The trip home had been a quiet but quick one. Professor Dumbledore had given Sirius a portkey which transported Sirius, Remus, Harry and Tonks to this kitchen of Black Manor. Sirius and Remus wasted no time putting Harry to bed after giving him the potions the Healer had prescribed. Harry slept an entire day and night without waking and without nightmares but the Marauders weren’t surprised. They had discovered that Harry slept fairly well as long as someone was in the room with him. It was almost like Harry could sense that he wasn’t alone and felt safe which was enough to keep the nightmares at bay.

Remus cleared his throat and was about to open his mouth when James silenced him with a glare.

“Don’t start Moony!” James hissed.

“I was just saying, that if Harry was an emp-“

“HE ISN’T!”

“James Potter do not shout!” Mrs. Potter scolded. “Now, Remus, please explain what you were thinking.”

“You see Mrs. Potter, sometimes Harry kind of has this feelings and it’s like he knows what other people are feeling.”

“You mean, he is an empath?” Mrs. Potter asked in a shocked whisper.

“NO HE’S NOT!” James yelled again.

“James, if he is one, that is nothing to be ashamed of!” Mrs. Potter said disappointed at her son’s behavior.

“He’s not ashamed,” Lily explained. “He’s in denial because he says the Ministry would lock Harry and try to use him as their spy.”

“Oh James,” Mrs. Potter said softening “That is a legend!”

“Yeah, well. Better safe than sorry!” James mumbled crossing his arms.

When Harry finally awoke he had to smile at the sight of Midnight sleeping next to him. The dog was making ‘putt-ing’ noises followed by soft whimpers while his legs moved. Harry had to hold back a laugh at the thought of Sirius having dreams of chasing something like any normal dog would. After sliding his glasses on, Harry didn’t have the heart to wake Midnight and carefully crawled out of bed, realizing that his soreness and exhaustion was thankfully gone.

“Do you have doggy dreams Padfoot?” Remus asked chuckling.

“Don’t know,” Sirius huffed. “Do you have wolfie dreams?” he shot back and Remus stuck his tongue out at him.

“Children,” James teased. “Don’t fight.”

As quietly as possible, Harry crept out of his room and took the usual path down the hallway to the staircase to see that Remus was sitting in front of the fire watching the painting of Prongs, Moony and Midnight playing. From the amount of sunlight that was shining in Harry figured it had to be late afternoon at the earliest. Walking down the stairs, Harry could hear the sounds of a dog barking playfully and had to wonder how long Remus had been simply watching the painting, remembering the past. When left alone Harry knew his guardians had a tendency to dwell on what might have been, especially when they remembered the Potters. The loss of their friends was a pain that never seemed to actually go away.

James and Lily hugged Remus and Sirius.

“Mischief managed,” Harry said softly as he approached the sofa Remus was sitting on from behind. At the sound of the password, the three animals stopped playing and ran back into the forest. The trees stopped moving and it once again was the unmoving painting that Sirius and Remus had opened on Christmas morning.

Remus quickly looked over his shoulder and smiled. “Good afternoon, cub,” he said and motioned for Harry to sit down next to him. “I take it Padfoot is still sleeping.”

“Of course,” Mrs. Potter mumbled.

“Et tu Mrs. P!” Sirius cried raising his arms and flopping back on the bed.

Harry nodded as he took the offered seat and immediately felt an arm wrap an arm around his shoulders. “He seemed to be enjoying his dream too much to wake him,” he said with a grin which Remus returned. Looking at his guardian, Harry couldn’t help but notice the shadows under his eyes. Evidently not everyone in the house had been catching up on their much needed rest. “No offense, Moony, but you look exhausted. Have you slept at all?”

Remus chucked and pulled Harry closer. “No offense taken,” he said in an amused tone. “I have slept, Harry, just not much. I had quite a few matters to take care of.” He pulled out the latest issue of the ‘Daily Prophet’ from his robes. “I was going to hide this but it would probably be better if you knew what to expect when you returned to Hogwarts.” Remus handed over the paper. “Somehow Rita Skeeter found out about the hearing. The good news is she isn’t blaming you.”

Harry could only groan in annoyance. This was the last thing he needed. Now everyone was going to know what he had managed to hide for months. “She never does,” he muttered bitterly as he unrolled the newspaper to see the headline on the front page. “She’s too scared of Sirius to say anything against me anymore but she always manages.”

“Yes, be scared,” Sirius said menacingly. “Very scared!”

MINISTRY’S DESIRE TO CONTROL BACKFIRES

The appointment of Dolores Umbridge as Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position at Hogwarts was

“A disaster!” James huffed.

“The worst idea ever,” Sirius mumbled.

“Could we keep reading?” Lily hissed.

greeted with mixed reviews in September, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, ensured the public that his appointed member would be up to the challenge to instruct the children of Hogwarts in a way the Ministry declared appropriate instead of the colorful tutelage Professor Dumbledore had provided in the past.

“Which means, not at all,” Mrs. Potter mumbled but closed her mouth at Lily’s glare.

No one questioned his decision until now.

This reporter has learned that on the final day of the fall term Professor Dolores Umbridge was suspended and accused of abusing her position and abusing a student. The hearing was privately held yesterday where the truth of Professor Umbridge’s tactics was brought to light along with the Minister’s actual motives. Professor Umbridge was placed at Hogwarts to instill the Minister’s beliefs into the minds of the student body by any means necessary.

Those means included the use of a blood quill and verbal abuse repeatedly to break the student away from their individualistic thinking. This student was chosen by Professor Umbridge because of his leadership standing amongst the student body. “Once he accepted the ‘truth’, his supporters would follow,” Umbridge revealed at the hearing. “I did what I had to for the benefit of the Minister and the Ministry. It was my duty to stop the lies that Headmaster Dumbledore was passing on to the children.”

“I hate to think this but she might actually get a straight jacket at St. Mungo’s instead of Azkaban,” Mrs. Potter said with a grimace.

Those lies being the claims that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned. Minister Fudge still insists that there is no actual proof of You-Know-Who’s return and is declaring ignorance of Professor Umbridge’s tactics. “She never told me what her actions were, only that she was making progress in creating a more pleasant learning environment for the students,” the Minister revealed to the members of the Wizegamot who were present.

Dolores Umbridge has been removed from her positions at Hogwarts permanently as is currently at St. Mungo’s for a full examination to determine her mental state. Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, served as the Head of the Wizegamot for the hearing made no effort to hide her disgust at the actions Dolores Umbridge had taken. “I never thought the day would come when I would consider pulling my niece out of Hogwarts but it has arrived,” Bones commented.

As a result, measures are being taken to ensure this unforgivable behavior never happens to a student at Hogwarts again. The Ministry of Magic Educational Decree Number Twenty-four which allows the position of High Inquisitor has been annulled and in replacement the teachers at Hogwarts will be periodically monitored by a representative that the Wizegamot as a whole agree upon. Also, students will be informed on how to recognize the signs of abuse. There will also be a councilor available to the students at all times.

Candidates for the councilor position have yet to be revealed. However, Headmaster Dumbledore did announce that Professor Umbridge’s replacement had been chosen and would be none other than Sirius Black, escapee from Azkaban wrongfully accused of murder and godfather to Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived. “[Black is certainly qualified for the position and is willing to actually teach the students instead of having them simply read out of a book,” Dumbledore announced to the Wizegamot.

Remus turned to smile wickedly at Sirius who was fanning himself and gulping convulsively.

This reporter can only hope that Sirius Black can provide what the students at Hogwarts so desperately need and wish him good luck at his new post. This reporter also wishes to commend Mr. Harry Potter on the courage to bring forth the charges of the wrongs performed against him and wish him a speedy recovery.

Harry let out a sigh as he tossed the ‘Daily Prophet’ aside. Closing his eyes, Harry leaned against Remus as the reality of the article hit him. Everyone at school was going to know that every single detention had actually been a night of torture. “How did she find out about this?” Harry asked in frustration. “I thought the reason the hearing was private was so no one found out about it.”

“It was,” Remus said gently. “I’m sorry, cub. I know you didn’t want this but there’s nothing we can do about it now. Bill stopped by this morning to check on you. Arthur is home now but he’s still recovering. Molly had to explain everything to Ron, Ginny and the twins so they didn’t storm in here demanding to see you. I think everyone’s feeling a little guilty for standing by and letting it happen. You know how Molly is. She probably gave each of them a stern lecture about abuse and told them not to bring the matter up unless you did.”

“Yeah,” Lily snorted. “Like that’s going to work!”

“That’ll work with the Weasleys but not Hermione,” Harry grumbled. “I really don’t want to get in another fight with her because I don’t talk about my problems with her and Ron anymore. I talk with you and Sirius. Isn’t that enough?”

“Sure is,” Mrs. Potter nodded and glared at Remus who made a small shrugging motion.

“Before Harry’s third year Ron and Hermione were used to being the only ones there for Harry. He told them everything. I don’t think they like being out of the loop like that. I know they should think it’s normal since I bet they don’t go off telling Harry their problems. But I think they might be a little territorial there and did not like losing territory to me and Padfoot. Especially Hermione. She kind of likes to be the voice of reason and now that’s me!”

“Have you guys noticed how Moony is getting less and less modest by each book we read?” Sirius asked no one in particular but James nodded sagely anyway.

“Yeah,” Remus huffed crossing his arms. “Look who’s talking. The only reason you’re not named Narcissus is because your Aunt beat your mother at it.”

Remus didn’t answer immediately. He stared at the unmoving painting above the fireplace deep in thought. “You and I are more alike then I ever thought, cub,” he said at last in a quiet voice. “I know things will be different with Sirius at Hogwarts

“Yes,” Lily said shaking her head. “I pity McGonagall.”

 now but you have to admit that for the past few years, secrets have been a major part of your life. I know you’re scared about your friends finding out about your outbursts. I know you still think you’ll scare them away—”

“—because I will,” Harry insisted. “You don’t know what it was like when that outburst came at the Ministry. The power, the need for revenge…it scared me. I wanted Umbridge to feel all of the pain she made me feel.” Harry looked away in shame as the memory hit him at full force. “I wanted to hurt her so badly for what she did to me…what she did to you. There wasn’t much she could say about Sirius but you…I hate it when people think of you as less than everyone else because you’re a werewolf. I hate the stereotypes. If I hadn’t activated the necklace—”

“Oh Harry,” Remus launched himself at Lily and hugged the book. “You are so nice.”

Lily swatted Remus away and grabbed the book back. In an undertone she asked James, “Is the full moon close? Does he always become like this?”

“No,” James shook his head. “The full moon was last week. That’s chocolate withdrawal. He hasn’t had any since yesterday,” and he went to Remus’ rucksack and took a chocolate frog, handed it to Remus and patted his head. Remus glared at him but very happily ate the chocolate.

“—but you did, Harry,” Remus said gently. “You did activate the necklace and that’s what matters. We all have moments we’re not proud of. With what you had to go through I don’t think anyone would blame you for being angry at Umbridge. It’s easy to give into that anger but causing pain on others isn’t right. You were right to activate the necklace and not act on your anger. I’m proud of you, cub, prouder than I ever thought I could be.”

Harry looked up at Remus as he bit his lower lip. “Really?” he asked hopefully.

Remus laughed and ruffled Harry’s hair. “Really,” he confirmed as he tightened his hold on Harry. “Just to prepare you, Severus and possibly Dumbledore will be stopping by soon.”

“Excuse me what?” Sirius shrieked.

“Severus and Dumbledore are going there,” Mrs. Potter explained.

“WHAT?” Sirius shrieked again.

“I don’t thing Padfoot’s heart is going to come out of reading this books unaffected,” James said wisely and Lily and Mrs. Potter chuckled while Remus rubbed Sirius’ back.

Harry looked at Remus with a raised eyebrow. That had certainly been the last thing he expected to hear. Professor Snape avoided Black Manor whenever possible. He was extremely vocal of how he hated that Headquarters was at Sirius’ house. “Why?” Harry asked cautiously.

Remus looked at Harry innocently. “Does there have to be a reason?” he asked.

“Oh Moony,” James said in a sing song voice. “What are you hiding?”

“James,” Mrs. Potter scolded. “He isn’t hiding anything.”

“I have to agree with James on this one Mrs. P,” Lily said. “What are you hiding Moony?”

Harry’s suspicions heightened. Remus was definitely hiding something. “Not at all,” Harry said evenly. “There is absolutely nothing odd about Professor Snape, the sworn enemy of the Marauders, stopping by for a spot of tea at Black Manor during the holidays. It happens all the time.”

“I sure hope not!” Sirius shrieked.

“Well when you put it that way,” Remus said with a laugh as he ruffled Harry’s hair again. “There is something we have to talk about but I would rather wait for Sirius to be coherent for it. We’ve had quite a few talks with Dumbledore about your visions and after this last one—well—we don’t want you to go through with that anymore. It’s not worth the risk to your health and mental state.”

Harry had to agree. He didn’t want to experience the visions anymore either. The fact that he had been sick in bed for days afterward was just another reason on the long list that Harry already had. He could handle the pain…to a point. However, the feelings and the images that came with the visions were what made his skin crawl. “Okay,” Harry said carefully. “I can agree with that but why would that require both of my guardians and one of my teachers to talk to me?”

As if on cue the fireplace came to life with green flames. Harry instinctively jumped back as Professor Snape stepped out of the fireplace and shook the soot off of his robes. Snape took in the scene of Harry and Remus sitting on the couch obviously in the middle of a discussion with a sneer.

“Unpleasant as always,” James snorted.

 Remus released Harry, stood up and greeted Professor Snape with a nod. “Harry, I think it’s time to wake Padfoot up,” he said casually.

Harry didn’t need to be told twice and hurried off for his room. He ran up the stairs, down the hallway and peaked in his room to see that Midnight was still sleeping on the bed. Knowing that he was going to pay for it, Harry walked to his bed and started shaking the big black dog. Midnight groaned in protest and rolled over so that he was now out of reach. Well, there’s always plan ‘B’. Jumping up, Harry pulled his legs in and fell on the bed causing Midnight to jump in the air with a yelp. Midnight instantly turned to Harry and growled playfully.

“No fun Harry! Cold water is so much better!” James said.

“James, don’t be mean,” Mrs. Potter scolded.

“But Mrs. P, a few days ago you woke Sirius with cold water,” Remus pointed out.

“It was noon and he wouldn’t wake no matter what I did!” Mrs. Potter tried to defend herself while James and Lily laughed.

“Sorry, Midnight,” Harry said with a smile. “Professor Snape’s here. Remus said I had to wake you up.”

With a pop Sirius was now where Midnight had been. The Animagus raked a hand through his disheveled hair before nodding. “All right, let’s get this over with,” he said regretfully as he got off the bed. “The sooner Snape is out of here the better for all of us.”

“I’m so with you,” Sirius said in a pained voice.

“Good to know he won’t change that much,” Lily chuckled.

Harry slid off the bed and joined Sirius in walking out of the room. “Sirius, he is your co-worker now so don’t you think it would be…I don’t know…smart to put the past behind you?” he asked cautiously. “You are on the same side now, right?”

“Don’t you dare start acting like Moony now,” Sirius warned as they walked to the staircase. “Besides, a truce has to go both ways and Snape’s not about to let his animosity with the Marauders—or their children—go. I’ll be as civil as I can for your sake but I’m not about to start chatting about old times.”

That would have to do. Harry and Sirius walked down the stairs in silence. It was going to be a miracle of Sirius and Professor Snape could last the rest of the school year without hexing each other senseless. Harry didn’t know what Professor Dumbledore was thinking. Keeping Sirius and Snape in such a close proximity to each other was only asking for disaster. In fact, Harry figured it would probably take a month at most before Sirius started pranking Snape with Fred and George.

“Honestly Harry,” James said. “You’re being overly dramatic. I mean. They’ve been in the same close proximity for five years now and they’re fine.”

“Do you call hexing each other at every opportunity fine James?” Lily asked.

“Snivellus gives as good as he gets,” James said defensively.

“I’m not saying he doesn’t. I’m just saying they are not fine!”

Remus and Snape were still standing in front of the fireplace however they were standing at opposite ends. Professor Snape was waiting impatiently looking like he wanted nothing more than to get this over with while Remus just looked nervous. Sirius and Remus shared a look like they always did when a ‘family discussion’ took place. Those looks usually happened when neither man wanted to start the discussion but knew someone had to.

“Harry, perhaps you should sit down,” Remus said gently and waited for Harry to sit down on the sofa. “Remember what I was telling you about your visions?” Harry nodded. “Well, Dumbledore feels that having you learn a magical and mental defense known as Occlumency will stop this visions. Occlumency shields the mind from external penetration. It’s rather difficult but at the moment it’s the only choice we have. This link you have with Voldemort had just become too dangerous for you.”

“Er—okay,” Harry said slowly. “Hypothetically, what would happen if I didn’t learn this correctly?”

“We have no doubt that the Dark Lord is aware of your connection, Potter, with that little stunt you performed before the holidays,” Professor Snape said coolly. “The Dark Lord will not hesitate to use it to his advantage by planting dreams and thoughts in your mind. It is essential that you learn this.”

“And you couldn’t explain that nicely why?” Mrs. Potter snapped.

“Because he is Snivellus!” Sirius moaned.

Harry paled at the mention of dreams. He had experienced his fair share of odd dreams this year. What if Voldemort already knew of the connection? What if Voldemort had been in his head ever since the end of September? “Dreams?” Harry asked weakly as his breathing quickened. Without another word Harry ran to his room as fast as he could. He needed to know. He needed to be sure that Voldemort wasn’t in his head. Opening his school trunk, Harry pulled out his dream journal and hurried back to where the three adults were still standing. He could barely contain his nerves as he handed his dream journal over to Remus before sitting back down.

“Harry, what’s this?” Remus asked cautiously as he opened the journal and started to glance at what was written on the pages.

“It’s my dream journal for Divination,” Harry said as he stared at the floor. “I—I’ve been having some weird dreams this year so I thought…I thought that maybe…”

“Voldemort was already putting dreams in you’re head,” Sirius finished as he sat down and wrapped an arm around Harry. “Good thinking, Pronglet.”

Remus flipped through the journal as he quickly read the dreams Harry had documented. He was almost a third of the way through before he let out a sigh and handed the journal over to Professor Snape who read the page before closing the journal. “Harry,” Remus said as he tried to remain calm. “Those dreams about the corridor, were they similar to the vision you had when Arthur was attacked?”

Harry thought for a minute. He had never thought about it but he had to admit that the corridor was remarkably similar to the corridor in his dreams. Closing his eyes, Harry buried his face in his hands which was all the confirmation the wizards in the room needed. Sirius pulled Harry closer while Remus quietly cursed. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening. Why does everything have to happen to me?

“It’s all right, Harry,” Sirius said in a reassuring voice. “We’ll work through this. I promise.”

“Yes! I’ll make everything right again!” Sirius puffed his chest.

“I really don’t know if I should laugh at him or thank him,” Lily told Mrs. Potter seriously.

“I think, thanking is in order but you do have a point, he is getting a little conceited,” Mrs. Potter said.

“A little? Getting? Again he was born that way!” Remus said firmly, “I think we should start calling him Cissus!” he finished seriously.

“Moony, Moony, Moony,” Sirius shook his head. “I’m not conceited! It’s just that I happen to know my value.”

 

Harry pulled away and looked at Sirius, unable to hide the fear from his face. It wasn’t going to be ‘all right’. Having a Dark Lord in your head certainly wasn’t ‘all right’. “Why?” Harry asked in frustration. “Why is he doing this to me? What is so important about that corridor? It doesn’t make any sense.”

Sirius and Remus shared another glance before Sirius grabbed Harry’s shoulders at met the eyes of the shaken teenager. “Listen Harry, Dumbledore didn’t want us to tell you but you need to know,” he said ignoring the sneer Snape gave him. “There was a prophecy made concerning Voldemort and it’s currently stored in the Department of Mysteries. Voldemort knows a part of it but he’s desperate to hear the rest. Prophecy orbs can only be handled by those who the prophecy refers to. That is why Voldemort is giving you the dream of the corridor. He wants your curiosity to get the better of you so you will seek out the prophecy and allow him to know what has been predicted.”

The five people in the room gaped at the book.

“Does Voldemort really think Harry is that stupid?” James asked bewildered.

“Apparently,” Remus answered.

Harry stared at Sirius in shock. He couldn’t believe it. This entire mess was over some stupid prophecy? “That was what he wanted,” Harry said more to himself than anything then looked up at Sirius, his eyes pleading for his godfather to tell him it wasn’t true. “The prophecy is about him and me, isn’t it? That’s why he wants me to go there. I’m the only one other than him who can touch it.”

Sirius could only nod; the simple confirmation that made everything real. Harry’s breathing quickened causing Remus to hurry to Harry’s side but Harry was too trapped in his own thoughts to notice. There was a prophecy about him…he had a destiny to fulfill…his life had been decided before he had even been born…No. It wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be. There had to be some mistake. He wasn’t anything special. He was just Harry. He was just a kid who had been lucky when it counted.

“Here, Lupin,” Professor Snape said as he handed over a vial he had pulled out of his robes. “What did you expect his reaction to be? The Headmaster had his reasons for not telling him.”

Harry barely felt his body being moved. He was pulled backwards against something firm as his head was tilted back. A liquid was poured into his mouth causing Harry to reflexively swallow. His body instantly relaxed as everything came back into focus. Long fingers wrapped around his wrist and felt for a pulse. Harry slowly blinked at Sirius, unable to trust himself to speak at the moment.

“We know it’s a shock, Harry, but you needed to know,” Remus said softly. “Please understand that this changes nothing. By learning Occlumency hopefully we can keep Voldemort at bay and keep you safe. Right now your safety is all that matters to us.”

Harry didn’t know what to feel. The one question he had asked years ago was finally answered. Voldemort had tried to kill him because a prophecy had been made. His parents had been murdered because of it, his life had been cursed because of it and his guardians were now living in a house, invisible to the unknown eye because of it. “What does the prophecy say?” Harry asked quietly then thought better of it. “Never mind. I don’t want to know, not as long as he’s in my head.” Looking up at Professor Snape, Harry knew learning Occlumency wasn’t a choice, it was a necessity. “Who will be teaching me?”

“I will be, Potter,” Professor Snape said coolly but his voice seemed to lack conviction.

Mrs. Potter huffed and slammed her hand on her thigh.

“Mom?”

“What does Dumbledore have in the place of his brain?” She asked irritated. “That man hates you boys and Dumbledore gives him access into my grandson’s mind?” she shrieked.

“She’s right. Why doesn’t Dumbledore teach himself? I bet he knows Occlumency,” Lily nodded and the boys just shrugged.

 “The Headmaster gave me this chore so I advise you not to start grumbling about injustices. It is also required that this matter be kept quiet so it would be wise not to brag to all of your friends. Since Black will be on the grounds and everyone knows he’s your guardian we will meet in his office. Your first lesson is Monday and six in the evening.”

“Wait!” Harry said as Professor Snape turned to leave. He wasn’t looking forward to extra lessons with Snape but at least it wasn’t Umbridge. Still, Professor Snape wasn’t one for patience. The sooner Harry mastered Occlumency the better life would be for everyone. “Is there any books on the subject that I could read to help this along? I’m willing to learn but I need to understand what I’m learning first.”

Professor Snape stared at Harry with a raised eyebrow. Clearly that had been the last thing he had expected to hear. “I will provide Lupin with a list of adequate possibilities by tomorrow morning, Potter,” he said firmly as he once again turned to leave. “I trust that will be enough time for you to prepare yourself.”

Harry let out a sigh of relief. He hated being unprepared and had a feeling that Occlumency was one of those subjects that he didn’t want to be unprepared for. “Thank you, sir,” Harry said causing Professor Snape to stop in his tracks for a moment before continuing to the fireplace and using the floo network to Hogwarts (one of the few places the fireplace was connected to).

The moment Snape left Harry found himself in the middle of a fierce group hug. Harry just sat there in silence. He was still trying to accept the fact that Voldemort had been in his head for months and he didn’t know it. He had been so busy with classes, Quidditch and the D.A. that he didn’t notice the signs that something had been wrong. His scar continuously aching, his unsettling dreams and the strange emotions that came out of nowhere. All of it had been Voldemort. It’s always Voldemort.

Harry couldn’t help feeling like royal idiot. So much could have been avoided if he had talked to someone but he had been so determined on doing everything by himself. His attempt to cause fewer problems for the Order only ended up causing more. One thing was for certain, Harry was determined to put a stop to keeping secrets. He had no idea how he was going handle the Ron and Hermione front but he made a silent vow not to keep anything from Sirius and Remus again. They had been honest with him today and it was up to him to return the favor.

---

Professor Snape was true to his word and sent Remus a list of four books for Harry to choose from. Harry ended up selecting two: ‘Occlumency: A Study of Protecting the Human Mind’ and ‘The Theory Behind Occlumency’ which Remus wasted no time in purchasing at Diagon Alley. Since Sirius had his work cut out for him as the new Defense teacher, it was recommended that Sirius spend as much time as possible preparing for the upcoming term. This left very little time for relaxation for the occupants of Black Manor. That afternoon Harry, Sirius and Remus were packing their trunks for Hogwarts aware that the castle was going to be fairly empty for a few days yet.

Remus had accepted the position as councilor for the time being and would be acting as an impartial party concerning conflicts between students as long as he was properly ‘cared for’ during the full moons.

“I think you’ll do a wonderful job Remus,” Lily beamed.

“Yeah, Moony is very perceptive of other people’s trouble,” Sirius nodded.

“Besides, he helped Harry, so we already know he can help troubled teenagers,” James agreed and through all this Remus blushed violently.

 It surprised Harry that the Board of Governors and the Wizegamot agreed to Remus’ appointment but Harry figured that there were quite a few people who were willing to allow anything to make the entire mess with Umbridge go away. After Rita Skeeter’s article the Ministry had received a backlash worse than anything Professor Dumbledore had endured. Many blamed Fudge and the Ministry for Umbridge’s behavior since she had been appointed by the Ministry.

Professor Dumbledore hadn’t escaped the hearing unscathed either. Several parents threatened to pull their children out of Hogwarts despite Dumbledore’s assurances that matters were being taken to prevent any sort of abuse happening at Hogwarts again. Harry was portrayed as brave fighter for standing up against the wrongdoings of the Ministry, something that made Harry groan in annoyance every time he picked up the ‘Daily Prophet’ to see another editorial. Everyone was just eating up the ‘tortured hero’ façade. It made Harry wonder if the wizarding world would ever wise up and think for themselves.

“That’s very unlikely,” Mrs. Potter snorted.

The three wizards arrived in the Headmaster’s office through the floo network and were greeted by Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall. Harry was immediately pulled aside by McGonagall and lightly scolded for not confiding in her about Umbridge while Professor Dumbledore quietly talked with Sirius and Remus. Dinner was held in Professor Dumbledore’s office since Harry really didn’t want to face the remainder of the teaching staff yet. It was a quiet affair until the D.A. was brought up by Sirius. Both Dumbledore and McGonagall were amazed to hear that of the practical study group that had formed under everyone’s noses. They were also amazed at how organized the group was and insisted on sitting in at the next meeting with thoughts of having a facility advisor and making it an official group.

Once dinner was over, Harry, Sirius and Remus retreated to the Marauder Quarters for the evening. Sirius and Remus started working on lesson plans while Harry started reading ‘Occlumency: A Study of Protecting the Human Mind’. The concept of Occlumency was simple in theory: by organizing your thoughts and emotions the mind can be easily made into a fortress to protect itself from intrusion when prepared correctly. However the actual process wasn’t so easy, especially when the individual had a tendency to act on emotions. That was why Occlumency was so difficult for teenagers to learn. They had yet to gain control of their emotions.

“Then it should be easier for Harry after all he’s been bottling up his emotions lately,” Sirius said.

“Bottling up and controlling are two completely different things,” Remus pointed out. “How many times didn’t Harry blow off at his friends this year?”

Sirius shrugged with a grimace.

This just keeps getting better and better.

Harry figured he must have fallen asleep reading because one moment he was trying to stay awake as he read about organizing thoughts while lying on his bed and the next he was covered with a warm blanket with something soft brushing against his face. Opening his eyes, Harry saw a somewhat blurry red and gold figure in front of him. He groggily grabbed his glasses off of the bedside table and slid them on, allowing the blurry form to come into focus.

“Morning, Fawkes,” Harry said with a smile. He hadn’t seen the phoenix for quite some time. Reaching for the bird, Harry was surprised that Fawkes met his hand and leaned into the teen’s touch. “I haven’t seen you in a while. Amazing, isn’t it?”

Fawkes let out a trill and settled down on Harry’s chest, curling up like it was going to sleep. Harry let his eyes close as he continued to mindlessly pet the bird with his right hand. He felt warmth start at his chest and spread through his body. He felt his body relax as his mind started to drift. His hand slowly fell to his side. Harry couldn’t move but that didn’t bother him. He felt safe, protected and free of worries. Something wet hit the back of his right hand causing a rush of what could only be described as magic flowing through his body. Harry gasped as another drop of wet magic fell on his hand. His breathing quickened as his eyes quickly opened only to see brightness. The soft song of the phoenix filled his ears and his breathing returned to normal. The lighting of the room returned to normal allowing Harry to see Fawkes once again.

“You could have warned me, you know,” Harry said with a grin. “What was that?”

Fawkes only trilled and nudged Harry’s head to tilt to the right. Looking down, Harry noticed that there was something different about the back of his right hand. It was unmarked. The words ‘I must not tell lies’ were gone. Harry looked quickly at Fawkes and smiled. Fawkes had removed the last remaining reminder of what Umbridge had put him through. No one would be staring at his hand now because there was nothing to see.

“That was very nice of Fawkes,” Mrs. Potter beamed.

“Thanks Fawkes,” Harry said as he gently stroked the large bird’s feathers. “I really appreciate it.”

Fawkes trilled again and nuzzled against Harry’s face before taking flight and vanishing with a flash of flames. Now completely awake, Harry pulled himself out of bed prepared for a long day of reading. After cleaning up and straightening up his room, Harry settled on the sofa in front of the fire with his Occlumency book. It was still fairly early and for all Harry knew Sirius and Remus had been up for most of the night so he figured he would let them sleep.

Surprisingly it was Sirius who was the first to emerge from his room looking like he had been up all night. The Animagus collapsed on the sofa next to Harry and took one look at what the teen was reading before he started grumbling about crazy early risers. Harry couldn’t help but smile. It was certainly going to be interesting to see if Sirius could wake early enough for his morning classes on Monday.

“Oh, he manages to do so during term Harry,” Remus said.

“Complains from the second he wakes to the second we’re in class,” James grumbled.

“What’s that James?” Sirius asked glaring at James.

“I said, some people like quiet breakfasts,” James said slowly.

“Then some people should stay quiet during breakfast instead of being so inhumanly perky at ungodly hours,” Sirius responded annoyed.

Without a warning Sirius wrapped an arm around his godson and pulled close. “So what do you want to do today, Pronglet?” Sirius asked with a grin. “We could prank Snape, practice dueling, prank Snape, work on your training, prank Snape, have a snowball fight with Moony—”

“SIRIUS!” Lily scolded.

“What? I can possibly be scolded for pranks I have yet to do!”

“—or prank Snape,” Harry finished, picking up on the pattern. “I’m not going to prank Professor Snape, Sirius, especially with him taking time out of his schedule to teach me Occlumency. It’s going to be really hard so I can’t take the chance of making him angry.” Harry glanced over at Sirius with a pleading look on his face. “I need to learn this, Sirius. I don’t want Voldemort in my head anymore. I—I was able to control Nagini for a moment in that vision. How do we know Voldemort can’t control me?”

“I sure hope he can’t,” James said worried.

“Harry is being very sensible,” Mrs. Potter nodded approvingly.

“Has your scar been hurting lately?” Sirius asked in concern.

Harry shook his head. “Other than the one morning when Voldemort had been really angry I really haven’t felt anything,” he said truthfully. “I don’t know why he’s been so quiet but wouldn’t it be best to use it to our advantage? If I start learning this now I can keep him out when he tries again. Isn’t that what everyone wants?”

Sirius nodded and pulled Harry closer. “I’m really proud of you, Pronglet,” he said sincerely. “I honestly thought that we had lost you when we took you home after your vision. You were so afraid of us…I just didn’t know what to do. How did you handle it all without any of your roommates finding out?”

“Silencing charms,” Harry answered honestly and let out a sigh. “I know I was a mess. The nightmares I had were so real that it took me a while to realize that it wasn’t. Deep down I knew you and Remus would never side with Umbridge but after hearing her rant for so long I guess some of it sticks with you…” Harry rested his fingers on his chest, feeling the pendants that were hidden underneath his shirt. They still felt as warm as they had when he received them Christmas morning. “…but not anymore. Ever since we talked, I haven’t had a nightmare. I’m currently nightmare-free which is a little strange but a welcomed change. I think standing up to Umbridge also helped.”

Sirius grinned. “Moony told me about that,” he said. “Psychotic Ministry fanatics? Where did you ever learn such words?” He laughed when Harry shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I doubt that Umbridge even knew what they meant but you have a point. She is psychotic. How the Ministry finds these people is beyond me.”

“Corruption,” Mrs. Potter said grimly. “Doing favors to friends.”

“I vote for poor management,” Harry said seriously which sent Sirius into intense bark-like laughter.

The next two days were a mixture of work and…well…work. When Sirius and Remus were arranging lesson plans while Harry either finished his homework or read his Occlumency books. During that time the Marauder Quarters were so quiet it was eerie. When Sirius became too overwhelmed with the ‘teacher responsibilities’, however, he usually pulled Harry along for some training in the Room of Requirement. The sessions didn’t last long, just long enough for Sirius to release enough stress in order to get back to work.

Sirius and Remus had been both surprised and grateful when Harry had told them Fawkes had healed his hand. Most of their surprise came from the fact that they were shocked they hadn’t thought of it themselves. They were well aware of Fawkes’ protective nature over Harry so the fact that Fawkes used his tears to heal Harry wasn’t thought to be odd for the Phoenix. The gratefulness was so that no one would be staring at the wound out of curiosity just like the teachers (and students who had remained at Hogwarts over the holiday) had tried to do during dinner in the Great Hall. It had been nerve-wracking to have nearly the entire teaching staff staring at you but Harry had managed knowing that when the student body arrived it was only going to be worse.

The Heads of the Houses were wasting no time in fulfilling the Ministry’s requests and had agreed on talking with the students in their houses about abuse and Remus’ new position at Hogwarts after dinner the night they arrived. To prevent the stares Harry knew he was going to receive from the Gryffindor House, he would be spending the night in his room in the Marauder Quarters, something that probably wouldn’t settle well with Ron and Hermione since Harry had yet to talk to them. He knew that a long explanation was in order and also knew that Ron and Hermione wouldn’t be too patient about receiving it.

Before Harry knew it the Hogwarts Express had arrived and students were starting to file into the Great Hall. Harry was sitting at the Gryffindor table with Sirius and Remus talking quietly when he was nearly tackled by Hermione and Ginny who had come running in with Ron, Fred and George following in at a brisk pace. Sirius and Remus bid Harry good luck before taking their spots at the Head Table.

“And he is going to need it,” Remus said sagely.

As Hermione and the Weasleys took their seats there was a constant stream of greeters asking the same questions over and over again. What happened? Was he okay? What had Umbridge done to him? What happened at the hearing? After the tenth person Harry wanted to scream but his bit his tongue and kept saying he didn’t want to talk about it until Professor Dumbledore stood up to make a speech, the hall instantly silencing for him.

“To those of you who had left over the holidays, welcome back,” Professor Dumbledore said pleasantly. “As you may have heard we have made some changes amongst our staff. Professor Umbridge has been removed from her position permanently and has been replaced by Professor Sirius Black.” Excited cheers and applause broke out causing Sirius to grin.

“Oh see, you are already getting comfortable with being a te-“

“LILY! Don’t say it!” Sirius cried.

 “In addition, Remus Lupin has agreed to return to Hogwarts as an advisor in the instances that you are uncomfortable in speaking to a member of the staff. Anything you say to Mr. Lupin will be kept confidential so please feel free to seek him out whenever you need someone to talk to. Also, after dinner students are required to go directly to their common rooms for a meeting with your Heads of Houses. Now, let the feast begin.”

Food appeared on the tables as everyone slowly broke out of their shock and began to eat. Unfortunately for Harry he turned to the table to see the waiting eyes of everyone around him. He hadn’t realized it before but the entire Quidditch team had managed to sit nearby along with Neville, Dean and Seamus. This was going to be interesting. “What?” Harry asked innocently.

Hermione was the first to find her voice. “Spill, Harry,” she said quietly. “What did Umbridge do to you? We haven’t heard anything from you the entire holiday; even after Rita Skeeter’s article in the ‘Daily Prophet’ do you have any idea how worried we’ve been about you?”

“Very tactful,” Mrs. Potter snorted.

“Hermione doesn’t do tact Mrs. P,” Remus flinched.

Harry let out a sigh as he rubbed his eyes underneath his glasses. This really wasn’t the place he wanted to talk about this but knew that no one would let it rest until he said something. “You haven’t heard anything from me because I’ve been busy,” Harry said in a hushed voice. “I was sick for a few days, then it was Christmas, then I had to prepare for the hearing, then I had to come here early so Siri—er—Professor Black could prepare his lessons, and then you all arrived. I haven’t really had a lot of free time to send letters to everyone to settle their curiosity over a private matter that was going to be discussed in a few days anyways.”

James chuckled.

“James, this is not funny!” Lily scolded.

“Professor Black!” James said through his chuckles and Lily, Remus and Mrs. P joined him. Sirius huffed and glared.

Hermione blushed and looked away while apologizing. Harry knew she was just worried but she could have been a little more tactful in her questioning. Yes, Hermione was a brilliant witch and Harry loved her like he loved the rest of his ‘family’ but listening to her demanding tone reminded Harry of how she had orchestrated the D.A. before the Council had taken over leadership. Hermione needed to learn patience, especially while her thirst for knowledge overruled her common sense.

“As far as why Umbridge was removed, I suppose everyone’s going to know by tomorrow so there’s no point in keeping it to myself,” Harry continued. “I didn’t lie when I said Umbridge was having me write lines in detention. I just neglected to mention that it was with a blood quill—” Everyone around him gasped in shock, “—while she tried to convince me what an attention-seeking liar I was.”

“B—but blood quills are illegal!” George exclaimed in a hushed voice. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Good question George!” James said pained. “And for all the explanation Harry has already given I still can’t believe he didn’t tell his guardians!”

“Because I didn’t know,” Harry said honestly. “I was raised by muggles. It also didn’t help that I used to be my uncle’s punching bag whenever he was angry but let’s not go into that. It isn’t like there’s a class of things you should know concerning types of abuse in the wizarding world for those raised by muggles.” Harry started piling food on his plate trying desperately to ignore the looks of pity he was getting. “Besides, Umbridge is a complete nutter. We’re just waiting for St. Mungo’s to declare it officially.”

Everyone started eating, breaking off into their own conversations but they kept glancing over at Harry as if they were making sure that he was indeed all right. Thankfully Neville and Ginny started talking to Harry about the D.A. and the next Council meeting which served as a distraction until dinner was called to an end. After explaining that he wouldn’t be spending the night in the dorms, Harry left with Sirius and Remus for the Marauder Quarters. He was already dreading tomorrow. It was going to be an extremely long day.

“Sure will,” Sirius agreed.