Chapter 49

The Nobel and most Ancient House of Potter

'DON'T DIE!' he cried out at the man who had been like a father to him. Just as he saw the last glimmer of life in the man's eyes fade he felt his cloak around him stirring and a glow from the pocket where his and the new wand were stowed. The glow encompassed him and his godfather in the gasps of the ones gathered. Harry felt his heart beat faster and faster, something was happening to him, to his magic. It was responding to his cry. It was healing wounds that could not otherwise be healed. But the pressure was building. Harry felt himself grow dizzy. He knew this was his family's magic, but it was so strong it felt like it was tearing him apart.

'Harry, let go! You have to let go or you will die!' Dumbledore's words were rushed and held a scared tone to them.

Harry didn't even know what he was holding on to, he only felt the dizziness slip into unconsciousness as he hit the ground.

Remus rushed to where Harry and Sirius were both lying as if dead after being knocked down by whatever magic Harry had summoned. A quick pulse check told him that both of them were miraculously still alive.

'They are not out of the woods yet.' Adam spoke. 'Pan, you still with us?' the elf still looked like a stronger gust of magic could knock him down, but his features were healthier as he nodded and looked at his master and his charge with worry.

'Can you make a portkey to the infirmary? They need medical attention.' Adam added

'Just a minute. That man is responsible for this massacre. A magic suppressant cell at the ministry would be best. He needs to be held accountable.' said Scrimgeour

'It is magic that is keeping the man still alive, and you want to cut him away from it?' asked an angry Tonks.

'You're biased, your opinion shouldn't count.' Scrimgeour snapped.

'You're not without bias either.' said Kingsley making Rufus flush red and start retorting.

'You will be fighting us all, if you plan on taking Blacky.' said Roy.

'All right that's enough.' Amelia intervened. 'Get both of them stabilized. We don't know what Harry did to keep Black from dying. As for sending the man to a cell without him being conscious or hearing him out, that didn't turn out well last time around, did it Rufus?' It didn't sit well with her what Black's hounds had done with the Death Eaters, but she knew that getting into a fight with the creatures that were under Black wouldn't help matters much now. Black had been ruthless, but he had risked his life to save Potter, there was still hope of reasoning with the man, but only if Potter was safe.

'Heide, take them to the castle.' said Pan. 'Adam, you go with them.'

'He's going to be ok?' the Fae asked as she positioned herself touching both Harry's hand and Sirius's chest with her hands just as the vampire took off at immense speed towards the castle.

'His magic is stronger. But if he is going to be ok...I don't know.'

'Elf, you will answer our questions.' barked Scrimgeour as Heide took off with Harry and Sirius to the school hospital wing.

'I answer to one man, sir, and one man alone.' Pan turned then to the creatures that were left. 'Secure their location, and keep them within sight of each other. Sirius will need to see Harry as soon as he wakes up.'

'What did Harry do?' Remus heard the Vella Isabella ask as they followed Pan's instructions.

'I don't know, but if the kid is in danger, Blacky is going to be insufferable.' sighed Roy as the two started to sprint towards the castle.

'Mr Lupin.' Remus snapped out of his own thoughts and looked down at the House Elf. 'You have something of the young master's.'

Remus looked down at his hand clutching the heir ring of the house of Potter. The werewolf handed it over to Pan.

'Do you know what Harry did?'

'I have a hunch, but I can't reveal anything.' he then snapped his fingers and three house elves joined them. Pan gave orders to them to aid in sorting out the dead and make sure they had dignified arrangements before they were handed over to whatever family would prepare their funerals.

'Miss Bella?' asked Trill

'She served her family well in the end, even if it was against her own will. She will be given a place in the family cemetery. You can inform Lady Black and Lady Tonks.'

'Remus, I know you want to be with Harry … and your old friend.' Said Kingsley. 'Go, we will take care of everything here.'

'Also, keep an eye on what is happening and inform us if Harry or Black manifest their magic oddly.' said Amelia. 'Take Albus with you. He needs medical care.' Remus didn't need to be told twice.

Hours later Albus had been given a few restorative potions and a comfortable bed in the hospital wing away from where Pomfrey was still checking and fussing over Harry and Sirius. McGonagall had come and gone a few times, each time her determination to have both her student and her former student back giving her more energy and purpose. The creatures were nowhere to be seen, but Remus knew they were not far and keeping an eye out, the hairs on his back told him as much.

'Will they make it? What did Harry do?' the werewolf finally dared to ask the former headmaster.

'I can only guess, as this falls under specific family magic that only a Potter can explain truly. Harry's magical core is strained after unlocking the powers of his ancestors. Naturally he didn't know what he was doing and so he was unprepared. Poppy says there is a chance he will recover physically, but magically that is another question all together.'

'You mean he might lose his magic?'

'I don't know.'

'And Sirius? I still can't believe I didn't see it.'

'He is in pain. Harry managed to heal all the mortal wounds but there is still a lot of healing ahead of him to be done. The good news is, his soul is once again whole. The bad news, even with the wounds healed, he has lost a lot of blood by all accounts he should have died long before he collapsed on that field. It won't be easy but Harry's magic has stopped him from dying and has given him the time he needs to start the recovery.'

'Why would he go to such extremes? Just to get his revenge on Voldemort for what happened to James and Lily?'

'There might have been a small part done out of revenge, Remus, but for the most of it, what Sirius Black has done was done out of love, out of love for his godson and his deceased friends.' Yes, Dumbledore mused, there was not much that spoke of revenge in Black's plan, though he did get his revenge against many who had wronged him and his chosen family. His main concern had been providing Harry with a home, a family, a support network that exceeded even Dumbledore's wildest cooperation fantasies. Faes, and Goblins and all manner of magical creatures all working to keep one boy safe. It was all for the love one man felt for an abandoned child. The greatest force in the world, love, the greatest and most terrifying. 'Though Sirius crossed too many lines and I am afraid he will have to answer for his crimes.' He added as an afterthought.

Poppy finished administering all the potions she could give her two patients and made her way to her office.

'I've done everything I can Albus, Remus. We will have to wait for them to wake up, though out of the two, Mr Potter worries me most.'

'Thank you Poppy.'

'You're also free to leave and rest in your own bed, Albus.'

'I think I will do just that after I have a chat with Minerva.'

'Chat all you want, but from the confines of your own bed. Remus make sure he reaches his room without detours.'

'I will.' and the two departed from the hospital wing.

Another day and night passed. His friends had come to visit him before having to board the train and return home for the summer but he had not been responsive. Neville was taken home by Andromeda and Ted until Sirius and Harry were well enough to return to the Den so there were scarce few occupants in the magical castle when Harry regained consciousness. He felt short of breath and confused as he first opened his eyes. But seeing Aries, because Sirius was back again looking like his older self, in a bed beside him a slow movement of the torso telling him that the man was still alive, he relaxed. He was alone, except for the aged looking man. Why was Sirius still keeping the glamour?

He made to get out of bed and then a shadow moved bringing forward Adam.

'Lay down, little one. You exhausted yourself.' The vampire said.

'Why are you here?' Harry asked

'To guard you both. Pan is overseeing the recovery of everyone that was injured from our side. So, we stand guard. Roy is patrolling the grounds and Isabella is outside the door.'

'Pan told you to?'

'Yes and no, it was your Sire. He arranged everything in case he was incapacitated.'

'Sirius…Why is he old again? Surely he can't be more than 34…35…'

'This is his real age.'

'But how?'

'He needed time to gather allies and information. He would not have been able to take you from your relatives without them and keep you from a life on the run. His grandfather started this plan with a time turner, though I think at the time he had Sirius believe you were no longer alive.'

'A time turner?'

'An old Black family heirloom. One that went back 23 years.'

'But then why would his magic reveal his younger self?'

'Faulty time turners always have a glitch. A person is not meant to spend more than a few days at a time in the past. The longest without visible changes to the person is in fact a little less than a month. This way the magic of the person can revert the person back to its original age without complications. Spending 23 years in the past is not something that magic can easily reconcile, but as time passes in the original timeline, magic will bring the person back to its original age at least on the exterior.'

'So his magic is still trying to bring him to his 34 year old look.'

'It would have already brought him to that look, but the older look was what he needed and kept it by keeping the time turner around his neck, keeping him in the time-turner timeline.'

'So then what is making him look younger when he does?'

'The time-turner doesn't have enough power here against his magic, so he had to stop using it. Every time he uses magic however, it results in showing his young appearance for a while until the time-turner magic can kick in again.'

'So that is why he never used magic. He was never a squib.'

'No, but it suited him well that others believe that.'

'Why?'

'Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.'

'Sun Tzu.' Said Harry remembering one of the lessons on politics and history from a few months ago.

'Precisely.'

'You said a faulty time turner?'

'All time turners that do not return from the past within 28 days make the wearer lose the time they otherwise would have gained. He will not live to see old age.' Adam seemed saddened by this.

'He is still wearing it now, isn't he?'

'That is why he looks his real age.'

'Take it off.' Harry said.

'Little one, once off. He will no longer be able to return as Aries Black.'

'He is Sirius Black, not Aries Black. Take it off!'

'He will not want that.'

'To hell with what he wants! I won't let him waste his time just to fool around as another person.' Harry pushed himself out of the bed and managed to get to his godfather. He nearly collapsed on the older man's bed but Adam steadied him.

'You want him to live longer don't you?' Harry asked Adam

'I want him to live forever. He is my…friend.' There was something Harry couldn't understand in the sad way the vampire spoke the last word.

'Then you understand.'

Adam nodded. Harry unbuttoned the first two shirt buttons to reveal the golden chain of the time turner. He removed it and looked at it. It was warm still from Sirius's body heat.

'Dobby.' Harry called out.

'Harry Potter! Master Harry, Master Harry, you is back with Master Blacky.' Dobby threw himself at Harry crying.

'Dobby, can you do something for me?'

'Anything. Master Blacky said to always follow Master Harry's instructions if Master Blacky is not there.'

'Well, Sirius is here, but he can't give instructions. Does that qualify?'

'Yes, sir.'

'I want you to destroy this.' Harry said putting the time turner into Dobby's hands.

'Master Blacky's neckless?'

'Yes. Destroy it Dobby, with no chance of it being repaired.'

'Dobby will do as young Master asks.' Dobby bowed and vanished.

Harry looked at his aged godfather and thought he already saw the wrinkles fading away.

'You need to return to your own bed. The healer said you are not well.'

'Do you know what happened to me?' he had to take two full breaths to ask that one simple question and his chest was hurting.

'I heard the former headmaster and Lupin talk. It seems that you were able to save Sirius, but only by using too much magic. It caused damage to your core.'

'And Sirius?'

'He is a survivor. But his healing will be long.'

'Are there any political or legal repercussions?'

'Probably. But you needn't worry about those. He will take care of everything.'

'But if they decide to arrest him while he is unconscious or too weak…'

'We won't let that happen, little one.'

'Promise me you will not let them take him away.'

'The Circus is here to make sure you are safe. Both of you.'

'Thank you.'

'Sleep little one. I will make sure your sire is still here when you wake up.'

And Harry tried falling asleep but it felt so hard to breath, and the pain in his chest wasn't dying down. Still he lay there as silent as he could. Pan popped up a few minutes later. The elf's voice sounded tired as he explained to Adam that the ritual's consequences were now known to all of the ordained as well as the Wizengamot. Harry wanted to ask what consequences, but was stopped when he heard stirring from his godfather's direction.

'What happened?' the man groaned and Harry opened his eyes to see Pan helping the man sit up

'You had to fight one of the Death sentinels to save Harry.' Adam explained.

'Then how am I still alive?'

'You don't remember?' Harry asked, his voice breaking as his chest hurt from trying to sit up.

'Harry!?' His eyes snapped up and met the green ones of his godson, but they were full of pain. The teen saw the quick check-up the man did and he probably saw there was something wrong with him because the next moment he was out of bed, almost falling if it hadn't been for Pan keeping him up and he was at his bedside. 'What happened to you? They didn't get you. I made sure.'

Harry allowed himself to lay back down.

'He was the one that saved you. With his family's magic.' Pan said gravely.

'He…but, how?'

Pan showed him the removed heir ring and the wand Harry had recovered on the battlefield in the village.

'How did you get this wand?'

'He won it from the headmaster in the demonstration duel.' Explained Adam. 'By revealing he was learning dual wielding while watching memories of you.'

'I didn't want you to die.' Harry finally said.

'Oh, pup…' Sirius squeezed one of Harry's trembling hands and gently touched Harry's mop of hair.

'There it is.' Harry smiled, tears making their way back in his eyes. 'I've missed that.'

'I am so sorry. You shouldn't have done this. Your core.'

'His core is wounded and cracking.' Said Madam Pomfrey she had come in followed by Remus and Dumbledore the moment Sirius had reached Harry's bed. 'He needs to be kept under magic suppressants. But they are failing.' She started to redo the spells around Harry as she said this.

'What does that mean?' asked Harry

'That if we don't find a way to take away that magic from you, you will either die, or become a Squib.'

'But it's my family magic.' Harry said.

'You are underage and the magic is too strong for you.' Said Dumbledore.

'We need more time to research this.' Remus said.

'No we don't.' Sirius said. 'I need you all to leave, all except Pan.'

'Mr Black. You are barely in any shape to stand. Whatever you think you know and can do, let us help.' Pomfrey insisted

'This will stay between me and Harry.'

'You are in no position to do whatever it is you are planning to do.' Dumbledore said 'Because you didn't ask for help, you didn't know about the Horcrux inside Harry. You need to…'

Sirius stood up, nothing of the former injuries or weaknesses visible. Remus staggered two steps back at the pressure of his former friend's magic and the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees. 'Are you telling me you knew Harry was a Horcrux and did nothing?' the voice was deadly as grey almost silver eyes pierced the former headmaster.

'Sirius, you need to stop this. We are on the same side.' Remus tried to reason.

'Dumbledore's side was never my side, Lupin. Even when I thought it was, he was always looking out for his own interests. Now answer my question you bastard, what was your plan for my godson?'

'Sirius my boy, you need to understand there were mitigating circumstan-'

Dumbledore was knocked off his feet and into the stone wall behind him just as Remus heard two menacing growls from the corners of the room closest to them.

'I am and never have been your boy. And there are no mitigating circumstance to keeping a soul piece of a mass murderer imbedded into an innocent child.'

'Si-ri-' Harry's voice was weak.

'He's broken through my seals in less than ten minutes now.' Madam Pompfrey said agitated as she recast the spells with urgency.

This seemed to snap Sirius out of his murdering Dumbledore phase.

'Pan, get the package from Silver-Mane now.' The elf popped out of the room.

'Get out of my sight Dumbledore, and never show your face to me ever again. If you do, I will end your pathetic life then and there. Adam.' The vampire just nodded and turned towards where Lupin and Dumbledore were pinned to the wall by two invisible growling beasts.

'I am afraid visiting hours are done. I must ask you to leave. Now.' Lupin backed away dragging Dumbledore with him.

'Madam, please.' Adam spoke softly at the matron.

'But I can help.'

'You can help more by giving Lord Black the space and privacy he needs to help his ward.'

Pomona looked once more in Harry's and Sirius Black's direction before exiting followed by Adam himself who closed the doors of the infirmary and sealed them.

Pan returned bit a second later with a small black box before popping out again leaving the two of them alone.

'This was meant to be your coming of age present.' He said as he opened the box.

Inside was an elegant watch, completely silver white except for where the moon quadrants were shown there was a black stone.

Harry felt the magic inside him stir as Sirius vanished the glass and levitated the stone out of the watch. He knew instinctively that that was one of the Hallows, the resurrection stone.

'I know I didn't give you a lot of reasons to trust me, but I will have to ask you to do it now, when I say that I will return your family power to you once you turn 17.'

'W…what are you going to do?'

'I will have to take it away. Not all your magic, just the Peverell family magic, the magic of Life.'

'Can you do that?'

'I am the only one who can, the only one who knows how.'

'What's the catch?'

'Once I take it away, you won't be able to get it back. Only I can give it back.'

'But not my magical power.'

'You would be able to use magic as you have done until now. Your magical power will grow slowly until your core reaches maturity around the age of 17.'

'But I won't be the Potter Heir anymore.'

'You aren't the Potter Heir now. You're the Potter Head of Family. When you removed this ring and then summoned your family power to save me, you became Lord Potter, Head of the Ancient and most Noble house of Potter, now resurrected, which used to be the House of Peverell.'

'And if you take it away, what will you be?'

'I can only ever be Lord Black. What this ritual will do is, it will make House Potter a vasal of House Black, but it will also gain the House of Black's protection.'

'But you will be able to give it back?'

'Yes, I can release your house from servitude. When I do so, I will be able to return your family's power to you.'

'Why are you even telling me this? You can do it anyway, can't you? You can forcefully do it, since you have the stone and even if you haven't won the wand from me, you have it in your possession, one quick stupefy, or any spell that would translate in you defeating me, the wand's allegiance would change, would it not?'

'It will be painful if you do not let go willingly. I don't want to cause you any more pain.'

Harry took a few seconds to think. His whole body felt like it was on fire, he knew there was little time until his magic would burn through all the seals and spells Madam Pomfrey cast and then his bruised core would take permanent damage. Could he trust his guardian? The man was a killer and a liar and yet he found himself nodding.

'Thank you. Now try to relax and close your eyes.'

'You will explain more, after.'

'I will explain everything.' Sirius promised. Harry relaxed as much as his fast beating heart and his shortness of breath allowed him. He heard his godfather chant in a foreign tongue that sounded oddly like Runes but jumbled and he felt it, the pressure lifting, at first slowly then faster until instead of too much, Harry felt almost empty and then the sensation of something being pulled away stopped and he could breathe normally again. He opened his eyes to see Aries surrounded by cold light and he had in his hands the elder wand he had found, the stone and his invisibility cloak. But his attention was drawn from the Hallows to the shadowy person standing behind his godfather, the hazel eyes of James Potter met his emerald ones. James smiled sadly at Harry, tears running down his cheeks as he touched Sirius's shoulder lightly and sent a soft nod towards his son before vanishing This was all it took to reassure Harry that all was going to be ok.

Sirius turned a bit startled that someone was behind him, but found no one there.

'How are you feeling?' the older man asked, sitting down on Harry's bed once again. This time Harry could sit up himself with ease.

'Better. The pressure is gone.' He took his wand from the bedside table and made a pillow opposite his bed fly. His magic worked fine too.

'I am so sorry you had to suffer through this, Harry.'

'I am just glad that it's all over now. And that we can finally know each other, without the lies.'

'I never wanted to lie to you.'

'I find that hard to believe.'

'I never wanted to hurt you.'

'That I can believe even if your actions are contradicting you. What did you think would happen when I learnt that you lied to me? That it wouldn't hurt?'

'I thought…I never thought I will survive past my encounter with Voldemort. I thought it would be easier for you to hate me, when that time came.' Harry furrowed his eyebrows but couldn't respond before Pan returned to the hospital ward.

'The minister and madame Bones are coming this way accompanied by 6 Aurors and Remus Lupin.'

Sirius made to stand up but Harry grabbed his wrist.

'It's ok, pup. They have no real power over me.'

The doors burst open and in walked said party followed by a very concerned madame Pomfrey who was arguing about her patients' right to heal in peace, no matter what they did or didn't do.

'Sirius Black, you have deceived us all!' Cornelius shouted angrily. 'Seize him!' three of the Aurors came forward and were ready to fire when three shadows incapacitated them.

'I wouldn't do that if I were you, you're on Black Land.' Said one of the cloaked creatures.

'Have you gone mad?' Madame Pomfrey yelled at Scrimgeour, who was one of the three Aurors and Fudge. 'This is a hospital. These are patients.'

'Yes well, one of your patients is a Dark Lord.' Fudge said glaring at Sirius.

'He is no such thing.' Pan objected. 'He is the Black Lord.'

'Dark, Black, still in the same color range.' Said Scrimgeour. 'And he betrayed us all.'

'This is the thanks I get for ridding you of Voldemort and his followers?'

'By opening the gates of Hell near children? By letting loose Hell Hounds throughout the Island? By lying about who you are.' Amelia said irritated.

'It would be best for you to come with us, quietly and explain yourself.' Kingsley said.

Sirius felt Harry's hand which was still on his arm contract and pull at him.

'I can't do that, Kingsley. Not now anyway. Harry needs me.'

'Potter seems fine.' Scrimgeour snarled.

'They are both my patients. I will say who is fine and who is not.' Madam Pomfrey broke out of the line and came to examine Harry.

'You're…but how?'

'That's between me and Harry.' Sirius said sharply.

'And you-' but her diagnostics spell was blocked by Sirius. 'I am fine. I will be leaving and taking Harry with me.'

'You aren't going anywhere, except a holding cell, pending a trial.' Snarled Scrimgeour

'You do realize the moment I enter a courtroom any verdict you give can be vetoed by me.'

'Don't do this, Sirius.' Remus finally spoke. 'Don't be the Dark Lord they think you are.'

'I am not Dark, Lupin. I am Black. I will grant you an audience at Black Manor the day after tomorrow where I will tell you how it is going to be from now on. Until then, I expect to be left in peace.'

'You- you can't command the Minister of magic.'

'On the contrary, Mr. Fudge, you will find that I can command you and anyone on this island, since I am your Lord.' A quick nod at Pan and both Sirius and Harry were away.

A/N: And I have finally updated. Sorry for taking a bit longer than expected, but I have been having trouble getting ideas sorted out and finding time to actually write. I haven't been home more than two night a week and it's just been chaos. Sometimes good chaos, like concerts and fun dinners and meeting with friends, but still chaos. To everyone who stuck with the story despite my very inconsistent updates, thank you, I hope you enjoy this new chapter. I will try to post the next ones a bit more regularly, but I'm not making any promises.

Thank you for your reviews. For those of you who didn't like me killing Sirius, well, I hope you enjoyed the turn of events. There was no way I would just kill him off at the end without giving Harry closure. But now comes a question to you guys, what sort of ending does the Black Lord deserve? And I am talking now about the character, not the story. Have a lovely weekend :)