Chapter 4

To say that Sirius Black was surprised by the son of Lily and James Potter was an understatement. The telling of his story took several nights, though after the first Harry forwent the truth serums. Throughout his tale, and even as he ended it with descriptions of the horrors of Azkaban, Harry never subjected him to the looks of pity he had expected. Instead, the young Potter took the story in stride, absorbing it stoically.

"Are you alright?" Sirius found himself asking the raven-haired boy who sat before him. "This story is pretty terrible at times, and obviously did not end well for either of us."

"True," Harry replied with a shrug. "But it has happened, and nothing can change what happened. We can only move on from where we are."

"So that's it, is it? Forget and move on?"

"Forget? Not hardly. 'Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in the face of certain defeat.' I hope that you will join me in playing for revenge." Harry gave a sinister grin. Sirius answered it with one of his own, though a nagging thought he could not quite identify tempered his enthusiasm.

That conversation formed the basis for their relationship. Though Sirius had suffered horrors that were nearly incomprehensible for fourteen years, with Harry's help he began to move beyond his past and stepped fully into his future – a future in which Sirius intended to be the godfather he should always have been. This conviction was only strengthened as Harry told his own story. Sirius had not fulfilled his promise to James Potter – he would rectify that.

There were some adjustments to make, of course. Harry was very nearly an adult in the eyes of the Wizarding world, only a year away, and had not had a father figure in his life since James Potter was murdered by Death Eaters. He was not going to respond well to Sirius inserting himself into Harry's life in that fashion. Instead, Sirius approached Harry as a friend and mentor, hoping one day to take the role of older brother. In this fashion, he could still provide the guidance that the boy needed and most importantly not usurp James' place as Harry's father.

The two often spent days engaged with practical magic; it turned out the wand Harry had attempted to purloin was a fair match for the Black heir. Harry would not have attempted to guess why, and asking Olivander seemed right out for the time being.

Harry had been somewhat frustrated that Sirius would not be able to answer his questions in regards to the why of casting and magic, but was exceptionally pleased with his guidance in the performing of magic. Additionally, Sirius was able to offer a wealth of insight into Wizarding culture, having been raised in a noble pureblood house and having attended Hogwarts. These lessons, though often tedious for Sirius, thrilled Harry. When approached as to why, Harry simply responded that if he wanted to play the game, he needed to know the rules – purely so he could cheat. Cheating being a time-honored Marauder tradition, Sirius taught Harry everything he could on the subject.

It was these lessons that convinced Harry, more than anything else, that he had a chance to rebuild his image in this world. It was unlikely, at best, that anyone in the Wizarding world, other than the goblins, would ever find out about his checkered past. Harry dedicated himself to polishing up his way of speaking, the diction he chose. Sirius noticed the changes, but did not press too hard about why his godson was making them.

Between the two of them, they had also put together a rough estimation of what the Ministry of Magic (for it could have been no other) had been attempting to do with Sirius. In response to the threat, Sirius advised Harry to make several changes to the way he interacted with the Wizarding world. His orders of supplies went as often as possible through the muggle world. When this was not feasible, his transactions were handled through several false fronts; a Wizarding courier service and a postal drop just outside the Leaky Cauldron, which was then forwarded to a recently purchased muggle property under a false name. It seemed to work, and there were no further attempted incursions onto manor property. Eventually, even the newspapers calmed in their requests for him to re-appear.

As Sirius began to recover from his stay in Azkaban, Harry noticed a curious thing – Sirius' magic seemed to get stronger as his body did. Though Sirius tried to explain it away as him just getting back into the groove of casting spells, Harry pointed out that his magic should never have weakened should the classical understanding of power be correct. Harry hypothesized that one's magic power would increase as its vessel, the body, improved. To test this, Harry forced Sirius to join him in his workouts. Though Sirius' magic continued to improve, the older wizard refused to believe he was actually increasing his magical power, but instead just getting 'back into form.'

"Whatever, old man," was Harry's common jovial reply.

The two continued in their daily exercises and study of magic and Sirius found himself in constant awe of his godson. The young man's memory and instinctive grasp of nearly every concept were incredible, surpassing even those of his mother. Harry instantly saw patterns that Sirius himself had never noticed throughout his years as a wizard – noticing prime numbers as having some relation to magic purely by observing Sirius' spellcasting. This led Harry into study of Arithmancy and Ancient runes, subjects which Sirius was ill-prepared to tutor.

In fact, if Sirius was honest with himself, he was rapidly approaching the limits of what he could teach Harry in mere months. His best friend's son had easily picked up spellcasting, mastering a variety of spells from all five years of Hogwarts OWLs curriculum, and Sirius could not imagine the NEWT level spells slowing Harry down. Not that Harry had mastered every spell, but he was certainly working his way through a representative sample. Harry's progress bothered Sirius in a way, for how long would this home-schooling benefit Harry if Sirius was the only one helping? The convict did not have an answer to that question, and resolved to speak to Harry about it. In the meantime, there were still things an old dog could teach the pup.


"Has there been any possible hint of Black surviving the wards?" Minister Fudge asked his department head. Their monthly tête-a-tête had up to this point not produced any substantial results.

"No Minister," Croaker began. "As you know, we have been monitoring any and all owl correspondence that routes through our central processing for mention of the man or Potter. Beyond the standard interest, nothing has come from the programme at this time. It is still my professional belief that Black could not have survived the encounter."

"Excellent, perhaps we shall not be thrown to the dogs after all." The reply came with some relief. "Anything to add?"

"Yes Minister, there is something I wanted to bring up with you." Fudge motioned his permission to continue. "As you know, Sirius Black was the last of the Black family. While there are others who are laying claims on the Black wealth, the case is tied up in substantial legal hurdles. Not the least of which is the fact that with the death of Sirius Black, the Black family is no longer Most Noble."

Croaker thought Fudge looked constipated as he tried to work out what this meant. He decided to toss his boss a bone, "This would strip the protections normally granted the Noble Houses from the Black Family assets, sir, as you know."

Finally, he got it - "Of course, Croaker. The family assets will be subjected to the death and inheritance taxes!" – or then again, maybe he did not.

"Minister, you are right, of course. Also though, as Black was imprisoned at the time of his death his assets become claimable by the Ministry if his estate has not been resolved within three months. As the other Noble families continue to fight over the assets they squander the time allotted to them. In little time we will be able to move forward with the claiming of the Black fortune for Ministry. I expect of course that a generous stipend will be put towards the furthering of understanding life's mysteries."

"Of course, Croaker. We cannot let such an important Department languish while others benefit from such a windfall!"


A gray-haired Remus Lupin, looking far older than his thirty-five years, sat alone in his drawing room. A glass of cheap scotch sat on the somewhat rickety table stand next to him. It was full. The bottle next to it – empty. A book sat on his lap, open, but unread. It was not an entirely unfamiliar position for the middle-aged man to be in; drunk and in a stupor. He had been there before – when Sirius had been arrested for betrayal and the rest of his friends murdered. He had returned there when denied any custody of Harry Potter, and again when the boy had disappeared. He continued to return after every full moon.

Remus' lycanthropy was a fatal disease. Given time, it would wear out his body and he would expire. Until then, he would be a pariah amongst society, a leper in the modern era. He was not hirable in the Wizarding world, and most employers in the muggle world could not know, and would not understand, his frequent bouts of illness. This left him a man of meager means, and his abode reflected this.

Despite his physical ailments, Remus possessed a mind that was matched by few of his peers. His time at Hogwarts had left him incredibly optimistic about his future. He had made incredible connections in his two best friends and had a wide variety of careers open to him through them. He was not too proud a man to take those opportunities and was employed by both after graduation. With the destruction of their lives, his too was interrupted.

With a shake of his head, Lupin exited his stupor and reached for the glass. Draining it in one pull he turned to the book on his lap. His books were all he still had, and he had quite the collection. Most wizards were worse than inadequate in the muggle world; the lycanthrope was not one of them. By virtue of his needing to seek employment in the mundane world he had become quite familiar with it. The odd jobs he held had increased his knowledge and comfort while operating as a muggle and a stint he had worked as a mortuary employee had, in a roundabout way, introduced him to the concept of estate sales.

Wizarding books were inscribed primarily on vellum – at least, the good ones were. This material, treated animal skin, did not deteriorate like paper did. The books lasted centuries; magically treated ones could last millennia. So it was that Remus Lupin often found himself at sales of very old estates, digging through piles of old books for the occasional treasure. True gems were rare, but many Wizarding books had fallen into the hands of muggle families throughout the years. Most of these were nothing to the muggles, spelled with notice-me-not charms, but a few were old enough that these protections did not exist. In these cases, they were oft regarded as curiosities – valued for their age, but not their content.

The book on his lap was one of these finds. Written in the thirteen hundreds by an aspiring arithmancer, the musings of the author were found to be curious but ultimately useless by book collectors. The author was an unknown, unsurprisingly, in the muggle world, and so Remus had been able to purchase the book for a pittance. Even in the Wizarding world the author would only have been recognized by virtue of his last name – Ravenclaw.


Albus Dumbledore did not look his one hundred fifteen years of age. He sat in his office surrounded by dozens of magical artifacts and shelves lined with irreplaceable tomes of knowledge. These things were the legacies of Hogwarts' previous headmasters. Each had added something to the collection. Some had added more than others. Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts for thirty-five years, had added his fair share. The gentle sounds made by those artifacts with moving parts soothed the elderly wizard as he reflected upon his day.

It was September 1st, again. Today, Albus Dumbledore had opened the new school year. The new class of first years had been impressive. The families represented in those children were influential across several nations. If the freshman class was impressive, the incoming eighth years for the beginning of post-NEWT studies were even more so.

Since opening the first magical University those fifteen years ago, Hogwarts' reputation had grown. The first few years of the post-NEWT studies had included some growing pains but in the end it seemed that everything would turn out for the best. Those beginning years had provided many students the opportunity to continue their studies in relative safety if they stayed at the school and the opportunity was open to all Hogwarts students. After the fall of Lord Voldemort at Longbottom manor, Hogwarts' governors changed their priorities at Dumbledore's urgings.

In those opening years, Hogwarts had turned down many applications to its post-NEWT studies programmes from students who had not attended its halls previously. The school would have been unable to cater to such a large crowd of post-NEWT students. With the end of the war, however, Hogwarts quickly became more selective, opening its doors to any who could prove they would thrive in its meritocracy. No longer was previous attendance at Hogwarts a guarantee of entry into the post-NEWT programme and the cream of the crop from across the world began to be accepted.

Hogwarts still offered the only post-NEWT studies option outside of apprenticeship. This was not to last for long, however. Dumbledore, in his position in the International Confederation of Wizards as Supreme Mugwump, knew that there were several countries looking at expanding their own schools to offer the same. These, Dumbledore did not regard as a threat to his institution. Hogwarts held a significant lead in the field of post-NEWT education and he felt confident that it would continue to be the world's premier institution.

His musings on the Hogwarts Institute for Higher Magical Education led him to again think about the Potter heir. Harry Potter was still out there, of that he was sure. Dumbledore felt some moderate frustration in regards to Cornelius' bungling of the situation, and the whole Black matter was worrying to the elderly wizard. He had not believed that his former student would have been capable of staging an escape from Azkaban after suffering fourteen years at the mercies of the dementors, though it had been said Black had remained quite sane in his imprisonment.

Harry Potter would have been starting in his sixth year at Hogwarts. Dumbledore imagined the boy as he most likely would have been – a combination of his parents. James Potter, rich heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Potter, had been confident – with reason – and something of a playboy. He tempered in his later years when his natural talent at magic had not been enough to carry him through the Hogwarts curriculum and his studies became more serious.

Lily Evans, muggleborn prodigy, had never been anything other than brilliant. Most muggleborns, despite the incredible talents they must have in order to secure invitation to Hogwarts, started at a level lower than that of their peers who were raised in the magical world. This handicap seemed as if it had never been present for the young woman, and she dove deep into magical theory. Weaker on the practical side than her husband, Lily Potter had been the darling of half the staff and upon graduation was quite possibly beyond what would become the post-NEWT curriculum in several subjects.

Harry Potter would have been in the same class as Neville Longbottom – the Boy-Who-Lived. Dumbledore suppressed a flinch of distaste at the title as much as the boy. Young Neville had been raised by his grandmother – a political savage. He had been raised in the spotlight, used by Augusta to promote her current cause du jour. He understood nothing about his fame other than that he was famous, and he used his fame in ham-handed attempts to gain anything he desired. He was a one-trick pony, a young man who knew nothing about how the world worked and only understood that he inevitably got what he wanted if he pushed hard enough. Nevertheless, the boy was the child of prophecy, and unfortunately due to Augusta, the entire Wizarding world knew it.

If he thought it would be a prudent decision, Dumbledore would have removed Neville Longbottom from Hogwarts. It was not uncommon, after all, for a pupil to be unable to handle the Hogwarts course load and expectations. The constant competition amongst peers in both personal and school sponsored events was not an environment which every student found to be comfortable. Most of these simply removed themselves from the competitive aspect of the institution and thrived by making connections with those at the top of the competitive ladders; offering their help in ways which did not have them directly competing. Occasionally, students found they could not do this and failed to make any meaningful connections which would help lead to eventual success.

It was impossible to escape some aspect of the competitive environment at Hogwarts. The school had re-arranged itself at the turn of the 20th century and removed the restrictive House system. Dumbledore himself had been in the last class to graduate in a House – Ravenclaw. Students were now arranged in dormitories by year and by programme. The Hogwarts OWL programme was the heart of the Hogwarts experience. The first five years of a student's schooling was focused towards general education and the OWL examinations. Students were encouraged during these formative years to take a structured class load, though exceptions were made for those students who could prove their ability. The students were housed in the North West tower – each year having a floor for their dormitory with a study lounge floor supplied between each floor.

Completion of the OWL programme was enough to secure most jobs in the Wizarding World, and was required in order to hold a position as a deputy sub-head or higher within the Ministry of Magic. Graduates of the Hogwarts programme were certified with a background in all core studies required by most positions. That said, 90% of students at Hogwarts continued on with the NEWT programme. This two year programme was largely self-study. Students did have classes, but each was encouraged to learn at their own pace and on their own initiative. Examinations were routinely on-the-fly tests of ability, with only vague similarity to the required curriculum. The graduates of this programme could expect to qualify for any position related to their NEWT studies. A Hogwarts NEWT level certificate was also required for service in the Wizengamot – and each family holding hereditary position in that House of Lords ensured at least one child completed Hogwarts through year seven for this reason.

Relatively few students continued to the post-NEWT studies, and there were not many spots open in comparison with the Hogwarts population. Each Hogwarts year could expect to have a hundred students. The post-NEWT programme only accepted sixty applicants per year, of which, roughly thirty would come from the Hogwarts population. These additional three years simulated as closely as possible to an apprenticeship without being under the structured bonds of such a relationship. Post-NEWT students could expect to work with Hogwarts professors on a variety of research topics in relation to their chosen fields of study. All post-NEWT students sat for at least one mastery examination at the end of their three years and Hogwarts had an extremely impressive first time success rate of 78%.

Few positions in the Wizarding World required a mastery, but the students who strived for this goal could expect to be amongst the premier researchers in the Wizarding world and graduate immediately into well-paying and respected positions in the Wizarding World. Dumbledore smiled at the thought. Hogwarts had indeed succeeded in creating an atmosphere that produced successful individuals. School-sponsored competitions helped to encourage self-study and advancement in a way that the standard schooling model never could. The rewards of winning these competitions were enough sought-after that it was rare a student did not in some way participate.

Dumbledore's thoughts returned once more to the Potter boy – Would he have thrived in this environment? With a sigh and a shake of his head, the greatest wizard of his age pulled a sheet of parchment from a stack lying on his desk. With a new year came new paperwork.


Harry had long accepted that his sleep patterns were unusual. Since becoming aware of the Wizarding World, he formed a personal pet theory that his body, lacking any other release for his magic, had used it to improve its regular functionality. He had no proof or reason to believe that it was true, but thought, as he took another drag on his morning cigarette, that the theory fit the facts well. There were not many case studies to compare himself against, however. It was very rare that a wizard was left outside of the Wizarding World in the modern Wizarding era as the risk of an untrained wizard blowing the secret of magic became more prevalent.

Sirius, Harry had learned, was a late sleeper. It was rare that his Godfather was down for breakfast before nine, and since Harry himself was consistently up at 4:30am, there was a lot of time for self-study. Most of this time was spent in the Potter library, which is where the raven-haired boy was found per his standard pattern. Glancing at his watch, Harry stretched back and closed the book he had been browsing, Arithmancy: Math in Magic. The subject interested him greatly. Its practical applications lay in the fields of spell and potion creation, warding, and alchemy – but its theoretical applications lay across every field of magic.

Sadly, Sirius was not more than a novice in the subject, and it was a difficult one to study on one's own. Harry was making progress, undeniably, but it was slow and that frustrated the boy who was so used to catching on immediately.

Standing up from his chair, Harry began the short walk to the dining hall. It had become a daily ritual to meet Sirius there for meals, even if the two were otherwise doing their own things. Harry was usually the first down, but on this day he saw Sirius already at the table, a seemingly forgotten muffin in front of him. The man wore a frown on his face as he perused the Daily Prophet.

"Why so serious?" Harry quipped. Sirius grimaced in distaste.

"Really? Nothing original? Nothing at all?" Harry laughed at the older man and raised his shoulders in a shrug.

"I've got nothing." It was Sirius' turn to give a grin. "So what's going on?"

Sirius pointed at an article in frustration. "It seems there are legal proceedings in place to claim my estate. I've several cousins who are each eager to increase their wealth by inheriting the Black Family fortune."

"Well, it was only a matter of time, I suppose. They could not just assume you were alive forever, especially with that bullshit story about you escaping Azkaban and most probably drowning in the North Sea. Is there anything we can do about it?"

Sirius let the paper fall to the table and sighed. "That's the problem. I'm not entirely sure that there is. The Black Family fortune is extensive. I know we've talked about it a bit, but combined with the fortune of some of my cousins it could well make one of them the richest family in Britain. There are a lot of intangibles that go along with it as well. I mean, the liquid assets are immense, but the real value are in the artifact heirlooms and the library. It's not every day that an Ancient and Noble family line goes 'extinct'. People are lining up for a piece of the pie."

"You care about it, don't you?" Harry spoke calmly, pointing out what Sirius was loathe to admit.

"You know, I suppose I do. I always thought that my last name was something to be ashamed of. My parents and I were never on the best of terms, and the rest of the family was pretty much the opposite of what I turned out to be. All that doesn't prevent me from feeling some attachment to my family, though. I suppose it is that whole idea that magic lies in your blood and connects you to your family in that fashion." He paused.

"I think that now that I'm the only one left that I feel I can turn it all around. I can make the Black family mine. And dammit, it is mine right now. I don't want to give it up to someone else simply so they can play some knob-waving game of keeping up with the Jones."

Harry laughed. "Aren't you supposed to be watching your language around impressionable young lads like myself?"

Sirius gave him the one-finger salute. "As if, Mr. Incurably Criminal. I'm sure you know more foul language than I ever did. Or at least more impressive combinations."

Harry shrugged in agreement and then asked with a wide smile, "You bet I do, you wazzock. So, what are we going to do about it?"

"About the Black estate?"

"No, about your foul language," Harry deadpanned. "Of course about the Black estate. We can't have your arse-licking cousins getting ahold of it! What's the plan, Sirius?"

"That's the problem, Harry. I don't know. Everything is being held under interdiction by the goblins –"

"Well, why don't we ask them?" Harry interrupted. Sirius sat still for a few moments.

"You know what? I've got no better ideas. You still able to contact Nibgit? As head of Family Account Management, he should know what options may be available to me. The fact that I never had a trial to be proven guilty or innocent just may get me an audience with them."

"Well, I suppose I've got to do your thinking for you sometimes, but at least we've got a plan!" Sirius threw a pinching charm aimed at Harry's nipple, which gave it a vicious tweak. Harry's DADA practical for the day began.


Harry had contacted Nibgit by owl - a lovely snow-white specimen Harry had named Hedwig on a whim - and the goblin found himself at a loss regarding the request. Gringotts held complete autonomy over its grounds and all assets contained in its vaults. The Ministry of Magic worked with Gringotts in cases such as this to distribute funds to rightful inheritors, but could only request that Gringotts do so. It was outside of their ability to force Gringotts to do anything they asked. These were terms of the Treaty of Blood and Gold that were established after the last goblin rebellion, a rebellion that the wizards had been dangerously close to losing.

That acknowledged, Gringotts had already begun to work with the Ministry of Magic in relation to the Black estate. Sirius Black was outside of any contact and there was no reason to suspect that the Ministry had lied about his probable death. No reason until now.

Nibgit thought back to his meeting with the Potter child. The boy had possessed keen intelligence, and his unfamiliarity with the magical world had been a boon in regards to his relationship with goblins. It was clear that the boy held firm to the muggle beliefs of racial equality, and had expanded those ideas upon meeting other species. Nibgit thought it probable that the boy would continue to be an ally based on their initial contact for quite some time into the future. It was this possibility to gain an influential wizard ally that had Gringotts making the effort it did for the Potter heir in the first place. Though the goblins had not known it at the time, and they had still been unable to meet with him to discuss it, Harry Potter would become an incredibly influential person purely by virtue of his Wizengamot votes when he came of age. And that was completely ignoring his influence due to other things such as his fame.

The goblins desperately needed an ally that held a position in the Wizengamot, which was entirely occupied by the Noble families. The Wizarding political system was complicated, but was essentially a two house system. The first of the houses, the House of Commons, developed naturally as advisors to the Magical King of England in the 14th century. At its inception, it was a mix of muggle and magical representatives. This lasted through Richard II of England.

When Richard II was overthrown by his cousin, Henry IV, a muggle, the magical monarchy and muggle monarchy split. The Wizarding world formed its own House of Commons, and never again were the muggle and Wizarding lower houses intermixed. While muggles officially recorded Richard II's death in February of 1400, the rumors of his continued survival were correct. After his abdication of the muggle throne, he continued to rule as magical King of England and his line continued to serve as the magical head of state until 1530 - when under pressure from the rising merchant class, Richard V surrendered many powers of the monarchy to the Magical House of Commons.

At this time, the position of Minister of Magic was born. Within the House of Commons were several political parties. These parties worked together, forming coalitions, to get a majority within the House. The individual that held the position of Party Head for the largest of these political parties was raised to the post of Minister of Magic. This individual held the Ministerial position until and unless another coalition formed a majority, a coalition of which his party was not the majority party. The Minister of Magic led to the first Ministry of Magic.

The first Magical Government of England did very well in these times, led by a rising merchant class, and quickly came into conflict with the Noble families. These families, each of their heads a Lord, found themselves outmatched economically by the new magical government and saw their influence begin to wane. Sensing a bleak future, the Noble houses banded together and bartered for a position of power within the government. They secured very favourable terms with the threat of civil war. Amongst these powers that were bartered were hereditary positions, the right of veto of any bill by a 2/3rds vote, the right to serve as jury in governmental trials, the right of the purse, and the right of approval by 2/3rds vote of any treaties.

Gringotts was considered a nation of its own and any dealings between it and the Ministry for Magic was done through various treaties. Having backers in the Wizengamot would be of inestimable value to the Goblin nation. Which of course led to Nibgit's dilemma.

Sirius Black would also hold a spot in the Wizengamot, but he was unable to be seated due to his current status. While he may become a valuable ally on his own in the future, there was no guarantee that he would ever be able to be seated amongst the House of Lords. Presumably, Harry Potter would become even more indebted to the Goblins for their additional assistance in this matter, but Nibgit felt it likely that their refusal to help in this instance would not destroy all the goodwill they had built with the Potter heir. As a final concern, the ones set to benefit from the expiration of the Noble and Ancient House of Black would be the other Lords. Nibgit felt it likely they would be quite put out with Gringotts should the Nation refuse to hand over the Black assets. This may make any dealings with the Wizarding government even more painful than they already were for the foreseeable future.

If it were a matter purely of Family Account affairs, he would have dealt with it. This matter though, stood ready to affect the Nation in ways beyond those immediately visible. This decision would have to be made at the highest levels of the Goblin Nation. This decision required Ragnok and the Council.


Harry and Sirius had received an immediate response from Nibgit letting the two of them know that the message had been received and that he would need time to investigate the situation and attempt to find some options for them. Taking the response in stride, each remained cautiously optimistic about the situation and continued the next week per their standard schedule. It was toward the end of this period that Sirius broached an oft-thought about topic with his godson.

"Harry, I don't think I can take you where you want to go, and deserve to go, with your education." The younger man did not looked surprised by this admission.

"What do you think I should do, Sirius? Magic is wonderful, absolutely incredible, but you're right, I do need answers you aren't able to give me. And the books are good, but they take a long time to get through, and there is no guarantee they will have the answer I'm looking for either. I really need a tutor."

Sirius nodded his agreement. "I've been thinking the same. I believe I may have a solution, but it is no sure thing."

"You want to bring Remus in." Harry cut to the heart of the matter leaving Sirius gobsmacked.

"How did you know that?"

"Please, Sirius. You've been talking about the 'good old days' more and more often, and you're always going on about how brilliant Remus was. Give me a little credit here!"

Raising his hands in surrender Sirius acceded. "You're right, of course. I think we should contact Remus, even if he is a bit of a ninny. I'm sure he would be able to help you, and that he would be eager to do so. The difficult part is going to be stopping him from killing me." Sirius gave a sad smile. "I'm not sure you'd have been able to stop me from killing him if the situation were reversed."

"Well," Harry began. "You were a bit of a tosser. We'll want to start with a letter first of course. We'll sound him out on his interest in teaching me, without him knowing anything about you. If he's interested, we'll proceed."

Sirius agreed.

"I would imagine though, Sirius, that you'll have to take another dose of truth serum. And likely Remus will want to bring his own supply to ensure its legitimacy. In fact, I'll probably suggest that to him."

Sirius nodded again. "I figure it will have to be something like that. Like I said, I wouldn't believe me if I were in his position without some incontrovertible proof. We'll draft something today?"

Harry voiced his assent.


Hedwig had not been gone more than a couple of hours before the two got their first response from Remus. He was interested in tutoring Harry. Very much so. In fact, it seemed he was desperate to do so. He was also, however, extremely curious as to how Harry knew of him, and the two exchanged several letters over the course of the next couple days. Finally, Harry decided it was time to reveal the fact he had been hiding from his pen pal.

Remus,

This letter will be somewhat different than the last few and I'm going to reveal something that you may find somewhat shocking. I swear to you that every word is the truth, and that if you will give me the chance I will prove it to you.

Sirius Black is alive and well. He is living with me. He is innocent of his alleged crimes.

Sirius did not betray my mum and dad. They had decided at the last moment to switch the Secret Keeper to Peter Pettigrew, and he escaped Sirius on that muggle street by blowing it up behind his back, cutting off his own finger, and transforming.

I have discovered all this through Sirius, and I freely admit that. However, I gained this information with use of a truth serum. I invite you to confirm it using a truth serum of your own.

Sirius has been instructing me in magic, but while he is a great teacher, and has come to be a great friend, he is the first to admit that he cannot advance me to where I want to be. He believes that you will be able to, although he did call you a ninny, and was the one that advised me to contact you regarding additional tutoring.

If you still wish to tutor me, please reply one last time and I will send you a portkey. I promise your safety, and if you take the chance I promise to give you a friend you thought lost back.

Cordially yours,

Harry Potter

PS. Moony, this is Padfoot. I promise that what was written above is the truth. I miss my partner in crime something terrible, and Harry needs someone that can teach him what I cannot. My years in Azkaban have done nothing to make me a better wizard. I will willingly submit to the truth serum I was denied when they imprisoned me. Please come.

Both residents of Potter manor stood rigid with worry as Harry strapped the letter to Hedwig's leg. "To Remus again girl," he instructed, and the owl took off. Both sat down at the table, concerned about Remus' possible reaction to the revelation, but their concerns were quickly interrupted as a black owl Harry recognized as belonging to Nibgit swooped into the open window. Jumping up, he took the package from the owl and offered it a treat and a drink before opening it.

Lord Potter & Lord Black,

It is with the greatest pleasure that I write to you regarding your request. As you may know, though we would normally cooperate with the Ministry of Magic regarding requests for the distributions of estates, we are not obligated. In this matter, we will exercise our right to withhold the assets from the Ministry should they request them; in trust for the rightful account holder. We should only like to confirm Lord Black's status in person.

We would request each of you to visit Gringotts as soon as possible in order to address this issue, as well as to meet with me regarding future opportunity to work together for mutual benefit. If so desired, I can supply a portkey for you to use which would bring you directly to my waiting room. Please respond within the day to accept, or Gringotts may comply with the Ministry directive to hand the Black assets over.

Gringotts Bank of Diagon Alley

Head, Family Account Management

Nibgit Axegrinder

Harry finished the letter and handed it to Sirius.

"Well, it has certainly been an interesting day. What do you think of it?"

Sirius read the letter again. "Naturally, I'm wary of going to Gringotts in person, purely because I worry that I may be turned over to the Ministry."

Harry nodded. "I can certainly understand that. Nibgit treated me very fairly when I was brought back into this world, though. I believe that we can trust him in this matter."

Sirius ran a hand through his hair and allowed a sigh to escape his lips. "I know. And it really is quite important that we maintain control of the estate. There is just no way that I'm going to let the Malfoys claim my inheritance, and I'm sure I would not be doing what I regard as the 'good guys' any favors if they got my Wizengamot votes."

Harry nodded, but before he could speak Sirius continued.

"I've spoken with you briefly about how many of my relatives were involved with Voldemort." Harry had broken him of the habit of calling the man He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or You-Know-Who. "But the Malfoys were right there in the thick of Voldemort's Inner Circle. I've looked at the records from those times now, and Lucius Malfoy bought his way out of prison with some well-placed donations and claiming he was under the Imperius curse. He invoked his right as a Lord to not be given a truth serum. He was found not guilty by a very slim margin. Seeing as how Lucius would be the most likely one to get my fortune, I cannot in good conscious let my inheritance be distributed."

Sirius closed his eyes and paused again. "I'm terrified. There is nothing more terrifying to me that possibly going back to Azkaban, Harry. But I cannot allow the Malfoys to get my money, and if you think Nibgit is trustworthy, then let's send back our acceptance of terms."

Harry turned to the older man and read the fear, and resolve, in his eyes. "I think you're doing the right thing, Sirius. I know it is going to be alright." Then, he offered a display of affection for the older man he had thus far withheld, draping an arm over Sirius' shoulders.

Sirius Black turned into the side the hug with the strength of a desperate man and the two released quickly.

"Thanks Harry," quipped the escaped prisoner, a single tear escaping from blinking eyes. "I really needed that."

"Just don't get too used to it, you mangy mutt."

Sirius laughed.