Sunday, 5th June

They barged into Dumbledore's office without so much as a knock, startling the man into standing up from where he'd been writing a letter at his desk.

His twinkling blue eyes took in the group, quickly scanning the three students, frowning when he saw the bandages wrapped around Ron's leg, glancing over Sirius Black - the convicted serial killer - with an almost dismissive air, giving Pettigrew yet another frown, before finally turning to face his professor who seemed equal parts annoyed and relieved to be standing there.

"You always bring me such interesting guests, Severus".

"Trust me" he bit out, unceremoniously dropping Pettigrew to the floor, "This playdate wasn't planned".

"Of that, I have no doubt. Hello Sirius". He smiled at the rather bedraggled-looking man. "Innocent, I presume?"

"Until proven guilty" he replied sardonically, "Hard to do that, of course, without a trial".

"And Peter, it would seem, is long overdue his".

The man, now lying in a ball on the floor, whimpered loudly. Dumbledore stepped around his desk, his hands clasped neatly behind his back as he took a closer look at him.

"Well, you've certainly seen better days, Mr Pettigrew".

"Guilt will do that" Sirius bit out, "He was the real Secret-Keeper, Albus. He knew where James and Lily were hiding and he handed them over to Lord bloody Voldemort on a silver platter!"

"I was scared!" the rat whined, "I was- I was terrified of him! He was going to kill me; I had no choice-"

"Oh, but you did, Peter" Dumbledore interrupted gravely, "And that is what makes this all the more tragic… And can I assume that you three were also involved in this?"

The students shifted uncomfortably under his intense gaze, their heads bowed in shame and guilt.

"We- We didn't know who he really was, sir, honest!" Ron said desperately, "Or where Sirius Black had been hiding! He- He grabbed me and dragged me to the Shrieking Shack so Nev and 'Mione came after me of course-"

"Of course" Snape mocked, "And why didn't they alert a staff member instead?"

"Well… It was… T-There was no t-time!" Neville stammered, cursing himself for letting Hermione drag him into that tunnel when he had, in fact, wanted to alert a staff member instead.

Next to him, the girl nodded.

"Exactly, sir! There really was no time! We just- We were worried that Ron was about to be killed! Of course, we went after him!"

"And by doing so you put yourselves at risk as well". Dumbledore stared down at him with a stern gaze, before suddenly softening and giving them a secretive smile. "I'm sure that you did your House very proud".

"Albus-"

"But alas, such behaviour cannot go unpunished" he continued, raising a placating hand to Severus, "I'll let Professor McGonagall decide your fate in the morning. Now, however, it would appear that at least one of you requires a visit to the infirmary… I trust that you know the way?"

"But Professor" Hermione began, "What about-"

"Go" he said, gently but firmly, "We will handle the rest from here. You've done more than enough for now".

Neville, Ron, and Hermione exchanged glances, each of them reluctant to leave, but the exhaustion of the night was beginning to catch up with them. Slowly, they nodded, and then hurried from the room before Snape could protest anymore. The last thing they wanted was yet another detention with the man or - even worse - a detention with Filch!

Back in the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore sent a quick Patronus to Madam Pompfrey, warning her of incoming patients, before sending another phoenix to the Ministry.

"The Aurors should be here shortly" he said, returning to the other side of his desk to take a seat, "They'll likely wish to take you into custody as well, Sirius, at least until your name is cleared".

"Yeah, I thought as much". He gave the old man a wan smile. "But hey! It can't be for any longer than twelve years, right?"

"... It was a grave injustice, my boy, what was done to you" he replied quietly, "But now the truth will win out, no matter what the costs. You will need to testify, of course, provide memories, if you can - anything that can prove your innocence… Just know that I will do everything in my power to see justice served".

"Thank you, Albus".

Pettigrew, still on the floor, let out a pitiful sob. "Please, Professor Dumbledore… I beg you… have mercy…"

Sirius looked down at Pettigrew, his expression a mix of anger and contempt.

"Mercy? You ask for mercy after everything you've done? After betraying your friends, after framing me, after every single Order secret you gave to Voldemort for free? You don't deserve mercy, Wormtail. You deserve a fate worse than death!"

The old man's gaze had also hardened. "You will have a fair trial, Peter, but mercy… that is not mine to give".

He whimpered again, curling into himself on the floor, his small, watery eyes darting nervously between Dumbledore and Sirius.

"Please… I never meant for any of this to happen… I was just scared…"

"Fear doesn't absolve you of responsibility" Dumbledore said coldly, "You had a choice, Peter, just as you have one now. How you act in the coming hours and days will determine what little future you might have left".

Giving the man one last disparaging look, he turned back to Black.

"Until the Aurors arrive, I would suggest that you also avail yourself of the hospital wing, my boy. If you'll forgive me for saying so, you're looking rather… worse for wear".

Sirius laughed, the sound hollow and exhausted.

"I've had better days; of that I'm certain… but I've also had worse. You sure you want a convicted mass murderer roaming the halls, though?"

"It didn't stop you before" he replied mildly, blue eyes twinkling, "But perhaps, just in case, I should order Severus here to go with you".

"Oh, Merlin no!"

"Albus, you cannot-"

"Well, it appears that I just have" he interrupted with a pleasant smile, "Off you go! The Aurors will be here soon enough; I'll watch over Peter until they arrive".

Black glanced over at Snape, his expression unreadable but still decidedly cold. The Potions Master was less subtle in his distaste of the situation and openly glared.

"... Fine!" Sirius finally snapped, "Let's get this over with".

As they walked out of Dumbledore's office, Sirius couldn't help but glance back at Pettigrew one last time, still lying pathetically on the floor. The rat's eyes met his for a brief moment, filled with fear and desperation. Sirius felt a wave of rage surge through him, but he pushed it down.

There would be time for justice soon enough.

The corridors of Hogwarts were eerily quiet as they made their way to the hospital wing. The only sounds were the soft shuffling of their feet and the distant echoes of the castle settling for the night.

Sirius felt a strange mix of nostalgia and sorrow as they passed familiar landmarks - the Grand Staircase, the Quad Courtyard, the Gryffindor Tower... He hadn't walked these halls in over a decade, and yet they felt both familiar and foreign to him.

Snape, for his part, said nothing as they walked, his face a mask of indifference. But Sirius could feel the tension radiating off him. There was a time when they had been students here together, bitter rivals who had loathed each other with a passion. Now, that rivalry seemed almost trivial in the face of everything else that had happened.

When they finally reached the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey was waiting for them, having evidently been forewarned by the Headmaster, her face set in a mixture of concern and irritation.

"Sirius Black" she said, her tone brisk, "I never thought I'd see you here again".

She had aged, since his school days - but then again, Sirius realised, they all had.

"Neither did I, Poppy".

"That's still Madam Pomfrey to you, mister!" She gave him a once-over, her eyes narrowing as she took in his gaunt appearance and the various cuts and bruises that marred his skin. "You look like you've been through the wars".

"Something like that" he agreed, lowering himself onto the nearest bed with a wince.

Snape stood by the door, arms crossed, watching the scene with a stoic expression. Madam Pomfrey didn't seem to notice or care about his presence as she set to work, her wand moving deftly over Sirius's injuries.

"Lie still, and let me do my job" she ordered, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Sirius complied, closing his eyes as the soothing warmth of healing magic washed over him. For the first time in years, he allowed himself to relax, if only for a moment. The weight of the past twelve years, the injustice, the pain, the betrayal - it all seemed to lift just slightly as he lay there in the familiar surroundings of Hogwarts.

As Madam Pomfrey finished her work, she gave him a stern look.

"You need rest, Sirius. Proper rest, not the kind you get while on the run!"

"I won't be on the run for much longer, hopefully" he replied with a faint smile, "And I'm looking forward to sleeping in a proper bed again, that's for sure".

She gave him an unbearably sad look, remembering the mischievous flirtatious boy he used to be, charming his way into getting an extra calming draught during exams or begging her for bruise paste after doing something particularly stupid. Right now, however, he looked more like a tortured skeleton than anything else.

"You can rest here until the Aurors arrive" she said quietly, before turning to Snape with yet another stern glare, "He needs sleep. Make sure he gets it!"

His lips curled into a sneer. "I'm not here to play babysitter, Poppy".

"You are here to do whatever I damn well tell you to do!" she snapped, "And don't even think about crossing me, Severus Snape, or I will set Minerva on you!"

Black snorted before quickly schooling his features into some semblance of neutrality and feigning sleep as she turned her ferocious glare on him next. With another pointed look in both of their directions, Madam Pompfrey left them alone, bustling over to the other end of the infirmary where one bed was holding three sleeping children.

The silence left behind was heavy, filled with years of animosity and unspoken words. Sirius was exhausted - physically, mentally, and emotionally. He didn't have the energy left to fight, not tonight, but that didn't mean he was about to extend the proverbial olive branch either. Finally, Snape spoke, his voice low and filled with something that might have been respect - or perhaps just a grudging acknowledgement of their shared history.

"Don't think this changes anything, Black" he muttered, studiously avoiding his gaze, "But you showed… an acceptable amount of restraint tonight".

Sirius opened his eyes, glancing over at the man with a tired smile.

"Funny. I could say the same to you... We did it for different people, I expect, but at least the outcome was the same… He will suffer for what he's done, Snape. We'll make sure of it".

Severus's expression didn't change, but he gave a short nod before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

As the door closed behind him, Sirius let out a heavy breath. He was alone now, alone with his thoughts and memories, but for the first time in years, he didn't feel alone. The fight wasn't over, but at least now he had allies, people who believed in his innocence, who would stand by him in the battles to come. At least now, he had Remus again.

And for the first time in twelve long years, Sirius Black allowed himself to hope.

Snape returned to Dumbledore with swift, purposeful strides, his robes billowing behind him. The familiar sight of the Headmaster's office, with its warm soft lighting and comforting clutter, did little to soothe his frayed nerves - especially not with Peter bloody Pettigrew stunned unconscious in a chair in the corner.

As he closed the door behind him, he found Dumbledore seated once again at his desk, his hands steepled, and a small, knowing smile playing on his lips.

"Severus" he greeted, his eyes twinkling with an almost childlike glee, "I trust Sirius is in good hands now?"

"Madam Pomfrey is seeing to him" Snape replied curtly, his voice as cold as ever, "He'll live... Unfortunately".

"Good, good" Dumbledore said, leaning back in his chair, his smile widening, "I must say, tonight has turned out rather splendidly, all things considered".

Snape's lips curled into a sneer. "Splendid, Albus? The youngest Weasley boy nearly lost a leg, three students were almost killed, a bloody werewolf is on the loose, a traitor of the Order is unconscious six feet away, and a convicted mass murderer is now lounging in the hospital wing! How, pray tell, is any of this splendid?!"

Dumbledore chuckled softly, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"You always were one to focus on the negative side of things, Severus, but look at the larger picture. We have exposed the truth, brought an injustice to light, and found the guilty party. And you… you have shown remarkable growth".

"Growth?" he echoed, his voice dripping with disdain, "I merely did what was necessary, Albus. Nothing more and nothing less!"

The Headmaster's expression softened.

"And that, my boy, is why I'm proud of you. You chose to put aside your old grievances, to let go of the past, even if just for tonight. You did it not for your own sake, but for the sake of justice. For the sake of what is right".

He bristled at the compliment, his face darkening with irritation.

"Don't mistake my actions for some noble gesture, Albus! I did it because Lily deserves justice. That's all!"

"Well, I think Lily would be proud of you as well-"

"Don't" he hissed, his voice low and dangerous, "Don't pretend to know how she would have felt about tonight!"

His jaw was tightly clenched, his mask of cold indifference briefly slipping to reveal the raw pain beneath, and Dumbledore sighed softly, his gaze full of empathy.

"Perhaps I don't know. But I do know that she cared for you, Severus. And I know that what you did tonight - choosing to let justice prevail over your personal vendettas - would have meant something to her".

Snape turned away, unable to meet the man's Merlin-damned twinkling eyes, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"I did what was necessary" he repeated quietly, "I knew it would be wrong to let Black return to Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit while the person truly responsible for her death roamed free - but don't think for one second that I'm happy about it! That man still deserves to rot for all he's done!"

Dumbledore slowly stood up, moving to stand beside Snape. He placed a gentle hand on the younger man's shoulder, feeling the tension in his frame.

"You've done more than you realise, my boy. Not just for Sirius, but for yourself. Tonight, you've taken a step toward healing. Toward finding peace".

He shrugged off Dumbledore's hand immediately, stepping back with a scowl.

"Peace?" he spat, his eyes flashing with anger, "There will never be peace! Not for me, never for me!"

The Headmaster regarded him with a sad, knowing look. "But there is hope, Severus. There is always hope-"

"Hope is a fool's game, Albus!" he snapped, turning away once more, his expression one of annoyance and frustration, "And I'm no fool".

Dumbledore watched him with quiet affection, noticing the faint flush of embarrassment on Snape's cheeks despite the man's best efforts to hide it. He knew Severus better than anyone, knew the complex web of emotions that he kept tightly wound within himself. And though the man would never admit it, Dumbledore could see the small, tentative steps toward change that he was beginning to take.

"Perhaps not" he said softly, "But even the wisest among us must sometimes play the fool".

Snape shot him a dark, irritated look, but the Headmaster merely smiled, his eyes twinkling with that infuriatingly cheerful light. With a huff of annoyance, he turned on his heel and stalked toward the door.

"Well, I was going to wait here for the Aurors, but I've suddenly changed my mind! Let me know when they arrive; I'll be in my quarters".

"Severus" Dumbledore called after him, "Thank you".

He paused, his hand on the door handle, but he didn't turn around. "For what?"

"... For being the man I always knew you could be".

Snape stiffened at the words, a mixture of anger and indignation and something else - something deeper - flashing across his face. Without another word, he yanked the door open and swept out of the room, slamming it shut behind him.

The Headmaster stood alone in his office, aside from the still-slumbering form of Peter Pettigrew across from him. And for the first time in a long time, he allowed himself to hope as well. For tonight, justice had been served, and perhaps, in time, Severus Snape would come to find that there was more to life than the shadows he had lived in for so long.

Sirius wasn't sure how long he slept for before he was woken again by raised voices. What he did know was that the infirmary beds had never felt so soft and he had a pillow - an actual pillow! - beneath his head and a soft blanket on top of him and he was warm, oh sweet Merlin he was warm for the first time he could remember.

And so, needless to say, he was rather irritated about having to lose all of that.

"-the last time, no! He is my patient and I am treating him and he is in no fit state to go anywhere with you!"

"Ma'am, with all due respect, he's still a criminal-"

"A falsely accused criminal!"

"-and until such a date that that is proven, he is still deemed guilty in the eyes of the law!"

"Well the eyes of the law can go fu-"

"Perhaps, Poppy, a compromise can be reached?" Dumbledore's familiar voice smoothly cut her off before she gave the Aurors a reason to arrest her too, "Surely you fine officers can see that Sirius Black is hardly a threat at the moment. Perhaps you can allow Madam Pomfrey to continue treating him under some form of supervision?"

With a heavy sigh, Sirius realised what was happening. At least if the Aurors were here then that meant Peter had already been arrested. That was a good thing, right?

"Supervision? Supervision?! Albus I most certainly do not need an armed guard supervising my treatment of a man I've known since he was a child!"

"I promise you, ma'am, it's just a formality. We need to take him into custody until his case is reviewed; we won't be shipping him straight back to Azkaban! We'll be placing him in a secure cell-"

"You'll be doing no such thing! This man is in no condition to be hauled off to some holding cell like a common criminal! He is innocent and he needs proper medical care, and I will not allow him to be mistreated any longer!"

"Ma'am, we understand your concerns, but procedure-"

"Procedure be damned! But if you're so insistent on it, then why in Merlin's name didn't he receive a trial first day? Well? I'm waiting!"

"... Unfortunately we weren't there at the time-"

"Oh so you're innocent of wrongly convicting him, are you? And you shouldn't be arrested for doing so? Well neither should he be arrested for being innocent either! And in case you've forgotten, gentlemen, this is the rightful Duke of London! Are you really sure you want to go up against the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black?!"

"Poppy". There was a note of warning in Dumbledore's voice, but also more than a little bit of amusement. "Why don't you return to your patient while the Aurors and I see if we can reach a different compromise. Perhaps we could release him into the care of St Mungo's?"

"I won't release him to anyone else, Albus! They can keep him handcuffed to the bed with a dozen guards if they must but he shall not be returning to a Godric-forsaken cell!"

"... Alright, I'll see what we can do. Headmaster, if I may use your Floo to contact Auror Headquarters?"

"Certainly! Right this way, gentlemen…"

Sirius waited until the door had shut behind them before opening his eyes. Madam Pompfrey was still standing a few feet away, perfectly placed between where the Aurors had stood and his bed, and his heart ached at the amount of love and respect he had for the woman.

Still spitting feathers, she spun around to face him, taking no heed of his alert expression and instead muttering insults and curse words under her breath as she busied herself bustling forward and waving her wand over him to cast diagnostic scans.

Sirius grinned at her. "You always were my favourite".

"Was I now?" She sniffed. "And yet I distinctly remember you asking someone else to dance at a particular Valentine's Day Ball?"

"Well I didn't expect Professor Dumbledore to actually say yes!" he exclaimed, slowly, painfully sitting up, "And let me tell you, my parents were most certainly not impressed when that got back to them".

"I can imagine. The underaged future Duke of London dancing with a man three times his age who stood for everything that they hated… I'm surprised they didn't disown you".

"Oh, no, they did" he replied flippantly, "It was that summer actually. I wonder if that was their breaking point… I should have asked Albus to dance sooner".

"And while I most certainly would have accepted" the man in question said, stepping back into the room with a smile, "I'm afraid the rest of this little catch-up will have to wait until a later date. The Ministry has agreed to release you to St Mungo's, my boy, provided that there is an armed Auror outside your door at all times".

He made a face and then gave Madame Pomfrey a conspiratorial, mischievous look.

"Any chance you could be my, uh… private nurse?"

"Sirius Black!" she exclaimed, swatting him on the arm, "You better watch that tongue of yours, mister, or I will personally ensure that you never get to use it again!"

"Oh, but where would the fun in that be?" he shot back with a charming grin, "I'll have to come back soon for that dance of ours".

"Focus on getting better first!" she scolded, although she couldn't hide her smile, "And then we'll see about that dance".

The doors to the hospital wing swung open once more as two somewhat chastened Aurors returned to arrest him.

"Mister- uh, I mean Lord Black?" one of them asked, wringing his hands together awkwardly, "Are you… ready to go?"

Lord Black? Sirius frowned at him, before understanding eventually dawned, and he turned back to Dumbledore.

"I take it that the old hag has croaked it then?"

The man gave him a sad smile. "Yes, my boy. I regret to inform you that your mother did indeed pass away a few years into your incarceration".

He slowly nodded, looking on in amusement as the Auror suddenly paled in horror as he realised what he'd done.

"... Good" he finally declared, before swinging his legs over the side of the bed, "Well, alright then, off we pop! Places to go, things to do, beds to be handcuffed to - and not even in the fun way, either".

Madam Pomfrey slapped him on the arm once more as he passed, but accepted the kiss on the cheek with a fond if exasperated smile.

"Just you wait until I tell Minerva where you are, mister!" she threatened as the Aurors stepped forward, "And then let's see you talk back to her!"

Monday, 6th June

The hallway was brightly lit, with the pale green walls of St Mungo's offering little comfort to those within. The Auror stationed at the door to the private room straightened up as Dumbledore approached, clearly recognising him.

"Headmaster" he greeted, "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to hand over your wand, sir, before I can allow you entry".

"Of course, my boy" he replied easily, holding out the pale wood, "I hopefully shouldn't be too long".

The Auror nodded in thanks before stepping aside and pushing open the door for him. Inside, Dumbledore found Remus standing by the window, his expression tense and weary. Sirius, sitting up in the hospital bed and looking far healthier than he had just the day before, was glaring at the werewolf with a ferocious scowl.

"Oh" he said, stopping just inside the door, "Have I interrupted something?"

"Actually, your timing couldn't be better!" Sirius snapped, "Remus here is busy not telling me where my godson is! So perhaps, being the Headmaster of his school, you could tell me instead?"

Dumbledore felt his heart sink. He had hoped to postpone this particular conversation, but he should've known that Sirius would ask as soon as he was able to. He really did look a lot better already, whereas Remus looked as though he hadn't slept in days - his hair was dishevelled, dark circles marred his eyes, and there was a hollowness to his face that hadn't been there before. There were three new scars, too, short but deep, cutting across his right cheek.

Evidently, the full moon two nights ago had been particularly brutal.

"Where is he, Remus?" Sirius demanded, his voice a mixture of desperation and anger, "You said you wouldn't tell me until Albus got here but guess what? He's here! So just where the hell is Harry?!"

Remus looked away, turning haunted eyes to the street outside the window instead, and Sirius turned his furious scowl to Dumbledore.

"You see! He refuses to tell me! Harry is my godson; I have a right to know where he is! I- I need to know that he's safe!"

There was a cut-off sound from the direction of the window, but the Headmaster couldn't bring himself to look over and see the anguish that was no doubt covering Remus's face.

"Albus, where is he?" he asked again, his voice breaking, "Why won't anyone tell me where he is?"

"Sirius…" Dumbledore slowly moved over to the chair placed next to the hospital bed. "Sirius, Harry is… Harry is missing".

"Missing?" he echoed, "What do you mean missing? How?! He's a thirteen-year-old boy, for Merlin's sake! How the hell could he be missing?!"

"It's not a… recent development" the Headmaster continued quietly, "Harry disappeared three years ago. He never received his Hogwarts letter".

"He never- what?! I thought those letters were able to find anyone!"

"They are, within reason. The letters were sent, but the addresses on the envelopes kept changing. When the cut-off date for acceptance passed… the letters stopped being sent. We searched the most recent address but found nothing-"

"Did you talk to his guardians? Ask them where he went? What about an Auror report? Or a- a- a muggle police report? I thought you'd given him to Lily's sister so I went there after I first broke out-"

Remus whirled around. "You did what?!"

"-but I didn't see him, not once! I figured that he was staying at a friend's house for the summer or- or he'd ended up elsewhere! You were the one left in charge of him, right? It wasn't someone bloody awful like- like Malfoy, was it?! Or Nott?! Or Lestrange?! Or-"

"Yes, Sirius, I was the one left in charge of Harry, and I did give him to Petunia to raise and look after-"

"Then where the hell is he?!"

"He's dead!"

The man froze, staring at Remus with wide, horrified eyes.

"... He's what?"

"When Harry didn't show up at Hogwarts, people started talking. Albus gave a statement to the Prophet saying that he was attending some other school or getting private training or some other bloody rubbish but he wasn't! We searched for him, Pads. We searched everywhere for him - Albus even used legilimency on his muggle relatives but the only thing they said was-"

He cut himself off and spun back to face the window, but it wasn't quick enough to hide the tears staining his cheeks.

"The only thing they said was what?" Sirius whispered, his own eyes damp, "The only thing they said was what, Remus?!"

"... They said that they got rid of him".

Albus Dumbledore had seen many people break down before, but he'd never seen anyone as destroyed as Sirius Black was in that moment.

He seemed to crumple right in front of him, a broken man barely holding into the brittle remnants of hope suddenly having that hope ripped out from under him with a single blow. The depth of his despair was almost unbearable to witness. His eyes were glassy, his consciousness no doubt retreating to the depths of his mind where not even the dementors had been able to touch. His breathing was faint, yet laboured, his hands trembling on his lap. He had already been through so much, had already lost so much that his already fragile mind appeared to be on the edge of shattering completely and Dumbledore couldn't- he wouldn't let him lose this too.

When - not if, but when - he found young Harry, he'd need a stable, loving home to live in, and although Sirius might not quite be the former, he was definitely the latter. The Headmaster refused to send Harry back to the Dursleys, blood protection or not! The wards only worked if the boy called that house his home, after all, but it would seem like he never had. He needed a family, someone who cared about him, and once he had that, they could work on coming up with some other safety solutions - but first, he had to find the boy.

And besides, Severus would quite literally murder him if he ever even tried to return Harry to his relatives, and - Death Eater or not - Albus genuinely feared what Minerva would do to him even more.

No. Harry Potter would not become another Tom Riddle. It was about damn time that Dumbledore learned from his past mistakes.

"Remus" he said gently, his voice calm but firm, "Would you mind giving me a moment alone with Sirius?"

The man hesitated, naturally, but it was clear that he was on the verge of breaking down as well so he could do with a few minutes to compose himself. He cast one last anguished look at Sirius, before nodding and leaving the room, the door softly clicking shut behind him.

Once they were alone, Dumbledore moved to sit on the edge of the hospital bed, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. The younger man flinched slightly at the contact, his gaze unfocused as if he were lost in the labyrinth of his own thoughts.

"Sirius, I need you to listen to me right now. There's something I have to tell you but it must, must, remain a secret between ourselves… It has something to do with Harry".

He slowly turned empty, hollow eyes to face him.

"This is incredibly important; you must not tell another soul what I am about to tell you, including Remus. If I could, then I would ask you to swear an Unbreakable Vow to keep this information a secret, but doing that would require a third person and even that is one person too many. Nobody else must know. Do you understand?"

"... What is it?" he rasped, his voice rough and barely audible.

Dumbledore took a deep breath before continuing, knowing that he was breaking one of the many sacred oaths he'd taken as Headmaster, but also knowing that if he didn't… well, then Sirius Black could be lost to them forever.

"There's a book at Hogwarts" he started quietly, "It's called the Book of Admittance. It's an ancient and powerful artefact that the Founders themselves created. In it, there's a record of every magical child born in Britain… It's the Book that decides if a child is magical enough to attend Hogwarts, and it's the Book that tells the Quill of Acceptance who to write letters to".

Sirius's brow furrowed in confusion, clearly not understanding what this had to do with his godson, so Dumbledore pressed on before he lost his interest completely.

"The Book of Admittance is incapable of lying. It knows when a child is born and it knows when they have passed on into the next world. If Harry were truly dead, as Remus fears, then his name would have been scratched out from the moment he left us".

The man's breath hitched, a spark of hope reigniting in his chest.

"And?" he asked, his voice trembling.

Dumbledore met his gaze, his blue eyes filled with a solemn intensity.

"Harry's name is still in the Book, Sirius. He's still alive".

The words hung in the air, and for a moment, Sirius could do nothing but stare at Dumbledore, his mind struggling to comprehend the enormity of what he had just been told. Then, like a dam breaking, a wave of emotion surged through him. Tears welled in his eyes, but this time, they were not tears of despair, but of a profound, overwhelming relief.

"He's alive" he whispered, the words more a prayer than a statement, "Harry's still alive".

The Headmaster nodded, squeezing his shoulder gently.

"Yes, he is. But you must understand that this knowledge must remain a secret. The Book of Admittance is a closely guarded treasure of Hogwarts, and very, very few people know of its existence. If word of it were to get out, it would lead to chaos. You cannot tell anyone".

Sirius slowly nodded. "Alright. I won't… On two conditions".

Dumbledore frowned. A snake in lion's clothing indeed…

"One, I want to see it. The Book. I- I need to see it with my own two eyes to know that it's true".

"I cannot promise that the tower door will open for you, my boy, but… I see no reason why you cannot try. Wait until term ends and you're well enough to leave St Mungo's, and then pay me a visit" he replied reluctantly, "And your second condition?"

"Promise me" he said immediately, his jaw clenched and his shoulders tight, "Promise me that we'll find him".

Dumbledore's eyes softened, and he gave Sirius a small, reassuring smile.

"I promise you, Sirius, I will do everything in my power to bring Harry home".

Sirius let out a shuddering breath, relief etched in his features.

"Thank you" he murmured, his voice hoarse, "Thank you for telling me".

The Headmaster stood, giving him one last, comforting pat on the shoulder.

"Rest, my boy. The trial date has been set for later this week; you will need your strength for the days ahead".

He quietly slipped out of the room, leaving a broken yet smiling man behind him, and Dumbledore wasn't surprised to find Remus pacing the corridor in front of him.

"Sirius is fine" he reassured as soon as the werewolf turned to him, "If he has listened to me, then he should now be asleep".

Lupin snorted, but he still looked far too unsteady to pull off amusement successfully.

"When has Sirius Black ever listened to a single bloody person in his life?"

"Oh, I don't know… He seems to listen to you".

Those mischievous blue eyes were twinkling again and Remus was immediately suspicious.

"What are you planning?"

"Nothing at all, my boy! Aside from an indestructible defence for Sirius, of course. The trial is due to go ahead this Friday".

"That soon?"

"Given the people involved and the nature of the crime, yes. I might have also, perhaps, spoken to a few witches and wizards in the right departments and asked them to speed things along".

He smiled, weakly. "Thank you, Albus. Truly".

"You can thank me once he's declared innocent". Dumbledore smiled back before stepping aside so that the man could return to Sirius's room, "Now, is there anything else I should know before I take my leave?"

"Yeah". Remus pushed open the door without looking back. "I quit".

Figures.