Severus was utterly silent as he wordlessly withdrew from Vernon Dursley's mind, although the dark look on his face spoke volumes.

Vernon collapsed to his knees, cringing away from his tormentor. Huge tears smeared his fat cheeks as he cowered away, clutching both his head and his torso, while making spluttering gasps for air.

As Severus stood above him and trained his wand down once more Vernon rolled over in a mad scramble to escape, but couldn't avoid the wordless spell which hit him squarely in the chest before slowly spreading across his body. Horrified, it took several moments for him to realise the spell hadn't caused him additional pain. In fact, it actually made his welts gradually fade away. Unfortunately for Vernon the glamour only changed the outward appearance of his skin, leaving the underlying wounds unaffected. Pulling his shirt open, to examine himself more thoroughly, Vernon's cries therefore continued to be unabated as he clutched at seemingly healthy, unblemished skin.

"I- Ah! Uh! Please. Oooh it hurts!" he sobbed causing his wife to rush to his side.

Ignoring him completely, Severus headed to a far corner of the room where he traced his wand in front of him, revealing a small, battered wooden box which hoovered motionlessly in mid-air. As he touched the tip of his wand against the clasp it sprang open revealing a deceptively deep compartment within. Dudley watched his movements in terrified fascination while his father clasped his hands around himself and let out piteous snorts of pain.

Reaching within the box Severus removed a variety of oddities from within it's depths: several rather grubby looking handkerchiefs in various different shades, an empty crisp packet, a thimble, a feather, a button and an array of different sizes of sherbet lemon sweets.

Severus swiftly pocketed all but the last of these items, but he hesitated over the sweets, appearing to consider them carefully.

"Please! Oh God. Please; it hurts, it still hurts so much! I can't take it, make it stop!" Vernon's cries distracted him from his brief reverie.

Clasping the sweets in his long, pale fingers, Severus banished the wooden box from whence it came with a swish of his wand and turned back to Vernon.

"Undo it! Whatever you've done to him; it's killing him!" Petunia cried as she clutched Vernon's arm.

"Oh, it won't kill him," Severus said with a cold smile, that never reached his eyes. "Although granted, he might soon wish it would."

"What is it? What have you done to me?" Vernon blundered. "The marks are all gone! But it hurts. Oh how it hurts!"

"Perpetual poena," Severus replied chillingly."With emphasis on Perpetual. I suggest you become accustomed to it."

And so saying, the potion's master cast a jet of red light from his wand, rendering first Vernon and then Petunia and Dudley unconscious.

Severus put all but one of the sweets in his pocket and was about to place the remaining one in his mouth when a corporal patronus, in the shape of a cat, pelted into the room, coming to a sudden graceful halt in front of him.

"You're needed," McGonagall's voice rang out sounding panicked. "We're back: in the hospital ward...come quickly."

Grimacing at the delay, clasping the sweet tightly in the palm of his hand, Severus span towards the floo and threw in the powder hurriedly.

Stepping out of the floo, Severus froze for a split second before forcing himself to stride quickly to the side of Dumbledore's bed.

The headmaster let out a murmur which was almost inaudible. Severus just managed to make out the words "I couldn't best him," by crouching with his ear almost upon the elder wizard's lips.

"It's his bad arm," Poppy whispered to Severus, clearly terrified, as McGonagall stood in grim silence by her side."We think You-Know-Who might have used Mors mortis. I don't know what else I can do. I've never seen, let alone dealt with, that spell."

"Let me see."

Kneeling down at the bedside Severus gently took Dumbledore's bleeding arm, ignoring the Headmaster's instinctive childish attempts to bat his hand away, and examined him closely. The arm was twitching violently, clearly causing him excruciating pain.

"We've already given him Forgeni potion, pain relievers, blood replenisher and skele-grow," Minerva said gravely. "What else would you suggest?"

"It's not Mors mortis," Severus said after he had carefully rotated the limb from side to side. "It's not feasible that the humerus or ulna would still be intact. I assume that today's trauma is affecting the myriad of spells which were already in place."

Albus gave another groan as a tremor passed through his body.

"Sev'rus," he moaned.

"I'm here."

"The cloaking... failed. My protections... gone." Each word took a painful effort.

Dark, inscrutable eyes looked steadily at the Headmaster. "I gathered as much."

"So... sorry."

"Don't waste your strength speaking."

"My strength is... spent," Dumbledore whispered through lips which were beginning to turn blue. "I'm cold."

"Stay with me," Severus said through gritted teeth as he traced the elderly wizard's wound with his wand glowing a dark amber shade.

"Perhaps ...it is my time. At least I ...took down some of our enemies."

"Rubbish! You think the part you've played is sufficient?" Severus tone was harsh. "That what you've done is enough? Killing some weak useless Death-Eaters; Goyle and Cameron, who were quite possibly more of a hindrance than an aid to the Dark Lord? Lives depend upon you, Albus."

Even racked with pain and close to death the headmaster gave a gentle smile. "Severus, my son...I am so very proud of you...you're always...so...determined."

"You're not dying." Severus abruptly got to his feet. He looked towards Poppy. "We need to give him more of the Forgeni potion. If we can stabilise him for long enough the spells will bed down."

Poppy shook her head. "He's already had the maximum dose."

"Give him another vial," he insisted.

"It could kill him," Poppy protested.

"If it doesn't the shock and pain undoubtedly will. Give it to him."

Pale faced, Poppy took the vial McGonagall passed her. Her hands shaking so badly that she struggled to dose the trembling patient. Impatiently Severus took the potion from her and forced the vial between Dumbledore's lips with a steady hand.

"Now we wait," he said, crossing his arms.

It was nearly three hours before Dumbledore's heavily lined eye lids slowly opened.

"Still with us, I take it?" Severus asked dryly.

"So it seems, my boy; just as you said." The headmaster gave a long sigh and looked down at his injured arm with a detached air. "Of course, with reflection, I can see that my recovery was inevitable. It was impossible that I would die thus, as we both know."

Severus' face darkened but he ignored the implications inherent in this statement to focus on the most prominent matter.

"Harry is missing," he said starkly. "His relatives' portkeys took them to your study, but he didn't arrive alongside them."

Dumbledore stared at him and tried, unsuccessfully, to rise himself into an upright position with his good arm.

"I was about to begin my attempts to locate him when you returned," Severus said shortly. "Whilst you were unconscious I was summoned, so I decided to delay my search until I was better informed and to also try to salvage my position in the Dark Lord's esteem. From what I have learnt no Death-Eater knows of Harry's whereabouts or had any part in his disappearance."

"Were you blamed for your departure during the battle?"

Severus shook his head. "The fact that you arranged for the Order's reinforcements to coincide with my departure was well done. It convinced the Dark Lord that it was a coincidence that I managed to traverse your wards. Thankfully, he was more agitated by our pretence of my near death, than by any suspicions. Clearly he doesn't want to lose his spy."

Dumbledore closed his eyes in relief for a moment. "Good. Now, no doubt you wish for me to confirm whether Harry's portkey was used?"

Severus gave an impatient nod. "Obviously, if it was it must have been tampered with somehow. Minerva or I would have cast the spell to check ourselves but we weren't sure what you had used as the fail-safe."

"It was this." With a sharp intake of brief, the headmaster slipped a ring off his little finger and lay it on the table beside them. Taking his wand in his shaking right hand he murmured an incantation whilst straining to guide his wand from side to side in a series of intricate movements. It took him two attempts to cast the spell correctly and he was breathless by the end of his exertion.

"It will take some minutes," he said as he sank back into the mattress.

They both watched the ring intently.

The headmaster was the first to break the silence while they waited. "As you no doubt realise, the battle did not last long after you had departed."

"I have heard some of what happened but accounts were somewhat confused."

Dumbledore's keen blue eyes looked up from the ring."He cast Mors mortis at me repeatedly and when he couldn't break my shield he struck Tonks with Eviscerate, I... I tried to help, to no avail, of course, and was also distracted by wandfire from the other Death-Eaters. At some point spell residue seems to have made it through my shield."

Severus had sucked in a breath as his thoughts flew back to the battle. "Tonks was injured earlier, when a section of the roof had landed on her."

"She'd been hurt, but refused to take cover," Dumbledore confirmed in a voice heavy with sorrow. "The others shielded her as best they could and Alastor pulled her back at least once, but she was utterly determined to attack. She died within seconds."

Severus did his best not to focus upon the unwanted memories of Eviscerate which flooded his mind. "A section of St Mungo's has been commandeered by Kingsley for wounded members of the Order. They will be in contact shortly to confirm statuses but I doubt she will be our only loss today. Fletcher was close to death on arrival and three others are critical."

"They are all tragedies, but Tonks, what she looked like..." Dumbledore faltered.

"I know," Severus quietly. His eyes met with Dumbledore's for a moment before he looked back at the ring. He'd seen the affects of Eviscerate at close quarters on raids before and knew how it was capable of appalling even the most seasoned dueller. It was a gruesome, sickening death, where the innards of the victim were laid bare as a the victim literally turned inside herself.

All at once a faint hum filled the air, and the ring began to glow, first blue, then gold, before finally turning black.

"Harry's portkey never activated," Dumbledore concluded at last. "Another port-key must have been involved somehow."

"Or someone was already there and apparated him away," Severus said grimly.

"No... Harry was alone with the Dursleys before the wards were breached. The Dursley's portkeys were designed to activate as soon someone apparated within the boundaries, and in any case, I would have sensed an outsider's presence."

Severus raised an eyebrow sceptically."With the wards purposefully weakened?And assuming that whomever it was didn't use a magical means of arrival? Are you really adamant that you would you have picked up their essence?"

Dumbledore ran a hand over his face. "It is possible," he admitted. "We have the initial reference point with which to trace his departure. If he did apparate we will find him-"

"This is what Minerva and I thought. She is casting the parameters to start the trace at the moment, however, if it Harry wasn't apparated away matters will be much more complicated. A port-key, depending on it's design, might prove to be another matter entirely. We must anticipate the worst case scenario: that we might not have any means of tracing him."

They looked at each other soberly.

Another problem occurred to Dumbledore who looked deeply troubled. "And if we do manage to trace him we won't be the only ones. Vol-"

"For pity's sake Albus! Even now?"

The old wizard looked at him mildly. "I rather think he knows where I am, Severus!"

"It's the principle of it! You should never have encouraged people to say his name."

"You know full well why I did that."

"It was wrong. They will be sitting ducks, Albus! You gave them confidence, a fool's faith in the impossible. At present your spells waiver making your cloaking fallible; he will use the name-curse, he will track Harry by any magic he uses-"

"It may be a blessing that his wand was broken," Dumbledore murmured. "Provided Harry doesn't use wandless magic or speak his name, our concerns are more mundane. He knows the initial location that Harry departed from was Privet Drive, without my cloaking and given plenty of time he will eventually find Harry using a simple tracing spell."

"No, he won't. At least, not on the first attempt."

Dumbledore looked at him questioningly. "You cast his trace?"

"I had a hand in it. I can assure you that it has no chance of success."

"Will he be able to discover that it was you who sabotaged it?"

"Let us hope not," Severus said dryly. "In any case, it is a delaying tactic, nothing more; doubtlessly he will ensure that he performs the next trace personally."

"Then we must make haste," the headmaster said, sitting up straight with some effort. "Show me the parameters we're using and let us see if we can narrow them down at all to speed up our efforts. We need to start thinking about where it is most likely that he was taken."

*Several hours earlier*

Harry staggered forward in the darkness, and steadied himself against a wall, barely managing to remain on his feet, as he arrived at his destination. He could feel the portkey locket pulsing around his neck giving off waves of magic and his stomach churned uneasily from the abrupt journey. He was shaking from head to foot.

Hearing a slight movement, Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He hesitated, listening carefully and could make out the soft sounds of regular breathing. He reached automatically in his pocket, his hand faltering at the last moment as he remembered that his wand was no longer there; he felt lost without the familiar shape to grasp.

Gradually his eyes adjusted to the shadowy room. Creeping forward on a rich carpet, past tall imposing cabinets and an huge oak wardrobe, he came to the foot of a large bed where he could just about see a head on the pillow. Inching towards it he shook the sleeping form lightly.

"Connor?" he whispered.

Jumping violently Connor reached for his wand from the cabinet beside the bed.

"I-it's me," Harry's croaked, his voice sounding strange and unfamiliar to his own ears as he shielded his eyes from the bright lumos directed towards him.

Connor cursed under his breath before casting a silencing charm.

'Jeez, Golden boy!"

He sat up fully, staring at Harry.

"S-sorry," Harry replied, folding his hands across his chest. "I...that is... sorry," he repeated again lamely.

Connor pointed his wand at the lamps around his room spelling them on.

"Are you OK?" he asked, looking Harry up and down.

"I-No...Not really." For once Harry didn't say he was fine. What's the point in pretending any more?

"My wand... it's broken," his voice faltered slightly. Under his armpits, he formed fists with his hands trying to stop them shaking.

Moving off the bed, Connor disappeared into an adjourning room. Harry could hear him rummaging about for a few moments.

He reappeared holding out a vial and a jar. Harry looked at him questioningly.

"A pain reliever and bruise balm," Connor said. "You look a bit... well. I'd offer you a calming potion but I don't have any in my bathroom... There's a mirror on that cabinet, if it helps."

Past the point of worrying about being embarrassed Harry knocked the the pain potion back before glancing in the mirror. His face stared back at him ashen, his throat reddened and bruised. His whole appearance seemed rather melodramatic, seeing that nothing that bad had really happened.

Harry applied the balm to the bruises around his throat and numbly watched them as they gradually began to fade. His lower lip and mouth were a little sore as well, so he rubbed a little ointment there and felt them tingle and loosen.

"Do you need any blood replenisher?" Connor asked. "You're not bleeding or anything?"

"Just a few bruises," Harry muttered before shrugged his jumper off. Turning slightly to see his back in the mirror he pulled up his t-shirt and smeared more bruise balm onto his fingers. The base of his spine was grossly discoloured with a mixture of red splodges and some darker bluish purple areas. It looked pretty awful.

Connor drew in a sharp breath as he saw the reflection.

"Harry. How did this happen?"

Harry didn't pause as he awkwardly rubbed the slightly sticky balm onto his injuries. He could more or less reach all the bruises although it was a bit of a struggle, particularly as it hurt to stretch.

"Who did this to you?" Connor demanded fiercely.

"I don't want to talk about it, " Harry said expressionlessly.

"Don't you think that the fact that you're here means it's time to talk?" Connor said as he took the pot from him and helped Harry rub the balm into a bruise which he couldn't reach.

Their eyes met in the mirror for an awkward moment. Harry shrugged, then winced slightly as he felt the inflamed skin stretch.

It was funny how his injuries had been much worse over the summer and yet he couldn't remember them aching one bit after Sirius had took him home, and he'd never even been given a pain potion. Maybe Severus was right, he must have been so woozy that he'd forgotten a lot of that time. Or perhaps his current pain, coming on top of his guilt and Severus' renewed hatred of him, somehow seemed worse this time.

It's ridiculous to be so upset. After all a few slaps and blows from his relatives didn't mean much to him, not when he'd expected much worse. And the injuries had been from his Uncle and Dudley. Well, almost all of them, anyway.

"Harry?" It was a sign of how seriously Connor was taking this that he wasn't using his usual, slightly mocking nickname for Harry.

Harry shook his head again.

"Later... I promise. I'll tell you everything... as much as I can, just not tonight."

Thankfully, Connor seemed to realise that Harry wasn't trying to be stubborn, he simply couldn't have the conversation in his current state.

"You take the bed, I'll sleep in the chair." He heaved a blanket from the foot of the bed onto a wide plush armchair.

"Thanks," Harry said softly. "For everything, I mean."

Completely drained, he lay down in the bed, closed his eyes and did his best to will himself to sleep.

"So what now?"

Harry had given Connor a brief, unemotional run down of the events from the past twenty-four hours, only omitting the details about Severus.

There's no way I'll do anything to endanger him or his position with Voldemort, whatever he thinks of me now.

The thought sent an unpleasant jolt through Harry, which he did his best to bury as quickly as possible. It was bad enough that he'd had to tell Connor that he'd been roughed up at his relatives before using the portkey; it wasn't like he willingly went around sharing the knowledge that his only family members thought he was scum. He certainly couldn't think about what had happened with Severus now, particularly as there was no way that things could ever be straightened out between them.

Better to think about it as little as possible.

In any case, after a nights sleep, a hot shower, some pumpkin juice, fruit, huge hunks of soda bread and a set of Connor's clean if-slightly-baggy clothes at least he felt better equipped to face the world. It was time to make plans.

" Well, I'm here," Harry said slowly. "My dreams are true, which means that my godfather is here, locked up, and he's with your real father too."

"And?" Connor's eyes locked onto Harry.

"Well, you've always wanted to meet Kyran McLaughlin haven't you?"

Connor gave a short burst of laughter. "Yeah, but it's not that simple. We can't just walk into Parvel and ask to visit him! Anyway things are crazy over there at the moment."

A knock at the door made them both jump guiltily.

"Wait in here," Connor shoved Harry towards the en-suite. "I'll get rid of whoever it is."

Cancelling the silencing charm with practised ease, he called, "What is it?" through the door, his voice fairly dripping with insolence.

Harry heard a soft feminine Irish voice calling back.

"Connor? Let me in!"

There was a pause during which Harry heard Connor open the bedroom door.

"What do you want Katie?" Connor asked his voice softer, albeit still a little impatient.

"Why are you staying holed up in there for? I thought we were going to go flying?"

"I'm busy."

"Ah c'mon Connor. Is this about what happened between you and Dad?"

Connor snorted. "Like I care if he gives a damn about me! He barely even stands to look at me most of the time."

"It's the same for me. I didn't see him at all last week; Mum says he's just so busy with his job at the moment, what with the problems with the Garda, his army, O'Sullivan, McLaughlin and everything else."

"He's some bloody leader, when he can't even get his personal army to do as he says! The papers say that the whole governing body is corrupt, everything's going to the highest bidder. It's spinning out of control!"

"That's why he's worried, Connor. Really worried. Badly this time, I think. Won't you try to get along now your back, just for a bit?"

"Katie," Connor said in a serious tone. "He's said the whole of five words to me since I've been back. You know what they were? 'I hear things haven't changed.' He hasn't laid eyes on me for months and that's all he has to say. He can piss off."

"Connor... I know he might not seem like it, but he was looking forward to seeing you..."

"And I suppose you'll say your mother's throwing me a welcome home banquet as well," Connor familiar mocking lilt was back in place.

"Mum... well. It would help if you'd replied to any of the letters she sent!"

"I replied to you."

"Yes. You did," she said softly. "And I'm glad you're back, Connor." There was a faint sound of movement, followed by a pause. "Let me know if you change your mind about the flying," the girl said at last.

"Yeah."

Harry heard the muffled sound of the bedroom door opening and closing, and then the door to the en-suite was swung open.

"So." Connor looked at Harry his hazel eyes solemn. "You really want to try this madness? To go to Parvel, despite the Garda, army and all the stuff which is going on at the moment?"

"I've got to," Harry said simply. "I have to find Sirius. I have to try."

They waited until it was the evening. It made it easier for Connor to sneak out and also gave him time to get hold of a portkey which would take them to the guards' quarters which were closest to Parvel. Realistically this was the most straightforward way for them to travel considering that restrictions had already been placed on the floos, a consequence of the great unrest throughout the country at the moment. The stolen portkey: a small silver latchkey, had been taken from one of the least suspicious guards, a man who had known and liked Connor since infancy. It was unlikely that he would miss it before anyone had noticed that Connor was gone.

It was windy and rainy as the two of them traipsed along beside some wasteland, avoiding the risk of being spotted from the road as they made there way towards the wizarding gaol. Both of them were quiet and subdued; their minds focused upon the encounters which awaited them.

It was only a couple of miles from the guard's quarters to the grounds of Parvel, so it didn't take long before the imposing, grim building was in their sight. Cutting high into the sky, it looked massive and intimidating, and Harry stared at it feeling discouraged. How will we ever find them? We don't even know where to start!

Luckily, Connor seemed to have at least some idea about where the political prisoners were kept and led them around the outskirts of the grounds just past the end of the building. They stood there for several minutes, watching as the occasional guard strode past the fence looking bored.

"So what's the plan?" Connor had stopped a few paces behind Harry, who was looking carefully at areas of the fence where the metal wire was worn away and broken.

"You know that crossing the fence isn't actually our problem," Connor went on to point out. "The fence is nothing. Our problem is that it marks the boundaries where the wards lie. They're what's going to stop us."

Harry stopped examining the fence, satisfied that he had found a small torn section.

"We can use our animagous forms to get past the wards."

"What? Seriously? You don't think people would have thought of that if it was that simple?"

"That's why I know it'll work. My godfather used his animagous form before to escape Azkhaban, the only difference is we're breaking in."

"That's assuming that the wards here are the same kind as at Azkhaban and that your godfather's escape didn't make everyone strengthen their wards."

"I'm guessing security is more lax here than at Azkhaban. You said yourself that your father wasn't exactly in maximum security and you don't have Dementors here," Harry hesitated. "Are you OK with this? You don't have to come with me if you don't want to."

Connor looked at the building thoughtfully. "At least we've picked the right day for this, the country's coming apart at the seams at the moment. This has got to be as good a chance as any."

"I'm gonna get you in a hell of a lot of trouble aren't I?"

"And then some," Connor grinned. "Sod it. We've got this far haven't we?"

They waited until the guard was at the furthest point in his patrol before transforming, then Harry scrambled through the fence as Connor soared ahead towards the high barred windows. He had barely reached the building, however, when matters began to disintegrate.

Expecting their animagous forms to allow them to smoothly breach the wards, appeared to have been hugely over-optimistic, as sirens and coloured flares blared around their entrance point. The guard, startled into action, hurriedly drew his wand, as Harry skidded to an abrupt halt. Retreating back to the fence, he had to sprint at full pelt to avoid wandfire which was sent after him.

Grasping his discarded clothes in his teeth, having failed yet again to transform with the desired finesse, Harry dashed through the trees. He had transformed and was hurriedly doing his best to finish dressing by the time Connor caught up with him in human form.

"That," Connor said breathlessly, "Didn't seem to work very well."

"What did you see?"

Before Connor had a chance to respond they were Iinterrupted by a movement behind them. Harry dropped his socks, he hadn't managed to bring his shoes with him in any case, and the two of them ran in a panicked frenzy, charging through the undergrowth. Sharp stones and twigs cut into Harry's bare feet but he barely noticed in the adrenalin rush.

Stopping briefly, some considerable way off, the two boys looked at each other as they fought to regain their breath.

Silently Harry pointed at Connor, motioning for him to draw his wand. There was no reason the two of them should remain unarmed.

Behind them there was the sound of rustling branches and a clear, carrying voice spoke from nearby. "Spread out. He can't be far."

Harry froze. He'd have recognised Lucius Malfoy's posh, condescending tone anywhere.

Deatheaters are here, he realised. Somehow they've followed me to Ireland.

Suddenly a crashing sound exploded around them and voices began to shout, spells let up the sky and they could hear occasional grunts of pain on impact. Their enemies seemed to have become caught up in their own private fight.

Connor grabbed Harry's sleeve pulling him further away and they ran side by side for several more minutes, conscious of the sounds of twigs snapping behind them as they were chased. Reaching a clearing, which seemed to be nothing but wilderness the two of them stumbled as the ground changed suddenly. The upturned log in front of them disappeared and in it's place was a small shack, the dead grass becoming a cobbled path.

And then Harry was knocked cleanly off his feet by Ventus hitting him in the back and knocking him flying.

A foot or two ahead of where he landed, Connor slid to a stop. Clearly bewildered by the sudden change in his surroundings.

"Go!" Harry urged him. There's no need for both of us to be caught. We've clearly stumbled upon something we shouldn't have; and anyway the Death-Eaters are here for me.

Ignoring Harry's yell, Connor cast protego around the two of them, but shielding two people when you've never done so before was tiring and it wasn't long before his shield began to fail. The old wizard smiled as he went up to them, his wand drawn.

"Trespassers!" he said in a broad Irish accent. "You're going to pay for this."

"Leave them!" a voice barked suddenly and Harry's head sprang up sharply as a familiar figure emerged from the undergrowth accompanied by several other men. One of whom was limping.

It's him!

His godfather's usually handsome face was screwed up in anger as he darted forward, pulling the older man to one side by his collar. Loud and fearless, Sirius was as he had ever been; he was certainly very much alive, and in good health, if the strength he had just shown was anything to go by.

"Sirius!" Harry gasped.

Sirius prised the wand from the struggling wizard's hand.

"They're informers," the scowling older man objected in a growl. "They're with the Death-Eaters! They brought them here!"

"And I told you to leave them!" Sirius yelled back furiously. "They wouldn't have even been able to cross the boundary if they meant us harm!"

Several of the other men had by now caught up from behind them and were aiming their wands at them. Harry recognised the tallest man, the only one who wasn't threatening them; it was the squib from his dream: Connor's father, Kyran McLaughlin. He was a man who clearly held a great deal of authority, even without magic, as a small gesture from him caused the others to sheath their wands.

Connor was staring dumbstruck at Kyran who seemed quite oblivious to his scrutiny, and then Harry lost interest in everything else as his godfather turned to face him.

The other men began to talk furiously.

"Set up the defences and tell all our local bases to heighten their wards. No one get's access without me knowing it."

"But they shouldn't be here! This is a rebel base. We're supposed to be hidden! And O'Sullivan said-"

Kyran cut the older wizard off halfway through his protests."O'Sullivan isn't here at the moment and he placed me in charge. So you will follow my orders. Black says they're OK: that's good enough for me. Now there's still Death-Eaters in the vicinity so make yourself useful and take care of it!"

The conversation washed over Harry's head, unheeded. All he could hear was white noise as he stared at his godfather in amazement, tears pooling in his eyes. And then Sirius was pulling him into a tight hug against his chest, a huge smile lighting up his his face, as he murmured, "Harry. What are you doing here? Thank Merlin you're not hurt."

"Sirius! We need to apparate, now! The Death-Eaters are too close for us to stay." Kyran was beside them once more, authority ringing in his voice. "McCally, take the other child."

Sirius grabbed Harry's tighter for the apparatition and it was some moments before he was released from the crushing embrace. He staggered back a step or two feeling totally overcome. They were in a large shabby room with a low ceiling, where at one end he could see Connor next to McCally and Kyran. His godfather was stood directly in front of him; like an illusion. Having dreamt of this eventuality for so long Harry found he couldn't accept the reality.

He couldn't even begin to find the words to even begin to describe the depths of what he was feeling.

"You're OK." he managed at last. "I'm so bloody pleased to see you, Sirius; I thought I wouldn't find you this quickly, that you'd be locked up or worse."

Sirius' face clouded over. "I was locked up for a time," he said soberly. "When I first arrived O'Sullivan didn't believe I was going to help his side. There's a lot of suspicion here, a lot of violence to outsiders."

"I know. I had some dreams... well premonitions really and one of them was, about you being hurt."

Sirius grimaced."They beat me, but the violence wasn't the worse of it. They're ruthless here, all of them. They have to be, there's a whole civil war about to erupt, dividing the people, rebels against government, brother against brother."

"I don't understand where were we when you apparated?"

"You just stumbled upon one of our base camps, that one was set up as a halfway house for the prisoners we managed to get out of Parvel. Things are out of control at the moment; everything's changing. No one knows what will happen next, so they have to be able to reply on their people. When I arrived I knew someone who could vouch for me, someone from my time in Azkaban-" Sirius looked across the room in the direction of the Squib.

" Kyran McLaughlin," Harry said softly.

Sirius looked surprised.

" How much do you know?"

"I saw you together in my dream, but at first I didn't think it could be him because you called him a squib... I know his son, you see. I knew that you chose to come here against Dumbledore's advice. That's what I don't understand: why you came here even though you knew it was dangerous? Or how you can trust Kyran after his men hurt you?"

"It wasn't personal. They'd have been the same with any outsider. When I was unconscious they... they chucked me in a small dark cell and left me there."

For a moment hints of the anguish and fear which he must have felt showed on Sirius' face.

"Hangover of Azkhaban," he muttered a little ruefully as he took a couple pants of breath."As you can imagine being locked up was worse than anything else they could have done to me, but I'd take it all again. Ireland is at the centre of how the balance of power is unfolding at the moment. What happens here is critical for us back home. If the government falls, and the rebels don't take power the Death-Eaters will. If I can do anything to stop them controlling Ireland I will, the sheer number of wizards and resources which are available here could make all the difference back home."

Harry thought back to some of his earliest strange dreams. Just after the one about Sirius being hurt, he'd dreamt a lot about a mind-numbing cold darkness, silent except for the sound of footsteps back and forth. It had stuck in his memory because he had been using the dreamless sleep potion at the time, and Severus had remarked it was strange for him to be able to dream at all. Of course, it began to make sense now that he could recognise that it was another premonition.

Sirius must have laid there in the darkness. Alone and in pain. Terrified that he might be locked up for another twelve years.

"It must have been awful for you."

Sirius didn't deny it. He gave a slight nod."Luckily for me, I wasn't a prisoner for long. After Kyran gave the nod to the right people I was put under political captivity, a type of house arrest with him. And over time that became less and less stringent, as the government has weakened. At the moment it pretty much amounts to us stocking the chief prison officers vault with plenty of gold and not raising a scandal by being seen in public when out terms of captivity state we should be on site at all times. At the rate of change flooding through the country, all charges against us will be dropped any day now. The government will fall and Kyran is O'Sullivan's right hand man. Kyran listens to me, we've been through a lot together. I can make a difference over here with him."

All this time Sirius wasn't a prisoner. He didn't need rescuing, he wasn't even locked up! To all intents and purposes he was free, unhindered by any restraints...

Harry eyes locked on Sirius. "If you weren't really a prisoner why didn't you contact me?"

"I couldn't at first, and O'Sullivan didn't want me to, he accepted me based on Kyran's recommendation but he still didn't welcome the idea of me being in contact with outsiders-"

Harry shook his head slowly."Did you try?" he said in a strangled voice. "Or did you just agree? Couldn't you have sent just one owl?"

"Harry." Sirius voice was full of anguish, he couldn't bear the hurt and accusation in his godson's eyes. "You're upset..."

"Everyone thought you were dead," Harry said tonelessly.

"I...I was going to let you know what was happening..."

Harry shook his head. "When? When were you ever going to tell me? Or were you going to leave me worrying forever?"

"Only a fifteen year old would call five months forever!" Sirius said defensively, wounded by the betrayal on Harry's face."Things weren't that simple."

"Well they should have been!" Harry's emerald eyes were glistening. "They said you were dead, Sirius! I thought you were dead, at first."

"Harry-"

"I mourned you," Harry said simply. "I thought you'd died. I'd dreamt about you being hurt. I can't believe..." his voice broke slightly and he shrugged and rubbed his face with his hands. "I don't know which is worse. You thinking I wouldn't care about what happened to you, or you not giving a damn about what I thought. You know... you could have just said that you didn't want to adopt me. You didn't have... to leave like that."

"Harry," Sirius' voice was also unsteady now as he approached his godson. "I'm so sorry. If I could do it all again-"

"You'd do the same thing."

"I had to get away, Harry. Let me explain-"

There are no explanations that would make a difference, Harry thought bleakly. No when he's not denying changing his mind about wanting to adopt me. The pain seemed to lie heavily on his heart as he felt an ache deep within himself. I need some space. I can't take any more of this.

"It's fine." He softly but firmly pushing Sirius' arms away, refusing to allow his godfather to comfort him. "I just...I need some time." He walked a little way off and sat down in a chair which he placed against the wall, isolating himself from everyone else.

As the night drew in one of Kyran's men brought in some supplies, a huge pot of stew which was spooned into bowls and wolfed down as a late supper with slices of thick bread. There was plenty of steaming tea to go around as well, which Harry and Connor drank thirstily, although some of the men refused it in favour of large glasses of firewhiskey.

There were only five rooms in the whole of the base, a small bathroom with a toilet and simple basin for washing, a kitchen, a kind of dormitory with thin mattresses crammed across the floor and two function rooms: the smaller of which didn't seem to get used that much. Connor waited until Harry eventually went out the back to use the toilet and then seized the opportunity to Sirius privately.

Aware he didn't have that much time, but determined to speak to his friend's guardian while he had the opportunity, everything came out in a rush. "I just thought you should know... Harry's relatives...they hurt him."

To Connor's surprise Sirius didn't look surprised. In fact, his expression barely changed, other than for a slightly weary look to spead over his face. "Yes Connor. I appreciate that you care about Harry. He doesn't have to worry about going back there anymore. The situation's been dealt with."

Connor nodded. "As long as you know. I'm just glad I'd given him the portkey to use if he needed it."

"Wait-" Sirius sprang to his feet. "You gave him a portkey to get away from his Uncle? Was this recently? When was he back there?"

Connor was a little alarmed at Sirius' agitated reaction.

"He was there the day before yesterday. It's why he came to Ireland: to get away from them."

Sirius's expression was so ferocious that Connor backed away from him. In an instant Sirius was striding across the room.

"Harry!" he bellowed as soon his godson walked back into the room from out the back.

The others at the far end of the room were startled by Sirius yell and Harry looked surprised and a little taken back to see his godfather in a temper.

"You went back there- to the Dursleys! They let you! I can't believe this!" Sirius exploded. "Why did they let you? Why were you crazy enough to decide to go back there? How could you?"

Connor had followed behind Sirius and chose that moment to step up to Harry's side, to give him some moral support.

It turned out Harry didn't need it.

Slowly a slight blush spread across the boy's face. At first it looked as if he was embarrassed at being told off so publicly, but when he opened his mouth it became clear that he was actually angry.

"How-could-I?" he repeated slowly and furiously. "Isn't that just the question, seeing as you weren't bloody there and don't know anything about what's been going on?"

Sirius' mouth fell half open in dismay, his eyes wide with sorrow.

"Look, I'm sorry I yelled," he said with his hot temper dying away as quickly as it had flared. "But going back there? What could possibly make you return to those twisted muggles, after everything which happened this summer?"

"You weren't there," Harry repeated. "I will tell you everything," he glanced around at the other wizards who were within earshot. "-Later. But you don't demand answers, Sirius; you've lost the right to do that. I won't explain myself to you."

"I'm sorry." His godfather approached him with an expression of deep remorse. For a moment, it looked as if he might embrace Harry, but then he stopped himself.

"Can you at least tell me if you're OK? That bastard didn't hurt you too badly this time?"

"I'm fine. Honestly, it was nothing."

Time crept on as Sirius, Harry and Connor sat slouched near one another, and some of the men began to retire to the dormitory to sleep. Eventually Kyran stood up, joking good naturedly with the man beside him that he would go to the next room and deal with important matters while his companion could slumber idly.

Connor had been watching Kyran's movements intently, and followed him when he left the room.

"You shouldn't have brought him here," Sirius remarked grimly.

"It'll be alright."

"Anyone connected with the minister isn't likely to be made welcome here."

Harry half turned towards his godfather to explain. " You don't understand, when I said I knew Kyran's son, I was talking about Connor. They've never even met each other, and I think he's been waiting to catch him alone so he can finally tell him," Harry paused registering Sirius' scepticism. "What, you don't believe me?"

He shook his head. "Of course I believe you and I've heard the rumours about an affair between Kyran and Finleigh's wife. I just can't imagine Kyran being a very good father."

"Connor's his son. When he gets over the shock, when he understands, he'll be more friendly."

Sirius' expression softened slightly, "Harry. We both know that being a blood relative doesn't guarantee you anything."

"Black. You're needed." McCally, the wizard who had brought Connor to the base was beside them, interrupting, and Sirius shot Harry an apologetic look before leaving Harry on his own deep in his thoughts.

Well, family certainly didn't mean much for Sirius, growing up in the Black family, and it didn't for me with the Dursleys as well, he realised.But it'll be different for Connor. Kyran might be pleased to find out he had a son he'd never even known about! After all, isn't that what really matters in life, that your family and the people you care about stay alive and well?

Harry frowned as he registered something that had been nagging away at him subconsciously since Kyran'd left the room. There had been a long dark wand on the table in front of Kyran and his friend, but Kyran had been the one to pick it up when he'd left the room. Why does he have a wand? Unless... he isn't a squib at all. So why would Sirius call him a squib?

"I'm busy." Kyran was sat at the old makeshift desk in the corner of the smaller room. He had a pile of parchments in front of him, which he shielded from Connors sight as the boy approached him.

"This is important; I need to tell you something about me, about who I am."

Kyran barely looked up. "I know exactly who you are."

"No. You don't." Connor pushed the edge of the parchments down, causing Kyran to shoot him a heated look before rolling the sensitive documents away out of sight.

"You think I'm Finleigh's son, but I'm not. You're my father. It's why I'm here, I wanted to meet you, so I could tell you the truth."

Kyran's expression didn't alter. "You think I haven't already heard this?" he said impatiently.

"I can prove it. I'm your blood, your heir!"

Kyran sighed. "No, you're not."

"I'll make a bloodline potion!"

"No you won't. You will never be my heir. What, do you really think that I would choose to acknowledge you? You might prove that we're related, but it won't change a thing. You won't get a single sickle from me."

"This isn't about money!" Connor exclaimed heatedly.

"Then what is it about?" Kyran looked at him, sounding annoyed. "Do you really think I intend to play at being a father? If I'd wanted that role, I could have chosen any one of the illegitimate brats I have scattered around Ireland. I don't have time for these distractions, Finleigh is sucking Ireland dry, we're the only ones with the courage to stand up to him, and you come to me in the midst of our success with this twaddle?"

"So that's it?" Connor demanded. "I'm nothing to you? Just like that?"

"You're nothing to me, but the son of my enemy."

"For Merlin's sake, Politics isn't even important to me!"

"Politics, the fate of our great country, is more important than anything," Kyran said in utter seriousness.

"I see why my mother never left him for you," Connor said in disgust.

"You seem to be under the misapprehension that there was some sort of love match between us. The truth was much more dull. Your mother had an affair with me as revenge for a husband who was never there. I used her to get information, and to further undermine and weaken Finleigh. We both got what we wanted, it was never personal. Of course, Finleigh didn't see it that way and pursued me wherever I went. Le Bagne, Azkhaban, Parvel, he'll pay for what he's done to me. Your father," Kyran said pointedly, "Will be going to prison for a very long time, the only difference is that our guards won't be bribed."

"Maybe his side'll win and it'll be you who ends up in there."

"Not a chance. It's time for all true Irishmen to act decisively and I would rather die than spend my time locked away while Ireland is reborn. Be careful, little Acamas, I am only tolerating your presence for Black's sake and then... barely. Go back to your little friend and see that you stay well away from me."

When Harry found Connor he was sat alone in the passageway outside the dormitory, taking great swigs from a bottle of firewhiskey.

"Where'd you get the booze?"

"Nicked it from one of that lot," Connor mumbled jerking his head towards the room where some wizards had already gone to sleep. His eyes were red and swollen and he ducked his head, as if to hide the evidence that he was upset.

Harry silently took the bottle from him, and took a swig as he sat down beside him before handing it back to Connor.

They passed the bottled to and fro several times without speaking before Connor broke the silence.

"I told him," he said quietly, before taking an enormous glug of the fiery liquid which made him cough violently. He extended the bottle to Harry.

Harry took a more measured gulp before handing the bottle back.

"All this time...I thought that if I could just meet him, if he just knew who I was... but it doesn't make any difference. None of it. He doesn't give a crap. And, the funny thing is, Katie, Declan, probably even Finleigh, care more than he does and I'm nothing to them. Nothing. Just some fecking screw up who's grown up in the same home as them."

Harry took the bottle as Connor wiped his face on his sleeve. He had no idea what to say.

Sensing a movement behind him he turned to see his godfather, who laid his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Sometimes families are shit," Sirius said honestly, if not very comfortingly.

Connor laughed bitterly before sniffing. "Yeah." He raised the bottle again. "Yeah they are."

They sat there for some time, not saying much as they passed the bottle between them. They were almost falling asleep when a sudden streak of light startled the three of them as a ghostly corporal patronus galloped up and stood shimmering in front of Harry. His heart pounded wildly, as his mind shook off the drowsy effects of the firewhiskey, and he was shocked into sobriety. Around the patronus there was a crackle and sparks of magic which were being given off, almost as if it's fragile form was battling against the magic around it.

Harry stared at the doe, his eyes widening as he heard it's message.

"Do not utilise any magic that is not absolutely necessary, it is being used to track your location. Stay where you are: the wards at the base are keeping you safe for the time being, but remain alert. I will meet with you as soon as it is feasible to do so."

"Was that Snape's voice?" Connor asked weakly.

"Kyran!" Sirius yelled.

"I know, I felt it knock against the wards." Kyran was already on his way towards them, ignoring the dirty look Connor shot at him. "Do we have any idea how that wizard found our whereabouts?"

Sirius shook his head and cast a quick silencing spell around the immediate area.

"He's not a risk, he's a member of my Order."

"Even so. I'm not happy that anyone has managed to find us. What do you think he meant when he said he would meet with Harry? Is he planning on coming here?"

"It sounds that way."

"Is he likely to have the expertise to break through our current wards now they've been heightened?"

Sirius nodded.

Kyran's lips together into a thin line of displeasure.

"I'm more worried about what he said," Sirius admitted. "Have you ever heard of people being traced by their magic alone without an initial location?"

"No," Kyran said. "In any case the boy hasn't been using magic, you said he doesn't even have a wand."

They turned to look at Harry.

"Have you used any magic, Harry?" Sirius asked. "Since you came to Ireland?"

"He used wandless magic," Connor answered for him. "Right before we met you."

"I'm going to contact O'Sullivan," Kyran said abruptly. "This shouldn't be possible." He returned to the small room, leaving the three of them in the corridor.

"Are you alright?" Sirius asked noticing his godson's pallor. "You look a bit sick."

Harry wasn't ill. And even the thought of Death-Eaters and Voldemort hadn't shocked him. He'd known he was being followed as soon as he'd heard Lucius Malfoy's voice. As ridiculous as it was in the scheme of things, he just didn't want to see Severus again, not after everything that had happened. Of course he'd known he would have to face him eventually, but he'd thought there'd be time to prepare himself, and for Severus to cool down.

I'm just not ready to see him.

"I think we should leave... go somewhere else." Just the thought of meeting Severus had caused a sinking feeling in Harry's stomach.

Sirius frowned. "Why?" he asked. "He said it's safe here at the moment and if that changes we can always apparate with you and Connor. If we rush off now we won't find out what's actually going on."

"They don't even know you're here," Connor added.

"I don't care. I just don't want to stay," Harry muttered.

"Are you OK?" Sirius asked again with obvious concern.

Severus'll still be mad at me and we're fight, then Sirius will become involved and things will get really bad.

And then there was Severus' patronus, the form of which Harry had only briefly glimpsed before and not really registered. Seeing the doe up close had raised a lot of rather bewildering questions. A doe, like mum. What does that mean?

"Can we just go? Please? Severus has warned us. I don't want to stay and meet him."

"Something's obviously happened between you and Snape," Sirius realised looking very serious. "What did he do?"

Connor stood up hastily. "I'll leave you to talk."

"It's fine." Harry held out an arm to stop him leaving. "It's nothing. "

"Harry. Please. Don't lie to me," Sirius said and then turned to Connor. "Just give us a minute, okay?"

"You won't understand. There's no way you can. You weren't there."

Sirius looked at him insistently.

Harry rubbed the palm of his hands over his face. "Promise you won't be mad at me. I only did what I thought I had to..."

"I won't be mad," Sirius assured him. "Not at you. What did he do?"

Harry gave a bitter laugh. "He didn't do anything; it was all me. We were actually getting on until I went and ruined everything. He'd been training me to occlude and to defend myself. He even said I could stay with him, over the holidays if I wanted. He was...good to me. But I messed up, really badly,"he faltered.

"I'm sure you can't have done anything that bad," Sirius said easily. "So you pissed the greasy git off and had a row. That's nothing! You can't let him get to you."

"This wasn't nothing," Harry muttered. "You know I said that I had premonitions? About stuff that happens in the future? Well some of the dreams were about him and I thought he... well I thought he was a traitor, a true Death-Eater, not just playing a role."

"Yes?" Sirius was sounding more worried now, though whether he was disturbed by the idea of Harry being plagued by visions or beginning to get an inkling about just how serious the 'row' had been, wasn't clear.

"I... I needed to know for sure. I couldn't legilimise him and he'd already told me he had an antidote to Veritaserum. so... I-I-I used Imperio- to look into his mind."

Sirius mouth hung open in shocked disbelief. He didn't say anything for several moments.

"You used an unforgivable on Snape? I'm not blaming you,"he said hurriedly. "I just didn't expect that. How the hell did he react?"

"There wasn't anything he could do, but allow me into his mind, until Dumbledore came in and stopped me."

"Afterwards I mean. Did he hex you?"

"He was... angry. He said..." Harry voice died away slightly but he forced himself to go on. "He said he hated me and I should have trusted him, but he didn't hex me."

"He didn't do anything to retaliate? To hurt you?"

There was a tiny pause as Harry avoided Sirius' eyes. "No."

"Merlin Harry! You're lucky he didn't Crucio you. I mean, I hate the miserable bastard, but he's proved he's been working for the Order for years! Did you really think I'd have left you with him if if he couldn't be trusted?"

"You wanted to go," Harry said with a shrug. "I wasn't sure how much you were thinking really. You just wanted to stick me somewhere so you could get away from me. When you left me there- you knew I didn't want to be there. That I didn't trust him. You still left."

"It wasn't like that. You said yesterday that I didn't want to adopt you and I swear to Merlin that's not true. I want to... but I can't. I'm not up to it. I can barely look after myself... That month you stayed with me-"

"It was the best summer of my life."

"I was being selfish. I couldn't sleep properly, still can't, not when every dream takes me back to Azkhaban, so I kept you up all night drinking fire whiskey and flying outside! I should have been training you in defence, preparing you for the future; but I couldn't face it. I couldn't throw hexes at you after what had happened with your uncle. I didn't want to hurt you. I couldn't bear it. I'd heard about some of the things that were happening in Ireland around the same time as Dumbledore contacted me, saying I was being irresponsible, that I should have been encouraging you to focus on defence, occlumency... whatever. I ignored it at first. Kept trying to train you to become an animagous for goodness sake! As if that schoolboy trick was a priority for you! I just wanted us to have fun."

"I managed it eventually," Harry said softly. "The animagous transformation. I'm a dog, just like Padfoot. You can see that it was you who taught me. I wish I could show you."

" I was wasting your time on worthless magic. I... I was doing all the things with you that I used to do with James. I didn't want to be sensible and grown up. I didn't want to do the right thing. I just wanted us both to relax and forget all the crap we'd gone through."

"It was hardly worthless, it got you out of Azkaban, it might save me in the future."

Sirius gave a tired smile. "It didn't get me out of prison, Harry."

"What do you mean? How else could you have got past the dementors? It was because you were an animagous, it said so in the papers."

"That was a cover-up. I should have told you before, because it concerns you. There's a certain rare spell that some wizards can use to siphon the essence from any living creature-"

"Titan Navitas," Harry whispered.

"You know?" Sirius looked surprised.

"Not really, apart from that I am one of those wizards. I used the spell, to heal Severus when he was dying during the summer."

Sirius looked very uncomfortable. "It's my fault that you can access that spell. I made you a Navitas, I've put you in danger."

"What do you mean?"

Sirius pushed his long wavy hair back from his face agitatedly.

"Some forms of magic interact heavily between individuals. You say your animagous form is like mine, that's a basic example of this, of course as people usually grow up with their parents people assume that similarities in their magic are carried in the blood; which is also true, but only to a limited extent. Some forms of magic are acquired magic, the kind that can't be passed on without direct interaction. You would never have been able to become a Navitas if I hadn't first used the spell on you; just as I would not have been able to use it if Kyran hadn't transferred power to me in Azkhaban to enable our escape."

One of the newspapers had said it wasn't possible to escape Azkhaban by being an animagous, Harry remembered. Another thought occurred to him suddenly. "Is this something to do with why you called him a squib?"

Sirius nodded. "He was completely drained for days afterwards. I used to tease him about it because he couldn't cast even the most basic spells-"

"Just like a squib," Harry finished, thinking about the time after he'd used Titan Navitas on Severus. He'd been utterly exhausted, unable to so much as raise his wand, let alone use magic and that was with Severus insisting he drank numerous pepper-up and energy potions. "But surely I'd have known if you'd used it on me?"

Sirius shook his head. "It was when you came to stay with me," he said gently. "I healed you after you'd been hurt by your uncle."

So that's why I got better without any healing balms or pain relieving potions, Harry realised.

"Was I- that badly hurt?"

Sirius cleared his throat. "It was bad enough. I'm not much of a medi-wizard but the scan I cast showed you were bleeding internally. It was that or take you to St Mungo's and I just... panicked. With hindsight taking you to be healed would have been the sensible choice, but I just wanted to stop your pain, to heal you quickly after what that bastard had done to you. I'm sorry."

"You've got nothing to be sorry for. You saved me. You gave me the chance to be a Navitas: it was a gift."

"A gift with a price," Sirius laughed hollowly. "I made you a target, if people knew what you could do, some people would force you to transfer your power to them."

"So it's dangerous." Harry shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, you saved me and I saved Severus, and that's two lives right there. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. "

A night on uncomfortable mattresses meant little to Harry, who was conscious of his godfather's gentle breathing just a foot away from him and slept soundly for the first time in months. When he woke Connor was already up, but Sirius was sat waiting for him.

"Morning. Sleep alright?"

"Yeah."

"We've already eaten but there's tea and bread in the other room. I have to speak to Kyran but I'll be through in a minute."

"Ok."

Harry was just pouring himself a mug of tea when Connor joined him. "I need you to help me with something," Connor said out of the side of his mouth. "That wizard stood on his own. Is he watching me?"

Harry glanced at the slim, blond wizard who was stood leaning against the wall at the other end of the room. "McCally? I don't think so."

Connor poured his own mug of tea and busied himself with adding sugar."I saw Finleigh's owl being sent to Kyran this morning," he said under his breath.

"His owl? They're in contact?"

"They're in contact alright," Connor confirmed. "And McCally's following me, and when I tried to leave the base this morning he stopped me."

"We can't go outside the wards because there's Death-Eaters nearby. You know that."

"Yeah, but somehow I don't think Kyran's giving orders to keep me safe, he was pretty clear about that yesterday." Connor laid his spoon down with a clatter.

Harry stared at Connor. "Whatever you're thinking..." he said quietly, "You've got to be wrong. Sirius wouldn't go along with anything which would hurt you."

Connor looked back at him with real fear in his eyes. "He might not even know. I need you to do one thing for me."

Inside the smaller function room Sirius was stood beside where Kyran was working.

"What happened last night?" he asked.

"Between me and the kid?" Kyran replied without pausing in his writing.

"Between you and Finleigh. We all saw the owl this morning at breakfast and Connor obviously recognised it as well. What have you been up to?"

Kyran laid down his quill and crossed his arms.

"He's Finleigh's kid. He wanders up to us, practically throws himself into our grasp and I'm supposed to ignore the opportunity?"

"What the hell have you done?" Sirius demanded.

"It's negotiations. Finleigh steps down from being head of government, agrees to share power with O'Sullivan, he receives back one annoying brat, in pretty much the same condition which he arrived in."

"You're blackmailing him," Sirius said incredulously. "Threatening to hurt your own flesh and blood?"

"Finleigh needs to know we're serious," Kyran replied arrogantly.

"This is wrong. You're completely out of line. You need to fix this."

"Sirius. Lighten up. I'm not going to actually hurt the kid. It'll be worth it, to move things on. A few more hours and-"

"No," Sirius said firmly.

Kyran stared at his friends stubborn expression for a moment, before standing and sighing exaggeratedly. "Fine! Merlin, you're annoying sometimes, Sirius."

A large tawny owl swooped into the open window and perched on the edge of the desk, a scroll of parchment in it's beak. Taking the letter, Kyran stroked the bird's feathers as he read rapidly.

He smiled broadly as he looked up at his friend. "Turns out it's better than I thought."

"What do you mean?"

"Finleigh's already agreed."

"Where is he?" Kyran asked in a bored tone as he entered the larger function room with Sirius at his side.

"Not here," Harry replied standing up and looking Kyran directly in the eye. "He decided to take his chances elsewhere."

"What do you mean, Harry? Where did he go?" Sirius asked hurriedly.

The door swang open again as the other wizards rushed back into the room.

Kyran gave them a hard look.

"Sorry," McCally said hurriedly. " We were distracted...This one said you wanted me out the back, while the other one snuck out the front."

Kyran stared at McCally his mouth half open before laughing incredulously. "Seriously? There's five of you sat around on your arses and some kids managed to get the better of you!"

"You see this is precisely why your games aren't worth it," Sirius injected angrily. "Now he's outside the wards which means he's in danger, particularly as we know they're already trying to trace them nearby! We should have apparated further away. We've made this too bloody easy for them!"

Kyran threw up his hands. "He'd have been perfectly fine if he'd stayed inside the wards! I swear we can't be related: no offspring of mine would be that stupid."

"He needed to get away from you," Harry snapped. "He can't trust you!"

Sirius' face reddened. "Have you even thought about what they will do to him if they catch him Kyran? He'll be lucky if they kidnap him to blackmail Finleigh. Much more likely that they will want him for two reasons: to find Harry and to show just how strong they are. They'll kill him, if they can!So why don't you stop being a selfish bastard and actually do something to sort this mess out?"

Kyran sighed. "Fine. We're go and retrieve him, but when he's back I swear I'm casting Incarcerous on him to stop him wandering off again."

Sirius turned to face his godson. His voice softened. "I swear to you Harry, I'll do everything I can for Connor."

Harry looked uncertainly at Kyran. "He-"

"Honestly, he's not as much of a bastard as he seems as well," Sirius interrupted. "We'll find Connor and help him. Ok?"

"Ok," Harry said reluctantly. "I wanted him to wait anyway. I never doubted you, just him."

"You'll need to stay here," Sirius said and then continued before Harry had time to object, "They're tracing you, remember? They know your initial location, it's only our wards which are stopping them from finding you, Snape said as much, though Merlin knows how he knows you're here. If you come with us you'll just going to place everyone in more danger."

Harry paced restlessly around the room. McCally, had also stayed behind and was presumably in disgrace because of his earlier mishap. It was perhaps understandable that he sat silently giving off a surly demeanour.

In an case it was only a matter of minutes before the party returned.

"You found him!" Harry leapt towards them. As they entered the room and both Connor and Sirius sank to the floor.

"He came under wandfire from the Death-Eaters just beyond the wards," one of Kyran's men explained.

Connor was holding his shoulder awkwardly and looked awfully pale.

"He's hurt?" Harry asked.

"He'll be fine," Kyran sounded utterly unmoved.

Harry knelt down beside his friend.

"It's my arm. Sirius healed me, but it still feels weird," Connor said through chattering teeth.

Harry's eyes widened as he looked at his godfather.

"You used Titan Navitas? But wasn't that dangerous, for both of you?"

Sirius propped up his chin on his knees. His whole posture showing signs of strain. "It gets... easier to use when you have experience at using the spell. You learn to control it gradually," he said tiredly before leaning his weight against the side of the wall.

Sirius act of kindness had obviously worn him out and he sat still, moving and saying little for the hour which followed.

Connor also dozed fitfully, waking and crying softly from time to time. He was in no immediate danger or pain, thanks to Sirius' prompt action, but was clearly still experiencing some degree of shock.

Harry had fetched the two of them water as neither of them having been up to eating, and was just propping Connor's injured side up with a mattress dragged in from the next room when one of Kyran's men came up to them with an abrupt message."He's sending someone for you."

"What?" Connor said dazedly.

"You're going home. They're adjusting the wards now, you're can go."

Sirius had opened his eyes when he heard the voices, but seemed incapable of doing anything else and just looked on dumbly as Harry helped Connor to his feet, before closing his eyes again.

A crackle of magic filled the air as the wards were lowered and the next moment a wizard walked into the room, with Kyran following just behind. He was slightly shorter than average, with a thinning head of light brown hair. His features were quite ordinary, although he had a certain presence that drew one's attention.

The effect his presence had on Kyran's men, who were sat nearby was enormous.

"Shit it's the minister," the one next to McCally hissed. "What the hell is he doing here?"

"D-Dad!" Connor couldn't have sounded more amazed.

"I- you little idiot. You could have died. You stupid, stupid child. Always so thoughtless. So naive and brainless," Finleigh was clearly trying to be angry and tell Connor off. The effect was somewhat ruined by the tears which were running down his face.

He pulled Connor towards him, almost suffocating him as he hugged him fiercely.

"I don't understand..." Connor stammered. "You don't care about me."

"What?"

"When I spoke to you about the potion, you said you'd always known that I couldn't be your real son," he said weakly. "You'd never wanted me!"

Finleigh shook his head in exasperation. "I'd always known you weren't my real son, not biologically at any rate. I knew that from the day your mother told me she was pregnant, but did I not still bring you up as my flesh and blood? Why would you do this? Was it not enough what you did at Glengary? Must you ruin everything always? Did you not think I had enough to deal with?"

"I didn't mean to cause trouble for you, this was never about politics, for me. I've made things worse for you...and... a spell ...hit my shoulder." Connor began to cry again softly.

"Then let's get you home and let the healer deal with it." Nodding at Harry, but ignoring Kyran as if he meant less than nothing to him, Finleigh used a spell to help him support Connor as he picked him up and walked to the door of the shack. Once he had left the property and got to the point where the wards ended he tugged open a locket which was on a chain around his neck, and then two of them then were gone.

It was a day for comings and goings. Severus was still due, although they had no idea when he would arrive. Still weak from helping Connor, Sirius hadn't forgotten that Harry was dreading the meeting and insisted that he would speak to his old antagonist on his own when he first arrived. Whilst not truly believing that any conversation between Severus and his godfather could be in any way beneficial, Harry agreed in order to delay having to face Severus, even if it was only for a few fruitless minutes.

So when Severus did come, Sirius called him to his side, and Harry kept well away. His godfather was still clearly feeling the effects of using Titan Navitas, and unable to move about very much, but he was able to speak his mind, for better or worse. Harry saw the potion's master narrow his eyes at his godfather before giving a quick nod and flashing an unnerving look in his direction. Whatever they were saying, the discussion seemed to be relatively controlled and calm, all things considered. And all too soon the two of them were approaching him, and he needed all his courage to stay and not back away.

Sirius sank immediately into a nearby chair while Harry and Severus were stood facing each other.

"We need to talk," Severus said expressionlessly breaking the sudden silence which had descended around them.

"Right." Harry swallowed awkwardly, his mouth feeling dry and uncomfortable. He knew that they needed to clear the air between them, there was a lot that they needed to discuss. He still didn't understand some of the harrowing premonitions he'd had about Severus, although he did at least believe that his intentions were good and that was something. He didn't really feel that he could speak openly, or go as far as to frame his questions, particularly with Sirius sat beside them, trying to be reassuring.

"Uh. Well. Before anything else I just wanted to say, that what you said the other day was right; I should have trusted you. I'm sorry. I know it doesn't make up for it, but I am. What I did was wrong."

Severus stared at him, with a look so strange that Harry was at a complete loss to interpret it.

"You're still angry with me. I get that." There was no way that things would ever go back to what they were before, Harry realised with a hollow feeling. Their uncomfortable alliance, such as it had been, was shattered. That much was obvious.

"No." Severus still looked inscrutable but his tone was firm. "I can honestly say that, at this moment, all I feel is complete and utter relief that you are unharmed."

At this moment? Meaning you'll turn on me again when the dangers passed and we're back at Hogwarts?

Sensing Harry's apprehension, Severus continued. "And upon reflection I can begin to understand that the conclusion that you leapt to was... understandable even if it was not one which I appreciated." Perhaps Severus also felt ill at ease, if his uptight answers were any indication.

Harry ducked his head down, avoiding eye contact with him as he remembered exactly what he'd said.

"Regardless of past differences, we need to concentrate on the eminent danger which you face. I have a series of portkeys that we can use to make our way back to Hogwarts grounds. You need to come with me."

Harry turned to Sirius. "You're staying." It was a statement rather than a question.

Sirius opened his weary eyes and sat up more upright. "For the moment."

Harry blinked for a moment, trying to pull himself together. Of course he's bloody staying. "Fine."

"Harry, about the adoption-" Sirius had clamboured to his feet.

"I said fine!" Harry exploded, but then seeing the stricken look on Sirius' face forced himself to calm down. "I'm sorry. I mean, obviously I'll miss you, we've only just seen each other again." He concentrated hard on keeping his voice steady, "But I'm pretty much grown, I'll be alright. Really I will. I might not have you as a father but you're always be family to me."

Sirius collapsed against him, in what was presumably meant to be a hug and Harry leant against him stiffly at first before gradually allowing himself to relax.

"Look after yourself," Harry muttered into his shoulder.

His godfather cleared his throat. "Snape?"

Severus glanced at him.

"Take care of him." Harry sensed rather than saw Severus' quick nod, before he silently led the way to the door of the shack and waited for Harry to follow.