A/N: Hey guys I know you've been waiting a little while for this update but it's a little worth it since it's about fourteen pages long. I did a lot of editing and rewriting in this chapter and I'm still not quite happy with it, but I didn't want to make you wait any longer.

Marcus' P.O.V

Marcus trod his way down the stairs, heading toward the foyer where his wife stood waiting for him.

As his foot met the tile of the ground floor, a streak of blue and black darted between his legs, and up the stairs towards Fleur's room.

"Zat was 'Arry's cat," Apolline laughed at Marcus' face, her accent still apparent since she had only started polishing her English since they had moved.

"Didn't he return to Hogwarts with his cat?" Marcus frowned.

"Oh yes, but zat cat seems to find 'imself in very odd places. 'E was in ze kitchen days ago, sleeping half under ze refrigerator," she laughed shaking her head.

"Of course, the familiar is as eccentric as the master," Marcus sighed, circling his hands around his wife's waist and smiling down at her.

Apolline's hands rested lightly on his hips and she smiled up at him," is today your interview?"

"Yes, Dumbledore has had to pull a great many strings to get me in, and Fudge was very against the idea," Marcus frowned disapprovingly," I do not like that man."

"Dumbledore or ze minister?"

"Both. Dumbledore has wheels within wheels and he seems all too happy to scheme away in his tower at Hogwarts. Fudge is a fool, but a political fool."

"So," Apolline tittered," 'e is as bad as ze politicians in France."

"Worse, he is British, so he doesn't have half as much class as our bureaucrats."Marcus sighed kissing his wife lightly on the lips, letting his affection linger a bit,"Well au revoir, mon amour."

The whipping wind and flying sea salted froth of the North Sea stung his eyes. For the umpteenth time, Marcus wondered what sorts of idiot witches and wizards thought it was a good idea to make the only means of conveyance, between the main land and the island Azkaban was on, a tiny rowboat.

And the poor auror that was on dock duty, was manning the boats, with no help from any visitors he would be ferrying across.

"So how much do they pay you for this," Marcus asked, trying and failing to ignore the spray of salt that was stinging his eyes.

"Mmm, about a thousand eight hundred galleons a month," the auror grunted as he rowed.

"Really? And how often do you have to take this boat up to the prison?"

"Maybe, once or twice a year. Give or take a few trips depending on crimes, visits, or prisoner removal."

"I didn't think prisoners left Azkaban," Marcus frowned as the large looming building cast a foreboding shadow over their boat. Flecks of icy rain pelted them as they approached, which was odd because the middle of August should be far too warm for ice.

"Prisoner body removal," the auror corrected," the dementors aren't exactly always careful when handling the longer tenured inmates."

"Ah," Marcus looked up toward the stone structure. Far away it was imposing, but up close, it was utterly horrifying.

Once the auror docked the boat and secured it, he led Marcus up toward the stone slabs that functioned as the prisons doors.

Waiting in a guard shack situated just before the doors was a figure they couldn't quite see. The man inside stood to his feet to greet them, and Marcus noticed the auror who had been manning the boat finally showed an emotion other than mild disinterest," Kingsley? Where's Bradshaw?"

"Moody gave him another assignment, and I was free, so he put me here in the meantime." The tall dark-skinned auror, Kingsley, seemed a bit too at ease in the oppressive air around Azkaban.

"Uh huh," the auror from the boat scowled, but didn't say anything further as he left Marcus with Kingsley.

"Dumbledore sent me to assist," Kingsley gestured for Marcus to follow as they approached the looming doors of the prison," of course, I can only assist so much."

"And I'm assuming the help you mean is keeping the slavering soul hungry hooded abominations away," Marcus sighed rubbing a hand through his carefully trimmed beard.

"Well some protection is better than none," Kingsley laughed, pulling his wand from the folds of his auror robes, and with a wave the immense stone doors of Azkaban opened for them," oh, and try not to faint."

That request seemed a ridiculous one, at least until the first chilling whisper of rattling breaths fell on Marcus' ears. At first he thought maybe the noise was the weakened gasps of the inmates, but as the noise grew closer Marcus caught sight of a cloud of gliding grotesquery. The rattling death throes were the gasping breaths of the Azkaban guards, Dementors.

"Putain de merde," Marcus gasped as he produced his own wand, but before he could attempt a cast, Kingsley put a hand on his arm.

"Unless you can perform a patronus I suggest you not agitate them further. I assume they think they're receiving another inmate, but they'll learn that isn't the case very soon. Expecto Patronum!"

The Dementors approach was slow and menacing, but quickly ceased as a Graceful and gleaming lynx landed lightly in the middle of the hoard. As the bright shine of the patronus lifted the shadows from the cold stone walls around them, the dementors retreated in a cloud of howling and angry cloaks.

"They'll stay away until we finish, but I'll keep my patronus around just in case," Kingsley smiled down at the construct of light, and lightly scratched under the cat's chin.

"That would be very appreciated," Marcus sighed. Kingsley started to guide them up and along the spiraling slope that seemed to be the way of ascending the prison.

As Marcus walked he noticed something odd about the prison," where are all the walls and checkpoints separating sections?"

"Who do you think would man them? Other wizards?" At this Kingsley laughed, the deep baritone of his voice echoing ominously," the average witches and wizards are cowards, maybe they have some spine when they're at Hogwarts, but that goes away quick enough in the workforce."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think anyone wants to put their neck on the line after five years of comfy office work? No. Once they've gotten used to a cushy life they forget all about the dangerous things like Dementors out there and become complacent," Kingsley seemed to have a certain dislike for the average witch and wizards of his society, and he didn't seem to opposed to showing it either.

The cracked walls of the prison seemed horribly in disrepair, and the rusted iron of the prison bars of each cell didn't help the utterly filthy state of the prison," staff or not, shouldn't things here in disrepair be fixed? Otherwise, prisoners would find it easier to escape. Wouldn't they?"

"On the contrary, when there are no visitors the dementors usually leave cells unlocked," Kingsley let a smile that was more a grimace spread across his face," they do it hoping some poor idiot will try escaping and use it as an excuse to have a heartier meal than average."

"Do any of the prisoners try and escape that way?" Marcus wondered as they passed a cell with a particularly disheveled and dazed looking wizard inside.

"Sometimes, but those are the recently incarcerated. They learn quickly it's not the best idea to leave their cells, well unless they want to be empty husks."

"This is barbaric," Marcus growled.

"You're telling me!" A gruff voice called from two cells ahead of them," And we don't even get any room service."

Both Kingsley and Marcus looked astonished at one another and approached the cell. Inside was a man with long tangled black hair streaked with gray, a long unkempt beard, and thin sunken ribs barely concealed by the prisoner uniform he wore.

"Sirius Black?" Marcus asked noticing the cell the man was in was the one they were looking for.

"No, it's the bloody Queen of England," he glowered at the pair through his tangle of hair," what's it to ya?"

'Good lord, he's just as petulant as Harry,' Marcus groaned to himself remembering how Harry had complained very similarly when he had bounced off the wards around the manor.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Black," Marcus inclined his head to the man behind the bars," I am here on behalf of Albus Dumbledore and to a lesser extent Harry Potter."

Sirius Black perked up at this and shuffled closer to the bars," Harry? What about him?"

"Firstly, Dumbledore has, in recent musings, thought your incarceration was a bit odd, but at the time the necessity of a guardian for Harry was not a factor."

"But it is a factor now?" Sirius asked us fully engaged in the conversation. The look in his eyes was intense and unwavering, it unnerved Marcus.

"Well, before we continue that line of questioning any further, we need to establish the timeline for the day you were apprehended," Marcus pulled a simple spiral notepad and pen from his coat pocket," Please start from the beginning,"

Harry's P.O.V

Diagon Alley hadn't changed much since last year, and more than a few of the shop owners remembered him. Although, he was fairly certain that was just because of his name. But it was still nice to have people great him for a change and not just stare.

Harry had paid a visit to Griphook as soon as he had gotten to Gringotts, and to say the goblin was annoyed would have been an understatement. Harry hadn't been able to give the goblin an earful after he had foisted Apolline, Fleur, and Gabby on him last year. So the goblin had Harry's annoyance coming.

"Do you really have nothing better to do than bother me while I am at work," Griphook complained as Harry leaned against his teller's podium.

"Mmm, no. At least not until the people I'm waiting for get here," Harry shrugged, grinning at the goblin.

Griphook grumbled a few curses in Gobbledygook that disparaged Harry's ancestors and their ability to wear pants, or at least that was what Harry thought he was saying. He had only learned the language a bit in passing.

"You really aught to watch your mouth," Harry gasped exaggeratedly," there are children present!"

Griphook glowered, but his look of annoyance quickly fell away as he looked over Harry's shoulder with hope.

" 'Arry? Why are you bothering zis goblin?"

Harry turned to see Fleur standing behind him with her arms crossed and a strong frown on her face," Ah, you see I was just negging a friend."

"Really? Because it looks like you are pestering ze poor man."

"Well, that is technically what negging is," Harry grumbled and then scowled at Griphook who was smiling smugly at him being chastised," oh don't you worry, Griphook. I'll be back later to get money from my vault, probably with more people too, and I'd like you to be the one to help us."

Fleur tentatively wrapped her hand in Harry's and pulled him away from the goblin who was now looking twice as annoyed as he had," I don't know why you two act zat way with each other."

"It's all in good fun," Harry looked back at Griphook, who was making a rude gesture at him," at least I think it is."

Fleur laughed melodiously and squeezed his hand," well, try not to get too carried away. In ze meantime ze Weasleys are waiting outside for you, zey thought you 'ad not arrived yet, but I came inside to make sure."

Sure enough the assembly of Weasleys was a sea of red heads waiting at the top of Gringotts' steps.

"I found 'im," Fleur huffed as she held their clasped hands up," 'e was inside 'arassing ze goblin 'e says is 'is friend."

Just as Harry and Fleur met the group of redheads, he realized that not everyone assembled was a Weasley. There were a couple heads of brunette hair bobbing in the crowd, trying to exit the mass of gingers.

"Hello, Harry," Hermione smiled at him as she and Terry burst from the pressing mass of Weasleys.

"Harry," Terry called," what've you been up to all summer?"

"Hey, Hermione! Terry! Nothing much. I stayed at Fleur's most of the time. We practiced our dueling, we visited the Weasleys, we started dating, and I started practicing a new–"

"Whoa, wait what? What was that last thing?" Terry looked baffled between Harry and Fleur, clearly having just now seen their laced fingers.

"Ah, we visited the Weasleys," Harry grinned innocently at him, pretending he didn't know exactly what he was talking about.

" 'Arry, quit antagonizing your friends. I swear, you are getting worse and worse," Fleur shook her head looking piteously at Terry.

Terry looked back and forth between them a few times before a huge grin spread across his face. "You two are actually dating?" At Harry and Fleur's bashful nods and rose-cheeked blushes, he turned to Ron and held out his hand with a very smug smirk. "Pay up!"

Ron grumbled and pulled out a few knuts passing them to Terry, who was preening and patting himself on the back.

"Did… did you bet on whether or not Fleur and I would start dating?!" Harry stared at them, aghast and insulted.

"'Twas never a matter of if, only when," Terry laughed at the expressions he was getting from the pair," I bet you wouldn't even last another year without dating, and Ron said you'd both be to stubborn to admit it and last until fourth or fifth year."

"You couldn't just stick it out two more years mate?" Ron whined, looking forlornly after the money that had gone into Terry's coin pouch.

Mrs. Weasley huffed moving between all of them," come now, we have far more important things to be doing than betting on people's social lives!"

Mrs. Weasley frog-marched Terry and Ron into Gringotts, with the rest of the procession following closely behind.

Griphook looked very annoyed when Harry slowly approached his podium again, and his look intensified even further when Harry's smug face grew even larger, "Hello, Griphook. I've brought my friends, as promised."

Griphook's strained smile showed a few needle-like teeth as he inclined his head slightly toward Mrs. Weasley and the others. "And so you have. Am I to assume that you will all need to withdraw funds?"

"I'm good," Terry held up his coin pouch.

"Maman gave me our vault key to retrieve enough for school supplies," Fleur passed the key to Griphook's outstretched hand.

"Oh, yes! If it wouldn't be too much trouble," Mrs. Weasley smiled and passed him her key as well.

When Harry looked around at the others gathered, no one else stepped forward to give a key, so Harry gave Griphook his own. When the goblin was sure no one else would step forward to produce a key, he stepped down from his podium and motioned for those who had given their keys to follow.

Harry stepped out of Gringotts contentedly holding Fleur's hand with a smug grin on his face. Griphook had become increasingly annoyed as he went back and forth between vaults. The cherry on top for Harry had been how many times they had needed to go under the enchanted waterfall to get back and forth between each vault. By the end of the journey Griphook and the others were all sopping wet, that was until Harry used various drying charms on Mrs. Weasley, Fleur, and himself. He had purposely passed his wand over Griphook, not drying him.

While messing with the goblin had been rather fun, the looks Mrs. Weasley shot Harry and Fleur as their hands never seemed to separate was getting annoying. The woman seemed oddly opposed to Harry and Fleur being together in such a way, either it was that or she had some other such complaint about the pair.

The situation was odd, and usually Harry would ignore the looks she kept giving him and Fleur. But he had resolved himself never to regret who he was or the decisions he made. His life was more than likely going to be a short one, and that was more than enough reason not to hesitate. It was partly the reason he had decided to tell Fleur his feelings.

"Mrs. Weasley, do you have a problem with me dating Fleur," Harry asked, after having pulled the woman to the side.

Mrs. Weasley seemed taken aback by the straightforward and borderline hostile tone in Harry's voice. She turned over his question in her head for a moment before nodding slightly," I think it's a bit early for someone your age to be dating, and I find it… odd that the person you are dating is a Veela and quite a bit older than you on top of that. I'm worried she may be using you for your fame."

Harry bristled at that, barely suppressing the urge to shout in the woman's face. But it was a near thing, and the only thing that held him back was the years of submissiveness that had been beaten into him," I appreciate your concern, Mrs. Weasley. But you are not my mother, guardian, or even a good acquaintance. I have known Fleur for a little over a year, and I pride myself on being a fairly good judge of character. I can tell you this, Fleur is not that sort of person, she hates the way people look at her just because she is not entirely human, and the last thing on her mind would be wanting more attention through my fame. As for my romantic interests, I'm afraid you have no say in who I choose to love."

Mrs. Weasley didn't seem at all pleased with Harry's reception of her opinions, but just like Harry said, she had no say in how he lived his life; she was neither his mother nor his guardian.

"I see," Mrs. Weasley stared cooly down at Harry before nodding and making her way back over to Mr. Weasley, who she immediately started whispering to heatedly.

"What was zat about?" Fleur wondered as she sidled back beside Harry as the group started to leave the bank behind.

"Just her trying to interfere in my love life. She wasn't particularly approving of how much older you are than me or that you are a Veela," Harry grimaced, not liking how the woman had immediately distrusted Fleur just because of her species.

Fleur nodded, sighing," It's a common occurrence. Not many people are accommodating of non-human magical creatures, let alone Veela. It's a miracle we're even allowed to use wands."

Harry nodded, remembering how many skirmishes had broken out between humans and goblins over the fact that witches and wizards still jealously hoarded knowledge of wand lore and its practices. The thought they even allowed Veela the use of wands was baffling, when they so stubbornly kept the same rights from goblins.

Harry ran a hand through his hair before he gave Fleur a tiny smile," well, it doesn't really matter. She's not my mom and can't really tell me who I can be with."

Fleur's small smile warmed his heart as she laced her fingers through his, and they were pulled forward to follow the group as they finally left Gringotts.

"I suppose it doesn't," Fleur sighed," but all zat aside, are zere any supplies you wish to retrieve first?"

Harry grimaced, remembering the list he had received the week prior. It consisted almost entirely of books by some wizard named Gilderoy Lockhart. Harry had been curious about the man and had purchased the first book on the list out of curiosity early in the summer. To say he was thoroughly underwhelmed by the inane drivel written in the book would be an understatement, and Harry really did not want to waste any amount of money on the terrible books.

So he decided to set that aside for later.

"I had better get an owl to deliver post, Cobalt is getting progressively more annoyed with me making him do it," Harry laughed.

"Really, you should 'ave done zat sooner. Zat cat is far to temperamental for 'is own good," Fleur laughed as Harry steered them toward Eyelops Owl Emporium.

This was the first time Harry had entered the shop, since Septima had been the one to buy Cobalt. The interior was shadowy and quiet, most likely for the benefit of the numerous species of owls that were perched in cages all around the shop. There were a large variety of owls and many in different colors, but the one that drew his attention was a snowy white owl with large brilliant yellow eyes.

"Be careful of that one," a shop assistant warned as she stepped up beside Harry and Fleur," that one has been biting any customers who get near her."

The owl stared directly into Harry's eyes and shifted closer to him on its perch inside the cage.

Harry put a tentative finger in the cage, slowly stroking the owl. Its eyes went half lidded as it seemed to enjoy the contact.

"Doesn't seem to hostile," Harry smiled as the owl let out a soft trilling noise," I think I'll take her."

The shop assistant seemed very surprised by the outcome, but also seemed very relieved the bird was finally being sold," right this way then, sir." She ushered them to the store counter, floating the cage with the snowy owl over.

A few minutes later Harry was happily walking out of the shop with his new owl perched on his arm, and the cage for it shrunk into his pocket. Fleur had tried a few times to pet the bird, but it seemed her luck with Harry's pets had run out, as she was constantly snapped at by the bird whenever her hand got near.

"Finally, a pet that prefers the person who actually bought it for once," Harry laughed, running a finger over the owls head.

"By zat logic, your cat should prefer Professor Vector since she was ze one to technically buy 'im for you," Fleur laughed, clearly enjoying the annoyed look Harry shot her.

Before Harry could give one of his snarky retorts, a sharp clawing pain shot up his back as something clawed its way up," agh, what the hell!?"

"Cobalt!" Fleur panicked, trying to pry the cat from Harry's back.

The cat continued to climb Harry's back, and only removed its claws once it was settled firmly on Harry's shoulder. Even then, the cat hissed and glared at the bird, who was now puffing up in indignation at the feline.

"Oh, please stop you two," Harry groaned, not liking that he was the one caught in the middle of his two familiars and their seeming dislike for one another. Harry lifted the bird up slightly and stared at it pleadingly, hoping it was the more sensible of the two," could you please take off and meet me later in the Hogwarts Owlery… Hedwig."

"Did you just name that poor creature, Hedwig?" Fleur frowned, looking disbelievingly at the owl as it hooted softly and took off.

"She doesn't seem to mind," Harry smiled after her. Harry noticed a look on his cat's face that seemed very smug in nature," are you gloating you have a better name than Hedwig?"

Cobalt turned to look at Harry, the smug expression disappearing as he pressed his head against Harry's cheek and began purring, "Oh, now that there's competition for favorite familiar, you're trying to butter me up? Well, I still haven't quite forgiven you for clawing the absolute hell out of my back."

Harry picked the cat up and put him in Fleur's arms, not paying him any more attention as they departed for Flourish and Blotts.

As they approached the storefront, Harry noticed with great dread that there was a large crowd of jostling and screaming women. There were a few wizards in the crowd, but there were far more women trying to push one another out of the way. They seemed to be trying to get a spot at the front of the shop, where a man with carefully quaffed blonde hair and a smile that was painfully white, was posing for pictures.

"What's going on in here?" Harry wondered allowed.

A flabbergasted Arthur Weasley caught sight of Harry and looked extremely relieved as he made his way over.

"Harry! I'm so glad I found you. Molly would have my hide if she thought you got lost."

Harry looked to the man a bit annoyed at being treated as if he were incompetent, but then again in the man's eyes Harry was a child. It wasn't really his fault for thinking Harry might be helpless, even if that was far from the truth.

"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Weasley, but I am more than capable of navigating The Alley on my own. I stayed here most of the summer before my first year at Hogwarts by myself. But that aside, what's with all the commotion?" Harry gestured to the crowd of shouting and shoving witches.

"Ah," Mr. Weasley seemed to want to say more about Harry's ability to care for himself at such a young age, but he seemed more tactful than his wife. So, he turned his gaze on the man at the front of the shop with a look of distaste," that is Gilderoy Lockhart, he's a self-proclaimed adventurer and dark creature hunter. If he's done even half of what he says he has in those books of his, I'll eat my wand."

"So 'e is a fraud zen?" Fleur let a single eyebrow raise as she scrutinized the wizard. " 'e 'as a bright smile, but zat looks to be about ze only thing bright about 'im."

Mrs. Weasley laughed," to right little missy!"

Fleur seemed annoyed at the diminutive way she had been addressed, but before she could say anything about it a large shout from the front of the room startled them.

"By Merlin's beard it can't be! Harry Potter!"

Harry looked very startled as Gilderoy Lockhart made his way through the crowd of witches and grabbed Harry's arm, dragging him to the front. Harry could only send a single pleading glance back at Fleur before she disappeared behind the sea of faces.

Lockhart leant down to whisper in Harry's ear," smile Harry, with the both of us we could end up on the front page of the Daily Prophet!"

"I think I'd rather not, thanks!" Harry tried but failed to wrench his grip from the man's hand, but just then a man with a large clunky camera rushed forward. A blinding flash sent stars bursting into his vision.

"Young mister Potter here didn't realize, when he entered this humble little bookshop to purchase my books, that he would instead be meeting the real magical me! And this little meeting is but a sampler for the news I came to give all of you! Because I am happy to announce, that this year I will be filling the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Oh god. Please tell me you're joking," Harry could feel dread building at the man's jubilant voice giving such awful news.

"Far from it my dear boy!" Lockhart guffawed, slapping Harry on the back so hard he nearly keeled over. "And as a bit of a present I'm gifting young mister Potter here the entirety of my works and my newest book 'Magical Me' free of charge!" Lockhart dropped a stack of books into Harry's hands and sent him off into the crowd.

The press of witches shoved Harry jostling him annoyingly, but then a stray hand brazenly touched him in a way that made him freeze in terror. The hands continued to push him, and a few brushed places he would rather they didn't.

"Get away," Harry whispered, huddling closer to the stack of books in his arms, but no one heard him and they continued to grope him," get away!"

Harry's frenzied shout startled the crowd around him, and they all backed away from his intense and furious glare. Harry stomped his way through the parted crowd, and it was only when his eyes finally met Fleur's that his glare abated.

"Are you okay, 'Arry?" Fleur whispered.

He let a shaky breath out and gave her a wavering smile," I-I'm fine, a few of them just… touched me, is all."

Fleur's gentle look quickly morphed into one of utmost rage. Her jaw sharpened, and feathers began to sprout from the corners of her shirt collar. "I will kill zem!"

Harry stopped her before she could start throwing fire," there's no way of knowing who did it, and I'd rather you not get sent to Azkaban over me."

"It figures," an oily and familiar voice sneered from the door behind them. "Famous Harry Potter, can't even enter a bookstore without drawing attention to himself and his pet dodo."

"Ah, hello Malfoy," Harry grimaced, not liking his current luck with running into such unpleasant people in a single day," I see you've restocked your hair gel supplies. You're looking quite… slimy today."

Malfoy frowned distastefully at them, and he seemed to want to say something but was stopped by a man who looked almost identical to him.

"Come now Draco, such petty trading of insults is beneath our station. Speaking of things beneath our station, is that you Arthur?"

Mr. Weasley seemed to dislike the blond man just as much as the blond man seemed to not like him," hello, Lucius. Doing well I imagine?"

"Oh yes, far better than you, I imagine, what with all those raids the ministry is making you take part in," the elder Malfoy sneered far more scathingly than his son," they are paying you more for the extra hours, are they not?"

Without anyone realizing, the other Weasleys had arrived and it seemed at one of the most inopportune times. Lucius used that exact moment to use the youngest Weasley girl as an example. Lucius held up a book that had been resting in the girls cauldron; it was tattered, cracked, and worn.

"But then, apparently not," Lucius sneered.

"Give ze book back," Fleur glowered at the man, her eyes aflame with rage.

Lucius looked at her scathingly, but his look of derision was also colored by something Harry didn't like one bit," good lord, when my son told me there was a creature like that attending Hogwarts I thought he must be mistaken, but clearly he was not. Arthur, how could you allow your children to associate with such beasts?"

"Lucius! Do not–"

Before Mr. Weasley could say anything further, Harry had drawn his wand and banished the man out of the store and down the steps. Harry followed after the man as he tumbled into a heap on the ground.

The elder Malfoy was about to stand up, rage evident in his eyes, but he was stopped by Harry's wand, which was barely a few inches from his face. Surprisingly, the street was empty, and the others had not yet followed them. So, Harry allowed his mask of civility to slip slightly.

"I suggest you watch what you say about Fleur in my presence, Mr. Malfoy. Your son learned a similar lesson last year," Harry glowered down at the man, his rage barely contained and a curse right on the tip of his tongue. He could swear there was a low hissing voice in his ear egging him on, but he paid it no mind.

"Your parents were the same way, Potter. Meddlesome fools who met a very gruesome fate, and I suggest you watch who you make enemies of before you meet the same sticky end," Lucius growled, smoothing his long hair back from in front of his face.

"You're the one on the ground, and at risk of meeting a sticky end, Mr. Malfoy," Harry leaned down to whisper in the man's ear, "and don't think I haven't heard things about you and your family. I'm sure Voldemort enjoyed using you as his loyal lapdog, but the man isn't here, and your insults won't go unpunished if I hear them again."

As Harry let the promise linger in the air, all of the people from inside the shop rushed outside. Harry stood back up from his crouch and levitated the man to his feet," oh my lord, Mr. Malfoy are you alright!?" Harry put away his wand acting as if what had happened was an accident. "My wand misfired, I do hope you're alright!"

Lucius looked down at Harry, very startled at the sudden change in behavior, but he quickly schooled his features into a look of magnanimous forgiveness," quite alright, Mr. Potter. Do be careful in the future, however."

"Of course, sir," as Lucius turned to leave Harry cleared his throat stopping the man," Ginny's book, sir?"

Lucius sneered back at him, and marched over to drop the book back into the girls cauldron," come, Draco!"

The boy followed after him, but not before shooting a glare at Harry that didn't really serve much purpose.

"You should not 'ave done zat," Fleur chided Harry as she sidled up beside him, she was holding the books he had dropped when he had banished the elder Malfoy.

"He shouldn't have insulted you," Harry glared at the backs of the father and son as they made their way further into Diagon Alley.

Fleur turned his head gingerly with a finger," in ze future do not assault people, at least not in broad daylight."

Harry knew she was right, attacking people just because they said things you don't like wasn't a good idea. But the man had insulted Fleur, and he wasn't a child like Draco; he was an adult that should have known better. So, Harry had taught him a lesson, and he couldn't say he felt all that bad about it.

"Thank you," a small voice called behind him.

Harry turned to see a bright red Ginny staring down at her shoes," it's no problem, the tosser had it coming."

" 'Arry! Watch your language, she is only eleven!" Fleur chided him, very askance at his vocabulary.

"And I'm twelve," Harry gave her a deadpan look.

"You are a delinquent," Fleur shook her head," she is a good girl, do not drag 'er into your bad ways."

"I'm the top of my class thank you very much. If anyone is a delinquent it's Ron," Harry hooked a thumb at the boy who was watching their conversation with confusion evident on his face.

"Oi! Why am I a delinquent!?"

"Please," Harry stared at the boy with a raised eyebrow," you've tried to get me to let you copy my homework so many times, you've gotten detentions from a few professors, and I've seen you skipping classes more than once."

Ron stared at him incredulously, clearly not having expected Harry to know about his delinquency, but the look quickly turned into one of horror when he realized his mom had heard all of that. The woman seemed to swell as she approached her cowering son.

"Copying homework? Detentions? Skipping classes? You have some explaining to do, Ronald Weasley!"

Marcus' P.O.V

"And then the little rat blew up half the street, transformed into a rat, and scurried down a sewage drain."

Marcus nodded as Sirius Black finished his recollection of the days events following the murders of Lily and James Potter. According to the man, the person who betrayed the Potters was another of their closest friends who had been the true secret keeper for the Fidelius Charm, Peter Pettigrew. The reason he hadn't had a body to be identified was because he had been an animagus, and in fact all of James Potter's friends had been animagi. Except for Remus Lupin, who was and currently still is a werewolf.

"Why would you tell me you are an animagus? Information like that is very valuable to a man in your situation, and you could even escape this prison with such an ability. Even if doing so may be difficult."

Sirius Black stared at the man pensively," I've kept that secret for years, but now there's no reason to keep it. All of my friends who could be in trouble for it are either dead or I hate their guts. As far as not escaping is concerned, I've felt I deserve being in here all these years, but if Harry needs me I need to get out of here."

Marcus didn't like the reasoning behind the man's absence in Harry's life. The man had justified his absent neglect of the boy with some sort of twisted sense of penance for deaths he was claiming he had no hand in.

It pissed Marcus off.

"You're a damn fool," Marcus glared at the man.

Sirius seemed taken aback by the insult," what?"

"I said, you're a damn fool!" Marcus shouted causing both Sirius and Kingsley to jump in shock," that boy has suffered horribly for eleven years, and it may be internal now but he is still suffering! And you're saying you couldn't help him and try to get out because of what? Some childish sense of responsibility for a situation you had no control over? I hope for your sake, Mr. Black, that you are lying through your teeth about this. Because if you aren't, and you've been staying in here without so much as a complaint this whole time, then I will throttle you."

Sirius was flabbergasted for a moment, but his shock quickly fell away under a mask of fury," You think I don't know I'm a no-good piece of shit?! You think I don't wish every night that those damn monsters out there in the halls would just finish me? Because I've thought all of that! I've begged for death more times than I can count!" His look of fury wavered and was now awash with pain. "But if I can be of some use to Harry now, I want to do something, anything. I know I've fucked up, because I've been wallowing in my own self pity, but if I can I want to try being better. For Harry."

Marcus stared down at the man very hard, but when Sirius' gaze didn't waver he smiled at the man," then I believe I want to help you. You'll have a lot to make up for, but your incarceration isn't entirely your fault if your story is true. And I think you've made a very large step in the right direction."

A/N: So now that the horcrux is more prevalent in Harry we're starting to notice him acting more violently than he normally would. Because last year he had enough sense to challenge Draco when he insulted Fleur, but when Lucius did it he lost it. I wonder how much it'll affect him?

Hope you enjoy and see you next time!!!!