Disclaimer: I still do not own Harry Potter.

Hey everyone, and thank you so much for the reviews. I wanted to reassure you that yes, everything is in place now, I have finished setting the stage. I am sorry if the first part of this story moved too slowly.

This chapter will be a heart-to-heart talk between Harry and Sirius, which I know you have been waiting for. In the next one, however, things start to get messy, and you will see why. After all, we have Zacharias and his cohorts to deal with.

I hope you enjoy.

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Harry regained consciousness slowly, sensation beginning to return to him. He yawned and rolled over, and the first thing he discovered was that there was a huge something lying atop his feet. After stretching, he gingerly put out his hand, and thankfully, his glasses were sitting on the nightstand. Picking them up, he placed them over his face.

It was then that he saw the enormous black dog sleeping on his bed, his mouth emitting loud snores. Sirius. A tiny smile found its way onto Harry's face as he saw his godfather's chest rise and fall in slumber. As a dog, he couldn't look more relaxed if he tried, and Harry wondered fleetingly if a dog could have nightmares like a human could.

At that thought, he was bombarded with a sudden influx of memory. Cedric's face, still frozen in that final, desperate look of helplessness and fear despite the fact that his gray eyes were now closed; the Diggorys, stricken in their debilitating grief; Harry's promise as he looked into the older teen's face, his vow to fight on, to never forget; the sudden feeling of lightheadedness, the realization that this was all too much, and he just couldn't cope anymore; all sensation leaving his body as he lost consciousness, and a pair of strong arms catching him as he fell into darkness.

Overwhelmed, Harry buried his face into Sirius's soft fur, wishing with all his being that he could just sink forever into the comforting warmth and never reemerge again. His hands began to stroke the dog rhythmically in an attempt to protect himself from the feelings surging up in him, clawing at his insides.

Then, Sirius suddenly moved, and Harry knew he was waking up. Embarrassed at his childlike behavior, Harry sat up instantly, and he removed his hands from the dog's soft fur.

Slowly, the dog sat up too, and he also yawned and stretched. He then gently placed his paws on Harry's knee, conveying a silent message of support. He then proceeded to look Harry directly in the eye, and his face morphed into a tender expression. Even though it was on the features of a dog, it seemed to capture Sirius's emotions towards Harry perfectly. His mouth opened, and a gentle barking sound escaped his lips.

For a reason that was unknown to Harry, the simple "woof, woof" sound Sirius made caused a well of emotion to rise up inside of him. Without being able to help it, his hands sank themselves into the soft fur again, and he stroked it as Sirius continued to bark. As the sound repeated, a smile pulled at the corners of Harry's mouth.

After another few soft barks, Harry felt a ripple travel through the dog's body. He took his hands from the fur once again, and within a few heartbeats, the human Sirius was sitting next to Harry on the bed, a warm grin on his face as his eyes crinkled in affection.

"Did you know," he said softly as he rested a hand on Harry's shoulder, "you used to love when I did that when you were a baby?"

Harry looked at him in surprise. "Really?" he asked.

"Yep," Sirius replied, his smile widening. "In fact, whenever I began barking, you'd laugh hysterically at the sound. You could be asleep, and I'd come into your nursery and start woofing at you. And no matter what, the noise would provoke the same reaction in you. Oh, the amount of times your mother would yell at me to let you sleep! But alas, I would do no such thing. I'd tell her you'd be content to let me say woof, woof to you the entire day, and never get tired of it."

Harry's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but he couldn't help the pleasure he felt at this new information. Those fifteen months he had spent with his parents and their friends ... he had no real memory of them. But then, the feelings that had arisen at Sirius's barking came into his mind, and he wondered if the memories were still there somehow, buried beneath the surface. He also recalled the sense of comfort and security Sirius had brought to him the night before, and it gave him even more reason to think this was true.

"You truly were the cutest little baby," Sirius said as he continued to smile fondly at his godson. "And you have grown up into one of the bravest people I've ever met." The smile suddenly vanished, to be replaced with a look of profound sadness. "I am so sorry, kiddo," he said softly. "I wish I could have done something to help you with the Diggorys this morning. But I want you to know," he continued as he squeezed Harry's shoulder, "that I was with you the entire time. You did more than anyone could have expected of you, and I truly couldn't be prouder."

Harry stared into Sirius's soft gray eyes, and he was once again overwhelmed at the realization that Sirius was telling the truth. "Sirius, you kept yourself safe. That's all I want from you," he said quietly. "Thank you for being there with me. I ..." He swallowed, his throat feeling constricted. "I needed to say goodbye." After a moment, he asked hesitantly, "Who ... who caught me?"

"It was Mr. Diggory," Sirius replied, beginning to stroke Harry's hair in a soothing motion. Unconsciously, Harry leaned into the touch. "He and Mrs. Diggory made sure you were okay before they had to go." Sighing sadly, he continued, "Madam Pomfrey gave you a potion to keep you asleep for a while. Your body simply couldn't take anymore."

At this, Harry hung his head in shame. How humiliating, to have collapsed like that, especially in front of the Diggorys. They were the ones who had lost a son, and they were standing strong despite their unbearable sorrow. Harry, who had barely known Cedric and hadn't even liked him much in life, was the one falling apart.

"Harry, pup, look at me." Gently, Sirius lifted Harry's chin and forced him to look into his eyes. "You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of," he said, his voice still soft but full of undeniable strength. "You have been through a horrific ordeal, and I won't allow you to feel ashamed of your emotions."

Harry suddenly couldn't take it anymore; all the self-loathing and guilt washed over him in a huge tidal wave; why was everyone being so nice to him? If only they knew, he thought as his mind replayed all the compassion he'd been given, especially from the Diggorys, who Harry deserved it the least from. When he next spoke, he barely got the words out; he felt as though he was choking on them. "Sirius," he said, his voice coming out small and stricken. "Sirius, you don't understand. I ... I didn't like Cedric."

He had done it. Harry had finally admitted the terrible truth to his godfather, the knowledge that had been destroying him from the inside out ever since the moment he'd really understood what had happened, that Cedric was never coming back. He recalled the dread he'd felt this morning before his conversation with the Diggorys. Their compassion towards him, and the fact that they didn't hold him responsible for their son's murder ... it tore him up inside, because if they truly knew of the jealousy he'd harbored towards their son, they would have had a very different response to him. Harry had never been more sure of anything.

But before he had a chance to think any further, and to realize that he might have turned his godfather away forever, he felt Sirius's strong arms pull him into an embrace. Astonished, he tried to pull away, but Sirius would have none of it. As he folded his arms around the shaking boy, he whispered, "And that knowledge is slowly tearing you apart, kiddo. You are now spending every single second thinking that your not liking him somehow caused this to happen." Once again, he forced Harry to look into the gray eyes that, even after Harry's terrible confession, held no condemnation, only love and concern. "Listen to me," he said, each word carrying with it a firm resolve to make Harry see. "Magic can do all sorts of things, kiddo, but it doesn't do that. You didn't make this happen by not liking him. And you would have never wished this on him, not in a million years."

When Harry continued to look astonished, Sirius put an arm around him again and began to rub his back. "I'm curious, though," he said softly. "What was it about Cedric that you didn't like?"

And Harry found himself telling Sirius more, feeling as though he was expelling the poison that had been inside his soul for what seemed like an eternity. "It's so stupid," he said, his voice filled with disgust. "It's for a really, really dumb reason. He was a far better champion than me. He always seemed to know what he was doing, and I had no clue. He had so many people who loved and cared about him, and they thought he was great because of who he was. He didn't have a stupid scar on his forehead, and they didn't only like him because he was famous. But it's all so stupid now, isn't it?" he asked, his voice full of shame and grief. "None of it matters now. He's dead. I was so stupid." Tears sprang to his eyes, and, unable to stomach discovering the look on Sirius's face, he sank his head deep into Sirius's shoulder.

Godfather and godson spent several moments like that, and Harry felt Sirius's arms tighten around him. For an indeterminable moment, Harry lost himself in the warmth, refusing to even wonder why Sirius was being so fiercely loving. He knew this only added to his stupidity and selfishness, and knew he'd be filled with humiliation later, but for now, he stopped caring.

Eventually, the flood of emotions ebbed slightly, and he finally had the courage to pry himself away. Thankfully, he had regained control of himself by the time he looked at Sirius again.

Then, Sirius spoke, and the words were filled with an endless conviction that surprised Harry beyond belief. "It's not stupid," he said fiercely, grasping Harry by the shoulders. "It's not stupid at all." He caught Harry's eyes and held them for a long time, and the gaze was unfaltering. "But, I assure you, I will make it my mission to make sure you never, ever feel like that again. You will never feel like you are not loved, not treasured and cherished for who you are. I know how the wizarding world treats you, and I understand completely how it makes you feel. But Harry, what you don't understand is that you do have people who love you just as much as the people who loved Cedric Diggory. Last night, I vowed to you that I would never allow myself to leave your side again, and I meant it. You're stuck with me now, and you will come to know that I don't give one single damn if you have a scar on your forehead or not. I don't care how many Dark Lords you defeat, and monsters you vanquish. Simply put, I love you for being you. You are Harry, my godson, and I love you."

And as he pulled Harry back into his arms, the boy was swept up in another wave of overpowering feelings, and he finally allowed the tears to come. He felt as though his soul was slowly being unburdened as the emotions poured out of him, and as he bathed in the safety and security of Sirius's warmth, he let them free.

After several minutes, the wave finally passed, and exhaustion settled over Harry again. His head continued to rest on Sirius's chest, and he luxuriated in the sensation until he suddenly felt a ripple run through Sirius's body again. Once it was over, soft, fluffy fur replaced the fabric of the shirt Sirius was wearing.

And as Harry sighed in contentment, a small smile pulled at his lips as Sirius let out the noise which had always meant so much to him, a noise which caused Harry to snuggle deeper into the body of the huge dog that would always protect him, no matter what.

"Woof, woof."