I apologize ahead of time, I never set out to write this, I promise I didn't I sat down to write something very different... for another Fandom... but this happened...

The Power of A Memory

Chapter 1

Memory's Pull

31st October, 1981

"I'll take him Hagrid," the voice from the man was desperate like he was seeking a lifeline in this dark Hallows Eve. For the tall back haired man he was, his grey eyes fixated on the small bundle of cloth in the hands of the half-giant, something was telling him that it was important to get the baby away from Hagrid.

"I can be lettin' ye do that Sirius, Dumbledore has it set up already, hidin' 'Arry with muggles, his mother's sister…" Sirius started to think that wouldn't be so bad,out of the war Harry would be safe, latter, he could go back for Harry after this all blew over… and apologies to his one remaining true friend… Reamus… how wrong… suddenly Sirius was caught up in a memory, It was a Christmas Dinner, last year, Harry was nothing but a new born, it was the last time that they had all been together, the Marauders and Lily-flower, the Longbottoms…

"I'm telling you all this one more time; muggles aren't as fear driven as you all are so convinced they are." Peter had let his mouth slip after one too many fire-whiskies, setting off the temper of the most brilliant witch of their age, James rested his head on a hand while stroking his wife's side while Reamus just hung his head slightly, the Longbottoms just rolled their eyes as little Harry and Neville were playing off to the side brandishing fluffy animals, Harry a cartoonish black dog while Neville held a wolf, gifts from Reamus and himself to Harry…

"But Lily, you yourself has said on several occasions about your sister's absolute loathing of our people," Sirius could strangle the little man, he really could, everyone knew better then to mention two people in Lily's presence, the first being Snivillus, the second being Petunia. James' head shot up as he fixed Peter with a hard stare, Peter was a stupid drunk but he had never been an argumentative one this was out of character for the smallest Marauder. Sirius watched as Lily deflated slightly at the mention of her sister.

"That... is... was my own fault... growing up the Evan's house wasn't a happy one, oh we were loved and provided for but life wasn't the easiest..." Sirius and James both stopped as Reamus looked up and Frank turned to pay more attention as Alice walked over to the two boys deciding that it was time for some little ones to get some sleep. Lily was never one to go into her childhood, everyone was held in rapt attention as the muggle-born continued. "I got to leave, go to a magical pace, a literal magical escape from my old life, one that I couldn't take here with me... she was jealous, I tried... so hard to get her to understand, when I was seventeen I tried to give her a charmed figurine of the two of us when we were little... She... she threw it over my shoulder and into a wall yelling about how she didn't want to be near... near a freak like me, that it was bad enough that our family had a freak in the family without her having to have a constant reminder."

Lily took a quick sip of her wine as she looked down and away from Peter leaning into her husband's soft caressing on her arm. Sirius stood and kissed Lily on the cheek making eye contact with Reamus and Peter making a slight head motion towards the door. Reamus nodded his head walking over to take the drunken Peter under arm...

"No, I don't think so Hagrid." Sirius locked his grey eyes onto the taller, larger man. "I am Harry's godfather; it is my responsibility to make sure he is safe."

"Erm.. but the Headmasta'..." Hagrid was confused at the thought of Sirius disobeying Dumbledore, Dumbledore was their leader... he was the greatest wizard of all time... and above all he was... well he was Dumbledore!

"Hagrid, old friend." Sirius's draw time was a fast as ever, he was after all a high ranked Auror and registered Ministry Hit-Wizard, the wand was in his hands and pointed right between the larger man's eyes before either one could blink. "I will not let my Godson step foot in that woman's house, I know that you didn't know Lily well but her sister is not the kind of person we... I would allow near Harry. Now hand over my godson or I will remind you why the Blacks are one of the most feared of Houses."

"It's just... I've my orders... I... I don't want no trouble now Sirius." Hagrid moved to cover the child when he fell backwards unconscious as the silent point blank stunner shot right between his eyes did its job. Faintly Hagrid heard a man's voice as everything else started to black out, the shape of Sirius Black was outlined in pure white as the man bent over and picked up the Boy who lived.

"I'm sorry Hagrid, but nothing will harm this boy if I can prevent it, I swear on my magic."

[-[- The Power of a Memory -]-]

Reamus Lupin was nervous as he paced his room there was something about the night that didn't sit well with him. It wasn't right there was something off in the air, it was a new moon, the beast had no control on him if he felt something was off it usually meant that something was off this time of the month. Reamus blinked rapidly at the sound of a motorbike approaching his house... not just a motorbike... Sirius' motorbike Moony would recognize the sound of that contraption anywhere. Running to the door the werewolf opened his door slightly seeing his 'friend' get off of the bike holding something close to him his eyes flicking around as if scared there was something in the shadows, opening the door a bit more Sirius nodded his head as he slipped into the room.

"Well hello to you as well Padfoot... is that Prongsling?" Reamus swallowed as he noticed the bits of blood at the bottom of the man's long coat, it wasn't Sirius's but the man also had Harry... "Ja-James and Li..."

"Dead... both of them," Reamus was stunned...

"You Traitorous Dog..." Reamus' wand was out and pointing at the man who was the secret keeper of two of the best human beings that Reamus had ever known. "You... you dare to show up here, Here, TO ME.."

"Hush now Reamus you'll wake Harry... and I'm as much a traitor as you are, Pettigrew is the traitor." Sirius rocked the child in his arms lightly as he sat in a ragged armchair, one of a set that the two had put in the hidey hole that James and Sirius made for their furry-problem having friend.

"Peter? But I thought that..." Reamus blinked his wand dropping slightly.

"I solemnly swear, on my magic, that I Sirius Orion Black was not made the secret keeper of the location of Lord James Potter, his wife Lily and their child Harry, Expectro Protronum." The silver bear sized dog materialized and walked over to nuzzle Harry slightly before dissipating leaving a stunned Reamus who fell backwards into a chair.

"Bu... Bu... you didn't trust me, none of you trusted me..." Reamus looked like someone had stabbed him in the back, that everything he thought that he knew was wrong. Sirius struggled to meet the searching look in his friend's eyes but he wouldn't look away this was too important.

"No... James and Lily wanted for us to make you the secret keeper... I was the one that didn't trust you, with the packs all aligning with... him I admit that I was suspect of you... but you weren't the one that I should have been suspect of..." Sirius expected a snarl, a yell, something what he didn't want to see was a nodding head and a light sigh.

"No I understand, I would have been the same way if I was in your place and you in mine, the pull of pack is a strong one, if I had a mate in the pack... well I probably would have been taken in..." Reamus stood and walked over holding out his arms to the man sitting in the chair, looking down for a moment Sirius hesitantly nodded his head and offered up the 15 month old. Reamus took the boy and smiled sadly as the boy stirred his emerald eyes opening and a happy burble coming out of his lips.

"Hello there Prongsling," Reamus had to fight back tears as the boy in his hands reached out and touched the man's nose. Not even a year and a half and an orphan... orphaned but not alone.

"Hagrid was under orders to take him to Lily's sister's home... by Dumbledore." Sirius stood and made his way over to where Reamus kept his liquor, the man always had a fine taste in muggle alcohol. Sirius stopped as his hand wrapped around the Johnnie Walker... no, he had to stay sharp, for Harry's sake.

"What?" Reamus looked over Harry's shoulder at the man a bit surprised that Sirius put the bottle back down. "But Petunia hates our kind... and I have a feeling that if her husband knew of our kind he'd feel even stronger about it... why would he..."

"I don't know but I will let Harry be put into that home the same day I kiss Lucius Malfoy." Sirius walked over to the window and looked out at the quiet village. "I want to go after him Reamus..."

"Lucius? Whatever for..." Reamus was sitting down at this point Harry falling asleep in the gentle man's arms.

"No, Peter... he betrayed James... Lily... my trust... all of us... but I can't can I..." Stormy grey eyes looked into themselves in the glass's reflection. "I have to worry about Harry now."

"You're right." Reamus nodded his head as Harry closed his eyes again almost looking like a James in miniature. "You can't go after him... but you can get him. You remember Amelia from school, don't you?"

" Amelia... Amelia... Bones? Blonde, leggy one, Puff?" Reamus rolled his eyes at his friend but nodded his head.

"As well as an up and comer in the DMLE from what I understand from what few contacts I still have, imagine what getting her the head of the traitor who turned in two of the beacons of light would get you." Reamus was tempted to smack the back of the man's head at the dark look that filled the lord's grey eyes. "Not that way you idiot."

"Hey you said it not... I'm sorry Reamus..." Sirius rubbed his eyes and shook his head. "That was in bad taste... but you're right... we can catch him..."

[-[- The Power of a Memory -]-]

Albus Dumbledore was not a happy man... he had stood at the specific time and had everything set up to drop the child off, he had even dissuaded Minerva yet again from suggesting others to take the Potter boy in yet Hagrid never showed up. Albus pinched his nose as he sipped from the whiskey snifter that he had summoned as soon as he walked into his office. There was something going on, something that was outside of Dumbledore's planning. Not that he had wished harm on the Potters... no he would have wished that they were never found that they would still be alive and well, they like the unfortunate Longbottoms were staunch supporters of the light and avid members of the Order. That wasn't what happened though the Dark Lord had found out the prophesy and he had acted... Albus took another sip instantly angered at the thought of Sirius Black, apparently breeding did win out at the end, the Black blood must have pulled him to the Dark Lord where he spilled the secret... with a sigh Albus finished his snifter and was tempted to refill the glass but decided against it. The door to his office was pushed forwards and in entered Severus Snape...

"Ah Severus, I see that you have decided to change your mind about my offer..."

1st November 1981 12:01 am

Amelia Bones was awoken by her house elf Tilly. The woman's blond hair was a mess and the groggy look on her face would have been perfect black mailing material.

"Tilly? What's wong?"

"Be excusing me Missy Bones, but there's be a Lord Blacky and a Mr. Lupin heres to be seeins you. They's bees saying it is of utmost importancey." At the mention of Black and Lupin the woman was up and throwing a gold and black robe over her night gown... well the old shirt of her past fiancé that she was using as a night gown. How she missed Theodore...

"Thank you Tilly, I take it you showed them to the drawing room?" Amelia Bones ran her wand over her hair causing it to come together in some semblance of presentable style before slipping it into a charmed notice-me-not arm holster.

"Of Course Missy Bones, Tilly broughted them the special tea was well." Amelia smiled and placed her hand on the small elf's head affectionately for a moment causing the elf to smile and lean into the touch. The special tea was a very careful mix of relaxation and pepper-up potions that while not as useful as dosing them with Vertuism, was legal and helped them feel comfortable and relaxed.

"Smart girl Tilly, thank you, go back to sleep, I'll make sure to show them out." The elf nodded her head and bowed slightly as she left her mistress. Amelia entered the room to see two of her schoolmates standing near a window with Sirius Black of all people holding a baby... with black hair... the child opened its emerald eyes and Amelia fell into a nearby chair...Lily Evens had been a close friend of Amelia's while the two were in school... that would almost have to mean...

"What happened to them Sirius..." The woman composed herself as quickly as she could. The man came to her, so either he was here to make a deal but if that was the case why would he have Harry with him... no more likely would be that the public rumor of Sirius being the Secret keeper of the Potter's was just that ... a rumor, and he was here for another reason... besides Reamus would have killed the lord Black already if the man had actually committed the crime. Sirius Black sat down in one of the gold and black lined chairs and locked his grey eyes on the Blue ones of the female DMLE officer. The woman pulled out a pen and paper casting a recording charm and nodded at the man to begin.

"I got an alert from a ward I had set on the location of the Potters..."

"And that would be where?" Amelia interrupted the man her eyes narrowing slightly.

"I can't tell you that Miss Bones, you should know that, what I can do though." Sirius pulled out a note from his wallet, a small scrap of parchment, one that had an address on it, an address written by the one man who could give it, the man that Sirius had to fight the instinctual drive to go after the one who broke his pack. Handing the piece of parchment over he continued on. "That was written by one member of our group from school, the one man who is not here, or James of course. As I was saying after being alerted to the alarms I drove my bike over there, there is an anti-apparition ward around the entire township, faster and low profile, you understand. Once I got there I saw that the door was blasted in... and..."

Over the next ten minutes Sirius recounted his entire night til the time they made it to where they were now.

"... And, well here we are..." Sirius looked back down at the sleeping child in his hands... "And... well You were Lily's friend... you knew about her home life... her sister?"

"Of course." Bones looked slightly confused at the queston, and the hesitation.

"Dumbledore... he wanted to send Harry there."

The group was halted when the house elf popped back in a girl squirming in a wrapped blanket looking around before smiling and shifting towards Amelia Bones.

"Tilly is sorry Missy and Misters, but young mistress Susie wouldn't be calming down. " The elf looked ashamed as she handed the girl over to the once stately woman, the two men looked in slight confusion, looking up from the girl Amelia smiled sadly.

"My Niece gentlemen, I fear that I am in a very similar boat as you are Sirius... and thank you Tilly that will be all." The elf curtsied slightly as she vanished leaving the three wizards and two witches alone in the room. "I think we might be able to get out on the front end of this... we can in the same time clear you and begin the largest wizard hunt in the history of Britain."

1 year later

Sirius Black was sleeping in his bed his arms wrapped around his now fiancé, one Bathsheba Babbling a fellow Gryffindor, one only two years behind him. Sirius stirred slightly at the sound of his door opening, sitting up slightly the Strike team leader blinked groggidly at the doorway a pajamed Harry Potter had his Moony hugged close to him in an arm as he looked into the room.

"I haded a bad dream Unca 'adfoot..."An elf walked around the corner, Hezzy, Bathsheba's elf lead the boy into the room. At this point Bathsheba was also awake she was thankful of magic for the umpteenth time as she transfigured a pillow case behind her into a gown slipping it on as she got up and picked up the whimpering boy.

"Shh, hush now little one, you're welcome to sleep with us of course," Harry smiled at his Auntie, although she wasn't really his auntie yet, but that would be coming soon if his uncle Moony was right, which of course he always was. Bathsheba laid Harry in the bed with Sirius and kissed the young Potter on the forehead as she leaned over and kissed her Sirius on the temple before whispering into his ear. "I'm going to go check the runes in his room, be right back."

Sirius nodded his head and held the child close, it was a hard year... but it was worth it. They never caught Pettigrew but the controversy that was Sirius Black's innocents was all that was on the papers or months. Had he found a way to trick Virtuism? Had He found a way around the Unbreakable Vow? Eventually though there was a breakthrough... in the broken minds of the Longbottoms... the loss of Frank and Alice was still a fresh loss for Sirius and Reamus, though they were more Lily and James' friends then their own they were still friends. In Franks fractured mind a memory was able to be garnered from the surface, the final decision to make Peter the Secret Keeper.

Bathsheba returned to the room shortly after the Prongsling fell asleep, the woman quietly crawled back into the bed as Sirius absent mindedly stroked the child's hair. The untamable black locks fell over his scar, the barest of the tip could be seen under the midnight bangs.

"We need to recharge the wards around his bed in the morning... something leached away a lot of the power at some point recently... we could always run, my uncle, the squib, he runs a huge firm in muggle London, with your family money we could hide as eccentric muggle nobility..."

"We can't Baths, I wish we could..." Sirius leaned his head against the woman who sighed and nodded her head. "I wish we could there's still to much at stake, to many Death Eaters that are still in power... although I do have some pull with Malfoy and some of his ilk, after all I hold their debts. But we should get back to sleep for now, tomorrow will come early... and if I remember correctly someone has their Runes Mastery test tomorrow."

"Just as someone is going in for his first day as head Auror under the new head of the DMLE, isn't that right Head Auror Lord Black." The two adults chuckled and between them the orphaned lord of an ancient and accepted house smiled and snuggled into the warm emotions that wrapped around him.

Sirius felt first Harry then Bathsheba fall asleep in is arms... this was his pack, this was his to protect, and he would, be they Dark Lord or Dumbledore no one would so much as touch his pack... his family.

[-[-Elsewhere-]-]

Albus Dumbledore was flicking through a book on potions and how to counter them still convinced that Sirius Black was a traitor, though he was able to fool everyone else over the past year the Death Eater would come to justice. It was clever of Tom, so very clever to leave an agent without the mark. Severus had told him that Sirius was in fact a death eater, Dumbledore trusted his spy's word, why shouldn't he, after all he went to Severus... and he couldn't make a mistake, all that was left was to find out how... how did Sirius Black do it, how could it be undone, how to get the Young Harry Potter into the caring family of the Dursleys. As Dumbledore lipped to the last page he through the book aside, useless as all the others but no matter, he was Dumbledore, he was the Mas... Leader of the Light, he was right... he just had to prove it to those who didn't have faith.

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