Authors Notes:

1: Apparently some reviewers don't think the behaviour shown by the characters in this story is age appropriate, especially regarding boy-girl friendship. I have worked with Primary and Intermediate age (5 -13 year old) school children for many years and I have modelled the behaviours in this story on what I have seen. It does sometimes happen that children in this age group have a boyfriend/girlfriend type friendship that only involves spending time together and occasional hand-holding, exactly as I have shown in this story.

2: This is the 1st chapter of year 3. If you haven't read the other 2 stories, Second Time Around and Second Time Around Year 2 I recommend you do so before starting this story as there are a number of changes from the original books.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor am I attempting to make any personal gain from this story.

Second Time Around: Year 3: Chapter1: Escape

July with the Dursley's had been as frustrating as ever for Harry. Dudley had been given a brand new TV as a welcome home from school present while Harry had received nothing. Not that he had expected anything, of course.

Harry's birthday, the 31st of July, started off the same as every other day had. Harry arrived in kitchen to see the Dursleys sitting around the new TV. Currently being shown was a news broadcast about an escaped convict. "The public are reminded that Pettigrew is extremely dangerous and should not be approached…" said the announcer but Harry was no longer listening.

"Peter Pettigrew has escaped," Harry said to the room in general. Instantly all the Dursleys were staring at him. Dudley had even managed to stop eating.

Harry looked around the room before saying, "Pettigrew is the reason my parents are dead. He was their secret keeper but he betrayed them to Voldemort then, when he got found out, he murdered 12 people and framed Sirius Black for his crimes."

Ignoring the horrified looks on the Dursley's faces, he pulled out his two-way-mirror and the message scroll Madam Bones had given him. The scroll was blank so Harry addressed the mirror. "Sirius Black."

"Hello, Harry. I take it you've just found out about Pettigrew?" Sirius replied moments later.

"Yes I have. How did this happen?"

"We don't know exactly. The guards were told of his animagus status and were supposed to visually check his cell before opening it for any reason. Either somebody forgot to do their job properly or someone at Azkaban deliberately let him escape. We don't know which yet.

"Harry, I am in the process of finalising arrangements to get you moved to Grimmauld Place. As it currently stands there are two aurors outside your house and anti apparation jinxes are in place. Those jinxes will be dropped at 4pm today at which time I will be there to pick you up. I will bring my motorcycle but I will be apparating you away. Once you reach Grimmauld Place Kreacher and Dobby will be there to keep you safe while I retrieve my motorcycle. In the meantime I would like you to stay inside the house or, at the very least in the backyard. Do not leave the property. All clear?"

"Alright, I can do that. It's just uncle Vernon's sister, Marge, is coming to stay. She is due here later this morning and will not like the fact that you are coming. She hates me, after all."

"Vernon's sister? That could complicate matters. Unfortunately it's too late to change our plans. Harry, is Petunia there?"

"Yes. Hang on, I'll get her for you." Harry turned to the Dursleys. "Aunt Petunia? Sirius Black would like a word."

Petunia looked shocked. "What? Why?"

"You'll have to ask him that," Harry said, offering her the mirror.

Nervously, Petunia reached for the mirror. "Don't touch thing Petunia," Vernon called but she took it from Harry.

"H-hello?" Petunia said into it.

"Hello, Petunia. I assume Harry has told you who Peter Pettigrew is?"

"Y-yes he did." Petunia was clearly very nervous about talking to a mirror.

"I've been explaining to Harry about the safety precautions we have put in place around your house. You are perfectly safe. As long as Harry is able to live under your roof neither Harry nor any of you are in any danger from Pettigrew. Your sister-in-law Marge, however, will not have this protection. Is it at all possible to postpone her visit until after Harry leaves this afternoon?"

"No. Vernon will be leaving to pick her up any minute. We cannot delay her arrival," Petunia said, beginning to sound angry.

"I cannot arrive there before 4pm so it looks like we're stuck. You are fully aware of the rules around not revealing our world to muggles so I am going to trust you to not reveal the connection between your family and Pettigrew. From that, we will have to play it by ear and hope for the best."

"What happens if we decide we don't want him here anymore?"

Sirius sighed. "If you do that then you're on your own. Pettigrew can simply walk up to the front door and kill you, as could any other Death Eater. The protection around your house is for your protection as much as it is for Harry's."

"Very well then," Petunia snapped into the mirror. She turned to Harry. "Here. Take this." She shoved the mirror into Harry's hand and returned to her husband and son.

"I'll see you at 4 o'clock, then?" Harry asked.

"4 o'clock it is. See you then," Sirius said.

"Bye Sirius," Harry said as the mirror went blank.

"How did you know Marge was coming, boy?" Vernon growled after Harry put the mirror away.

"I am a seer. The ability to see the future is a rare magical talent that only a few wizards have." Harry had deliberately used the terms magic and wizard because he knew what response they would bring.

"Freak even by freak standards," Vernon muttered.

Vernon left soon after to collect Marge. He had asked Dudley if he wanted to come but Dudley had said no. For his part Harry returned to his room and finished packing his trunk. His Hogwarts letter had arrived late the previous night, along with birthday presents from Ron, Hermione and Hagrid and, somewhat surprisingly, Luna Lovegood. Exactly what Luna's present was he didn't know. It looked like a rotten onion and smelt much the same. Harry had carefully wrapped it in a pair of horrible old socks Vernon had given has a 'present' several years before but which he had never worn.

The other presents had been much more enjoyable. Hagrid's present was some of his home baking or, as Harry preferred to call them, baked rocks. He knew Hagrid would be teaching Care of Magical Creatures this year but Harry wasn't taking that subject, if he had been he suspected Hagrid would have sent him a copy of the text, a book that tried to bite people.

Soon afterwards Marge arrived. Harry tried to stay out of sight but Marge had other plans. She started bossing Harry around as if he were a slave the moment she entered the house. Still, he remembered, he would be leaving in less than 6 hours so he just tried to grin and bear it. Once Marge was settled in Harry was able to slip away and stay in his room reading over the Hogwarts letter he had received. As well as the book list and instructions about catching the train from Platform 9&3/4 there was a form to be signed by this guardian which would allow him to visit Hogsmeade on selected weekends. He knew Sirius would sign the form for him so he tucked it into his pocket. He would give it to Sirius to sign after he arrived at Grimmauld place.

At 4pm Harry heard the sound of Sirius' motorbike pull up outside. He went down stairs and opened the door as Sirius walked up the driveway. "Hi, Sirius," he said.

"Hello, Harry. I just need a quick word with your aunt and uncle then I will apparate your trunk to Grimmauld Place. Do you feel up to apparating yourself or would you like me to do it for you?"

"I think you'd better do it, just to be on the safe side," Harry replied. He went upstairs to get his trunk while Sirius faced the Dursley's (including Marge) in the lounge.

"Petunia, Vernon, Dudley and you must be Marge. I'm Sirius Black, Harry's court appointed guardian. I'm here to take Harry off your hands." Harry could hear Sirius talking from the top of the stairs. Quickly, he grabbed his trunk and dragged it back to where he could hear the conversation. It seemed Marge was demanding to know what Sirius had meant by 'court appointed guardian'. Deciding to stay where he was, Harry continued listening but Sirius was already preparing to leave and refused to answer Marge's questions. Moments later Sirius left the lounge and climbed the stairs to where Harry was waiting.

"Everything ready?" he asked and Harry nodded. "Let's go." With that they apparated to 12 Grimmauld Place.

"Harry Potter sir. Dobby is delighted to see you again," Dobby said as soon as Harry entered the kitchen.

"Hello, Dobby. How are you?" he asked as he sat at the table.

"Dobby is good, sir. Dobby is happy to be working here with master Sirius."

Just then another elf apparated into room. "Kreacher is here to help and protect Master Harry Potter," the elf said.

"Hello Kreacher. It's good to see you again," Harry said. "Kreacher, take my trunk to my room then return here, please."

Harry ate his snack quietly while 2 elves began preparing dinner for Harry and Sirius. It was a little after 6 o'clock that Sirius arrived back. He had returned to Privet drive to retrieve his motorbike and had ridden it back. Apparently Marge had asked a lot of questions and made several disparaging comments about Harry and Sirius and Sirius had been forced to obliviate her. Sirius explained that, as an official representative of the Ministry of Magic, he was allowed to do whatever he felt necessary to hide the existence of the wizarding world.

"So you used the obliviate charm on Marge. What did Vernon think of that?" Harry asked.

"He wasn't very happy," Sirius replied, "but, when I told him what would happen to him if he tried to stop me doing my job, he accepted it was necessary."

"Am I allowed to ask what would have happened if he'd tried I stop you?"

"I would have arrested both him and Petunia for the way they have treated you since Dumbledore placed you in their care. What they don't know, apparently, is that Dumbledore would have gotten them discharged with a warning. Remember how I told you deals were a common occurrence in the wizarding world's judicial system?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Well Dumbledore would have simply arranged another deal that would see them released but placed under surveillance to ensure they treated you better next time."

"In other words, nothing would happen," Harry said groaning as he did so.

"Basically, yes," replied Sirius.

That evening Sirius arranged a small birthday party for Harry. The Weasleys were overseas, Mr Weasley had recently won a large sum of money and the family had decided to spend it on a trip to Egypt where they were visiting Bill, while Hermione was in France with her family. This left only Neville and his Grandmother along with Tonks, Lupin and another auror, Kingsley Shacklebolt as guests. Harry remembered it had been Neville's birthday the day before and gave him a gift at the same time Neville had given him one.

Next day Harry was eating breakfast when Sirius spoke to him. "Madam Bones has appointed me to full time duty as your bodyguard. In other words, I get paid to sit here keeping an eye on you. I don't even need to go into the Ministry."

Harry was delighted. "So I guess that means you are able to help me with my animagus training then?"

"Of course. And I can help you with anything else, too."

"How are you going with the Horcrux in the Lestrange's vault?"

Sirius' face darkened. "Not well. Even with Madam Bones' help I have been unable to get any legislation passed that would allow for Death eater's vaults to be searched, even for dangerous magical items."

"Well, there's no great hurry for that. I haven't had any Voldemort related visions for quite some time now so, overall, everything's going reasonably well, at least for the moment," Harry said.

"Right, then, about your animagus training…"