The Great Hall was filled with noise and laughter, the opening feast was just drawing to a close and all that was left were a few start of term notices before everyone would be shooed off in the direction of their dorms. The Gryffindor table in particular had been very lively, a prank by the Weasley twins which had turned half the table in to canaries had amused everyone although just how they had managed to pull off a prank in the short time before the feast had started only Merlin knew.
Harry was feeling much more relaxed as he settled down to eat in the place that had been his first home. Sirius was sitting at the high table, and the presence of his godfather filled the aching emptiness that had wormed its way into his heart during the long train ride. He hadn't managed to speak to Sirius yet but he had seen his godfather watching him several times during the feast and when Sirius had noticed his scrutiny, his godfather had smiled gently at him and he knew all his earlier worries on the train were completely unfounded. He expected that the animagus would corner him after the feast, but if he didn't Harry intended to go and find him anyway.
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Discover moreRegular storiesCreative writing coursesFan fiction platformAuthor toolsAuthor resourcesThe chime of a silver spoon on a crystal goblet echoed through the room and silence slowly spread. Once he was sure he had a captive audience Dumbledore stood, turning a benevolent gaze on the students, out of the corner of his eye he noticed that Harry stiffened slightly but he pushed the thought aside, there was no way the boy could know of his actions regarding his placement at the Dursleys. "Now we are call fed and watered, there are a few start of term notices I must give out."
Harry listened, bored as Dumbledore went through the rules that he had heard every year, the forbidden forest is forbidden, items which were banned, Hogsmede arrangement etc etc. His interest was caught once more when Dumbledore announced, "It gives me great pleasure to welcome our new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, Professor Sirius Black."
There was a beat of dead silence in the hall, and then the muttering broke out. "Black?!", "Sirius Black?" The whispers flew back and forth, although the he had been found innocent and pardoned there were still very few who believed in his innocence, he had been a mass murderer, escaped Azkaban, had been on the run. Dementors had been stationed at the school to protect them from him and here he was teaching. They could hardly believe it.
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The sound of applause broke into the hall and as one the students turned to see Harry Potter on his feet, a delighted smile on his face as he clapped enthusiastically, accompanied by Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and somewhat surprisingly Neville Longbottom, Susan Bones and Hannah Abotts.
Discover moreFan FictionMobile user analyticsBook recommendationsMoviesAnime & MangaThe mutterings turned into murmurs of shocked surprise, why was Harry Potter of all people supporting Sirius Black, supposedly his parents betrayer? However Harry ignored all the whispers as he applauded, showing everyone in the hall that he fully supported his godfather. His smile grew wider as Sirius returned the smile before he inclined his head in Dumbledore's direction, indicating that the Headmaster should be allowed to finish his speech.
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Dumbledore cleared his throat, "We are to have the honour of holding a very exciting event over the coming months, an event which has not been held for over a century. It gives me great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be held at Hogwarts this year."
"You're JOKING!" said Fred Weasley loudly. The tension which had filled the hall ever since Sirius had been announced broke as laughter swept through the hall, both at Fred's outburst and Dumbledore's response.
The next several minutes were filled with an explanation of what the tournament entailed and whilst Harry listened, he didn't pay the rapt attention that many of the others in the hall did and he was not one of the ones who groaned when the news about the age line was announced. He was very glad he didn't have to compete, and that there were actually means to prevent him from entering. For the first time in his life he wanted a quiet year where he didn't get into danger. He could have a normal year, with his godfather nearby, who he could go whenever he needed it and for the first time in his life he could actually have a normal year at school.
The notice about the tournament had been the last notice and soon the students were all heading to their respective dorms and common rooms, however as he exited the hall Harry hung back, waiting for Sirius. He got several curious looks but he ignored them, knowing his godfather would be there soon. Sure enough, only another minute passed before the animagus exited the hall, his eyes roving around as he looked for his godson. Seeing Harry he strode over, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder, "Come on pup, lets head to my quarters. I've got a few things I need to speak to you about and I'd rather not do so in public."
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Harry nodded quickly and relaxed as Sirius led him through the deserted hallways, leaning into the comforting touch, all his earlier worries and misgivings completely assuaged by the presence of his godfather at his side. They came to the corridor adjacent to the Defence Classroom and Sirius stopped in front of a portrait of a large black Grim stalking a graveyard. "Appropriate isn't it," the animagus commented softly as it swung open to give them entry.
As soon as they were inside and the portrait had swung shut Harry found himself wrapped in his godfather's arms. Relishing in the feeling of love and security that surrounded him he returned the embrace, completely content. After a few moments Sirius released him before leading him over to the sofa, and indicating that he should take a seat before his godfather joined him, placing his arm over his shoulders and tugging him to his side. Harry nestled against him, just enjoying being with his godfather once more as he waited for Sirius to speak.
Discover moreCrossover storiesFan fiction booksApp download campaignsFictionPress integrationWriting workshops"Harry I want you to promise me something," Sirius's voice was serious and immediately Harry gave his godfather his full attention, the animagus had only spoken to him like that twice before and he knew instantly that whatever his godfather wanted, it was bound to be important. "I want you to promise me that you won't try to enter the tournament." In response to Harry's puzzled look he elaborated, "I know there is an age line preventing you from entering but I don't want to take the chance that in trying to bypass it you could accidentally enter. People have died in this tournament and I want you as far away from it as possible, your safety is something I will never risk."
"I promise I won't try and enter Sirius." The words were easy to say, not only did he have absolutely no interest whatsoever in getting into danger this year, he also loved the fact that his godfather cared for him so much and he didn't want to do anything that would hurt him. In response, Sirius pulled him closer and pressed a kiss into his messy black hair, "Thank you," he murmured. Harry just smiled as he leant against his godfather's side. It felt wonderful to know that his godfather cared for him and wanted to protect him, he was the only adult who he could remember doing that.
Sirius smiled down at his godson, relieved that he had Harry's promise and the knowledge that his pup would remain safe. There were magical protections but all it would take was a singe accident, or for it to fail once and Harry could be caught in a binding magical contract. Knowing he was going to be safe calmed his heart somewhat, however his thoughts wandered once more as he wondered whether he should tell his godson that the professors knew that something had happened.
After a bit of deliberation he decided that he should. He didn't want to keep things from Harry, his godson's trust was far too precious to risk losing it like that and he knew it would only hurt the boy more if he discovered that Sirius had kept something from him, something that involved him. However the conversation would be a minefield and he would have to be very careful during it not to frighten Harry.
"Pup," Harry raised his head to look his godfather in the eye, "The Professors know that there is something wrong." Immediately the boy started to tremble and Sirius instantly pulled him into his arms and embraced him gently, stroking the teen's back with one hand, it was the reaction he had been hoping he wouldn't get.
Harry couldn't think coherently, only one thought beat around his head, they knew, they knew, they knew. He felt his godfather pull him onto his lap and strong arms wrapped around him, holding him like a little child, comforting and safe. But still his mind was still dominated by a single thought, they knew, they knew his most shameful secret, they knew that Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived couldn't even stand up to his stupid muggle uncle. "It's alright Harry," his godfather's soft voice broke into his thoughts. But he thought bitterly, it wouldn't be alright, the professors knew and soon everyone would know and then all the acceptance he had would be taken away. He felt hot tears prick in the corner of his eyes, but Sirius's next words threw all those thoughts out the window,
Discover moreMobile app developmentMobile app subscriptionWriter communityFan fiction communityApp store marketing"They don't know any details pup, all they know is that you were badly hurt and are still healing." Harry felt hope rise in him once more,
"T-t-they don't know that my uncle hurt me?" He whispered, shudders still running through his body,
"No pup," Sirius replied gently, hating the fear and pain he could hear in his godson's voice and the knowledge that he had caused it, "They don't know anything about what those bastards did to you, most of them don't even know who they are, Dumbledore kept the secret of where you were living close to his chest. The only things they know are that you were hurt badly and are still recovering physically and mentally."
"T-t-they won't tell anybody?" Sirius could hear the plea in the childlike question and he hugged Harry closer, carding his fingers through the messy mop and he smiled as he felt his godson relax slightly.
"They can't tell anyone pup, the information is completely confidential, it's covered by the oath they take when they become professors, not to reveal confidential information about a student to anyone except the child's guardian." Harry felt relief seep through him and he slumped back into his godfather's protective hold. The professors knew that something was wrong but they still didn't know any details and they couldn't tell anyone apart from Sirius and he already knew a lot more than they did. They wouldn't judge him for being hurt by his uncle because they wouldn't know how weak he had been, how freakish he was and they couldn't tell anyone either. His secret was still safe and with Sirius here he knew he wouldn't be alone. Suddenly a horrible thought struck him,
"What about Snape?" he asked, a quiver of fear in his voice, "Does he know too?"
"Yes he does," came the quiet reply, and Harry stiffened, Snape would make his life a misery with this new knowledge, "But," the animagus continued as if he had read his mind, "He will not do anything, not regarding what he now knows but if he does I will personally hunt him down and make sure he pays for it. I'll do that if he hurts you in any way and he won't be left standing afterwards." Hearing the fierce protectiveness in Sirius's voice Harry knew that even if Snape was absolutely awful Sirius would be there and would protect him with everything he had.
He stayed like that, curled up against his godfather's side for several more moments, just enjoying being with his godfather with no expectations, rumours or whispers to dim his happiness. However all too soon Sirius released him, "You need to get back to your common room before curfew," he said softly. Harry sighed quietly, he didn't want to leave but he knew that Hermione and Ron would worry if he didn't come back and Sirius would still be here in the morning, he just didn't want to give up the feeling of love and family he had whenever he was around his godfather. As if Sirius had read his thoughts the animagus commented quietly "I'm sure Hermione and Ron will want to see you tonight and you don't need to worry, I am always going to be here for you, even if it's three in the morning."
Harry smiled slightly at the statement, then he reached out for a hug and his godfather immediately gathered him up, holding him tightly as Harry snuggled deeper into his hold. "I'll go to the dorm in a minute," he murmured. Sirius just smiled down at him before letting him go and gently pushing him to his feet,
"The password to the Gryffindor common room is Fortuna Major," Sirius said as Harry made his way to the portrait hole, "And don't forget you are always welcome here and don't hesitate to come in, or wake me up if you need me alright?" He added. Harry nodded in response, still slightly overwhelmed by the amount of support his godfather was giving him, although he relished the feeling of being so protected, cared for and loved. The animagus smiled tenderly at him, "Sleep well pup," he said softly.
"'Night Sirius," Harry replied before he climbed out of the portrait hole and headed in the direction of the Gryffindor Common room for his first night in his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Severus Snape was stalking his office, his mind racing. He couldn't believe that Potter of all people had been abused, it didn't make sense, and surely after his childhood he would have recognised it, recognised the signs, after all it is much easier to identify if you experienced it yourself. And he had seen nothing. 'Or you just didn't want to see' a small voice in the back of his mind whispered, 'You wanted to believe he was James Potter so you could hate him in peace and not remember that he's Lily's son too.'
Snarling under his breath he pushed the thought aside. Would Black have lied about Potter? The instant that thought entered his brain the answer came back as a resounding negative, no matter what Black had done he knew the man cared for the boy and the anger Black had displayed was the anger of a parent defending their child. His lips curled up in a sneer, of course Black would love Potter's spawn, spoil him rotten too and make him even more arrogant.
'But,' that annoying little voice spoke up again, 'You heard the pain in his voice, nobody can fake that sort of sorrow." That thought brought him up short, just as the original incident had done. He had heard Black's voice as he spoke, seen the hurt and pain in his eyes, perhaps, just perhaps Black had been right, and Potter had been abused. 'And if he has what then?' The small voice spoke up again and for a moment he considered the ramifications of brutally murdering the voices in his head before he tossed the idea aside and brought his thoughts back to the issue at hand.
If Potter had been abused what should he do? If he was honest with himself he knew that he couldn't keep treating the boy with the same level of hate, disdain yes but not outright hate. He knew what happened to children in abusive households and it was one thing he would not stand for, not for any child. But the real question was how much Potter had been abused? Looking at the situation objectively he was forced to admit it was fairly likely the boy had been abused, why else would Black put it under oath, but how bad was the situation? Was the abuse minor and Black overreacting, he thought that was probably the most likely scenario but he would need to know more before he could decide what he was going to do, after all there was a small chance it had been serious, but as he continued to think about it he drew closer to the idea it was minor. After all he had never picked up any hints and he was sure he would have done had the situation been serious, and Black, the fool he was, was likely to have responded very badly to any sign of mistreatment, even if it was minor.
But still he wanted confirmation, he needed to know it wasn't a pack of lies and that he was justified in treating Potter's spawn in such a way. With that decided he pondered his options. Finally he came to the conclusion that a light legilimency probe would suit his needs nicely. Potter had no defences and it would be easy in the course of a potions lesson to slip into his mind and access the necessary information. Yes, he thought as he finally stopped pacing, that would be a good solution and once he had the information he needed he could then decide what to do next.
Hermione and Ron were waiting for him when Harry tumbled through into the common room with only few minutes to spare. "There you are!" she exclaimed, "I was beginning to think you were going to spend the night there!"
"I'll probably do that fairly often," Harry admitted as he collapsed into the sofa beside them, "Especially if something happens, but sometimes I'll do that just because I can," he paused slightly, "I mean, it's nice knowing I've got the option if I want to." They both nodded, before they shared a glance and Harry felt apprehension rise up inside him, he had a feeling they had had a conversation about what Hermione had picked up on the train whilst he had been absent. Ron's next words confirmed it,
"Mate, um, about that incident on the train, I mean I know Malfoy's a complete git and all, but,"
"What Ron's trying to say," Hermione interrupted gently, responding to the slightly panicked glances the redhead was shooting at her, "We noticed that your reaction to his taunts wasn't... wasn't normal and, well to put it bluntly we're worried."
"Sirius hasn't hurt me in any way," Harry said quickly, "He loves me and he'd never hurt me." Hermione held her hands up in a peacemaking gesture, "We know Sirius wouldn't hurt you, we've been to your house enough times to see how much he cares for you." He let out a breath he didn't realise he had been holding. They didn't think Sirius was abusing him, that at least was a relief but looking at their concerned faces he knew there was more.
"I know the muggles don't treat you properly," Ron put in,
"Harry," Hermione said, her voice solemn and he noted distractedly that she was biting on her lip, "Did they ever... did they ever, well, hurt you?"
Harry felt panic well up inside him, that was the one question he didn't want them to have asked, they couldn't know because then they might abandon him and he would lose the only friends he had. His eyes darted around as if looking for an escape, he didn't want to lie to them but at the same time he couldn't tell them, "It's nothing guys," he said, trying to put some conviction into his voice, and even to his own ears he failed miserably.
He saw the concern on their faces grow, Ron in particular looked very sceptical, "Starving you and putting bars on your window is not nothing Harry!" Harry winced at the outburst and immediately glanced around the room worriedly, checking that nobody had heard. He had forgotten that Ron and the Twins had broken him out of his bedroom at the start of second year, now it was going to be a lot harder to convince him it was nothing. "It's alright honestly and I've got Sirius now, it doesn't matter anymore." He said hoping to placate them. However his words had the opposite effect and instead of calming them down they only served to make Hermione more concerned and angry.
"Harry it's not nothing if they hurt you! Of course it matters!" She said, concern colouring the whisper. He flinched slightly, glancing around. Although the conversation had been taking place in whispers he couldn't help fearing that somebody would overhear the muted voices.
"Please 'Mione," he begged, "Can we talk about this later?" He glanced around again, "And somewhere else?" She shot him a searching look, before looking around the common room, seeing the reason for his unease.
"If we let you wriggle out of this, you'll never talk about it," she said, although there was compassion in her voice. With that sentence Harry knew he was caught, they weren't going to stop digging until they found out what had actually happened and he knew what their curiosity was like, what they were like when they got hold of a problem. "Please 'Mione, Ron," he pleaded before taking a deep breath, "I promise I'll talk but please can we do it later, with Sirius, please." That way, even if they rejected him, he would still have his godfather and Sirius would be there to support him and talk about it if he couldn't. He knew his godfather knew the most about what had happened at the Dursleys aside from Harry.
His friends shared a glance before turning back to him and nodding, "But we will go after lessons tomorrow, you aren't getting out of this Harry," He nodded, swallowing the lump that rose up in his throat. Looking at his friends faces he could see nothing but concern and worry, perhaps, just perhaps they wouldn't abandon him? Would they have pressed him so hard if they were just going to abandon him? He didn't know the answer but he sincerely hoped that they would not. He couldn't lose the first friends he had ever had.
"Good morning everyone and welcome to Defence Against the Dark Arts," Sirius smiled down at the class, noting that he had been given Gryffindor and Slytherin (why anyone put those two house together when he was going to be teaching them duelling he really didn't know) and also seeing that apart from his godson and his friends, everyone else was shooting him wary looks. Internally he sighed, he had been getting a lot of these looks, especially around the school and it was getting a little irritating, but one glance at Harry and the irritation vanished, he was doing this for his godson and any amount of irritation was worth it if he could keep Harry safe.
"Firstly I have a few things to say to you, I am not a Death Eater, nor have I ever supported Voldemort," he ignored the flinches, "And whilst I broke out of Azkaban I was innocent of the crimes I was accused of. Secondly, whilst I am pureblood I will not tolerate any prejudice in my classes, anyone using the word 'mudblood' or any similar slur will find themselves in detention faster than they can blink," his eyes roved the Slytherin side of the classroom, lingering on Malfoy, "Do I make myself clear?" There was a chorus of 'yes' and 'yes sirs' as well as nodding heads although he noticed some of the Slytherins, particularly Malfoy's group, looked murderous.
"Now, onto what I will be teaching you this year. We will cover curses, hexes, jinks and counter jinks and I am also going to teach you duelling and dodging," there was an excited murmur at that announcement, the idea of learning how to duel appealed to everyone, "However if I see any Dark curses or hexes or any curses designed to kill or maim, the caster will find themselves out of this class, in detention for the rest of the school year and they will automatically fail the end of year exam in this subject. And if you believe I will not recognise a curse you will find yourself mistaken. I was an Auror in the last war and I have fought, and killed Death Eaters and as such I have a wide knowledge of the Dark Arts and how to recognise them." Silence stretched in the classroom and he noted that several people, especially the Slytherins looked very uncomfortable with his announcements, only Harry showed no visible reaction, but he already knew what Sirius had done in the war, and he knew that his father had done the same.
"Pack away your books and place your bags on the racks at the back of the classroom. Today's lesson will be practical and you will only need your wands." Several people looked at him curiously but they all followed his instructions and once the desks were clear Sirius waved his wand and with a muttered incantation all the desks flew to the side of the room and stacked themselves neatly, creating an almost empty classroom.
The fourth years were all facing him, a mixture of wariness, curiosity and excitement in their faces. Sirius could understand that, the practical lessons they had received from Remus had been good, however Lockhart and Quirrel had just been jokes, and he could see why they might be wary. He smiled at the class and received a few tentative smiles in return, although he could almost feel the joy radiating off his godson.
"The Killing Curse," he shot an apologetic look over to Harry who had paled at the mention of the curse, "Cannot be stopped by any magical shield, so how would you avoid being hit by it?" He asked the question bluntly and wasn't surprised at the looks of fear, shock and worry that appeared on the faces of the students. He saw Hermione raise her hand slowly, "Miss Granger,"
"You could use an object to absorb the curse professor," she said quietly and he nodded in response.
"Yes that is certainly one way, you could summon an object, transfigure something, conjure something or levitate something into the curse's path and it would definitely prevent you from being hit, but there is a problem with that method, could anyone tell me what it is?" He noticed that Hermione was looking slightly put out that her answer was not completely correct but when no student raised their hand he picked a Slytherin at random, "Mr Zabini?"
The boy frowned for a few moments before answering, "You have to cast a spell?"
"Correct," the boy looked relieved and he noticed that the class were slowly beginning to relax, they were still wary of the 'mass-murderer' but as he wasn't showing any signs of going on a killing spree they were beginning to listen and calm down slightly. "Casting a spell, especially in a battle takes magical energy and you only have a limited supply, and you want as much magic as possible to be used to either find an escape route or to use on the offense, therefore when you have techniques that do not use magic you should use as many as possible. Now can anyone tell me how to avoid a curse without using magic?"
There were a few surprised mutterings at this and he saw Malfoy shrug disdainfully, it looked like the boy wanted to say something but he obviously thought better of it after a few moments. Inwardly Sirius smiled grimly, it appeared that the boy had taken his warnings to heart or at the very least he was not going to mess around right under his nose. Nobody had raised their hand yet and he sent a questioning glance at his godson, he knew Harry knew the answer; they had worked on dodging and duelling enough over the summer.
In response to his glance he saw understanding dawn in Harry's eyes and his godson raised his hand, "Yes Mr Potter?" he asked, reminding himself firmly not to refer to his pup as Harry.
"You need to dodge it," Harry answered with conviction. Sirius sent a pleased smile at him before turning to the rest of the class,
"Mr Potter is correct, the best way to avoid being hit by any curse is not to be there when it hits. Dodging requires no magic and you are able to return fire at the same time and that is what we are going to be practicing today."
He saw the excitement in the student's eyes and he grinned; "Now this is how it is going to work..."
The class that exited the DADA classroom all had grins on their faces and tousled hair as they made their way to their next classes. A few people were still smarting from the stinging hexes that had been sent their way but on the whole it was agreed that Sirius Black was one of the best DADA teachers they had ever had. Both Dean and Seamus had told Harry just how cool his godfather was and most of the Gryffindors had forgotten that he was supposed to be a mass murderer, all he was now was the new, good DADA teacher and Harry's godfather.
Harry couldn't help but smile, Sirius's first lesson had been a success and he had badly wanted his godfather to be accepted at Hogwarts, he would have coped if he hadn't but he knew it was far far nicer when Sirius and by extension him were not being shunned. Not to mention it had also been one of the best classes he had ever had in DADA, ranking alongside several of Remus's lessons from the previous year. Most of the class were breathless but it had been the most fun he had ever had in a lesson, they had spent the whole lesson dodging and firing hexes and he had enjoyed every minute of it, not to mention the fact it was Sirius teaching them and just the presence of his godfather made the whole experience that much better.
His mood soured however as they reached the Potions classroom, why they had to have his favourite lesson and his most hated lesson right next to each other he didn't know. It was especially annoying that Potions came after DADA, that way the good mood he got from being in Sirius's class would be utterly destroyed by Snape, if it was the other way round he would have had his godfather's lesson to cheer him up afterwards. He sighed as the filed in and took their places, waiting for the customary scathing remarks.
To nobody's surprise, least of all Harry's Snape kept up a steady stream of verbal commentary, mocking everything from his potions ability to his personality. Harry just snapped on a blank mask and concentrated as hard as possible on his potion. Do not rise to the bait, do not rise to the bait he kept chanting mentally. He knew this was why the man tormented him, he loved getting any reaction he could then punish Harry for, be it with lost points or a detention.
It was hard trying to keep his temper in check though and he soon found himself gritting his teeth as he stared at his potion, making it almost mechanically. At least Snape had yet to mention anything about the abuse and was seemingly content with his old taunts but that was scant comfort as the man continued to pour vitriol over him. The potions master had done this ever since he had started Hogwarts but it didn't make it any easier to hear. He could endure the taunts about himself, people had been mocking him and being cruel to him for as long as he could remember and whilst that hurt, he couldn't deny that it did, he was somewhat deadened to it now and even the months of being with Sirius, being loved and wanted, couldn't change that.
But what really hurt were the slurs against his family, against his father and his godfather. He had never had a family before Sirius and he couldn't remember his father and it hurt so badly to hear the taunts, the lies that poured from Snape's lips. He didn't know his father and to be told horrible things about him reminded him too clearly of his Aunt and Uncle, they had always mocked his parents. But now he had a new target with Sirius, and listening to all the taunts and cruel words when his godfather had been nothing but loving and kind was more than he could bear.
"Selfish and stuck-up, just like your godfather, you must be so proud Potter," the sneering voice of his potions professor finally broke through his self control and for a moment he cracked, eyes darting upwards to catch the black gaze of Severus Snape. Suddenly he felt something flutter against his labyrinth, the pressure was only there for a second before it vanished and he thought he saw a hint of confusion in his teacher's normally expressionless eyes.
However that didn't last long and he let out a gasp as a mental probe slammed into his defences, a probe far stronger than any Sirius had done. Instantly all other thoughts fled his mind as he focused his entire being on getting this presence out of his mind.
For his part Snape was confused, when did the brat learn occlumency? Regardless he pressed on slipping round the hedges, this labyrinth would never keep him out for long, even if the Potter boy did know occlumency it was going to be weak and mediocre just like everything the brat did. Mindless of the anger he could feel simmering around him he pressed forward into one of the walls, there was no way he was going to traverse that maze, he wasn't a Master Legilimens for nothing, he would easily be able to break through whatever walls were there.
Harry let out a pained cry and his hands flew up to his forehead and he clutched it, whoever this invader was they were pushing their way through the walls of his labyrinth and it hurt. The images that made up his barriers began to flash through his mind.
He saw his uncle, face mottled with rage raising his fists in preparation to strike, he felt Voldemort's taunts wash over him, he heard the cry of 'Freak, freak, worthless freak' echo around him, Dudley was chasing him, Harry hunting, shivering in his cupboard, body aching from the pain of a thousand bruises and cuts.
His hands pressed into his temples, fingernails cutting into the skin, drawing blood. Tears began to build in his eyes and rage and anger began to build up inside him. He wanted them out, he wanted them gone. They were hurting him, they were forcing him to remember and he didn't want to, it was private, they had no right breaking in, they shouldn't hurt him. Agony pulsed out from his forehead as his attacker forced their way harshly through another wall. They were getting closer and closer and he wanted them gone, he didn't want the pain, he didn't want to remember.
"GET OUT," he screamed, tears forcing their way out underneath closed eyelids and streaking down pale cheeks, "GO AWAY!" His breath was coming in ragged gasps, "JUST GET OUT!"
With the last shout a pulse of magic shot out, slamming into Snape and throwing him across the room as the presence in his head vanished. Harry fell forward, fingers clutching at the desk for support.
Emerald eyes widened as they took in the now silent classroom, the worried, shocked, scared faces of his classmates, the circles of cracked and broken objects radiating out from where he stood and finally the sight of his potions professor lying haphazardly against the far wall of the classroom obvious out cold.
With tears still falling from his eyes, his uncle's taunts and beatings still flashing before his eyes, Harry Potter took one look at the wrecked classroom before he turned and fled out of the room. He needed to escape, to get away, to go to the one place he felt safe. He needed to find Sirius.
Sirius had just dismissed his class and was heading to lunch when Ron and Hermione came barrelling down the corridor, straight to his classroom, frantic expressions on their faces. He felt dread settle in his stomach as he realised Harry was nowhere in sight. "What's wrong?" he demanded, fear turning his voice harsh, but the two teens didn't seem to notice his tone as Hermione gasped out an answer,
"It's Harry, we can't find him anywhere, something happened in potions, he ran off, and we haven't been able to find him, we hoped he'd come to you."
Rage rose up in him, only the quashed by the worry that was seeping through, overriding anything else, "Thank you for telling me," he said, his voice strangled, "You've checked the castle?" They both nodded,
"We've been to the common room, dorms, towers, even down to Hagrid's and the shack." This time it was Ron who answered, "Then Hermione had the idea that he might have come to you but obviously not." There was a defeated tone in his voice but as the boy spoke an idea occurred to Sirius, Harry hadn't come into his classroom, he had been teaching and he guessed that his godson wouldn't interrupt but he might have gone to his quarters, after all he had told his godson he was always welcome there and the teen would probably feel safe there.
"Go to lunch you two, I think I know where he might be." Ron accepted his words but Hermione was more stubborn, "Hermione," he explained, trying not to let his impatience leak through, "If this is what I think it is, he is likely to be very upset when I find him and the last thing he will want is for you two to see that before you know everything," He saw understanding in her expression and knew then that she at least had guessed some of the truth in regards to what Harry had gone through. Hermione had one more question though, "Will he be at afternoon lessons?" Sirius paused before answering,
"Probably, but if he isn't he'll be in my quarters and you two can come after lessons are over and see him then alright?" They both nodded before hurrying off in the direction of the Great Hall. Sirius turned and immediately headed for his quarters, praying that his suspicions were correct.
He stepped through the portrait hole, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of his godson. He let out a relieved breath he didn't know he had been holding as he spotted the boy curled up in a corner of the sofa. Harry was here and although the worry was still blazing strongly as he looked at the huddled form there was the relief of knowing he knew where his pup was and he was able to comfort him.
He crossed the room, moving to Harry's side and as he got closer he could see his godson was shaking and he could hear the sound of muffled sobs. "Harry?" he asked softly, kneeling in front of the distraught boy and placing his hands on his godson's shoulders. Instantly Harry looked up, tear tracks marking his cheeks and fear crossed his face for a brief moment before he saw who was in front of him, "Sirius," he whispered brokenly.
In an instant Sirius was sitting on the sofa, reaching out to pull the child into his arms. Harry didn't fight him and as soon as he was wrapped in his godfather's embrace he turned and buried his face in the animagus's robes. Sirius held him gently, stroking his fingers through the raven hair and murmuring words of comfort.
Harry clung to Sirius, he knew he was acting like a little child but he didn't care, fear had been growing in him over the past half hour as he waited for his godfather to come. The memories he had seen had shaken him, he had thought he had locked them away so they couldn't hurt him anymore but he was wrong. Whatever had happened had forced him to relive them and it had hurt, it had hurt so much. Not to mention he had thrown Snape across the room, he had hurt him, perhaps badly, all he had seen was that the man appeared to be out cold and he had destroyed the potions lab. He knew he was going to be in a lot of trouble, maybe even enough to be suspended and he knew he couldn't stand that, Sirius would be disappointed in him and whilst he knew his godfather would not withdraw his love the thought of disappointing him made a lump grow in his chest, almost suffocating him, and now Sirius was here, if he was sent home he wouldn't have anyone, he would be alone and he knew he wouldn't be able to stand that.
"What happened Harry?" His godfather's voice was soft as it broke into his thoughts.
Harry didn't raise his head, a sense of shame welling up inside him as he burrowed into Sirius's hold, seeking the reassurance of the embrace. His godfather tightened his arms and didn't say anything but Harry could tell that he was waiting for an answer. Unwilling to disappoint the older wizard more than he must have done so already, he started to speak quietly,
"I was in potions...I lost control, accidental magic...I threw Snape across the room...I don't know if I hurt him...my magic destroyed the classroom...breaking everything...then I ran away,"
Fingers captured his chin and gently they tilted it upwards so he was looking into kind grey eyes, "Why did you lose control pup?"
"I don't really know," he muttered, "Someone was trying to get into my mind, they were forcing their way through the walls and it hurt," his voice cracked slightly on the last word and automatically Sirius's arms tightened, "It forced me to see things, the memories the walls were made of, ones I didn't want to see," unspoken was the knowledge that it was memories of his time at the Dursleys, both already knew this and knew just how badly they had affected Harry, "I didn't want them there, I just wanted them out. I don't quite know what happened next, I remember getting angry and upset, I was shouting I think, and when I opened my eyes I could see what I had done." His voice trembled and Sirius pulled him closer, gently rubbing his back,
"It's alright pup, it's not your fault, you can't control your accidental magic and you were defending yourself against a mental attack. You did nothing wrong."
"I didn't?" Harry's voice was quiet and Sirius forced his anger away. He knew what had happened, there was only one person in that classroom who possessed the skills to invade somebody's mind and that person was Snape. The bastard had forced his way into his godson's mind and in doing so he had hurt Harry. There would be a reckoning, he would not let the greasy git get away with what he had done but he knew if he showed his anger now he would only alarm the boy.
"No you didn't," Sirius said gently, "You were defending yourself and your magic responded. What Snape did was not only wrong but also illegal and I promise that I will not let him get away with it. You will not get in trouble and you will not be punished and I will deal with Snape, he will not hurt you again."
Harry stared at him for a long moment, green eyes searching the grey, looking for any signs that Sirius was not completely sincere. Finding nothing he slumped back into his godfather's hold, burrowing deeper into the embrace and greedily drinking in the comfort Sirius offered him so willingly, banishing the last remnants of the memories from his mind.
He stayed like that for a long time, curled up in his godfather's arms and Sirius made no move to go or to release him, seeming to understand that Harry needed him there, that the boy still needed the comfort despite the fact that the fear had passed. Eventually Harry's voice broke the silence, "Ron and Hermione have guessed, they want me to explain," Sirius nodded to himself, he had suspected as much earlier that day and if they were the friends he thought they were, they wouldn't leave an issue so serious unresolved. A slight tilt of his head indicated that he wanted the teen to continue. "I said that I would explain this evening, would you mind if...well if we came here to do it...and would you stay with me, and help me when I need it?"
Sirius didn't even have to think, "Of course I will pup, and you can come here anytime after lessons have finished." He saw the relief that flowed through his godson's face at these words, "I will never abandon you Harry," he whispered fiercely, "And I will always be here for you, no matter what." He smiled tenderly down at his godson and an answering smile crept shyly across the boy's features.
Leaning down, he pressed a soft kiss into the messy hair, "As much as I would like to stay here all afternoon, I have lessons I need to teach and I believe you have lessons to go to and friends who are worried about you."
Harry sighed but he slipped off his godfather's lap, giving the man one last hug before hurrying off to afternoon lessons. Sirius watched him go before heading to his own classroom to start the afternoon lessons.