten along while in school, and I know you are not a perfect human being. But you are not an evil man, and I am not blind to not see that James was also not a model person, as Minerva told me what he and his friends like to do at school. Specifically, what that idiot did," directing his gaze to a shocked Sirius. "That prank you did. I know about it!" The younger Black looked down in shame.

Charlus turned back to Severus, "and while I am tempted to execute you right now. Lily was my daughter-in-law, and she spoke highly of you when the two of you were younger. You and James may not have been friends, but you both loved Lily, and you promised to protect her son. So, I am going to give you two options. You can spend the rest of your life living in regret in a cell in Azkaban, or you can become a productive member in Harry's life. The choice is yours."

"Uncle, you can't mean to—"

"Shut it, Sirius. You are in enough trouble already," Arcturus cut his grandson off.

"I choose the second option. You have my word that I will do my best to look after the boy," Severus promised. He owed it to the woman he loved and to the boy child she died protecting.

Lord Potter waved his wand again, releasing the chain on Sirius's hands. "Now tell us everything you know about Dumbledore and Voldemort organizations. Everything!"

For the next two hours, Sirius and Severus informed them about everything they knew regarding Dumbledore and Voldemort's organizations. Those who were active members, the people who directly or indirectly supported them, their operations, etc. Severus provided valuable information regarding Voldemort's current projects and a list of Death Eaters inside and outside the country. Unlike most Death Eaters in the Dark Lord's inner circle, his job was to retrieve any and all types of information that could prove useful, brew complex potions, and be his advisor. He pointed out that anyone within the Dark Lord's inner circle had been branded with the dark mark and that he himself did it. That's how he would summon them or if they wanted to alert him. However, the mark was also attuned to the Dark Lord's life force.

Sirius gave every bit of information he had on Dumbledore. The old man was not big on sharing too much information and would often send his people on thankless assignments with little information. Out of everyone in the Order, only Dumbledore seemed to know everything, and when Sirius mentioned James' cloak and the Marauders' Map, Arcturus, and Charlus frowned. The latter was more than the former as the cloak was a Potter family heirloom, and since James was the only person out of the group to have a child, that meant the map was also an heirloom. Sirius explained how the four of them created the map during their time at school and that Filch took it away from Pettigrew in their seventh year.

(0^0)

A couple of days later, after it was announced that Voldemort had been vanquished and that Harry had survived the killing curse, the Death Eaters were being rounded up. But unfortunately, not everything went smoothly as there had been an attack on the Longbottoms, and Alice and Frank were tortured into insanity by Antonin Dolohov, the three Lestranges, and an unknown person. All four were sentenced to life in Azkaban, except the fifth, who was on the loose. That same day Arcturus declared that Bellatrix Cassiopeia Lestrange nee Black would no longer be a Black and was expelled from the family, much to her chagrin. The next day, Severus Snape was tried in front of the Wizengamot, and thanks to Dumbledore's position as Chief Warlock. Along with the subtle influences of both Arcturus and Charlus received a full pardon. An hour later, Sirius was brought in.

Crouch Sr. and Bagnold tried to send him to Azkaban, but Arcturus kept his word by using his influence to get the boy put into a holding cell to await his trial. "I don't know why we are even entertaining this farce. Sirius Black is responsible for the deaths of James and Lily Potter. Furthermore, we have it on record that Dumbledore himself submitted evidence that he was their secret keeper," Crouch loathingly stared at the man bound to the chair.

"You ignorant piece of shit!" Arcturus jumped to his feet, "one of our founding laws is to ensure that everyone gets a trial. Therefore, any attempts to sentence him without due process will result in a needless loss of innocent life. Then again, it shouldn't surprise me based on what you've been doing lately." The cold steel in his voice sent shivers down Barty's back. "Need I remind this body that you and Bagnold authorized the use of the killing curse and, in doing so, ended several innocent lives."

"You have no rights speaking to me that way, Black," Bagnold said, though quickly went pale at the look he was giving her.

"That is Lord Black to you, you filthy cunt. Try to send my grandson to Azkaban, and the rest of your life on this planet will be a living nightmare. Then by the time I'm done, you will be begging for the safety of Azkaban, and that is only if you'd still be able to speak." The members of the Wizengamot knew that Arcturus Black was not a man to be crossed, especially not when the situation concerned his family. "If the boy is indeed guilty, then he will not have to worry about spending the rest of his life in Azkaban, as I will gratefully kill him myself."

"The same goes for me," Charlus announced, standing from his seat. "He and James were as close as brothers, and I sincerely doubt he would betray him and his wife."

Albus finally decided to speak, "Lord Potter, Lord Black, you have my sincerest condolences for the loss of James and Lily. But all the evidence points to Sirius being the secret keeper and selling them out to Voldemort," several people gasped at the use of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named name.

"Evidence can be interpreted in multiple ways, you old goat," Arcturus grunted. "The laws of our sacred land are absolute. Everyone is to be given a trial to determine if they're guilty or not, and I will not sit here as you twist it to your advantage. Either you allow this body to do its job, or I will bring the full force of the House of Black down upon you."

"I second this motion," Jonathan Bones, Lord of the Most Noble House of Bones, raised his hand. The man may be a member of the Light faction, but he was a traditionalist who believed in Law and Order. Despite the that he hardly ever agreed with Lord Black, he did respect him as a Lord and Head of House. Also, his daughter Amelia would have kittens as she'd curse him into the next century. She had become a rising star in the Auror Department and was exceptionally skilled with a wand. When he heard that his daughter was seeing someone from the House Black, he nearly had a heart attack. Although initially skeptical about his daughter's choice of boyfriend, he eventually came around after getting to know Sirius. "The boy should be given a chance to speak."

Crouch Sr let out an annoyed breath as he grudgingly agreed. "All those who agree to question Sirius Black under the use of Veritaserum show of hands."

More than two-thirds of the people present raised their hands.

"Those opposed."

The remaining few raised their hands, and Arcturus made a mental note to remember all who voted against using Veritaserum on his grandson. He would show them why no one should cross his House.

"The use of Veritaserum has been approved. Administer the potion," the Aurors did as Crouch ordered and poured some drops down Sirius's throat. "You are Sirius Orion Black III, the older son of Orion and Walburga Black, correct?"

"Yes," Sirius answered in a monotone voice.

"Sirius Orion Black, you are accused of betraying the Potters to You-Know-Who. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty! I would have died rather than betray my friends."

"Be that as it may. There is evidence that you were named their secret keeper. If you did not betray them, then who did?" Crouch questioned.

"Peter Pettigrew. We thought it would be a good idea as no one would suspect that someone as weak as him would be the secret keeper."

There was a rush of whispers amongst the Lords, Ladies, and Department Heads. Dumbledore mentally groaned in irritation as it looked like Sirius would be exonerated. But he remained quiet because if he said anything, then there would be the chance of him being removed from his position as Chief Warlock. Another thing that annoyed him was that up till now, he couldn't locate Harry, never mind getting custody of him as Charlus Potter was still alive and refused to let him near the boy. Despite his influence within the Wizengamot and ICW, not to mention the number of favors he garnered over the years. They did not do much good as Lord Potter was the boy's blood relative and had the backing of the House of Black and several others.

"Administer the antidote," Crouch ordered. The Aurors did so, and Sirius's returned to normal. "All those in favor of clearing the accused of the charges against him raise their hands." No one dared to keep their hands down; even the people who voted against him being questioned under veritaserum couldn't object.

"Cleared of all charges," banging his gavel. The Aurors removed the chains from Sirius's wrist, and he went to the visitor's section. "I believe our business for the day has been completed."

Everyone present began exiting the Wizengamot chamber. Though Dumbledore asked Charlus and Arcturus to hold back so he could talk with them. As soon as they were the only ones left, Albus went to speak. "I know this is a difficult time for the both of you and while we never saw eye to eye on everything, I believe that Harry—" he was cut off by a hard punch that broke his nose courtesy of Charlus. His inner demon roared for blood as he hungered for revenge against Dumbledore. While he would take great pleasure in tearing the man apart, Arcturus managed to convince him not to, as he would need to be brought down when the time was right. He very reluctantly and grudgingly agreed with his friend's advice; however, that did not mean he would not show his displeasure.

Then grabbing the man's white beard to bring him close, "do not for one minute think that we are friends. I know you were the one who convinced James and Lily to hide under the fidelius charm. For that, I hold you just as responsible for their demise," his brown eyes glowed with power and rage. "If you cross my family again, I will not hesitate to kill and take everything from you," Charlus emphasized his point by ripping Dumbledore's beard off his face. The aged warlock screamed in pain.

Narrowing his eyes, "by noon tomorrow, I will be at Hogwarts to get my family's cloak back. Make no mistake that you will not like the results if I find any damage has been done to it, and believe me, I will know. And bring that swine Argus Filch. I have some business to settle with him." he turned around and started to walk out of the chamber.

For a second, Albus thought that was the end of it but was wrong when he crumpled to the ground holding his private parts, and groaned in pain. Arcturus felt a tiny bit of satisfaction from kicking the old goat in the balls. "That was for trying to put my godson in Azkaban."

"I thought he was the secret keeper," Albus said in a high-pitched voice.

"Let this serve as a warning," Arcturus ignored the man's pain and narrowed his silver eyes. "You mess with the Blacks, and the consequences will be dire." He punched in the jaw, breaking some of his teeth before walking off.

". . .Motherfuckers," Albus's voice was still high-pitched. Taking his wand, he applied a numbing charm to his affected area and activated his emergency portkey to return him to Hogwarts. He would definitely need an ice pack when he made it to his office. Likely before. The only thing he knew for certain was that neither Lord Potter nor Lord Black liked him, nor did they have any desire to work or be affiliated with him.

(0^0)

When they arrived at Potter manor, Charlus used his key to unlock the door, and the three walked inside. Entering the main sitting area, they found Harry playing with his blocks under the watchful eye of Andromeda. "Well, if it isn't my favorite cousin," Sirius announced, altering them of their presence. "Taking an interest in my godson, aren't you," he jokingly enquired.

"Pa'foo," Harry exclaimed. Getting to his feet, he ran over to his godfather, who happily picked him up. The young infant laughed when Sirius playfully tossed him up into the air.

"Seeing as how you retain the ability to joke around, I assume no charges were filed against you," she sarcastically witted. Despite her disownment from the family, she was still a Black and possessed the family's wit and temper.

"Let's have this talk away from certain ears," Arcturus suggested as the others followed his gaze to Harry. Sirius got the message and handed his godson back to Andromeda so she could put him down for a nap.

"Come on, baby boy, it's time for a nap," a smile crossed her face when he pouted when she said it was nap time. "None of that you. That may have worked on your father and godfather but not on me," she lifted her head up with a wry grin. "This is the same look Ted, and I would get whenever we had to put Nymphadora down for a nap."

The others watched as she carried the boy upstairs to the nursery, only to return ten minutes later. "Probably because of all the running around he's been doing today, but the little tyke went down easier than expected." Then clasping her hands together, "so what happened at the Wizengamot?"

Arcturus started, "the Lestranges and Dolohov were sentenced to life in Azkaban, and Bellatrix has been disowned from the House of Black." He went on to explain about Sirius' trial and how Crouch, Dumbledore, and Bagnold tried to get him sent to Azkaban. When the issue came to him being questioned under veritaserum and how some people voted against that notion. Andromeda thinned her lips; knowing her grandfather, he would no doubt be planning some sort of retaliation. The people who tried to deny Sirius a trial will surely never forget what'll happen in the coming days as her grandfather will seek retribution. That was guaranteed. Eventually, it was agreed to the use of truth serum, where Sirius was proven innocent, and a warrant for the arrest of Peter Pettigrew was issued. But that would be getting off easy because if her grandfather or uncle get their hands on him first, then it will not be pretty. Hell, she would make the fucker's life a living hell if she ever found him. The rat deserved nothing but the most excruciatingly painful death.

At the end of the Wizengamot, she and Sirius laughed when Uncle Charlus recounted how he broke the man's nose and ripped his beard right off his face and how Arcturus kicked him in the balls. "The son of a bitch does not even know that the worse is yet to come. If he believes what we did today was painful, then he has no idea of what we have planned for him in the future. No one crosses the Black, not unless they have a death wish."

Andromeda and Sirius shivered as they knew their grandfather meant every word.

"Tomorrow at noon, we will be going to his office to retrieve the cloak and that map. How he convinced James to lend it to him is beyond me," Arcturus added. "Then, after that, we need to discuss any potential school's the boy might attend in the future. Places where Dumbledore has no influence or any spies. As there is no doubt in my mind that he will want Harry to attend Hogwarts after he turns eleven."

"Leave that to me. Dumbledore is not the only person with International contacts, and I have a substantial amount of influence in the MACUSA branch," Charlus grunted, thinking he might need to reach out to some people. It was well-known that the governing body there did not agree with how things were done in Britain and the Ministry. What's more there were a handful of people that the old bastard managed to piss off. A ghost of a smile crossed the older Potter's lips when a potential school popped into his head. "There also comes the matter that when he gets old enough, he must be trained in combat. James specialized in Battle Transfiguration and learned his fair share of Battle Charms, but as exceptionally skilled as he was—he never honed his skills to the point of mastery."

"Don't forget he'll need to study the mind arts," Andromeda reminded. "As a Black, it is a requirement for all children to learn the mind arts."

"I have the perfect person in mind," Charlus grinned.

"Wait. I'm not going to like this, am I," Sirius shot his uncle a curious look.

"No, but you will accept it," the older man replied, leaving no room for argument. "We also need to strengthen your shields as well."

Sirius groaned as he felt a big headache coming on.

(0^0)

The next day ten minutes till noon Albus sat on his golden chair behind his desk, waiting for Lords Potter and Black to arrive. While he strongly did not want to return James's invisibility cloak, he had no choice since it was an heirloom of the House of Potter. Moreover, he suspected that the cloak differed from the standard invisibility cloaks and hoped to study it more thoroughly and present it to Harry after his first semester at Hogwarts. But that opportunity went up in smoke. For now, he would just have to bide his time and wait until the boy comes to Hogwarts. It was important that nothing interfere with his plans; for Voldemort was still alive. How? He didn't know. A minute into his thoughts, the wards alerted him that Argus had arrived with the two Lords.

"Come in, Argus," before the caretaker could knock on the door, Albus granted him permission to come in. When the door opened, the school's caretaker rushed in with a panicked look on his face.

For the life of him, Argus Filch was scared out of his mind. The fathers of the two students who loved to cause mayhem were here and not happy. Showing they meant business. Charlus Potter had demanded what he took, or else he demanded retribution. The only problem was that he didn't know what the man was talking about. He confiscated a lot of things from James Potter and his friends when they were in school.

As Argus ran to stand by the fireplace, Albus popped a Sherbert lemon in his mouth. "Good afternoon, gentlemen. Would either of you like a Sherbert lemon? They're quite a delicacy in the muggle world."

"Cut the pleasantries, Dumbledore. This is not a social visit," Charlus stopped the man from talking any further. "I am here for my cloak."

The twinkle that normally resided in Albus's eyes was nonexistent, "it is right here," opening one of his desk drawers, he retrieved the cloak and handed it over. "James lent it to me, and I intended to—"

"That was a mistake as you should have asked me, not him," stuffing the cloak into the pocket of his robes. "Now I want what this useless slime sack has taken," turning his eyes to Filch.

"I don't have anything that belongs to you," he argued. "The only things I confiscated from your son and his friends were prank items and—"

He didn't get to finish as Arcturus grabbed him by his clothes and threw him on Dumbledore's desk, keeping his hand on the man's neck. "He's not talking about those useless joke items. The map you confiscated from that murdering bastard Pettigrew in their seventh year. Return it, or there will be the devil to pay."

Argus's eyes went wide as he remembered confiscating from Peter. "Lord Black, please let him go," Albus intervened. Arcturus reluctantly agreed, removing his hand from the caretaker's throat and letting him cough and gasp for air. "Argus, you know full well that once a student has graduated, all items confiscated from them will be returned. Since you confiscated the map, I assume it should be in your office. Kindly retrieve it."

Fearfully nodding his head, he called one of the school's house elves and had her get the map from one of the filing cabinets marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous. The elf apparated out of the office with a 'pop' to retrieve the magical object and returned a few minutes with a wadded-up old piece of parchment. She handed it to Lord Potter before taking her leave. Charlus narrowed his eyes at Filch, making him go pale.

"This map was created by my late son and should have been returned to him at graduation. If I find out that you've done anything to it, you will spend some time in a cell of Azkaban next to the Lestranges." Argus almost shit himself at the man's threat. He never liked the Lestrange brothers, the worse being Bellatrix Lestrange, as that woman was dangerous and scared the daylight out of him.

"Lord Potter, I promise I did nothing to the parchment except lock it in my filing cabinet," he pleaded. Charlus glared at him before motioning for him to leave and turning to leave himself.

He and Arcturus would have left had it not been for Dumbledore enquiring about Harry and if he could check on the boy. At the same time, they told him 'no,' stating that he was not the boy's family and had no right to ask about him. Albus insisted that he was only concerned about the boy's well-being and that James would let him visit the child. It took all of Charlus's willpower to not flick his wand out and kill Dumbledore. Instead, he said that James was no longer here, and as the Head of the House of Potter, he had the final say in the matter, calling Dumbledore irrelevant. Seeing a losing argument, he let out a grandfatherly sigh and told them he'd see them again when the boy arrives for his first year.

Little did he know they were already making plans on that front. Leaving the office, they went about their business and exited the school gates, and apparated away.

A/N: Dumbledore miscalculated when he forgot to take Charlus Potter into account as there was no way in hell that the man would allow Albus to have his way. Especially not when it concerns his grandson. As it should have been the boy should have received medical attention after being hit with the killing curse, not left on a doorstep. In the book and movie Dumbledore claims he cares for Harry, but that can be viewed many ways. My opinion? He only cared about the boy completing his plans as he decided everything for him. He placed the boy with Petunia knowing she hated magic and her sister where he was then treated like a slave for the most of his life.

Then when it came time for Harry to leave for Hogwarts he presented himself a whimsical leader and grandfather who wanted to help the child. Taking of Harry's naivety and lack of knowledge about his heritage was the perfect time to implement his plans. He wanted Harry dependent on him, which was a mistake. I also do not like how he never lifted a finger to help Sirius get a trial and had a hand in getting him killed. Sometimes when you cage the best the beast will get angry and we all know how that turns out.

However, that is not how things are going to turn out as Sirius will be involved in Harry's life and so will Severus. As for the marauders map and invisibility cloak they are Harry's by right and should never have been in Dumbledore's possession or any member of the staff's. Am I wrong?

Next chapter: It is time