Early March (Harry and Hermione have re-grown to approximate 5-6 years old)

The cold, crisp night air cleared the fog from his mind as he strolled around the courtyard. He stretched his arms up and out to the sides, forward and backward, trying to work out the tension in his back, neck and shoulders. Tension that was a direct result of spending hour after hour hunched over ancient parchments. It had taken them months to decrypt the damn things. Luckily, it hadn't taken nearly as long to translate them into modern English. Not that it helped any.

The majority of the documents were actually detailed schematics that outlined the complex calculations and intricate spells and potions that were the foundation of the weapon. The sheer knowledge and skill it took to create and execute such a system boggled his mind. It was hard enough just to look at it for long periods of time, much less try and comprehend it. Which is why he was working on figuring out the end of the message that accompanied the plans.

That message revealed that the weapon itself existed in seven parts. Seven stones, to be exact, that could be used singularly by seven individuals or in groups and pairs by a fewer number. The stones could also be used in smaller groups; the four stones created by the founders had been used to set the original wards around Hogwarts' castle. The three that belong to Avalon had been used to add the final barriers that protected magical Avalon from the non-magical world.

And yet, despite all they had learned, they were still nowhere. So far, he hadn't found a single clue to where the pieces were hidden, yet he knew it was there – somewhere. Frustration was an understatement, which was why he was outside in the middle of a frigid night, freezing his ears off.

What he wouldn't do for a little distraction tonight; like the night a week ago when Harry and Hermione wandered outside of the castle walls in the middle of the night. He could honestly say he had never been so scared in his life and was thankful they were found after a short search. The rest of the night, however, had been rather amusing. While searching the island, he and Remus had discovered a group of Muggle teens camped out on the shore. He had taken the form of Padfoot and snuck close to the emcamped group huddled around a large campfire; he learned it was all some sort of a dare, to spend the night on the dark island – the devil's island. Figuring they were harmless enough to let Severus worry about them later, he had returned with Remus to the keep. Sirius snickered as he remembered the pranks Severus pulled on the Muggle teenagers when he learned of their presense; bonfires going out as soon as they were lit; random trees moving and shaking their branches when no wind blew. And then, of course, there was the "ghostly knight" that would appear and disappear. He never would have guessedthe Severus had it in him, even if it was for practical purposes. Sirius doubted those teens would come anywhere near the island again - ever. Unfortunately for Sirius, the strengthened wards they put up after the teens had left seemed to be doing an admirable job of keeping other thrillseekers away.

" Siri?" Sirus turned around to find his sister standing behind him, her silver cloak seemed to cast an ethereal glow around her in the moonlight. "What are you doing out here?"

" Just trying to clear my mind, Bell. I thought that maybe I could find some perspective and figure this damn puzzle out," he muttered.

" Well, you could always do what Gran Grainne did."

" And that was?" he asked, the irritation he felt early returning and clearly evident in his tone. He cringed inwardly at the sound, knowing it wasn't fair to direct it at her when he was frustrated with himself – not her. She stepped out infront of him and faced him down. The expression on her face was one that, until recently, had been reserved only for him. It wasn't his favorite expression either. The narrowing of her eyes, the raising of her brow and the firm, pursed set of her lips expressed her displeasure with him. The phantom of hurt that drifted into her clear eyes showed him he had hurt her which, in turn, dredged up a wealth of guilt. He could also she the clock ticking behind her eyes; the one that let him know exactly how much time he had to apologize and make things right before retribution was exacted. He wasn't quite sure how she managed to express so much to him with just one look. Even his mother, who was very good at reproachful looks, could never make him feel as guilty as Bella.

With a sigh, he muttered his apology before looking her in the eye again. He tried to smile slightly and giver her his most repentant look. Her only response was a raised eyebrow. A memory flashed before his eyes; about seven hours earlier he and Bella caught Harry trying to sneak some cookies out of the kitchen. Harry had looked up at Bella with the most innocent look and a pleading smile. He had been rebuked by the the same expression Bella wore now. With several decades less of experience, Harry had crumbled under the look and turned back to the kitchen, his shoulders slumped dejectedly. He tried to keep a smile from spreading across his face. "Poor Darrius," he said. "He's never going to be able to keep anything from you. Merlin help him if Livia masters that look. He'll never have a moments peace."

Bella titled her head slightly to the side as if considering what he said, her expression softenly slightly. With a hushed whisper, she summoned his cloak and gloves.

Wrapping them around him, she cast a warming charm on the cloak while he put on his gloves.

" Thanks, Bell," Sirius said, "You're a good mother."

She play slapped his arm and rolled her eyes before saying, "Thanks, Siri. Now, about your problem. Why don't your start by going over what you do know - from the beginning."

He just looked at her and he knew all his irritation and doubt at the usefullness of her suggestion was visible on his face. Arabella just smiled at him and held out her hand to him. With resignation, he accepted her hand and, for a moment, he wished that their hands had been bare; he could use some of her unique encouragement and reassurance. With a gentle tug, she pullled him toward the main gates which drifted open for them slowly. They walked to the shore in silence through the dark woods that surrounded the keep's walls. When they reached their destination, Arabella dropped her hold on his hand and wandered into the center of the sandy area. With a few flicks of her wand, she summoned wood from the forest and set a bonfire ablaze. A few more spells hid the site from onlookers. And still, a few more spells, enlarged cushions blankets and a container of hot chocolate. Sirius watched her, amused by the sight before turning his gaze out across the glittering black waters toward the main land.

Bella's smooth, rich voice harmonized with the calming sounds coming in from the sea that night. "From Lily's letter to me and the journal that Harry found and handcopied for us that the Schism War we learn about in school is a highly sanitized version. We know that a dark Wizard claiming to the the last heir of King Arthur and the Lady Morgaine, through their son Mordred, was actual instigator of the war – not the general religious upheaval of the times. This Dark Lord, whose name was stricken from all Britian, banished Christianity from the shores, returning Britian to the old religions."

She paused for a minute, aiming toward the fire with her wand to spur on the flames. "However, by that time, just over a thousand years ago, the fledgling Wizarding society realized that the ability to use magic wasn't tied to a specific religion, but a talent in its own right. As a result, the community was split into several factions – those who agreed with the Dark Lord, those who wanted to separate from the non-magical world, but not return to a religious-ruled society and those who simply wanted to maintain the status quo. Eventually, the second group was joined by members of the first who could not abide by some of the Dark Lords actions, and by members of the third who realized a separation was inevitable. The weapon was created by seven key members of each group and used to destroy the Dark Lord. They then set about creating a governing body for the new Wizarding World, which included the first incarnation of the current Ministry of Magic and the Council of Avalon. Four of the original seven leaders went to Scotland – into the highlands – to build a school – Hogwarts. The other three, hid Avalon and then formed an new gathering center or rather, refounded an ancient community – the Forest House. It was during this time that minons of the Dark Lord stole the stones from their keepers. Five of those stones were turned them over to the Dark Lords Leiutenant who used them on Serena Slytherin – granddaughter of Gryffindor and the Lady of the Lake and wife of Slytherin's eldest son. The five stones worked in a malformed manner, binding the magic of Serena and her off-spring for a thousand years; not stripping it as was intended. In the end, Serena took her daughter and disappeared. In the journal, there was no mention of what became of the weapon – only that it was hidden."

He could feel her eyes on him as her voice trailed off, leaving only the sound of the water breaking against the shore and the crackling of burning wood to fill the night with sound.

Turning around, he walked to the fire and dropped down on some cushions obviously meant for him and let his body drink in the warmth of the fire before beginning to speak. "In November," he said off in a tired voice, "we found the hidden parchments that finally gave us some detailed information on the weapon. We learned it is actually seven power stones, or possibly gems or crystals – all three terms were used. The seven stones can be used together or can be divided up into a set of four stones and a a set of three stones. We know that when all seven stones are used together, they can be weilded by seven individuals or by fewer individuals - as long as all seven are used together. When used in unintended groups – like the five stones used against Serena Slytherin - that the effects are unpredictable and like most malformed magicks, the damage is virtually irreversible." Sirius took a breath, "As you mentioned, we know that five stones were reclaimed and hidden by their creators to prevent further misuse; each stone's creator kept their protections completely secret, even from each other – so basically, we are starting from zero with each hidden stone. We no idea what became of the two lost ones. "

Sirius stopped and took a breath before continuing, "The schema – which, by the way, I'm still amazed decrypted from three parchments into the longest and most boring 250 pages I have ever read - apparently only deals with one stone - the focus stone - not all seven like we originally thought. I understand now why it took several years to create the stones. Even with all the detailed notes, it would probably take at least two years to recreate the stone referenced in the materials we found. To begin with, the stone they used already had powers associated with it. It was originally created by Taliesin – the Merlin and had been used in his staff. All I can find on it is the legend that says it was some sort of a bloodstone. The stone was then put through a process that included power infusion and bonding spells. Severus said the infusion potion alone would take six months to properly brew and the stone would have to soak in it for another six months."

Sirius picked up a stone and tossed it into the blaze in a swift harsh motion. He took a deep breath and expelled it sharply before continuing, "Even if we decided to try and recreate the damned things, there is no guarantee it would be powerful enough to do what we need it to do. We'd have to replace the bloodstone and as powerful as Dumbledore is, he still couldn't match Merlin and we certainly don't know how to create a bloodstone. "

Arabella reached over and squeezed his hand, "I don't know, Siri. From what I have learned in the past few months, I believe Albus is as powerful as Taliesin, or very close to it. I think the difference lies in their magical training and in the view and use of magic - now and then. Magic was uncommon in Merlin's time, not like it is now. Those who were gifted with Magic were taken and trained by the orders - the Priestess and the Druids. Magic wasn't used for trivial things like cleaning or cooking. It was power; used to guide, inspire, teach and intimidate." She paused for a moment. Sirius took the opportunity to look over at her, examine her face. He could see how her mind working behind her eyes as the firelight flashed across her pale skin, giving it a warm glow. Finally, she sighed in resignation, "You're right about the bloodstone, though. Taliesin's was created using the old Magicks, Gran Graine taught me some and just told me about others. All I know for sure is that involved the Chalice of the Goddess and the sacred well. I have never the seen the Chalice, but I was told it's on Avalon. The problem being that the portal can't be opened until summer of 96 - which is about a year and a half away."

" We need to find that stone." Sirius said, sounding a bit desperate.

" You're sure there is no mention of the hiding place? No riddle or hint to figure out?"

" No," he replied, his annoyance and frustration returning. He rose from his seat and began to pace, the soles of his boots crunching the damp sand beneath his feet.

" Nothing." Sirius paused, stopping dead in his tracks, his eyes staring far beyond the distant shoreline, "…unless…. " Spinning around, he dashed over to her, dropping down into a crouch before her and looked her straight in the eye. "Darrius opened the hidden drawer, he could see a light – a glow – that we couldn't." He felt the smile curl of his lips as the mental jigsaw puzzle pieces fell into place. Harry! The answer had to be with Harry. Only he had been able to detect the compartment. Maybe their final clue was hidden in a similar manner. "That's got to be it, Bell! If there is a clue, its hidden somewhere, but I bet Darrius can see it, like he saw the drawer. "

He paused again, allowing her to mull over the information. He waited until he saw the small smile and a hint of relief grace her features as understanding grew in her eyes. "You think its location is hidden on those parchments, don't you. That Darrius is the only one who can see it." She said before biting her lip, her mind working furiously behind her crystalline pale eyes.

" Any chance you'd let me wake Darrius up?" he asked.

Immediately, Bella's eyebrows shoot up and she was giving him "that look" again. After a quick glance at her pocket watch, she said, "I don't think we'll need to wake him. He should be up in about three hours anyway and that should be just enough time to get some supplies ready." Sirius could feel his eyebrows raising and coming together as his forehead scrunched up. "Really, Siri. He's five; do you actually think he can read Latin or old Welsh, much less runes? And that’s the best-case scenario - most of what we've found so far has been encrypted."

He frowned. She was right. Then he smiled; in a little over three hours, they might just be getting somewhere.5 hours later.

" Uncle Paddy, I don't want to do this anymore. It's boring. Can't I go work this Mama and Livi? Or Papa? Please?"

Sirius sighed and put down his pen. He counted to ten mentally before replying. "No, Darrius. We've been over this. Your mother and Livia are working on Healing Arts. We need you to copy the special message."

" Can't you do it, with a spell or something." Harry pouted, "and why does Uncle Remi get to help Mama and Livi if I can't?"

Sirius took a deep breath and counted to ten again. He knew Harry was bored; he had the attention span of a typical five year old at the moment and copying weird looking pictures for hours had to be the last thing the kid wanted to do. Sirius wanted to be understanding and help the boy, but if Harry asked one more time if he could stop, Sirius was going to throw something. Ten times was more than enough in the past hour and a half. Putting his pen down, he gave up on his own reviewing and decided to try another tactic.

" Okay Darrius, why don't we try something different?" Sirius said coming over to the table where Harry sat. He gathered the strewn papers into neat piles before summoning a fresh, clean quill from the desk across the room.

" Can't we try copying it again?" Darrius pleaded, "Maybe it will copy for me? I could do the spell."

" Darrius, you don't know how to do the spell." Sirius said in as patient a voice as he could muster.

" Can't you teach me? Please, Uncle Paddy?"

Sirius felt himself giving in as soon as those big green eyes looked up at him so earnestly. "Okay, okay. We will try, but only for a little while and then we have to try my method. This is very important, Darrius."

" I know," the boy exclaimed, nearly jumping around in his seat with excitement.

Taking a quill from the table, Sirius transfigured it into something resembling a wand. "Okay, Darrius, I want you to watch how I move my wand and imitate it?"

Harry nodded eagerly and then watched intently how Sirius moved his wand - touching the parchment with the hidden text, lifting the wand in a sweeping motion and flicking it toward the plain parchment. "Think you can do that, Darrius?"

Harry simply nodded and imitated the motion fairly accurately, though with little finesse. After having Darrius repeat the necessary spell and practice them combined, Sirius handed his wand to Darrius. Taking a quill, he wrote the words -- Secret Information -- on a blank parchment and set it next to a clean sheet. "Okay, Darrius. I want you to concentrate on the words and imagine them appearing on the clean parchment."

Sirius watched as Darrius eyes narrowed as he focused intently on the writing. Tapping the paper, he clearly said and then flicked the wand exactly as he was shown.

If it was in the library and made of glass, it shattered.

Darrius stared around the room, wide-eyed and fearful. "I'm sorry. I did it right, I promise. I didn't mean to break things. I swear, Uncle. Please believe me."

" It's alright, Darrius," Sirius said, taking the wand back and quickly repairing the damage.

" Darrius!"

Sirius and Harry both cringed at the sharp sound of Severus' cold voice and slowly turned around to face him.

" Sorry, Papa. I didn't…" Harry's voice trailed off to a whisper as he stared down at his feet. The look on Severus' face was one of fury and it reminded Sirius strongly of that night in the shrieking shack when he had first met Harry. A rush of anger washed through Sirius, he couldn't believe Severus would act like such a git. Rising from his chair, Sirius stood protectively in front of Harry. Severus glared at him, his lips twisting into a sneer.

" Just what do you think you are doing, Black?" Severus hissed.

" It wasn't his fault. I gave him my wand and taught him the spell. We wanted to see if Darrius could copy the text since he was the only one who saw it."

" Oh really. We, is it." Severus said as he stepped forward and pulled Harry's chair from behind Sirius. Darrius slouched down into his chair, keeping with his head bowed, obviously not wanting to meet his father's steely gaze.

" Darrius?" Severus asked sternly.

" Yes sir?" Darrius responded.

Sirius fingers itched to level his wand at the greasy bastard; he couldn't stand to see the way he treated Harry. Fathers were supposed to love their children, not torture them. As much as he hated to do it, Sirius watched quietly - grudgingly – as Severus stepped closer still to Harry.

" Darrius?" Severus crouched down so that he was eye level with his son as he asked again. This time, Severus' voice was noticeably gentler. In that moment, Sirius' anger began to die.

" I'm sorry, sir. I thought," Harry paused, his voice sounded so small and full of regret.

" Thought what?" Severus asked, his voice still gentle. When Harry raised his eyes, Sirius was sure he saw Severus' gaze falter.

" Thought that I could copy the text," Harry took a breath and then continued, mumbling, "even though you told me it wouldn't work because of the special encwypson spells."

Sirius was suddenly caught between wanting to smile at Harry's mispronunciation of encryption and wanting to scold the boy for not being honest with him. While he was at it, he wanted to knock himself up the side of the head for not thinking to ask if the subject had already been discussed. His opinion of Severus not only softening a bit, it rose as well. He had to admit that he had not witnessed a great deal of interaction between Severus and the children; it was easier and more pleasant for all to avoid him whenever possible. Watching their interaction now, however, Sirius was forced to acknowledge that Harry didn't seem afraid. He seemed like he was ashamed. He watched as Harry hopped off the chair and moved closer his father, closing the distance between them.

" I'm sorry, Papa. I shouldn't have disobeyed you," he said quietly. Sirius could imagine the pleading look in the boys bright eyes – he had seen it himself just moments before. "I really thought it would work. I know it will, if you let me try with the glowy wand. Please Papa?" He closed his eyes at the pleading in his godson's voice, knowing he would not have been able to resist were he in Severus' place. The room was silent for long seconds before Harry's hopeful voice reiterated in a slightly more beseeching tone, "Please Papa?"

Sirius opened his eyes and, based on the firm look on Severus face, prepared himself to deal with a disappointed and hurt five year old. For a brief second, the old bitter, irrational hatred flashed in his chest. The git was hurting his godson, damn him! What would it hurt to just let the kid try it?

" Wait here," Severus said firmly. His tone brooked no argument and for the life of him, Sirius even flinched at the words. After Snape left the room, Sirius turned his attention back to Harry, who had slunk back into his chair. He hated seeing the boy look so dejected, especially when he hadn't done anything warranting such treatment.

" Siri, what happened?" Bella called as she came into the room, Hermione trailing beside her. Without waiting for an answer, she walked over and crouched in front of Harry, "Darrius, what happened? Are you hurt?"

" No, Mamà."

" What upset your father?"

" Bell," Sirius started to interrupt. His sister through him a glance that clearly told him to stay quiet, and he obliged her – against his own desires.

" I asked Uncle Paddy to let me try the spell. A lot of glass shattered. Uncle Paddy fixed it before Papa got here though."

" You asked your uncle if you could try a spell after your father and I told you no?"

" Yes, Ma'am." Harry replied softly.

A small hand reached out and wrapped around his. Looking down, he met the near chocolate eyes of Hermione. He smiled reassuringly and squeezed her hand seeing the uneasiness in her expression. She smiled up at him slightly and stepped closer, leaning against his leg. Releasing her hand, he gently stroked through her think black hair, finding the motion as soothing to him as it seemed to be for her.

Before Bella could ask Harry any further questions, Severus returned. Hermione immediately leaned into him a bit more, and again, Sirius realized the reaction wasn't out of fear of Severus. In this case, he suspected, instead, empathy for Harry on her behalf. Sirius watched as his brother-in-law walked over and stood beside Bella. Staring down at Harry, he held out a velvet pouch. Harry reverently took the pouch from his father's outstretched hand before turning his wide eyes up at his father questioningly.

" You may try, Darrius," Severus said quietly. "If the wand accepts you."

Carefully, Harry removed the wand from the pouch. His curiosity begged him to move forward, where he could get a better look. As Hermione stepped forward, however, he remembered the last time Harry tried a spell – just minutes ago – and pulled her back against him. The young girl looked up at him quizzically. "It is safer back a bit, Livi. Last time, Darrius shattered all the glass."

From his vantage point, Sirius watched as Harry looked anxiously at the texts. With his expression contorted with concentration, Harry pointed is wand, swished it as Sirius taught him and pronounced the spell clearly. The room was filled with a brilliant flash of light. Even after it faded, circles of light danced in his vision. Moments later, the room was filled with the excited cry of his nephew.

" It worked, Papa. Look – it worked!"

As the spots cleared, Sirius witnessed Harry throwing his arms around his father's neck as the man crouched down to sweep the boy up in a fierce hug, his pride in the boy was clearly visible, as was his joy. Severus was actually smiling.

For Sirius, the moment was bitter-sweet, as he was forced to acknowledge the one thing his avoidance of Snape had allowed him to deny. Harry had a father. Not one long dead, but one that lived, that cared and who wanted the role of father figure. And even harder still, Sirius could no longer deny that Severus did his job well. It occurred to him, then, that his Harry - the boy who looked to him as a father-figure, for approval and guidance, who hoped to one day share a home with him - was gone. This boy would never look to him first, for approval or guidance. He would never again be this boy's father figure. Harry had his real father now. More than anything, Harry deserved to have that kind of relationship – one filled with the unconditional love of a father that had both the strength and the knowledge to guide him properly. As much as it hurt to accept, Sirius knew that this was how it was always meant to be.

It was a good thing.

'And besides,' Sirius thought to himself, 'he was still the favorite uncle. Every boy needed someone to spoil him, get into trouble with him – or get him out of trouble with out dear old dad finding out.' Oh yeah, there was definitely still some mischief making potential there.

At some point during his reflections, Severus and Bella had obviously handed down Harry's punishment for his disobeying them. Quirking a half smile, Sirius watched as his godson made his way out of the room in a pouting huff, mumbling under his breath about the injustice of it all. Sirius couldn't help but think that it was a good thing not to be the one to have to hand out the punishments. It was definitely a very good thing..