A/N: It's been awhile! Hope you all enjoy this chapter. In case you've forgotten, Harry has just been forced to make a deal with a demon from another dimension, the Dweller in Darkness. The Dweller controls the dementors, and when Harry tried to connect with one to save himself, Kaecilius, and Sirius Black, the Dweller was able to trap him in his dimension. Now Harry has until the end of his seventh year to figure out a way to free every dementor under the Dweller's power. If he can't, his soul belongs to the Dweller.
I actually give some other summaries through the chapter to help you get back up to speed. Enjoy!

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Chapter 22: Rescues & Revelations

Harry gave a harsh gasp as his consciousness was thrown back into his body. Hovering above him only inches away was the dementor, which tilted its head questioningly at seeing its prey awaken. On instinct, Harry thrust his arms up and summoned the Winds of Watoomb, which blew the spectre high into the air, tumbling like a leaf. It took only a few seconds to right itself, trembling a little at the sudden rough treatment, then it seemed to make a decision, flying off after where Sirius had run.

Harry watched it fly away, his mind muddled, before his memories of the last few minutes returned in full. The Dweller's eyes, full of triumph and amusement, forcing Harry to agree to his terms. The image of Andros, no, Sirius, panting tiredly as he ran, pursued by dozens of dementors through the forest. Harry pushed himself up quickly, scrambling to his feet as the invisibility cloak fell off of him and onto the ground next to his mentor. He looked down at Kaecilius' still form in terror before he recognized the slow rise and fall of the man's chest. His teacher was still alive, and now that the last dementor had left, he was out of danger.

Harry grabbed the cloak and covered Kaecilius as best he could, trying to make sure any returning ghouls wouldn't find him, before he took off after Sirius, slipping on leaves through the dark night in the direction the dementor had vanished. He hadn't gone far before he stopped in despair. There was no way he could hope to catch up with the man by tripping through the forest on his own. He considered his options. His broom was still in his room, he couldn't use a sorcerer's portal, and while he could get into the mirror dimension and manipulate the terrain to shorten his trip, he wouldn't be able to leave without a sling ring. Besides, the monster that was Professor Lupin was still roaming the mirror dimension's grounds. He couldn't apparate within the Hogwarts property…

This last thought brought him up short. No, wizarding apparition wasn't possible, but elves could use their own 'popping' method freely. The Ancient One had told him not to rely on it, that it was dangerous and unpredictable, and may take him much farther than he wanted to go. But was there a choice? He had to help Sirius escape.

His mind made up, he focused on what he wanted while drawing in that foreign energy he'd felt with Dobby. Perhaps if he tried to move only a short distance in one direction, it would push him much farther, putting him where he needed to be. He could almost feel Kaecilius' disapproval at this plan, even with the man unconscious and unaware of the world. He shook off his doubts, thought about moving five meters, closed his eyes, and popped.

He opened his eyes. He'd moved fifteen meters, and in the wrong direction. He was practically on top of Kaecilius' hiding spot again, where he'd started out. He sighed in irritation, closed his eyes, and focused again. Perhaps twenty meters, and in the opposite direction of what he wanted? He drew in the energy again and popped.

The air around blew shockingly cold and fast, and when he opened his eyes, he nearly screamed. He'd managed to put himself near the top of Gryffindor tower back at the castle, perched awkwardly on an outside windowsill. He swayed and nearly lost his balance in the shock of his new surroundings. While he was certainly not afraid of heights, seeing the ground so very far below without a broomstick underneath him was terrifying.

Wait, he thought. His broomstick! He slowly and cautiously looked over his shoulder to the window at his back. He couldn't believe his luck at seeing a pair of redheads looking back in shock. The Weasley twins, never ones to stay still for long, ran to the window and made to open it, then realized it would open outward and knock their friend off. They looked helplessly at Harry, unsure of what to do, and the boy groaned in impatience. He slowly mimed waving a wand in the air, giving Fred and George a look that clearly showed his agitation, before one of them seemed to understand. They drew their wands and shot a spell at each window pane, making both glass frames vanish instantly, and Harry gratefully rolled backward into the dorm room.

He barely waited to let the twins pick him off the floor before he took off for his own room, their cries for an explanation ringing behind him. He had no time. As he sped down the stairs, his mind was full of questions. The Ancient One had implied that the elves' method of apparition had a mind of his own, almost like it was alive. It wouldn't obey him, but it would protect him, she'd said. Had it known he had considered his broomstick as a method of transportation? Was it trying to help him by putting him on that windowsill, but not in a way he'd considered?

One thing was certain, he thought, as he pushed his dorm room door open with a crash. He wasn't doing that again unless it was an emergency. Seamus and Dean sat up in their beds at the noise, looking befuddled, but it seemed Ron and Neville were elsewhere. Just as well, he thought, as he made a frantic beeline for his trunk and grabbed his broomstick. They would want to come with him and help, and he couldn't risk them against a horde of dementors. He ran for the window and forced it open before looking back at the sleepy boys. "Could you close this b-behind me, please?" he asked quietly.

Seamus nodded in confusion, and Harry wasted no more time before he threw himself into the air, his Nimbus in hand. As he stuck it under his legs and felt the magic take hold, the terror coursing through his veins lessened. Even knowing he was up against dozens of ravening spectres, all under the guidance of an otherworldly demon of fear, just the sensation of flying was enough to calm and center his mind again. He sped through the air high above the silent grounds, coming over the forest in only a matter of seconds. Hope was swelling in his heart as he flew. Sirius as an animagus was fast, as were the dementors, but they had nothing on a Nimbus 2000. Looking up at the sky and mentally thanking his astronomy classes for teaching him how to figure out north from the positions of stars, he angled his trajectory and zoomed away.

It seemed like only moments before he saw the ripple of black cloaks directly ahead and far below him. He'd known there were many dementors guarding the school, but he'd never seen them all in one group before. It was as if the trees were being draped in a gigantic black curtain that shimmered and covered an entire acre of forest. He couldn't see Sirius on the forest floor, but he didn't need to. If they'd caught him, after all, they wouldn't still be chasing anything. Recklessly putting aside any thought of caution, he drew his wand and shot out a patronus at the dark mass. The white stag outflew even his broomstick as it descended, smashing into the center of the dementor's horde.

Like an explosion, the creatures shrieked and flew off course, the angriest cries coming from the middle of the mass as they peeled off from their chase. The patronus ran through the remaining dementors that kept up their pursuit, and in its reflected light Harry could barely see the black dog that tore through the undergrowth. He focused his mind and called out, Go, Sirius! You'll be at the boundary soon!

Through their connection, Harry could feel an exhausted sort of agreement broadcast back at him, as Sirius continued his pace. Harry had no more time to converse, as the dementors that didn't rejoin their hunt were now flying towards him, furiously hissing their displeasure at the interruption. Now, though, Harry had a method of avoiding the creatures that tried to corner him. Unlike at the quidditch game those many months before, Harry could fly in any direction he chose without regard for his teammates or spectators, and Harry knew he was very good at flying.

He twisted and dove, spinning and speeding in every direction he could. When a dementor blocked his path, he slipped underneath or above it, making sure to keep his broom beyond the reach of their grasping, rotting hands. They screeched at him each time he evaded their approach, trying to impose their miasmic misery into his heart and slow him down. Harry didn't let up for a moment. He could see the other dementors trying to catch back up to Sirius, but he'd gotten more breathing room in their pursuit. Harry turned and dove for the trees in the other direction, and the dementors went after him immediately. He poured on his speed as much as he could as he passed the uppermost branches, then pulled up on the handle. The broomstick fought the sudden change, but Harry had been practicing his Wronski Feint diligently. It wasn't a perfect maneuver, as his toes dragged through the grass, but he was able to shoot skyward again in moments. The dementors who were closest behind him, though, screamed in anger as they slammed into the earth. The creatures further back managed to pull up in time and continued their chase.

Harry couldn't muster more than a weak smile at his pursuers' misfortune. Each moment he spent in their midst drained him of energy and hope. He stubbornly focused on his purpose here. He was saving his godfather, an innocent man. He was keeping the dementors away from Keacilius. By willpower alone, he kept the demons from his mind, but he could feel his defenses eroding slowly.

As he spun in a tight turn though a dense cluster of trees, his luck ran out. A dementor appeared to have anticipated his path, and screamed directly in front of him. The sound and shock made him lose focus, and the creature reached out and grabbed his sleeve with an iron grip. With his other arm, Harry managed to drag the path of the broom to the side, away from the demon, but it wasn't letting go. Torn between two opposing forces, Harry slid forward and lost control, his broomstick shooting out from under him and a few meters sound of his pursuing foes turned from rage to a shrieking sort of joy, if dementors were even capable of the emotion, and they surrounded Harry and the one who had caught him.

The dementor grabbed under Harry's arm with its other decaying hand, pulling him up to face its shrouded head. Harry desperately pushed his free hand into his robe and grabbed his wand. The dementor wasn't able to stop him from pointing the wand in its face and screaming "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Like a cannon blast, the white stag exploded out, bowling over every dementor in front of him. It sped around Harry in a tight circle, forcing the creatures back several meters to avoid being hit. Then it came back to the boy, drawing against him protectively so he could take a shuddering breath.

The dementors encircled him, screaming in frustration and anger at their quarry being so close, yet unreachable. For the moment, they seemed content to wait him out, ready for his patronus to fade. Harry had no intention of letting that happen. What could he do, though? He could mold the deer into whatever shape he wanted, thanks to his skills with sorcery, but the shield he'd made less than an hour before had only kept the dementors at bay for a few minutes. He needed more than a defense if he wanted to escape this. He needed to take the fight forward. Not a shield, then. More like… a weapon.

Quickly, he thought back to when he'd first used the patronus spell in his mind, using the positive energy to fill the cracks in the remnant that Voldemort had left in his mind. He'd used a happy memory to power the spell, and drawn its power around him like a cloak. Could he do the same with the real spell?

Drawing on his sorcery, he pulled extra-dimensional energy into himself and focused it onto his patronus. He stretched the stag flat and pulled it around himself, nearly cocooning himself in the brilliant white energy. Wrapped up in the positive emotions, the drain of the surrounding dementors nearly vanished, their miasma completely muted. But Harry wasn't done. He imagined a knight, bulky and strong in a suit of armor, and pushed this image into the energy around him. Forcing the spell into definite and complex shapes was much more taxing, and the patronus flickered a bit as he worked. Slowly, the formless shell took shape, creating a breastplate and leggings around his body. A helmet that left his eyes uncovered surrounded his head. Finally, he envisioned a sword that swirled into place in his free hand. When it solidified in his grip, it felt like mist, but he could still form his hand around it. He looked up at the creatures around him. They now barely moved in the darkness, as if afraid to draw his attention.

With a new confidence, he quietly announced, "I don't want to hurt any of you. Let m-me and Sirius Black go. I will find a way t-to free you from the Dweller, but not tonight. Just… just let us g-go for now."

Harry was unable to keep the desperation from his voice by the end of his plea, and the dementor that had grabbed him rushed forward, sensing weakness. Harry didn't hesitate. The sword weighed nothing as he slashed it upward, and it tore right through the dementor's cloak with a horrible rending sound, as if the creature's shroud was made of rusty metal that was now being sliced apart. On top of that, the dementor screamed louder than Harry had ever heard, not at all muted by his glowing helmet. He finished his swing and drew back. The dementor didn't seem greatly injured, but its cloak was definitely damaged, with bits of musty cloth drifting to the ground. It was only by looking closely that Harry saw the damage he'd made.

One of the dementor's fingers was torn off, and it screeched in agony and confusion as it looked at the wound. The others drew back hurriedly, none of them anxious to be next. Harry held up the glowing sword in front of him, as if issuing a challenge. He fought to keep his voice level as he stated, "All of you. Clear off."

He stepped forward, and they all streamed in every other direction, calling in consternation to each other. He took a few steps to his broom and mounted it, still clad in his brilliant protection. He could feel his energy quickly dropping from keeping it going. Using the Patronus spell at the same time as sorcery felt twice as demanding. Without a word, he took to the air after Sirius, hoping he would find nothing near the edge of the wards.

Instead, he saw every dementor flying straight up, away from the trees below. There was a large cluster further away, and that was where he headed, swinging the sword to ward off any creatures that got too close. Within a few moments, he felt the energy of the wards wash over him, and he knew he'd reached their boundary. There, just past the limit, lay a great black dog, giving off heaving pants as it looked up at him in wonder. Harry supposed he must look fairly impressive, dropping out of the sky in a shining suit of armor.

Sirius transformed, looking gobsmacked, and quietly summoned his own patronus. Harry grinned in relief at the sight, and let his armor dissolve back into a stag. The two animals patrolled around them, looking for danger, but the dementors seemed to have given up for now. Sirius Black shook his head and looked up at Harry from the ground where he lay. "That was….," he managed, before taking another deep breath. "I don't know…. what that was. They nearly had me, then… then they all took off. Was that you?"

Harry rubbed the back of his neck, nearly feeling embarrassed by the wonder on the man's face, but he nodded. "I d-don't know if they'll stay away, though. You really should g-go."

Sirius nodded back quickly. "Thank you. You're right, but I should give you something first."

He reached into his coat and rummaged around with a look of concentration. Harry felt sure there was some kind of magical extension going on, as the man's arm completely disappeared as he searched. Only a moment later, though, he drew out a small book that he handed up to Harry. The boy took it curiously, seeing that strange round logo of an eagle on the cover. He looked up at Sirius questioningly.

"That's an extra field journal," the man responded to his look. "SHIELD magical division standard. Anything you write in it will show up automatically to a matching journal at SHIELD. That's how I make contact with my superiors when I'm in the field. I'll make sure to get the journal that matches it, and what I write will show up in yours. Wait a few days for me to write first. No idea who's on the other end right now."

Harry chuckled and agreed. "Thank you, sir."

"No, thank you!" Sirius exclaimed as he dusted himself off and stood up. "You saved my life, when you should never have been in danger. I'm not much of a godfather, I suppose. SHIELD's been my priority for what feels like decades now. But I promise, whatever help you need, I'll give it."

Harry barely had to think. "C-can you help me become an animagus? McGonagall won't t-teach me yet."

Sirius grinned widely and nodded, but a screech overhead made both wizards look up in alarm. The dementors were still a bit away, but they had regrouped and were coming back. Sirius looked back at Harry, and yelled, "Go! Apparate back to the gates. We'll see each other again."

Without a word, they both twisted and popped away, leaving the dementors without their prey. In their hurry, they didn't notice the shrunken cage that had fallen quietly out of Sirius' coat when he had retrieved the journal. Pettigrew stirred, and slowly opened one beady eye.

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In a black dimension far away, the Dweller laughed darkly as his minions floundered through the air in frustration. The little whelp had spirit, no doubt. His first step was complete. He hoped the puny wizard in shining armor was up to the task.

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June 9

Kaecilius' quiet groan was like music to Harry's ears. After escaping the dementors and climbing back over the entrance gate, he'd rushed to retrieve his master's unconscious body from the edge of the forest and levitate it back into the safety of the castle. He'd used the last of his energy getting Kaecilius up to the hospital wing, and collapsed into a nearby bed immediately afterward.

Harry pushed himself up and hurried over to his master, squinting in the early morning light that streamed through the windows. He took Kaecilius' hand and whispered into his mind, Sir? It's all right. We made it. We're safe, and Sirius got away.

Kaecilius' hand squeezed tightly in Harry's own, and the man opened his eyes a little, peering over at his pupil. "I'm-"

He coughed a little, prompting Harry to reach for a glass of water on the bedside table. His teacher took a drink and nodded his thanks, before trying to speak again. "I'm glad to hear that. I.. remember Sirius getting away. What happened?"

"I'd quite like that explanation as well," came a calm but serious voice from the end of the room. They both turned to see Dumbledore at the threshold, standing next to a glowering Snape, whose crossed arms and hunched expression showed he would rather be elsewhere. The two men walked in and came to the foot of Kaecilius' bed.

"I'm afraid I missed most of the excitement last night," the headmaster continued. "Severus came to get me after the hullabaloo in the main hall, telling me the most unusual stories. Something about you two using sorcery to help Sirius Black escape?"

And so Harry started the story from when he'd awoken in Sirius' tent, stopping only to clarify the occasional point of confusion. Dumbledore retained his stoic expression throughout the tale of misdirection and mayhem, but Snape's lip curled higher with each sentence. Finally, he exclaimed, "You can't honestly believe that Sirius Black is innocent, and he works for some mysterious government agency, Headmaster? And this… polyjuiced homunculus that lasted 12 years? It's absurd!"

Dumbledore waved his hand dismissively. "On the contrary, it answers quite a few of my questions, Severus. I'd always wondered what was occupying so much of Sirius' time during the war, because I was sure he hated all of his family members for following Voldemort. It would be just like him to fight with a muggle military force. Please, Harry. Continue."

After describing his friends' aborted rescue efforts, Harry explained how they'd gotten past Snape, fought off the dementor's first wave, and had their sling ring stolen. Dumbledore looked over at the potions professor, who begrudgingly took the object from his robes and held it out to Dumbledore. "I still don't understand why you're allowing a sorcerer in the castle, or why he's teaching Potter!" he spat in frustration.

Dumbledore calmly passed the sling ring to Kaecilius and answered, "I have explained my reasons to you already, Severus. I think any extra abilities that Harry procures will help him survive better if Voldemort ever manages to return. I hope you won't begrudge him that."

Harry hesitantly raised one hand. Actually, Headmaster. I've been meaning to tell you. Last summer, the Ancient One said we only had a year or two before he comes back. And I know you heard what Professor Trelawney said to me yesterday. She specifically said the Dark Lord would rise again with his servant's aid.

Dumbledore looked like he visibly aged at the reminder, then nodded seriously. "I agree. It all does seem rather ominous. Perhaps you should tell us the rest of what happened for now."

So Harry continued his tale. It was when Harry described being pulled into the Dweller's dimension that Kaecilius sat bolt upright in alarm. Harry haltingly told them all about the deal he had been forced to make. By the end, his master was holding his head in his hands, shaking in despair. "I TOLD YOU to forget about the dementors!" Kaecilius finally shouted. "I warned you! Now you're trapped in some Faustian pact, trying to fix a problem that shouldn't have been yours!"

"I had no choice!" Harry protested. "If I didn't agree, you and S-Sirius would have had your souls eaten, and he w-wouldn't have ever let me go anyway!"

Dumbledore intervened, coming up to lay a comforting hand on Kaecilius' shoulder. "What's done is done. I agree that this is hardly ideal, but I know we will both help him find a way out of this."

Kaecilius took a deep and shaky breath, looking closer to tears than Harry had ever seen him, but he nodded and gestured to Harry to continue his tale.

Harry explained the last part of the evening's events, ending with their return to the castle.

When he'd finished, Dumbledore asked, "May we see this suit of armor you created?"

Harry agreed, then stood up a few feet away. It wasn't hard to conjure a happy thought. He'd done it, after all. He'd saved his father's best friend and his teacher from a horrible fate. Focusing on that, he summoned his patronus, then molded it into shape. Within a few moments, he was clad head to toe in a blinding white casing. Dumbledore's mouth was hanging open, Snape's eyes were squinted tight against the glare, and Kaecilius was softly shaking his head in wonder, a proud smile on his face.

Just to show off a little, Harry swung his insubstantial sword through the air a few times, then let the spell disperse. He came and sat down again at Kaecilius' side as Dumbledore shook himself slightly. "Incredible," the man said quietly. "Wizardry and sorcery combined like nothing before. We will have to see if this can be built upon."

Snape seemingly decided to ignore the demonstration entirely. "All right, there's still something that doesn't make sense here," the professor announced shortly. "If Black is really innocent, which I still doubt, what servant of the Dark Lord escaped last night? I was under the impression Black had Pettigrew locked up in a cage."

Kaecilius considered this for a moment, then turned to Harry. "Look in the journal Sirius gave you, Harry. See if he's said anything yet."

Harry obliged, taking it out and opening it to the first page. There in a neat print were two short, bleak sentences: "Lost Pettigrew's cage sometime last night. Have Dumbledore search forest when possible."

Dumbledore drew himself up immediately. "I will muster the staff immediately. We shall start on the farthest edge of the wards and work inwards. Speaking of which, I need you to locate my Defense professor, Kaecilius. See how he fared through the rest of the night, please."

With that, Snape and Dumbledore started for the door, the headmaster shooting glowing patroni into the air as they went.

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SHIELD Headquarters, June 10

Sirius wearily knocked on the director's door, opening it when he heard permission to enter. He saluted his director and sat down quickly, ready to begin.

"Let's get to it, Agent Styx," the director said, spreading several folders across her desk, all full of information Sirius had sent over the past ten months. "We'll start with Operation Beta. I understand you had the suspect in custody twice, yet don't have him now. Explain."

Sirius sighed heavily. "Yes, Director. The first mishap was a result of the suspect's repeated change in mass during interrogation. I had fed him a very strong sleeping potion when I first captured him, but only enough for something rat-sized. When I untransformed him for verification of identity and other tests, the draught wore off much quicker than expected. He must have pretended to be unconscious long enough to escape while I was monitoring Operation Alpha. I recaptured him several months later."

"Very well," the director acknowledged, not looking terribly impressed. "And then?"

"The second time… was probably my fault as well, but extenuating circumstances apply here. The subject was given a slightly larger dose, but I couldn't give much more than the first time without risking death. I was also forced to return the suspect into human form once in order to gain the trust of Subject Alpha and their companions. I then sent the subject back into his animagus form. During my escape, I was pursued by dementors, easily fifty of them at one time. I escaped, obviously, but I was more concerned with… well, not dying rather than keeping track of my belongings."

The director pursed her lips, but nodded. "Understandable," she allowed. "Did you return to the scene to try to track down the suspect?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, ma'am. After earning the trust of Subject Alpha, I enlisted the help of the Hogwarts faculty to search the forest where I lost the suspect. They did as full a sweep as possible, but only found the suspect's empty cage, with the door broken. I suspect he's long gone, possibly heading to the continent."

"I see," the director said, skimming over one of the folders to corroborate the information, then closing it and eyeing Sirius. "We'll consider Operation Beta closed for now. It was never the priority anyway, but having your name cleared in England would have made your job a little easier. Tell me about Operation Alpha. Start with what you learned about his movements over the first two years of Hogwarts. The reports I received prior to your insertion are nearly unbelievable."

Sirius snorted quietly and raked his fingers through his hair. "I read those reports, ma'am, and as far as I can tell they're completely accurate. Fought off a disembodied version of Voldemort at the end of his first year. Went into training with a sorcerer to heal the damage to his mind. Training was mostly a success, with some damage to his verbal abilities remaining. At the end of his second year, he really did assist his teacher in both taking down a full-sized basilisk, as well as defeating some sort of shade that resembled a younger Voldemort. All of these details were confirmed during my first few months undercover as Padfoot. The subject was lonely and isolated, and talked to me often."

The director took a moment to process the information and write a few things down, then waved at him to continue.

"I disengaged before he left for school, as I knew one of the boy's professors would recognize my animagus form. We were good friends in school, and he never knew I was innocent. I followed him and lived in the castle in my quarters under a Fidelius charm. From that vantage, I was able to disguise myself or use invisibility spells for regular observations. On the surface, he is a mostly normal boy. Loves to play quid-, I mean, sports. Excellent reflexes as a result. Does very well in his studies, thanks to guidance from one of his friends and his mentor."

She held up a hand to stop him. "We've gotten background on him, which you received during your time there. What are your impressions of this Kaecilius?"

Sirius stared at the ceiling for a moment, considering. He replied, "Definitely cares about the subject. Short-tempered and… sad, I suppose. Considering his past, that's not surprising. He's very knowledgeable in sorcery, from what I can tell. I'm not an expert. But the subject has demonstrated impressive skills under his tutelage. I think he's a good mentor, for the time being."

She nodded agreeably. "Good. Your reports mentioned a prophecy about the subject. Please elaborate."

"We now have two prophecies in play, actually. I only know the first in very general terms, but I know the subject will play a central role in any conflicts with Voldemort as a result of it. I heard the second prophecy from one of the bugs I placed on the subject several weeks ago. Not only were they warned of my imminent movement to capture Pettigrew, I think I would have lost Pettigrew no matter what precautions I took. The prophecy specifically said that the Dark Lord's servant would break out to join his master. That can only mean Pettigrew, based on the context."

"Surely you're not blaming your mistakes in the field on a fortune teller, Agent Styx."

"No, Director," he assured quickly. "I don't recommend dismissing the abilities of a full seer, though. The Department of Mysteries in Britain has an entire wing dedicated to prophecies. Wizards take them seriously for a reason."

The director didn't seem fazed. "Anything else important in the prophecy you heard?"

"Yes ma'am," he said cautiously. "I'm afraid that Voldemort will probably be active within the next 18 months, based on the wording of the prophecy. We will need to prepare for it, and the subject has been already."

"Wonderful. Just what we needed," she replied dryly. "Moving on, what are your thoughts on the boy's abilities? If he's to play an important role in the battle, I want to be sure he can handle himself. Self defense, combat, and magical skills, please."

Sirius sat up eagerly at the question. "Self-defense and combat skills are much higher than normal for wizards his age. I think he would have been adept all by himself, but Kaecilius has made sure he trains regularly to defend himself. I would call it paranoia if I didn't know about all the trouble the subject has been through already."

"And magical abilities?"

"Incredible for his age," Sirius responded quickly. "As you requested, I goaded him into a magical fight before he knew my innocence. He very nearly beat me, even though I was barely holding back. He has begun mixing wizard magic and sorcery already, making use of a wizard's spell of very high difficulty. I didn't learn it myself till seventh year. He drove off the entire group of dementors single-handedly, saving my life in the process. He definitely bears further observation as a future recruit."

"And I suppose you'd like to do it?"

Sirius started. "Ma'am?"

The director fixed him with a very unimpressed look. "You wear your heart on your sleeve, Agent Styx. Notwithstanding his status as your godson, you've grown to care for the boy. Admit it."

He slowly nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I'm also ideally placed to continue in the role. He's asked me to teach him some magical skills that Kaecilius is unable to assist with."

The director looked down at her desk for a moment, thinking. Then she stood up, making Sirius jump to his feet as well. "Very well," she said in an officious tone. "Agent Styx, continue observation through the use of occasional visits when possible. Other missions will be reduced for the time being. Keep using the bugs until their magical shielding wears off, but do your best to implant more of them when you visit. By all means, teach the boy to survive. You are not to mention possible recruitment into SHIELD at this time. Understood?"

Sirius saluted. "Perfectly, Director Carter. Thank you."

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A/N: We are now nearly done with Year 3! Only a few loose threads to tie up.
Leave a comment to tell me what you think!