Thank you to everyone who reviewed!

Okay, so we get our confrontation this chapter. Aside from that, a lot happens here, but it's kind of a short chapter also. I had thought of just continuing on through the rest of the events, but I decided to cut in two and split it instead. I'll be posting the next chapter a little early because of that, so you won't have to wait very long for it. The next chapter will mark the end of Part One, and then after that you lot will find yourself finally introduced into Part Two.

Part Two is a little longer, and we see some ally-making and character development in it, if not a ton of action, so hopefully you all will enjoy it as much as you have, thus far, enjoyed Part One. Since this is a little shorter than usual, you can expect the next chapter to be up a little earlier than usual as well.

Thank you all, and enjoy.

Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalala

Harry found himself on Snape's couch again, curled into a small ball. He had not cried, and Severus had understood without a single word to not speak to him or try to comfort him. Right now, he only needed to be left alone to think. He closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath, thinking back to Firenze's words. Everything would be alright. He just needed to hold on. He pulled the blue blanket tighter around himself, and brought his knees up to hide his face in. His tail curled tightly around his knees, and he made himself as small as possible. He was not crying, he told himself stubbornly; refusing to acknowledge the burning in his eyes. He was not.

Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalala

Sirius had been overjoyed when they had first gotten there. He had grinned widely when he saw Harry, and there had been true relief in his face and posture when Harry had hugged him. He'd held the teen tightly, as though he were terrified he would disappear, and Professor Lupin, who still tried to get him to call him Remus, had smiled gently at the sight. Severus had, surprisingly, refrained from sneering; keeping his expression carefully blank and neutral. That alone seemed to have tipped the two marauders off that something was wrong.

They had gone to the kitchen then, to drink tea and exchange pleasantries, and try very hard to ignore the reason Harry was there; a reason which only two of the four actually knew at that time. Severus had occasionally joined in on the conversation, remaining carefully civil and politely detached. His behavior, recognizable to Harry as a sign of the man making a true effort to put the past behind him, seemed to steadily freak the other two out more and more; though they appeared determined not to acknowledge that the behavior was odd.

They talked about how Harry was doing in school, how Sirius had been while cooped up here, Remus' work with a couple of werewolf packs, and even a new potion Severus was working on. Sirius grit his teeth whenever the potion master spoke, and was careful to be civil in Harry's presence. Harry realized that he actually believed it was his words about the man that had prompted the teen to cease their weekly communication. Eventually the chat devolved more and more until it hit the pleasant weather and tapered off into a very awkward silence.

They had sat there for several minutes, Severus quietly drinking his tea, while Remus seemed to fiddle with his hands and Sirius' gaze snapped rapidly between Severus and Harry; who was staring at his teacup as though it held all the answers of the universe. Harry found that he wasn't all that surprised when it became Sirius who proved unable to stand the tense silence any longer and thus chose to break it. He had cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the others in the room, and opened his mouth.

"So, Prongslet..." The nickname had made Harry flinch, knowing as he did that the name did not apply to him, and Sirius had stopped. Lately the man had taken to calling him Kitten because of his animagus form, and this was the first time during the morning he had reverted to the previous Prongslet.

"Perhaps, Lupin, you could locate yourself elsewhere for the time being." Severus' voice had still been civil, though his eyes had been dark as they rested on the werewolf. Remus had looked ready to protest, before apparently thinking better of it, nodding, and leaving the room obediently with only a single backwards glance towards Harry and Sirius. Severus then took the time to cast a few privacy and silencing charms about the three of them, and Sirius began to grow tense.

They were left in silence again for several moments, wherein the potion master focused solely on his tea; thus making it rather clear to Harry that the man intended for him to do this alone, and would intervene only if it was absolutely necessary for him to do so. He swallowed and fidgeted.

"Harry?" He looked up at Sirius, who was eyeing him carefully. "What's this about, kitten?" The nickname made him relax a bit, something both adults took note of, and Harry sighed, rubbing an arm and trying to think of where to begin.

"Um... You... Have you ever heard of the Sanguinem Patris potion?" Sirius nodded.

"Yes..." He spoke carefully, his confusion fully evident in the tone of his voice. "We did that one in school. It gives you a paternal family tree. I could only make mine go back four or five generations, I think." He smiled, though the expression dropped when Harry didn't return it. The teen swallowed, taking a deep breath.

"I... We made it. In potions. Recently." He paused, and Sirius still looked confused. "I..." His lip trembled and he fisted his hands in his lap, angry with himself and his own cowardice. "James wasn't my father." Sirius' expression was one of absolute shock. His eyes were almost comically wide, his mouth slightly open. He closed it with a snap after a moment, and then his expression turned first considering, and then, to Harry's surprise, angry. He turned enraged eyes on Severus.

"You." The word was filled with more venom than one of Voldemort's crucios. "How dare you?! Why couldn't you leave well enough alone?! I KNEW YOU FANCIED HER BUT HOW DARE YOU-" Severus leapt to his feet in a rage, while Harry looked on with confusion.

"I NEVER LAID A HAND ON HER! I WOULD NEVER-"

"LIAR! HOW DARE YOU PURSUE HER! SHE WAS MARRIED-"

"I WOULD NEVER DEFILE LILY YOU MUTT-"

"YOU BASTARD! WHAT DID YOU DO?! DID YOU GET HER DRUNK JUST SO SHE'D EVEN CONSIDER-"

"I'M NOT THE ONE WHO TOUCHED HER!"

"I KNEW YOU COULDN'T BE TRUSTED! I TOLD THEM AND THEY-"

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S NAME'S ON THE PAPER, BLACK!" Sirius froze.

"I- What?" He looked absolutely flabbergasted and disbelieving. His eyes fell on Harry, who nodded. The teen was still confused, not fully understanding what was going on. Sirius paled, and fell into his chair as though the power of his legs had left him. "I... There must be some mistake..." Harry shook his head.

"There wasn't. I brewed the potion right. I even-" Sirius' eyes snapped back to Severus again, and his voice, while quiet this time, was no less angry.

"What did you do, Snivellus? Switch the potion with some rigged brew?"

"Padfoot-" Harry tried to interrupt but Sirius ignored him entirely.

"What kind of lies are you filling his head with, you snake?" The glare Severus bestowed upon him, the glare he had held since the man began his first accusation, was dark enough to burn something alive.

"I did nothing. He brewed it himself, bottled it himself, and added the blood himself. I never even touched it."

"Is that true?" He turned his gaze back to Harry, still unbelieving.

"Yes." Harry's voice was quiet, subdued. "Severus didn't do anything but give me the paper-"

"I knew it! You did rig it somehow, didn't you! Going around spreading lies, you filthy, slimy-" THUNK. Sirius' eyes went wide, as he was flung backwards, landing sprawled on the floor half on his chair that hit the tile with a grand clatter; his face just as shocked as before. His grey eyes fell on Harry, whose hand was still in a fist; his arm in the post-punch position. The green-eyed teen glared daggers at the man. He had had quite enough. He shook with anger and grief, and he opened his mouth to speak, only to close it with a snap. He let his hand fall back to his side. Sirius began to look regretful as blood dribbled from his nose and Harry's eyes began to water and then harden, and the teen turned around without a word.

He went back to the living room, finding Remus sitting on an armchair reading. The werewolf looked up as he entered, and upon seeing Harry's face, looked concerned. Harry ignored him entirely as he grabbed a handful of the floo powder from the mantle and threw it in the flames, stopping only when he realized he didn't know the address. Severus spoke it from behind him, his voice still tinged with his own anger, and they stepped into the flames side by side.

Sirius didn't even come out of the kitchen.

Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalala

And now, here he was. A tap on his knee had him looking up, and he met Severus' dark eyes. If the man noticed the wetness of his cheeks, he said nothing about it, and rather simply held out a mug to Harry. It was the same tea as before, likely laced with a calming potion, and Harry accepted it gratefully, lowering his knees to sit Indian-style. He sipped at it carefully, and the man once again settled into the armchair across from him. Harry wondered if this would become a weekly occurrence with the two of them; him feeling like crap while they drank tea together. While weekly visits would be nice, he would rather the state of them be more pleasant. They drank in silence for a bit, before Harry chose to break it.

"Why did he think you might be..."

"Your father?" He nodded, and the man held his mug on his lap with a sigh. "Because, before she began dating Potter, Lily and I were rather close." Harry perked up a bit, looking at him curiously, and Severus seemed to decide to humor him. "We met before Hogwarts. We lived near each other, and being that my mother was a witch, and I was thus knowledgeable about the wizarding world, and so I recognized her bouts of accidental magic for what they were. I told her about it, and we became friends." Harry's eyes widened.

"What was she like? Everyone always talks about James, but..." Severus smiled sadly.

"She was brilliant. She always thought outside the box, and she was very kind. She had a very innate sense of justice, and abhorred bullies of all forms. That's the reason she always turned Potter down at first, whenever he attempted to ask her on a date. He and his lot never liked me, and she didn't like the way they treated me." Harry was puzzled.

"Then how did they end up married?" Snape tensed, but continued.

"She and I had a fight. It was just after I joined the dark lord, and I showed her my mark. I had thought I could make her understand, but I was young then, and so foolish, and my loyalties were not the same as they are now. She got angry with me and we yelled at each other. Near the end, I called her something terrible, and she stormed off. We didn't speak much after that. Around this same time, I suppose you could say that Potter... Matured. Black was still a bully then, but Potter seemed willing to put it behind him. I imagine, that it was a bit of both these things that made her say yes the next time he tried courting her, and things progressed from there." Harry nodded, and bit his lip.

"Did you... Did you really fancy her?" He berated himself for asking, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to know. Severus seemed to deflate a bit.

"I loved your mother very much… I had hoped, that one day we might be together, and I suppose that was part of the reason why I hated Potter so much."

"Is that why you hated me too?" He looked pained.

"I... I did not mean it, but... You..." He sighed. "You were like a reminder to me, of all that I could never have. If Lily had been with me... You might have been..." Harry appreciated his honesty, knowing by his pained expression that this was not easy for him.

"I could have been your son." The professor nodded in a defeated sort of way, and for the first time Harry began to understand the man before him a little. They said nothing for several minutes, and Harry was once again the one to break the silence. "I think I would have liked having you as a father." The words were just above a whisper, and the man looked surprised at first, and then the two of them shared sad, bitter smiles.

Harry decided he very much hated his life.

Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalala

There were no classes on Monday; there would in fact be no more classes for the rest of the year. There were only two weeks left, and Harry found himself wondering where in the world all the time had gone. He hadn't even realized the end of the year was so close. All the same, he was happy for the break. Their O.W.L. tests would begin on Tuesday, and he would have only one or two to focus on each day, leaving him with plenty of free time. As a result, he found himself in the secret library on Monday, at the desk of Chronus Black, the little paper that seemed intent on ruining his life set before him.

He had looked at the other names; the paternal side of the Black family, and had been surprised to realize the names at the very top, the farthest back his potion had been able to go, were Chronus Black and Perdita Slytherin. Even with all the upset he felt over Sirius' reaction, seeing those two names in his direct ancestry made him smile. He had found himself drawn to the keeper of Hogwarts over the course of reading his journal/instruction manual, and he felt comforted somehow in knowing he was related to the other. He had wondered what had become of Chronus, and whether or not he had lived long enough to have a child, though he really should have known that already, considering the young man's words about being the only Black heir. Still, the words on this little paper were proof that he had had a son, at least, who he had named Zeus. His lip twitched. Zeus' son had been Apollo, and he knew from a brief interest in Greek mythology that they were all gods, each the child of the other. Before they had begun naming their children after stars, it had apparently been tradition to name their children after a Greek god or goddess who was the child of whatever Greek god or goddess they themselves were named after.

Eventually Licorus had broken the cycle by naming his children after stars instead, and Harry wondered if he had possessed an interest in astrology. The cycle wasn't broken again until himself, as he was named Harry, and not after a star of any sort. He eyed his name where it was at the bottom of the page, as, on here, it said Harry Black, rather than Harry Potter. He found he liked the look of his real name, regardless of all the problems he was stuck facing because of it. He sighed.

"You look even more down than usual." He jumped, nearly falling out of his seat, and looked around wildly until his eyes suddenly fell upon the source. His mouth dropped open a bit, and he stared. There was suddenly a small break of bare wall in between two of the bookshelves that had definitely not been there before, and on it was the portrait of Frode, looking down at him with a strange combination of amusement and concern.

"I- wha? How did you-?" The man smiled, flashing a set of yellowing teeth.

"We all have our secrets, child, and I'm afraid I guard mine a bit more closely than most." Harry scowled, knowing very well that the painting was unlikely to tell him anything more about the matter. "I see you have not inducted yourself as keeper. A wise choice, my child." He blinked.

"Why? What's wrong with becoming keeper?" The portrait smiled sadly.

"To become keeper is to bind yourself to this place, and to Hogwarts, for the rest of your natural life. Call me foolish, but I've a feeling there may well come a day when you decide not to call this castle home any longer, and it would do you well not to be bound here, under such a circumstance." Harry frowned.

"But... Hogwarts has always been my home."

"But it was not meant to be such. It was meant only to be a place of learning, and the day may well come when you need to go elsewhere, and find your own home." Harry debated his words within his mind, not really liking the implications, but it seemed people were always telling him things he didn't want to hear these days.

"I, alright." Frode smiled.

"If I might be so bold, young one?" Harry hummed. "I have been watching you for quite some time, more so than when we have spoken, and I believe you are the best one to give this task unto, if you would accept the burden."

"What is it?" His voice was wary.

"Should the day truly arrive upon which you no longer call this castle home, I would like you to relocate these books elsewhere. This library is old, and is fast becoming an unsuitable place to store such tomes. Would you make a new resting place for these books, and the knowledge they hold, one day?" Harry looked at him with wide eyes.

"Are you... Are you asking me to take possession of them?" Frode nodded.

"I can think of no other who would make a more suitable caretaker. You are an excellent keeper, even without the vows and the magic. I dare say the books have taken a liking to you, and I doubt they would protest were you the one to remove them. You would need a safe place for their keeping, however." Harry found himself nodding.

"Alright. I don't know if I'll be able to, but I promise to try and find a new place for the books."

"That's all I ask."

"Would I be right in assuming I'll be making a place for you as well as the books." Harry asked wryly, and Frode chuckled.

"If you didn't mind my presence overly much, though you'd need to remove me from the wall yourself and place me wherever your chosen space is. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to move about much anymore once outside these walls."

"So your portrait will stop popping up in random places?" The painting grinned and said nothing. Harry snorted. "Of course." They were quiet a moment, and then Frode apparently decided it was time for a change in topic.

"Now that we have settled such business, I would like to know what has you so troubled, if you were willing to share." Harry sent him a weak glare and then his eyes fell sadly back onto the paper on the desk.

"My parents weren't who I thought they were, and when I tried to tell my real father the truth, he wouldn't listen to me."

"Ah, family. I find that a real family, is rarely one brought together by blood. Is this man someone who know and care for? If he is not, I would not bother trying to make him such. I believe it is always best to choose your family yourself, after all." Harry smiled sadly.

"I thought he was just my godfather, before. I guess that up until now I've always seen him as a fun sort of Uncle. So, yes, I do care for him. I understand what you mean though, about having a family that's not connected by blood." He thought fondly of the Weasleys with a small smile and Frode nodded in approval.

"I understand. Still, why cannot this man remain as your 'fun uncle'? Just because he is your father by blood does not mean you must view him that way. Were you unhappy with your previous relationship with him?" Harry turned thoughtful a moment.

"No. Not really. I mean, I wish I'd been able to see him a bit more, but I don't mind the way things have been otherwise." Frode nodded sharply.

"Then perhaps you are trying too hard. I would suggest carrying on as you always have, and see where life takes you. If he forever remains as an Uncle of sorts, you would still be close, so there is no reason to fret. Besides, it may well come to pass with time that this man fully takes on his role as father in your mind." Harry smiled.

"I think, you're right. You know," He offered the portrait a shrewd look. "you always seem to know just what to say to ease my mind." Frode grinned, and Harry watched as suddenly, his portrait disappeared. There was no movement or light or sign of visible magic. One moment he was there, and the next he wasn't and then the bookcases began shuffling themselves back together until the blank space of wall was gone entirely. Harry blinked at them, but they looked just the same as they always had.

"Huh."

Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalala

Tuesday night, just a few days from the end of school, had Harry collapsing into his bed in Gryffindor tower. He had considered sleeping in the secret tower, but had decided that he would begin doing such a thing only once the next school year began. There were a couple more exams that would be going on the next two days, but not for any of the classes that Harry was in, so he put it out of his mind.

He rolled over on his back and sighed, looking up at the canopy of his bed. He stared absently at the silky, dark red material that hung above him, not really focused on anything for a moment. He found himself relieved that the year was nearly over, and actually looking forwards to returning to the Dursley's. He imagined that was likely connected to their better treatment of him lately, and smiled. He would never really forget the treatment they'd given him for so many years before now, but he figured that if they were willing to try and put the past behind them, that he would make an effort as well.

He hadn't had time to really consider their behavior much the previous summer, because of all the hell he had been going through with his animagus-transformation-gone-wrong, but the bits in-between all that had been pleasant enough; if a tad awkward. He hoped to find a way to weed out the awkwardness as much as he could this summer, and perhaps eventually create a proper familial relationship with his Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin. He didn't think they'd ever be particularly close, like he was with the Weasleys, but he could imagine a future with cards sent on holidays, visits and gifts for Christmas, and maybe the occasional tea-time. It was an acceptable prospect, at any rate.

He closed his eyes and hummed to himself. He was exhausted. His exams had been tiring. HIs DADA, Charms, Ancient Runes, and, surprisingly, his Potions exams had been easy enough. Taking them had not occurred without effort, but he was confident on the grades he believed he would receive. Transfiguration and Herbology had been more difficult for him, but he believed he had passed, at least. He wasn't confident in the possible result of his Astronomy exam, but by far the most difficult had been his Arithmancy exam. He hated the class, even if it helped him, and while he was sure he had at least gained an Acceptable, it was likely only barely so. Ancient Studies and Care of Magical Creatures had no O.W.L. exams, and so he barely gave them a passing thought at the moment.

He breathed in deeply, letting his breath go with ease, and closed his eyes. Thoughts of next year dancing behind his eyes, Harry fell asleep.

Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalala

She was in the room again, moving across the stone on her belly and twisting between the shelves. Her tongue flicked out to taste the air and she was pleased. Her master was near. She flowed beneath one of the shelves and followed her senses. Suddenly she came from beneath one of the shelves of blue orbs and her eyes lit upon the image of her master.

He was tall, taller than most humans, his pale features more comparable to her own appearance than that of the other two-legged beings. He looked down upon her with pleased eyes the shade of blood, and she felt cold. She loved her master, truly, but he was not what he once had been. He made a contented hiss.

"Nagini..." He shifted, moving toward her, and his movement revealed another human at his feet. It was a scraggly thing, with dark, wild hair like the broken woman who adored her master frighteningly. He looked at her with dull grey eyes that were glazed in pain and his breath came in hesitant rasps. This was not altogether unlike what happened to many of those her master struck with the red light of pain.

No! Sirius! Harry called out from within her mind, and she felt sad, ignoring her master as he rubbed at her head gently.

I am so sorry brother-mine.

Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalala

Harry gasped as he awoke, body shaking with a cold sweat. His head ached terribly, every beat of his heart acting like the pound of a hammer behind his eyelids. He whimpered pitifully, and leapt to his feet. He needed to go. Sirius was in trouble. He tumbled from bed in his haste, the blanket tangling with his feet and sending him over the edge and onto the floor with a violent crash and a string of curses.

"Wha?!"

"The fu-"

"Hell was-"

"Harry?"

Harry winced. Only Ron's snores sounded through the room now; the redhead being a notoriously deep sleeper. Calloused hands grasped him and helped him up and he murmured a thanks before he had even looked up to see that it was Neville. The other boy was looking at him carefully, and with worry. Seamus was standing nearby and watching, his pajamas badly rumpled, while Dean peeked out from between his bed curtains. There was rather suspicious movement behind him, and Harry decided he didn't want to know who had apparently been smuggled into their dorm room for the night.

"Are you alright Harry?" Neville kept a hand on one of his shoulders and that, more than anything, helped him calm down a moment and ground himself. "Was it a vision?" He hadn't had one in a long while, but all of his roommates were well aware of them, therefore Harry didn't really understand why the other teen had lowered his voice to just above a whisper; as though they were talking of some great secret. He swallowed.

"Yes." His voice came out as a croak. "My- my godfather's in danger. I-" He looked up into Neville's eyes, willing him to understand as he spoke. "I need to go help him." Neville stared uncertainly at him a moment, and then nodded resolutely.

"Get dressed then, and give me a moment. I won't let you run off alone." His voice was stern and unyielding, and Harry knew there would be no point trying to convince him otherwise. He nodded, and headed immediately to his trunk, pulling his nightclothes from himself without a thought for modesty. It didn't matter anyways, with the armor on beneath it all, and if any of the others thought it strange that he wore such a thing he heard no comments from them. It took no time at all to tug on a shirt and trousers and when he looked he found that Neville, and, somewhat surprisingly, Seamus, were just finishing up the same. Dean hadn't moved from his bed, though he gazed out at the three of them worriedly.

Harry paid him little mind, and soon the three of them were rushing out the door and down the stairs. Harry, panicked as he was, only just barely had the frame of mind to slow himself so that they wouldn't notice his inhuman speed. His pace felt far too slow to him, and made him pained. The common room was empty save for one Parvati Patil, who jumped to her feet at the sight of the boys.

"What is happening?" Perhaps not as intelligent as her Ravenclaw sister, and focused a bit more on trivialities, Parvati was still intelligent, and knew trouble and determined faces when she saw them. A hasty reply from Harry about the nature of the situation, offering in turn more information to the two boys, had her nodding. "Let me get my sister and have her waken the other Ravens in D.A. You can get the others. I know the Hufflepuff dorms are on the third floor near the hospital wing, but I only know that the snakes are in the dungeons. Do you know a way out of the castle?" Harry looked at her blankly a moment, unused to the thought of having others to stand behind him, but then nodded. His mind focused on the fireplace in the secret tower, and the little jar on its' mantle. He had never tried it, and neither had the twins, but he was absolutely certain it had a working floo connection, and there was no way Umbridge could have known about it; and thus no way she could have monitored it.

"Neville, Seamus, you head to the badgers. I know where the snakes are. Don't press anyone. This will be dangerous. If someone wants to stay behind, you let them." They all nodded, long since willing to follow his orders as a result of their time doing so in the D.A. "Are you all certain you want to help?" They all nodded, no hesitation, and while thoughts of them getting hurt made his stomach churn he chose wisely not to argue. He would need all the hell he could get anyways. "Alright. We'll meet outside the meeting room." They made sounds of agreement, and soon they were all scurrying out of the portrait hole and in various directions. Harry let his true speed shine once he was far enough they wouldn't see him, and was soon pushing himself desperately towards the lower levels of the castle.

So used to dealing with dangerous matters on his own and with friends, he never even thought to seek Severus' help.

Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalala

Harry passed the stretch of stone wall once before doubling back, stopping and returning to stand before it as he panted. He was struck, by the first time, with the thought that he didn't actually know how to get in, and stood there for a moment, filled with puzzlement and quickly mounting desperation. He stared at the little stone snake carving that was the only marker to distinguish the Slytherin common room entrance from the rest of the empty corridor, and his growing panic was interrupted by an idea. He prayed it work as he whispered hastily in parseltongue.

"Open."

A moment's relief filled him as the wall slid open with the sound of scraping stone, and he slipped silently inside. The room was much the same as it had been that time they snuck in during second year, with its' green and silver decor, and the windows from which could be seen various fish and water creatures dwelling within the lake. So many years ago, the sight had been creepy to him, but now it was comforting, and even the normally bothersome coloring was like a calm touch from a friend.

When attempting to head down one of the staircases made a wall appear before him, he rightly assumed it to be the girls' and moved to the other. The doors were, thankfully, labeled by year, and he eventually found his way to the fifth year door. He was careful when opening it, wary of traps, and just as wary as he entered. The sounds of various snores and sleepy shifting filled his ears, and he checked the first bed. A moment of calm joy filled him when it proved to be Blaise's bed, and he carefully shook the boy awake. Blaise's dark form blinked blearily up at him a moment, and then sprang into a sitting position as he realized just who it was.

"Harry? What are you doing here?" His voice was measured and careful, but low, and Harry could see his hands searching about for his wand.

"Voldemort took my... godfather. I... I need to help him. Parvati thought of getting help from the other D.A. members, and I-"

"Shhhh." He quieted, his voice having begun to rise in his panic. "Alright. I'll come with you. Leave Draco and the others be though. If you're telling the truth, that means facing the death eaters, and I won't let you pit them against their families." Harry cursed himself internally for not having thought of that, and the other teen silently slipped out of bed and began getting ready. Harry fidgeted, wanting to hurry, but soon enough they were slipping out of the dorm and then into the hallway. Harry was forced to slow his pace again, but he felt calmer with Blaise there, if only slightly.

"Thank you." He told him as they ran, trying to keep his voice low despite the pace.

"Of course. How do you know what's happening anyways?" He was too worried to consider any possible consequences of telling the other, and simply replied.

"We're connected. I see things sometimes."

"You and your godfather?"

"Me and Voldemort." They didn't speak again after that, just traveled up the many stairs until they reached the seventh floor. They paused a minute at the top, the Slytherin needing to catch his breath, and Harry's impatient twitching meant they were moving again soon enough. When they rounded the corner just before the room of requirement Harry was happy to see some of the D.A. gathered in the hall.

Neville, Seamus, and both Patil sisters were there. Aside them were Terry Boot, Luna Lovegood, Susan Bones, Ernie Macmillan, and Daniel. With him and Blaise, that meant eleven people, less than half of the D.A.'s twenty four members. Still, it was more than Harry could have hoped for. He kept moving past them, and they followed him. He could almost sense their confusion when he ran them through a few more hallways before stopping in front of the tapestry, which he had changed to picture a smiling red and gold snake. He froze a moment in hesitation and then turned to look at them.

"I need you all to give me your word you won't tell anyone about this place." They all nodded, each murmuring various forms of agreement, and their determined faces made him certain of their trustworthiness. He nodded sharply and turned back to the tapestry, speaking in parseltongue for the second time this night.

"May I enter, pretty one?" The woven serpent nodded in an exaggerated manner, and rolled up, the stone beneath moving up as well to reveal the stairwell. They climbed together, the others more cautious, and he went to the fireplace immediately. The others stopped to look around while he fiddled with the pot on the mantelpiece, gathering up a handful of floo powder. He paused before throwing it in, and turned back to look at them all.

They looked younger to him now, in the firelight, than they had before, and something in his chest ached painfully at the thought of anything bad happening to these people. They looked determined though, and he knew there would be no way he could stop them now. He warred with himself for several moments, but in the end, his concern for Sirius, for his father, won out over everything else.

"This is the last chance you have to turn back. If you decide to follow me, I can't promise you that you won't be hurt. You need to be sure of yourselves. This will be the only chance you have to walk away. I won't be angry. I promise." Some of their faces didn't change, others seemed to consider it a moment. He gave them a few minutes, agonizingly aware of every wasted second, but in the end, none of them chose to leave. "I need a wizard's oath, from each of you. That you won't tell anyone anything that happens tonight, or anything I say to you. This is important." A few of them looked shocked. A wizard's oath, was far more binding than most other oaths and spells of privacy, and much more grievous. While other oaths might simply keep them from speaking altogether, jinx them, maybe cause them pain, a wizard's oath would strip away their core and kill them if they tried to break it; not that they would actually succeed at any rate. It was Blaise who stepped forward first, to no small amount of shock, and pulled out his wand.

"I, Blaise Gethin Zabini, do hereby swear upon my magic and life, that any events which come to pass over the next twenty four hours, and any words spoken over the course of that same time, shall not be shared with any unknowing parties by myself, through any means, magical or otherwise. So mote it be." A thick vein of rope-like purple magic came out from his wand and twined around him as he spoke, snapping violently into place around him as he finished. He grunted as the magic went inside of him, presumably to wind itself about his core. Harry stared at him open-mouthed, and then Neville came forwards. He spoke the same phrase, wand out, changing only the name to his own. He smiled at Harry once it was done, and then, one by one, the others all repeated the process. It took him a moment, in the silence once they had all made the oath, before he shook himself and chose to trust them.

"My fa- godfather, is Sirius Black. He's innocent. I can't go into it now, but I promise I'll explain it later." The sharp looks he was recieving made it very clear that he would have to. "I have a connection with Voldemort, because of my scar, and sometimes I get visions of what he's doing, and what's happening, because of it. I saw him, with Sirius. I know that it's at the ministry, but I'm not sure where. It's a room with these... blue ball things." The last part he nearly mumbled, speaking more to himself than the others, but he looked up at the sound of a gasp. It was Susan.

"I know where that is. I've been there once, with my aunt. We didn't go into that room but I saw it through a doorway, just this past summer. It's in the department of mysteries." She grinned, and Harry mirrored the expression with what probably looked more like a grimace, glad at least that they would not have to search through the whole of the government building to find where they needed to go.

"Think you can lead the way there?" She nodded, and he thanked her.

"Alright. Is everyone ready then?" They all nodded, no one speaking as the situation turned serious once again. He sighed and tossed the powder into the ever-burning fire. "Ministry of Magic!"

One by one, they vanished into the green flames.

Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalala

Sanguinem Patris- Father's blood (a potion that traces the magical blood through the paternal side of the family)

Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala lalalalala

Horrible place to end things, I know, but it was also the best place I could do it and still preserve the 'flow' my chapters usually have.

On another note, hopefully you lot aren't too angry about how things turned out with the confrontation with Sirius, and I really really hope you won't hate me after the next chapter. With any luck, most of you will stick with this story to the end, and I will too.

Thanks once again for all the support!

Until next time,

Mr. Hate