October passed mostly uneventfully for The Yellow Quartet.
On the morning of Tuesday, October 29th, 1991, as Harry, Amy, Susan, Hannah, and Heather were enjoying a breakfast of french toast sticks, bacon strips, and Michelob, Heater turned to Harry.
"Harry, " said Heather clearly, "I have good news for you. You remember that Sirius Black is innocent?"
"Yes, " said Harry simply.
"Well, he is your godfather, " explained Heather, "He will have to lie low until he can be tried. Apparently, he never even got a trial the first time. I have made arrangements with Amelia to allow Sirius access to this house. Remember that I am the secret keeper of Abbott Manor. "
"If he is my godfather and he is innocent, then I would like to meet him, " said Harry clearly.
Next nanosecond, Amelia apparated in with a man who must be Sirius.
"Harry!" said Sirius eagerly, running up and engulfing Harry in a tight hug, "It's been way too long pup!"
"Yeah, Dumbledore fucked it all up for us, " said Harry bitterly.
"True, " said Sirius, "But I'm glad I have the opportunity to meet you at last."
"Sirius, " asked Harry urgently, "How aware are you of current events?"
"Amelia has told me everyone that has happened since the so-called Yellow Quartet was bought to Abbott Manor, " confirmed Sirius.
"Very well, but If you are my godfather, " asked Harry slowly, "And if my mom and dad preferred you as my guardian if they died, then you must have been close with them."
"James and I hit it off on the Hogwarts Express, " said Sirius fondly, remembering the moment, "We were inseparable after that. Even now, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss James. Still, I cherish every nanosecond I did get to spend with him, and I wouldn't trade those experiences for anything."
"I actually had a very similar experience with meeting Amy, Susan, and Hannah, " smiled Harry.
"I know who Susan and Hannah must be, they have the classic Bones and Abbott physical appearances, " smirked Sirius, "So the Albino girl is Amy by process of elimination."
"Very good, Sirius, " said Harry brightly.
"Harry, my friends nickname for me in my schoolboy days was Padfoot because I am an animagus. I can turn into a dog."
"Prove it, " said Amy eagerly.
In response, Sirius assumed his dog form.
Harry, Amy, Susan, Hannah, and Heather were all impressed and burst into applause without even thinking about it.
"That's super cool, " beamed Harry, "But I've got to ask, was my dad an animagus too?"
"Yes, " said Sirius proudly, "His animagus form was a stag and we called him prongs. "
"Wicked!" grinned Harry.
"I didn't get along with my parents because they were bigoted pure blood supremacists, " explained Sirius, "It got so bad that I ran away from home at sixteen. I went to James's place. To their credit, your paternal grandparents were really great about it. Though they never formally adopted me, I was always treated like a son at the Potters' place."
"Maybe you could tell me more about my dad and his parents sometime?" asked Harry hopefully.
"Absolutely, " smiled Sirius, "Naturally I became closer with Lily after she married James. Lily was always very kindhearted. James and I actually had a werewolf friend named Remus Lupin who we called Moony. Remus had to deal with a lot judgementalism, but Lily was one of the very few people to accept him for who he was."
"If I may ask, " said Harry slowly, "Were you or either of my parents close with Amelia or Heather? I only ask because I know that after you and Lupin that Amelia and Heather were next on the list of preferred guardians."
"We all knew Amelia and Heather, " explained Sirius, "But we honestly weren't that close with them. Your parents simply felt like if none of us could look after you that they would be the best choices. We knew they were trustworthy and James and Lily thought no matter who raised you that being exposed to Susan and Hannah would be good for you. They felt strongly about the importance of you having friends of your age."
"It's happening now, " beamed Harry, "Though Heather wants to put a damper on it at her new school next year. She wants each of us to join a different school club without the others."
"Harry, again, " said Heather clearly, "I'm NOT trying to break up the Yellow Quartet. You'll still be able to see each other every day. I just want all of you to expand your circles. Doing different things with different people is healthy."
"Sorry, pup, but I agree with Heather here, " said Sirius firmly, "As much as I love and cherish the time I got to spend with James and Remus, I legitimately regret never talking with anyone else at school. Expanding your circle and having different experiences with different people will lead to a more fulfilling life."
"Sirius is EXACTLY RIGHT!" piped up Amy, "We CAN be best friends without having a monopoly on each other's time."
"I wish I had understood that concept back in the day, " said Sirius regretfully.
They all then went outside so that Sirius could watch Harry fly. Sirius had been disappointed when Amelia had told him Harry wasn't interested in Quidditch but was still excited to see Harry fly.
"Oh, my goodness, " said Sirius in an awestruck voice as he watched Harry fly around the yard, "Man, how I wish James could see this. He would be so happy and proud."
"As a matter of interest, " inquired Harry, "Do you know if dad ever bought me a toy broomstick when I was a baby?"
"Actually, " grinned Sirius, "I was I who did that. I gave your parents a toy broomstick for you as a first birthday present!"
Harry beamed.
"That's awesome!" said Harry glowingly, "Knowing my godfather bought me my first broomstick makes me so happy. Of course, just being able to meet you is making my insides radiate with warmth."
"The feeling is mutual, " beamed Sirius.
Come lunchtime they had spicy chicken breasts and legs, which was Sirius's favorite meal. Heather made it a point to make sure Sirius's favorite food was served for his first meal there.
By the end of the day Harry felt as uplifted as he had in a long time.
Meeting his godfather had been truly special.