Disclaimer: I own nothing other than the plot. The original concepts belong to JKR and Warner Brothers. Any concepts brought from other fictions are either coincidental or will be used in their own way, and no plagiarism is meant.

Also, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Chapter 7: An Escapee and his Wardens

November 4th, 1993

Godric's Quarters

Harry smiled at seeing the trimmed hair and closely cut beard Sirius now sported. He was looking better already, only days after having begun his stay within the quarters. His face wasn't so pale, and the showers, meals, and potions were helping his health significantly, but Harry knew it would be some time before he would lose the gauntness in his face, but the small scars were gone, and his teeth were back to being a clean white, improving his looks and making him seem less deranged.

"Harry? You alright?" The Marauder asked.

"Just seeing how you're feeling. You look better, and your skin isn't so pale."

"I feel it." Sirius hesitated, "You haven't explained much, nor have we even talked much yet."

Harry felt his face change, guilt clouding his expression, "I'm sorry. I wanted to give you some time to rest."

There was silence as the two stared at one another. "Right. Well, I can't explain much about how I know anything. But I'd like to get to know you."

"Right. What about me?" Sirius said slowly.

"Um, your family? How did you meet my parents?" Harry prompted, changing his question after a moment. Sirius grimaced at the first, but smiled at the second.

"How I met James and Lils. That's a funny story really." Sirius chuckled. "It started on the express, actually, starting in our first year. James and I knew each other, being second cousins and all, you know?"

"Yeah." Harry nodded, smiling. It encouraged the man to continue.

"Well, you see, we were wandering the express, and found Remus and the traitor sitting awkwardly together. Remus was so shy up until his third year, and the traitor was nervous and all. We just barged in, joking and having a laugh. They both seemed chill enough and were in our year, so we stayed."

"Well, it was roughly an hour later, just before my bitch of a co-, sorry, that Bellatrix stopped by, when your mother came in, Snape trailing behind her-"

"Mum and Snape were good friends?" Harry cut in. He knew they knew each other before Hogwarts, but…

"Yeah. The best, even after being sorted in other houses. They fell out in fifth year when he called her a mudblood. You know Snivilius?" Sirius asked, frowning.

"Yeah. He is the potions professor… potions arsehole more like. He doesn't teach, just belittles Gryffindors, allows Slytherins to blatantly sabotage our cauldrons, and gives them points." Harry answered. Sirius seemed rather unfazed by his language, but he should've held his tongue back, "So what happened?"

It took his godfather a moment to remember the conversation, but he found where he was, "Right! So they came in, knocking and all first, and your dad instantly started making doe eyes at her. Ironic since his form was a stag."

Harry chuckled as Sirius stopped for a moment, "Well see, James instantly had to try to woo her, and I bet you can't guess what his first line was."

"What was it?"

"You're as beautiful as a rose blooming in the spring. Will you go out with me?" They both fell into laughter.

"He didn't!" Harry laughed out loud.

"He did!" Sirius wiped his eyes, "Her response, 'I hate roses.' She stormed from the compartment within seconds, and Snivilius sneered at us before following her out. James just said he would definitely get her attention."

"I heard it took him until sixth year to get the attention he wanted." Harry commented.

Sirius calmed down, nodding. "We grew up a lot that year. It was when the war kicked up. People were dying, Hogsmeade was attacked and us three, James, Remus, and I, we helped protect the younger years alongside Lily and her best friends, Marlene and Alice."

"Alice Longbottom?" Harry asked instantly.

"Yes. Your godmother." His face fell instantly, "I still can't believe what happened to them… and right after his fall. Right after James and Lily…"

Harry gave him a few seconds to zone out, something Sirius did somewhat often, "What were they like? Alice and Frank?"

Sirius jerked slightly at his voice, before letting out a deep breath, "Alice was a year older than us, Frank too, but she was an absolute clutz. She dropped things daily and could probably trip when sitting down. Yet she was impressive in Ancient Runes and Herbology. Worked with any plant, and could make anything happen with runes."

He stopped for a moment before continuing, "Frank was something else. He tied the record for his Defense mark on the O.W.L.s and earned a Distinguished on Transfiguration. His N.E.W.T.s were just as impressive, he scored an outstanding on his Defense N.E.W.T.s. He was better than James or myself in a duel. He was favored to become Head of the Auror Department before the attack on them. Not surprising with his capture record, but he worked with Amelia, who heads the DMLE now."

"He sounds impressive." Harry said softly. 'Sounds like that's why Neville is so pressured too, it's a lot of expectations to meet.'

"He was. He held Voldemort off for two minutes alone, after having dueled him with Alice for a prior three minutes before she was banished into a wall and knocked out. Dumbledore showed up and the two pushed him back. Your mum and dad did the same alone too. Voldemort left of his own will that time though."

Sirius spoke with a softness Harry had never heard from the man, but there was an undercurrent of pride to it. He understood though. They were family to Sirius, family that he didn't have in his blood relations. The Marauders had been his brotherhood where Regulus had not. And that his parents had actually fended off Voldemort? He had seen many fight when the odds were against them, and even when the odds were even. To hear that his parents had more than just 'defied' Voldemort, it made him happy to know.

They sat in a comfortable silence. Harry knew Sirius needed this, the socializing, which is why he pulled back on his training. An hour with Sirius and two practicing was plenty enough with his two or three hours in the morning. At least, for now. Sirius was his priority.

"Prongs was a prodigy in Transfiguration, you know. Lils was one in Charms and she was amazing in Potions, the best in Gryffindor and second only to Snape." Sirius said, "Are you any good there?"

"Yeah." Harry smiled, "I'd say so. I mean, I can do things better than others in my year, but I hold back in class."

"Why? You should show your skill." Sirius said, frowning.

"Because. Voldemort isn't gone." Sirius didn't react, "I've met him here, in my first year. He was possessing the defense professor. He's nothing more than a wraith, but he is trying to come back. I want to have a leg up, a lifeline if I end up alone and need to surprise him."

Sirius looked paler, "I heard the whispers in Azkaban. Bellatrix and Amycus were certainly vocal about the mark darkening, but then it faded again, and they fell back into despair."

"Dumbledore isn't necessarily my ally either." Harry said quietly, causing Sirius to look up from the fire angrily.

"Clearly. He tied blood wards to a baby." Sirius snarled.

"What was the danger in it?"

"Blood wards drain the magic from a person to sustain themselves. They weaken the anchored person to keep their strength, unless you bleed a person dry to cast them. It could have permanently weakened you or even outright turned you into a squib, crippling your ability to cast magic."

Harry's eyes glowed, "And no one bothered to tell me this?"

"No one knows because no one really knows about Blood Magic." Sirius scoffed, before seeing Harry's expression soften some, "Oh, no doubt the old bastard does, he knows far too much of all kinds of magic, but Blood Magic is illegal. Wards included. They are a powerful branch, and many of the uses are not good or have too heavy of a cost, hence why it is banned."

"Then I need to break my connection to them." Harry sighed in frustration.

"Sooner rather than later. Do you have any issues casting spells?" Sirius asked. Harry just drew his Phoenix wand, casting his patronus with some extra resistance.

Prongs leapt around the room, a small trail of silver light following behind him before he stopped in front of Sirius, before fading away. "Prongs."

"Yeah. That is with my old and now poorly matched wand."

"So you are still pretty powerful… you're a third year? How can you cast that?" Sirius looked confused.

"The dementors force me to relive that night. I had good motivation for learning it." There was a heavy silence as Sirius processed that.

"I'm sorry."

Harry looked at him, trying to figure out why he was apologizing. "For what?"

"For not being the secret keeper! For not taking you despite Hagrid's insistence! For running after Pettigrew instead of clearing my name!"

Tears fell off the man's face as he started to cry. Harry stared for a minute, something breaking in him from his godfather's words. Sirius had never apologized, not before. But then again, they never had much time to talk with Dumbledore and Mrs. Weasley keeping them apart. Harry stood, walking over and hugging the man, who grabbed his shoulders like a lifeline as he muttered his apologies over and over.

"Sirius. Look at me." The man slowly let go, "You are not at fault- no, listen! You did what you thought was best. You thought Pettigrew would be a better choice, that he was loyal and too unnoticeable. Pettigrew and Voldemort are the only two responsible for the attack on my parents. Nor do I blame you for what you did in your grief."

"You don't?" His voice was shaky.

"No." It wasn't the complete truth. There was a piece of his heart that said that if he hadn't left him, that he would've grown up happy and cared for, but he wasn't ever going to tell the already broken man that. "You weren't of sound mind when everything happened. And I have no doubt that if you had been, things would've been different, but here we are, and now all I want is to clear your name and move in with you."

"Then we need to get the rat." Sirius said quietly.

"After Christmas, at the earliest." Harry agreed. "We need time for you to heal. He isn't going to run if he believes you are still far enough away. Since you haven't been spotted here, he is likely still believing being close to the Dementors will keep you away."

"Fine." The marauder wiped his eyes, "As for you moving in with me, I would be more than happy to have you, even with my issues."

"Good." Harry smiled. They sat silent for a few minutes, the atmosphere having calmed down, before Harry saw he only had an hour and a half left, "Want to watch me train?"

"Sure." With that, the two changed rooms, and things returned to a semi-normalcy.

November 8th, 1993

Quidditch Pitch, Hogwarts

Harry cursed as he stared out into the pitch from the tent. It was raining just like it had in the first match, and the cold had seeped back into the air. Clearly, the Dementors were getting restless, so he needed to be careful.

"Harry!" Oliver shouted over the rain, pulling him from his thoughts. "We need a fast catch today. No screwing around."

"Oliver… It could be a bit, and we need to prepare for that." Harry said, sighing, "The rain is going to inhibit both teams, but I have an idea. Anyone know any repelling charms?

Wood's eyes widened. Instantly he started casting it on each of them, before nodding. "Any other ideas, Potter?"

"No. But the cold isn't natural. Keep an eye out for the Dementors. This much excitement might prove too much for them, especially if they haven't had anyone around them to feed from." Harry finished.

Everyone seemed uneasy about that, but it was best that they were warned. "Right. Well get in line, we have thirty seconds."

It began the same, only they were playing Slytherin, so the whistle blew more from fouls being committed. He searched as best he could, but it was hiding too well. The repelling charms only did so much too, so while his clothes had stayed dry, water was slowly getting inside between them and his skin. "Dammit."

He spun, diving towards the ground and searching the edge of the pitch. Red sparks went up, and Harry flew over to his team who was hiding under a conjured tent. "Any luck?"

"None. The rain keeps changing directions and there's too little light to spot a glint." Harry shouted. There was a near-blinding flash of light that cut through the dark clouds, lightning striking a tree in the forest with a deafening Boom. The ground shook from the strike, and the team all looked at each other.

"Be careful not to get hit by that!" Fred shouted. Hooch's whistle went off again, and they had to leave their somewhat useless cover.

It seemed Malfoy had given up on finding it himself, instead choosing to follow Harry around the pitch. Harry could only roll his eyes as he searched. He needed to do something about the brat, so he shifted himself, before pushing. With his additional experience. Instantly, Draco fell behind, and once he was sure it had been far enough, he dove behind a set of stands and stopped. Reaching up, he wiped his hand through his hair, water getting pushed from it.

He took off a few seconds later, and as he went to grab the broom with his left hand, which had still been wiping water from his face, he felt something metallic and cold shoot up his left sleeve.

"What the…" It was still struggling, but it was very clearly a snitch. Quickly sliding his right hand in, he pulled it out, the gold wings flapping in defeat before folding in.

He grinned, 'That has to make this the most ridiculous catch in my life.'

Pulling out his wand, he sent out red sparks. Everyone converged on him, and Oliver screamed in happiness at seeing the snitch held high. It was only seconds later when the team started celebrating, and the whole pitch seemed to increase in sound as it was announced.

230-40. A good final score.

Harry shivered slightly, the cold seeming to strengthen, before his eyes widened in realization. He looked up and could see the shadows flying in the clouds above, their silhouettes becoming more visible by the second as lightning flashed. He looked around, his team having fallen a distance away, before he flicked his Ash wand out, and whispered the incantation.

White light burst out of the wand eagerly, and he watched a brighter, larger, and more magnificent Prongs charged into the air, quickly joined by Dumbledore's phoenix and McGonagall's cat which protected the students as he floated back to the ground. The Ash wand sung in his hand as the spell held, screeches from the foul creatures echoed alongside the students' exclamations of awe.

Within a minute, it had become noticeably warmer and there were no dementors in sight, so he let go of the spell, believing the professors could handle the rest.

November 10th, 1993

Great Hall, Hogwarts

"May I have your attention please!" Dumbledore's voice echoed across the hall, and the sounds of silverware clattering and chatter ceased, "At the Quidditch Match, someone casted a patronus in the shape of a large stag. We have tried to find who casted it, and hoped perhaps the person would step forward."

No one moved for a moment, before Slytherin tried to claim it. McGonagall only asked for him to cast it again, catching him in the lie.

"Interesting." The mutter was amplified by the charm the headmaster was using. "Very well. I only wished to thank you. It is possible that with your action, you saved student's lives."

With that, he sat back in his chair, looking over the students. Harry dipped his head down, grinning. 'So he didn't see… good.'

The Daily Prophet had blasted the minister for the Dementor's attempted attack on the students, which he had defended valiantly. He claimed they had only thought they saw Black, which was a load of hippogriff dung, and they tried to protect the students.

It had been a massive hit to the man's popularity, especially as many had already spoken in discontent over the creatures being so close to children in the first place. However, in the end, the dementor's weren't leaving, and now Harry was being unknowingly praised by both the Prophet and the school's population.

November 17th, 1993

Godric's Quarters

Harry watched Sirius cast several spells, chaining them together effortlessly with his Holly wand. "See. A spell chain. This one is a shorter and easier one, as the Stunner ends with an upward flick, and the binding spell begins with an upward flick. The binding spell can be followed by the disarming charm as you're already halfway through the counterclockwise movement.'

"Interesting. How do spell-chains work when you no longer need wand movements though?" Harry asked.

"Hm…" Sirius thought. "A complicated answer. At that point, you are limited only by how quickly you can re-level your wand before you flick it. There is always a small movement to cast, just like shooting a muggle wand."

"Gun." Harry corrected.

"Yes. That. Regardless, you are sort of limited on spells that can be casted that way. Stunners, many charms, and some shields are spells that can be done, just as Transfigurations don't require wand movements later on and only require intent and willpower." Sirius answered. "Most complicated spells, getting around bone breaker level, begin to require some of the movement. Other spells, mainly powerful curses and countercurses, there is no shorting it, you still need the movements and at the highermost tiers, the incantation."

"So some forms of magic, like Charms and Transfiguration, can be casted using intent and with only a gesture, whereas most powerful direct attack spells require some form of wand movement?" Harry asked.

"Essentially. There are exceptions of course. The Patronus spell has no wand movements, but like the Unforgivables, it still requires a vocal incantation to focus its power." Sirius replied, smiling.

Harry practiced the spell chain, surprising Sirius by learning it in only a dozen tries. It took a few more tries before he could do it nonverbally, but he got it down in just over thirty minutes.

"Are you still planning on asking Flitwick for dueling lessons?" Sirius asked, watching Harry sit on the floor and conjure three rocks that were a few inches in diameter.

"Yeah. I was thinking of asking in December. It gives me a bit more time to get into shape and learn some more from the dueling books."

The stones started levitating with a single spin of the ash wand, and after a moment, they began to move around him slowly. Sirius stepped back further away as the speed increased more before leveling out. Sirius let out a low whistle at the control. He had been impressed before, of course, with the control over a single larger stone, but this was more impressive to him, even if it was under the least stressful conditions.

After a few minutes, Harry stopped, the stones falling and rolling across the ground. He conjured two more, and began again. This time, he lost control of one after speeding them up, causing it to launch across the training room before hitting the wall with a small crack. He held the other four for almost five minutes, before letting them go, sweat forming on his forehead.

"You know, most wizards couldn't do this, yet you make it look easy." Sirius commented dryly.

"It is a decent defense method though. Think about it. Small balls of marble intercepting a killing curse would disintegrate on contact with the curse, but it wouldn't create the shrapnel that wood or regular stone would, and having several of them is useful for fighting Death Eaters." Harry reasoned.

"True, but it is only effective if they are larger or you are extremely precise. Are you willing to bet your life on a small stone protecting you?"

"No. That's why I am going to be increasing their sizes. A several inch round piece, maybe the size of a tea saucer, would be as useful as a weapon as a defense." Harry refuted. Sirius nodded.

"Hence why you used such a large stone to practice before?" Sirius asked.

"Well… no, that was in case I needed to conjure and hold a slab before dropping it on someone."

"Oh." Sirius seemed to think for a moment. "Definitely need to learn that one. Talk about knocking out a Death Eater. That'd be permanent."

"You are okay with killing a Death Eater?" Harry asked.

"Do you even know what is required to take the mark, Harry?" He asked, his face neutral. Harry shook his head. "Torturing an innocent, possibly a muggle or magical, depending on what the psychopath has, before the victim is killed in cold blood. Sometimes even against a child. If they wear the mask, if they carry a mark, they have done it, regardless of if they claimed Imperius or not."

"No one ever told me that." Harry muttered. He wondered who Snape had used to join the Death Eaters. He wondered if the man regretted it.

"Yeah. I've gotta ask, are you certain you are willing to take a life?" Sirius was oddly… serious.

Harry thought for a moment. When he came back, he had said he would, but taking a life and talking of it were two different things. "If I have to take a life to protect those I care about, then I will. Dumbledore won't like it, but people like Dolohov don't regret what they've done. They'll do it again if they are given the opportunity. I won't seek to instantly kill, but… when they start throwing killing curses, the gloves come off."

"Good. Prongs and Lil both killed in the war. It changed them, it changed all of us to take a life." Sirius muttered, his eyes unfocused, "I killed four before I went into hiding. I remember each of them. I feel little guilt for their deaths, only for their families who suffered and mourned them."

"I sort of killed Quirrell." Harry spoke after a minute. "He was the Defense professor that was possessed by Voldemort in my first year. He burned to death in my hands. I still remember the feeling of his skin turning to ash under my fingers… the smell, all of it…"

Sirius pulled him into a hug as he continued, though he later realized that again, he was acting as more of his thirteen year old self than his eighteen year old consciousness. "Dumbledore said that Quirrell would have died either way, that the possession had rotted his body and when Voldemort left him, it would have ended his life, but still."

"Dumbledore was right, but that doesn't mean you weren't involved in his death as well. Have you seen a mind healer for it?" Sirius asked, letting him go.

Harry scoffed. "I've been in life and death scenarios every year, and all he does is give me awards or points. A girl was possessed by an artifact and it used her to attack the school with a basilisk. What did he do? Send us both back home. At least she had her family to be around. I was left with the Dursleys while my friends went on vacation. And they are children, they aren't fit to help someone mentally."

"And you're not a child?" Sirius asked. Harry cursed himself at his slip.

"I am. Technically." Harry answered slowly.

"Part of the things you can't tell me yet?" Sirius asked. Harry nodded slowly, and thankfully, his godfather dropped it, instead allowing him to go shower before he left.

Sirius collapsed down in a chair in the study soon after. He felt better, and getting to use a wand and his magic was helping him, but he was worried for his godson. Too many people seemed to have an interest in his life, and no matter what secrets Harry held, he was still acting alone.

He needed help, and Sirius knew, no matter who tried to stop him, he would help his godson.

"Lily, James. I can only hope that you won't hate me for my stupidity. All I can do is promise to make it right." He muttered. Grabbing a book off the shelf, he began to read himself, hoping to further himself from where he once was.

Chapter Length: 4171

Post Chapter Note: I saw the guest's review on Death, and his sometimes childish personality. I am certain that he isn't the only one to question Death being childish for moments at a time, and and there is a reason. If any of you have read Percy Jackson, Apollo is much of the same as he uses a cheerful and childish at times personality to cope with the visions of the future. I wrote death in a similar manner, as he has seen the gruesome methods of death humanity has created, both magical and nonmagical. It was my touch to Death.