Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter or Eragon universes.

Big thank you to Bearsona09 for helping me with the chapter, especially the latter part.

Narda

Roran fled through the forest. Darkness surrounded him, and the trees were so close together that they barely let any light through. Behind him, he heard a deep growl, and he knew he was in mortal danger. He stopped for just a moment to catch his breath, leaning against a tree with one hand, breathing heavily and deeply.

His body trembled, and his heart pounded in his throat.

"Help!" Roran looked deeper into the forest, from where the voice came. He knew the voice; it was Katrina's. He followed the voice, which kept calling out.

"Katrina! Where are you?" he shouted into the forest, but this time there was no answer.

He ran past bushes and oddly shaped mushrooms. The cap of the mushroom was two-tiered and shiny black, streaked with orange and blue lightning-like patterns. Obsessed, Roran pressed on, not noticing the yellowish mist that was forming.

"Help!" Katrina screamed again, and Roran hurried even more. He squeezed through trees and jumped over another cluster of mushrooms that reached up to his knees and reached the edge of the forest. But what he saw troubled him, for he could see Katrina nowhere.

He stood at the edge of a cliff, and it was as if his legs wouldn't obey him. They moved toward the edge of the cliff, even as Roran fought against it with all his might. When he reached the edge, he fell to his knees. With trembling hands, he grasped the rock and looked over the cliff, seeing nothing but darkness, from which yellow mist rose.

"Katrina!" Roran called, but there was no answer. Only a growl from the depths and a sudden hot pain flared in his shoulder where the Ra'zac had bitten him. It caused him to slip and fall.

"Wake up," a voice sounded as he fell into the darkness.

"For goodness' sake, Roran. Wake up," said Albrich, shaking him even more vigorously by the shoulder.

Roran blinked away the morning sunlight.

"W-What is it?" he asked groggily, grimacing as his injured shoulder ached.

Albrich looked at him with concern. "Does your shoulder still hurt? Should I fetch Gertrude?"

Roran gritted his teeth and pulled himself up with Albrich's outstretched hand.

"No, it's all right."

"Are you sure, Roran? You were muttering a lot in your sleep and kept mentioning Katrina," Albrich said. "You miss her, don't you?"

Roran grasped the handle of the hammer that was strapped to his belt.

"Of course I do, and I'll do anything to get her back. Anything," Roran said, placing a hand on Albrich's shoulder.

"Now, come. We should go meet Clovis at his barges, which will take us to Teirm. I just hope he's willing to support us," Roran said, tapping his hammer playfully.

Albrich nodded resolutely. "I don't think Clovis will oppose us much. He's a proud man, but he also has family."

Roran sighed. "That's what I hope. It sickens me that we're deceiving an honest man like him, but it's a small price if it means we can make it to Teirm and then to Surda."

Urû'baen

"I still can't believe that Eragon is supposed to be a Dragon Rider," Katrina grunted, shaking her head in disbelief.

"And don't even get me started on Harry," she said, furrowing her brows. "Why did he never say anything?"

"Isn't it obvious? He wanted to protect you, Katrina," Murtagh said, running his hand over Thorn's back spikes, causing the dragon to growl and lift his head towards the only window.

"Protect me? From what?" Katrina asked, recoiling as a female voice echoed in her mind.

"You are in a place of corruption, child. Do you really think you are here solely because of your relationship with the human you call Roran?"

Murtagh noticed her outcry. "Katrina, what's wrong?"

She clutched her head with one hand. "A voice... it spoke to me. In my head."

Murtagh looked at Thorn, who shook his head. Then, a shadow leapt down from above and landed gracefully on the ground before them.

It was a cat, with white, shaggy fur.

"Are you the voice?" Katrina whispered.

"Yes, child."

Murtagh stared at the cat. "You are a werecat." He said it as if it were not a question. The cat nodded and raised a front paw to her face.

"Why are you here?" Katrina asked.

"To help you."

Murtagh shook his head. "You can't help us. We're trapped in the King's castle! There's no escape."

The cat's green eyes sparkled. "You are mistaken, young rider. There is still hope, and that is why I am here. But first of all, you must learn to keep your secrets from the King, Katrina."

"My secrets?" Katrina frowned. "But I know nothing!"

The cat licked her paw with her tongue. "Again wrong. I have spent the last few days sifting through your memories. The false King will have great interest in you once he discovers that you had a close relationship with the young rider, Harry."

"But-"

"No buts!" the cat hissed. "I will teach you how to protect your mind from another's intrusion. Galbatorix must not grasp the knowledge that lies dormant within you! Names are too important, too dangerous! And we have only a few days until Galbatorix returns."

The cat's eyes moved to Murtagh. "And we can only hope that his attention is directed elsewhere."

"She will have no chance against Galbatorix," Murtagh said. "No one does."

"It is all we have left. We need more time," the cat said.

Katrina thought back to her first encounter with Harry, and how exhausted he had seemed back then. And now he was at the side of a dragon, fighting with the Varden against the Empire. She would not abandon him.

"I will learn," she said resolutely, and the cat nodded in satisfaction.

Murtagh sighed, but when he looked at Katrina, he saw again that sparkle in her eyes that fascinated him so much.

"All right. I'll help too, but first, who are you, werecat?" he asked.

The cat's green eyes glowed even more, and her snow-white fur shimmered in the sunlight.

"You may call me Shadowhunter."

Ellesméra

Lily knelt in the bushes, peering through the dense green leaves at the clearing. Her body tensed as she heard a rustling beside her, but she relaxed when she felt a beak gently pecking at her calf.

"Stop that," Lily whispered irritably, pulling her leg away while keeping her eyes fixed on the house. Her parents stood in front of the house, speaking in hushed tones. Not that Lily was interested; she knew her parents were worried - she had overheard them talking the past few nights.

Moony clicked his beak.

"I wasn't eavesdropping," Lily said, looking at Moony indignantly. She added quietly, "They were just speaking loudly. I thought they were arguing."

Moony stared at her with his dark eyes, as if trying to say, 'Really'?

That was something Lily had quickly learned. She didn't know where it came from, but she often could tell what Moony wanted to say. At least most of the time.

An idea came to her, and Moony immediately shook his head and flapped his wings.

"Shh!" Lily whispered, stroking the dark feathers to calm Moony.

She stood up and brushed the grass blades off her knees. "I need a bucket!"

Sirius sighed.

Thiora rolled her eyes. "All this sighing isn't really helping, Sirius."

"That's easy for you to say," Sirius replied. "I should have pushed Harry more about what happened."

Thiora took Sirius's hands. "And what good would that have done? Harry was too shocked when he found out you were here. He probably would have just refused to tell you anything."

Sirius mumbled something unintelligible into his beard.

Thiora frowned and leaned forward. "What was that?"

"Do you always have to be right?" Sirius grunted, pulling her close.

Thiora grinned and kissed him on the lips. "You should know that by now."

Sirius snorted in amusement, then both turned their heads to the side and watched as Moony ran towards them.

"Is he carrying a bucket of water with his beak?" Thiora asked, groaning when she saw Sirius's eyes light up. "What is it this time?"

"Don't you see?" Sirius asked, nodding towards Moony, who was splashing water from the bucket.

"Not really. What is it?"

"This is Lily's first prank! Of course, it's anything but challenging, since she should never have used Moony this way. Now we know immediately that it was her - I'll need to have a word with her," Sirius said decisively.

Thiora eyed the bucket of water with reluctance and tried to wriggle out of Sirius's embrace, but he held her tight.

"Sirius?" Thiora whispered, glaring at him.

But Sirius shook his head. "Do you really think I'm going to let my daughter's first prank fail? You don't know me well enough."

Thiora sighed. "Fine, but I want you to give me a shoulder massage afterwards."

Sirius grinned. "Deal."

Lily knelt once more, hidden behind the bush, watching excitedly as Moony slowly approached her parents.

"Careful!" she whispered after him when one of the griffin's front legs got stuck in the ground. Moony pulled his leg out forcefully, almost losing his balance and nearly spilling the water from the bucket.

He quickly spread his wings and regained his balance, while Lily anxiously watched her parents and sighed in relief when she saw that they hadn't noticed Moony. They were tightly embracing and staring lovingly into each other's eyes.

Lily wrinkled her nose at the thought.

She shook her head and looked at Moony, who was now only a few meters away from her parents. Still unnoticed.

"Now, Moony!"

The griffin began to run towards her parents, who still hadn't noticed him. He pulled his head back and threw the bucket with full force in a high arc over their heads. The water fell from the bucket and hit Sirius and Thiora right in the face.

She covered her mouth and suppressed a giggle as she heard her mother's scream. Moony sprinted into the forest while Lily's victims wiped the water from their eyes.

"I did it!" Lily shouted, punching the air. Just then, Moony came from the side and clicked his beak at her.

"Okay, we did it," she said, grinning, and the griffin nodded in satisfaction.

Thiora brushed her wet silver hair out of her face, completely drenched.

"She could have just asked," Thiora groaned amusedly. "Was it even worth it?"

Sirius's eyes gleamed. "Of course! She still needs to work on her... subtlety, but I'll turn her into a true Marauder! Just like her father."

Thiora snorted and pulled Sirius along with her. "I'll remind you of your words in a few years, Sirius. I just hope you won't regret them."

"Not a chance! If worse comes to worst, Harry can handle it," Sirius laughed.

They had now walked behind a few trees, yet Thiora looked back one last time, worried.

"Do you think it's alright to leave her alone with Harry?"

Sirius wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. "You know what Artemis told us, and besides, Arya is with him. Don't worry."

Lily kept watch on her parents until they disappeared from view, lingering for a moment even after that. Seeing no one around and the house quiet, Lily emerged from her hiding spot behind the bushes and stepped into the clearing. As she approached the house, her eyes widened. The plants Uncle Harry had planted in the garden bed had grown significantly, now reaching up to her knees.

"They move strangely," she remarked to Moony, as the leaves of one plant seemed to dance, tossing a ladybug through the air.

"Come on," Lily said, and together the elf and the griffin entered the house. She peered through the door and saw the usual chaos inside. With each visit, the cabinets in the hallway filled with books and scrolls. Harry had told her he unpacked his things from his suitcase, and Lily understood that; who would want to live out of a suitcase?

Lily slid open the sliding door to the bedroom. Moony didn't wait for her and leapt past her, diving headfirst into the suitcase, which magically enlarged to accommodate the griffin. As Lily reached the bottom of the suitcase, all she could see was Moony's tail until the griffin disappeared through the door outside.

Looking around, Lily didn't know where Harry was. He had never shown her his bedroom here. The only door she could see was the one leading to the kitchen, but she doubted Harry would be in there.

"He's outside, granddaughter," Arcturus Black grumbled from his portrait through his long white beard.

Lily looked at her grandfather's painting. She still found it strange how he could talk, but at least she could talk to him.

"Thank you, Grandfather!" Lily called out and followed Moony outside. Her steps quickened when she saw Artemis lying in the shade of a tree.

"Where she is, Uncle Harry can't be far," Lily murmured, and indeed he wasn't.

She found Harry on a bed placed before Artemis. Lily approached slowly, about to climb over Artemis's tail when one of the dragon's eyes opened.

Lily froze in place, and they stared at each other. Then Artemis huffed warm air towards her, tousling Lily's hair. Artemis blinked at Lily one last time and then closed her eyes.

Lily took it as permission to continue.

"Thank you," she whispered softly and moved to sit on a chair beside Harry's bed, watching him with closed eyes.

Lily watched her uncle for a while in silence. In the distance, she could hear the screeching of griffins and the rushing of the stream. She reached out and gently touched the blanket covering Harry when someone emerged from behind Artemis. It was her aunt, Arya, carrying a bucket filled with water. And she looked directly into Lily's face.

"Do your parents know you're here?" Arya asked, setting down the filled bucket of water.

Lily awkwardly rubbed her neck. "Well, not exactly."

Arya sighed. "So, they don't know?"

Lily clenched her fists. "They would have never let me visit Uncle Harry!"

Arya took a towel and knelt beside the bucket of water. She dipped the cloth in until it soaked up water, then wrung it out until the excess dripped back into the bucket.

"You can't know that Lily, if you don't ask them," Arya said, pulling out Harry's wand. She made a circular motion, and a wooden chair popped into existence before her eyes, shaped like a crescent moon.

Arya pursed her lips. "The chair was supposed to be perfectly round... Oh well," she said, sitting down beside Lily. She folded the wet cloth and placed it on Harry's forehead, brushing stray hairs away from his face.

Concerned, Lily leaned forward. "Is he not well?"

"His scar was quite hot," Arya murmured, placing her hand on Harry's face and tracing a finger along the contour of his cheek.

"But he's improving quickly. With Glaedr's help, Artemis managed to protect Harry's consciousness from Voldemort, at least for the brief time while he sleeps," Arya explained.

"Why doesn't he just leave Uncle Harry alone?" Lily snapped. "He should just go away and never come back."

Arya smiled weakly, pulling Lily close and wrapping an arm around her. "We will all try to help Harry break free from Voldemort, but it's not that simple, especially when it comes to magic - magic has its rules that we must follow," Arya explained.

Lily rested her head against Arya's side, and after a moment, she said, "I wish magic didn't have rules. If we could use it freely, we could help so many more people and elves."

"But that would also mean magic could be more easily abused," Arya reminded Lily, humming a slow melody.

Lily slumped her shoulders and rubbed her eyes. "Why can't we all just live together without wanting to harm each other?"

Arya knelt in front of Lily, cupping her face in her hands. "That's a good question you've asked, Lily. The world is vast and very complex. In Alagaёsia alone, there are so many different beings, like us elves and humans," Arya said, bopping Lily's nose with a finger, eliciting a weak smile.

"Then there are also the dragons, dwarves, and Urgals," Arya added after a brief moment.

"And the griffins!" Lily exclaimed, her grey eyes sparkling like a raging storm.

Arya grinned. "And griffins. There are so many creatures, each with their own needs, and unfortunately, among them are those who seek to wield power over others."

A dark shadow passed over Lily's face, and she looked down at the ground.

"Like Galbatorix," she whispered.

Arya nodded. "Like Galbatorix and Voldemort. But that's exactly why it's so important that there are also those who carry goodness in their hearts and are willing to fight for what's right."

Lily lifted her head, and Arya saw a single tear trace down her cheek. "Like you and Uncle Harry?" she sniffled.

Arya's features softened, and she wiped the tear from Lily's cheek with her thumb.

"There are many hearts in Alagaёsia ready to fight for good, and I firmly believe that we can rid Alagaёsia of its evil. We just have to stand together against it, and then we can achieve anything," Arya said, extending her hand to Lily.

Lily reached for Arya's hand without hesitation, holding it firmly in hers. Together, they looked at Harry, who at that moment opened his mouth and uttered a single word.

"Arya."

Then he continued to snore, and Lily's eyes began to shine. "He said your name, Aunty!"

Lily looked to her side and saw Arya staring at Harry with wide eyes, her cheeks oddly flushed.

Shaking her head, Arya whispered, "Idiot."

Arya then looked at Lily, who was very curious. "Would you like to hear a poem, Lily?"

Lily let out a disappointed sigh. It seemed futile to continue questioning Arya.

Lily nodded, but without much enthusiasm, which Arya noticed with a grin. "Not a fan of poems?"

Lily twisted the poem and shook her head. "No, I can only read a certain number of words from Earnё and Analísia before they turn my head."

They fell silent until Arya started humming. Lily listened to her for a while.

"What kind of song is this?"

"It was recited to me many years ago by an old woman who lived in Lithgow, in the north of Surda. I've always liked it because it has a very beautiful melody, and I think the following text fits well with it. Would you like to hear it?"

Lily nodded slowly and sat upright, eager to listen more attentively.

Far from mountain and valley, distant and wide,

There lived a couple, in the dragon's tide.

A solitary house by the river's bend,

Where the expanse of the land extends.

The flowers bloomed, the stream flowed clear,

But illness approached, so heavy, so sincere.

One fell ill, the other strong,

Love held them tight, as day grew long.

Determined, the other stepped forth,

To find a remedy, near and far from the river's shore.

Through forests deep and mountains high,

They wandered, despite suffering and sigh.

Death, with yellow eyes, lurked in the night,

But love was what laughed at the fright.

The partner journeyed, despite the pain,

Through sunbeam and misty rain.

Love, strong and unwavering,

Brought the healing brew, the wind quivering.

Death retreated, life awakes,

Where love resides, darkness breaks.

Back by the river, in the sunlight's gleam,

The couple united, in love's esteem.

The dragon's tide, it remains,

For love will endure in eternal chains.

Lily closed her eyes and let Arya's singing carry her, and when it ended, a pleasant silence filled the air.

"Did you write that poem?" Lily asked.

"No," Arya replied, unfolding a bundle of letters that she had set aside earlier. She smoothed out the sheets, her eyes fixed on the inked words deeply etched into the paper.

"A dear friend wrote it. His name was Glenwing, and he accompanied me on my travels to the Varden," Arya explained.

"Can you tell me more about the humans? And everything beyond Du Weldenvarden?" Lily asked softly, surprising Arya by climbing onto her lap.

Arya smiled, running a hand through Lily's equally black hair.

"Of course."

"Wake up, Uncle Harry!" Harry's head sank deeper into the feathers of his pillow. He felt like he could forget everything and sleep through the next few decades.

"Sleeping and dreaming is good," Harry mumbled softly when suddenly someone started shaking his shoulder vigorously.

"Now get up, Uncle Harry!" someone exclaimed irritably.

For a brief moment, he opened his eyes and saw something shimmering green. He tried to reach for it, but someone grabbed his hand and pulled hard on him. Startled awake, Harry and Lily, who had been leaning over on the bed, bumped their heads together.

"Ouch!" Lily shouted and fell backwards. Harry heard a chair hitting the floor, and as he opened his eyes through the stabbing pain, he saw Arya catching Lily at the last moment.

"I said wake him up gently, Lily!" Arya scolded, pulling Lily close to inspect the spot on her head, which was slightly red. "With your godfather's stubbornness, that's surely going to leave quite a bump."

Lily pressed her hands against her forehead. "I do the same with Dad, and it worked just fine!" she complained, while Arya sighed and then scrutinized Harry with a probing look.

"Do I have something on my face?" Harry asked, still holding his hand to his head.

"No," Arya said, briefly looking away before meeting his eyes again. "I'm just glad you're awake... and that your eyes aren't red. I prefer your green eyes."

Harry slowly let his hand fall from his head to his lap. "Did I hurt anyone?" he whispered.

Arya leaned forward, taking both of his hands in hers. "Harry, what happened was an unfortunate accident. It wasn't your fault."

"Did I hurt someone?" Harry asked again, his voice tense this time.

"No, other than Vanir and Sirius, you didn't hurt anyone," Arya said, feeling Harry clench his hands.

"And Vanir deserved it!" Lily chimed in. "He was acting like a clueless idiot."

Arya blinked, and she and Harry looked at Lily together.

"What? Grandmother Dell called him that, so I can too," Lily said, sticking her tongue out at them.

Arya grinned, and Harry chuckled amusedly.

"Just don't let your mother hear that from you," Sirius said, joining them and placing his hands on Lily's shoulders, who innocently grinned at him.

"I won't say anything if you don't."

"Deal," Sirius said and held out his little finger to Lily. Lily hooked her little finger into his and they shook solemnly.

"And now go to your mother, who's been waiting for you," Sirius said.

Lily raised her eyebrows. "Wait - you knew I was here?"

Sirius laughed. "Of course! You can't fool a Marauder like me that easily! You still have a lot to learn, young lady."

Lily frowned, about to protest, but when she glanced at her father and then her uncle, Lily nodded disappointedly.

"Alright," she finally said and went to the bed. She reached out and gave a hesitant Harry a hug.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" he whispered.

"No," she whispered back. "You're my uncle, and family watches out for each other. That's what my mom always says."

She hugged him tightly once more and then sprinted to the exit. "Moony, come on!"

Together they stared at Lily and her Griffin racing to the door and then disappearing.

Sirius sighed and leaned forward to set the overturned chair upright and then sit on it.

"Well, Harry, I knew you inherited your temper from Lily, but to even outdo her... that's quite remarkable," Sirius said, stroking his beard with one hand.

"She wasn't nicknamed Lily the Dragon for nothing when she really got going," Sirius laughed, and then his gaze fell on Artemis, who was now sleeping again.

Arya glanced at Harry, who looked very annoyed in her eyes.

"What exactly are you trying to say, Sirius?" Harry asked, with a certain sharpness in his voice.

"Well-" Sirius began but was silenced by Arya's sharp look.

"What Sirius wanted to tell you is that we're glad you're awake. You had us worried," Arya said.

Harry frowned at her. "How long was I unconscious?"

"It's the third morning after the ritual. Some of the elves were quite upset when the Menoa Tree moved. None of us had ever seen anything like it," Arya said, still in awe of the moment when she felt the entire forest move.

Harry leaned back in his bed and covered his eyes with his arm. "How much time do I have?" he asked.

Arya exchanged a confused glance with Sirius.

"What do you mean exactly?" she asked him.

Harry lowered his arm and stared at Arya with an expressionless face. "How long do I have until I have to leave Du Weldenvarden? I hardly think the elves will want me around while I'm a threat," Harry said, pointing to his scar. "And I'm a threat to everyone."

Arya was about to stand up and give Harry her opinion when Sirius rolled his eyes.

"No one is saying you have to leave Ellesméra, and those who think so are afraid to say it aloud, fearing Glaedr's wrath. Besides, everyone agrees that what Vanir did was extremely reckless," Sirius said, shrugging.

"What?!"

Arya took a deep breath to calm herself and met Harry's questioning gaze.

"What you did, Harry... Healing Oromis seemed impossible, and the fact that you managed it is almost a miracle," Arya said, then her face softened slightly.

"I'm just glad Gannel won't hear about this. He'd only thank his imaginary gods for it."

Harry smiled weakly, and Arya felt relieved that a heavy burden seemed lifted off him. The thought of leaving Ellesméra had weighed heavily on him.

This has become his home too. Here is his family, Arya thought, and then a fleeting thought struck her. It would have also meant we would have been separated.

Unconsciously, her hand balled into a fist in her lap.

"Now that we've cleared that up, I want to ask you a question, Harry," Sirius fixed Harry with a stern gaze as he spoke. "Did you know about it?"

Harry furrowed his brows and looked at Sirius seriously.

"That Voldemort is still lingering in my head? No, but I suspected it might be why my magic wasn't working properly before," Harry said.

"Do you mean after Artemis hatched for you?" Arya asked.

Harry nodded. "When we first encountered Durza in Teirm, my spells were much stronger. Uncontrollably strong, even, but Artemis and I thought it was just pent-up magic from not using it for weeks," he said, shaking his head.

"Then, when Artemis and I set off for Gil'ead, a second thought occurred to us. It was subtle, and I probably would have overlooked it, but when you've bonded with a dragon who shares your every inner thought, it's easier to complement each other," he explained with a smile.

"Two personalities, but one soul," Arya mused thoughtfully, and Harry nodded.

"When we faced Durza and he cast his dark magic, Artemis sensed that my magic was behaving strangely toward him. From my memories, she knows what it feels like when I cast magic, and after we met Durza again in Gil'ead, we thought we knew that remnants of the Horcrux, dark magic, still remained around my scar," Harry said, lowering his head.

"But that was all we thought. Remnants of dark magic that would fade over time," Harry murmured, looking up as Arya squeezed his hand in support.

"Horcruxes... Voldemort mentioned them too. What exactly are they?" Arya asked him.

Harry took a deep breath. "The darkest magic there is. That's also why we were sure the ritual would work. In the ritual, another object contaminated with dark magic is typically used through which, the dark magic is drawn to it and subsequently released. The stronger the curse, the stronger the black magic must be to attract it, and I was sure the curse wouldn't be powerful enough."

Arya's eyes darkened, her gaze fixed on Harry's forehead where his pale scar was. "Did the ritual fail for you because the Horcrux was too strong?"

Harry shrugged weakly. "There's no darker magic than Horcruxes. If Dumbledore had told the goblins about it back then, maybe they would have used something else, but he kept it to himself, like so much else. Only I suffered from it in the end. Not him."

Silence followed, hanging uncomfortably in the air.

"I'm sure Dumbledore only wanted to help you," Sirius said confidently.

"Finally, I wondered how long it would take," Artemis grunted irritably, who was now awake.

Harry's eyes flashed, and his voice suddenly grew loud. "Help? By leaving me in the dark? Dumbledore cared more about keeping his secrets than giving me a real chance."

"But it was also Dumbledore, Harry. He knew what he was doing. He was the greatest wizard of our time and the one who defeated Grindelwald. Even my grandfather grudgingly respected him and he hated him with a passion," Sirius replied.

"'Dumbledore,' I can't stand hearing it anymore," Harry grunted, staring at Sirius with contempt. "You have no idea what I've suffered because of Dumbledore's decisions! None!"

Sirius raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Easy there, Harry. Without Dumbledore, we wouldn't have stood a chance against Voldemort. We all trusted Dumbledore - Lily and James trusted him too!"

Arya tried to intervene, but Artemis surprised her by wrapping her tail around Arya, preventing her from moving.

Arya looked at her questioningly, and Artemis sent her a single thought.

"Harry needs this. He's been holding it in for too long."

"But-"

"If you care about Harry, don't get in between. They need to settle this between themselves," Artemis said again.

Harry suddenly stood up from the bed and threw the blanket to the floor. He stood with clenched fists in front of Sirius, trembling with anger.

"And what did it get them?!" Harry shouted angrily. "THEY'RE DEAD!"

Sirius also stood up now. "Harry, James and Lily's deaths weren't Dumbledore's fault. He did his best to protect them when Voldemort was after you-"

"Ah, so it was my fault they died then!" Harry cried out in fury.

"I didn't say that you idiot!" Sirius yelled back, running a hand through his hair as he took a step toward Harry.

"Merlin, you're even worse than James. I didn't expect that," Sirius sighed, his eyes widening as Harry suddenly shoved him with all his strength.

"Harry!" Arya exclaimed, her eyes wide, but Harry ignored her, and Artemis still held her firmly.

Sirius staggered backwards and fell to the floor.

"Stop living my father through me!" Harry growled, his face red with anger. "My father is dead; do you not understand that?"

Sirius took a deep breath and slowly got up with trembling arms. "Back then, I lost my best friend and my whole family. Losing James and Lily... it broke me inside, and when the Dementors came, it made everything so much worse."

"But I promise you one thing, Harry," Sirius said. "I never - and will never - see you as a replacement for James. I promise you that."

"I wonder... did you give them a promise too? When they chose you as my godfather... did you give them the same promise? And how long did it take for you to break it? Just over a year?"

They stared at each other for a few seconds, and Sirius went as pale as a sheet of paper.

"The question is, Sirius, how much are your promises worth?" Harry went in for the kill, and Sirius froze all over his body.

Harry tilted his head back and looked up at the sky. "Maybe Snape was right about everything. Maybe you're just a coward. Always hiding as soon as a challenge falls at your feet."

Sirius ground his teeth. " Don't you dare mention that old long nose! Snivellus knows nothing!"

Harry gave Sirius a cold look. "That's true, but at least he didn't come up with the idea to switch Secret Keepers."

Sirius took a shocked step back. "Harry, you're acting like a real bastard right now."

"Oh?" Harry raised an eyebrow mockingly. "As far as I know, my parents got married."

"I know that, after all, I was their BEST MAN!" Sirius roared and pushed Harry back. Harry, still a little wobbly on his feet, fell onto his bum with a grunt.

With an angry sound, Harry shot back to his feet and struck. He caught him right on the chin.

"Shit, that hurt!" Sirius gasped and staggered backwards. He moved his jaw a bit and took a deep breath. Then he screamed and charged at Harry, and before Harry could react quickly enough, Sirius slammed his shoulder into Harry's chest. Harry groaned as all the air escaped his lungs and they both tumbled to the ground and began to fight for the upper hand.

"Sirius! Harry! What are you doing?!" Thiora screamed angrily, rushing over, closely followed by Lily, Oromis and Eragon.

With the ease of the physically superior elves, Thiora pulled the two apart. Sirius just shrugged her off and waited until Harry was back on his feet. "James and I fought all the time. Such a little thing didn't bother him, either. Come on, James! Show me that you can really throw a punch!"

Harry licked the lower lip with his tongue and tasted blood. "Stop calling me James!"

He attacked again and grabbed Sirius by the collar, sinking his knee into the pit of Sirius' stomach with an angry cry.

"James is your middle name, you idiot-" Sirius began as Harry's hand slapped him across the face.

"Do you know when I first found out about that? When I got my first Hogwarts letter!" Harry shouted and immediately gasped as Sirius hit his solar plexus with a punch.

"None of this would have happened if you hadn't chased after Pettigrew! You should have just taken me out of Hagrid's arms, and we could have disappeared! We could have been a family... from the very beginning!" Harry roared in a frenzy and took another swing.

This time, Sirius stood rooted to the spot and took the punch to his nose. Blood sprayed in all directions.

"That's enough, Harry!" Artemis said and let Arya go, who immediately grabbed Harry from behind and dragged him back. Harry tried to free himself, but Arya pulled him tighter to herself.

"Enough… you have done enough," she said quietly, but her voice was firm and relentless. Exhausted, he let his shoulders drop and stopped fighting.

"I think we need to have another talk about controlling our emotions," Oromis muttered to himself as Eragon lunged at Sirius and to hold him back.

But Sirius didn't even try to continue fighting. Blood trickled from his obviously broken nose and dripped slowly down his chin onto the floor. He stared catatonic and empty-eyed in Harry's direction.

"Remus is dead," Harry whispered in a trembling voice, and Sirius turned his head slightly to stare at Harry, still empty-eyed, who by now had sunk to his knees and was only being kept somewhat upright by Arya.

"Just like Moody, Tonks, and Fred," Harry continued slowly, wiping the blood and tears from his face with his sleeve.

Tears were streaming down Sirius' face as well, and the weight of the words hit him like a dozen Bludgers.

"You really want to know what happened over there?" Harry whispered shakily, his eyes filled with exhaustion.

"Alright. I'll show you."

Analísia and Earnё were both famous elven poets.

This will be my first and last attempt of writing a poem.