Harry made it to the transfiguration classroom just minutes before the lesson was due to start and he saw both Ron and Hermione shoot him concerned looks as he slid into his seat. There was a knot in his stomach as he thought about the conversation he would not be able to wriggle out of and his uneasiness only increased when he noticed the looks the rest of the class were sending at him. The story of the potions incident had swept through the school like wildfire as well as the story of his disappearance and many were sending him confused, puzzled and sympathetic looks. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to ignore them, it wasn't the first time whispers had followed him, and, he thought bitterly, it wouldn't be the last either.
He was saved by McGonagall as she entered the room. All the houses knew not the mess around in the stern Professor's lessons and it with undiluted relief that Harry focussed his attention on the lecture, when McGonagall was talking he was given some respite from the constant whispers.
Discover moreMoviesRegular storiesWriter communityAuthor toolsMobile fanfiction appSoon they moved onto the practical portion of the lesson, they were each handed a white mouse and were instructed to turn it blue. Harry knew his transfiguration had improved over the holidays, a side effect of extra magical power and practicing the animagus transformation and he had been looking forward to the practical part of the lesson. Casting the spell however he was shocked when his mouse instantly turned blue, it wasn't the right shade, but still it was most definitely blue. His mouth dropped open and he could see Hermione's shocked expression.
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Just to check it wasn't a fluke he cast the spell again and watched as the mouse reverted to its original white, a second cast turned it the precise blue they were supposed to achieve. A few more tries and he was sure, it wasn't a fluke, he had mastered the transfiguration instantly. By this point Hermione had regained her wits, "How are you doing that?" she asked quietly, as her own mouse was slowly approaching the correct colouring.
"I don't know," Harry whispered back, "I know I've got better due to practicing you-know-what," he paused, wondering whether he should tell her about the binding, he soon decided that he should. He didn't want to conceal anything from his best friends and whilst Ron was unlikely to notice the improvement Hermione certainly would and she would start looking for answers and out of all the secrets he had it was one of the easiest ones to speak about, "Also over the summer we discovered that I only had access to half my magic and I got access to the other half, but still I wasn't expecting to become this good at spells so quickly."
Discover moreFan FictionChildren's BooksCreative writing coursesFan fiction communityMobile user analyticsHermione nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face as she absorbed that information and finally completed her own transfiguration. She was pleased at her friend's progress although it was galling to suddenly be beaten after so many years of nagging him to work harder. Still, a small voice spoke up, it wasn't his fault he only had half his power and at least now you will have a proper rival in classes. She smirked somewhat evilly, yes having a proper rival would be fun, it would provide her with a challenge in the practical parts of the classes and it would help them both to improve and she thought they would have fun in the practical portions, however she doubted Harry would be a rival in the theory aspect, the two boys were just lazy when it came to homework and no amount of power was going to change that.
She smiled at her friend, "I think I'm going to enjoy the practical lessons from now on," her eyes had a slightly predatory gleam and Harry shrank back slightly, worried about what those eyes meant for him. But soon the gleam vanished and the pair spent the rest of the lesson competing with each other to get the most interestingly coloured mouse, and earning several points of McGonagall in the process.
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It was a highly enjoyable lesson, once he got over his first shock, however by the end nerves were building in him and tying his stomach up in knots. He knew what he had promised Ron and Hermione and although they hadn't mentioned what had happened in potions he could see the concern in their eyes which showed whenever they thought that he wasn't paying attention and he knew that the coming conversation was going to be very unpleasant, not to mention that they had very little homework as it was the first day of lessons so he wasn't even able to delay for very long.
Discover moreBook recommendationsAnimeApp store marketingFiction writing guidesMobile app subscriptionToo soon the lesson ended and the moment he was outside the classroom they cornered him, serious expressions on their faces, "I think we need to talk mate," Ron said quietly. Defeated Harry nodded, he knew he wasn't going to be able to get out of this,
"We're going to Sirius's quarters," he told them, "I...well...I'll tell you, but," he looked down, refusing to meet their eyes, "I need him to be there," and I need to have someone I know won't reject me he added mentally. He offered them a weak smile and slowly started to lead them through the corridors, deliberately delaying the moment when he would have to arrive and face them.
However nobody can procrastinate forever and it wasn't long before they were sitting on the sofas in his godfather's quarter waiting for the animagus to return from his last lesson. They didn't have to wait long before Sirius climbed gracefully through the portrait hole, making his way over to the living area.
Upon seeing the three teens understanding instantly dawned in his eyes and he crossed to Harry's side, sitting down next to his godson and wrapping his arm across the boy's shoulders. He felt Harry lean against him and although he knew the boy had relaxed slightly at his touch, he could still feel the tension in every muscle. He enfolded his godson's hand in his own as he rubbed the boy's knuckles softly and he felt some of the tautness melt away at the soothing touch. "It'll be alright pup," he murmured and he saw Harry glance up at him, nervousness, fear and worry all mixed into the single look. Sirius smiled reassuringly at him before turning to face the other two teens. He knew that they were watching the interaction with narrowed eyes, Hermione especially and he knew that the coming conversation was going to be extremely difficult but they were going to get through it.
"What do you two know or have guessed?" He asked quietly and he felt Harry tense next to him. Tightening his grip he pulled his godson closer, snuggling him against his side as he waited for an answer as he waited for the answer.
Hermione and Ron exchanged glances, then they seemed to come to an understanding and Hermione spoke up, "We know he was neglected by his relatives, he's never said outright but he's told us about having to wear his cousin's old clothes and not getting presents. We also know that he didn't get enough to eat because he's always sent out letters asking for food in the summer."
Ron took over, "We know that he is kept as a virtual prisoner in that house because his relatives," he sneered the word, "don't like magic and they keep his stuff locked up. Me and the twins had to rescue him from his room before second year in the Ford," he paused and Hermione took over, concern in her voice,
"We think that they might have actually abused him," her voice broke over the word abused.
Harry's head snapped up, emerald eyes staring at his friends in disbelief, "You knew?!"
Discover moreFictionPress integrationAnime & MangacookiesWriting workshopsWriting forum accessThe single exclamation showed both teens that their fears were completely justified but Harry ignored their shocked and upset faces, his thoughts in a whirlwind. They knew, they had guessed and still they hadn't pushed him away. They had accepted him just like his godfather had accepted him, sure they didn't know the extent of what had happened but still, they had guessed his deepest secret and they were still here and they hadn't abandoned him.
Relief swept through him and the tension melted away. He relaxed in Sirius's hold and he felt his godfather loosen his grip slightly although he didn't move away. Even though they knew, he still had to tell them some of what had happened, he owed it to them but the mere thought made him flinch back and he saw concerned grey eyes flash down to meet his own. He smiled shakily and he saw the concern grow, then Sirius reached out his hand, burying it in Harry's hair, softly carding his fingers through the messy mop. The movement soothed him and slowly the fear receded although it was still there.
Finally he allowed himself to look at his friends' faces and he felt his heart sink even further, there was a mixture of determination and sadness in their expressions and he knew that they would not leave the single admission alone, and there was still a hint of hope in their features, almost as if they were hoping that the exclamation did not mean what they thought it did. Harry knew that he didn't want to talk about it but at the same time he had to. He had faced it once, at the trial and in order to get better he would have to face it again, until he could put it firmly behind him. He sucked in a deep breath, pushing his emotions down as far as possible.
He glanced up at Sirius, reassuring himself that his godfather was still there and supporting him. In response he felt Sirius shift position so the man still had one arm wrapped around his shoulders, but was letting Harry sit up properly.
Sighing Harry looked back at Ron and Hermione, neither teen had made a sound since his outburst and he could see that neither wanted to believe it but they were being forced to. As soon as he looked at them he saw Hermione scan his face, reading the truth in his eyes, he watched as she slumped back into the sofa. "It's true, you were abused weren't you?" One look at Harry's face was answer enough and the girl let out a slow breath, "All the signs were there but I didn't want to believe it, I hoped I was wrong, but..." she trailed off and both Ron and Harry snorted although Harry's was quieter.
"You are never wrong Hermione," Ron said exasperatedly, "That's why we cornered him."
At that sentence the brief moment of levity vanished as they were all reminded of the abuse. "What...what did they do to you?" Hermione asked, her voice barely a whisper as she looked at her friend and how he was leaning against his godfather, shadows of pain in his emerald eyes. It was a look no boy that age should ever have and it spoke volumes about the treatment he had received at the hands of his relatives.
"They beat me," Harry's voice was soft but it cut through the room and he saw both his friends stiffen, and he leant against his godfather, taking strength from the man at his side, "Sometimes hard enough to break bones. They starved me. My bedroom was the cupboard under the stairs. I was forced to do chores since I was able to walk." He could see tears well up in Hermione's eyes and Ron was clenching his fists as he continued to speak, "They taunted me about my parents, about me, punished me for doing accidental magic."
Silence fell as he finished speaking and he didn't bother to look at his friend's expressions, instead he glanced up at Sirius, his eyes begging for help. While he had been speaking the memories had flashed before his eyes and regardless of his self control his body had betrayed him and started trembling. He felt his godfather's arms wrap around him and he allowed himself to lean into the comfort, savouring the sensation of being held until his trembling subsided.
"Are you going to be okay?" The question was spoken hesitantly and Harry glanced up briefly, still wrapped in Sirius's arms
"I will be eventually," he answered frankly as he noticed that both teens were hanging on his every word, "I still have flashbacks every now and again and I'm very insecure because of what happened." He admitted and he saw the shock in their features that they tried unsuccessfully to hide. He knew that he had a habit of keeping things to himself and he supposed that spending time with Sirius, with somebody who wanted him and wanted to know about him, he had begun to open up more.
"You had a flashback in potions didn't you?" Harry was not surprised that the question came from Hermione, in the years he had known her and from all their adventures he had learnt that she was always quick on the uptake. He nodded in reply, he wasn't going to go into the legillimency attack with them and the explanation was a convincing one. The next question took him by surprise but he noticed that Sirius seemed completely unsurprised. It puzzled him for a moment before he remembered one of his godfather's stories. The rest of the Marauders had confronted him about his abuse and once they had found out they had done everything they could to help him.
"What can we do to help you?"
The answer was easy, he knew precisely what he wanted, "Don't tell anyone else and treat me as you normally do. I don't want this to affect our relationship in any way and I don't want others to find out," he could see both Hermione and Ron nodding, they would be able to do that, "And," he continued, "If anything happens, flashback or otherwise, I'll come here and I would like you to cover for me if possible, tell people I'm in the hospital wing or something?"
They both nodded and Harry raised his head, looking his friends in the eyes, searching them for any signs of duplicity or any signs that they were not completely sincere. Seeing nothing but resolve and concern he felt the last of his worry leave him, "Thank you," he said quietly, his voice hoarse, "Thank you for not abandoning me."
"You gave us a chance to go back nearly three years ago now mate, we didn't leave you then and we won't do so now."
A true smile blossomed across Harry's features and he felt Sirius loosen his hold, letting Harry sit up once more. He felt a surge of gratitude rush through him, he was so lucky he had Sirius, nobody else would have given him the same sort of support his godfather offered him without even thinking.
He noticed that at his smile some of the tension that had filled his two best friends had evaporated and although there was still a shadow of concern in their eyes he could see that they were trying to do what Harry had asked them to, they were trying to be normal. That sent a pulse of relief through his chest, the revelation had gone far better than he had ever hoped, they had accepted him and they were going to try and stay as normal as possible when they were with him, and maybe they would eventually forget about it, or at least learn to ignore it.
"So how was Transfiguration?" Sirius asked when he saw that none of the three teens really knew what to say next. Evidently it was the right question to ask as Hermione started speaking rapidly, explaining to Sirius precisely what had happened in the lesson. With the distraction the last lingering bits of tension vanished and the conversation started to flow naturally. Sirius's bark like laugh rang out as Hermione described the competition she and Harry had been having,
"James and I used to do that all the time," he said, "Although I have to admit ours were perhaps a little more crazy and had the effect of driving Minnie up the wall." They all laughed at that and the conversation flowed on.
All too soon Hermione announced that they had better head to the library and start on their homework, with a sigh both boys clambered to their feet, groaning half-heartedly as she fussed around them. Harry was the last one to leave and just before he exited the room Sirius caught his eye, "Well done in Transfiguration pup, and I'm proud of what you did this evening," he said quietly, eyes sparkling proudly down at him. Harry grinned shyly in response, the faint hints of a blush staining his cheeks as he felt warmth grow inside him. He had never had anyone who was proud of him before and he knew that wanted to keep this feeling so he would do his best to make his godfather proud. Sirius reached out and enveloped him in a quick hug before stepping back and letting him clamber out of the portrait hole after his friends.
Sirius waited until he was sure that Harry was far enough away so that he wouldn't hear anything before closing the portrait firmly, throwing up half a dozen privacy and silencing spells for good measure and giving into the anger that had been simmering just below the surface since he had found Harry in his quarters, scared and shivering because of the flashbacks caused by Snape's legilimency attack.
Curses fell from his lips and he felt his magic respond to his anger, rising up, crackling and whipping in the air. It wouldn't cause an outburst of accidental magic but heaven help anyone who disturbed him, or if Snape or Dumbledore came anywhere near him, he was certain that either of those two would push him and his magic beyond what he could endure, and adult or not he was certain that his magic would lash out.
He paced furiously across the room his thoughts whirling around. How dare he, how dare Snape invade his godson's, his child's mind! Not only was that wrong, it had hurt Harry and that was the one thing he would never, ever let go. Harry had been recovering, getting better, finally getting used to having someone who loved him, who he could rely on and with one fell swoop that damned bastard had brought up all the memories of the creatures that had abused his pup and forced him to relive them! His anger roared, flaring with a life of its own as the rage filled every nerve in his body.
Several minutes, curses and broken ornaments and furniture later he had managed to calm down to something approaching rational thought. He would have a reckoning, yes there would be a reckoning and by the end he would make sure that Snape never hurt his pup ever again. And there was the issue of Dumbledore. He had realised that the man was behind Harry's placement at his relatives, even in his mind he sneered the word, and the revelation that the man had known and still done nothing had completely shook his faith in the old wizard. He didn't think that he would ever be able to trust the man again, especially in relation to Harry. He needed answers and he needed them now, but he was already completely sure about one issue. He would never let Dumbledore get anywhere near Harry again and he was going to make completely sure neither Dumbledore nor Snape would ever hurt Harry again.
The question then was what should he do to them? He longed to get the goblins to try them, he would love to see them both get sentenced to the mines or perhaps he should tear them to pieces? Grimacing he shoved the ideas aside, they were nothing more than fantasy and as much as he like the ideas he knew he wouldn't be able to do them anyway and the two men, well Dumbledore really must have some small use.
But that still begged the question of what to do? Snape was the easier of the two, a conversation, some threats - using legilimency on a minor without the guardian's consent was illegal and due to his unjust imprisonment the ministry owed him a lot and he was sure they would be able to bring a case against Snape for that offence – and Snape would be dealt with. The real question was what to do about a certain Albus too many names Dumbledore.
As he mulled over the options he came to the regrettable conclusion that he probably shouldn't go up against the man alone. He knew he was rash, that rashness had cost him twelve years and he knew the Dumbledore was very clever and had evidently been manipulating the situation for a long time. He didn't want his temper to get the better of him and for him to do something that he would regret later. He would love to rip the old man's beard out from the roots but he knew that it wouldn't help the situation. He needed help when it came to dealing with Dumbledore and finding a way to make him pay for the hell he had forced his pup to endure and he needed someone he could trust completely. The solution came to him almost instantly. Remus. The old wolf had always been the smartest and the most rational of the Marauders and if anyone was going to be able to help him find a way to trap the slippery old meddler it would be him.
That decided he knew what he was going to do now. He was going to make sure that a certain potions master never hurt his pup ever again.
Severus Snape rubbed his temples, ever since that blasted boy had thrown him across the classroom with that confounded burst of accidental magic he had been nursing a headache, one that even his best potions could not fix or alleviate in any way.
He hadn't believed Black when he had told them of the boy's accidental magic but after seeing the devastation that had littered his classroom, which he could only presume had been caused by the same backlash of magic that had thrown him across the room he had been forced to come to the conclusion that Black hadn't been exaggerating. It didn't make sense though, why would such a mediocre brat suddenly display such powerful magic?
Snarling under his breath he pushed the thought aside as his mind returned to what he had found in the boy's mind. Potter had occulmency shields and he had to concede that they were strong, they had thrown him out and that was something that only Dumbledore had ever managed to do before. It unnerved him, not to mention the style of occulmency was something he had never encountered or heard of before, he a master of the mind arts had been taken by surprise and by a mere boy no less. Although he would never admit it to anyone it frightened him. What had that brat done that had made his defences so hard to breach?
And then the walls themselves, the raw emotion and the flashes of memory he had seen had caught him off guard, not only by their strength but also of what the flashes had revealed. There was too much hurt, too much pain in the boy's mind for it to be normal and Severus Snape began to think the unthinkable, what if Harry Potter was nothing like his father, what if, instead of a pampered, spoilt, arrogant prince, the boy had been a abused, neglected, unhappy child?
A pounding on the door to his private quarters pulled him out of his thoughts and with a groan he waved his wand to open it and he groaned again as the person he least wanted to see stalked into his office. The irate figure of Sirius Black.
Sirius took in the form of the potions professor through eyes that were no more than narrowed slits. Silently he threw up the strongest privacy and anti-eavesdropping charms he knew and he smirked slightly as he saw the figure of his most hated childhood enemy jerk upwards as Snape felt the spells wash over him, a faint flicker of fear crossing swiftly across his features. Fear which only intensified when with a quick slash of his wand Sirius had disarmed him.
Snape looked up, his eyes glued to the man in front of him, Black's eyes, normally a light grey had darkened until they were almost black and a shiver ran down the man's spine as he was suddenly, forcefully reminded of the Dark Lord. Black may have been a Gryffindor but the man had been brought up as a Slytherin and had learnt a myriad of Dark Curses and, casting a look at the rage that simmered in those darkening orbs, Severus knew that Black knew precisely what he had done to his godson.
"Explain."
The word was hissed, icily cold and Snape became acutely aware that he was unarmed and Black had his wand pointed straight at his throat. He scrambled for words, looking for an explanations, any sort of reason that would prevent Black's ire from washing over him and destroying him. His brain fumbled for sentences, trying to speak, trying to say anything but as the silence stretched he knew there was nothing he could say, nothing he could do. He had dug himself into a hole and there would be no getting out of it.
Sirius let the silence lengthen, watching with satisfaction as he saw Snape's fear increase. He knew it was unnerving the man and it would only make it worse when he finally confronted him. He waited until the silence was stretched so taut that it had reached breaking point. Then, twirling the man's wand almost idly in his fingers, reminding the potions professor that he held all the power here, he spoke.
"I could have Aurors here within the hour," he said lightly, the forced casualness hiding the layer of menace underneath and he watched as the Slytherin's eyes widened, "After all, using legillimency on a minor without the consent of the guardian is illegal." He watched as Snape's face whitened as the implications hit him,
"The Ministry owe me a favour," Sirius continued, still with the lightness present in his tone but somehow it made the words that he was speaking adopt an even more sinister and threatening overtone, "I'm sure if I brought a case to them, they would bend over backwards to see justice delivered, and I'm sure in this case the verdict would be guilty." There was no colour left in Snape's face but Sirius was not finished, he wanted to make the man suffer, he had hurt Harry and that was a crime that could not go unpunished.
He dropped the light tone and his eyes hardened, his voice falling easily into the snarl of his animagus form, "You hurt my godson," he growled, black eyes flashing dangerously, "And that is not something I will let slide."
He paused for a second, one eyebrow raised as he surveyed the Slytherin, "Why did you do it Snape? Did you find what you wanted?" His tone was volatile, mocking, "Was there any reason or did you just feel you had the right to invade his mind." When the man made no reply anger blazed in his eyes, "ANSWER ME!"
Snape stared at the vengeful Black for several long minutes before his vocal cords finally recovered enough, enabling him to choke out a response, "I wanted to know how bad the abuse was."
Silence fell completely and utterly at that statement and Snape watched, fear rising up inside him as Black's eyes went completely blank before cycling through rage, protectiveness, anger, hatred and a whole other slew of emotions that Severus sincerely hoped never to be on the end of ever again. Looking at the man now he was forcibly reminded just how long the man had spent in Azkaban and the fact that Gryffindor he might have been, Sirius Black had been raised in the darkest family in the British Wizarding World.
"You wanted to know how bad the abuse was," Sirius repeated, disbelief in his tone, but that soon gave way to anger. "You wanted to take information from a child's mind, information that was private, that you had no right to," his voice was rising, getting louder and louder, "You took knowledge that you had been given in confidence and you broke into a child's mind and just to satisfy your curiosity!" He was shouting by the end and as soon as the echoes died away a ringing silence fell. Snape didn't seem to know what to say and Sirius was trying to keep his anger from growing out of control before he did something that he would regret later.
"I had intended to let you go with just threats," Sirius spoke up into the terse silence, "But that admission has stricken any thought of mercy from my mind." His eyes narrowed and he surveyed the potions master, hot rage boiling in his blood. He would do anything to protect his pup and he knew just how much Harry had been hurt and to know that Snape had stooped so low as to have invaded a child's mind when he had been told that they had been abused just to find out how bad it was sent disgust threw him. He hadn't been lying when he said he had intended to let Snape off with just a warning, threats that he had fully intended to carry out if the man had stepped across the line again but now that wouldn't be enough.
He raised both wands, pointing them straight at his enemy's face and the vindictive part of him smirked in cruel satisfaction as he saw the fear in Snape's expression. "I won't hand you over to the Aurors although I would like nothing more than to see you in Azkaban for what you did, I will not sink to your level," His eyes darkened momentarily as he remember the scene in the Shack earlier that year, "And there are more effective" his voice curled around the last word, "ways of ensuring you never hurt my godson again that will not tip my hand."
"The one thing you forgot when you attacked Harry is his status in the Wizarding World, and my status and the impact that has as I am his guardian and the rights that affords me in the old laws, in particular the vassal clauses."
The last remaining vestiges of colour left the Slytherin's face. Whilst Snape was a halfblood, his mother had been a pureblood and he was aware of the old laws, in particular that the Ancient Houses had an almost carte blanche when it came to attacks against their Lords and Heirs. If Black invoked the old laws he could do anything he wanted to Severus and it would be completely legal. His mind was racing at a mile per minute, Black had always been the cruellest of the Marauders, he had had a vicious streak, particularly when his friends had been threatened. Potter and Lupin had both had lengths they would not go to, lines they would not cross. Black had never had that and Snape knew that if anything, that trait would only have been magnified by Azkaban.
"As Lord Black, and regarding the actions towards my Heir and Godson Harry James Potter, son in all but blood I hereby call on Magic herself to enact my vengeance."
Magic started to pool in the room at the ritual words. The rituals were ancient and they were the main reason the old families still held so much power, they were the only places where such magic could still be called. Snape's eyes widened at the declaration, he hadn't known the boy was protected so fully and the words had revealed just how deeply Black cared for the child.
"Severus Snape," Black continued to speak, voice layered with magic, "You have wronged my child and in payment I demand this; henceforth you will be bound in servitude to the House of Black and this bond will last until your death."
The magic swirled and Severus felt it reach out and twine around him, hooks sinking invisible barbs into his soul and magical core. He tried to fight it but it was hopeless, Black had called up the old magic and the magic had seen his complaint as valid. There was nothing now, magical or other that would be able to free him. Hatred rose up inside him, hatred mixed with anger, but at the same time there was still a quiet part of him that was angry at himself. He was a Slytherin, a survivor, he had survived at the Dark Lord's right hand and in Dumbledore's camp whilst giving his allegiance to neither and he had never been caught and all for a stupid mistake. He should have withdrawn from the brat's mind when he first encountered shields but he had to let his blindness to James Potter and his pride rule his head and he had pushed on and all that had gotten him was a binding that nothing and nobody would ever break.
He looked up and saw Black regarding him with cold eyes and he felt the first shivers of dread slip down his spine. He was completely at the mercy of the man and he knew just how cruel he could be.
"You will never hurt my godson again," Sirius spoke quietly but his voice was no less penetrating as he gazed at the figure of his childhood enemy, beaten completely. "You will not taunt him, belittle him, attack him, verbally, physically or magically." He paused, allowing the magic to hear the order, "You will not tell anyone of this binding or any of the orders I have given you. You will not harm or conspire to harm Harry, myself or any of our friends."
He could see the hate but also the self loathing and regret in Snape's features as he laid out the orders the man would not be able to ever go against. The magic he had invoked was similar to the ones which bond the house elves, whilst Snape would not be compelled to serve him or punish himself, the man would never be able to go against a direct order. "I am not going to punish you further," Sirius knew he had accomplished what he had set out to do, the man would never hurt his godson ever again and what he had done was completely legal, "But rest assured, if I hear or see anything that suggests that you are working to harm him or me in any way I will not hesitate."
He surveyed the man for a few moments and he was about to turn to leave when one last thought struck him, "As further payment for your crime you will make Wolfsbane, enough for one dose a month until I tell you otherwise." That way he could make sure Snape did something productive, he had never thought he would use the old magic to such an end but it would keep Harry safe from one person who wanted to harm him and he would do anything for his child, even using his power in ways that he abhorred. Casting on last look at the man, he strode out of the room, and he just caught a glimpse of the man slumping, broken, into his chair.
The next couple of weeks passed without any major incident as Sirius settled into life at Hogwarts. Snape's behaviour had improved drastically and it was obvious that he was not able to disobey Sirius but he was doing the best he could to stay within the vows and still be his normal self. He ignored Harry and his friends as much as possible, scarcely speaking to them and simply marking down their grades when they handed in a potion or an essay.
Sirius knew Hogwarts and Harry in particular had been extremely shocked at the change, so much so that Harry had come to his quarters the first time he had Snape after Sirius had dealt with him, worried that he had done something dangerous and illegal to Snape and that he was going to get into trouble. Sirius had gently reassured his godson, without telling him what he had actually done. He thought he might tell Harry one day but certainly not for quite a long time, he didn't want to expose his pup to the darker side of the old family magic before he had to and he needed to feel comfortable with it before he could think about broaching the subject.
Life was settling down and was quickly falling into a pattern, classes were going well and Harry would come to visit him virtually every day after lessons had finished, accompanied by both Ron and Hermione. After they had got over their initial shock at Harry's treatment they had both proved to be wonderfully supportive. It hadn't been a topic that had ever been broached again whilst they were there but Harry had confided in him one evening after they had left, that they were both acting like nothing had happened, and they were treating him normally, something Harry was exceedingly grateful for.
His godson was coming on wonderfully in classes, he had received glowing reports from all the teachers, bar Snape and Binns, no surprises there, and the release of the binding had done wonders for his magic. Harry usually spent most of the weekend in his quarters, usually staying the night, not because he needed to but because he wanted to and Sirius loved spending time with his pup and watching Harry slowly climb out of his protective shell.
Today however, unease was pulsing strongly in his veins. He had managed to forget about the Tri-wizard Tournament, but today was the day the other schools were arriving and the names would be drawn in tomorrow. He had a bad feeling about the whole affair, that was partially the reason he had got Harry to promise he wasn't going to try to enter but part of him didn't think it was going to be enough. He didn't trust Karkaroff as far as he could throw him and although the presence of Alastor Moody should ensure that nothing happened on that front he still didn't like it.
His eyes scanned the crowded students and he relaxed slightly as he caught sight of his godson, watching the skies in eager anticipation. It warmed his heart to see the boy so happy, but as the large Beaubatons Coach touched down he had to forcibly repress his unease. He had a terrible feeling about this whole ordeal.
The Great Hall quieted as the feast finished and the Goblet was wheeled out. It was only a few minutes away from selecting the champions and the anticipation that suffused the Hall was palpable. Only a few people seemed to be unaffected by excitement. Glancing up at the High Table, as he had done several times during the meal Harry could see that his godfather was obviously uneasy. He knew Sirius was worried about the tournament, and worried that somehow he was going to end up hurt.
That thought sent a pulse of affection through him, nobody had ever worried about him before, often they had actively wished him harm or they just hadn't cared as long as he kept out of the way and didn't cause trouble. Sirius was different though and Harry couldn't help but feel warmed by the knowledge that somebody cared.
He saw Sirius watching him and he smiled at his godfather, receiving a somewhat strained smile in return. His attention, along with the attention of everybody else in the Hall was distracted in the next second as the room plunged into semi-darkness just as the Goblet's flames turned red and blazed up, sparks flying as the first, single piece of charred paper was spat out.
Stepping forward, Dumbledore caught the parchment gracefully, "The Champion for Durmstrang is Victor Krum." Applause rang out as the boy stood and exited the room.
"The Champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour." A lithe young woman, her beauty striking most of the boys in the Hall speechless climbed gracefully to her feet, following after the Durmstrang Champion. Flames shot from the Goblet for the third and last time and the Hall waited with baited breath as the Headmaster plucked the final singed sheet from the air.
"The Hogwarts Champion is Cedric Diggory!" The hall exploded into noise as the tall Hufflepuff stood and made his way over to the antechamber where all the Champions were congregating. Harry applauded heartly, relief filling him that at least this year he wouldn't be forced to save the school, to do numerous death defying stunts.
But then suddenly, inexplicably flames shot up once more, and all eyes in the hall turned to the Headmaster, who looking as shocked as everyone else, reached out a trembling hand to pull a fourth piece of paper from the air. Harry felt worry take hold of him, and he saw Sirius's face, in the dim light whiten as Dumbledore surveyed the paper, then turned, an expression more solemn than most had seen on his face.
"Harry Potter."