“Sirius!” called Remus. “Sirius!”

They couldn’t find him. They had searched the grounds from top to bottom, and there was no sign of him. It was so frustrating. Well, to be exact, they hadn’t searched their boyhood hideout – and who knew what condition it was in now? Sighing, he made his way to the cave in the far back corner of the property. Along the way, his keen hearing picked up footsteps behind him. After a couple of minutes, the footsteps were still there, but he sensed no animosity in the person or thing behind him. He paused, and the footsteps also paused, though this time, they were a millisecond behind. Sick of the charade, he whirled around – his wand drawn.

It was only Severus. “Put it down, Lupin,” he drawled. “Had I really intended to hurt you, you wouldn’t even have known.”

“Very funny, Severus,” Remus snarled. “You don’t know what I could have done to you!”

“Lupin, I am well aware of what you are capable of. Now, would you like to tell me to where this illustrious path takes us?” asked Severus. “I hope you know what you are doing.”

“Of course I do!” Remus said, then suddenly stopped. “Wait…now, how did we open it again?”

Remus took a deep breath, and muttered a string of unintelligible words, or so it seemed to Severus. All of a sudden, the place lit alight, and Severus was able to see a cave in front of them. He frowned. He hadn’t known the Marauders had known such complicated spellwork. But then again, James had been talented at Transfiguration…

Remus gestured towards Severus, indicating that he should follow. They made their way into the cave, and Severus gasped. It looked nothing like the rough exterior he had seen. Instead, he saw a Quidditch pitch, a lounging area, and a huge library. The library must’ve been Remus’s contribution. It was, frankly, the most amazing place Severus had ever seen, well, except Hogwarts. But for a hideout, it was pretty damn good.

Remus had also gasped at the same time, but not at the sights, but at a single black dog curled on the sofa, snoring lightly. He tugged on Severus’s robes. “Severus, look! It’s Sirius!”

Severus’s eyes narrowed. He had been conflicted over this…after all, Harry was Black’s godson. Would he try to take Harry away from him? Oh, right, it’s not like he was really attached to the child. Maybe Black would be a welcome change. He would have to see. Before he could even stop Remus, or re-consider, Remus had rushed over to the black dog, and begun shaking him. “Sirius, Sirius!”

That made an awful lot of sense. Of course Sirius was an Animagus! He snorted. How could he have not known that? He had seen the dog a couple of times back when he was at school…then, he suddenly recoiled in horror.

Severus was under a tree, reading, well, mainly trying to hide from the Marauders, who had seen fit to pick on him. Generally, this spot was pretty good, especially since Severus had enforced the place with a misdirection spell. Today though, a dog had broken through the spell, apparently. It was hurt and wounded, or so it seemed. Severus, with his affinity with animals, was moved to help the dog, and soon, the wounds had all disappeared.

They had sat in silence, the dog seeming to be apprehensive. Severus scoffed at himself. Since when did a dog have enough emotions to be apprehensive? No, he dismissed it as a fear of humans, perhaps even the inflictors of the wounds on the dog.

“Dog…isn’t it a wonderful day today?” Severus internally winced. He never did know how to start a conversation. The dog ignored him. He tried again. “What’s your name?”

The dog looked at him. “Hmmm…I suppose I shall have to name you.” He paused, and thought. “What about Black? No, wait, that’s too much like that prick. Blackie? Is that a good name?”

The dog refused to answer. Severus sighed. “I know how you feel, dog. Sometimes, I don’t want to talk either. It’s so much better in the silence. You know, depending on yourself. No one to pick on you, no one to tell you what to do…”

The dog barked once, as if to state agreement. And so began a tentative friendship, that seventh year at Hogwarts.

Had Severus known! The blasted dog was Black! Hmph. Well, perhaps they could start from there. After all, Severus would like to see Harry at some point in his life. But Remus had not succeeded in waking up the dog. In fact, the dog was in a very deep sleep. Well, naturally, it was exhausting to escape from Azkaban, right? Severus frowned. Having had basic Healer training, he knew that Black should have woken up. But it didn’t seem that Black was in a coma. Inadvertently, he walked towards Sirius, and gently lay a touch on the mutt. The place flooded with light, again, but this time was so bright it almost blinded the two men. An ethereal mist flooded the room, and something – or someone – stepped out.

Severus was unable to move, though he knew he probably ought to defend himself. But in a moment, he relaxed. It was Lily. Severus started though. “Lily?”

-----------------------------------------------------------

Harry was having the time of his life. Normally an obedient child, Harry was doing the complete opposite today. Perhaps it was because he was much less apprehensive, but it was more probable that he was just plain bored. And so when his babysitter had fallen asleep in the chair by the fireplace, Harry had immediately gone exploring, dragging along his stuffed dinosaur he had dubbed Twiggy. At first, he had been satisfied to explore the rooms he was in, but soon, he was bored. Sure, the murals on the walls were nice, but he had nothing to do. He left Minerva’s rooms, but not before leaving a note. That was what his teacher had said at school: if you were going out somewhere, you should always let an adult know. Fishing around Minerva’s desk, he finally found a piece of parchment. Now, how was he going to write? He looked in her drawers, but all she had were these funny feather things. How he wished he had brought his pencil with him! Then, all of a sudden, his favourite pencil flew at him! He smiled...unaware that he had just done magic. To him, he just thought it was part of the castle’s feature. After all, Dada had said the castle was magic.

Deer Ant Mini, he wrote,

I b bac. I go aut now.

…and proudly signed his name with a flourish.  He loved his name, with the double r’s, and the y. He always made sure his ‘y’ had a very pretty loop. Then he jumped off the chair, grabbed Twiggy, and opened the door a crack. Glancing down the hallway, he made sure that no one was around first. Being sure it was safe, he tiptoed out the door, and quietly closed it behind him. It wouldn’t do to have his Aunt Minnie wake up, nope, not at all.

Harry was having lots of fun. He said ‘hi’ to all the ghosts (who were all nice, even Peeves), played in classrooms, sneaked into suits of armour, and played in a very big tub. As the hours ticked by, he realized he was very tired, and headed back to his Aunt Minnie’s rooms. But he couldn’t find them! How frustrating. He was sure it was a left, then a right, then a left again…or was it a right? Harry was feeling rather put out. Why couldn’t he remember? After all, Dada had said he was extremely brilliant…which was a good thing, right? He didn’t know actually, just that it sounded nice. He wished again, hoping against hope that someone would help him. All of a sudden, a door popped out on the blank wall beside him. Huh? That door wasn’t there before! No wonder he kept getting lost, what with all the disappearing and appearing doors. Put out, he reached up for the handle, and opened the door.

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Minerva was out of her mind with worry. Where had the waif gone? She swore she had been out no more than twenty minutes. At first she had thought he was merely in the bathroom, but then she saw the note. Her heart stopped. Hogwarts could be extremely dangerous for a child. There were all sorts of places he could get lost in, and there were even parts of the castle that were downright perilous. She hoped he was all right. No, more than hoped. She was (mentally) down on her knees praying to God to keep the child safe. What were Albus and Severus going to say? Not that they came first before the child…

She couldn’t leave the rooms for fear that Harry might come back and find no one here. And there weren’t any other teachers in the building. They had all returned home for a brief vacation before the school year. Suddenly, she had an idea. The house elves could help, couldn’t they?

“Cicero!” she called.

“Yes, mistress, you call?” the elf popped in.

“Harry…has gone missing. Could you please go look for him and bring him back please?” asked Minerva, glad that this was one house elf she could depend on.

“Yes, mistress,” he answered, bowing deeply, then popping out again.

But her attempts to find the child were fruitless. Cicero enlisted other house elves, to no avail. Minerva was ready to tear her hair out. She was about to call Albus when she suddenly heard a little patter of feet outside her door. Who could that be?

The door opened, revealing a very happy little Harry.

“Harry Potter!” cried Minerva. “Where have you been?!? I’ve been looking for you for three hours!”

Harry’s face fell, and twisted. Immediately, Minerva softened her tone. “Come here, Harry, I’m not going to hurt you.”

“N-no hurt me?” he asked, trembling, clutching his Twiggy tightly.

“Merlin, no! What made you think such a thing?” asked Minerva, shocked. What had the Dursleys (or, God forbid, Severus) done to this child?

“Un’le Vernon did,” said Harry matter-of-factly. “Whene’er I bad.”

“Oh, child, I’m sure you were never bad,” said Minerva, realizing the magnitude of her compliance to Albus’s decision that night three years ago. She reeled with shock, but steadied herself when she noticed the child staring at her. “Come here, Harry.”

Harry tentatively made his way to her, and Minerva placed him on her lap. “Now, Harry, I was just worried about you. You didn’t tell me where you are going, and this place can be very dangerous. Next time you go exploring, remember to take me or another adult – that you know ­– with you, all right?”

Harry solemnly nodded. Minerva continued on with a smile. “I’m really proud of your note, though, Harry. Your handwriting is quite nice.”

“Fanxyou,” said Harry beaming. Not many people complimented him, but ever since Dada had rescued him, everyone seemed to like doing it. Oh, well. It wasn’t that he didn’t like it; in fact, he loved it. But something inside of him tempered his ego; it was his aunt and uncle’s words that haunted him.

“But what did you write it with? This doesn’t look like a quill,” said Minerva. “In fact, it looks almost like pencil. But where did you find a pencil, Harry?”

Harry showed her his favourite pencil, smiling all the while. “Harry, that’s a really nice pencil. Where did you get it?”

“My teacha gafe it to me,” said Harry.

“Do you carry it with you everywhere?” asked Minerva.

“No, it wash at home in cubba,” said Harry.

“Cubba?” asked Minerva, when it dawned on her. “Cupboard?”

“Cubba,” affirmed Harry.

“At your uncle’s?” whispered Minerva, shocked again.

Harry nodded.

“So how did you get it, then?” asked Minerva.

“I wish harded,” said Harry. “An’ cassle ansver!”

Minerva was shocked for the third time that day. Firstly, she realized the extent to which the Dursleys’ had abused him, secondly, the fact that she had been an unwitting participant…and lastly, that Harry undeniably, had strong magic.

She had never seen a child with so much potential. He had called a pencil from Surrey to Scotland, of all things. Suddenly, she was excited again. She couldn’t wait to tell Albus and Severus!

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Albus was just finishing up the paperwork for Sirius’s release with the Minister, when Minerva’s head popped through the fireplace.

“Albus, are you b –?” her eyes widened. “Why, hello, there, Madam!”

“No need to be so formal, Minnie. After all, we are childhood friends!” answered Madam Bagnold. “Come through!”

Minerva stepped into Albus’s office, and brushed the soot off her robes. “Why are you here today, Milly?”

“I haven’t been called that in forever!” the Minister laughed. “We’re just finishing Sirius Black’s discharge papers.”

“Discharge?” asked Minerva in disbelief. “How – ?”

“Minerva, we’ve found proof of his innocence,” said Albus gently, guiding her into a nearby chair. She thankfully collapsed into it, a feeling of disbelief and relief coming upon her. Albus continued, “Lily left behind notes, stating exactly who their Secret Keeper was.”

“It wasn’t Sirius?” she whispered hoarsely. “Who was it?”

“It was Peter Pettigrew,” said Albus grimly. “And I’ve found where he is, at the moment.”

“Pettigrew…is alive?” asked Minerva. “But how?”

“From Sirius’s Pensieve, we discovered that Peter was an Animagus – a rat. He was also responsible for the deaths of the nearby bystanders,” said the Minister.

“Thank God,” said Minerva, then quickly amended her statement. “That it wasn’t Sirius, I mean.”

“Yes,” said Albus. “But what the poor boy has gone through!”

“We can deal with that, Albus,” said Minerva firmly. “So, where is he?”

“Remus and Severus are currently looking for him,” said the Minister. “He…escaped from Azkaban before we could free him.”

Minerva chuckled. “Yes, that sounds like him.”

Albus’s eyes twinkled. “Well, let’s hope they do…we have a lot to make up for to that boy.”

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Lucius paced in front of his father’s portrait in his study. What did Yaxley and Dolohov want? Didn’t he do as they demanded already? He wanted his son so badly. How could they have done this to him? Didn’t they trust him?

“Cease this pacing,” Abraxas ordered. “You will not get my grandson back this way.”

Immediately, Lucius paused. “But what can I do, Father? I have no idea where he is…nor if he is still alive!”

“He is still alive. I have heard naught of any wizarding child enter the afterlife,” stated Abraxas. “Did you talk to Minerva?”

Lucius’s curiosity piqued. “Why do you call her that, Father?”

Abraxas bristled. “Call her what?”

“Minerva. You never call any of the Light by their first names,” said Lucius, grinning, as if to imply something else.

“Nothing of the sort, you impudent whelp. We were friends…of sorts,” said Abraxas. “It is none of your business.”

“If you are sure, Father,” said Lucius.

Suddenly, an owl flew into the room. Lucius didn’t recognize the bird, but immediately knew it was news of his son. Ripping it open, he tossed the envelope aside, and began to read.

My dear Lucius,

How does it feel to be on the lower end of the ladder? You are thinking of your son, right now, are you not? We have one more task for you, and do not even think of calling the Aurors. Your son will die if you do.

We are planning to…retire, but we have to wrap up our business first. You will help us with our last deal, and only then will we let your child go. On the day of the exchange, we will be there. That child in exchange for your own.

You are asking, what child? I will tell you. His name is Harry Potter. I know your thirst for vengeance is the same as ours, so this will perhaps be easy for you. Despite this, we will keep your child as insurance. Potter is currently in the care of Albus Dumbledore. I’m sure you can get your contacts to ferret the information out of him?

Our meeting date is September 2nd. Do not be late…or your precious little blond will be covered in blood.

                                                                                Sincerely yours,

                                                                Theodore Yaxley and Antonin Dolohov

“Well, read it to me already,” said Abraxas, all the while watching his son’s face fall. “What does it say?”

Lucius read it out loud, feeling sick. “What can we do, Father? You don’t know these two! They’re violent, vicious…capable of anything!”

“Go. Go talk to Dumbledore and Minerva now,” ordered Abraxas. “You have no time. This is in two weeks. You must have time to prepare.”

“But they said not to contact the Aurors!” cried Lucius in anguish.

“No, not you specifically, but Dumbledore and Minerva can,” said Abraxas calmly. “You must trust me on this. Minerva will know what to do. After all, she does have a vested interest…”

“What?!?” asked Lucius.

“Never mind,” said Abraxas. “Go, now! I will take care of Narcissa.”

Lucius fled his manor, and within seconds, arrived at Hogwarts.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Yaxley hadn’t harmed the boy. Of course not, the boy was such a sweet child. He had recognized him instantly as Uncle Theo.

“Draco, c’mere. We’re going to prank your dear old dad, all right?” said Yaxley. “But you have to keep it a secret. Can you do it?”

Draco nodded, his prankster ways coming out. The other day, he had frightened his poor mother half to death, and she was still recovering. Of course, his father wasn’t very happy, but nor was he entirely disapproving either. “What are we going to do, Uncle?”

“We’re going to go away for a while,” responded Yaxley. “The beach sound good to you?”

“Yay! I love the beach!” said Draco.

“Draco, shhh. You don’t want your father hearing you, do you?” said Yaxley. Draco, in response, clasped his hand to his mouth.

“Okay, let’s go!” Yaxley grabbed his Portkey, and they left for the sunny beaches of Monaco. There, they had spent their time swimming, playing ball, watching television (at first, they weren’t sure how to work the thing, but when they did, they had become addicted), and enjoying the sun in general. Draco, normally a very pale boy, had a tan, and his hair turned darker, not quite brown, but definitely not blonde. Had Lucius seen him, he wouldn’t have recognized him. Which made it all the better. Yaxley hoped that Dolohov had given the letter to Lucius. It was imperative that they did so. After all, their Lord was coming back…and Yaxley wanted to be in his good favours when he did.

Yaxley himself had changed his appearance, but not naturally. He took Polyjuice everyday, just in case someone might recognize him. The reign of Voldemort was still in people’s minds, and Yaxley knew that. His latest business had also placed him in danger, so he had taken extra precautions. Back home, he’d had someone pose as him, in case Lucius did find them. He fully expected that. Lucius was not a man to be trifled with, nor was he stupid.

For now, though, he was going to relax and enjoy the sun. Maybe he’d spend the rest of his life here, until it was safe to go back. Now, there was a thought. He lay back, and dozed, listening to the happy screams of little Draco.